Synopses & Reviews
Acts of God is a compelling novel of childhood and its secrets--about how the sins of the fathers transform the next generation. Part psychological thriller, part family drama, it is the story of Tess Winterstone, the daughter of an insurance agent who took his children with him when he visited farmlands devastated by natural disasters. Yet in his own way Victor Winterstone brought disaster with him.
For thirty years, Tess has avoided the Illinois town where she grew up, but when her children send her there to attend a reunion, she is flooded with memories. She is also forced to confront the betrayal by her father that she's denied for decades. At the same time, she finds herself immersed in a drama that will lead to a childhood friend's unraveling.
Masterfully weaving together the complexities of family love with the dark underside of a rosy 1950s suburban life, Morris movingly portrays a woman coming to terms with her past, and ultimately with herself.
Review
"A complex, fascinating exploration of the minefield that is family life, where every lie, every secret waits buried, and one false step will blow the entire structure sky high...This is an intriguing novel, rich in metaphor, by turns nostalgic and clear-eyed, and with just a touch of gothic shivers; a fast-paced, compelling read." (Valarie Martin, author of Mary Reilly and Italian Fever)
Review
"In hauntingly beautiful, understated prose, Morris packs an emotional bang as her... main character proves that although you can't go home again, it is imperative that you revisit it in order to move forward." (Margaret Flanagan, Booklist)
Review
"This is another worthy effort from Morris, who never writes the same book twice." (Library Journal)
Review
"Morris affectingly explores the hazards of love, betrayal, and living in the past." (Entertainment Weekly)
Review
“This imaginative debut will delight with its remarkable grace, unforced humor, and elegantly descriptive prose.” —
Library Journal“Charming...genial.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Playful....surprising.” —Seattle Times
“Nair has the magical ability to make all of her readers feel, briefly, like Kaikurussi villagers in this humorous, imaginative and gracefully written novel.” —Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
Part psychological thriller, part family drama, this story follows Tess Winterstone as she returns home after 30 years to attend a reunion. While there, she is forced to confront the memories that have kept her away so long.
Synopsis
In Anita Nairs warm and imaginative first novel, middle-aged bachelor Mukundan returns to his native Indian village and is haunted by the past. Determined to conquer old ghosts, Mukundan decides to restore his childhood home and hires One-Screw-Loose Bhasi, an outcast painter, to oversee the renovations. A practitioner of a unique style of healing, Bhasi sets about mending his troubled friend, but the durability of Mukundans transformation into a better man is soon called into question. With humor, wisdom, and a keen understanding of human frailty, Anita Nair has written a playful and moving account of the redemptive power of friendship.
Synopsis
In Anita Nair’s warm and imaginative first novel, middle-aged bachelor Mukundan returns to his native Indian village and is haunted by the past. Determined to conquer old ghosts, Mukundan decides to restore his childhood home and hires One-Screw-Loose Bhasi, an outcast painter, to oversee the renovations. A practitioner of a unique style of healing, Bhasi sets about mending his troubled friend, but the durability of Mukundan’s transformation into a better man is soon called into question. With humor, wisdom, and a keen understanding of human frailty, Anita Nair has written a playful and moving account of the redemptive power of friendship.
Synopsis
When Tess Winterstone returns to her suburban childhood home after almost 30 years to attend a high school reunion, memories flood back, firmly shut doors open, and the betrayal by her father decades earlier comes to rest. Masterfully weaving the complexities of familial love and rosy 1950s suburban life with the dark underside of such a reality, Mary Morris movingly portrays a woman coming to terms with a warm and charming father's duplicity.
Synopsis
In Anita Nairs warm and imaginative first novel, middle-aged bachelor Mukundan returns to his native Indian village and is haunted by the past. Determined to conquer old ghosts, Mukundan decides to restore his childhood home and hires One-Screw-Loose Bhasi, an outcast painter, to oversee the renovations. A practitioner of a unique style of healing, Bhasi sets about mending his troubled friend, but the durability of Mukundans transformation into a better man is soon called into question. With humor, wisdom, and a keen understanding of human frailty, Anita Nair has written a playful and moving account of the redemptive power of friendship.
About the Author
Mary Morris is a recipient of the Rome Prize for Literature and teaches writing at Sarah Lawrence College. She is also author of the novels
House Arrest and
The Night Sky and the travel memoirs
Angels & Aliens and
Nothing to Declare. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and daughter.