OAKLAND, Calif. - Presented in alphabetical order, this list offers sometimes overlooked books of fiction by local writers released this year. Check these 10 out and share them with friends. Happy reading!
What they're saying:
"Diver" by Lewis Buzbee
Palmetto Publishing, 328 pages, $19
Centering on a devastating day in the life of its preteen protagonist and in 1960s history, "Diver" tells the story of a father-son bond through a collage of memories, some splintered and some illuminating. The ninth title by Buzbee, a San Francisco writer ("The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop"), combines an intimate family story with a history trip that begins in the early Dustbowl period and continues through World War II, the Cold War and 1960s counterculture. The moving book describes memories experienced by the devastated Robert, who desperately wants to hold on to his father. The memory shards take the form of bits and blips and an occasional wallop, featuring everything from Chuckles candy to a Brownie camera to a meteor shower and an afternoon that included visiting Sealab II and meeting an astronaut. (AK)
"The Memory Gardener" by Meg Donohue
Gallery Books, 352 pages, $19 paperback
Best-selling San Francisco writer Donohue's newest title is an inviting take on the power of love. The author of 2019's "You, Me, and the Sea" has written an enchanting tale where talented garden designer Lucy Barnes returns to her hometown after her mother's death to restore the magical grounds at the Oceanview Home, a stately but deteriorating grand hotel-turned-senior citizen residence. Lucy also uses her secret talent: intuiting which flower's scent will restore each person's memories of love. Moving, sweet and fun, it delights.
"The Wayfinder: A Novel" by Adam Johnson
MCD, 736 pages, $30
Johnson, the Pulitzer Prize-winner for the 2012 novel "The Orphan Master's Son" and National Book Award for 2015's story collection "Fortune Smiles" offers an epic of historical fiction in the style of James Michener or Ken Follett in his new title. It follows a royal family in Tonga amid political upheaval and a young woman living on an impoverished island. The New York Times called it "a powerful and original epic . . . Deadly politics, tragic romance and dangerous sea journeys keep the drama at a spirited boil." (LK)
"Home of the American Circus" by Allison Larkin
Gallery Books, 432 pages, $29.99
The East Bay writer's sixth novel, a Book of the Month Club selection and a "Today" show spring favorite, is about rebuilding family connections and making sense of the past. It tells the story of struggling 30-year-old Freya, who returns home to her small town of Somers, New York, to try to repair relationships with friends, her sister and Aubrey, the 16-year-old niece she left behind. They help each other cope while also trying to bring the family's falling-to-pieces home back to life.
"Your Actual Life May Vary" by Linda Lenhoff
Santa Fe Writers Project, 286 pages, $15.95
The fourth novel by Lenhoff, an East Bay author and contributor to Local News Matters, is a quirky comedy in which a 31-year-old Southern California graduate student impulsively takes an abused young child north to a new community--where the residents have plenty to hide. Lenhoff introduces a plethora of appealing, funny, empathetic characters in the heartwarming, moving and slightly surreal story about building relationships and finding family. (LK)
"The Girls Who Grew Big" by Leila Mottley
Knopf, 352 pages, $28
Oakland writer and poet Mottley, known for 2022's acclaimed "Nightcrawling," describes the struggles and passions of young Black women who are pregnant in "The Girls Who Got Big." Set in a small beach town in the Florida panhandle, the novel's large cast of strong characters come from all over, with the teens speaking directly to the reader, telling their own past and questioning their futures. Describing her young mothers, Mottley has said, "They're not monolithic ... I wanted to remind us of the fact that these are just young women learning how to be adults--to live and survive and have fun, fall in love, and have friendships that are complicated." (GR)
"Are You Happy?" by Lori Ostlund
Astra House, 272 pages, $26
In a collection of nine short stories all of which ask, "Are you happy?" San Francisco's Ostlund explores people finding their place in the world, exploring their desires and battling their fears. Known for her strong sense of humor, captivating syntax and sharp dialogue, she continues to surprise readers with stories about loneliness and compassion that meander just a bit beyond what one might expect--in fascinating if not eye-raising ways.
"Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn" by Renee Swindle
Tiny Reparations Books, 320 pages, $19
Oakland novelist Swindle offers the funny-tragic character Francine Stephenson, who's reeling from the death of her charismatic but needy mother. Searching to redefine herself, she encounters the bullied 10-year-old Davie, a smart, tell-it-like-it-is neurodivergent thinker who speaks his mind. Francine also has history to work out with Davie's foster mother, a former crush. Set in Oakland, the book reveals how Francine reexamines who has helped her along in life, and who hasn't.
"The Other Wife" by Jackie Thomas-Kennedy
Riverhead Books, 304 pages, $29
In her debut novel, the award-winning Berkeley short story writer describes the journey of a nearly 40-year-old biracial woman examining her life's choices. When Zuzu returns to her hometown after a sudden loss, she ponders her decision to pursue law over art; to marry Agnes even though she had complex feelings for her college friend Cash, and to stay close to her white mother rather than her Black father when her parents divorced. Oprah Daily called the novel "complex and enduring," saying, We would follow Zuzu anywhere." (LK)
"Whoa, Nelly!: A Love Story with Footnotes" by Julia Park Tracey
Sibylline Press, 238 pages, $18 paperback
The California author of books that bring to life women's history and a lifelong fan of the "Little House" books follows Laura Ingalls Wilder's path in this story of romance and discovery. Protagonist Nelly, a librarian enamored with Laura, sets out to walk in her footsteps on the prairie. What she finds isn't all beautiful lands and loving mothers, but rather racism and revisionist history. There's also romance and a child in danger--everything Nelly needs to reclaim her own story.
Editor's note: Anita Katz, Leslie Katz and Georgia Rowe contributed to this report.