Her entry begins:
I always have a towering pile of books to be read—but since I have two kids under five, my time for actual reading is pathetically slim. That said, I’m involved in a few great books right now. First and foremost is Matt Bell’s incredible new novel, In the House Upon the Dirt by The Lake in the Woods, which will be out in June. It’s a wild and powerful fable that on its surface is about a couple trying to begin a family in an odd, desolate setting. The writing is so spare and magnificent and the events therein so...[read on]About the book, from the publisher:
A love story set in 1845 Nantucket, between a female astronomer and the unusual man who understands her dreams.Learn more about the book and author at Amy Brill's website.
It is 1845, and Hannah Gardner Price has lived all twenty-four years of her life according to the principles of the Nantucket Quaker community in which she was raised, where simplicity and restraint are valued above all, and a woman’s path is expected to lead to marriage and motherhood. But up on the rooftop each night, Hannah pursues a very different—andelusive—goal: discovering a comet and thereby winning a gold medal awarded by the King of Denmark, something unheard of for a woman.
And then she meets Isaac Martin, a young, dark-skinned whaler from the Azores who, like herself, has ambitions beyond his expected station in life. Drawn to his intellectual curiosity and honest manner, Hannah agrees to take Isaac on as a student. But when their shared interest in the stars develops into something deeper, Hannah’s standing in the community begins to unravel, challenging her most fundamental beliefs about work and love, and ultimately changing the course of her life forever.
Inspired by the work of Maria Mitchell, the first professional female astronomer in America, The Movement of Stars is a richly drawn portrait of desire and ambition in the face of adversity.
The Page 69 Test: The Movement of Stars.
Writers Read: Amy Brill.
--Marshal Zeringue
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