Geneva Finch, 20, is on the beach near the festival celebrating novelist Mira Wallacz, who has just gone missing. She overhears Mira’s unauthorized biographer, a purported longtime friend, and a jealous-seeming literary rival discussing Mira; one comments that she “stirred a lot of unconscious anger.” Geneva, who came to the conference due to an affinity […]
Three young Black friends mingle amid the crowd, “our hearts…full of love / as we move to the beats / pumping into the air.” Rainbow flags swirl around the protagonists, sending a message of love and inclusivity. Suddenly, rain clouds appear, drenching the participants and shifting the palette to hues of blacks and grays. The […]
In 1699, Dushuuw is a battle-hardened warrior in Wuh-uhch, where his father, Chahbuhť̓, is a powerful and revered whaling chief. At 19, he’s the youngestson in his family and grows up in the shadow of his 22-year-old brother, Q̓otsik, who’s established himself as a prodigious whaler who’s likely to succeed Chahbuhť̓ one day. Dushuuw’s position […]
The family begins saving eggshells in January, carefully blowing out the yolks and whites through small holes. By the time Easter nears, they’ve collected 100 empty shells, ready to be painted in bright, vibrant colors. Next, the family members fill each egg with confetti and seal the holes with glue and tissue paper. It’s hard […]
The Parkiets—mother Rikla, father Joseph, and two sons, Sevek and Henek—emigrated from Warsaw to Paris in 1931. Binem, aka Bernard, the narrator, was born in 1933 after the move. They’re poor but hardworking and close-knit. Joseph was a furnisher finisher by trade. They found a place in an ancient apartment building that surrounded a large […]
The Glory Peak Ski Resort is founded in 1966 by Bill Macklemore, a World War II veteran–turned–ski instructor who developed a site near Fortooth into a premier skiing destination (it is said that “Fortooth was one of those towns where reality was far more potent than myth”). His devotion to his business is so all-encompassing […]
The Diary of Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) remains one of the greatest works of personal prose writing in the English language. Offering insights into politics, reviewing theatrical and musical performances, and chronicling Pepys’ loves and lusts, the diary offers a unique record of a man and nation at the end of the 17th century. This book […]
The book alternates between the characters’ young adulthoods in 1990s Seattle (in black and white) and their middle-age years in the 2020s in the suburbs of Seattle and New Jersey (in color). We see the formative moments of a group of disaffected friends—maybe just associates—and how life has changed or broken them. Central figure Buddy […]
In the Paw & Order offices of private detectives Marlowe and Purrlock, the latter is hungry and the fridge is empty. The cat P.I. insists that he went to the grocery store just the day before, so he’s certain that someone must have stolen all the food. Purrlock is positive it must be the dastardly […]
Penelope Delmar’s selection for the reality TV show Cast Judgment has come at the perfect time. Not only will the prize money help her dwindling bank account, but the winner gets a residency at a prominent magical arts studio. Spending a year in the program could be the key to finally making sense of her […]