Podcast Episodes
Back to Search
'The Frozen River' tells the fictionalized story of a real 18th century midwife
Martha Ballard was a real midwife in the late 1700s who delivered more than 1,000 babies without ever losing a mother. Ballard kept a diary of her li…
2 years, 5 months ago
'The Golden Screen' chronicles the films that shaped the Asian American diaspora
The Golden Screen, the new book by Jeff Yang, offers a comprehensive guide to some of the most significant films for Asian American representation, i…
2 years, 5 months ago
'Orbital' captures one day in the life of six astronauts
Author Samantha Harvey tells NPR's Ari Shapiro that she was fascinated by the quotes and insight of astronauts as a child. Her new novel, Orbital, tu…
2 years, 5 months ago
Álvaro Enrigue's new novel reimagines Hernán Cortés' and Moctezuma's empires
You Dreamed of Empires sets the scene for a violent historical encounter: the war between the Spanish and Aztec empires. But in a fictionalization of…
2 years, 5 months ago
Two historical fiction novels focus on women's lives during wars in Southeast Asia
Today's episode features two authors who've written novels centering the personal and political experiences of women during war. First, NPR's Rob Sch…
2 years, 6 months ago
Roxane Gay fleshes out her strong 'Opinions'
In the era of constant hot takes, what actually makes an opinion worthwhile? Roxane Gay tells NPR's Ayesha Rascoe that it's a combination of things: …
2 years, 6 months ago
Celine Saintclare's debut novel explores the life of a 'Sugar,Baby' in London
The protagonist of Celine Saintclare's Sugar, Baby is pretty disillusioned with her life: She's 21 and still at home, she has few friends and she fee…
2 years, 6 months ago
Olympic runner Caster Semenya's memoir tackles gender stereotypes in sports
When she was only a teenager, South African runner Caster Semenya won gold at the 2009 World Championships. But she was soon faced with intense scrut…
2 years, 6 months ago
Booker Prize winner 'Prophet Song' is a dystopian tale of Irish authoritarianism
Early on in today's interview with author Paul Lynch, he says he was careful not to specify whether his dystopian novel Prophet Song is set in the fu…
2 years, 6 months ago
Novels by Barbara Kingsolver and Daniel Mason excavate history for new meanings
Today's episode is all about two books that find parallels across long stretches of time. First, an interview with Barbara Kingsolver and former NPR …
2 years, 6 months ago