Robinson, Roxana

Listeners will recognize parallels with operatic tragedy in the structure of Robinson’s (Dawson’s Fall) latest novel. Recommended for those who love high drama and fraught family dynamics.

NBCC finalist Robinson (Sparta) paints her characters as nuanced products of their time and avoids unrealistic heroics. A scattering of 19th-century newspaper articles, family letters, and data provides context and veracity for this work of fiction but also connects the Reconstruction era's racism, voter suppression, and violent gun culture to present-day societal divides. Recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 11/26/18.]

Robinson pens a raw portrayal of soldiers returning from modern warfare, attempting to represent the complexity of the traumatic experience without neglecting the horrifying truth. Readers who appreciated Rodge Glass's Dougie's War will also be drawn to this novel. [See Prepub Alert, 11/30/12.]