The Lovers by Vendela Vida
Yvonne returns to Datca, Turkey, the place where she and her late husband, Peter, honeymooned twenty-eight years ago. As soon as she settles in a large, empty mansion where she’s staying for her vacation, a week that was supposed to be a restorative good time proves to be the same dull, lonely time she has spent at home since Peter was killed unexpectedly. Then, she finds comfort in her newfound friendship with a local boy who collects and sells shells. Yvonne quickly immerses herself into this friendship, easing, in some ways, the painful memories of losing her husband and the troubled relationship she has with her children. But when a sudden accident happens to the boy, devastating her newly pacified soul, she is compelled to embark on a journey to find her true identity in life.
The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson
Katri Kling, who lives in a remote village in Sweden, dreams big, though she and her younger brother, Mats, as well as her big unnamed dog, are rejected and disliked by the villagers. Katri knows that boats are the only things that matter in her brother’s life, and she herself only cares for her brother in this world, so she wants Mats, who is regarded as slow by others, to have his own big boat someday. In order to realize her ambition, Katri attempts to get into the life of Anna Aemelin, a widely respected and successful artist and an innocent soul who is rich with wealth and spirit. Though Jansson is most recognized for her children’s Moomin books, The True Deceiver, one of her adult novels, is truly a piece of literary work. It explores the innermost mind where desire, deception, truth, complexity and conflict with others and nature dwell. The surprising ending will haunt readers long after they finish reading.
~Duan, International District/Chinatown Branch
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