海角大神

These are the fiction titles our reviewers liked best this month.

滨苍丑别谤颈迟补苍肠别,听by Jane Park

In Jane Park鈥檚 poignant debut novel, Anne Kim, a successful Korean Canadian lawyer in New York, returns home to the Alberta prairie following the death of her father. Memories, frustrations, and surprises await. In flashbacks to the 1980s and 鈥�90s, Anne鈥檚 childhood struggles and sacrifices become clear 鈥� from living in the shadow of her spoiled older brother to navigating school as one of the lone Asian students. It鈥檚 an affecting story of honor, tradition, and expectations sometimes buoying 鈥� but nearly burying 鈥� one immigrant family.听鈥� Erin Douglass

罢谤补苍蝉肠谤颈辫迟颈辞苍,听by Ben Lerner

When a magazine writer inadvertently destroys his smartphone on his way to interview his former mentor, he鈥檚 left with nothing to record their vital conversation. In this succinct 144-page novel, Ben Lerner explores the impact that our ubiquitous devices have on our ability to connect with one another. Are they a barrier or do they help bridge our shortcomings? Do they shape our memories or demand authenticity?听鈥� Joan Gaylord

The Keeper,听by Tana French

Tana French has described her Ardnakelty trilogy as 鈥渕ystery software running on western hardware.鈥� That鈥檚 a perfect description of 鈥淭he Keeper,鈥� the final outing starring retired Chicago police officer Cal Hooper, his wary fianc茅e Lena Dunne, and their adopted teen Trey Reddy. Cal moved to the Irish village looking for peace. Instead, he discovered a peat bog鈥檚 worth of secrets 鈥� dark, dank, and potentially deadly. A young woman is found dead in a river. Was it suicide? French, one of the greatest mystery writing talents, ratchets up both the menace and the stakes as Cal and Lena break Ardnakelty鈥檚 prime directive: Talk plenty ... but say nothing.听鈥� Yvonne Zipp

The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton,听by Jennifer N. Brown

A page-turner interweaving historical and detective fiction, 鈥淭he Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton鈥� toggles between the Reformation, when Elizabeth lived, and the present day when scholars are hot on her trail. Through Elizabeth鈥檚 rise from servant to visionary who resisted Henry VIII鈥檚 break with the Roman Catholic Church to gain a divorce, Brown explores historical women鈥檚 stratagems for self-determination. These themes are mirrored by the brilliant but hapless professor Alison Sage, and scholars around her, who may be more interested in uncovering material 鈥� rather than intellectual 鈥� treasures.听鈥撎�Elizabeth Toohey

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block,听by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Self-described trophy wife Mebel lives the high life in Jakarta 鈥� that is, until her longtime husband decamps into the waiting arms and apron strings of their 20-something chef. Miserable Mebel, determined to win him back, enrolls ASAP in a fancy European cooking school. The only problem: The Paris program is full, so Mebel gets shunted to the satellite campus in an English backwater. Bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto serves up a snappy fish-out-of-bouillabaisse tale that will leave readers grinning.听鈥� Erin Douglass

Dreamt I Found You,听by Jimin Han

Cousins Dahee and Channing 鈥� Korean American young women born hours apart 鈥� are lifelong besties, but near opposites. Cautious Dahee works as a teacher in New York; impulsive Channing has a summer babysitting gig in her coastal New England hometown. After Channing complains about a creepy local politician, Dahee decides to visit with their beloved grandfather, Harabeoji. Mirroring a famous Korean love story, Jimin Han鈥檚 immersive, winning story grapples with community loyalty, courage, and devotion.听鈥� Erin Douglass

Mrs. Benedict Arnold,听by Emma Parry

Emma Parry鈥檚 fresh rendition of the country鈥檚 most notorious act of treason involves patriot Gen. Benedict Arnold and his loyalist wife, Peggy Shippen. Told in Peggy鈥檚 enthusiastic voice, the novel details family life, friendships, politics, parties, and war. Come for the banter, stay for the intrigue, and enjoy this fascinating tale of the American Revolution.听鈥� Stefanie Milligan

The Ending Writes Itself,听by Evelyn Clarke

If a reclusive author invites you to his private island, send regrets. In 鈥淭he Ending Writes Itself,鈥� Evelyn Clarke, the pseudonym for authors V.E. Schwab and Cat Clarke, strands a half-dozen writers on a Scottish island. Their task: Finish bestselling author Arthur Fletch鈥檚 final mystery and score a $1 million publishing contract. They are firmly midlist writers, or, as the horror author puts it, 鈥渄isposable.鈥� How disposable becomes apparent over the weekend. The novel is a darkly comic satire of the publishing industry and an elegy for formerly idealistic storytellers who are 鈥渦nable to break out, only to break even.鈥澨�鈥� Yvonne Zipp

The Last Woman of Warsaw,听by Judy Batalion

In 1930s Warsaw, two young Jewish women from different backgrounds must work together to solve a disappearance. Fanny, daughter of an elite family, dreams of life as a photographer. After Zosia escapes violence in her village, she works with a youth movement protesting for social equity. When a Jewish professor vanishes, Fanny and Zosia defy danger to search for her.听鈥� Stefanie Milligan

Dog Person,听by Camille Pag谩n

Floundering Michigan bookstore owner Miguel is stuck, grieving the death of the love of his life, novelist Amelia May, and worrying about the potential closure of their beloved bookstore. Harold, their devoted mutt, doggedly narrates his mission: help Miguel heal and fetch him a second love. Camille Pag谩n鈥檚 novel uplifts with enormous canine charm, a twisty plot, and an endearing cast.听鈥� Stefanie Milligan

These are the nonfiction titles our reviewers liked best this month.听

Small Town Girls,听by Jayne Anne Phillips

Jayne Anne Phillips鈥� memoir in 22 linked essays makes clear how her family鈥檚 deep roots in the Allegheny Mountains in West Virginia shaped her as a writer. Phillips left her hometown after college, but its stories and local history have continued to fuel her fiction, including her powerful Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, 鈥淣ight Watch,鈥� set in the aftermath of the Civil War. (Her town sided with the Union.) 鈥淪mall Town Girls鈥� encompasses a detailed recap of the infamous Hatfield-McCoy feud, and a lament for the environmental devastation wrought by mining and fracking. Phillips鈥� tributes to her hardworking mother 鈥� a grade school teacher who made sure all her students were fed and warmly clothed 鈥� and to West Virginia writers Stephen Crane and Breece D鈥橨 Pancake are particularly moving.听鈥� Heller McAlpin

This Vast Enterprise,听by Craig Fehrman

Historian Craig Fehrman offers a revelatory take on Lewis and Clark鈥檚 Corps of Discovery expedition. The chapters alternate among characters, presenting the arduous journey from different perspectives. In addition to Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, Fehrman highlights Sacajawea, the Native American teenager who joined the corps as interpreter and guide, and York, the Black man enslaved by Clark who was compelled to join the trek. The deeply researched account also foregrounds lesser-known figures, including soldier John Ordway and Lakota leader Black Buffalo.听鈥撎�Barbara Spindel

Law on Trial,听by Shaun Ossei-Owusu

The words 鈥淓qual Justice Under Law鈥� are engraved on the front of the United States Supreme Court. But according to law professor Shaun Ossei-Owusu, the legal system is far more likely to deliver inequality and unfairness than justice, especially among the nation鈥檚 most vulnerable populations. He argues that at every level 鈥� from law school to the highest court in the land 鈥� the legal system favors the rich and powerful. Aimed at average readers as well as lawyers, the book is evenhanded, eye-opening, and authoritative.听鈥撎�Terry W. Hartle

Seydou Ke茂ta: A Tactile Lens, exhibition catalog edited by Catherine E. McKinley

The master portraitist of Mali, Seydou Ke茂ta, gained Western fame for his midcentury photographs 鈥� on a par with Richard Avedon 鈥� in the 1990s. His images of Africans as they wished to be seen, referencing their own personalities and tastes, reflect both his clients鈥� aspirations toward a modern, urban identity and their reverence for African traditions. This extensive catalog shows, through the eyes of a premier portrait photographer, a society in transition. (See full review here.)听鈥撎�Carol Strickland听

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