This year is already proving to be a brilliant year for book lovers, with new releases from some big names including Maggie O'Farrell, Meg Mason and Douglas Stuart on their way.
While the weather is improving (please!), it's still chilly enough that an afternoon on the sofa with a book and a blanket is the best way to spend your time. With a new novel from the author of The Light Between Oceans and a dazzling debut inspired by Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, there's plenty of brilliant new novels to choose from...
A Far-Flung Life by ML Stedman
It’s been 14 years since ML Stedman’s debut novel, The Light Between Oceans, was published but, boy, what a reward for the wait. A Far-Flung Life begins in 1958 and chronicles 40 years of the MacBrides, a farming family who run a vast sheep station in Western Australia. Life’s tough, and even tougher after a shock accident shatters everything they know. That one moment has ripple effects that last several generations, and we see that play out through the younger members of the family as they try to make sense of what happened and the long-reaching consequences.
At the centre is Matt, the youngest son, who’s forced to take on a role he didn’t envision for himself while dealing with the huge amount of guilt he feels. Another favourite character of mine was Andy, a third-generation MacBride who’s been kept in the dark about the family history that came before him and the secret of his identity. You can’t help but be swept up in his love for the landscape, and he brings a welcome lightness to the book’s darker moments.
The Australian landscape is a character in its own right and so evocatively described: great stretches of arid land, troubled by dust and heat, that feel so real and alive.
As in The Light Between Oceans, Stedman touches on ethics, morals and the impossible choices life sometimes hands us. It’s one of those books that draws you in and makes you think about how you would handle a similar situation – it would make a great book club discussion.
Stedman mixes big emotions with beautiful writing to intoxicating effect. There are many gorgeous passages that are best read slowly, so the words can seep into you. This is an epic story about familial loyalty, resilience and forgiving yourself for the mistakes of your past, and it’s one that really stays with you. I’ve already passed A Far-Flung Life on to several people – and I’m sure they won’t be the last.
Doubleday A Far-flung Life by ML Stedman
Dead Heat by Sabine Durrant
This slow-burn thriller gives White Lotus vibes thanks to the luxe setting on Greece’s Mani Peninsula and its obnoxious characters. After losing his job, Matt Grimshaw holes up in his friends’ holiday house, where he becomes tangled up in others’ infidelities, old rivalries and, ultimately, tragedy.
California Gold by Jodie Chapman
I think this is Chapman’s best book yet. In 70s California, Chrissy picks up British hitchhiker Frank, and the two fall in love. Back in the UK, they build their dream home, inspired by the House of Tomorrow in Palm Springs, but their happiness ends abruptly – with devastating effects for their daughter.
Michael Joseph California Gold by Jodie Chapman
Under Water by Tara Menon
After the death of her mum, Marissa finds comfort in new friend Arielle and a fresh start in Thailand. Then, on Boxing Day 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami hits, separating the two… Keep the tissues close for this powerful read about friendship and loss.
Kin by Tayari Jones
The Women’s Prize for Fiction winner returns with an emotionally rich coming-of-age story about two motherless girls brought up together in 1950s rural Louisiana. While their lives diverge – one into wealth and education, the other poverty – their bond remains strong.
Oneworld Publications Kin by Tayari Jones
The Daffodil Days by Helen Bain
Bain’s stunning debut is a fresh take on ever-fascinating literary couple Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. Set in a small town in Devon in the early 60s, just before Sylvia ended her life, the story is told through multiple voices, from local townspeople to Sylvia’s brother, Warren.
Bloomsbury The Daffodil Days by Helen Bain
Based On A True Story by Sarah Vaughan
This twisty thriller has so much I like: a grand house on a windswept Cornish cliff, an enigmatic writer celebrating her 70th birthday in style, a secret blackmailer and three daughters duking it out to be the favourite. Superbly plotted and engrossing from start to finish.
Simon & Schuster Based on a True Story by Sarah Vaughan
