E-books/audiobooks: fiction
Lila is the third part of Marilynne Robinson's quiet epic set around the Iowan town of Gilead. Having written novels ( Gilead and Home) about two male protagonists - Calvinist preachers John Ames and Robert Broughton respectively - she introduces us to the titular Lila, the somewhat mysterious younger wife of John Ames.
by Marilynne Robinson
Virago
(e-book)
Lila is the third part of Marilynne Robinson's quiet epic set around the Iowan town of Gilead. Having written novels ( Gilead and Home) about two male protagonists - Calvinist preachers John Ames and Robert Broughton respectively - she introduces us to the titular Lila, the somewhat mysterious younger wife of John Ames. Whereas Ames lives his entire life in one place, Lila travels restlessly, desperate to find whatever work she can. Where Ames engages with national and international events, Lila is surprised to learn that the landscape she knows so intimately is called "the United States of America". The story starts with Lila's impoverished childhood, and proceeds via her beneficent kidnapping by Doll who takes her through America's Midwest, scrapping for survival. The occasional "ferociousness" of Lila's rootless existence is juxtaposed with the promise of happy stability with Ames. The poised beauty of Robinson's voice carries the story. One of the best novels of this or any other year.
by Rachel Joyce
(read by Celia Imrie)
Random House Audio
(audiobook)
Rachel Joyce scored a critical and commercial hit with her first novel The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. Treading a fine line between sentimentality and whimsy, it followed an elderly man who walks the length of Britain in the belief that his "pilgrimage" will save the life of an old flame, Queenie Hennessy. She had written, out of the blue, to say she was dying in a hospice 627 miles away in Berwick-Upon-Tweed. This companion piece is narrated from Queenie's point of view. Having discovered what Harold is doing on her behalf, Queenie writes a second letter conveniently detailing her life, secrets and character in nicely modulated sentences. At the centre is the unlikely love story between Queenie and Harold, which ended the moment Queenie walked out 20 years before. It is gentle storytelling unlikely to appeal to James Patterson fans. Celia Imrie reads with assured but flexible tones that bring out the comedy while always making us care for the ever-surprising Queenie. Lovely.