Madison news - February reading shortlist

The Long Song by Andrea Levy ($32.99, Hachette)
Levy’s previous novel, Small Island, won a slew of literary awards, including the Orange Prize and the Whitbread, and The Long Song will probably necessitate more room on the trophy cabinet. The story of a slave girl living in a sugar plantation in Jamaica in the 1800s, Levy conjures characters who are suffused with pathos but have much to say about racial intolerance.

The Other Family by Joanna Trollope ($32.95, Doubleday)
Few authors strip back the sinews of modern relationships like Trollope, and in this tale of a woman and her children dealing with the death of their husband and father while engaging for the first time with his previous wife and their son, she hits raw nerves like a work experience dentist. Notions of the life we had before the life we have now form an engaging theme. 

Watching The Detectives: One Woman’s Journey Through Sydney’s Criminal Underworld by Deborah Locke ($27.99, abc books)
In this unflinching memoir, Locke shines a spotlight on the life of women who choose to make a career in the police force. Aside from the criminals she has to deal with, she details a culture that is almost as challenging. An inspiring read and sharp reminder for the next time you think your job bites.