The Limits by Nell Freudenberger

 

Everything’s off-kilter during the early months of COVID. The children, especially, are not okay. Pia, the daughter of a French scientist who researches coral in the South Pacific, reluctantly agrees to be with her cardiologist Dad in New York. Dad, Stephen has his hands full with his expectant wife, Kate, who must be shielded from the pandemic. A school teacher, Kate struggles to bond with her stepdaughter while understanding the realities her teen students face. One of these is Athyna, afflicted by severe anxiety. The plot lines converge fluidly in a story that’s full of heart and a page-turner. A+

My Beloved Life by Amitava Kumar

 

The filling in of the blank slate of one man’s life against larger historical events is not particularly novel ground. But, in narrating the story of Jadunath Kunwar against the backdrop of pre-independence India, Kumar paints a moving portrait of an Everyman who lived in the shadow of sweeping historical events. The story, written almost in documentary form, traces the lives of Jadu and his daughter, Jugnu, while exploring the roles of caste and religion in the most nuanced ways. It’s deeply moving that Jadu, a student of history, situates his life squarely within its expansive frame. A surefire winner!

North Woods by Daniel Mason

 A catamount, a wild cat that once populated the western forests of Massachusetts, makes a cameo appearance in this absolutely spellbinding novel. Tracing the passage of time over centuries, one home in the woods fades in and out of the narrative, which narrates the stories of those whose paths walk over the same tracks over the years. The chorus of voices in different formats make for a delightful symphony. Mason’s writing is lush and gorgeous – a paragraph describing snow-laden woods alone is worth the price of admission – and the novel makes for a worthy contender for the Pulitzer. A must-read!