Love, secrecy, passion and devotion...

The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee takes place in Hong Kong during two time periods, 1941-42 and 1952-1953. The reader gets a glimpse of pre-occupation Hong Kong through Will’s eyes and follows his story through the Japanese occupation. The reader then follows Claire, the young British piano teacher, as she teaches young Locket, the daughter of the wealthy Mr. and Mrs. Chen in the 1950s. The story glides back and forth between the two decades revealing Will’s life along with the Chen’s and other characters. The connections among several of the characters unfold as the book progresses.

The story is well written and the characters believable. Love, secrecy, passion and devotion are brought up through the various characters’ stories. The reader is challenged to determine how far one would go under stressful situations to survive and /or hold on to your integrity. What does bring happiness? What is love?

To find this book in the library, go to our website at www.newberglibrary.org

Reviewed by Denise

A Good Old Fashioned Adventure Tale

With touches of Robert Louis Stevenson and a hint of Oliver Twist, The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti is an orphan’s adventure into the dark underworld of Colonial New England. Ren is twelve years old and remembers nothing of life before being abandoned at the orphanage at St. Anthony’s. He also can’t remember how he lost his left hand.

Nearing an age where he’s bound for involuntary army service if he isn’t adopted, Ren suddenly finds himself swept away by a man claiming to be his brother. He soon finds that this conniving con man is not his brother, but he may have a connection to where Ren comes from. Meeting all sorts of shady characters along the way, Ren learns to be a grifter himself. But, as the title suggests, he has a hard time letting go of being good.

This is a terrifically bleak adventure full of great characters and unexpected situations. It’s pretty gross too, but that only adds to the story! For anyone who loves a good old fashioned tale of adventure this is a great read!

To find this book in the Library, visit our website at www.newberglibrary.org


Reviewed by Lori M.

What's Hot at the Library!

New Fiction
Lethal Legacy by Linda Fairstein
Dangerous Laughter: 13 Stories by Steven Millhauser
Among the Mad: a Maisie Dobbs novel by Jacqueline Winspear
The Piano Teacher by Janice YK Lee

New Nonfiction
Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin
Guilty by Ann Coulter
Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan by Suze Orman
We Can Have Peace in the Middle East by Jimmy Carter
The Well Dressed Ape by Hannah Holmes
Voluntary Madness by Norah Vincent

To find these books in the Library, go to our website at www.newberglibrary.org