The Elliott Bay Book Company

The unfolding of events over one long Labor Day weekend in the life of a bright, lonely, 13 year old boy, propels this touching, riveting novel. Henry has been living with his once vibrant, now withdrawn mother, and enduring an awkward relationship with the father that left them. When an injured stranger approaches him one day, the repercussions of this encounter changes all their lives in profound, unexpected ways. With its authentic, soul-searching, hormone-driven teenaged narrator, this book had an emotional impact that stayed with me long after its lump-in-the-throat resolution.

Few writers are able to reveal the natural world's intricacies as Ms. Ackerman can, with prose so ravishing, fanciful and evocative. In her newest book, she offers a feast of facts, images and ideas, in these seasonally arranged essays based on the theme of dawn. The behaviors of animals, birds and humans at daybreak, the inspiration experienced by painters such as Monet, our many sunrise-centered myths and rituals are a few of the subjects explored, and with such joyful contemplation that we are able, as the author puts its, "to enchant ourselves by paying attention."

Love of family and place permeates this wonderful memoir of childhood in rural Botswana.
Homeschooled by their unconventional but quick-witted mother, encouraged by their father, a village doctor who flies to his clinics, and influenced by their charismatic grandparents, Robyn and her siblings reveled in the vast classroom provided by the surrounding bush.
An eventual move to the South African border brings awareness of the emergence of HIV-AIDS, and the tensions of racial politics, but the prevailing delights of this story are the detailed accounts of a bright, open-minded family’s interactions with one another and with a country so gorgeous, vibrant, and complex.

One of my favorite novels of the year, this would still be an absorbing, lyrical story of two girls adopted by a kind nurse and her immigrant husband, without the added dimension of their being conjoined twins, connected at the head and unable even to look at one another.
Told as a joint autobiography by the dominant, more intellectual twin Rose, and her frail, but emotionally vibrant sister Ruby, their account of growing up in beautiful rural Canada, with all the complexities of familial and community relationships, will find you looking back to the title page, not believing that this is indeed fiction.
At first drawn by curiosity about the unimaginable challenges of the girls’ situation, I was won over by their immensely likeable personalities, and by the courage and fierce love that is evident in each character.

In telling the story of her maternal ancestors, slaves for four of the seven generations, Jacqueline Woodson has shared with us a sort of love letter for her daughter.
This unique depiction of a tragic time shows us the cherishing of the baby girl, born into each generation, who would be taught how to make quilts. The "Show Way" quilts, sewn during the slave years, contained hidden symbols; guides to finding escape routes to freedom.
Stunningly beautiful illustrations, by Hudson Talbott, inlaid with historical detail and luminous with emotion, help focus the story on a sometimes joyful legacy of courage.
We see how love, and colorful scraps of material gathered during dark times, kept hope alive for one African-American family.

The cost of oil is rising, the debate continues about exploration in Alaska's wildlife refuge and elsewhere, and reports of war in oil-rich regions dominate the news. What has made this substance such a volatile topic, literally and figuratively?
Millions of years ago, there were trillions of plankton and diatoms and other single-celled creatures in the sea. When they died, they sank to the bottom to slowly build a carbon-rich layer of organic rubble. Only as recently as the 1800s was it discovered that when the carbons in this oozy black stuff were properly split apart, a very useful combustible or lubricating material could be produced.
So begins the story of crude oil, from its creation, to its myriad uses in modern society, to the havoc and tragedies that have occurred due to its value and scarcity. From its development during World War II to the current omnipresence of oil in products and manufacturing, this highly readable history of oil will illuminate your understanding of modern society and the balances of world power.

The combination of witty, naughty, and British is usually a winning one for me when choosing fiction.
These three novellas, each with the theme of a woman taking destiny in her own hands through inventive, if not diabolical methods, are also fabulously well written.
From gardening-for-revenge, to an adulteress with a change of heart, to an unfulfilled housewife visited by spirits, each vivid character will delight and scandalize in this absorbing, elegant trio of stories.

When I was in Italy I bought this very book, and reading it afterwards prolonged and greatly enhanced my experiences in the Siena region. As a native-Italian tour guide, the author leads interesting and sometimes unbelievably strange or demanding people on custom tours in Tuscany. Alas, many are Americans, but Mr. Castagno does develop an affection for them! The humor, history, and candor of this book give it a refreshing perspective on a subject that has been oft-written about.