BOOKS WE RECOMMEND THIS WEEK

From Kimmery Martin’s debut novel that explores themes of empathy and forgiveness, to a book of short stories translated from the French, our book picks this week, curated by Chirdeep Malhotra

CONTEMPORARY FICTION

“The Queen of Hearts” by Kimmery Martin

This is Kimmery Martin’s debut novel that pulses with humour and empathy as it explores the heart's capacity for forgiveness. The book follows best friends – Zadie, a pediatric cardiologist, and Emma, a trauma surgeon, as they navigate their lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. But the return of a former colleague unearths a secret Emma has been harbouring for years, leading Zadie to question everything she thought she knew about her closest friend.



FICTION

“In the Land of Eternal Spring” by Alan Howard

This is a poignant love story and dynamic political novel of a period in history that will resonate with readers. The book follows Peace Corps volunteer Laura Jenson and Fulbright Scholar Peter Franklin, who meet in Guatemala City in 1963. They are inspired by America’s new foreign policy of helping the poor and promoting democracy; however they are soon disillusioned by America’s one-dimensional Cold War policies that led to the Vietnam War. As they fall in love, Laura becomes involved in Guatemala’s nascent revolutionary movement. However, the tension builds as the government’s security forces close in on them and then trap them in a safe house.



TRAVEL LITERATURE/URBAN FICTION

“Nicosia Beyond Barriers: Voices from a Divided City”, edited by Alev Adil, Aydin Mehmet Ali, Bahriye Kemal, and Maria Petrides

Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus has been split by a militarised border for decades. In this collection, Cypriot-Greeks coexist alongside Cypriot-Turks, the north with the south, town with countryside, and the dominant voices with the marginalised. In the stories and poems compiled in this book, writers from all sides of the divide reimagine the past, present and future of their city. With this, these writers create a complete picture of Nicosia, the world's last divided capital city.



TRANSLATION/ SHORT STORIES

“Gardeners” by Véronique Bizot, translated by Youna Kwak

In this critically acclaimed short story collection by Véronique Bizot, even the safe harbor of an ordinary house garden is transformed into bewildering, uncharted territory. Celebrated in France for her dangerously straightforward, lyrically troublesome prose, Bizot has written six tales full of the alien monstrosities of ordinary life, where the quotidian rhythms of sibling squabbles, home maintenance, and friendly encounters with neighbours skim thinly over undercurrents of murderous intents. The short stories are richly detailed—vivid, wild and beguiling, and this excellent translation brings her thought-provoking French experimental fiction to English readers.