Chapter 16
A Community of Tennessee Writers, Readers & Passersby

Sara Beth West

Motherless Child

Monica Brashears’ debut novel delivers a strange, haunting world

FROM THE CHAPTER 16 ARCHIVE: With its reverberations of pain and trauma, Monica Brashears’ debut novel House of Cotton is not for the faint of heart; however, it is lush, gorgeous evidence of a new and decisive talent. 

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Abundant Goodness

Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s Bite by Bite is a nourishing, lyrical sampler

Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s latest book, Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees, offers a veritable smorgasbord of flavors and a multi-course menu of memories. Nezhukumatathil will appear at Novel in Memphis on May 4, and she’ll be in conversation with Margaret Renkl at Parnassus Books in Nashville on May 7.

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The Depth of Sisterhood

Claire Jiménez’s debut novel explores the impact of a family tragedy

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez, the debut novel by Claire Jiménez, is both a fast-paced, engrossing mystery and a deep look at the complexities of identity and sisterhood. Jiménez will appear at Vanderbilt University on March 21.

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Recipes for Survival

Chantha Nguon’s Slow Noodles turns dark history into hope

Chantha Nguon’s Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes is a story of survival that explores what’s necessary for a person — and a country — to endure unimaginable adversity. Chantha Nguon and Kim Green will appear in Nashville at Julia Martin Gallery on February 20 and The Bookshop on February 21.

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Building on Reality

V.E. Schwab on her new fantasy series and whether she’s a Southern writer

Nashville native V.E. Schwab talks with Chapter 16 about The Fragile Threads of Power, the first novel in a new trilogy that returns readers to the Four Londons of her Shades of Magic series.

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Dream or Nightmare?

Molly McGhee’s debut novel takes a surreal look at modern employment

In her debut novel, Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind, Molly McGhee considers harsh economic realities through a dream-like lens. McGhee will appear at The Bookshop in Nashville on November 20.

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