A complex tale of life and death that deftly weaves family drama with supernatural elements.
A young woman’s fate is forever changed when she catches the eye of Death in Esposito’s supernatural novel.
Ruth Weber is an old woman languishing in a hospice during what seem to be her last days. She makes friends with a mysterious man who visits her room to change out paintings on the wall and perform other odd jobs. She learns that his name is Mortimer Nach; through flashbacks, readers discover that Mortimer is actually Death itself, and that he and Ruth have a history. As her health declines, Ruth begins having incredibly vivid “dreams” that force her to confront and question all that came before in her long and storied life—from an overbearing father to the death of her child to an ongoing struggle to help her rebellious sister. Jumping back and forth in time, the narrative also includes Ruth’s previous interactions with Death. These include a forbidden romance that forces Mortimer to make a shocking decision—one that will have unimaginable consequences in both the earthly and supernatural realms. A wide cast of characters (including an empathetic archangel) contributes to this intricate exploration of life, death, and what it all means. While the plotline can sometimes become convoluted when switching between memories and the current timeline, the writing and dialogue remain smooth and approachable (even when discussing such heady topics as wielding Time as a weapon, which is one of Mortimer’s handy tricks). Esposito excels at maintaining a steady thread of hope throughout an often heart-wrenching tale, such as when Mortimer tells Ruth: “Life will always be more important than me. I’m nothing more than the last breath, that’s all. Dying doesn’t take from a life, that’s what makes it so beautiful.” With its strong themes of heartbreak and forgiveness, the novel astutely conveys the bittersweet experience of loving someone despite knowing that one day they—and life itself—will have to end.
A complex tale of life and death that deftly weaves family drama with supernatural elements.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: June 16, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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
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