Roberta Silman

Book Review: “The Road from Belhaven” — How Hope and Resilience Can Prevail

March 15, 2024
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Margot Livesey has given us an exhilarating historical novel filled with fascinating details of a different time in an isolated part of the world, all rendered in gorgeous prose.

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Book Review: “How to Build a Boat” — A Novel That Breaks and Lifts the Heart

March 1, 2024
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This splendid book should be read by every child and adult who is convinced he doesn’t “fit in.”

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Book Reviews: A Look at Five Recent Works of Fiction by Women

December 29, 2023
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Here is a composite review of some recent fiction by women. Some are more successful than others, but all are worth a look.

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Book Review: “Democracy Awakening” — The Rise of Authoritarian Vistas

November 24, 2023
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This is a brilliant book that explains, with engaging clarity, why our politics have reached their current frightening nadir.

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Book Review: “The House of Doors” — Changing Skies and Expanding Visions

November 2, 2023
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Against all odds, these characters test the limits of what were considered “normal lives” at that time. The testing is what gives “The House of Doors” its urgency and intimacy.

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Book Appreciation: Celebrating Kate Atkinson’s “Life After Life” –The Best Novel of the 21st Century

September 10, 2023
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In “Life After Life,” novelist Kate Atkinson has shown how boundless the imagination can be.

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Book Review: John Fulton’s “The Flounder” — A Testament to Human Resilience

June 7, 2023
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In The Flounder, John Fulton is clearly at the top of his game. His prose has that rare thing — a sense of intimacy.

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Book Review: “Fearless Women” — A Vivid, Rounded Portrait of the Choices Facing America’s Women

May 9, 2023
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Fearless Women is so well-written, so well researched, and so engaging that you will find it of real value even as it tells some stories you thought you already knew.

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Book Review: Elizabeth Graver’s “Kantika” — A Vibrant Portrait of Bravery

April 13, 2023
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Kantika is Elizabeth Graver’s poignant homage to her grandmother, but it is also a testament to her talent as a storyteller, to make a narrative so believable and compelling and, indeed, sometimes funny, just as it is in life.

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Book Feature: An Excerpt From Roberta Silman’s “Summer Lightning”

March 9, 2023
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As Spring approaches, a treat. An excerpt from Summer Lightning, the latest novel by Arts Fuse critic Roberta Silman. It is a book that attempts to convey happiness.

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