Book Reviews

Books

2 Women And A Magical Cat Hit The Road In 'Are You Listening?'

7:01am September 08, 2019

by Etelka Lehoczky

Magical realism can be tricky, but Tillie Walden gets it right in a spare yet powerful tale of two women on a road trip through West Texas who pick up a possibly magical cat.

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Arts

'Permanent Record' Captures The Confusing Moments Between Adolescence And Adulthood

10:00am September 07, 2019

by Caitlyn Paxson

Mary H.K. Choi has a gift for creating characters so complex and real that they jump right off the page — like the eccentrically named Pablo Neruda Rind, aimless hero of her new Permanent Record.

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Arts

If Salman Rushdie's 'Quichotte' Drives You Nuts — That's Fine. It's Meant To

8:02am September 07, 2019

by Jason Sheehan

It could be argued that Quichotte is a novel that aims to reflect back to us the total insanity of living in a world unmoored from reality — but it's about the power of believing more than anything.

Apple, Tree: Writers on Their Parents, edited by Lise Funderberg

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Arts

In 'Apple, Tree,' Writers Touchingly Reflect On Their Parents With Humor And Love

1:11pm September 06, 2019

by Lily Meyer

In the new collection, Ann Patchett tells of her resemblance to her mother, Lizzie Skurnick and Mat Bergman offer thoughts on mothers with dementia, and John Freeman contemplates his father's legacy.

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Arts

The Graphic Memoir 'No Ivy League' Dares You To Think About Feelings

10:01am September 06, 2019

by Etelka Lehoczky

Graphic novelist Hazel Newlevant's memoir of their time on a youth forestry crew addresses issues of race, class and gender with delicately shaded imagery that asks readers to slow down and think.

From the cover of Resistance and Hope: Essays by Disabled People, edited by Alice Wong

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In 2 Essay Collections, Writers With Disabilities Tell Their Own Stories

7:56am September 06, 2019

by Ilana Masad

In the anthologies, writers with disabilities show that the reactions, attitudes and systems of our society can be far more harmful than anything their own bodies throw at them.

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine, by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

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In 'Dear Haiti, Love Alaine,' Haiti Comes Alive As A Character

7:01am September 06, 2019

by Alethea Kontis

Sisters Maika and Maritza Moulite tackle heavy issues in this novel about a girl who gets sent to live with her aunt in Haiti, and discovers more than she bargained for about the women of her family.

Cover detail of The Yellow House, by Sarah M. Broom

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Arts

Katrina Destroyed 'The Yellow House' — But Inequality Eroded Its Foundation

2:51pm September 04, 2019

by Maureen Corrigan

Sarah M. Broom's extraordinary memoir about the New Orleans home she grew up in describes decades of life lived — as well as the systemic racism that ultimately contributed to the house's destruction.

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Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes, by Dana Thomas

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Arts

'Fashionopolis' Tells Us Why We Should Care About Clothes

9:57am September 04, 2019

by Lily Meyer

Fashion journalist Dana Thomas' book is a snappy, clear-minded attack on the fashion industry's rampant labor and environmental abuses — and also offers a path forward for consumers and the world.

Books
Arts

'The Grammarians' Diagrams The Push And Pull Of Sisterhood

7:00am September 04, 2019

by Heller McAlpin

Cathleen Schine's new novel follows redheaded twin sisters whose obsessive love of language brings them close as children — and begins to drive them apart as increasingly competitive adults.