Fiction, Nonfiction, and Other Book Reviews
At some point in recent history, the merits of reading literary fiction became inextricably entwined with the genre’s potential to instill empathy, particularly for characters whose lives are radically different from...
Jean Thompson has lived near the University of Illinois campus since she landed her first teaching job there in 1973. In 1979, her debut short-story collection, Gasoline Wars won critical acclaim...
Twin, n. A couple; a pair; twoTwin, v.t. & i. To part, sever, sunder; deprive (of) —Webster’s New International Dictionary of the English Language, Second Edition[Kindle: Location 17 of 3389] As...
When American Dirt was published by Flatiron books (a division of Macmillan), there was a storm of protest from hundreds of writers. One of their many concerns involved the discriminatory practices...
It’s 1998 Harlem, and Laila Reserve is debating whether or not to approach the Melancon family for help after suffering multiple miscarriages. The Melancons, a powerful Creole family living in the...
Published in 2019 by Alfred A. Knopf in New York, Disappearing Earth is Julia Phillips’ debut novel. The first chapter sets the tone for the author’s exquisite writing and introduces the...
