Little Monsters
Adrienne Brodeur
Hutchinson, £14.99, pp320
Marine biologist Adam Gardner is approaching his 70th birthday. Believing he is on the brink of a major discovery, he stops taking his medication for bipolar disorder to free his thinking. Meanwhile, his two children – arrogant businessman Ken, and thoughtful, sensitive Abby, a struggling artist on the brink of fame – organise a party for their father, where decades of secrets, childhood trauma and collective repression finally emerge. Brodeur creates an evocative sense of place in a Cape Cod-set novel that’s affecting and powerful.
What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds
Jennifer Ackerman
Oneworld, £16.99, pp352
A must-read for all bird lovers, Ackerman’s latest engaging work contains a feast of revelations about creatures that have fascinated us throughout human history. We learn that owlets begin making vocal sounds in the egg and that adult owls use sophisticated communication calls conveying their weight, sex, size and state of mind. Ackerman describes the strong maternal instincts owls display and outlines the environmental threats to these entrancing birds.
Chorus
Rebecca Kauffman
Serpent’s Tail, £9.99, pp272 (paperback)
This novel, spanning the first half of the 20th century, follows the trials and tribulations of a farming family in Virginia. The seven siblings of the Shaw clan are affected in different ways by the death – possibly from suicide – of their depressed mother during their childhood; alcoholism, failed marriages and teen sexual abuse follow. The non-linear narrative is an effective structure, forcing the reader to put together the pieces of this familial puzzle.
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