We Are Not Ourselves By Matthew Thomas

This gorgeous debut from Matthew Thomas is somewhat of a cross between Jonathan Franzen and Colm Toibin, with probably a little of Ann Patchett thrown in for good measure. Which is to say, it’s one of those utterly absorbing tales that you simply won’t want to put down. Eileen Tumulty has always been ambitious, unusually so for her Irish Catholic Queens neighbourhood, and when her dysfunctional parents fail to provide her with the stability she craves, she sets about creating her own solid existence. Her husband Ed Leary, a young scientist, is a man who looks like he will go far, and Eileen knows that together with her sturdy nursing career, they will want for nothing. But when Ed resists Eileen’s attempts to push him up the career ladder, and appears content to stay in his far-from Ivy League teaching career and their less than stellar neighbourhood, she insists on taking matters into her own hands. This is a story that is not rushing to be anywhere, it simply is where it’s at – much like Ed. But of course, there is far more under the surface than a first glimpse provides, and Thomas unfolds his masterpiece little by little.

Remember Me Like This By Bret Anthony Johnston

Eleven-year-old Justin Campbell went missing four years ago from his small Texas hometown, and his devastated family have stumbled through life ever since. Now they have received a phone call from the police to report that Justin has been found and he seems to be fine. Will his reappearance heal the damage that has been done to his grieving family? The initial honeymoon is beyond wonderful, and colours and flavours suddenly seem brighter and tastier as they revel in the joy of having their much-loved son and brother back in their midst again. But Justin, needless to say, is unsettled and it’s no easy thing for his parents either to celebrate his return without obsessing about what he went through during his years of abduction. Will life ever return to normal or will they all be forever haunted by those missing four years? It’s the author’s first novel (although he had previously written highly-acclaimed short stories) and comes praised to the hilt by John Irving and Alice Sebold, among others.