海角大神

1聽The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store,聽by James McBride

In Chicken Hill, the Black and Jewish neighborhood of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, where immigrants and longtime residents strive and struggle, Chona Ludlow runs the local grocery with a fearless, open heart. When an attack at the store leads to an orphaned boy鈥檚 arrest, community members rally. Frank and affectionate, this latest triumph from James McBride stresses the challenges of accessing America鈥檚 promises.

2聽Tom Lake,聽by Ann Patchett

A mother recounts her days as an actress in Hollywood and summer stock theater to her three grown daughters. Set on a northern Michigan cherry farm during the pandemic, the quiet novel awakens gratitude for life鈥檚 lessons.聽

3聽Three Fires,聽by Denise Mina

Denise Mina delivers a taut imagining of the rise and fall of a religious zealot in late 15th-century Italy. Girolamo Savonarola, a proud young man smarting from rejection and appalled by church corruption, embarks on an increasingly militant moral crusade. It doesn鈥檛 end well. Weaving together present-day lingo and dry asides, Mina spotlights the traits and tragedies that lead to fanaticism.聽

4聽The Last Ranger,聽by Peter Heller

Peter Heller鈥檚 adventurous novel centers on a Yellowstone National Park ranger with a poet鈥檚 heart and a troubled past. The ranger鈥檚 endeavors to solve mysteries, keep the peace, and safeguard a cherished friend are reverence in action. Heller鈥檚 lyrical prose captures gorgeous natural landscapes, captivating wildlife facts, wolf folklore, and a vibrant community of characters.

5聽The Continental Affair,聽by Christine Mangan

A woman convinced she鈥檚 irredeemable. An upstanding man dogged by his past. Purloined cash 鈥� and the crooks who want it back. Christine Mangan鈥檚 novel plunks these characters and that loot into Europe in the 1960s; the resulting slow-boil pursuit by train, bus, and foot recalls James Bond. But this is no romp. The troubled protagonists wrestle with regret, forgiveness, and a longing for home.聽

6聽Good Fortune,聽by C.K. Chau

This retelling of Jane Austen鈥檚 鈥淧ride and Prejudice鈥� in New York鈥檚 Chinatown ticks all the right boxes. When Darcy Wong鈥檚 company offers to buy out the failing community center that Elizabeth Chen cherishes, sparks fly.聽

7聽Necessary Trouble,聽by Drew Gilpin Faust

Drew Gilpin Faust is an acclaimed Civil War historian and the first woman to serve as president of Harvard University. Her new memoir is both a moving personal narrative and an enlightening account of the transformative political and social forces that impacted her as she came of age as a privileged white girl in segregated Virginia.

8聽The Women of NOW,聽by Katherine Turk

This illuminating account tells the story of the National Organization for Women through three diverse but little-known core members. In recounting their achievements and struggles, Katherine Turk highlights both the radical roots of the women鈥檚 rights group and its lasting impact on American society.

9聽Dream Town,聽by Laura Meckler

Laura Meckler examines the history of racial integration in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and the parallel struggle for racial equity in the city鈥檚 public schools. She anchors each chapter with the narrative of a person who helped the town, bringing to life this story of perseverance in the face of imperfection.

10聽Daughter of the Dragon,聽by Yunte Huang

Chinese American actor Anna May Wong鈥檚 40-year stage and film career ranged from bit parts in the 1920s to supporting roles in big-budget hits. Yunte Huang exposes the racist policies and conflicting attitudes that limited her rise. Wong persevered; her individuality and style still inspire today.