By Taylor Jasmine | On November 27, 2017 | Updated May 13, 2023 | Comments (0)
Ripley Under Water by Patricia Highsmith (1991) is the last of five novels featuring the psychopath Tom Ripley, a man who is cultured, intelligent, and occasionally dabbles in murder. As a group, this quintet of novels is known as “The Ripliad.”
This description is from the 1991 Viking Press edition of Ripley Under Water by Patricia Highsmith: For more than four decades, Highsmith has developed her unique mastery of suspense — not the least in her renowned cycle of novels featuring Tom Ripley.
Now, in the fifth of this series, she demonstrates yet again her ability, as Graham Greene wrote, “to create a world of her own, a world claustrophobic and irrational which we enter each time with a sense of personal danger.” Read More→
By Nava Atlas | On November 26, 2017 | Updated May 13, 2023 | Comments (0)
From the 1951 Harcourt, Brace edition of Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes: Eleanor Estes has written a book with tenderness and humor — a family story in which children will find all the realities of their world, and adults will catch echoes of years gone by.
Who can resist the Pyes? There is Mrs. Pye, the youngest mother in the town of Cranberry; Mr. Pye, a famous bird man who is often called down to Washington for consultation (“Call in Mr. Pye” is a family byword) …
Rachel and Jerry, who see the world through fresh eyes and sometimes react surprisingly; Uncle Bennie, their real uncle though he is only three years old; Gramma and Grampa, and many delightful friends. Read More→
By Nava Atlas | On November 24, 2017 | Updated May 13, 2023 | Comments (0)
Betty Smith (1896 – 1972) is best known for her coming-of-age books, most notably, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. This classic novel, beloved by readers for many generations, mirrored the author’s own impoverished childhood. The three other books by Betty Smith are well worth reading, and we’ll explore them here.
Smith was compelled to drop out of school at age fourteen to work, and help support her family. The challenges of tenement life as seen through the eyes of the novel’s heroine, Francie Nolan, as well as her early jobs, were inspired by Smith’s own experiences. Elements of her life as a young wife and mother came through in the character of Katie, Francie’s mother.
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By Nava Atlas | On November 21, 2017 | Updated August 2, 2025 | Comments (2)
There are so many great biographies of women authors — what to choose depends on which classic authors you love and want to know about.
A great biography reveals much about the author’s inner life as well as their often tumultuous love life and public persona.
The roundup of biographies following is by no means definitive and nowhere near exhaustive — it’s simply a great place to start when you want to learn more about your favorite women writers of the recent and distant past. Read More→
By Emma Ward | On November 21, 2017 | Updated January 1, 2023 | Comments (0)
From the 2006 St. Martin’s Griffin edition of Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee by Charles J. Shields: To Kill a Mockingbird is the most widely read American novel ever.
Yet its creator, Harper Lee, has become a mysterious figure who routinely turns away reporters.
Mockingbird is a colorful portrait of this unconventional, high-spirited, and sometimes hardheaded woman who loved her Southern home and the craft of writing and who — from these undying affections — created a book whose power has never diminished. Read More→
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