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How to manage a disaster in 'The Devil Never Sleeps'
Former Homeland Security official and author Juliette Kayyem has a new book out that encourages preparedness. The Devil Never Sleeps makes the case that disasters are going to happen, and gives advic…
Published on 2 years, 5 months ago
Novel 'Four Treasures of the Sky' focuses on the horrors of the Chinese Exclusion Act
Author Jenny Tinghui Zhang is out with a new historical fiction novel, Four Treasures of The Sky. Set in the 1800s during the height of anti-Chinese sentiment, a young girl named Daiyu is kidnapped a…
Published on 2 years, 5 months ago
Poet Ocean Vuong shares his grief in 'Time Is A Mother'
Ocean Vuong's new collection, Time Is A Mother, is about his grief after losing family members. Vuong told Morning Edition's Rachel Martin that time is different now that he has lost his mother: "whe…
Published on 2 years, 5 months ago
Books by Vashti Harrison and Dolly Parton teach kids about self-love and courage
Today's episode is about two children's books with very big themes. First, author-illustrator Vashti Harrison speaks with NPR's Juana Summers about Big, which chronicles how words affect children – a…
Published on 2 years, 5 months ago
'Brotherless Night' examines the Sri Lankan Civil War through the eyes of one family
V.V. Ganeshananthan's new novel, Brotherless Night, dives into the Sri Lankan Civil War through the story of Sashi, a 16-year-old girl who dreams of becoming a doctor. As violence unfolds around her …
Published on 2 years, 5 months ago
'Wonder Drug' traces the dark history of thalidomide and the birth defects it caused
In the 1960s, FDA inspector Frances Kelsey was assigned her first drug to review: thalidomide. Her thorough investigation led her to discover that the drug had caused pregnant women to bear babies wi…
Published on 2 years, 5 months ago
Adrienne Brodeur's novel 'Little Monsters' uncovers family secrets in Cape Cod
Little Monsters is the story of two adult siblings, Ken and Abby Gardner, who were raised by their widowed father in Cape Cod. As their dad's 70th birthday approaches, all three members of the small …
Published on 2 years, 5 months ago
Fae Myenne Ng's memoir examines the Chinese Exclusion Act's impact on families
Orphan Bachelors, the title of Fae Myenne Ng's new memoir, is a reference to the many "grandpas" she had while growing up in San Francisco's Chinatown. These men had been forced to stay single and c…
Published on 2 years, 5 months ago
Two novels explore the complexities of parent-child relationships
Today's episode is all about parents, their adult children, and the frustration and forgiveness that can come to a head in those relationships. First, author Jenny Xie speaks with NPR's Mary Louise K…
Published on 2 years, 5 months ago
'Jeopardy!' host Ken Jennings pens a travel guide to the afterlife
Ken Jennings is well-known for winning – and hosting – Jeopardy! Now, he's got a new book out full of pop culture knowledge and research: 100 Places to See After You Die. Formatted like a travel guid…
Published on 2 years, 5 months ago