Kim Echlin’s—Under the visible life*****

Two women, Mahsa and Katherine both develop a love of jazz. Mahsa grows up under the care of an orthodox uncle in Pakistan after her parents are murdered by her mother’s brothers for her marriage to an American. When he fears the brothers will return from Afghanistan to murder Mahsa too, Uncle sends her to Montreal to study. This is her first taste of freedom since her parents’ deaths and she begins to explore the love of music she’d shared with her devoted parents.

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Katherine Boo’s—Behind the beautiful forevers *****

A cast of characters in Annawadi slums near Mumbai’s airport are hopeful when India’s economy starts to bloom. Some are metal thieves, others collect recyclable garbage, but when their day is done, they live in close proximity to everyone so that there are few secrets.

This is a must read story with the focus on a Muslim family striving for a better life. The book reads like fiction, but was actually the author’s observations and research during her three years living in Mumbai.

Sarah Penner’s—The lost apothecary*****

Alone in London, Caroline is mudlarking when she uncovers an eighteen century vial. From its markings, she believes it belonged to an apothecary in Bear Lane and she is determined to uncover its secrets, but there is more at stake than she first realizes—breaking and entering, murder, and even the police suspect Caroline of attempting to poison her unfaithful husband.

Can she uncover details of the mysterious owner of the apothecary who not only catered to women’s ailments, but supplied poisons to women with grudges against men’s behaviour? Who was this pharmacist from long ago? What made her enter this dangerous trade? And who was the young girl who was spotted near the River Thames with her?

Yaa Gyasi’s—Homegoing *****

This bi-family generational saga begins in the 1700s. The British have established Cape Coast Castle in Ghana. Because of Effia’s mother’s cunning plan, Effia is married to an Englishman and moves away from her Asante tribe to live with her new husband in Coast Castle. Esi begins the journey of the second family. She’s locked up below Coast Castle with hundreds of others awaiting shipment to another part of the world and a life of slavery.

The lives of these two families continue to the present day with each chapter centered around the following generation.