Photo by Nick Wilkes
Judith Claire Mitchell
A trio of hilarious sisters—Lady, Vee and Delph—star in Judith Claire Mitchell’s well-crafted new novel, A Reunion of Ghosts. This dark family drama bounces through the decades to tell the memorable story of four generations of Alters and the dysfunctions and tragedies that befell each generation. With New York as a vibrant backdrop, readers will follow each quirky Alter sister as she comes to grips with her ancestor’s grim past and makes peace with her family’s long legacy of bad luck.
In 1999, when the three sisters decide to write a joint suicide note, they become part of a long line of Alters who have taken their own lives. While this storyline does not sound particularly uplifting, the dynamic family saga manages to find much humor in darkness. Each sister’s voice comes brilliantly alive with emotion and wry humor in this touching novel that examines the ties that bind families together. Weaving together true history and a strong character-driven narrative, A Reunion of Ghosts is a comedic portrayal of family sins awash in love and forgiveness.
Mitchell is a professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she also directs the MFA Program in creative writing. Her first novel, The Last Day of the War, was cited by BookPage as one of 2005’s best paperbacks for book clubs. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the recipient of a fellowship from the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing. Mitchell will perform a live reading and book talk at Boswell Book Co. at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1.
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Book Happening:
Liam Callanan
7 p.m., March 27
Boswell Book Co.
2559 N. Downer Ave.
Liam Callanan’s newest short story collection, Listen & Other Stories, roams across decades and spans oceans in a series of wondrously readable tales, each more memorable than the last. Callanan, who teaches English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is the author of The Cloud Atlas and All Saints. His work has appeared in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, Slate and The New York Times Book Review.
