Literary Fiction Book Reviews

A moving work of literary fiction, The Best of Intentions by Gilbert Van Hoeydonck illustrates the stark message of its title: the best of intentions are too often not enough.

Transplanted Melbourne social worker, Kurt Edelman, is hardly a typical Buddhist. With a penchant for cheap wine, leather jackets, and violent video games, he’s disillusioned and frustrated by the social system for which he works – a system that is for the most part understaffed, underfunded, and forces a high case load on its workers.

However, when young Kylee Watson, one of his former charges, jumps from the roof of […]

Our physical place in the world defines so much of our mindset, and the longing to be elsewhere can be toxic, addictive and impossible to ignore. The main character in Chris Pellizzari’s new novel, Last Night in Granada, understands this desire for a far-flung home, a refuge of love and peace away from the mad bustle of cold water flats and the harsh streets of Chicago.

In this surreal exploration of one man’s desperation and adoration for his old life in Spain, despite his exile, the author delves into the obsession of possible salvation, and escape. Along the way, […]