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Laura Spence-Ash's fiction has appeared in One Story, New England Review, Crazyhorse, and elsewhere. Her critical essays and book reviews appear regularly in the Ploughshares blog. She received her MFA in fiction from Rutgers–Newark, and she lives in New Jersey.
Genres: Historical
Laura Spence-Ash recommends
Mercury (2024)
Amy Jo Burns
"Mercury, by Amy Jo Burns, is a beautiful, heartfelt novel about the Joseph family of Mercury, Pennsylvania. Burns skillfully employs the omniscient point-of-view as we spend time with multiple characters, exploring what it means to be part of a family, and how the narrative of a family develops and changes over time. We get to know the Josephs intimately-roofer Mick and his wife Elise, and their three sons, Waylon, Baylor, and Shea. But the character who lights up this book is Marley, the woman who will fiercely love the Joseph family and provide a way forward for them all."
Straw Dogs of the Universe (2023)
Ye Chun
"Ye Chun's riveting debut novel, Straw Dogs of the Universe, moves seamlessly through several decades in the late 19th century, following four Chinese immigrants as they attempt to start anew in Gold Mountain. The constant search for home and for family underlies it all, and Ye Chun's mesmerizing prose brings their stories - of hope and hardship and love - to unforgettable life."
The Porcelain Maker (2023)
Sarah Freethy
"Sarah Freethy's The Porcelain Maker is a compelling historical novel . . .Freethy deftly moves between two timelines, one which follows the woman's search in the 1990s, and the other which tells the story of her mother, a visual artist in Germany in the 1930s. At the center of both stories lies a porcelain factory at Dachau and the delicate pieces which were produced there. Freethy's wonderful details enrichen the narrative, allowing the characters and the artwork to come alive as the mystery is finally solved. A riveting and immersive novel, at the intersection of art and war."
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