I made no secret of my own love for The Orphans of Race Point by Patry Francis, and praise for this book just keeps on coming. A starred review from Booklist says, "this beautifully wrought novel is a sometimes wrenching but ultimately uplifting story of murder and betrayal in the face of faith, family in its truest sense, and—most of all—love," and Library Journal just released its own starred review for this beautifully tragic novel:
"Like Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch, this sprawling second novel by Massachusetts author Francis (The Liar’s Diary) starts out with a traumatic incident involving a young boy befriended by a girl and expands from there into a Dickensian story in which criminals with murky motives mingle casually with the pure of heart. But instead of London or New York City, the tangled lives of the two motherless children, Gus and Hallie, and their friend, Neil, unfold on the beaches and narrow streets of Provincetown, on the outermost tip of Cape Cod, and in the seacoast city of New Bedford, MA. Fate lies heavily on the characters, as the book explores fatherhood, inheritance, human behavior, and the aspects of ourselves that can be changed. VERDICT Steeped in sea air and completely ignoring the tourist season, this story captures the essence of year-round life on the Cape and the Portuguese Catholic traditions of New Bedford fishermen as its themes of passionate treachery and abiding love play out in sometimes heartbreaking ways. Recommend to readers wondering what to read after The Goldfinch."—Laurie Cavanaugh, Holmes P.L., Halifax, MA
Congratulations to Patry Francis and The Orphans of Race Point!
-Amanda