Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. So we asked them, and all Denver Post readers, to share their mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email bellis@denverpost.com.
“Everyone Who is Gone is Here: The United States, Central America and the Making of a Crisis by Jonathan Blitzer (Penguin Press, 2024)
Blitzer details decades of U.S. foreign policy in Central America and draws a straight line from those policies and actions to the current circumstances that lead many to flee that region and seek a better life in the U.S. In addition to outlining the historical antecedents, he also puts a human face on the crisis by showing how circumstances have affected the real lives of individual immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. He is clear that the old Pottery Barn adage holds here: “You break it, you buy it”. — 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
“The Hate U Give,” by Angie Thomas (Balzer + Bray, 2017)
Although marketed as a YA book because the main characters are high schoolers, this is no patronizing, glib view deprecating violence and racism. A heart-rending telling of a young woman who loses a friend in terrible circumstances, then sees it expand and consume her own life, sucking all around them into a violent, extreme undertow, it rings true and brings tears to the eye. Even better, it tempts readers to question their own beliefs and the society we’ve all haphazardly and irresponsibly created. No easy answers come forward, but you’ll treasure the characters who ring true and deserve to live their best lives. A Printz Honor winner. — 3 stars (out of 4); Bonnie McCune, Denver (bonniemccune.com)
“Reading Colorado: A Literary Road Guide,” by Peter Anderson (Bower House Books, 2023)
A geographical, historical and diverse journey through Colorado, this is a treasure of a book. Anderson has gathered writings from noted authors such as Zane Grey, Wallace Stegner, Damon Runyon as well as local Colorado authors and commentators to paint a picture of the land, environment, and the forces that have shaped the state of Colorado as we know it today. Each essay is short, with background material about how, when and why it was written. Organized geographically, then by routes (much like the Roadside Geology books), the reader may explore the San Luis Valley, the Eastern Plains, the mountains and the Front Range through prose, poems, essays and amusing anecdotes. Reading Colorado is a celebration of all things Colorado, especially the people. — 4 stars (out of 4); Susan Tracy, Denver
“The Paris Novel,” by Ruth Reichl(Random House, 2024)
An inhibited young woman is coerced to Paris by the terms of her mother’s will. Uncertain why she is there, Stella gradually finds friends and discovers much about herself, including a gift for food she never suspected. Ruth Reichl’s memoirs and essays about food are favorites of mine — she is a gifted writer of compelling nonfiction. This novel is not as strong, but it is an entertaining, quick read, full of characters both historic and fictional, and the sense of Paris is magnifique. Reichl is at her best (no surprise) when describing flavors and aromas. I swear I gained weight just reading this book. — 3 stars (out of 4); Neva Gronert, Parker
