March Book Recommendations

Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton, while written in 2018, speaks to women of any age and generation. This memoir recounts Alderton’s life as she enters her twenties and tries to navigate the responsibilities of young adulthood. The way the reader absorbs the stories and themes of Everything I Know About Love depends on the stage of life they’re in. For those younger, it can be wise advice for the future; for those also entering young adulthood, it can serve as a relatable guiding light and helping hand; for those older, it’s a reflective piece that emits nostalgia. Most importantly, within all these interpretations, it’s emotional and highly enjoyable. 

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo is a novel that tells the unheard stories of Black women spanning generations and continents. This novel is a must-read for anyone who wants to diversify their reading list. Told in twelve separate short stories, Girl, Woman, Other deals with love, friendship, careers, and family. As a forewarning, I will say that this novel is definitely mature, so proceed with caution. That aside, I highly recommend this book. The writing and storytelling are beautifully enlightening. The stories are educational and relatable while still entertaining and emotional. Anyone interested in educating themselves on intersectional feminism should check this novel out. It’s available to read at the Kenmore Public Library!

Foster by Clare Keegan is a heartfelt novella about girlhood, family, and love. In just 92 pages, Foster can make you feel worried, nostalgic, and hopeful. Foster tastefully deals with themes of neglect, focusing less on the hurt and more on the recovery. Foster is told from the perspective of a young girl, unnamed, who is sent to live with an older couple for the summer while her struggling family tries to recuperate in anticipation of a new baby. Within this new household, the young girl finds solace and warmth that she had never experienced before. As the summer comes to its zenith, both the old couple and the young girl open up to let the love in. Foster is incredibly emotional for such a quick read, and the ambiguous ending leads to a lot of heartfelt discussion. If you’re interested, there are a few copies available in the KW library.