It is 1963, and Annie Ernaux, winner of The Nobel Prize for Literature in 2022, has just discovered that she is pregnant. She is absolutely sure she is not ready to raise a child, but abortion is illegal in France. Happenings describes the trials and tribulations she must endure in order to obtain an abortion.

Annie Ernaux’s memoir took me back to the time when abortions were illegal and women feared nothing more than an unwanted pregnancy. Happening is moving and frightening, especially considering what is happening today. This is a small book with a lot to say. I look forward to reading another book by Ernaux.

It is 1936 and the Chicken Hill section of Pottstown, Pennsylvania is a neighborhood of mostly Jews and Blacks who, for the most part, get along well. One reason for this is Chona Ludlow, the owner of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. Chona would give anyone credit-man, woman or child-as well as helping the citizens of Chicken Hill in other ways. When a young deaf Black boy nicknamed Dodo is wrongly accused of attacking Chona and placed in a mental hospital, these neighbors work to get Dodo out.

A short summary of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store does not do justice to it. I admired everything about this novel-the characters, the story line and the magnificent prose. Be sure to read McBride’s acknowledgements. I shed a few tears when I came to the end.

I don’t often read children’s books and rarely write about them, but I couldn’t resist a book about animals by Dave Eggers. Johannes is a wild dog, the narrator and the “eyes” of the land he lives on. Along with his helpers, a racoon, a squirrel, and two sea gulls, he reports to the bison about what is going on all around them. All the animals are free to roam the beach and the forest except the bison. One day it dawns on Johannes that after years of living surrounded by a fence, the bison should be set free.

What I especially like about The Eyes & the Impossible is that it subtly illustrates concepts of friendship, freedom, cooperation and trust without being at all preachy. This is a wonderful read for children 8-12. Because there is plenty of subtlety in The Eyes & the Impossible, it is an excellent book to read aloud and discuss with children of all ages.

This is a sequel to Everybody’s Fool and Nobody’s Fool. Once again we are in North Bath, New York, a dying mill town, but this time the focus is on the next generation-Peter Sullivan, Sully’s son, his sons and the people his deceased father asked him to keep an eye on. A side story involves the former police chief of North Bath, an unexplained death and a sadistic cop.

Richard Russo has never disappointed me. Many of his characters are loving schlemiels, his story line is fun to read, yet all his novels have some depth to them. Somebody’s Fool is a wonderful summer read and you don’t have to read the other “Fool” books to understand everything that is going on here. It felt so good to be back in North Bath, New York.

It is Paris in the 1950’s. David, an American and the novel’s narrator, meets Giovanni, a bartender from Italy, while David’s girlfriend, Helle, is gallivanting around Spain. David moves in with Giovanni and they have an affair. The reader learns in the first few pages of Giovanni’s Room that eventually Helle leaves David and moves back to America, Giovanni is about to be executed and David feels shame and guilt about all that has occurred. The bulk of the novel describes what led up to that guilt, the execution and the flight to America.

Because of what is happening in this country, I felt it was time for me to read and support a widely banned book. Although it was probably a bit shocking when it was first published in 1956, it is tame by today’s standards. Giovanni’s Room is a good read. Baldwin is a fine writer. He does a great job portraying events and characters without telling everything, thus leaving room for discussion and speculation.

Most of the del Pino family were born and raised in Cuba, but now they are scattered all over the world. A very few still live in Cuba, but others make their homes in Moscow, Los Angeles and Berlin. Although most of them refuse to return to Cuba, even for a short visit, they all feel the seduction of their Cuban roots.

Many years ago I read Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia. I remember thoroughly enjoying it. I was looking forward to reading her newest novel, because it is a sequel to Dreaming in Cuban. Sadly, I was disappointed. Vanishing Maps has too many characters with very little depth to them and very little plot line.

After reading Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, I decided my “summer classic” would be David Copperfield. Although the settings are quite different, Kingsolver often followed the gist of Dickens’ classic. Although I thought Demon Copperhead was a good read, I found David Copperfield a superior work. Both books are grim, but Copperfield has a sense of humor. While both have a cast of characters, Dickens’ tome has a more memorable, eccentric, well described cast. There is a reason that David Copperfield is one of the most beloved books in the world. It is humorous, exciting,and tragic with wonderful prose. It is a long, slow read, but when finished, one feels a sense of awe and accomplishment.

Thao Thai’s debut novel is narrated by three women in alternating chapters. Minh, the grandmother, was born and raised in Viet Nam but brought her children over to The United States when she became a widow. Huong, the daughter, after an unhappy marriage, moves back with her daughter to live with Minh. Ann, Huong’s daughter, is raised by both women in an old large house that is in desperate need of repair. The home is somewhere in rural Florida and is an integral part of these women’s stories. All three women carry burdens from their past that they refuse to divulge.

The three main characters in Banyan Moon are multidimensional, realistically portrayed, and independent but not without flaws. Their lives and circumstances make for an interesting and thought-provoking novel.

Eleanor Russell has two teenage children with her ex husband. She is now married to Ron, and they are unable to have a child. When their California home is practically demolished by an earthquake, Eleanor realizes how fragile life is and talks Ron into adopting a baby. In alternating chapters, The Earthquake Child relates the histories of Eleanor, Kelly, the birth mother, and Joshua, the adoptee.

I was asked to read this book because my children are adopted, so I read The Earthquake Child with no expectations. I was very pleasantly surprised. I found the descriptions of the adoption process in the novel accurate, the characters were realistic and complex, and the issues raised in The Earthquake Child should result in interesting and thought provoking discussions.

The newest book of historical fiction by Nancy Horan takes place in Springfield, Illinois from 1854-1909. The main character, Ana Ferreira, comes to Springfield from Madeira, Portugal with her family when she is a young girl. When she is a teen, she lands a job at the Lincoln’s home where she helps with household chores and taking care of the Lincoln’s sons. Ana not only gets to know all the Lincolns but some individuals instrumental in The Underground Railway.

Ana and her best friend, Cal, are fictional characters, but many of the others in The House of Lincoln really existed and were important figures in Springfield and in the fight against slavery in the 19th century. Like Loving Frank, The House of Lincoln is a readable work of historical fiction where one learns about interesting events and notable people during that era.