Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot and often dictate what the rest of us put on our nightstands. So we asked them and all Denver Post readers to share their mini-reviews with you. Have any to contribute? Email [email protected].
“In the Shadow of Freedom: The Invisible History of Immigrant Incarceration in the United States,” by Ana Raquel Minian (Viking)
Using memoirs, interviews, and archival documents, Minian illustrates the costs, violence, and futility of immigrant detention throughout U.S. history. She humanizes this now-volatile political issue through the experiences of individual immigrants, from Chinese immigrants in the 1890s to Central European immigrants in the 1940s to Cuban immigrants in the 1980s to Guatemalan immigrants in the 2010s. Unfortunately, some things, like fear of the unknown “other,” remain the same over time. Both people and governments make the same mistakes over and over again, despite clear evidence that these policies have failed. — 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
“The Ministry of Time” by Kaliane Bradley (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, 2024)
This genre-bending debut is part political thriller, part dystopia, part romance, part science fiction—and gripping almost throughout. Our narrator is a young mixed-race woman in London whose career in the civil service leads to a position as a “bridge,” where she helps a 19th-century naval commander adjust to the 21st century. Several other time travelers (“emigrants”) are also part of an experiment being conducted by the mysterious Ministry. Each chapter begins with excerpts from the story of an 1845 voyage in search of the Northwest Passage between Europe and Asia, and I found these interludes particularly fascinating. As you’d expect from a futuristic story, this novel contains lessons we can apply today. — 3 1/2 stars (out of 4); Neva Gronert, Parker
“Confessions of a Curious Bookseller” by Elisabeth Green (Lake Union Publishing, 2021)
Books about bookstores always seem to be popular, probably because there are so many book lovers. The unusual approach of this story
is that the owner, Fawn, is definitely flawed, even petty, in her response to the sudden appearance of an independent bookstore in her West Philly neighborhood. She is not always conscientious in her dealings, but is trying to bring her business to economic sustainability, find emotional strength in a flawed family relationship, mentor a dedicated if imperfect intern, and maintain an aging building. The question is, how can someone with such an unpleasant disposition ever attract friends or lovers? I guess bibliophiles are irresistible. — 2 stars (out of 4); Bonnie McCune (bonniemccune.com)
“The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and the Reclaiming of a Groundbreaking Story.” by Karen Valby (Pantheon Books, 2024)
A well-researched and beautiful story of the ballerinas who first danced with Arthur Mitchell’s Dance Theater of Harlem is a testament to how difficult it was for ballerinas to establish themselves at that time. The ballerinas’ stories – their struggle for recognition, the families who supported their dreams, and the strength they got from each other – are significant pages of dance history that this book revives in great measure. One of the ballerinas, Karlya Shelton-Benjamin, originally danced with the Colorado Concert Ballet (now Colorado Ballet). — 3 stars (out of 4); Susan Tracy, Denver
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