October brings a fresh wave of literary talent to the forefront. This month, readers can anticipate a diverse array of debut novels that promise to captivate, challenge, and inspire.
A Fatal Distraction by Samyukta Bhowmick
Samyukta Bhowmick is a lifelong admirer of the Golden Age of crime fiction, spanning the 1920s to 1940s, and its intriguing blend of outward respectability and inner turmoil. Her debut novel, A Fatal Distraction, pays homage to her childhood fascination with violence in otherwise cozy settings. In this delightful Indian murder mystery, the mild-mannered editor of a Delhi tabloid, DB, is unexpectedly poisoned, leaving everyone bewildered. With no known enemies, who would want him dead? As more murders occur, chaos ensues among TV stations, the police, and the nation. To solve the mystery, two mismatched journalists join forces: Mridula, a sharp-tongued, middle-aged misanthrope, and Monami, an enthusiastic young detective fiction fan. As the body count rises, they must delve deep into the mind of a killer.
Shred Sisters by Betsy Lerner
From Betsy Lerner comes a captivating debut novel about family, mental illness, and the complex bond between two sisters. In the Shred family, Olivia shines until her erratic behavior wreaks havoc. Meanwhile, younger sister Amy, cautious and logical, struggles to understand Ollie's turmoil, which masks a deeper mental illness that disrupts Amy's carefully structured life. As Amy navigates her journey through academics, publishing, and tumultuous relationships, she constantly collides with Ollie, who unpredictably enters and exits their lives. Despite the challenges to their bond, the sisters are inextricably linked. Spanning two decades, Shred Sisters is a poignant exploration of sisterhood, mental health, loss, and love, revealing that no one can love or hurt you quite like a sister.
The Book of Losman by K.E. Semmel
Daniel Losman, an American living in Copenhagen, leads a solitary life as a book translator. His days are marked by fleeting encounters with an eccentric artist he believes he's in love with and weekends spent with his three-year-old son, whom he fears may have inherited his Tourette Syndrome. When he discovers a new drug claiming to address his Tourette through childhood memories, he is drawn to its promise. Initially, the drug rejuvenates him, but soon he becomes dependent on it. After stealing pills and isolating himself in his apartment, he finds himself trapped in his own mind. With wit and insight reminiscent of Matt Haig's The Midnight Library, The Book of Losman delves into the extremes one man will go to in his quest for wholeness.
Blue Light Hours by Bruna Dantas Lobato
In a small Vermont college dorm, a young woman connects with her mother back in northeastern Brazil, asking each other a simple question: what’s the news? Their lives seem mundane—she studies late at the library, while her mother worries about natural disasters and her declining health. Yet, through their Skype calls, they cultivate new rituals of intimacy, sharing whiskey late at night and watching each other drift to sleep. As autumn fades into a harsh winter, both women grapple with the reality that spring may bring difficult endings rather than new beginnings. Expanded from a story originally published in The New Yorker, Bruna Dantas Lobato's elegant prose captures the complexities of a mother-daughter relationship as they navigate growing up together yet apart, exploring the sacrifices and freedoms that come with leaving home for a new life.
No One Gets to Fall Apart by Sarah LaBrie
In this heartfelt memoir, Sarah LaBrie explores the tension between the love that ties us to home and the urge to break free. After her mother was discovered in Houston, Texas, screaming in fear of invisible attackers, a diagnosis of schizophrenia forced Sarah to reevaluate her childhood, marked by violence and intense closeness. Tracing her family's history of mental illness—from her great-grandmother, a descendant of slaves, to her own struggles with depression at Brown—Sarah confronts the events leading to her mother’s breakdown. She also grapples with an unfinished novel, complex feelings about her white partner, and a tumultuous friendship marked by betrayal. Spanning locations from Houston to Paris and Los Angeles, No One Gets to Fall Apart is a raw account of one woman's quest to understand her past in order to shape a new future.
Words Platform Desk
Date 08.10.2024