On the shelves - Sept. 20

The following books are available for checkout at the Clovis-Carver Public Library:

“A Well Behaved Woman” by Therese Anne Fowler. Alva Smith, her southern family destitute after the Civil War, married into one of America's great Gilded Age dynasties: the newly wealthy but socially shunned Vanderbilts. Ignored by New York's old-money circles and determined to win respect, she designed and built nine mansions, hosted grand balls, and arranged for her daughter to marry a duke. But Alva also defied convention for women of her time, asserting power within her marriage and becoming a leader in the women's suffrage movement.

“The Shadow King” by Maaza Mengiste, set during Mussolini's 1935 invasion of Ethiopia, takes us back to the first real conflict of World War II, casting light on the women soldiers who were left out of the historical record. At its heart is orphaned maid Hirut, who finds herself tumbling into a new world of thefts and violations, of betrayals and overwhelming rage. What follows is a heartrending and unputdownable exploration of what it means to be a woman at war.

“Death in the East” by Abir Mukherjee travels with Calcutta police detective Captain Sam Wyndham and his quick-witted Indian Sergeant, Surrender-Not Banerjee, on another exotic adventure set in 1920s India. 1905, London. As a young constable, Wyndham is on his usual East London beat when he comes across an old flame, Bessie Drummond, attacked in the streets. The next day, when Bessie is found brutally beaten in her own room, locked from the inside, Wyndham promises to get to the bottom of her murder. Forward to 1922, India, as Wyndham heads for the hills of Assam, to the ashram of a sainted monk where he hopes to conquer his opium addiction. When he arrives, he sees a ghost from his life in London-a man thought to be long dead, a man he hoped to never see again. Calling his friend and colleague Sergeant Banerjee for help, Wyndham is certain this figure from his past isn't here by coincidence. He is here for revenge.

“I Want You to Know We're Still Here” by Esther Safran Foer imparts the poignant and deeply moving story not only of the author's true journey, but of four generations living in the shadow of the Holocaust. Four generations of survivors, storytellers, and memory keepers, determined not just to keep the past alive but to imbue the present with life and more life.

“No Place For a Woman: The Struggles For Suffrage in the Wild West” by Chris Enss explores the history of the fight for women's rights in the West, reporting on the perseverance and courage of women to put their livelihoods, reputations and oftentimes their very lives at risk to bring about Women's Suffrage to the United States. Personal stories of women who helped settle the West and usher in voting rights decades ahead of the 19th Amendment, together with stories of the land they were forging, enhance the significance of 2019's centennial anniversary of the national women's suffrage victory- stories relevant in our current political climate.

“Fairytale Baking” by Christin Geweke. Like old family recipes, fairytales and stories are also handed down from one generation to the next. And delicious baking can delight the senses and bring back memories just like a good story, for both old and young alike. This journey through magical baking will make you dream of fairytale forests and faraway lands. These enchanting recipes are guaranteed to be liked by even the fussiest of cake eaters.

— Summaries provided by library staff