Walger’s autobiographical novel abounds with contradictions, both in the lives it covers and the structure it takes. The first chapter acknowledges that the story told here is only part of its narrator’s life—and that her mother isn’t thrilled by her decision to write about her absent father. “My mother tells me she will never read […]
The journey begins with taking responsibility for one’s present circumstances, regardless of any past hardships. The author differentiates between being a victim (a temporary state out of one’s control) and having a victim mentality (using painful experiences for pity or as an excuse). Readers learn about the importance and types of boundaries (physical, emotional, and […]
“Good food held little importance at the tables of my childhood,” writes historian Cleves, who has since overcome those overlooked meal presentations to produce a rousing study of gastronomy and carnal appetite. The author has spent a decade making impressive use of historical archival information, scientific research experiments, blogs, films, books, ancient Chinese poetry, and […]
Mara, the Sword Queen, rules over the vast empire of the Jeweled Realm. She fears very little—and certainly not a visiting prince from the eastern kingdom of Ursa. However, Prince Boden brings alarming news: A powerful witch wants to join forces with his kingdom, and she claims to be Mara’s younger sister. Mara, however, earned […]
In “Origin Story,” a piece that’s less about looking back than moving forward, the female protagonist muses: “Freedom wasn’t to be found in words but in being alone…thinking thoughts that would not appear in her stories because they were shameful in their intimacy and small in scope, the product of a lack of imagination or […]
Though she attempted suicide three times between the ages of 10 and 18, Chihaya writes, “One thing I was pretty sure about [the term] ‘nervous breakdown’ was that it was not for people like me.” The child of a Japanese immigrant and a Japanese Canadian woman who “didn’t really believe in the concept of mental […]
Chelsea’s twin, Angelica, still follows her around nearly constantly despite having met an untimely death several years ago. Though 12-year-old Chelsea loves her sister, the situation leaves her feeling isolated. To make matters worse, the twins’ former friend Riley has relentlessly bullied Chelsea ever since Chelsea told Riley about Angelica’s paranormal presence. Unbeknownst to Chelsea, […]
Yuknavitch, whose previous memoir The Chronology of Water (2011) has been both a viral sensation and a touchstone for students of the genre, returns to personal writing after several novels. “What if we could read our past, our memories, even our bodies, as if they too were books open to endless interpretation?” The point, she […]
Nearing 100, Johnson looks back on a long life shaped early on by the entrepreneur S.B. Fuller, whom he met in 1944, and who preached a gospel that proclaimed, “God did not intend for you to be poor.” Johnson went to work for Fuller, convinced that, as Fuller said, “Anything a White man can do, […]
Prescod made her literary debut with the memoir Token Black Girl (2022), about how growing up Black in a mostly white community in Connecticut led to depression, an estrangement from Black culture, and a serious eating disorder. A veteran of the fashion and beauty industries, she offers a unique perspective on both Black and white […]