That’s the Door You Choose to Go Through: Reading Alice McDermott

Our November B&N Book Club pick is a gorgeous character study of women caught in the orbit of the Vietnam War, an observant and profound exploration of an era overrun by men. With a dynamic cast of characters and relationships that ebb and flow, this is a refreshing and necessary perspective of a familiar time.

As clever as it is deeply human, The Ninth Hour explores the Catholic faith and the lasting questions of recompense and genuine kindness. Pristinely written, as all Alice McDermott tends to be, this is another of her masterpieces that will resonate with your sensibility. 

Alice McDermott’s ability to write a universal experience is unmatched, and here she does it again, bringing this story to life around a cast of characters that brim with genuine human emotion. This is an exploration of feeling that takes its time to say what it needs to say. 

An immensely smart story, Charming Billy (winner of the National Book Award) has all the hallmarks that make Alice McDermott her own category. It’s a deeply moving story of the Irish-American experience with universal takeaways that will appeal to practically anyone.

If you’ve enjoyed Alice McDermott’s sweeping prose before, go confidently into At Weddings and Wakes. Rich, fully realized characters come to life in a novel that is as close to real life as you can get.    

Subtle notes of suspense add to Alice McDermott’s immensely satisfying story built around a teenage pregnancy. Rich with emotion and overflowing with what it means to be human, this is McDermott at her perpetual best. 

The very first novel by literary luminary Alice McDermott, this is a story of love and loss, family and human connection. With a gorgeous confidence of narrative voice, it’s a novel sure to capture you with its sharpness and style.