Kassie's Picks:
Ru: A Novel, by Kim ThuyAbout the book: Vietnamese author Kim Thuy's novel unfolds in the way a flower casts off petals: one small scene after another. Ru is an autobiographical novel in which memories are shuffled back and forth to tell the story of a 10-year-old born in Saigon during the 1968 Tet Offensive. (NPR Books)
Kassie says: Perfect short vignettes allow engagement with terror, grief, loss of country, as well as extraordinary joy and love. Beautiful.
The City Of Falling Angels,by John Berendt
(Kassie listened to the audio book.)
About the book: Turning to the magic, mystery, and decadence of Venice, John Berendt gradually reveals the truth behind a sensational fire that in 1996 destroyed the historic La Fenice opera house. Encountering a rich cast of characters, Berendt tells a tale full of atmosphere and surprise as the stories build, one after the other, ultimately coming together to portray a world as finely drawn as a still-life painting. (Goodreads)
Kassie says: Non-fiction narrative about Venice, city of dreams, with its Bridge of Sighs. Centers on the fire which destroyed the last opera theater, La Fenice--arson, mafia, negligence??--with wonderful portraits of native Venetians and ex-pats like Ezra Pound.