SUMMER READS SPECIAL. : ESCAPE TALES

Transport yourself with tales of escape : The definition of summer read evolves with the times, and even more so this year. Some might be in the mood for a whodunit, and others might feel pulled towards something more contemplative about the state of the world.

But while the summer books crosses all genres, certain themes are transcendent - weddings, the beach romance and escape in its many forms. Here are a few new and old classics to revisit this season.

.- '' LEAVE THE WORLD FAR BEHIND ''

By Rumaan Alam [2020]

This novel took the world by storm last fall, when it debuted into a world that felt just as dystopic as the one it created.

It tells of a Brooklyn family whose Hamptons vacation veers from the script when an inexplicable catastrophe causes the world to stop. The family is joined by the owners of their rental home, who have showed up after being stranded amid the chaos. 

As Rumaan Alam depicts two couples struggling to make sense of the disaster they are facing, he explores race, parenting and the assumptions we make about one another.

.- '' THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY ''

By Patricia Highsmith [1955]

For those of us dreaming of summer sojourns in the south of Italy, Patricia Highsmith's incredibly transportive midcentury novel is a highly enjoyable alternative. 

In the first of her Ripley novels, the titular con artist ingratiates himself into a jet-setting crowd of beautiful and well-heeled Americans when obsession takes hold. Now being adapted into a television series after the celebrated 1999 film, this taut novel has building suspense and intrigue that make it compulsively readable classic.

.- '' HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK ''

By Terry Mcmillan [1996]

The restorative and transformative powers of vacations are on full display on this Terry McMillan classic, which also pairs perfectly with a day by the pool.

Stella's high-powered life as an investment analyst and single mother looks successful on paper but has left her with a feeling that something's missing.

Her careful crafted identity is examined after a trip to Jamaica, where an unexpected romance with a younger man forces her to rethink what she truly wants.

.- '' EVIL UNDER THE SUN ''

By Agatha Christie [1937]

Agatha Christie novels have served as utterly dependable summer crime classics for decades.

In this Hercule Poirot instalment, the Belgian detective's stay at an idyllic English hotel suffers the signature interruption of a ghastly murder. 

This time it's the flirtatious wife and step mother who met her untimely end in a remote beach cove, and our mustachioed hero must deduce which of the assembled guests did the deed.

The good news? If you enjoy this, there's 81 more Christie mysteries where it came from.

The publishing continues. The World Students Society thanks author Adfrienne Gaffney.