Enjoy these four must-read books from our friends at Bookish, Fort Smith, Arkansas’s only independently owned bookstore.
The Wild Robot
by Peter Brown
This middle grade novel is all heart! Set in the wilderness, Roz the robot finds herself in the midst of the natural world, having to learn to be more animal than robot in order to survive. Obstacle after obstacle offers Roz an opportunity to learn and grow. This book asks readers to consider ways technology and nature can coexist as well as the role of nurturers to our own survival.
Now is Not the Time to Panic
by Kevin Wilson
Wilson takes us on a stroll down nostalgia boulevard in his newest ode to Southern misfits. Franki and Zeke are forlorn teenagers who meet on summer vacation. Together, they create something that not only changes each of their lives, but also makes a drastic mark on their community. This remarkable journey about finding yourself and letting go will strike a chord with any generation.
Hester
by Laurie Lico Albanese
You may think you know the story of Hester Prynne and The Scarlet Letter, but Albanese’s newest work of historical fiction is here to fill in all the gaps. We meet Isobel, an expert in her field of embroidery who finds love with a bright young writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hester is a tale of ambition that examines the root of female power and its role in the patriarchal art and culture.
Signal Fires
by Dani Shapiro
Shapiro returns to fiction for the first time in fifteen years and we instantly remember why it launched her career. A novel about families and their secrets, Signal Fires takes us from a summer accident in 1985 to a present time when everyone seemingly has moved on. It uses the relationship between a retired doctor and a remarkable young boy to illuminate the connections between us all.
