Once in a great while a novel comes along that simultaneously sheds new light on how we view our past and upends every preconceived notion of what is stylistically possible in a work of fiction--THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, ULYSSES, INVISIBLE MAN, and ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE are but a few examples. And now there is Jeffery Renard Allen’s SONG OF THE SHANK. This astonishing novel is based on the all-but-forgotten life of “Blind” Tom Wiggins, a blind autistic musical savant and African American slave, whose virtuosic piano playing makes him an international sensation and the first person of color to perform at the White House. However, Tom’s notoriety leads to his exploitation during the turbulent years surrounding the Civil War, and, when the chance to reunite with his newly liberated mother arises, his life is further complicated in unforeseeable ways. Allen deftly imagines these experiences, moving back and forth in time from Tom’s childhood as a musical oddity and celebrity, to his later years trying to escape from the limelight and find where he truly belongs, filling in the historical blank spots in his life with dense yet engaging prose that will thoroughly immerse you in the story. SONG OF THE SHANK is quite simply amazing. It’s a rare literary treat that will not leave you unchanged. So read it now! Come awards season, everyone will be talking about SONG OF THE SHANK.

This (literally!) spellbinding tale of passion, poetry, and a mother’s love will entrap you from the start. Aemilia Bassano Lanyer, a historical contender for the “Dark Lady” of Shakespeare’s later sonnets, comes vividly to life in this bewitching novel. Her powerful voice refuses to be silenced through the betrayal of lovers, the despair of plague, and more. Famed for her intelligence and “dark” looks, Aemilia lives comfortably at court as the mistress of Lord Henry Hunsdon--until a young William Shakespeare ensnares her, heart and soul. Their passionate, violent affair, short-lived though it may seem at first, binds them together for the rest of their lives, as Aemilia strives for recognition as a poet and playwright in a world where women can be no such things. Sally O’Reilly beautifully paints Aemilia in enchanting, lyrical prose: a Lady Macbeth swinging between lucid, sharp fury and a dreamlike daze of pain. There’s plenty here for Shakespeare fans to love: though the man himself (probably rightfully) doesn’t come off as a prince, exactly, a reverence for the work above all else shines through in dozens of tidbits and treasures--including a brilliant origin story for The Scottish Play (and its curse). With wonderful detail and agonizing sensuality, DARK AEMILIA spins a compelling tale of a secret, forgotten literary affair that might have been.

Valeria Luiselli's extraordinary debut signals the arrival of a major talent. The novel's fragmented, poetic narrative engages and slowly reveals its secrets. Is this a story about a woman discovering a forgotten Latin-American poet of the Harlem Renaissance? Is the woman imagined by the poet? Are they both ghosts in search of some way back to the real? Written in Spanish and exquisitely translated by Christina MacSweeney, FACES IN THE CROWD is a fresh and essential voice for the new Latin-American canon.

When asked what Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s latest novel, AMERICANAH, is about, it’s difficult to give a succinct answer.  What really drew me to this beautifully told tale were the themes woven through the narrative --  race, coming of age, immigration, and romance.  I think almost anyone would be able to find something that speaks to them in this story.  Despite clocking in at almost 500 pages, this book is a page turner that’s easy to breeze through.  This is a great book to take on a long plane flight to your summer destination or to spend lazy days by the pool reading.

Tessa Hadley’s Clever Girl is a quiet novel with a sly sense of humor. The power of Hadley’s plot comes from the surprising intersections of her characters’ lives over a long span of time. Covering Stella’s life from feisty girlhood to young motherhood to middle age, Clever Girl is an engrossing and beautifully written story.