The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 was, as Brown explains here, “almost certainly the most lethal piece of legislation to ever clear Congress.” In reversing the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and allowing slavery to expand into vast new western territories, the act deepened divisions between North and South and pushed the country toward civil war. This […]
Bernadette Crowley’s family are an esteemed Missoula, Montana, clan of Irish American witches led by powerful and spirited Grandma Orla. But their specialty—using blood for summoning demons—has become more complicated since 13-year-old Ber’s diabetes diagnosis. Because she must prick her finger to check her glucose levels, she’s begun summoning by accident. Big sister Maeve cooks […]
Sama opens with a scenario worthy of a Matt Damon hero: threatened with blackmail by an unnamed bad guy, he connects with two ex-Mossad agents in downtown London who deliver the news that “there is a conspiracy to remove you from your job” and demand a cool million bucks to make it go away. Go […]
Born into a wealthy English family, Radclyffe began life as a girl in denial about her crushes on other women. After coming out as gay, the author visited the Bluestockings bookstore in New York City, a short train ride from the Connecticut home where Radclyffe was masquerading as a housewife despite suffering from hair and […]
Ray hands out life advice using the framework of observing and caring for rocks. After all, “it’s hard to ignore a rock.” This observation is true whether they’re the big ones that invite you to climb upon them or the small ones you stuff in your pockets. You can do lots of things with rocks, […]
In the wake of a terrible storm, young Maya and her father, Tatay , find a large piece of corrugated metal with the words “If found, please return to.” But who does it belong to? Maya and Tatay pick it up and go in search of its owner. A farmer, his cart pulled by a […]
It’s been 27 years since Karl left his native city of Ters, Albania, for a better life in Greece and, ultimately, America. The death of his father has brought him back home, however, and he finds a city just as riddled with contradictions as it was when he left. Ters is a city in which […]
At the playground, Nadine hears a girl her age speaking to her doll in an unfamiliar language. Eager to learn more, Nadine asks the girl, Yan, if she has a “coming-here story.” Yan replies that she’s a recent immigrant from China, and the two children bond. Later, on her way home, Yan asks a woman […]
Tomorrow marks a momentous occasion for an East Asian–presenting child with pale skin and straight black hair: a musical performance in front of a crowd of people. “But there are thousands of butterflies fluttering in my tummy,” the child tells us. White-outlined butterflies surround the youngster. “I believe in you,” Papa says as he hands […]
One of the most distinct psychological traits possessed by humans, author Rye notes in the book’s introduction, is object permanence. This ability to know that something exists even when out of view is connected, per Rye’s analysis, to humanity’s adherence to intangible belief systems. In other words, “All our political, economic, and religious institutions are […]