Several recent releases are part of this month’s list, curated from downtown Providence’s independent bookstore.
The Birthing Tree by Amanda Peters is the story of Aliet Paul, a Mi’kmaq woman who returns home to confront her complicated family legacy after her grandmother’s death. Motivated to protect her Indigenous family’s land, traditions, and the memory of her matriarchal ancestors, she’s pulled into a web of long-guarded silences, dangerous loyalties, and generational wounds.
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab is a compelling character-driven drama that examines the yearning for female freedom using the tropes of a vampire theme. The story of three lesbian vampires spans centuries as they navigate immortality, desire, and revenge, exploring themes of female rage, bodily autonomy, and the toxic entanglement of power and love.
In Switzy, you’ll meet David, a deteriorating executive who has opted to take a final trip to Zurich, Switzerland, to undergo assisted suicide. As we follow David en route to Zurich, author Emma Cline’s narrative probes the depths of human consciousness, revealing what we’re left with when the accomplishments and compromises that have defined us, and the illusions we’ve relied on, vanish.
Chloe Benjamin’s Under Story follows biologist Laurel Salter as she hides from her past by working at a remote Antarctic research base, where she encounters a mysterious phenomenon called “the Arc”, which she believes will offer her a chance to revisit and change the past. The tale grapples with the topics of human hubris, the precarity of the natural world, and the mysterious webs of consciousness that bind us.
In The Album of Plant Families: An Illustrated Exploration of Nature’s Beauty and Bounty by botanical artist – and RISD alum – Wendy Hollender, illustrations depict members of plant families from roses to mushrooms that are sometimes surprisingly related. The oversized book includes guest essays and inspires us to look at plants in an entirely new way.
Titled for the Haitian Kreyòl word for mourning, Edwidge Danticat’s Dèy tells the story of Magnolia, a successful Haitian American real estate agent living in Miami. After experiencing the trauma of a mass shooting, her life begins to unravel. While struggling through the shooting’s aftermath, Magnolia must also come to terms not only with her own loss, but those experienced daily by her family in Haiti.
For over 20 years, Symposium Books has been downtown Providence’s
go-to for books, vinyl, fun merch, and conversation. Named after the ancient Greek dialog by Plato, the elegant storefront has built a solid reputation for its stellar selection of new, used, and bargain books across various genres – including independent presses, academic publishers, and art publishers. Shelves are filled with a diverse range of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, which promote differing voices and perspectives. “Symposium Books is known for fostering a welcoming environment for book lovers in a cozy space,” says Scott McCullough, who co-owns the business with wife Anne Marie Keohane. “Also, check out our highly-curated vinyl section. Plus keep an eye out for our author events, book clubs, silent book clubs, music nights, and other events.” 240 Westminster Street, Providence. SymposiumBooks.com
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