Monday, July 26, 2010

What is Lauren Belfer reading?

The current featured contributor at Writers Read: Lauren Belfer, author of City of Light and A Fierce Radiance.

Her entry begins:
I just finished What I Loved, by Siri Hustvedt. On the surface, this novel is a portrait of two families involved in art world in New York’s SoHo neighborhood, beginning in 1975 and continuing for over two decades. I lived in New York during that time, and I was fascinated to see the evolution of the neighborhood as the lives of these two families, the closest of friends, played out. But What I Loved is much more than a novel about the art world and about New York City. Beneath the surface, it’s a riveting suspense story that accumulates tiny, precise clues one by one by one, to...[read on]
Among the early praise for A Fierce Radiance:
"Lauren Belfer's story of love in the time of penicillin is enthralling. A Fierce Radiance shines with fascinating detail about a moment in American history we have mostly forgotten, when penicillin was new, miraculous, and in short supply. Belfer's powerful portrayal of how people are changed in pursuit of a miracle makes this book an especially compelling read."
--Nancy Horan, author of Loving Frank

"An engrossing and ambitious novel that vividly portrays a critical time in American history."
--Booklist, starred review

"Belfer's second novel (after acclaimed City of Light) follows the development of penicillin during World War II. This fulsome tale crackles with twists and rich, compelling characters struggling through. And it's a beautiful valentine to 1940s New York City. Lauren Belfer is a feeling person's Dan Brown! Great storytelling and worth the wait!."
--Eileen Charbonneau
Visit Lauren Belfer's website.

Writers Read: Lauren Belfer.

--Marshal Zeringue