2 Chill-Out Books to Read Over July 4 (and More)
Perfect for by the pool—or after the
barbecue—these novels suck you in with charm, intelligence and
the complexities of the human heart.
By Julie Buntin
1 of 9
Valley Fever
By Katherine Taylor
304 pages;
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
An ode to California farm country, Katherine
Taylor's
smart, winningly dry novel follows Ingrid Palamede (known to her friends and
family as "Inky"), a prodigal daughter who returns to the family
vineyard after a painful break-up and, in the process, rediscovers her ties to
the land. Despite Ingrid's initial resistance, she soon realizes she's the only one in her family capable of keeping
the farm from ruin. Whether or not she'll choose to stay—and wind up with an old
hometown flame—is the question that keeps the pages turning. Though
Taylor's
arch dialogue sometimes grates, the witty characters and descriptions of Fresno's acres of grapes, farm-to-table food culture
and, of course, various varietals (a Malbec "so rich and viscous, you
couldn't
see your fingers on the other side of the glass") make this tale as
relaxing and crave-able as that first post-work sip of wine.—
— Julie Buntin
Published 06/18/2015