More Recent Acquisitions at Doylestown Library

Here are some new titles available from the library. There's plenty of variety to choose from. If I had to pick a predominant theme, I'd say "a look over our shoulder" - a good thing, I think. Looking at where we've been helps us decide where we should go next  - or, sometimes, where we don't want to go.

Blood & Beauty by Sarah Dunant

The Borgias used both words in the title to their advantage. Another period piece by Dunant surpasses her other period novels in scope with a confident, capable sweep through the Borgia family history. It’s the late 15th century and the Borgias are on the rise. Italy is a tangle of city-states caught between the rise of the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire. What some would have considered criminal behavior, the Borgias considered simply manipulating the situation to their advantage. Church law, social law, civil law…no law was unbreakable in their insatiable quest for power. Hilary Mantel fans, fans of historical fiction in general and fans of the Showtime series, The Borgias, will enjoy this novel based on one of history’s most infamous families.

The Outcast by Jolina Petersheim

A contemporary take on The Scarlet Letter centers on the shame, struggles, sins and strength of Rachel Stoltzfus.  Born into an Old Order Mennonite community in Pennsylvania, she moves to a community in Tennessee to help her sister and brother-in-law with their new baby. Shortly after moving, Rachel is forced to deal with her own pregnancy.  Feeling morally trapped, she refuses to ask forgiveness and to disclose the name of the baby’s father. Judged harshly by the residents of Copper Creek, she is torn between a life she has always known and her desire to separate from a world that no longer accepts her. But secrets run deep in this cloistered community, and the bishop, Rachel’s brother-in-law, is hiding some of his own, threatening his conscience and his very soul. Petersheim's emotional story will leave readers intrigued by the purity of Rachel's strong will, resilience, and loyalty.

The Husband’s Secret by Laine Moriarty

As a blurb on the cover of the book says, “The trouble with the truth is that it can change everything...” There are more than enough secrets to go around in this story connecting three women in Sydney, Australia. The author puts them in an impossible situation and cuts them no slack. Celia is living the perfect suburban life-perfect children, perfect marriage, perfect home. One day she discovers an envelope from her husband that directs her “…if you’re reading this, I’m dead.” He is, however, very much alive, but she opens the envelope and reads the letter anyway. With that action, her perfect world begins crumbling. A book that is alternately a page turner and one that you have to put down from time to time to absorb and think about the happenings, it could keep you up all night.  Moriarty challenges her characters and her readers in the best possible ways.

Brewster by Mark Soluka

In this case, Brewster is a small, blue collar town in lower New York state. Brewster may take its place with The Catcher in the Rye and The Outsiders as a coming of age tale not to be missed.  Jon Mosher, the hero, is the older son of German immigrant parents, who despite having survived the death camps in Germany, cannot deal with the death of their younger child, Jon’s brother.  Nor has fate dealt kindly with Jon’s best friend, Ray. He is saddled with a sadistic, alcoholic father and absent mother and stepmother. He, too, has a younger brother for whom he feels responsible. Set against the backdrop of late 1960s America, the boys try, with only partially successful and somewhat tragic results, to plot their escape routes. Despite delving into dark subjects, the novel is infused with hope and light. The characters of Brewster will stay with you long after you have finished the book.

Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle

A debut novel that is being compared favorably to Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies. The book traces Katherine Parr’s passage from grieving widow to Henry VIII’s sixth and final wife, the one who survives. Taking us into Katherine’s mind, Fremantle portrays a complex  gentlewoman, decent, modest and intelligent.  At 31, Katherine is madly in love with Thomas Seymour, but has no choice but to accept the proposal of the aging Henry. A reluctant queen in a court full of intrigue and potential enemies, she still manages to write a book, reconcile Henry to his children, Mary and Elizabeth, and champion Protestant reforms, all while managing to keep her head. A definite title for fans of Alison Weir, Philippa Gregory and Hilary Mantel.

These books are not just available in Doylestown; you can get them from any library in the system.