FSG Stars Roundup

Several starred reviews for each of these titles guarantees a spot on your library shelves!

THE NIGHT STAGES by Jane Urquhart
A female pilot recalls her affair with a man obsessed with the disappearance of his brother in this elegiac novel of intersecting memories and the sorrows of fractured families. “Highly satisfying on many levels, this novel will have book clubs basking in its big symbols and abuzz over Tamara’s final decision.”    Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Urquhart’s poetic, almost ethereal writing invites readers to revisit certain passages and marvel. This book about unquenchable longing is a lovely addition to her distinguished, award-filled oeuvre.”    Library Journal, starred review

A MANUAL FOR CLEANING WOMEN by Lucia Berlin
“A posthumous collection of stories, almost uniformly narrated by hard-living women, that makes a case for the author as a major talent. A testament to a writer whose explorations of society’s rougher corners deserve wider attention.”    Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“[Lucia Berlin] may just be the best writer you’ve never heard of… Berlin’s offbeat humor, get-on-with-it realism, and ability to layer details that echo across stories and decades give her book a tremendous staying power.”    Publishers Weekly, boxed & starred review

“Begin reading a Berlin short story and you know immediately that you are in the presence of a unique and searing literary force. An essential collection of jazzy, jolting, incisive, wryly funny, and keenly compassionate, virtuoso tales.”
   Booklist, starred review

MYSTERIES OF THE MALL by Witold Rybczynski
“In this illuminating collection of essays, Rybczynski documents the wide-ranging effects of the men who built America in the 20th century. A superb book for those interested in architectural history, written in an easygoing style by a man with encyclopedic knowledge and an obvious great love for building.”    Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“An eloquent critic with a range of interests as broad as his voluminous published work, Rybczynski is unusually willing to go sleuthing into the architecture and design of the everyday. The prose sparkles…”    Publishers Weekly, boxed signature review

GIVE US THE BALLOT: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America by Ari Berman (THREE stars!)
“Berman does a superb job of making the history of the right to vote in America not only easily understandable, but riveting. This is the best kind of popular history literate, passionate, and persuasive, balancing detail with accessibility.”
Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This emotional book runs the gamut from great joy at the quest accomplished in 1965 to pride at the success of the judicial system in upholding voting rights to disbelief as the Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush courts shattered 50 years of work. Not just a compelling history, but a cry for help in the recurring struggle to gain what is supposed to be an inalienable right.”   Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“General readers will appreciate the panoramic survey of the cases in which the VRA has been challenged and defended in federal and state courts and legislatures, and the fair inclusion of voices from both sides of the arguments. A timely and needed addition to the voting rights debate.”   Library Journal, starred review

And let’s not forget DEATH AND MR. PICKWICK, which has THREE starred reviews, is a Summer/Fall 2015 Indies Introduce pick and a PW Best of Summer 2015 selection!