You’ve Gotta Read This

Students in the Living Writers class explain why you should read these books

Watch the archived public readings, plus three “book club” discussions, at www.colgatealumni.org/hillathome

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz

If you want to grasp the trajectory of American literature at the end of this troubled decade, you should get your hands on a copy of Junot Díaz’s The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Steeped in polyrhythmic voices, history, humor, and science fiction, Wao is a riveting journey through the horrors of postcolonialism and the immigrant experience.

–Javier Padilla ’10 

The Rope Walk by Carrie Brown

The Rope Walk is Carrie Brown’s sixth novel. At the outset, the narrator, Alice McCauley, celebrates her tenth birthday with her father, Archie, and her four older brothers. Alice lost her mother when she was just an infant, but because she was so young at the time of her mother’s death, she has been able to retain a sense of optimism and innocence. Following her tenth birthday, however, Alice begins to encounter the world’s darker realities, in the form of AIDS, racism, and suicide. The novel highlights a collision between one girl’s childhood and adulthood. I particularly enjoyed the novel because it was told from Alice’s point of view — I think that children often see the world differently than adults do, and, as Carrie Brown said to the class during her visit, have an “unimpeded fidelity to the truth.” Alice’s tendency to “take pictures” of the scenes around her with her imaginary camera emphasizes her unique perspective on the world. –Elisabeth Tone ’11 

Decorations in a Ruined Cemetery by John Gregory Brown

An astoundingly beautiful novel set in New Orleans. Brown artfully breaks down a family’s history of silence, and a carefully buried secret comes to the surface. He reminds us that ghosts of the past never truly leave. The prose is exquisite; the imagery and characters are dreamlike. Sit down on a dark winter’s day with a cup of tea in hand, and enjoy.

–Sean O’Hanlan ’11 

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Jeffrey Eugenides’s Middlesex is a modern-age epic. The protagonist of the story is born female, but discovers at puberty that she is genetically male due to an autosomal recessive intersex condition called 5-alpha reductase deficiency. Yes, it is the story of a hermaphrodite, but this is no sensationalized gimmick; the work is a masterpiece. From the very first page, this book is something different. It will pull you in, deconstruct your preconceptions, humanize its characters and spit you out with a new perspective. If you’re up for it, pick up a copy, you won’t regret it.

–David Clark ’10 

A Sandhills Ballad by Ladette Randolph

A Sandhills Ballad is a poignantly written, lovely novel. Set in the Nebraskan Sandhills, Randolph’s quiet prose will catapult you into the life of Mary Rasmussen — a rancher with a perfect life set before her that is flipped upside down with one fatal car crash. This tender novel will have you reading into the night, cheering for Mary to regain her life, her courage, and her self.

–Elizabeth Clifford ’11 

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

This ‘novel in stories’ by Elizabeth Strout has rightfully earned its 2009 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Set in a small town in rural Maine, these 13 short stories center around the life of the eponymous main character, who is intimidating, yet vulnerable; outspoken, yet caring. Told from the close perspectives of various townspeople, and from Olive herself, the reader is privileged many glimpses into the life of this complex woman and almost as many profound insights into the joys and pains of Life. Not only does Strout faithfully serve up an ever-rarer slice of Americana; she also effectively explores the intricacies of the human condition. So check out this great novel and see why it has undoubtedly earned the 2009 Pulitzer Prize.

–Jarrod Williams MAT’10 

The Vagrants by Yiyun Li

Yiyun Li’s first novel, The Vagrants, is a stirring tale of a Chinese community coming to grips with hunger, loss, death, and love in Post-Maoist China. The story is set in a fictional provincial city known as “Muddy River,” a city inspired by Li’s husband’s hometown. Instead of focusing on just one single character to tell the story, Li creates a host of characters whose lives intersect with one another and are deeply affected by the government and society. This novel is somber at times and hysterical at others, and I found myself experiencing the character’s stories rather than reading about them. Li is able to bring the reader to a different time and a different place, while still being able to explore universal human issues. Yiyun Li is an emerging writer who has a strong, honest voice, a curious imagination, and a desire to tell stories. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to learn and to discover something new.

–Geoffrey Ng ’10 

The Hill Road by Patrick O’Keeffe

Come along for a ride on a horse and cart to the small town of Kilroan, where lovers meet for secret trysts in the cemetery, and a pint after church at Powers is a welcome rite of passage in Patrick O’Keeffe’s The Hill Road. In this collection of four novellas, O’Keeffe artfully transports us into rural Ireland, giving us more than a bird’s-eye view of the lives of its inhabitants and the influence of the church at its epicenter. Here, bitter rivalries end with mysterious disappearances, and family honor must be maintained at all costs. In a community where women serve as wives and mothers, O’Keeffe opts to delineate strong, passionate women who hold their own. Through his beautiful melodic prose, he reminds us of his background in poetry, captivating and pulling us into each story.

–Jan Taubman 

Little Boys Come from the Stars by Emmanuel Dongala

Emmanuel Dongala’s novel Little Boys Come from the Stars is a fast-paced text detailing the democratization of an African country. The story is told through the eyes of Metapari, a child whose family is involved in the current communist government ruling the country. Throughout the text, we see the effects of the government on Metapari and his family, and how the political climate shapes the future of his country. As the story evolves, the reader gains a sense of closeness with the characters, and develops a better understanding of the political climate they live in. A well-written and informative text, I would recommend Little Boys Come from the Stars to most readers.

–Stephen Morgan ’10 

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards ’81

In The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, Kim Edwards crafts a unique story, one that is, at once heartbreaking and hopeful. Edwards explores the devastating and torturous implications of one man’s decision, made in a rushed moment, in an effort to spare his wife the pain he predicts would result from raising a daughter with Down syndrome. The result is a fascinating and probing novel that highlights how this secret ultimately ruined one family, while giving life to another. Filled with vivid imagery, rich language, and detailed characterizations, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter is a memorable, moving, and enjoyable read.

–Kristin Matzen ’10