April 16, 2021

Library Corner

New Fiction

When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson – At night, in Huda’s fragrant garden, a breeze sweeps in from the desert encircling Baghdad, rustling the leaves of her apricot trees and carrying warning of visitors at her gate.  Huda, a secretary at the Australian embassy, lives in fear of the mukhabarat – the secret police who watch and listen for any scrap of information that can be used against America and its allies.  They have ordered her to befriend Ally Wilson, the deputy ambassador’s wife.  Huda has no wish to be an informant, but hears for her teenaged son, who may be forced to join a deadly militia.  Nor does she know that Ally has dangerous secrets of her own.  Huda’s former friend, Rania, enjoyed a privileged upbringing as the daughter of a sheikh.  Now her family’s wealth is gone, and Rania too is battling to keep her child safe and a roof over their heads.  As the women’s lives intersect, their hidden pasts spill into the present.  Facing possible betrayal at every turn, all three must trust in a fragile, new found loyalty, even as they discover how much they are willing to sacrifice to protect their families.

The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe – As the daughter of a con artist who targets criminal men, she grew up as her mother’s protégé.  But when her mom fell for the mark instead of conning him, Nora pulled the ultimate con: escape.  For five years, Nora’s been playing at normal.  But she needs to dust off the skills she ditched, because she has three problems: #1: Her ex walked in on her with her girlfriend.  Even though they’re all friends, Wes didn’t know about her and Iris. #2: The morning after Wes finds them kissing, they all have to meet to deposit the money from a fundraiser at the bank.  It’s a nightmare that goes from awkward to deadly, because… #3: Right after they enter the bank, two guys start robbing it.  The bank robbers may be trouble, but they have no idea who they’re really holding hostage…

Meant to Be by Jude Devereux - In the small farming community of Mason, Kansas, Vera and Kelly Exton are known for their ambitions. Vera is an activist who wants to join her boyfriend in the Peace Corps. But she is doing her duty caring for her widowed mother and younger sister until Kelly is firmly established. Kelly works for the local veterinarian and plans to marry her childhood sweetheart...as soon as he gets around to proposing.  Neither sister is entirely happy with the path that’s been laid out for her. But it’s 1972 and times are changing. As each evaluates her options, everything shifts. Do you do what’s right for yourself or what others want? By having the courage to follow their hearts these women will change lives for the better and the effects will be felt by the generations that follow.

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay – After a late night of partying, NYU student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news: nearly his entire family – his mom, his dad, his little brother and sister – have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico.  The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI and State Department seem far less certain – and they won’t tell Matt why.  The tragedy makes headlines everywhere because this isn’t the first time the Pine family has been thrust into the media spotlight.  Matt’s older brother, Danny – currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend, Charlotte – was the subject of a viral true-crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted.  Though the country has rallied behind Danny, Matt holds a secret: the night Charlotte was killed Matt saw something that makes him believe his brother is guilty of the crime.  When Matt returns to his small hometown to bury his parents and siblings, he’s faced with a hostile community that was villainized by the documentary, a frenzied media, and memories he’d hoped to leave behind forever.  Now, as the deaths in Mexico appear increasingly suspicious, Matt must unearth the full truth about his family’s final days, putting his own life in peril.