Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. So we asked them, and all Denver Post readers, to share their mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email bellis@denverpost.com. – Barbara Ellis
‘My Friends,’ by Fredrik Backman, translated by Neil Smith (Atria Books, 2025)
The story of four teenagers, best friends for a special summer, unwinds piecemeal through their recollections 25 years later. Backman captures the guffaws of adolescent humor and the challenges for talented souls who fall outside society’s norms, while he underscores not only the powerful sublimity of art but also how art can change lives. Backman’s signature quirky characters never fail to amuse, while also illuminating profound truths. — 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
‘The Secret Life of Sunflowers,’ by Marta Molnar (Dana Marton, 2022)
This historical fiction focuses on Emsley Wilson, an auctioneer in Los Angeles in modern times, and 19th-century Johanna Bonger, the sister-in-law of Vincent Van Gogh. Wilson finds Bonger’s diary while cleaning out her grandmother’s home in New York City after her death. Bonger is married to Theo, who financially and emotionally supports his brother, Vincent, who was unable to make a living from his paintings. Vincent was eventually committed to an insane asylum, as was Theo, distraught that he could not find a gallery to promote Vincent’s art. Johanna inherits all the artwork and takes up the mission to either find a buyer or ensure Vincent is recognized as a credible artist. Meanwhile, Wilson’s business is struggling, and her partner wants to buy her out so he can go in a different direction both in business and in his love life. The book has twists and turns — and even a pet chicken. — 3½ stars (out of 4); Diana Doner, Lafayette
‘Fearless and Free: A Memoir,’ by Josephine Baker (Tiny Reparations Books, 2025)
First published in French in 1949, now available in English, Baker was a rare entertainer and political activist. Her appearances were daring and included a show of skin along with performances that captivated all sorts of audiences for years, even as World War II threatened. She became an undercover operative for French intelligence. None of her connections back in the states changed her loyalty to her new motherland. No wonder: She was born in 1906 to a family who lived in poverty in St. Louis, struggled her way to fame, and built strong and supportive connections simultaneously. During the war years, Baker uncovered secrets, delivered information and agents, and hid her knowledge of critical developments. And after, it turns out she was just as strong a civil rights activist as she was a French Resistance fighter. You’ll be proud she was born American. — 3 stars (out of 4); Bonnie McCune, Denver (bonniemccune.com)
‘Broken Country,’ by Clare Leslie Hall (Simon & Schuster, 2025)
A popular Reese’s Book Club pick, “Broken Country” shows the repercussions of secrets exposed with a love triangle at the center. Many emotions and too many themes create a storytelling hodge-podge: tragedy, grief and guilt, romance, infidelity, a murder mystery, class barriers, farming problems, small town gossip, alcoholism, divorce — all tied up with an implausible, abrupt conclusion. It’s not a bad book (much of it I appreciated) but it’s a jumble, and not the strongest of Witherspoon’s picks. — 2 stars (out of 4); Neva Gronert, Parker
‘The Jackal’s Mistress,’ by Chris Bohjalian (Doubleday, 2025)
A severely wounded Union officer is abandoned in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley by his retreating troops in this historical novel. A Confederate woman and her remaining household harbor him against all common sense and save his life. Why take such unparalleled risks? It’s complicated. Loosely based on a true story, this novel explores the meaning of family, morality, resilience and honor amid wartime exigencies. — 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver