Annie McDermott

"A writer begins keeping a notebook of handwriting exercises hoping that, if he is able to improve his penmanship, his character will improve too. What begins as a mere physical exercise is filled involuntarily with reflections and anecdotes about living, writing, and the sense--or nonsense--of existence"--

"From the winner of the prestigious FIL Prize in Romance Languages comes this masterpiece saga, set in the twilight of the late twentieth century, of two clashing families in coastal Portugal. With the grand sweep of Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels, this enduring tale transports us to a picturesque seaside town haunted by its colonial past. Considered one of Europe's most influential contemporary writers, Portuguese novelist Lídia Jorge has captivated...

"A granddaughter and grandmother, alienated from their community, live among various sombras, shadows of the dead with whom they alone can pray and commune. When the mysterious disappearance of a young boy draws the unwanted attention of locals, the women combine forces with the spirits that haunt them in pursuit of something that resembles justice"--

In Feebleminded, Harwicz drags us to the border between fascination and discomfort as she explores aspects of desire, need and dependency through the dynamics between a mother and her daughter, searching through their respective lives to find meaning and define their own relationship. Written in a wild stream of consciousness narration in the best tradition of Virginia Woolf and Nathalie Sarraute, and embedded in a current trend of elusive violence...