Book Buzz: Therapeutic Gardening, Historical Mysteries, and Criminal Adoptions

Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For August, we’re looking at a heartwarming tale rooted in a gardening class (pun intended!), a tantalizing new mystery series set in 1910s Calcutta, and the true crime story behind a novel I reviewed earlier this year.

Abbi Waxman’s The Garden of Small Beginnings (2017)

Lilian is coping with being the widowed mother of two daughters the best she can. Three years after her husband’s sudden death, she is no longer actively grieving, yet her life still seems incomplete. She has her children and her work as an illustrator, but there is something missing that she can’t quite put her finger on. She is, nevertheless, not thrilled when her boss signs her up for a gardening class. Though she initially feels woefully out of her element, it might be exactly what she is looking for. . . .

Recommended for those who enjoy Jojo Moyes’s work.

Abir Mukherjee’s A Rising Man (2017)

Sam Wyndham, a former Scotland Yard detective battling his own personal demons, arrives in Calcutta, British India, in 1919, and soon finds himself investigating a politically sensitive murder. The case takes him and his assistant, one of the only Indian members of the police force, throughout the city as they race to prevent political upheaval. This is the first book in a new series and has already attracted a lot of praise for its complex characters and solid mystery, as well as its nuanced and vivid recreation of early 20th century Calcutta. We also have the sequel A Necessary Evil.

Recommended for those who enjoy Sujata Massey’s work.

Barbara Bisantz Raymond’s The Baby Thief (2007)

Back in May, I reviewed Lisa Wingate’s searing Before We Were Yours, a novel that intermixes a modern-day political story with a historical plot line about the infamous Tennessee Children’s Home Society. If you read that novel and found yourself wanting to learn more about the horrific historical plotline, then this book is for you.

A well-researched piece of investigative reporting, The Baby Thief documents the life and crimes of Georgia Tann, who championed adoption at a time when it was considered socially shameful but also kidnapped children from their rightful parents and adopted them out to wealthy, prominent clients. Note: This book isn’t new, but it’s new to our collection.

Recommended for those who enjoyed Lisa Wingate’s Before We Were Yours.

What’s your favorite new-ish books? What books are you buzzing about these days? Have you read any of these books? Tell us in the comments! As always, please follow this link to our online library catalog for more information about any of these items.

Author: berryvillelibrary

"Our library, our future" View all posts by berryvillelibrary