Mailbox Monday June 6, 2011

In June Mailbox Monday is being hosted by The Bluestocking Guide.

Instead of books received in my mailbox, I thought I would highlight some notable books I picked up at BEA.





The first book is When Tito Love Clara by Jon Michaud and published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. About the book (taken from the publisher's website):

Clara Lugo grew up in a home that would have rattled the most grounded of children. Through brains and determination, she has long since slipped the bonds of her confining Dominican neighborhood in the northern reaches of Manhattan. Now she tries to live a settled professional life with her American husband and son in the suburbs of New Jersey—often thwarted by her constellation of relatives who don’t understand her gringa ways.

Her mostly happy life is disrupted, however, when Tito, a former boyfriend from fifteen years earlier, reappears. Something has impeded his passage into adulthood. His mother calls him an Unfinished Man. He still carries a torch for Clara; and she harbors a secret from their past. Their reacquaintance sets in motion an unraveling of both of their lives and reveals what the cost of assimilation—or the absence of it—has meant for each of them.

This novel was published in March and is getting excellent reviews.






The second book I'm featuring is The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy. It's published by Hyperion. From their website the description of this novel reads:

A novel full of grand passion and intensity, The Soldier’s Wife asks “What would you do for your family?” “What should you do for a stranger?” and “What would you do for love?”

As World War II draws closer and closer to Guernsey, Vivienne de la Mare knows that there will be sacrifices to be made. Not just for herself, but for her two young daughters and for her mother-in-law, for whom she cares while her husband is away fighting. What she does not expect is that she will fall in love with one of the enigmatic German soldiers who take up residence in the house next door to her home. As their relationship intensifies, so do the pressures on Vivienne. Food and resources grow scant, and the restrictions placed upon the residents of the island grow with each passing week. Though Vivienne knows the perils of her love affair with Gunther, she believes that she can keep their relationship—and her family—safe. But when she becomes aware of the full brutality of the Occupation, she must decide if she is willing to risk her personal happiness for the life of a stranger.

This one has an interesting Q & A with the author at the back (I don't know why but I often read these before the book to get a feel for the background story).

That's it! I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone got in their mailboxes last week.