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In 'The Fraud,' Zadie Smith takes on historical fiction and the Tichborne case
In the 19th century, a butcher living in Australia claimed to be the long-lost heir of a British fortune. The Tichborne trial, which sparked much con…
2 years, 9 months ago
Abdulrazak Gurnah's 'Afterlives' highlights nuances of colonization in East Africa
In Abdulrazak Gurnah's Afterlives, the characters centered in the novel offer different perspectives of ordinary people under German colonization in …
2 years, 10 months ago
Two books examine masculinity and mental health in immigrant families
Today's episode is rooted in how the expectations of immigrant fathers affect their children. First, Khashayar J. Khabushani speaks with Here & Now's…
2 years, 10 months ago
'The Men Can't Be Saved' analyzes masculinity in the world of advertising
Ben Purkert's novel, The Men Can't Be Saved, follows a junior copywriter with a viral tagline for adult diapers. Is it a modern take on Mad Men? Or i…
2 years, 10 months ago
In 'The Breakaway,' Jennifer Weiner touches on love, mothers and body-shaming
Abby Stern is very much looking forward to leading a biking trip from NYC to Niagara Falls – until her mom, an old one-night-stand, and some uneasy m…
2 years, 10 months ago
In 'Happiness Falls,' a father gone missing brings family tensions to the surface
Adam Parson goes on a morning hike with his son, Eugene, and the boy returns home alone. Eugene is autistic and nonverbal, so he can't explain what h…
2 years, 10 months ago
'This is Wildfire' offers an in-depth guide for managing today's more-frequent fires
In the face of record temperatures and dry conditions, wildfires are becoming more and more common. This is Wildfire, a new book by Nick Mott and Jus…
2 years, 10 months ago
Two thrillers raise questions about writing from a particular race and identity
Today's episode focuses on two thrillers that our host, Andrew Limbong, read while on parental leave. First, R.F. Kuang speaks with NPR's Mary Louise…
2 years, 10 months ago
'Queer Career' chronicles the history of LGBTQ workers in the U.S.
In her new book, Queer Career: Sexuality and Work in Modern America, historian Margot Canaday sets out to discover the experiences of LGBTQ people in…
2 years, 10 months ago
'Of White Ashes' follows a Japanese-American love story after the WWII internment
Author Kent Matsumoto's parents both lived through traumatic experiences during WWII: his mother was forced into an internment camp for Japanese-Amer…
2 years, 10 months ago