A well-crafted and timely tale of balancing progressive instincts with tradition-bound imperatives.
The business of change proves tricky for an up-and-coming abbess in Wetjen’s historical novel, set in Hispania in the late sixth and early seventh centuries.
Students of history are keenly aware of the endless twists and turns that can characterize leadership struggles before one faction prevails and settles the matter—for a time. But for the progressive Sister Florentina, and her brothers, Isidore, and Fulgentius, the logistics of leadership are neither simple nor mundane. For Florentina, it eventually means overseeing 36 convents, spread over the east and south portions of Andalucia, and ensuring that they have sufficient support for their various initiatives. At the same time, she must stay constantly abreast of Catholic Church politics, especially as her brothers become important leaders in the church themselves. The world in which she lives is not one that lends itself to unfettered expression of opinion—as Florentina discovers for herself, after blurting out her joyful reaction that a progressive ally, Pope Gregory, is the new pontiff. Isidore responds with a gentle, but firm, reminder: “Do try to act surprised.” Florentina’s story is also a physically grueling journey, as Servandae, the nun’s Sancho Panza-like sidekick, quickly discovers, slogging through freezing water while fording a river while journeying to Carmona. The tale unfolds over 100-odd years in vignette-like fashion with a tone that’s part procedural, part pageantry; it serves as a compelling reminder of how gradual reform, despite its glacial pace, often provides more meaningful results than its opponents realize. Through the eyes of Sister Florentina, and her brothers, it becomes possible to see how real change actually comes about, and Wetjen does an exemplary job of bringing this process alive, complete with an afterword that provides useful additional context. It shines a relevant light on how—and how fast—the pace of transformation should go, and skillfully demonstrates that the debate is no less simple now than it was centuries ago.
A well-crafted and timely tale of balancing progressive instincts with tradition-bound imperatives.Pub Date: June 4, 2025
ISBN: 9798282469318
Page Count: 191
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Aug. 27, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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
Have tissues ready as you read this. A small package will do.
A love story about a life of second chances.
In Nassau, in the Bahamas, casino detective Vincent LaPorta grills Alfie Logan, who’d come up a winner three times in a row at the roulette table and walked away with $2 million. “How did you do it?” asks the detective. Alfie calmly denies cheating. You wired all the money to a Gianna Rule, LaPorta says. Why? To explain, Alfie produces a composition book with the words “For the Boss, to Be Read Upon My Death” written on the cover. Read this for answers, Alfie suggests, calling it a love story. His mother had passed along to him a strange trait: He can say “Twice!” and go back to a specific time and place to have a do-over. But it only works once for any particular moment, and then he must live with the new consequences. He can only do this for himself and can’t prevent anyone from dying. Alfie regularly uses his power—failing to impress a girl the first time, he finds out more about her, goes back in time, and presto! She likes him. The premise is of course not credible—LaPorta doesn’t buy it either—but it’s intriguing. Most people would probably love to go back and unsay something. The story’s focus is on Alfie’s love for Gianna and whether it’s requited, unrequited, or both. In any case, he’s obsessed with her. He’s a good man, though, an intelligent person with ordinary human failings and a solid moral compass. Albom writes in a warm, easy style that transports the reader to a world of second chances and what-ifs, where spirituality lies close to the surface but never intrudes on the story. Though a cynic will call it sappy, anyone who is sick to their core from the daily news will enjoy this escape from reality.
Have tissues ready as you read this. A small package will do.Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780062406682
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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