Tag: Literature

Gothic Noir in Wartime France: Franck Bouysse’s ‘Clay’

‘Clay’ is Franck Bouysse’s new novel. Photo: Other Press

New Release: Clay by Franck Bouysse

A Dark, Lyrical Tale of War, Vengeance, and Buried Passions

Critically acclaimed French author Franck Bouysse, a master of gothic noir, returns this month with his latest novel, “Clay: A Novel”—a powerful, Faulknerian story of love, masculinity, and vengeance set against the backdrop of World War I. It is available for pre-order. (Other Press, 2025)
Release Date: May 20, 2025

A Story Set in Shadows and Heat

In the summer of 1914, in the rugged heart of Cantal, France, the able-bodied men of a rural mountain community march off to war. Left behind are the women, the elderly, and the young—those who must now bear the weight of survival.

Fifteen-year-old Joseph is one of them. With his father gone, he’s left to run the family farm alongside his mother, grandmother, and their aging neighbor Leonard. Across the property line lives Valette, a bitter man excused from the war due to a malformed hand. When his brother’s wife and daughter seek refuge with him, their arrival ignites long-simmering resentments and awakens passions that had long been buried.

Gothic Noir Meets Historical Fiction

Clay is a haunting, propulsive novel that blurs the line between historical fiction and literary noir. With richly textured prose and emotionally raw characters, Bouysse crafts a deeply affecting narrative of isolation, violence, and human resilience. The novel explores themes of abuse, family bonds, suppressed desire, and the way trauma seeps through generations.

This is essential reading for fans of Bouysse’s previous work and readers who love dark, atmospheric fiction in the tradition of Tana French or William Faulkner.

About the Author

Franck Bouysse was born in France in 1965. Before becoming a full-time writer in 2007, he worked as a biology teacher. His breakout novel, “Born of No Woman,” won multiple prestigious French literary awards, including the Elle Readers’ Grand Prize, the Booksellers’ Prize, and the Prix Babelio. His follow-up, “Wind Drinkers,” received the Prix Jean Giono and further cemented his reputation as a leading voice in contemporary French literature.

About the Translator

Lara Vergnaud is a celebrated translator of French literature, known for her work across fiction, nonfiction, and scholarly texts. She has received two PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants and a French Voices Grand Prize, and has been nominated for the National Translation Award. Her recent translations include “The Most Secret Memory of Men” by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr and “Demoiselles of Numidia” by Mohamed Leftah. She currently lives in France.

Advance Praise for Franck Bouysse (Clay):

“Franck Bouysse builds novels like an architect, writes prose like a painter, and with Clay captures both the beauty and bleakness of nature, the horrors of conflict and matters of the human heart with a poet’s precision. This is a masterwork of historical fiction—born of the Cantal region’s people as much as its mountains, rivers, and soil—that renders with staggering authenticity the volatile dramas created in the voids of the Great War. A translation to be cherished, Clay is an unforgettable story…superb, sublime, and heartbreaking.”
—Peter Farris, award-winning author of The Devil Himself

Debut Spotlight: Franziska Gänsler’s ‘Eternal Summer’ Explores Climate and Connection

‘Eternal Summer’ by Franziska Gänsler. Photo: Barnes & Noble

New Release: “Eternal Summer” by Franziska Gänsler

Available Tuesday, May 6, 2025 (Other Press)

This week brings an unsettling and mesmerizing work of climate fiction from debut author Franziska Gänsler. “Eternal Summer: A Novel” is set in a once-idyllic German spa town now devastated by climate change. Perfect for fans of Jenny Hval, Julia Armfield, and Olga Tokarczuk, this haunting novel explores themes of trust, abuse, and solidarity through the evolving relationship between two women.

When Iris inherits her grandfather’s hotel in Bad Heim, the town is still a bustling wellness retreat. But as climate change tightens its grip, summers stretch endlessly, scorching heat and forest fires fill the skies with ash and smoke, and guests become scarce. One day, a young mother and her small daughter arrive, seemingly out of nowhere. Iris senses something is off. Is the woman in need of help—or could she pose a threat?

Gänsler vividly conjures the suffocating atmosphere: the sting of ash on skin, the oppressive heat, and the ever-present scent of smoke. “Eternal Summer” is a powerful, immersive novel that captures the intersection of personal trauma and global catastrophe. It’s an intense and timely debut that lingers long after the last page.

About the Author

Franziska Gänsler was born in Augsburg, Germany in 1987. She studied art and English in Berlin, Vienna, and Augsburg. In 2020, she was shortlisted for the Blogbuster Prize and was a finalist at Berlin’s 28th Open Mike competition. Gänsler currently lives in Augsburg and Berlin. “Eternal Summer” is her first novel.

About the Translator

Imogen Taylor studied French and German at New College, Oxford, and the Humboldt University in Berlin. She has translated works by Sascha Arango, Dirk Kurbjuweit, and Melanie Raabe. In March 2016, she received the Goethe-Institut Award for New Translations.

Advance Praise for Franziska Gänsler (Eternal Summer):

“I loved this book. Exploring the unsettling tension between individual lives and the collective upheaval of the climate crisis, it questions what we owe one another. Its haunting is subtle, slow and flickering from page to page until it catches. The two women stayed with me for days afterward.”
—Sarah S. Grossman, author of “A Fire So Wild”

“Gänsler’s language is calm and unerring. Parallel to the fatal consequences of the climate crisis, she also narrates the story of women.”
—DER SPIEGEL

“A feminist climate-fiction novel that gets under the skin in many different ways.”
—BERLINER ZEITUNG

From Bellechester to London: A Heartfelt Tale of Purpose and Passing the Torch

‘The Doctor of Bellechester’ is Book 1 in the Dr. M.E. Senty series by Margaret A. Blenkush

Margaret A. Blenkush is a lifelong learner who earned an M.A. in Theology from St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN, and an M.L.I.S. from UW-Milwaukee. Suffering a life-changing illness in 2005, she received a medical retirement from her dream job. Always a Benedictine in her heart, she became an Oblate of St. Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, MN in 2010. A Minnesota twin by birth, she enjoys retirement, gardening, volunteering, sudoku puzzles, hot fudge sundaes, and the changing seasons. She shares her childhood home with her nephew and two pet rabbits.

Her debut novel “The Doctor of Bellechester” is Book 1 of 2 in the Dr. M.E. Senty series.

“The Doctor of Bellechester” – Dr. Harold Merton, the kind and caring General Practitioner (GP) for the village of Bellechester, is worried because a near-fatal case of pneumonia last winter has made him think about the future. If something happened to him, who would take over his practice? Rarely leaving his beloved home in the Shropshire Hills, Harold courageously ventures into 1959 London to find a junior doctor to mentor and who will one day take his place. With the aid of his classmate, Dr. Basil Applegate, who is now Director of Junior Doctors, Harold hatches a plan to discover the most suitable candidate. What could possibly go wrong?

Upon his arrival in London, Harold meets a self-assured, young American woman, Emme. Her act of kindness sets off a chain of events that interweaves their lives in a way neither expected. Hidden identities and unexpected changes to plans lead to three memorable days for both Harold and Emme.

Review:
This is a women’s fiction story that captures the heart and soul of medicine in post-war Britain. Set in 1959, the story follows Dr. Harold Merton, a seasoned country physician from the fictional village of Bellechester, who journeys to bustling London’s Mother of Mercy Hospital in search of a junior doctor to mentor—someone who will carry forward his legacy of compassion, dedication, and community care.

It takes place in the span of three days and begins as Dr. arrives at the hospital on a hot summer day and is overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of the big city. Frozen with doubt, a young woman (who turns out to be Emme), approaches him offering help. They get to know each other and that fateful encounter will change both of their lives forever.

Dr. Merton is a character of deep integrity, and his mission is not just professional, but deeply personal. Through his search, readers are introduced to a range of young doctors, each reflecting the shifting ideals and ambitions of a new generation. Authoritative yet tender, the prose evokes a bygone era with authenticity, capturing the emotional weight of mentorship, the quiet dignity of service, and the timeless value of human connection in healthcare. It stresses the frustrating attitude towards women in medicine in the 1950s.

The narrative is dialogue driven and the action develops at a comfortable pace to allow Dr. Merton to get to know Emme. With vivid language, the settings comes to life: “He knew he should move, but the soles of his shoes seemed to have melted into the sidewalk and the hypnotic doors had put him in a daze.” The characters are well-developed and relatable while the different medical personalities reflect how varied their reasons are for entering the medical profession. It explores the themes of friendship, identity, compassion, and courage.

Overall, “The Doctor of Bellechester” is a tribute to country doctors and a reflection on legacy, vocation, and the healing power of mentorship. It’s a moving, memorable read and recommended for readers drawn to stories of purpose and humanity. Since it’s a quick and cozy read, it’s suitable for book clubs or classroom teaching and includes discussion questions at the end.

“As if she needed encouragement for what lay ahead, the cardinals and the robins voiced their support in song. Their messages of merriment and hopefulness were impossible to miss.”

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Cyberpunk Noir at Its Best: A Review of ‘Two Truths and a Lie’

‘Two Truths and a Lie’ by Cory O’Brien. Photo: Barnes & Noble

Orr Vue is an aging combat-drone veteran who lives in a mostly underwater near-future Los Angeles, where information is the most valuable currency. He makes a living as a Fact Checker for InfoDrip and sells snippets of information on the side. As he’s going through data files, he finds one about Thomas Mahoney, CEO of InfoDrip, who has been found dead. He needs the money, so he’s willing to sell it but must find a broker willing to buy the Rumor off of him. The police show up at his place and want to question him but he is able to evade them.

Everyone has implants on their brains that allow them to chat with other people. When he gets a chat request from Auggie Wolf, an old boyfriend who has been arrested for murder and needs him to bail him out, he can’t help but get involved. He goes to the police station and talks to Detective Mar Coldwin who tells him that Auggie is the prime subject because he has no alibi, he was in the area at the time of the murder, and he knew Thomas Mahoney personally.

Now that he is officially investigating Mahoney’s death, Orr takes his illegal horde of drones out of retirement alongside his busted knees. He has to deal with the militarized police, a family of megarich corporate heirs, a clan of emancipated AIs, and a cult. Staying alive is just the tip of the iceberg, and with every clue he collects, he comes to realize that this is not just any murder, but a conspiracy that threatens Auggie’s very existence. In a world where memories can be bought and sold, can you honestly know who anyone is—or what you yourself are capable of?

Cory O’Brien’s “Two Truths and a Lie” is a thrilling exploration of a drowned Los Angeles where memories are commodities and identity is as fluid as the floodwaters. In this richly imagined blend of noir and cyberpunk, O’Brien introduces readers to Orr Vue, an unforgettable investigator—gritty, sharp-witted, and haunted by a past that he barely remembers. The story unfolds with the sharp pacing of a classic detective tale, but with a futuristic twist: memories can be edited, stolen, or sold, making truth a slippery concept. After Orr takes a taxi, he tips the driver with a memory: “….I tipped him the memory of a good breakfast for his trouble.”

More than a mystery novel, it’s also an insightful view into the human condition. Amidst the high-tech corruption and existential questions, O’Brien gives us a human story about trust, trauma, and the lengths we go to protect what matters. The narration is in the first person point of view through Orr’s perspective and it’s divided into Submissions instead of chapters. It’s a submission to a checker to verify the facts and contains his memories and everything else he remembers about the case.

The writing is smart, cinematic, and layered with moments of dark humor and poignant introspection. “She sat in an ornately carved dining chair with her fists balled tightly on the tabletop, unwilling to allow even the dead skin cells from her palms to escape her grasp.” Each twist challenges not only the characters’ sense of self but also the reader’s understanding of reality. It explores the themes of identity, love, redemption, and justice.

Overall, “Two Truths and a Lie” is an action filled mystery and a philosophical exploration of identity in a world where even your own memories might lie to you. It’s a must-read for fans of noir, cyberpunk, and thought-provoking speculative fiction and those who appreciate the works of Raymond Chandler.

“I was furious at Auggie. For leaving all those years ago, for asking me to kill him now, for even being here, in this place, where he had no business sacrificing his beautiful mind. I didn’t hate him, but I hated how he made me feel, and that was enough.”

Rating: 4 out of 5.

*The author of this blog received a copy for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Related post: ‘Two Truths and a Lie’: The Mind-Bending New Science Fiction Novel by Cory O’Brien

‘Living Beyond Borders’ Review: A Powerful Mosaic of the Mexican American Experience

‘Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America.’ Photo: Barnes & Noble

Stories and essays about the Mexican American experience in the United States provide a vital perspective on culture, identity, and resilience. They illuminate the struggles and triumphs of a community that has shaped American history, offering insights into immigration, family, tradition, and social justice. These narratives resonate with readers of all backgrounds by exploring universal themes of belonging, perseverance, and the pursuit of the American Dream. They also challenge stereotypes and foster understanding, making them essential in a diverse society. By engaging with these stories, readers gain a richer, more inclusive view of the American experience as a whole.

“Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America,” edited by Margarita Longoria, is a compelling anthology that features short stories, poetry, essays, and comics to paint a vivid portrait of the Mexican-American experience. Featuring a diverse group of voices, this collection provides an intimate and multifaceted exploration of identity, culture, family, and resilience.

Each piece in this anthology offers a unique perspective on what it means to straddle two worlds—balancing the rich traditions of Mexican heritage while navigating the complexities of American society. From heartwarming tales of family bonds to sobering reflections on discrimination and the challenges of immigration, it doesn’t shy away from the struggles faced by the Mexican-American community. It celebrates its beauty, strength, and enduring spirit.

Contents:
Ghetto Is Not an Adjective – Dominic Carrillo
Yoli Calderon and Principal Hayes – Angela Cervantes
Warning Bells – Anna Meriano
I Want to Go Home – Justine Marie Narro
How to Exist in a City of Ghosts – Carolyn Dee Flores
Filiberto’s Final Visit – Francisco X. Stork
CoCo Chamoy y Chango – e.E. Charlton-Trujillo
Tell Me a Story/Dime un cuento – Xavier Garza
My Name is Dolores – Guadalupe Ruiz-Flores
“There Are Mexicans in Texas?”: How Family Stories Shaped Me -Trinidad Gonzales
Morning People – Diana López
Ode to My Papi – Guadalupe García McCall
The Body by the Canal – David Bowles
Is Half Mexican-American Mexican Enough? – Alex Temblador
Sunflower – Aida Salazar
La Migra – René Saldaña Jr.
La Princesa Mileidy Dominguez – Rubén Degollado
Ojo – Sylvia Sánchez Garza
La Llorona Isn’t Real – Xavier Garza
This Rio Grande Valley – Daniel García Ordaz

Highlights:

La Llorona – a comic about a young boy, with fear in his eyes, trying to convince himself that La Llorona is not real and therefore cannot hurt him. As children, if we misbehaved, our parents would tell us that the Llorona would come and take us. It’s short and to the point and it’s highly relatable to those of us who grew up hearing about the Llorona.

The Body by the Canal – Oscar, a young teenage boy, is swept away by Ariel, the new neighbor whose looks made him an instant target. As time goes by, they become close but fearing for Ariel’s safety, Oscar distances himself from him. He feels guilty about it, but eventually Ariel and his family move away. “Boy or girl, the kid was beautiful. And from my own experience, this town would do all it could to destroy that beauty.” This insightful story of one boy’s early experience with romance and homophobia is refreshing to read; it is seldom written about in the Mexican American community.

The range of storytelling styles and language makes it accessible and engaging for readers of all backgrounds. Whether through powerful poetry, heartfelt personal essays, or striking visual storytelling, every contributor adds depth to the broader narrative of cultural identity. The list of discussion questions at the end helps readers reflect on the themes and topics presented.

Overall, “Living Beyond Borders” is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the richness of the Mexican-American experience, making it a powerful and necessary addition to contemporary literature. It is recommended for readers who appreciate diverse personal narratives.

“Though I was always curious and grateful for those Latinos who openly welcomed my exploration of identity, secretly, hot shame filled me inside, reminding me that I had taken so long to learn all these things.” – Is Half Mexican-American Mexican Enough? by Alex Temblador

Rating: 5 out of 5.

*The author of this blog received a copy for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Dallas Gets a Taste of Argentinian Indie Rock: El Mató a un Policía Motorizado at Frontera 2025

Argentinian band Él Mató a un Policía Motorizado will make its only Texas stop in Dallas. Photo: LPA Beer & Music Festival.

Él Mató a un Policía Motorizado, also known as EMAUPM or Él Mató, is an Argentinian indie rock band from La Plata established in 2003. The band has just announced their North American tour, and before they kick things off, they’ll be making a special stop in Dallas as part of Frontera 2025. This will be their only Texas performance.

This intimate 500-capacity show is free and open to the public, but RSVP is highly encouraged to guarantee entry: RSVP HERE. The performance will take place at Kessler Theater on Friday, April 11. Doors open at 7:30p.m., show begins at 8:30p.m. (Giant Noise/Southwest Review, 2025)

More information on Frontera 2025:

DALLAS – Dallas-based magazine Southwest Review, the third-longest-running literary quarterly in the United States, announces the lineup for the second annual Frontera. This year’s festivities will take place April 11–12, 2025, in Oak Cliff’s historic Bishop Arts District.

The lineup assembles artists from English-speaking North America and Spanish-speaking Latin America for a two-day celebration of literature, music, comics and film. Set to take place at The Wild Detectives, Kessler Theater and Texas Theatre, all Frontera events will be free and open to the public.

Frontera will kick off at The Wild Detectives with a conversation between American cartoonist Lynda Barry and fiction writer Mary Miller, followed by musical performances from The Paranoid Style, Karly Hartzman and Él Mató a un Policía Motorizado at Kessler Theater. RSVP highly encouraged HERE.

The second day will feature a screening of the Blood Simple (1984) by Joel and Ethan Coen, plus a conversation between award-winning author Megan Abbott and crime novelist William Boyle at the Texas Theatre. Additional readings at The Wild Detectives will feature Mateo García Elizondo, Brenda Lozano, Ashleigh Bryant Phillips, Joseph Grantham, Brenda Navarro, Federico Perelmuter, Julia Kornberg, Patricio Ferrari, Eli Cranor, and Kimberly King Parsons, offering audiences a chance to engage with some of the most compelling voices in contemporary literature.

Guests are invited to the festival’s final event at The Wild Detectives featuring a celebratory DJ set running from 7:30p.m. until close.

Because the Southwest is a place where borderlands converge, the region is dependent on the two-way flow of language and culture. Southwest Review has long championed Latin American literature in translation, working closely with independent publishers to introduce groundbreaking voices to new audiences. Thanks to the generous support of the Southern Methodist University Department of English, Frontera brings this editorial vision to life in an increasingly bilingual North Texas region.

Photo: Frontera 2025

The Fragility of Perception: ‘Your Steps on the Stairs’ Weaves Suspense and Unease

Prolific and celebrated author Antonio Muñoz Molina returns with ‘Your Steps on the Stairs.’ Photo: Barnes & Noble.

“Your Steps on the Stairs: A Novel” (Other Press Trade Paperback Original; On Sale 4/8/25) is a disquieting psychological thriller charting the unraveling of a couple’s new life in Lisbon.

Laureat of the Prix Médicis in France in 2020, shortlisted for the Man Booker International award in 2018, author of nearly 20 novels, a number of book-long essays, memoirs and a short story collection, Antonio Muñoz Molina’s deep well of experience comes to life on the page in this latest novel about solitude, expectation and memory. Always keeping in mind the stories by Henry James, which seem to straddle the ambiguous terrain between the ordinary and the mildly fantastic, memoirs of people subjected to rigorous isolation, as in Admiral Richard E. Byrd’s “Alone,” and Oliver Sacks’s essays about the vagaries of human perception of time, space and memory, here, Molina strove to grant a narrative, even poetic, sense of discovery. (Other Press, 2025)

“Your Steps on the Stairs” – A man travels to Lisbon ahead of his wife to prepare their newly purchased home, while she stays in New York to oversee a research project on the neuroscience of memory and fear. Leaving behind a phase of their relationship indelibly marked by 9/11, he revels in the Portuguese capital’s temperate weather and the neighborhood’s calm, meticulously planning the details of their future.

Yet beneath the peace and quiet of this routine, he feels a growing unease he can’t explain. Is it the similarity between the two cities, and the two apartments? A mysterious threat waiting in the wings?

A brilliant, deceptively simple novel of psychological suspense, perfect for fans of literary thrillers in translation and the introspective and unnerving work of writers like Clarice Lispector, “Your Steps on the Stairs” explores how our emotions and memories shape our perception of reality. With his subtle, masterful style, Antonio Muñoz Molina lays bare the fragility of the stories we so carefully craft about ourselves.

Antonio Muñoz Molina is the author of more than a dozen novels, among them “Sepharad, A Manuscript of Ashes,” and “In Her Absence” (Other Press). He has been awarded the Jerusalem Prize for the Freedom of the Individual in Society and the Prince of Asturias Award, among many others. Muñoz Molina lives in Madrid and New York City.

About the Translator: Curtis Bauer is a poet and translator of prose and poetry from Spanish. He is the recipient of a PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grant and a Banff International Literary Translation Centre fellowship. His translation of Jeannette Clariond’s Image of Absence won the International Latino Book Award for Best Nonfiction Book Translation from Spanish to English. Bauer teaches creative writing and comparative literature at Texas Tech University.

Praise for Antonio Muñoz Molina (Your Steps on the Stairs):

“An American expat in Portugal obsessively prepares for his wife’s arrival in this disquieting psychological suspense novel from Muñoz Molina (To Walk Alone in the Crowd)…The narrative unfolds in a woozy flow of first-person musings and reminiscences, making it difficult to gauge time’s passing, but the more books the narrator reads and the more calls he dodges, the more questions arise surrounding Cecilia’s continued absence. Anxiety and dread mount steadily, while elegiac prose and eccentric supporting characters amplify the story’s surrealism straight through to the sucker-punch ending. It’s a stunning blend of mystery and literary fever dream.”
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review)

“Anticipating the arrival of his beloved, a man ruminates about intimacy, memory, and loss…Contrasting Bruno’s brooding, anguished interior landscape with the relative serenity of his old-town Lisbon surroundings, Muñoz Molina (To Walk Alone in the Crowd, 2021) emphasizes his narrator’s blind spots and the distortions of perception that follow heartbreak. Originally published in Spain in 2019, this psychologically informed exploration of loss may resonate even more with readers in our current tumultuous moment.”
—BOOKLIST

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Echoes of the Rio Grande: A Reflection on ‘The River Runs: Stories’

‘The River Runs: Stories’ by Thomas Ray Garcia. Photo: Barnes & Noble.

Thomas Ray Garcia is the author of the award-winning short story collection “The River Runs: Stories” and the co-author of “El Curso de la Raza: The Education of Aurelio Manuel Montemayor.” At Princeton University, he received the Ward Mathis Short Story Prize for his fiction on the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. He is the founder and co-chair of College Scholarship Leadership Access Program (CSLAP), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that teaches college access classes and connects near-peer mentors to students in the Rio Grande Valley. (Thomas Ray Garcia, 2025)

“The River Runs: Stories” is his debut short story collection that presents insights into Texas-Mexico border culture, highlighting tales of resilience while refusing to shy away from the omnipresent reality the river imposes. Written from 2015 to 2020, these stories resist a singular vision of the border, centering the Rio Grande as a site of transformation. It won the Américo Paredes Literary Arts Prize for Fiction sponsored by FlowerSong Press from McAllen, Texas, and Prickly Pear Publishing from Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Stories include:
Seventh Man
Prosperers
Watcher in The Sky
La Lomita
The Curandera on Alameda Street
Burn The Sun
Sunset Station
After The Wall
I Know I Will Be Leaving Here
A South Texas September
Scholarship Boy

Thomas Ray Garcia’s short stories explore the deep, often turbulent connections between people and the communities that shape their lives. Set in the borderlands where the Rio Grande river is both a life-giving force and a dividing line, Garcia’s narratives illuminate the struggles, hopes, and identities of those living alongside it.

Each story is a poignant reflection on themes of survival, migration, heritage, and resilience. Garcia’s prose is lyrical yet grounded, capturing the stark realities of his characters with authenticity and emotional depth. “The pain behind every word was not like the rush of deoxygenated blood rushing to and from the brain, but the exertion of reaching a finish line obscured by hand and shouts and incense.” The river, more than just a setting, becomes a symbol of change, separation, and continuity—shaping destinies in ways that are both beautiful and heartbreaking.

The highlight is its diversity of voices, from immigrants seeking a better future to those who feel trapped by their circumstances. Garcia doesn’t shy away from difficult truths, but he also highlights moments of tenderness and connection. As someone who grew up along the border, these stories resonate with me as they reflect a commonality not usually present in modern literature.

Overall, “The River Runs” is both thought-provoking and deeply moving. It appeals to readers who appreciate literature that examines cultural identity, the human condition, and endurance. With its rich storytelling and evocative imagery, it explores the themes of family, coming of age, and friendship. Garcia’s work is a powerful testament to the lives shaped by the ever-flowing, ever-changing river.

“The Rio Grande was the only river I knew at the time, although I had only seen it once. I remember it made a lasting impression on me because Mom said something about rivers changing all the time. Every time you looked into it, it wouldn’t be the same river and you wouldn’t be the same person either.”

Rating: 5 out of 5.
@thomasraygarcia

Do I have favorite stories from The River Runs? Three of these stories speak to me for very different reasons. —– The River Runs: Stories presents revitalized insights into the Texas-Mexico border region by centering the Rio Grande as a site of belonging and becoming. These 11 stories feature characters facing the realities of living alongside a river running through their countries, communities, and cultures. Winner of the Bronze Award at the 2024 International Latino Book Awards for “Best Short Story Collection (English)” The River Runs is available at South Texas bookstores and online retailers like TikTok Shop, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon. Click the link in my bio. #booktok #readersoftiktok #956rgv #riograndevalley #pharrtx #rgvauthors #texasauthors

♬ original sound – Thomas Ray Garcia

From Paris to Tel Aviv: The Global Intrigue of ‘Lovers of Franz K.’ by Burhan Sönmez

‘Lovers of Franz K’ is the new novel by Burhan Sönmez. Photo: Barnes & Noble.

Burhan Sönmez is the author of six novels, which have been published in more than thirty languages. He was born in Turkey and grew up speaking Turkish and Kurdish. He worked as a lawyer in Istanbul before going into political exile in Britain. Sönmez’s writing has appeared in such publications as The Guardian, Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, and La Repubblica. His previous novels include “Labyrinth” and “Stone and Shadow.” He was elected president of PEN International in 2021.

His new novel “Lovers of Franz K.: A Novel” is an inventive literary obituary for Kafka, perfect for both Kafka fans and lovers of historical literary page turners in the vein of Anne Berest’s “The Postcard” and Colm Toibin’s “The Magician.” Translated by Samî Hêzil, it will be released on April 1, 2025 and is available for pre-order. (Other Press, 2025)

About the Translator: Samî Hêzil is a writer and translator from northern Kurdistan. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature, and has been translating literary and scientific works from English into Kurdish since 2000. His short stories and scholarly articles in Kurdish have been published by a variety of literary publications. He teaches Kurdish literature at Kurdî-Der (The Kurdish Language Association) in Van, Turkey.

“Lovers of Franz K: A Novel” – This thriller of love and revenge brings the Cold War to life, from Paris and Istanbul to West Berlin and Tel Aviv.

Amid the student protests in 1960s Europe, Kafka’s best friend Max Brod becomes a target of their ire. Against the dying writer’s wishes, he had published texts that never should have been part of his legacy. After Brod is injured in an attempted assassination, assailant Ferdy Kaplan is captured and questioned by Commissioner Müller at the West Berlin police station.

As his interrogation progresses through dialogues in the police station, the courtroom, and prison, Kaplan’s background is revealed piece by piece. From the love story between him and his childhood friend Amalya, to their shared passion for Kafka, it leads them to join a radical group. But when a shocking discovery is made about the person who ultimately set Brod’s attempted murder in motion, Kaplan and Müller agree to work together to expose the truth.

In this gripping, thought-provoking tribute to Kafka, Burhan Sönmez vividly recreates a key period of history when the Berlin Wall divided Europe and women were fighting for freedom and against tradition, adopting Jean Seberg’s iconic short haircut from Breathless. More than a typical mystery, “Lovers of Franz K” is a brilliant exploration of the value of books, and the issues of anti-Semitism, immigration, and violence that recur in Kafka’s life and writings.

“PEN International president Sönmez (Stone and Shadow) wrestles with fraught questions of loyalty and legacy in this contemplative literary thriller…Sönmez’s sharp thematic layering and concise worldbuilding impress. This is a good bet for mystery readers seeking something off the beaten path.”
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“A gripping tale of youthful single-mindedness and institutionalization…a glass-bottomed boat swirling through the Bosphorus of Kafka’s consciousness and works, glaring into the depths of him, his mercurial shadows and shifting states.”
—Lemn Sissay, author of My Name Is Why

“Lovers of Franz K. is a gripping tale of idealism colliding with history and moral uncertainty. It portrays characters scarred by their past as they grapple with unanswerable questions and make startling decisions. Exploring passion, loyalty, and history, Sönmez’s novel will leave you questioning what it truly means to write, to love, and to honor the literary creator versus the creation.”
—Ava Homa, author of Daughters of Smoke and Fire

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From T.S. Eliot to Shakespeare: The Literary Inspirations Behind Ben Okri’s Latest Novel

“Madame Sosostris and the Festival for the Brokenhearted” is Ben Okri’s latest novel. Photo: Barnes & Noble

Classic literature has remained relevant across generations due to its timeless themes, rich language, and deep exploration of human nature. Whether it’s the tragic fate of Hamlet, the star-crossed love in Romeo and Juliet, or the political intrigue of Macbeth, these stories resonate because they reflect universal emotions—love, ambition, betrayal, and redemption. These stories challenge, inspire, and allow readers to see themselves in characters from centuries past, proving that great storytelling transcends time.

Ben Okri’s new novel blends mysticism, literary homage, and exploration of human relationships. The story revolves around Viv, who organizes a festival for the brokenhearted in a sacred French forest, drawing inspiration from T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Ben Okri is a playwright, poet, novelist, essayist, short-story writer, anthologist, and aphorist. He has also written film scripts. His works have won numerous national and international prizes, including the Booker Prize for Fiction. His books include the eco-fable “Every Leaf a Hallelujah,” the play Changing Destiny, the genre-bending climate fiction “Tiger Work,” the poetry collections “A Fire in My Head,” “Wild, Mental Fight,” and “An African Elegy,” and the novels “Astonishing the Gods,” “The Last Gift of the Master Artists,” “The Age of Magic,” and “Dangerous Love.” In 2023 he received a knighthood for services to literature. (Other Press, 2024)

His new novel “Madame Sosostris and the Festival for the Brokenhearted” from Other Press offers a wise, enchanting novel about love, power, and our many selves—past and future, public and private. It will be released on March 18 and is available for pre-order.

There are organizations for people who grieve, for alcoholics and other kinds of addicts. But if you’ve been devastated by the love of your life walking out on you, where the hell do you go?

In this modern fable with the impish magic of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a masked ball makes two upper-class British couples see each other in a new light.

On the 20th anniversary of the day her first husband left her, Viv decides to host an unconventional party for those burned by love. She successfully ropes in her reluctant second husband, Alan, and their friends Beatrice and Stephen, and when she meets the famed fortuneteller Madame Sosostris—last seen in T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, and rumored to be the secret to success of 5 prime ministers—she believes she’s found the perfect act to headline her masquerade.

In a sacred wood in the south of France, the partygoers disguise themselves and wait eagerly for the great clairvoyant, who might be able to mend their broken pasts and brighten their futures. But the night soon goes awry, in a comically revealing way that causes our couples to question their relationships and the direction of their lives.

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“Madame Sosostris and the Festival for the Brokenhearted” release date