Set in a futuristic, dystopian world reshaped by climate change, Yoko Tawada’s "Scattered All Over the Earth" celebrates cross-cultural, crosslinguistic friendships. An unnamed country, presumably Japan, has disappeared. Knut, a Danish... Read More

In Jenny Jaeckel’s coming-of-age novel "Eighteen" a free-spirited young woman heads for college and falls in love for the first time. Talia grew up all over, moving from commune to commune with her unconventional parents. In 1990, she... Read More

Edward J. Renehan Jr.’s "Deliberate Evil" is about a true crime from long ago: the upper-class murder that shook Salem, Massachusetts in the 1830s. That spooky setting is fleshed out with lots of literary references, enriching the... Read More

Pauline Baer de Perignon’s memoir concerns a years-long pursuit of the truth about her grandfather’s disappeared art and antiques collections––and about her own hushed heritage. De Perignon grew up knowing very little about her... Read More

In Fiona Snyckers’s dark and riveting novel "Lacuna", a young South African woman struggles in the aftermath of a gang rape. Lucy Lurie’s brutal assault is a personal tragedy and the perceived pivotal event of John Coetzee’s novel... Read More

Anthropocentrism and the untrammeled exploitation of Earth’s resources leads to climate and environmental crises, but "Becoming Rooted" charts an alternate path, prescribing a more sustainable, Indigenous American worldview of the... Read More

Suitable for Jewish audiences at all levels of observance and culinary skill, Faith Kramer’s "52 Shabbats" is an informative, treat-laden cookbook full of ideas for those who want to set their weekly holiday tables in style. Honoring... Read More

Shelly Tygielski’s "Sit Down to Rise Up" shows how mindfulness builds transformative communities. In the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, Tygielski began combating her isolation with community. Her book on doing the same is... Read More