Enjoy these November recommendations from Sara Putman, previous owner of Bookish; Fort Smith, Arkansas’s only independently owned bookstore. Order online at bookishfs.com.
Northanger Abbey
by Jane Austen
In celebration of Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, it’s the perfect time to revisit Northanger Abbey, one of her least publicized yet most delightful works. Published posthumously in 1817, the novel stands apart from her other writings, blending sharp social insight with a playful satire of the Gothic novels so popular in her time. At its heart, this is a coming-of-age story following young Catherine Morland as she navigates the boundary between imagination and reality.
Catherine, neither glamorous nor worldly, is an ordinary girl whose love of sensational novels leads her to misinterpret the motives and mysteries around her. As she learns to distinguish fiction from life, readers will likely be reminded of their own youthful misunderstandings: the thrilling, sometimes humiliating process of growing up.
Beyond its humor and warmth, Austen’s keen understanding of storytelling is revealed. With its vivid characters, witty narration, and tender heart, this early masterpiece proves that Austen’s genius was never just about marriage; it was about perception, self-awareness, and the making of a mind.
Wreck
by Catherine Newman
Wreck is an absolute joy! It’s like catching up with old friends you didn’t realize you missed this much. Catherine Newman’s writing is laugh-out-loud funny one moment and quietly profound the next. Rocky and her family are as relatable and lovable as ever, fumbling through life’s chaos with humor and heart. Whether you met them in Sandwichor are just pulling up a chair now, this one will make you laugh, ache, and feel deeply seen.
The Ferryman and His Wife
by Frode Grytten, translated by Alison McCulloug
This is one of those rare books that sneaks up on you. It is gentle, haunting, and deeply moving. Grytten captures the quiet beauty of an ordinary life with such tenderness that you’ll want to sit with every page. As Nils Vik takes his final journey across the fjord, ghosts, memories, and love itself keep him company. It’s a novel that lingers like fog on water, or a song you can’t quite forget.
Queen Esther
by John Irving
Irving always knows how to break your heart and make you laugh all at once, and this book is no exception. Returning to the world of The Cider House Rules, he gives us another unforgettable heroine. Esther is resilient, sharp, and full of grace. It’s a deeply human story about survival, faith, and finding where you belong. Irving remains unmatched in his ability to write with both tenderness and bite, finding humanity in even the hardest places.
