 Written by Lauryn Smith
One book, two authors. I must have been living under a rock, because apparently stories written by multiple authors are relatively common. Case in point: "Nightfall" by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski. (Shout out to G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for introducing me to "Nightfall," my first dual-authored novel. Thank you for the free copy!) “Nightfall” is a piece of young adult fiction that portrays the peculiarities of the remote, forested island of Bliss. On the island, Sunrise comes only every 28 years, resulting in 14 years of Day and 14 years of Night. The island's residents spend weeks preparing for Nightfall, completing a number of odd rituals, such as removing locks from houses, leaving doors partially open and strategically rearranging furniture. Come Nightfall, they hitch rides on furrier ships in order to flee to the Desert Lands, where they will live for the 14-year interim. That is just how things work on Bliss, no questions asked. Any and all reasoning is shrouded in mystery. No one understands or speaks of what happens on the island during the cold years of Night, but everyone knows that the place should be avoided. This Nightfall, however, an unfortunate few are left behind. Once the furrier boats take off, three teens—Marin, her twin brother Kana and their mutual friend Line—are left to their own devices, and they come to understand the mysteries of the island uncomfortably well.
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 Written by Lauryn Smith
If you have not already, I suggest picking up a copy of Nancy Horan's "Loving Frank" so that you, like so many architecture aficionados, can come to understand the man who is Frank Lloyd Wright. “Loving Frank” is Horan’s first historical novel. In it, she tells Wright's tale through the lens of Mamah Borthwick Cheney, who is best known for her love affair with the famed architect. The book provides a unique glimpse into Wright's life, but Horan demonstrates that Mamah is also an interesting a character, and for reasons other than her scandalous romance with the man whom the American Institute of Architects would come to deem "the greatest American architect of all time." Horan gets points for doing two stand-out characters justice in one true-to-life novel. Told chronologically, “Loving Frank” begins in 1903, the year in which Wright is commissioned to design Mamah’s new home in Oak Park, which is just outside of Chicago. During the construction of the house, Mamah and Wright develop an attraction, an attraction that draws both from their respective spouses and children. Together they begin a physically and emotionally tumultuous journey, which comes to a tragic end. I desperately want to tell you what happens, but talk about a spoiler! Let's move on. |