This document summarizes three notable novels being released in spring 2022. The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk is a historical epic following the life of an 18th century Jewish man who claimed to be the messiah. To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara is an alternate history novel set across different epochs imagining what would happen if the US split after the Civil War. Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart follows the blossoming romance of two working-class men in Glasgow complicated by family tensions and masculinity norms.

1. 3/21/22, 11:32 AM Notable Novels of Spring 2022 – Edita Kaye
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Spring is set to arrive in the next few days and with it the hope of renewal and
new life. While the current state of the world might invoke fear and apprehension
in many, one cannot forget the beauty of nature and the blossoming of life. For
many, new reading material is part and parcel of the change of the seasons. The
following books represent some of the best new novels for spring and are
sure to be big hits at bookstores around the country.
The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk
NOTABLE NOVELS OF SPRING
2022
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2. 3/21/22, 11:32 AM Notable Novels of Spring 2022 – Edita Kaye
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Olga Tokarczuk’s The Books of Jacob is a historical epic following the life of
Jacob Frank, a Jewish man who lived in 18th Century Poland and claimed to be
the messiah. At nearly a thousand pages, The Books of Jacob follows a third-
person narrative style, transporting readers into the minds of those around
Frank. First published in Poland in 2014, the novel won Tokarczuk the Nobel
Prize for Literature in 2018. While readers might find Frank’s ideas on morality
questionable, reviewers say that it is a modern masterpiece that lives up to the
expectations of a sprawling epic.
To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara
To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara is an alternate history novel centering on what
would have happened had the United States split into multiple countries
following the Civil War. Yanagihara divides her novel into three different epochs
100 years apart as characters change appearance and identity with the sands of
times. The final moments of To Paradise take place in the dark reality of 2093,
where dystopian governments race to control pandemics that are the scourge of
humanity. While praising Yanagihara’s ambition, reviewers warn that To
Paradise’s multiple time jumps and complex narrative will confuse readers while
nevertheless providing awe-inspiring storytelling.
Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
Douglas Stuart’s Young Mungo is a follow-up to his debut novel Shuggie Bain,
which was itself a critical and commercial darling when it was released in 2020.
Described as a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet, the book follows two men
from Glasgow as they fall in love for the first time. The duo’s blossoming
romance is complicated, however, by tensions between their working-class
families and culturally ingrained ideas of masculinity. Reviews of Young Mungo
say that despite the novel’s grim narrative, it nevertheless leaves readers with a
sense of hope.
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3. 3/21/22, 11:32 AM Notable Novels of Spring 2022 – Edita Kaye
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