Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: Debut Released Today: 22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson

In 22 Britannia Road, new author Amanda Hodgkinson tells the story of a young Polish family struggling to start over in postwar England, in a debut novel that Kirkus calls "strikingly mature." When the newly-wed Silvana and Janusz Nowak move to Warsaw expecting their first child, it is on the eve of war in 1937. Plans for a simple happily-ever-after go awry, and the couple does not reunite until nearly a decade later, in 1946. The long separation has taken its toll on Silvana and Janusz, and their new son Aurek's early experiences with deprivation have left him half wild. It is their son, however, who allows Silvana and Janusz to work past their self-destructive behaviors and finally begin to rebuild the pieces of their shattered lives. Do you have a favorite World War II story? Share your suggestions by commenting!

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

Genre: Adult Non-Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

"Being Mortal is about the limitations of what modern medicine can provide for people as their lives draw to a close. Gawande argues that the objective of medicine should not merely be treatment and survival; medical care should also ensure dignity in death and having control over one's final moments. He argues that instead of aggressively fighting the inescapable realities of aging, we should ask the hard questions of ourselves and our loved ones -- What makes life worth living? When should we try to extend our lives, and when should we choose a better quality of our remaining days over extending their quantity?

This book is difficult to read. Not because of the way Gawande writes -- his style is highly engaging, and he never lapses into excessively scientific jargon or overly simplistic explanations -- but because of the tough subject matter. Gawande draws on his own experiences as a doctor and peppers his book with honest and humane stories of his patients, friends, and family; the stories he tells make the book more accessible, and also more heartbreaking. (And that's not a bad thing.)

No one likes to think about their loved ones', or their own, impending mortality. But it's important to have these hard conversations, because as Gawande says, "endings matter." - Amanda

Debut Released Today: 22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson

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