An Emerging Literary Star of Magical Realism

Unspeakable Things

By Kathleen Spivack

Knopf

ISBN: 978-0-385-35396-0

Adult/Literary

304 pages

Contact Reviewer: HoJoNews@aol.com

A New Author That Shines and Sighs on the Literary Horizon

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning series of HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers.

The title of Unspeakable Things by Kathleen Spivack isn’t misleading. Don’t fool yourself into believing this book will be an upper—at least not in terms of your mood. Unless, of course, your mood is positively affected by beautiful language, unusual plotlines, and any tendency toward daring literature.

The language is this book reaches poetic heights that will thrill those who speak English, breaks new ground in the genre of magical realism and it does it all within the boundaries of difficult themes like immigration, survival and pedophilia and spins on the recognition of the destructive underbelly of secrets kept.

I adore Spivack’s literary skills. I hope she takes on something that will appeal to a broader audience in the near future (though I urge readers to stretch a bit and try this one, too!) Having said that, even if you think this book isn’t your cup of tea, track Spivack’s literary progress. She is a not-to-be missed new star that shines and sighs on the literary horizon.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the author of the award-winning fiction This is the Place ,and Harkening, a book of creative nonfiction short stories. Her newer efforts, Here’s How I Don’t Cook and This Land Divided, are being shopped by agent Terrie Wolf. Howard-Johnson is also the author of fifteen books and chapbooks of poetry including her most recent Imperfect Echoes (http://bit.ly/ImperfectEchoes), that was recently honored by USA Book News.

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