VPL Recommends
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Moriarty, Laura Set in Kansas, the story documents the coming of age of Evelyn Bucknow, a young girl being raised in a trailer home by a single mother. Caught between conflicting authority figures who dictate their versions of moral order, the maturing Evelyn finds her own unique truth. A lovely book.
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The town of Common, New Mexico had a rude awakening when two local boys, Joel and Tom, share a reckless and very public kiss. The kiss stirs strong emotions in the civic, religious and social order of the town. First published in 1989, this classic of gay literature is notable for its depiction of coming-out in a small-town setting.
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Schulman, Sarah In Schulman’s dystopian vision of New York City, homelessness, poverty, and big-box stores become a thing of the past. Despite the positive changes, a feeling of unease is felt by the population. Schulman’s characters find themselves asking “Is there a place for love in a world where everything is for sale?” A thoughtful read.
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Kantner, Seth Caught between two cultures, neither of which will fully accept him, Cutuk Hawcly realizes “something is missing in [him] – that feels like being born a wolf and choosing a dog’s life.” This beautifully written book captures the stark beauty of the Alaskan tundra and the drama of living “in” not “off” the land. The book will appeal to fans of Cathleen With's Having Faith in the Polar Girls' Prison.
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Cleave, Chris After two years spent in a refugee detention centre, Little Bee sets off to rejoin a British couple she encountered in her home country, Nigeria. Weaving the past and present, Little Bee muses on the complexities of the Queen’s English and whether the future tense actually belongs in her vocabulary. The book is a beautiful document that illustrates the plight of political refugees in today’s world and introduces us to one of the most beguiling narrators to appear in modern literature. Highly recommended.
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Donoghue, Emma Set in Victorian London and based on a scandalous divorce case, Donoghue’s 2009 Barbara Gittings Literature Award nominated novel is rich in period detail
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Dawn, Amber The book is narrated by Little, a young girl who has been lured into the world of Sub Rosa – a zone within the city where women are forced to work as prostitutes. Dawn has created an edgy novel / allegory showing marginalized women who are all but invisible to the city at large.
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Avery, Ellis In 1865, nine-year-old Aurelia Caillard is orphaned in Japan. She is taken in by the Shin family, master-teachers of the tea-ceremony and befriended by their teenage daughter, Yurako. As Aurelia matures, she finds her attraction to Yukako deepen into love. This book is the 2008 winner of the Barbara Gittings Literature Award.
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Welch, Denton Excellent, though largely forgotten, final novel from Welch detailing the harrowing, true life trauma he suffered in the aftermath of an automobile accident. Welch’s narrator keeps a firm grip on his emotions and distances himself from his pain in beautifully detailled descriptions of people and objects he observes during his recovery. Would appeal to fans of Jean-Dominique Bauby’s the Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
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