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

‘The Director,’ by Daniel Kehlmann, translated by Ross Benjamin (Simon & Schuster/Summit Books, 2025)

In this historical novel, Kehlmann explores the moral challenges and drip-by-drip erosion of moral clarity through the incremental compromises made by German filmmaker G.W. Pabst in Nazi Germany. Pabst, who escaped Germany for Hollywood in 1933, puzzlingly returns in 1939 and, under the imprimatur of the Goebbels propaganda machine, is allowed to continue to make movies, albeit in support of Nazi themes. The book is filled with cameo appearances by a Who’s Who of European and American theater and film illuminati. Kehlmann approached the writing of this novel with the intent of answering the question, “What would you have done?” In this work, he shows us the gray areas of reality, where there are no easy answers. — 3 1/2 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver

‘Heart the Lover,’ by Lily King (Grove Press, 2025)

If you haven’t read King, it’s time for a treat. In “Heart the Lover,” King writes about love of different sorts, loss, forgiveness and hope. The story focuses on fiction writer Casey and the friends she met in college and grad school, and spans more than 20 years. This book stands alone, but it also bookends “Writers and Lovers” (King’s widely-praised novel of 2020) with both a prequel and a sequel. King is such an adroit writer, she accomplishes this hat trick with subtlety and grace. I feel richer for having spent time with these characters. — 4 stars (out of 4); Neva Gronert, Parker

‘Crow Mary,’ by Kathleen Grissom (Atria, 2023)

Set in the 1870s in what is now northern Montana and Saskatchewan, a Crow woman marries a fur trader and must maneuver within two cultures. Based on a true story, the novel adheres remarkably to the facts. In the hands of this skillful writer, those facts become a riveting, surprising tale of a heroic, passionate and intelligent woman. The characterizations are complex and thought-provoking, and the descriptions of the natural world put the reader right there. We get to know Crow Mary, her people and their connections with each other, their animals and land, and to understand why they persevered. — 3 stars (out of 4); Michelle Nelson, Littleton

‘The Story of Arthur Truluv,’ by Elizabeth Berg (Random House, 2018)

“Life isn’t easy whether you’re 18 or 80” might be the motto of this novel, chock full of the discoveries and lessons its characters encounter. An elderly man, adjusting to the recent death of his beloved wife, meets a brilliant yet maladjusted teenager in a cemetery. Past all reason, the two become fast friends, rescuing one another from isolation, loneliness, even homelessness. One rescues the other and demonstrates the better qualities of relationships as Berg steadfastly avoids sentimentality, preferring her characters to actually learn from their experiences and live their lives to the fullest. This is a story that makes you rejoice that outstanding writing still exists in the women’s fiction realm, and proves that mawkishness isn’t required for a good story. — 2 1/2 stars (out of 4); Bonnie McCune, Denver (bonniemccune.com)

‘My Russia: What I Saw Inside the Kremlin,’ by Jill Dougherty (Lyons Press, 2025)

Dougherty’s early love for the Russian language led her to participate in a summer language course in Leningrad in 1969 and later to a semester at the university there. These early student experiences set the stage for a lifelong fascination with and a desire to understand Russia and the Russian people, both full of consequential contradictions. Dougherty’s journalism career led her away from her Russophile interests but eventually culminated in 1997 with her assignment as CNN’s Moscow bureau chief, her dream job. Her assessment of Soviet and later Russian leadership is clear-eyed, seeing the yearning of the Russian people for a hard-nosed protector, like the former tsars, in Russia’s support for Putin. A unique, personal perspective and a fascinating life. — 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver