by Lily Tuck (2004)
The year is l854. In Paris, Francisco Solano -- the future dictator of Paraguay -- begins his courtship of the young, beautiful Irish courtesan Ella Lynch with a poncho, a Paraguayan band, and ahorse named Mathilde. Ella follows Franco to Asuncion and reigns there as his mistress. Isolated and estranged in this new world, she embraces her lover's ill-fated imperial dream -- one fueled by a heedless arrogance that will devastate all of Paraguay.With the urgency of the narrative, rich and intimate detail, and a wealth of skillfully layered characters, The News from Paraguay recalls the epic novels of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Mario Vargas Llosa.
Joan Silber
Set in France, Italy, New York, and China, in past and present, these stories cover lifetimes, and they are about longings about how sex and religion become parallel forms of dedication and comfort. As the stories stand alone, a minor element in one becomes major in the next.
Ken Kalfus
To each other's regret, both Marshall and Joyce survived 9/11. But it looks unlikely that they will survive the apparently endless war of their divorce. Both refuse to move out of their apartment, on their lawyers' orders, and neither is above using the children as footsoldiers in their battle.
Alice Munro
Julieta is a celebrated work by Alice Munro (Nobel Laureate, Triple Giller Prize Winner), recognized for masterclass storytelling and lasting literary resonance.
Julian Barnes
The pedant in the kitchen is a celebrated work by Julian Barnes (Booker Prize Winner), recognized for masterclass storytelling and lasting literary resonance.