Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley

 

  Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting: A Novel by Clare Pooley. Pamela Dorman Books, Viking, 2022. Adult fiction. 

On the commuter train between Hampton Court and London's Waterloo Station, Iona Iverson and her little dog Lulu are unique. The others who board daily include Martha, a teenager who is bullied at school; Piers, a snazzy dresser with his briefcase; and Sanjay, a nurse, who has a secret crush on the beautiful Emmie. These characters are brought together by chance and become intertwined thanks to the spirited Iona who has written an advice column for years, but now finds that career endangered. The characters' friends and families all become secondary characters, too. Readers may find themselves, like the characters, advising themselves to "Be more like Iona!" and to reach out to others in their lives. 

The book is entertaining and well written. It is easy to keep the names straight. The author definitely has a sense of humor and deftly paces the story to a satisfying end. Watch for other titles like The Authenticity Project by this author.

The Old Place: A Novel by Bobby Finger

 

 The Old Place: A Novel by Bobby Finger. G.P.Putnam's Sons, 2022. Adult fiction.

A complicated story of friendship and family ties, this debut novel tells of Mary Alice Roth's teaching career ending, her sister Katherine returning home after years of estrangement, and her years' long friendship with neighbor Ellie. The small community of Billington, Texas is full of secrets, lies, and tragic losses. Ultimately, this is a tale of change, opening hearts to accept others, and forgiving even yourself.

Gilded Mountain: A Novel by Kate Manning

 

 Gilded Mountain: A Novel by Kate Manning. 447 pages. Scribner, 2022. Historical fiction.

At the turn of the last century, Sylvie Pelletier and her family arrive in Moonstone, Colorado. Her father came before them to work in the deep mines that harvest pure marble. Sylvie is spunky, smart, and graduates in Quarrytown, a small town down the mountain. She get a summer job with the wealthy Padgett family as a social secretary. Her exposure to luxury and its contrast with her life of poverty is drastic. Sylvie thinks she is in love with the bookish young Jasper Padgett, but enjoys the attention of George Lonahan, a union organizer at the mine. She takes a job as a printer's helper at the local newspaper and admires the single single woman owner's independence. In 1908, a strike at the mine changes everyone's lives. Sylvie persevers hopefully throughout the novel.  She learns about slavery from the formerly enslaved cook at Elkhorne Manor and about mine conditions and union organizing from Mother Jones herself.

Based on true accounts of early Colorado history, the novel is eye opening as it recounts incidences of early settlers, discrimination, and civil rights struggles. 

Rules of Civility: A Novel by Amor Towles

 

Rules of Civility: A Novel  by Amor Towles. Penguin Books, 2011. Historical fiction.

The book begins with a flashback to 1937 and a young Katey Kontent and her flashy roommate, Eve Ross. Tinker Grey wows them with his grace, rich friends, and access to a world that Katey has never seen. By day, she types in the Quiggin and Hale secretarial pool; by night she explores the clubs of New York City. Of course, Mr. Parish recognizes her talents and Katey switches jobs. She makes friends with Wallace Wolcott and despairs at his talk of the war in Spain.

This is a coming of age story. By 1941, Eve is long gone. Tinker has revealed his early life. And, Katey ultimately makes a life with Val by the 1960's. Near the end, on page 323, the author put in two paragraphs that, for me, sum up the whole book: Life is less a rambling journey than filled with a few brief options. The decisions we make influence our lives forever. Just ask Katey Kontent.

While Towles has written several other novels, too, this early work is a classic. See A Man  in Moscow and The Lincoln Highway for more of his work.

The Sweeney Sisters: A Novel by Lian Dolan

 

  The Sweeney Sisters: A Novel by Lian Dolan.William Morrow, 2020.  Adult Fiction

I enjoyed every moment of this look into the lives of the Sweeney sisters: Liza, the oldest  "good girl" who marries a local guy; Mad Maggie, the wild child who is a talented artist; and Tricia, a high powered lawyer. Their mother died of cancer fifteen years before the story begins. Their father is the famous writer Bill Sweeney. When Bill dies suddenly, the girls come together for a wake in the true Irish sense and at their longtime home. They soon learn the beautiful journalist, Serena Tucker, is their half sister. Serena's mother and their neighbor in childhood, knew Bill Sweeney a little too well. The adults kept the secret all those years. DNA testing plays a big role in the discovery.

The Sweeney sisters are fun, smart, and must now find ways to make a new family. It's encouraging and realistic and hopeful, too.