海角大神

Float Up, Sing Down,聽by Laird Hunt

In Laird Hunt鈥檚 collection of stories, residents of an Indiana farming community in 1982 go about their routines, with secrets and regrets roiling beneath the surface. 鈥淭hings grew where they grew and flew where they flew and that was all there was to it,鈥� thinks one character. It鈥檚 an assessment that infuses these deeply felt tales.

Wandering Stars,聽by Tommy Orange

Tommy Orange weaves a fictional Cheyenne family into such real-life events as the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864, dramatizing the impact of historical events on subsequent generations of Native Americans. 鈥淲andering Stars鈥� is the engaging follow-up to his award-winning first novel, 鈥淭here There.鈥澛�

Cahokia Jazz,聽by Francis Spufford

Welcome to Cahokia, Illinois, in 1922, a fast-paced industrial burg whose Black, Native, and white denizens dwell in relative calm. After a gruesome murder ignites old fears, Joe Barrow 鈥� a biracial police officer with a talent for jazz piano 鈥� gets the case. Oozing with noir tropes yet still remarkably original, Francis Spufford鈥檚 speculative tale wrestles with trust, truth, and transformation.

Acts of Forgiveness,聽by Maura Cheeks

The novel imagines what the United States would look like if the government passed a law requiring reparations to descendants of enslaved people. As Black families pour into the South to hunt for records of their ancestors, the white backlash begins. The novel begins slowly, but builds with each page.聽

Smoke Kings,聽by Jahmal Mayfield

If first novels indicate career trajectory, Jahmal Mayfield has a future in crime fiction. His 鈥淪moke Kings鈥� is a fresh take on current events and history, mixed with social commentary. It鈥檚 a fast-paced story of twisted altruism that is not only entertaining but also thought-provoking.

顿颈惫补,听by Daisy Goodwin

Novelist Daisy Goodwin unfolds the glamorous world of legendary opera star Maria Callas, and her love affair with Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis. Heartbroken after Onassis marries the widowed Jacqueline Kennedy, Callas discovers her true voice.

The Turtle House,聽by Amanda Churchill

When Grandminnie unexpectedly becomes her architect granddaughter Lia鈥檚 roommate, they begin sharing poignant secrets as Lia records Grandminnie鈥檚 life stories. This exceptional debut novel honors Amanda Churchill鈥檚 real grandmother, a Japanese war bride who relocated to a vast Texas ranch in the 1950s. 鈥淭he Turtle House鈥� is filled with bighearted characters, delightful storytelling, and precise prose.聽

This Disaster Loves You,聽by Richard Roper

Sad-sack Brian, a British pub owner in midlife, has been mourning the baffling disappearance of his wife, Lily. Following the digital breadcrumbs of an online travel reviewer who may be Lily, Brian embarks on a quest to find his beloved. In Richard Roper鈥檚 capable hands, the search becomes so much more 鈥� a kindling of confidence, a step down new paths. It鈥檚 an engaging, poignant read.

The Stolen Wealth of Slavery,聽by David Montero

Journalist David Montero鈥檚 searing, meticulous history demonstrates that the banks and corporations of the North, more than the plantations of the South, benefited financially from slavery in the U.S. Many of those entities are still in business today.聽In following the massive wealth created by enslaved people in earlier centuries into our own, the author makes a compelling argument for reparations.

Brought Forth on This Continent,聽by Harold Holzer

Harold Holzer covers the previously neglected topic of Abraham Lincoln and immigration in his illuminating book. He begins with Lincoln鈥檚 balancing act as a member of the nativist Whig Party early in his political career. The author then charts the 16th president鈥檚 embrace of European immigration as the standard-bearer of the new, anti-slavery Republican Party.