240 pages.
First published in Nov. 2021.
Finished reading on Nov. 24, 2021.
Genre: Fiction; short story anthology.
A version of this first appeared in The Sunday Long Read.
A fourteen-year-old girl with a dangerous crush; a laconic man who’s falling in love; a neglected fourteen-year-old boy who has a magical, life-changing summer; a woman trying to reach her child after her husband dies; a disaffected housewife. These are some of the characters in Lily King’s latest book, ten short stories with vivid characters, atmosphere, a sense of place, and gut-wrenching turns.
A woman falls for a man in saris and an open marriage; a gay man comes to terms with his crush from college; a ninety-one-year-old grandfather talks to his unconscious granddaughter; a rather self-involved writer experiences a slightly twisted A Christmas Carol moment.
Five Tuesdays in Winter is a thoughtful way to escape into other people’s lives, and a gentle exploration of human lives at points of crisis. The author narrates their stories with tenderness and empathy, carrying us through their painful ordeals with grace.
Begin with the last story, which was for me the weakest of the lot: that way, you’ll be free savor the rest. Content warnings for some difficult subject matter.
Rated: 9/10.
Harare Review of Books 
Leave a comment