Quick Lit: October Edition

When the Cranes Fly South 

by Lisa Ridzén, translated by Alice Menzies

Vintage 2025, 320 pages

 I had a good cry after finishing this novel. The writing is gorgeous, but the story itself is overwhelmingly sad. The main character Bo is a fragile, elderly man living alone with his big dog, Sixten. He gets by with routine visits from caregivers, while his wife has dementia and lives in a nearby nursing home. Bo's son, Hans, has decided that his father is no longer capable of caring for a dog and plans to find Sixten a new home. The novel is a combination of Bo's account of his current situation and loss of independence interspersed with his memories of earlier days. Short entries from the caregivers' log offer the reader another perspective.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Heart the Lover by Lily King

Grover Press 2025, 256 pages

This short novel reads quickly and effortlessly, and the dialog positively shines! It is both a prequel and sequel to Writers & Lovers, yet definitely stands on its own. It's a novel about love and friendship, and how the choices we made in youth become part of the fabric of our lives. Again, the end left me in tears. I loved this book even more than Writers & Lovers, which I reread last month.

This was a read/listen combination for me and the audiobook narrated by Rebecca Lowman is excellent! I'm looking forward to seeing Lily King at my local indie next month.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol.2 by Beth Brower

Rhysdon Press 2019,  152 pages

I'm reading this delightful series, one book per month over eight months, with a small group from MMD Book Club. It's basically a Victorian soap opera and I've been using them as palate cleansers after heavier reads. Volume 2 was even better than Volume 1 and I can't wait to start Volume 3!

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

In A Distant Valley by Shannon Bowring

Europa Editions 2025,  336 pages

We return to rural northern Maine for the third and final installment of the Dalton series. Once again Shannon Bowring's style and characters are reminiscent of Elizabeth Strout or Richard Russo. I enjoyed one last visit with my old friends and appreciated Bowring's decision to wrap up the series on a hopeful note. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐