Three Books I'm Reading Now, 2/23/26 Edition

The Books I'm Reading Now

I'm reading Sarah Damoff's novel about family generations, patterns, and the fascinating, messy nature of life, The Bright Years; I'm listening to Elizabeth DeLozier's historical fiction, set in 1347 France as the plague begins to spread, Eleanore of Avignon; and I'm listening to Helen Hanff's short epistolary memoir, the classic 84, Charing Cross Road.

What are you reading, bookworms?

---

01 The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff

Sarah Damoff's novel begins with a young couple, both reeling from past traumas, who forge a future together.

But darkness and pain drive them apart, and secrets, addiction, and disappointment are threads running through their lives and keeping them separate.

The Bright Years follows multiple generations through messy phases of life--ups and downs, and the many days, months, and years that built upon both great joy and intense sadness.

I received a prepublication edition of The Bright Years, which was published last spring, courtesy of NetGalley and Simon & Schuster.

---

02 Eleanore of Avignon by Elizabeth DeLozier

In Elizabeth DeLozier's historical fiction Eleanore of Avignon, it's 1347, and titular character Eleanore is a young midwife and herbalist in Avignon.

After a happenstance meeting with Guy de Chauliac, the personal physician to Pope Clement, Eleanore talks herself into the role of his assistant. She shares her deceased mother's tried-and-true herbal remedies, and he teaches her about surgery and allows her access to a rich library of knowledge.

But when the Black Death reaches their lands, citizens, friends, and family members begin dying horrible deaths, and some days it seems that only Eleanore and Guy, desperate to understand the disease's nature and treatment, stand between the plague and the decimation of their city's entire population.

---

03 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

In interviews about her wonderful book The Correspondent, Virginia Evans mentioned another epistolary book, the classic memoir 84, Charing Cross Road, and I hadn't ever read it so I decided to dive in.

This slim book consists of the charming twenty-year correspondence between a hotheaded, opinionated New York writer (Hanff) and an antiquarian bookseller in London, Frank Doel. Deep friendships build across the ocean through Hanff's particular book requests and life commentary, Frank's steady, warm replies, Hanff's postwar parcels of food and treats for the staff, and the grateful reactions sent her way.

Along with Helene ("HH") and Frank's correspondence, the gradual expansion of Helene's communication to others working in the shop, Frank's wife, and, ultimately, his daughters, paint a poignant picture of the significant roles the pen pals played in each other's lives.