CULTURE CLUB
THE WHISPERS BY ASHLEY AUDRAIN
Strap in for The Whispers, the newest novel from acclaimed author Ashley Audrain, which – like her smash hit debut, The Push – brilliantly handles themes of parenthood, relationships, fidelity and deep-seated trauma. The stage is a stylish suburban neighbourhood, the players are four women connected in ways they could not have fathomed. A weekend party at the Loverly’s house turns sinister when mum Whitney loses her cool and shouts at her ten-year-old son Xavier; her aggression clearly audible to the gathered guests downstairs. Nine months later, she is in hospital at Xavier’s bedside while he lies in an induced coma, having fallen from his bedroom window. Or did he? We then hear from Whitney’s neighbours: Rebecca, the young doctor who lives opposite the Loverleys and is battling her own, completely debilitating fertility issues; Mara, the elderly neighbour who sees everything and Blair, a stay-at-home mother who has come adrift since becoming a parent. Juicy, gripping and packed with women being awful to each other in one breath yet seeking their support in another, this is a brilliant beach-read of a thriller that you’re likely to chomp right through in a single sitting.
Brilliantly handles themes of parenthood, relationships, fidelity and deep-seated trauma
SMASH HIT Ann Napolitano is also the author of New York Times bestseller, Dear Edward
BY ANN NAPOLITANO HELLO BEAUTIFUL
A hefty, delicious, intergenerational family saga to sink into this summer, Hello Beautiful pays homage to Little Women . It’s framed around the four Padavano sisters and William, a young man from a loveless childhood who marries Julia, the eldest sister, and quickly finds a place in their close-knit Italian-American family. William is at college on a basketball scholarship and the book is packed with detail of life both on and off court, with particular references to the importance of recovery – true of childhood trauma and sports injuries. Julia sees a bright future for her husband and pushes him to the outcome she dreams of for them. But as we all know – if you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans. A warm-hearted novel with beautifully drawn characters, it will sweep you from your sun-lounger and leave you bereft to finish your time within its pages, as all good books should.
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK JULY 2023 29
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