Deacon King Kong

by James McBride

PenguinRandomHouse

     Why Deacon King Kong, aka Sportcoat, shoots a young man whom he clearly loved and had tried to save with baseball, is only one of the compelling mysteries in this great book. All of the questions come to be seen as revolving around love, hope and change - for the wonderful, disparate characters McBride brings to credible life.  Not to be missed.

If you would like to know more about this book, or purchase it, please check with your local independent bookstore or this very good place bookshop.org .

 Behind You Is the Sea

by Susan Muaddi Darraj

HarperCollins Publishers

    This is a warm and loving portrait of three Palestinian-American families - their happy moments and their very sad ones. There are generational, economic and cultural differences, but also much love and a constant struggle to take good care of each other. 

    A quick read that will stay with you.

If you'd like to know more about this book, or own it, please try your local independent bookstore or this great place bookshop.org .