The Normandy Book Club has finalized its reading list for 2023-2024. The club follows a process where each member suggests 2 books for the longlist. The final selection is made by voting for 7 books at the last meeting of the school year. This year’s list includes a variety of books, a combination of well-known and lesser-known titles.
### Normandy Book Club Longlist 2023 – 2024
– **Bel Canto** – Ann Patchett
– **Demon Copperhead** – Barbara Kingsolver
– **The Last Thing You Surrender** – Leonard Pitts Jr
– **Count the Ways** – Joyce Maynard
– **Eats, Shoots, & Leaves** – Lynne Truss
– **Klara and the Sun** – Kazio Ishiguro
– **Trespasses** – Louise Kennedy
– **Sea of Poppies** – Amitav Ghosh
– **Sunlight on a Broken Column** – Attis Hosain
– **Nomadland** – Jessica Bruder
– **A Winter Grave** – Peter May
– **The Outrun** – Amy Liptrot
– **Call the Midwife** – Jennifer Worth
– **Tomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrow** – Gabrielle Zevin
– **Q is for Quarry** – Sue Grafton
– **Death Dance** – Linda Fairstein
– **The Glass Palace** – Amitav Ghosh
– **The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry** – Gabrielle Zevin
– **Harlem Shuffle** – Colson Whitehead
The list covers a wide range of genres and authors, providing an eclectic selection for the book club members to explore.Leonard Pitts Jr, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling novelist, has penned a new historical novel titled “The Last Thing You Surrender”. The story follows three characters from the Jim Crow South as they navigate the significant changes brought about by World War II in the United States.
An affluent white marine survives Pearl Harbor at the cost of a black messman’s life and is then sent to the Pacific where he is taken prisoner by the Japanese, grappling with immense guilt. A young black woman, widowed by the same events at Pearl Harbor, finds unexpected opportunity and forms a risky friendship in a segregated Alabama shipyard supporting the war effort. Meanwhile, a black man, who witnessed the brutal lynching of his parents as a child, is conscripted to fight Nazis for a country he despises and discovers a new kind of patriotism in the all-black 761st Tank Battalion. The novel delves into the moral struggles of individuals from a divided nation, set against a backdrop of violent racial conflict on both the front lines and the home front, posing questions about what it takes to change someone’s perspective on race and for a country and its people to move forward transformed.
Moreover, the historical adventure “Sea of Poppies” by Amitav Ghosh is centered around a vast ship, the Ibis, embarking on a tumultuous voyage across the Indian Ocean just before the Opium Wars in China. Set in a time of colonial upheaval, the novel brings together a diverse cast of Indians and Westerners on board, forming new familial bonds in the midst of vanishing old ties across the lush poppy fields of the Ganges, the rolling high seas, and the exotic backstreets of Canton.
Additionally, the novel “Winter Grave” is set in the year 2051, in a world grappling with the consequences of a climate catastrophe. As vast areas of the planet become uninhabitable due to flooding and extreme temperatures, and immigration wars erupt as refugees seek shelter in neighboring countries, a young meteorologist, Addie, discovers the body of investigative reporter George Younger entombed in ice during a routine check of a mountain top weather station.
All of these novels are available from Blackwell’s, an independent bookstore offering free delivery.A man named Younger was found dead on a mountain-top near the Highland village of Kinlochleven, even though he was not known to be a hill walker. Cameron Brodie, a detective from Glasgow, decides to investigate the death. However, he has more on his plate than just a murder case. He has received a grim medical prognosis and is also planning to reunite with his estranged daughter, who lives in the remote Highland village.
Brodie and pathologist Dr. Sita Roy arrive at the International Hotel during an ice storm, only to find themselves as the only guests. Younger’s body is being kept refrigerated in a cake cabinet at the hotel. However, during the autopsy, evidence is uncovered, putting Brodie and Roy in extreme danger. As another storm cuts off communications and the possibility of escape, Brodie must confront not only the ghosts of his past, but also a killer who is determined to keep a chilling secret buried forever.
The Glass Palace is a novel set in 1885 Burma during the British invasion, telling the story of Rajkumar, a poor boy who rises to create an empire in the Burmese teak forest. When soldiers force the royal family out of the Glass Palace and into exile, Rajkumar befriends Dolly, a young woman in the court of the Burmese Queen. His search for her years later, as a wealthy man, is the central story of this novel. The struggles that have shaped Burma, India, and Malaya are illuminated in this wonderful novel.
The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is about a bookstore owner whose life is not what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is failing, and his rare collection of Poe poems has been stolen. However, a mysterious package arrives at the bookstore, giving him the opportunity to make his life over. This heartwarming story is about transformation and second chances, and celebrates the love of reading.The photograph depicts the book “Harlem Shuffle” by Colson Whitehead. This novel follows the story of Ray Carney, a furniture salesman living on 125th Street. Despite his seemingly normal life, Ray is part of a family with a history of criminal activity. When his cousin gets involved in a heist, Ray finds himself entangled in a world of shady characters and illegal dealings. Set in 1960s New York City, the book explores themes of family, morality, race, and power, all within the vibrant backdrop of Harlem. If you’re interested in purchasing the book, consider buying it through the affiliate link provided by Blackwells, an independent bookstore with free worldwide shipping. Your support helps in providing regular literary content.
