All Book Reviews
'Varina' imagines the life of Jefferson Davis's widow in the aftermath of the Civil War'Varina' can be seen as a reminder that a national reckoning over the legacy of slavery has yet to take place.
'The Pope Who Would Be King' details the birth of the modern papacyAuthor David Kertzer won a Pulitzer Prize in 2015 for his book 'The Pope and Mussolini.'
'Wade in the Water' is poet laureate Tracy K. Smith’s most overtly political collectionMuch of the subject matter of 'Wade in the Water' takes its inspiration from the headlines, but ruminations on pregnancy and motherhood strikes a more hopeful and humorous note.
In 'The Feather Thief,' a British bird burglary exposes a hidden worldThis true story about the theft of a bunch of bird skins is one of the most peculiar and memorable true-crime books ever.
'The Class of '74' chronicles a young, liberal, and impatient House of RepresentativesAuthor John A. Lawrence had a front row seat to observe the times as they were a-changing.
'Something Wonderful' unpacks the magic behind Rodgers and HammersteinPurdum does a fine job of drawing readers into the spirited, gossipy world of Broadway theater – a world that Rodgers and Hammerstein drastically re-shaped.
'Neruda' plumbs the man behind the legendAlthough Eisner's fascination with the celebrated poet sometimes lapses into hagiography, he frankly chronicles Neruda’s dark side.
'Wild is the Wind' explores those things made all the more beautiful because they can’t lastThe verse of Carl Phillips often seems like an interior monologue on which the reader is casually eavesdropping.
'Greeks Bearing Gifts' will be the penultimate in the popular 'Bernie Gunther' series begun in Nazi GermanyThe 'Bernie Gunther' books were uniformly superb and reflected their hangdog protagonist: tough, cynical, very quotable, and ultimately, even quixotically, idealistic.
'Two Sisters' follows a father trying to bring his two daughters home from jihad in SyriaNorwegian journalist Asne Seierstad follows the true story of an immigrant who left Somaliland for Europe – only to see his daughters become radicalized and flee to support the Islamic State.
'See What Can Be Done' is a testament to the breadth of Lorrie Moore’s intellectThere is an edge to Moore’s vision, sardonic and self-deprecating.
Poet and Iraqi exile Dunya Mikhail's book 'The Beekeeper' serves as testimony for the victims of ISISMikhail devotes much of 'The Beekeeper' to transcribing the stories of the Yazidi women of northern Iraq who have been driven from their homes, sold into sexual slavery, and yet, remarkably, survived.
'The Family Medici' vividly and clearly tells the story of one clan's merciless self-aggrandizementThe Medici men and women portrayed by Mary Hollingsworth are generous art patrons, but always with the end goal of burnishing their own reputations and making Florence their sole possession.
'The Last Wild Men of Borneo' is a real-life adventure tale about two expats in the jungleHoffman’s fascination with and enthusiasm for his topic are readily apparent on every page.
YA novel 'The Poet X' is an elegiac meditation on poesy and religionYoung poet-protagonist Xiomara must dig deep to reclaim her identity and her voice, in spite of her rough circumstances.
'A Long Way From Home' shifts from a lively 1950s travelogue to a darker debate over racial identityIn Booker Prize-winning author Peter Carey’s latest novel, a 1950s road rally serves as both an entertaining look at the Australian countryside and a plot device.
'Patriot Number One: American Dreams in Chinatown' expertly reveals a hidden immigrant worldThis story of a Chinese activitst's efforts to make a new life in the US is startling but heartening.
'Fisherman's Blues' takes readers to Senegal's coast for an upclose view of a fading lifestyleThis book's prose shimmers, making it a memorably beautiful tribute.
Rania Abouzeid's book 'No Turning Back,' about the Syrian civil war, is eloquent and devastatingAbouzeid gives voice to a handful of the millions of Syrians whose lives were tragically upended by war.
10 best books of March: the Monitor's picksFrom a young Picasso to a Chinese couple seeking new lives in the US to the travails of the Yazidi women of Iraq – the Monitor's '10 best books of March' list ranges far and wide.
