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 other readers, to share these mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email bellis@denverpost.com.
“A Brief History of Earth,” by Andrew H. Knoll (Mariner Books, 2023)
Explaining “Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters,” the subtitle of this book, is a tall order. Fit all that scientific knowledge into a paperback the size of a 5-by-7 greeting card, just 230 pages, and you’ve got what the author calls an “approachable” read. Harvard geology professor Andrew Knoll beautifully pulls off the challenge put to him by Mariner’s Publisher Peter Hubbard, who has a long record of backing bestsellers, including paleontologist Steve Brusatte’s 2018 book “The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs.” The author starts with the ceation of the planet and its chemical composition. He then briefly explores properties of the planet’s physical features, the biology, the role of oxygen, animal and plant life, followed by what we call natural disasters, and finally the human chapter. This longtime professor knows all the technical terminology and references it in suggested reading lists at the back of the book, but he translates the information in a way we can all comprehend. This is the Earth Science 101 textbook written for all earthlings. “This is a story about our home, the Earth, and the organisms that spread across its surface,” the prologue reads. The final paragraph spells out the ultimate bottom line for Earth. — 4 stars (out of 4); Kristen Kidd, Littleton
“The Marriage Portrait,” by Maggie O’Farrell (Knopf, 2022)
From the first page, we know Lucrezia, the young 16th-century Italian duchess of the portrait, will be murdered by her husband. O’Farrell’s genius propels the story so that, despite the foreknowledge, a reader hangs on, almost breathlessly. I’ve read several books by O’Farrell, and with each one I think, “This is her best.” She writes so very well that I suspect I will continue to deem her one of the best writers of this century. Consider this illuminating passage about Lucrezia’s wedding gown: “The gown rustles and slides around her, speaking a glossolalia all of its own, the silk moving against the rougher nap of the underskirts, the bone supports of the bodice straining and squealing against their coverings, the cuffs scuffing and chafing the skin of her wrists, the stiffened collar hooking and nibbling at her nape, the hip supports creaking like the rigging of a ship. It is a symphony, an orchestra of fabrics, and Lucrezia would like to cover her ears, to stop them with her palms, but she cannot.” This is a terrific read. — 4 stars (out of 4); Neva Gronert, Parker
“Chenneville,” by Paulette Jiles (William Morrow, 2023)
If you enjoyed Jiles’ earlier novels set in post-Civil War Texas, this one might surprise you. While there are nods here to both “News of the World” and “Simon the Fiddler,” Jiles’ latest is much darker and grittier, a tale of loss, revenge, hardship and grim determination. But Jiles’ lucid writing keeps pulling the reader along to find out what happens next to our hero. Will he find the scoundrel, will he exact his revenge? You’ll have to read it to find out. — 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
“If I Had Your Face,” by Frances Cha (Ballantine Books, 2020)
Is human conduct universal? Do infants, young adults, and oldsters learn and exhibit common behaviors across societies? Support for this theory lies in a work hotel in Seoul, South Korea, where four young women act exactly like their American counterparts: struggle to make a living, meet young men, make sense of life. The difference is their obsession with their looks — and most go to extremes. In a biting social expose about extreme plastic surgery, gender and class, we meet an artist, a call-girl, a K-pop-entranced hairstylist, and a newlywed through vignettes while proving all people are fascinating mixtures. — 2 stars (out of 4); Bonnie McCune, Denver (bonniemccune.com)
