June Hayward was supposed to be a successful author, just like her best friend, Athena Liu. While Athena publishes book after book, June can’t sign a successful deal with a publishing company. So when Athena tragically passes away, June steals Athena’s newest novel; the rough draft for a book about the unseen work of Chinese laborers in World War I. So even when June decides to publish the book as her own, and even allows her publisher to rename her so she seems more ethnically-ambiguous, she still can’t escape Athena.
Normal People by Sally Rooney follows the relationship between Connell Waldron and Marianne Sheridan. Spending their youth in a small-town in Ireland, the two find themselves to be polar opposites in high school, Connell, a popular jock, and Marianne a quiet outcast. However, they discover that their interests align perfectly, sparking a relationship.
Summary: Howards End by E.M. Forster is a novel that explores the intertwining lives of three families in early 20th-century England: the intellectual and idealistic Schlegels, the wealthy and materialistic Wilcoxes, and the lower-middle-class Basts. The story centers on the relationships between the Schlegel sisters, Margaret and Helen, and the Wilcox family, particularly Henry Wilcox.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy is an engrossing novel filled with suspense and drama that takes readers on an intense, emotional journey. It follows the lives of two characters, a father and son, as they travel across a stark and hostile post-apocalyptic world in search of a better life. The story has a strong moral message which is thought-provoking and the characters’ struggles in the face of adversity are quite moving.
Zealous reverend Nathan Price travels to Kilanga from Georgia with his wife Orleanna and four daughters: Leah, Adah, Rachel, and Ruth May. As the five women alternate perspectives, each of them shares their unique story as they navigate through their unfamiliar environment in the Congo. As the story progresses, each character is morphed by the new Congolese culture. Each character comes to realize her place in the world with regards to their patriarch Nathan and the culture they left behind in America.
Citizens of Maycomb are racists and prejudiced. They judge each other by how they look, speak, or what gender they are. After Atticus Finch is asked to defend Tom Robinson, a colored man who is accused of raping a woman, his children learn true lessons, some being that people in Maycomb side with others over others. Essentially, this story depicts a young girl coming-of-age, who is raised into a society where people are not as innocent compared to others. It is up to her father to teach her real life lessons and behaviors.
