Giuseppe Maugeri Book order (chronological)

An unforgettable story of unlikely friendship and the scars of a broken past. The first novel from the million-copy bestselling author of Fresh Water for FlowersA BBC RADIO 4 OPEN BOOK PICK

"In the stirring highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in striking personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency--a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil"--Flap of jacket

Before everything changed, young Hannah Rosenthal lived a charmed life. But in 1939, Berlin is transformed; her family's possessions are taken, and they are no longer welcome in their familiar surroundings. Hannah and her best friend, Leo Martin, make a pact to face whatever comes together. Hope arrives with the SS St. Louis, a ship offering Jews safe passage out of Germany. After a frantic visa search, the Rosenthals and Martins board the luxurious liner bound for Havana. Life aboard the St. Louis feels surreal, filled with masquerade balls and exquisite meals, but soon, ominous rumors from Cuba shatter their fragile sense of safety. As impossible choices arise and unthinkable sacrifices are made, the ship that once symbolized salvation threatens to become their doom. Decades later, in New York City, on her twelfth birthday, Anna Rosen receives a mysterious package from her great-aunt Hannah in Cuba. Its contents inspire Anna and her mother to journey to Havana to uncover their family's tragic past, a quest that will help Anna find her place and purpose in the world. The narrative spans from pre-war Berlin to revolutionary Cuba and post-9/11 New York, culminating in a deeply moving conclusion in present-day Havana.

In 1943 Rome, two young women, strangers to each other, share a fleeting moment that alters their lives forever. Chiara Ravello, poised to escape the occupied city for her grandparents' home, sees another woman being loaded onto a truck with her husband and children. In a split-second decision, Chiara claims the woman's son as her own nephew, demanding his return just as the trucks leave. Now, at twenty-seven, she faces a perilous journey with a child in her care—one with no papers who refuses to speak and seems ready to flee. Fast forward three decades, Chiara lives alone in Rome, appearing content as a translator with a life filled with work, friends, music, and theatre. Yet, the shadow of Daniele, the boy she rescued, looms over her, haunting her every moment. As the story unfolds, we see the impact of Daniele's presence on Chiara, her family, and friends, revealing the emotional turmoil he caused and how he ultimately broke her heart. When a teenage girl named Maria calls, claiming to be Daniele's daughter, Chiara realizes it’s time to confront her past and the choices that have shaped her life.

Een huis zonder spiegels beschrijft het leven van één vrouw, Sivakami (1896-1966), en maakt ons deelgenoot van een India dat we nog nooit hebben gezien. De brahmaanse Sivakami is tien jaar oud als ze trouwt met Hanumarathnam, astroloog en genezer. De sterren zeggen dat hij in het negende jaar van zijn huwelijk zal kunnen sterven. Alles hangt af van de horoscoop van zijn kinderen. De geboorte van Thangam, hun gouden dochter, verandert niets, maar de geboorte van Vairum, hun rusteloze, intelligente zoon, bezegelt het ondenkbare: hij veroordeelt zijn vader tot de dood. Sivakami, achttien en weduwe, onderwerpt zich aan de regels van haar kaste. Ze scheert haar hoofd, kleedt zich in wit en mag niemand aanraken van zonsopgang tot zonsondergang. Ze pleegt echter één daad van verzet: ze gaat terug naar het huis van haar echtgenoot om haar kinderen op haar manier op te voeden en met de hulp van de trouwe Muchami het land te beheren voor haar zoon. Geen daad is zonder gevolgen, en terwijl politiek en sociale revoluties botsen met tradities, wordt de kloof tussen moeder en zoon steeds dieper...