I’m a regular at Sain for a reason.
Author: emiglia
Visiting with ‘The Goon Squad’
The flailing, self-destructive characters in ‘A Visit from the Goon Squad’ afford a deftly wrought and keen lesson in empathy.
A Sweet Stop at Sucre Coeur
A pastry shop with a focus on seasonal, organic ingredients just below Montmartre.
‘Spring’ is My Favorite of the Seasonal Quartet so Far
Ali Smith set out to write four novels in a year, one for each of the seasons. I like the order of such a task; it appeals to me. And this one is my favorite.
‘Persepolis’ Bears Rereading
Persepolis tells a uniquely Iranian coming-of-age story while appealing to the feelings of invincibility and longing universal to youth everywhere.
‘Small Island’ Tells the Tale of Two Very Different Small Islands
It was a James Thurber short story that first clued me into the fact that literary staples vary from country to country, even within the Anglophone world. Americans read Brits, and Brits…
‘Anna Karenina’ is Indeed A Soap Opera – and a Very Enjoyable One at That
I read my first Russian.
‘Severance’ Hits a Little Too Close to Home
It’s 2011, and an epidemic emerges from China, devastating the world. (Yes, it’s fiction.)
‘The Stationery Shop’ Is So Much More Than a Love Story
In a time when travel is tough, let yourself be guided to 1950s Iran.
‘The Mountains Sing’ Offers a Look at Things from the Other Side
An exploration of one family’s struggles through 20th century Vietnam.