Valentina Cilescu (1957–2009)

I've read most of Barnes books - they are enjoyable, mostly lghthearted chick lit that often centered around struggling with pregnancy, babies and marriage. I was shocked to hear of her death only just recently and Return to Sender is her last book I believe, published not long before she took her own life. Return to Sender is probably less lighthearted than usual- Holly is struggling with her mothers death from a genetic disease and the desire to find out about her birth mother that is triggered by the circumstances. Her sisters, struggling with issues of their own, are not supportive and she is not sure how to deal with that. Holly is also not sure about her long term relationship with Murdo, or her long term career plans. All the characters are struggling with something difficult and even though it finishes on a note of hope for most of the characters -a little more happily ever after for Holly - it is not a light read and a bit darker than expected for chic lit.… (meer)

Be my baby er Zoë Barnes første roman på dansk, men forhåbentlig ikke hendes sidste. Det er en meget stærk bog, der kommer ind under huden. Man gribes umiddelbart af historien og lever med i handlingen. I romanen kommer vi ind i jordemoderen Lorna Prices' liv. Hun mister tidligt sit livs kærlighed og står alene tilbage med to små børn. Vi følger hende på vejen tilbage til livet igen. Det er en lang vej, der fortælles med mange følelser. Der er både humor, glæde, sorg, smerte, lidenskab, alt det som livet indebærer. Og det fortælles intenst, så man har svært ved at lægge bogen fra sig igen. Forfatteren Zoë Barnes er, udover at være forfatter, også oversætter og sangerinde. Vi kan så bare håbe, at flere af hendes romaner vil blive oversat til dansk. Romanen vil have mange, primært kvindelige, læsere. Den vil tiltrække både chick lit-læsere og de mere modne romanlæsere… (meer)