Can’t Help Falling: A Long Road to Motherhood, A Memoir, Tarah Schwartz
Gripping, gentle, intense, and intelligent, Schwartz writes about grief and joy without being maudlin or lowering her high standards as a writer, a difficult task for any author exploring such personal issues as motherhood, multiple miscarriages, grief, and adoption. People often ask me for a book that is inspiring. It’s the hardest request to fill; comedy is easier, tragedy much easier, and biography and politics are a cinch. I promise you won’t be able to put this book down until the last page. And, just a teaser, you will love Enrico and Sam too.
Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont, Elizabeth Taylor; Introduction by Paul Bailey
Years ago someone asked me for books by Elizabeth Taylor, the mid-20th century English writer, but they were unavailable or difficult to find in Canada. Now Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont, her penultimate novel, has been reissued, and it is worth the wait. It is a small jewel of a book, with elegant writing, sharp wit, and a good story. Mrs Palfrey has a nephew, Desmond, whom she was hoping would visit her at her new retirement residence, the Claremont. Sorry, but Desmond is a disappointment. A slip on the pavement and a slight injury brings Ludovic Myers, or Ludo, a young writer down on his luck, into her life, as Desmond, of course. With charm and wit we follow their friendship. Mrs Palfrey can now wow and impress the other residents, and you can now discover a talented writer you may not know.
David recommends: Sephardi Voices: The Untold Expulsion of Jews from Arab Lands, Henry Green and Ric
Following Israel's founding in 1948, nearly one million Jews were expelled from their homes across the Middle East, North Africa, and Iran. Most of these gripping stories of survival and rebirth are previously untold. Some of you may know the wonderful and generous Victor Mashaal, who was born in Baghdad in 1938 and arrived in Canada in 1951. Vivianne Silver, a longtime friend to Bibliophile, was born in Cairo in 1942 and arrived in Canada in 1957. You may have fun discovering other people you know. This beautiful book also features many spectacular photographs and would make a great gift.