By Taylor Jasmine | On December 4, 2017 | Updated May 9, 2023 | Comments (0)
The Ponder Heart by Eudora Welty is a 1954 novella originally published in The New Yorker magazine the year before it appeared in book form. Two years later, it was staged as a Broadway play. In 2001, it was also adapted into a made-for-television film for PBS.
Narrated by Edna Earle Ponder, it’s the story of her uncle, Daniel Ponder, a sweet man who is considered a bit “slow.” He has inherited a hefty fortune from his father and wants to give it away.
This plan, not surprisingly, is opposed by the extended family. The book was widely praised when released; here are two typical reviews of this darkly comical gem from Eudora Welty: Read More→
By Nava Atlas | On December 1, 2017 | Updated September 20, 2025 | Comments (0)
The novels of Elizabeth von Arnim are often marked by their dry wit and charm, plus a touch of autobiography. Vera obliquely refers to the author’s disastrous second marriage to an Earl, but unlike her references to her first husband, who she referred to as “The Man of Wrath,” Elizabeth saw no humor in the situation.
Vera (1922) is arguably this author’s darkest novel, a psychological thriller that in a unique way is a predicts Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.
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By Taylor Jasmine | On December 1, 2017 | Updated January 28, 2024 | Comments (4)
Elizabeth and Her German Garden was published anonymously in 1898. Elizabeth von Arnim, born Mary Annette Beauchamp in Australia, continued to publish simply as “Elizabeth” following the success of this, her debut novel.
Told in the form of a diary, the book is written by a protagonist who, like the author herself, chafes against the conventions of marriage and motherhood and takes solace in her summer garden.
Enormously popular upon publication, Elizabeth and Her German Garden earned the author quite a tidy sum in its time. Though it has had a mini-revival as a quietly feminist tale, it has struggled to maintain stature as a classic. Read More→
By Taylor Jasmine | On November 21, 2017 | Updated November 18, 2022 | Comments (0)
From the United Press review of A Certain Smile by Françoise Sagan (1956): A Certain Smile by Françoise Sagan (translated from the French, Un Certain Sourire) is that rare delight, a second novel that fulfills the promise of the author’s first.
Young as Miss Sagan is, her writing is imbued with a maturity so naturally presented as to seem not in the least surprising.
Here, as in Bonjour Tristesse, Miss Sagan’s heroine is a young girl acting out of purely selfish motives, and finds herself embroiled in something far beyond her capabilities. Read More→
By Taylor Jasmine | On November 6, 2017 | Updated March 15, 2026 | Comments (2)
Three Daughters of Madame Liang by Pearl S. Buck is a 1969 novel in the tradition of her colorful and vivid China stories. This one is takes place in China around the time of the cultural revolution.
Madame Liang is the proprietor of a fashionable restaurant in Shanghai, serving the top echelon of the city. She sends her three daughters to America to be educated, with varying and dramatic results.
Grace, Mercy, and Joy are torn between loyalties to their home country and their adopted one. Here’s a review of this engaging novel from the time of its publication date: Read More→
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