An engrossing tale that serves as a poignant reminder of the lives lost on 9/11.
A novel focuses on 9/11 and a group of fictional firefighters.
Through Napolitano’s characters, readers learn about the New York City Fire Department and the many individuals it takes to create a functioning firefighting team. The audience gets a glimpse into the characters’ lives; why they chose to be firefighters; and their family dynamics and interpersonal relationships as well as the trust-building that occurs among the warriors on duty. In short, readers are reminded of the firefighters’ humanity and the loss that their friends and families experienced when they entered the World Trade Center on 9/11. By sprinkling intriguing details about the firefighters throughout the moving novel (Patrick Boyle’s romance with Lauren Moore; Phil Coletti and his dad’s relationship), the author paints a vivid picture of the bravery and sacrifice displayed by the FDNY. Napolitano was a volunteer member of the fire department on 9/11. He deftly captures the feelings of panic and fear as well as the firefighters’ acceptance of their fate and unwillingness to stop helping civilians in the face of danger. In a particularly powerful moment, the author includes the prayer of general absolution that a priest intones aloud as the firefighters are gearing up to head to the twin towers. Although it seems like a minor detail in the grand scheme of tragic events, the episode evokes a deep sadness because readers will imagine that the firefighters know the immense perils that lie ahead. Napolitano does a good job of setting the stage for readers who are not privy to firefighter slang and culture by including a glossary and a character map depicting the levels of command and organizational structure. In addition, he skillfully portrays the range of personalities that exist in a station. For example, the members of 14 Truck include Harry Sturgis (the rookie), Jim “Wart” Mangold (the veteran worrywart), and Bryan O’Rorke (the experienced firefighter who consistently displays courage).
An engrossing tale that serves as a poignant reminder of the lives lost on 9/11.Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-73752-010-8
Page Count: 434
Publisher: Toren James Publishing
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
A pleasant if not entirely convincing tribute to the power of art.
A French art historian’s English-language fiction debut combines the story of a loving relationship between a grandfather and granddaughter with an enlightening discussion of art.
One day, when 10-year-old Mona removes the necklace given to her by her now-dead grandmother, she experiences a frightening, hour-long bout of blindness. Her parents take her to the doctor, who gives her a variety of tests and also advises that she see a psychiatrist. Her grandfather Henry tells her parents that he will take care of that assignment, but instead, he takes Mona on weekly visits to either the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, or the Centre Pompidou, where each week they study a single work of art, gazing at it deeply and then discussing its impact and history and the biography of its maker. For the reader’s benefit, Schlesser also describes each of the works in scrupulous detail. As the year goes on, Mona faces the usual challenges of elementary school life and the experiences of being an only child, and slowly begins to understand the causes of her temporary blindness. Primarily an amble through a few dozen of Schlesser’s favorite works of art—some well known and others less so, from Botticelli and da Vinci through Basquiat and Bourgeois—the novel would probably benefit from being read at a leisurely pace. While the dialogue between Henry and the preternaturally patient and precocious Mona sometimes strains credulity, readers who don’t have easy access to the museums of Paris may enjoy this vicarious trip in the company of a guide who focuses equally on that which can be seen and the context that can’t be. Come for the novel, stay for the introductory art history course.
A pleasant if not entirely convincing tribute to the power of art.Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2025
ISBN: 9798889661115
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Europa Editions
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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