Suzanne Matson’s 'Ultraviolet'

Travel across time with Suzanne Matson’s Ultraviolet. The intimate novel follows three generations of women: Elsie, living in 1930s India while raising her ambitious daughter, Kathryn, who dreams of becoming a writer, but instead finds herself trapped in a marriage. Her daughter, Samantha, becomes a successful professor, but grapples with her mother’s “grievous sense of lack” as Kathryn grows old and sick. All three women struggle to construct identities while recognizing their familial roles. Matson, writing chapters that jump through time, reflects beautifully on aging, belonging, motherhood and daughterhood. Find your place at Porter Square Books on Jan. 9. / Natalie Gale