“I was not the first trespasser in paradise, but unlike other violators, my punishment was not banishment. Rather, my sentence was to testify to its marvels.” Wishing a very happy pub day to THE BOOK OF GOOSE by Yiyun Li 🍊🪶 Upon receiving news that her childhood friend, Fabienne, has died, Agnès, a French author settled in Pennsylvania, recounts her past with riveting intimacy. Starting with the simplicity of two friends making up cruel, little stories to escape the reality of life in a postwar, rural province, #TheBookOfGoose develops into a tumultuous exploration of curiosity and obstinacy, affection and manipulation, creativity and brutality. . . I generally refer to WHERE REASONS END as my favorite book by Li—noting it as an apex of recurring themes in her work—but this new novel surprised me. Signature elements remain: idiosyncratic musings, playfulness with linguistics, characters who refuse to love themselves, vitriol and callousness. But there’s a bit more graciousness, a bit more accessibility with this book to which I think new readers of her work will be drawn. This novel is a refreshing addition to Yiyun Li’s canon. . . Thank you, @fsgbooks, for this review copy 🧡