Sometimes, it feels like young people have all the fun. Movies, TV, and even the bookish world are oversaturated with coming-of-age stories, teen romances, and young adult protagonists. This ignores the untapped narrative potential of older adult characters. Let’s face it: Some stories can only be told from a more mature perspective, and it’s about time we celebrated the authors who do just that. This week’s Three to Read brings you heartwarming, thrilling, and intriguing stories with older protagonists.
HOT PICK
The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez
SYNOPSIS:
As esteemed author Alma Cruz grows older, she fears her career will fade into obscurity or, worse, that she will go crazy from all the book ideas she never realized. When Alma inherits some land in the Dominican Republic, she uses it as an opportunity to bury her fears — literally. Alma designates a section on her land to be a makeshift graveyard and buries her manuscript drafts one by one. Soon, Alma learns that when a story is meant to be told, it will find a way. As her characters rise from the grave and begin confiding in the hired groundskeeper, Filomena, Alma must contend with their fates.
WHY:
The magical realism within Julia Alvarez’s The Cemetery of Untold Stories is absolutely stupendous. She expertly weaves together the magical elements with the grounded themes of story and legacy. Alvarez’s book shows us that our stories live beyond us and can never truly die.
COFFEE SHOP READ
Follow Me to Africa by Penny Haw
SYNOPSIS:
In 1983, teenager Grace Clark reluctantly accompanies her father to an archaeological dig at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. There, she meets 70-year-old acclaimed archaeologist Mary Leakey and assists her with sorting and packing her decades of research. As the two women begin to bond, Mary is reminded of her early days in archaeology back in the 1930s and her lost love, Louis Leakey. The story flashes back and forth between these two timelines, showing the growing similarities between Grace and Mary’s younger self. Eventually, the two care for an injured cheetah that stumbles into their camp. When Grace and the cheetah disappear one morning, Mary must journey into the Serengeti plains and find them both before it’s too late.
WHY:
South African writer Penny Haw spent over 30 years as a journalist for esteemed magazines and newspapers before finally pursuing her lifelong dream of becoming a fiction writer. Her historical fiction novels feature intriguing women with strong characters. Follow Me to Africa is based in part on the real life of archaeologist Mary Leakey, who, even in her last years of life, was still as vivacious and interesting as ever.
DARK HORSE
The Last Word by Elly Griffiths
SYNOPSIS:
Eighty-four-year-old Edwin may joke that he is the oldest detective in England, but those closest to him know that his mind is still as sharp as ever. The much younger Natalka may be appreciated for her mathematical skills, but she’s still dying to prove herself in the field, specifically with murder cases. When local writer Melody Chambers dies under suspicious circumstances, Edwin and Natalka are paired up to lead the investigation. The closer they get to the truth, the more sinister the case becomes. When another murder occurs, Edwin is in more danger than ever before.
WHY:
The Last Word is another novel in Elly Griffiths’ long list of thrilling crime mysteries. Her well-rounded characters jump off the page and suck the reader into the world of the book. Edwin’s collected approach towards crime-solving and his engaging undercover work make this novel an engaging read from start to finish.
That’s a wrap on Three to Read! We hope you feel just as inspired by these characters as we do. Be sure to come back next week for more curated book lists.
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