The Marriage Portrait
Maggie O'Farrell
Renaissance Italy and the teenage duchess Lucrezia de' Medici, married off and afraid. O'Farrell's writing is stunning.
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★ 5Hamnet
Maggie O'Farrell
The story behind the death of Shakespeare's son, centered on his wife. Luminous. I cried.
This Must Be the Place
Maggie O'Farrell
A reclusive former film star, her husband, and a globe-hopping family saga. Big-hearted and clever.
Instructions for a Heatwave
Maggie O'Farrell
During the 1976 heatwave a father vanishes, and his grown kids reunite to figure out why. O'Farrell is wonderful on family.
★ 5The Correspondent
Virginia Evans
The protagonist of this beautiful novel is a 73-year-old woman processing her life — and regrets — through letters. It’s poignant but not saccharine, specific but universally appealing. I dare you not to cry.
Tom Lake
Ann Patchett
An older woman tells her daughters about the summer she spent performing alongside — and falling in love with — a now-famous actor. My friend Anna said her husband adored this book just as much as she did — impressive, considering he typically reads business non-fiction.