Reconsidering Doris Duke, the Debutante Who Broke All the Rules
Sallie Bingham’s new biography, “The Silver Swan,” adds a wealth of new material to our understanding of the heiress and philanthropist.
Is Fear the Last Taboo of American Motherhood?
Sarah Menkedick suffered horrible anxiety after her daughter was born. In “Ordinary Insanity,” she examines the unacknowledged prevalence of clinically anxious mothers.
What Were the Origins of the Holocaust?
In “Europe Against the Jews: 1880-1945,” Gotz Aly finds the key to the 20th century’s disasters in the rise of nationalism in the 19th century.
The Power Women of Mecklenburgh Square
Francesca Wade’s “Square Haunting” chronicles five pioneering feminists and scholars who lived on the same London square between the two world wars.
A Haunting Debut Novel Brings New Faces to the Myth of the American West
“How Much of These Hills Is Gold,” by C Pam Zhang, reimagines the region’s past as a Chinese-American tale.
A Japanese Literary Star Joins Her Peers on Western Bookshelves
The novelist Mieko Kawakami belongs to a cadre of young female writers redefining their national literature. “Breasts and Eggs” introduces her to readers of English.
When White Working-Class Fury Came of Age
Nicolas Mathieu’s novel “And Their Children After Them” follows a small cohort of Gen Xers in a community ravaged by deindustrialization.
How Coffee Ruined a Country
Augustine Sedgewick’s “Coffeeland” demonstrates how the political and social structures of El Salvador were destroyed by its agricultural cash cow.
Anne Tyler Is Back, Scrutinizing an Inscrutable Man in Chaos
Her new novel, “Redhead by the Side of the Road,” shows readers all the old familiar places and moves, and confirms Tyler’s heartening flair for decency.
You’re Descended From Royalty. Here Are the Keys to Your Castle.
In Danielle Trussoni’s new novel, “The Ancestor,” happily ever after gets very complicated.
‘Afterlife,’ by Julia Alvarez: An Excerpt
An excerpt from “Afterlife,” by Julia Alvarez
How Racism Is Destroying America
Eduardo Porter’s “American Poison” details the long legacy of racism and inequality in the United States.
Need An Escape? Try 'Unorthodox,' 'Baghdad Central' And 'Abigail'
Critic John Powers recommends three stories to break up the monotony of coronavirus lockdown: Unorthodox on Netflix; Baghdad Central on Hulu and a new translation of Magda Szabó's 1970 novel Abigail.
(Image credit: Anika Molnar/Netflix)
‘The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.,’ by Peniel E. Joseph: An Excerpt
An excerpt from “The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.,” by Peniel E. Joseph
Grim Reaper Comedy 'Melancholia' Is Surprisingly Uplifting
Nicholas Gurewitch scratched images into clay with a stylus for this tale of Death's visit to an analyst — who helps him come to terms with Death Jr.'s lack of interest in the family business.
(Image credit: Dark Horse)
In Her First Adult Novel in 14 Years, Julia Alvarez Travels Home
In “Afterlife,” even privilege can’t shield a Dominican-American widow from the immigrant’s plight.
Charming 'Hex' Insists On Beauty And Joy
Rebecca Dinerstein Knight's oddball new novel follows a newly unemployed scientist, lovesick for her former mentor — but convinced of her own worth and her need for a life full of beauty.
(Image credit: Viking)
Parenting When the Family Is Locked Inside
The clinical psychologist Lisa Damour discusses the specific challenges of raising teenagers during the pandemic, and Dwight Garner asks Pamela Paul about putting together the Book Review.
Stashed in the Marsh, Left in the Road: Victims Pile Up in Four New Crime Novels
In Marilyn Stasio’s latest column, the body count is high and the murderers more cunning than ever.
A Civil War, Then the Long Limbo of Life as a Refugee
In Victoria Jamieson’s “When Stars Are Scattered,” a Somali boy pines for his mother and cares for his little brother with hope and humor during 15 years in a refugee camp.
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