A sensitive exploration of Brazilian history and the boundaries of biographical writing, Jacob Blanc’s collaborative book reconstructs the life of human rights activist and former militant Aluízio Palmar. Born in rural Brazil, Palmar... Read More

Alex Green’s fascinating book reconstructs the life and legacy of Walter E. Fernald, a polarizing architect in the US’s treatment of the mentally disabled. A physician from Maine who established and influenced institutions across the... Read More

Tom Santopietro’s reverent biography of Audrey Hepburn illustrates how the scion of an impoverished aristocratic family went from starving in Nazi-occupied Europe to becoming a legendary actress, fashion icon, and humanitarian... Read More

Nigel M. de S. Cameron’s biography of Ronald Reagan’s larger-than-life surgeon general, Charles Everett Koop, reveals a complex figure caught between public health policies, religious convictions, and family struggles. Born in... Read More

A forensic reconstruction of the life of North Korea’s founding dictator, Kim Il-sung, Fyodor Tertitskiy’s "Accidental Tyrant" covers the regime that has dominated North Korea for seventy-nine years. A man of many names, the... Read More

The skillful poems of Songs from Fern’s Pond explore loss, family, and the power of human will. Sheryl Pothier Harmer’s Songs from Fern’s Pond is a stirring poetic tribute to her mother, who staked out a solitary, hardscrabble... Read More

Lida Maxwell’s enthusiastic academic study reappraises scientist Rachel Carson’s motivations in light of ecological crisis and queer studies. Although Carson grew up in Pennsylvania, her affinity for the ocean became paramount. On... Read More

A beautiful love letter to the power of reading, Katherine Paterson’s biography of Jella Lepman covers how she built a massive literary collection for the children of post–World War II Germany. Lepman endured the death of her World... Read More