Books

Rachel Cockerell talks about her great-grandfather’s role in bringing Jews out of Europe in an effort to create a Jewish homeland in Galveston, Texas.

A trio of novels translated from Indonesian, Arabic, and French exposes the harmful effects of prejudice and corruption.  

In “Shots Heard Round the World,” John Ferling argues that substantial – and secret – aid from France helped the colonists triumph over Britain.

A madcap mystery novel riffs on two New York institutions: the fact-checking department of a New Yorker-like magazine and the city’s farmers markets.

Mario Vargas Llosa, who died April 13, helped ignite intellectual fervor in Peru, while his writings stoked the imagination of the world.

April’s 10 best books range from short stories set in LA to a climate-change novel to a reappraisal of the American Revolution and its effects on other countries.

For National Poetry Month, we talk with Richard Blanco, whose “One Today” poem was read at Barack Obama’s second inauguration.

Maya Angelou’s autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” was among nearly 400 volumes removed from the Naval Academy’s library after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office ordered the school to get rid of those promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Our roundup of mysteries includes Jay Gatsby’s (invented) sister and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as detectives. Retirees and conspiracies abound.

“Fifteen Wild Decembers” by novelist Karen Powell shows the depth of creativity shared among the talented Brontë siblings, as narrated by Emily.