All Book Reviews
Ida Tarbell and the magazine that helped break up Standard Oil“Citizen Reporters” tells of tenacious journalist Tarbell, and the eccentric editor S.S. McClure, who gave McClure’s magazine its clout.
‘Between Two Fires’ focuses on heroic citizens in Putin’s RussiaNew Yorker correspondent Joshua Yaffa’s collection of profiles highlights the challenges, and risks, of confronting the government.
Two fathers’ broken hearts guide them toward heroic empathyColum McCann deftly weaves together the true story of a Palestinian and an Israeli who each lost daughters in the conflict – and found their calling.
Bands of resistance: A tribe defends its land from the US governmentLouise Erdrich’s novel, based on history, follows the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewas as they try to save their way of life.
Cromwell pulled the strings. Now the strings ensnare him.Hilary Mantel follows the waning fortunes of Thomas Cromwell, fixer to Henry VIII, all the way to the Tower in the riveting “The Mirror & the Light."
‘Supreme Inequality’ argues that the high court’s decisions favor the powerfulAdam Cohen asserts that rulings on everything from election law and education to corporate law and crime have contributed to growing inequality.
Emily Dickinson’s life shines vibrantly in ‘These Fevered Days’Martha Ackmann investigates the interior life of Emily Dickinson, and finds it full of passion, zeal, and artistic dedication.
Vivian Gornick’s ‘Unfinished Business’ reads deeply into memoryAcclaimed critic Vivian Gornick rereads the books that shaped her life and muses on reencountering the person she was at the time.
‘CSI’ in 1920? ‘American Sherlock’ tracks a pioneer in forensicsKate Winkler Dawson follows the career of Edward Oscar Heinrich, who nudged criminal investigations beyond hunches toward a more scientific approach.
‘Fight of the Century’ shows the strength of the ACLUEditors Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman gather essays by A-list writers about the importance of the ACLU, and the fragility of civil rights.
In ‘Bird Summons,’ three women go on holiday – and not the relaxing kindLeila Aboulela’s novel explores the inner lives and faith of three Muslim women who go on a pilgrimage to a Scottish gravesite together.
He raised his son to love wild places. Then his son disappeared.Explorer and biologist Roman Dial reflects on parenting in this memoir of the search for his son, who vanished while solo hiking in Costa Rica.
‘The Contact Paradox’ sums up the search for extraterrestrialsKeith Cooper traces the history of humanity’s irrepressible urge to search for extraterrestrial intelligence – and the trouble it could get us into.
Egg poacher runs amok in thrilling true story ‘The Falcon Thief’Joshua Hammer builds a propulsive story around a rogue naturalist who supplies a global black market for wild falcon eggs.
Joan Harrison emerges from Hitchcock’s shadow in ‘Phantom Lady’Film historian Christina Lane pays tribute to the trailblazing producer Joan Harrison, the woman behind Alfred Hitchcock.
‘The Wrong Kind of Women’ looks at Hollywood’s pattern of excluding womenNaomi McDougall Jones condemns a lack of gender equality in the film and TV industry, but she also applauds the gains that women have made.
‘American Dirt’: Beyond the controversy, a flawed but relevant novelJeanine Cummins’ book may encourage readers to see commonalities such as the universal desire to find safety and home.
‘On Swift Horses’ is a vibrant tale of unconventionalityShannon Pufahl’s remarkable debut novel “On Swift Horses” tells a searing story about a forgotten side of 1950s America.
Searing and hopeful, ‘Three Flames’ chronicles family’s lifeAlan Lightman’s novel “Three Flames” follows the conflicting desires of one Cambodian family as they navigate a changing society.
‘Conviction’ is everything you could want from a mystery bookIn “Conviction,” playwright and crime writer Denise Mina pens an enthralling, intelligent mystery with madcap adventures and plenty of heart.
