Rufi Thorpe

Lucas and Katya were boarding school seniors when they decided to have a baby. Seventeen years later, and after a decade of absence, Lucas is newly involved in his daughter Vera's life. But after Vera suffers a terrifying psychotic break at a high school party Lucas takes her to Vilnius, Lithuania, his grandmother's homeland, for the summer. As he uncovers a secret about his grandmother, a Home Army rebel who escaped Stutthof, Vera searches for answers to Lucas's past mistakes and her own uncertain future.

Dear Fang, with Love

Jeannette Ordas

This is really a 4.5 star book but I'm bumping it up to five because this book just thrilled me in so many ways. Partly the reason I felt so close to this book is that it takes place in Vilnius, Lithuania (my fatherland) and I've been there and the author really writes about it in such a charming and delightful way. It is probably one of my favourite cities and she really captures all of its specialness. and uniqueness. Plus, there is interesting relationships between father and daughter, about mental illness and bipolar disorder and about history and the holocaust. Not only did I feel like I learned about my own history a bit (my father never talks about life in Lithuania so I use books to fill in the large gaps), but it's a good reminder to keep travelling and learning and not forgetting the past. Plus, the pink cover just looked so good on my nightstand. One of the best books I've read this year.

Hannah

Erika Beneville

After a frightening psychotic break at a high-school party in California, Vera has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Suddenly, she and her family are plunged into the absurdity and banality of the mental health system. Her father Lucas, who has only recently re-entered Vera's life, hatches an unlikely plan: he will take her to Lithuania, homeland of his grandmother. Maybe trying to reconnect to his family's past can show them the way forward for Vera's future. But Lithuania turns out to be a much stranger and darker place than either of them could have imagined. As Lucas searches Vilnius for answers about his family, Vera struggles with her own impossible questions: What really happened the night of her episode? And who is it safe to tell? Skillfully weaving family mythology and Lithuanian history with a story of memory, mental illness, young love and adventure, Rufi Thorpe has written a wildly accomplished, stunningly emotional book.

Moray Lyle McIntosh

Lucas and Katya were boarding school seniors when, blindingly in love, they decided to have a baby. Seventeen years later, after a decade of absence, Lucas is a weekend dad, newly involved in his daughter Vera's life. But after Vera suffers a terrifying psychotic break at a high school party, Lucas takes her to Lithuania, his grandmother's homeland, for the summer. Here, in the city of Vilnius, Lucas hopes to save Vera from the sorrow of her diagnosis. As he uncovers a secret about his grandmother, a Home Army rebel who escaped Stutthof, Vera searches for answers of her own. Why did Lucas abandon her as a baby? What really happened the night of her breakdown? And who can she trust with the truth? Skillfully weaving family mythology and Lithuanian history with a story of mental illness, inheritance, young love, and adventure, Rufi Thorpe has written a breathtakingly intelligent, emotionally enthralling book.

Dear Fang, with Love

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