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'We Were Once a Family' examines how the foster care system failed the Hart siblings
In 2018, Jennifer and Sarah Hart drove off a cliff in California, killing themselves and their six adopted children. While much of the media attentio…
1 year, 11 months ago
Revisiting J.D. Vance's memoir, 'Hillbilly Elegy'
This week, former President Donald Trump announced that Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance will be his running mate in the 2024 election. Vance rose to prominence …
1 year, 11 months ago
'Ultraviolet' follows a young boy going through puberty and first love
Aida Salazar's new book, Ultraviolet, has a lot in common with Judy Blume's Forever, but from the point of view of an eighth grade boy; it's all abou…
1 year, 11 months ago
In 'Beautiful Days,' Zach Williams ponders parenthood, reality and the uncanny
Zach Williams' collection of short stories, Beautiful Days, has earned high praise for the unsettling way it examines mundane, everyday life. In toda…
1 year, 11 months ago
Two books dive into the musical histories of The Police and Joni Mitchell
Today's episode is about two emblematic musicians who take us to very different parts of the globe, from the London punk scene to the Laurel Canyon u…
2 years ago
In 'Other Rivers,' Peter Hessler chronicles his return to Chinese classrooms
Foreign correspondent Peter Hessler taught in China during the country's economic boom in the 1990s, which he wrote about in his book River Town. Now…
2 years ago
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer unveils her vision for American democracy in 'True Gretch'
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has a new memoir out – it's about the people and experiences that shaped her version of leadership. Whitmer has led he…
2 years ago
'Devil Is Fine' explores race, colonialism and grief through magical realism
Devil Is Fine, the new novel by John Vercher, follows an unnamed protagonist banging out a book pitch in a fugue state that mirrors what's happening …
2 years ago
'At the Edge of Empire' traces China's history through Edward Wong's family
The central character of New York Times correspondent Ed Wong's memoir, At the Edge of Empire, is not Wong himself — it's his father, who studied in …
2 years ago
Kevin Kwan explores race and identity in 'Sex and Vanity' and 'Lies and Weddings'
Today's episode features two interviews with Kevin Kwan, author of the Crazy Rich Asians series. First, former NPR host Lulu Garcia-Navarro spoke to …
2 years ago