海角大神

Engaging with the world, as these books demonstrate, can be both an enjoyable and a bracing experience. Understanding the struggles as well as the joys and aspirations of people near and far gives readers an opportunity to empathize with others, as well as celebrate our common humanity.

1.聽Small World聽by Jonathan Evison

Jonathan Evison鈥檚 Dickensian-style retelling of America鈥檚 history is a modern classic. His love for his characters glows in portrayals of Irish and Chinese immigrants, Native Americans, and enslaved people all yearning to belong. The book is a vast yet intimate tale about the American dream, and the people for whom the vision is yet unfulfilled.

2.聽To Paradise聽by Hanya Yanagihara

Three books packed into one, 鈥淭o Paradise鈥� presents an archeological dig of a story 鈥� in reverse. Characters gay and straight, driven and aimless, tied to home or flung afar, struggle with questions of legacy and inheritance. Whether dwelling in a Utopian 1890s New York, mid-20th-century Hawaii, or a martial law-throttled, pandemic-pocked future, each must decide whether to follow their fathers or 鈥渇ind a new template.鈥�

3.聽Thank You, Mr. Nixon聽by Gish Jen

Gish Jen鈥檚 latest collection begins with a Chinese saying: 鈥淎 long journey begins with a step.鈥� Readers could add, gratefully: 鈥淎nd ends with a story.鈥� There are 11 here 鈥� starting with President Nixon鈥檚 visit to China in the 1970s and progressing to the pandemic-shaped present. With humor and pathos, the stories feature intertwined mainland, immigrant, and Hong Kong characters confronting cultural and political changes.

4.聽The Paris Bookseller聽by Kerri Maher

Kerri Maher鈥檚 enchanting historical novel follows American Sylvia Beach, founder of the storied Paris bookshop Shakespeare and Company, as she opens her doors in 1919 and then courageously commits to publishing her friend James Joyce鈥檚 鈥淯lysses,鈥� which had been banned in the United States. (Read the full review here.)

5.听贬辞苍辞谤听by Thrity Umrigar

In Thrity Umrigar鈥檚 engrossing (and sometimes graphic) novel of modern-day India, an interfaith couple, an honor killing, a court case, and an American-born Indian journalist seeking justice, all come together in two brave love stories that honor the desire for unconditional acceptance.

6.听痴颈辞濒别迟补听by Isabel Allende

A South American centenarian describes her life鈥檚 surprises, loves, and sorrows via letters to her grandson. Although uneven, Isabel Allende鈥檚 hard-to-put-down novel delivers nuanced characters 鈥� including many strong women 鈥� and astute reflections about political and social change.

7.聽Home in the World聽by Amartya Sen

Economist Amartya Sen won the Nobel Prize for his visionary work on poverty, inequality, and famine. Now, in this graceful and hopeful memoir, he reveals the roots of his economic theories in his formative years in India and England.

8.聽South to America聽by Imani Perry

Alabama native Imani Perry examines the outsized impact of the South on the American consciousness. It鈥檚 a perfect read for those who are hungry for knowledge about how the South came to be so dominant in the country鈥檚 history.

9.聽Lorraine Hansberry聽by Charles J. Shields

Lorraine Hansberry wrote the 1959 play 鈥淎 Raisin in the Sun鈥� when she was just 28. In this rich, edifying biography, Charles J. Shields situates the playwright鈥檚 short life in the context of the Great Migration, leftist politics, and issues of race, class, and sexuality, all leading up to the production of her dramatic masterpiece.

10.听Architects of an American Landscape聽by Hugh Howard聽

Hugh Howard examines the lives of two early titans of American design: Frederick Law Olmsted and Henry Hobson Richardson. The purity of nature animated Olmsted鈥檚 work, which included New York鈥檚 Central Park. Richardson鈥檚 commissions included Boston鈥檚 Trinity Church. The book offers insights into two classic American artists.