If you haven’t read it yet, definitely put Abraham Verghese’s book, Cutting for Stone on your list. This engrossing story takes place across five decades in India, Ethiopia, and America. The emotionally absorbing main characters, Marion and Shiva Stone are scandalously born to a beautiful Indian nun and brilliant, but brash British Surgeon. Not long into the story of their lives, tragedy strikes, they are forced to battle with harsh realities, war breaks out, love interests lead to heartaches, torn families, and torn countries evolve, all of which gives rise to a 688, page turning novel. Verghese’s story is certainly a masterpiece of perfectly linked stories, characters, and events. See if there’s a copy available in the library and grab it. You’ll be glad you did.

Pedro’s Burro by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, and illustrated by Pau Estrada is a gentle story about a boy and his father who visit the market in order to buy a burro that is “just right.”  Alyssa Satin Capucilli, also known for her books about the dog Biscuit, has a great website that contains a lot of information about the books she has written.  Pau Estrada, a resident of Barcelona, Spain, has illustrated many other children’s books, including Soccer Counts!

Room by Emma Donoghue is told from the point-of-view of five-year-old Jack, who lives in Room with his beloved Ma.  Every object in Room, such as Lamp and Floor, has a name because it is so important to Jack.  But it gradually becomes clear to the reader that Jack and Ma are really prisoners and that Jack's well-loved Room is a prison created from a fortified shed by Old Nick who kidnapped Ma and is Jack's biological father.

I admired how Ma tries to teach Jack using whatever is available and tries to keep him happy and healthy and protected in spite of their circumstances.  But gradually the true nature of their situation has to be revealed by Ma to Jack.  His profound disorientation when he comes in contact with the outside world and other people is beautifully conveyed.

This novel stayed in my head as I struggled with what I would have done in such dire circumstances and how I would react to Ma and Jack in order to help them on the "outside."

The plot of Room is similar in plot to Still Missing by Chevy Stevens, but quite different in tone.  Room is not a thriller, although it has some pulse-pounding parts, and is not as graphic as Still Missing; rather, Room is the story of a woman's desperate attempts to save her little boy and herself.