The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

 In the middle of the 19th century, as the plantations in Virginia begin to wear out the rich tobacco producing soil, Hiram Walker is born - son of the master, Howell Walker, and grandson of Santi Bess, the slave who is said to have walked into the Goose River with 48 other "tasked" and disappeared only to emerge on the shores of Africa.  Hiram is valued for his seemingly eidetic memory but as the story unfolds an even rarer gift is exposed.  Because of his connection to Howell Walker, Hiram walks a fine line between the "tasked" and the "quality" and often lives in both roles.  There is a lot of history including an encounter with "Moses" Tubman and an unusual exploration of the relationship between the black and white culture of this particular time and place. This novel feels a great deal like The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead but with an even stronger African flavor.  The language is beautiful providing a more misty mythology than jarring magical realism feel.  The cruelty and horror of slavery is mostly revealed through the destruction of the "tasked" family unit which was at the core of slave survival. And - the ending - can't wait for that book group conversation. 

The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger

 The proposal of a public school for the gifted in Crystal, Colorado causes turmoil in the lives of four families.  The wives in the four families have been friends ever since their 5th graders were born and like most families of privilege, are prepared to do whatever is necessary to make sure their children get into the school.  The issues of privilege, competition, and parenting are front and center - mostly shown in their worst light.  It could have been about 100 pages shorter but would stimulate great discussion about privilege, education and the choices we make as parents thinking they are "best" for our kids. Bet you never see the ending coming.

Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick by Zora Neale Thurston

 This is a collection of short stories by one of the important voices of the Harlem Renaissance.  I struggled with the vernacular in the beginning but it is worth it to fall into the rhythm of the language, the times and the lives she spotlights.  The title of the book references the act of achieving something the hard way and this is at the core of each of the stories.   Thurston died impoverished and these stories were believed to be lost.  Glad they were found.

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

 Apparently Donoghue began her novel in 2018 inspired by the 100th anniversary of the 1918 flu epidemic.  She had no idea how prescient her story would be.  

Julie Power, a nurse midwife, celebrates her 30th birthday in the maternity/fever ward of a Dublin hospital.  Over the length of three days readers experience many "Call the Midwife" moments compounded by the effects of the 1918 flu.  Readers will also recognize the delusional, lack of scientific understanding of the cause and how to treat the deadly disease - should be different today but - hmmmm.  Also working on the ward is Bridie Sweeney, the voice of the horrible poverty and religious restrictions of 1918 Ireland, and Dr. Kathleen Lynn, who is based on an actual figure in the Irish Resistance.  The writing lacks poetry but there is lot's of history, so many similarities and one life profoundly changed. 

The House Without Windows by Nadia Hashimi

 Zeba finds herself in an Afghan prison accused of the brutal murder of her abusive husband.  Her American trained lawyer, Yusuf, believes that she might be saved with an insanity defense.  Is she insane ? No - but as she says, "Sometimes if you don't lose your mind a little bit, you'll never survive." The world inside the women's prison is not the horror you might imagine but a society of women preferable to the world outside the prison walls. Neither would you suspect that Zeba, who has suffered as a woman under the yoke of Afghan law, would emerge a heroine.  The story is rich with Afghan tradition and fascinating characters.  And although the book has the structure of a murder mystery, it is really political commentary on the culture and the legal system of Afghanistan.  One of my favorite books this year.