I started reading "The Women: A Novel" by Kristin Hannah today. This book is written by the same author who wrote "The Nightingale" and "The Four Winds." "The Women" is a story set in a difficult time, depicting a woman's coming-of-age journey and an epic tale of a divided nation. It highlights that women can be heroes, too.
by Kristin Hannah
I started reading “The Women: A Novel” by Kristin Hannah today. This book is written by the same author who wrote “The Nightingale” and “The Four Winds.” “The Women” is a story set in a difficult time, depicting a woman’s coming-of-age journey and an epic tale of a divided nation. It highlights that women can be heroes, too.
When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation to her. She was raised in Southern California’s sun-drenched, idyllic world and was sheltered by her conservative parents. She has always prided herself on doing the right thing. However, in 1965, the world is changing, and Frankie suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she decides to join the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.
Frankie, who is as inexperienced as the young men sent to fight in Vietnam, is struggling to cope with the chaos and destruction of war. Every day is a life-or-death gamble that can be filled with hope, betrayal, and shattered friendships. In this brutal reality, she encounters and becomes one of the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.
War is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The actual battle awaits when they return home to a divided and changing America, met by angry protesters and a nation wanting to forget Vietnam.
“The Women” is a novel that tells the story of a woman who goes to war. Still, its purpose is to bring attention to all the women who have put themselves in danger for their country and whose sacrifice and dedication have often been overlooked. The book is about solid friendships and patriotism, and it portrays a brave and idealistic heroine whose courage in times of war will become a defining moment in history.
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by Allegra Goodman
Set against the backdrop of the sixteenth century, Allegra Goodman‘s Isola brings to life the gripping saga of a remarkable woman’s fight for survival. Journey with Marguerite as she battles the harsh realities of being marooned on a desolate island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in the heart of New France, because she dared to love the wrong man, leading her to this lonely exile.
Heir to a fortune, Marguerite is destined for a life of prosperity and gentility. However, her world is turned upside down when she becomes an orphan. Her guardian, an enigmatic and unpredictable man, squanders her inheritance and insists she accompany him on an expedition to New France. The journey takes an unexpected turn when Marguerite is accused of betrayal, leading to her brutal punishment and abandonment on a small island.
Once a child of privilege, adorned in gowns and pearls, Marguerite now finds herself at the mercy of nature. As the weather changes and the island becomes blanketed in ice, she uncovers a faith she never knew she needed.
Allegra Goodman is the author of six novels, including the national bestseller Sam, a Read with Jenna selection; two short story collections; and a book for young readers. Her fiction has appeared in The New Yorker and elsewhere, and has been anthologized in The O. Henry Awards and Best American Short Stories. She lives with her family in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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by Ann Patchett
Whistler, by Ann Patchett, tells the story of two adults reflecting on the choices they made and those made for them. It explores themes of bravery, memory, and the often small yet significant moments that shape our lives, as well as the inevitable loss that eventually touches us all. Beautiful in its simplicity, the novel ultimately reveals how love endures and how the experience of being truly known by another person—even for a brief time—can change everything.
When Daphne Fuller and her husband, Jonathan, visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, they notice an older gentleman with white hair following them. This man turns out to be Eddie Triplett, Daphne’s former stepfather. He had been married to her mother for just over a year when Daphne was nine. Now fifty-three, Daphne hasn’t seen Eddie in many years, not since the event that changed the course of both their lives. Upon reuniting, time seems to vanish; despite their brief relationship, it had a profound impact on both of them, and now that they are together again, they have no intention of ever being separated again.
Ann Patchett is an accomplished author known for her novels, nonfiction works, and children’s books. Her most recent novel, Tom Lake, became a #1 New York Times bestseller. Patchett has received numerous awards, including the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Women’s Prize for Fiction in the UK, and the Book Sense Book of the Year Award.
Her novel The Dutch House was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her works have been translated into more than thirty languages, and Time magazine recognized her as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. In honor of her contributions to American culture, President Biden awarded her the National Humanities Medal. She resides in Nashville, Tennessee, where she owns Parnassus Books.
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by Richard Powers
I started reading “Playground: A Novel” by Richard Powers today. This remarkable new novel comes from the Pulitzer Prize-winning and New York Times best-selling author of “The Overstory” and “Bewilderment.” Even more astonishing is that this marks my three hundredth book since I embarked on this reading journey on January 1, 2019! I’m also enjoying “Judaism Is About Love,” which means “Playground: A Novel” will be my 98th or 99th book in 2024.
In this sweeping, panoramic novel, four lives intertwine, showcasing Richard Powers at the height of his skills. Twelve-year-old Evie Beaulieu finds herself at the bottom of a swimming pool in Montreal, strapped to one of the world’s first aqua lungs. Ina Aroita grows up on naval bases across the Pacific, finding solace in art as her only home. At an elite high school in Chicago, two opposites bond over a three-thousand-year-old board game: Rafi Young gets lost in literature, while Todd Keane’s work leads to a startling breakthrough in artificial intelligence.
Their paths converge on the history-laden island of Makatea in French Polynesia, once known for its phosphorus deposits that helped sustain the world. This tiny atoll has been chosen for a groundbreaking venture: a plan to create floating, autonomous cities to venture out onto the open sea. However, the island’s residents must vote to approve the project or turn the seasteaders away.
Set against the world’s most enormous ocean backdrop, this awe-inspiring book delves into the last wild place we have yet to colonize, exploring a still-unfolding oceanic narrative. It beautifully weaves rich characters, profound themes of technology and the environment, and a deep examination of our shared humanity—and exploration that only Richard Powers can deliver.
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by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha
I recently read “Something About Living” by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha, a poet and essayist whose work resonates deeply. The book of poems won the 2024 National Book Award for Poetry and delved into Palestinian life through the lens of the American language, revealing a legacy of obfuscation and erasure. It questions what happens when language packages ongoing disasters for consumption and disposal.
As a Jew supporting a two-state solution, I initially hesitated to read this collection of poems. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the lyrical beauty of the verses, which explore love not just as an emotion but as a transformative force and “a radical act.” Every poem that genuinely resonated with me. “Something About Living” is a book I highly recommend for its depth and insight!
Ms. Khalaf Tuffaha has an incredible literary repertoire; her previous work, “Water & Salt,” earned the esteemed 2018 Washington State Book Award, while “Kaan & Her Sisters” was a finalist for the Firecracker Award. In addition, “Something About Living” also received the 2022 Akron Prize for Poetry. I’m excited to explore her profound insights and lyrical mastery!
Adrian Matejka, the author of “Somebody Else Sold the World,” has written about “Something About Living,”
“It’s nearly impossible to write poetry that simultaneously holds the human desire for joy and the insistent agitations of protest, but Lena Khalaf Tuffaha‘s gorgeous and wide-ranging new collection Something About Living does just that. Her poems interweave Palestine’s historic suffering, the challenges of living in this world full of violence and ill will, and the gentle delights we embrace to survive that violence. Khalaf Tuffaha’s elegant poems sing the fractured songs of Diaspora while remaining clear-eyed to the cause of the fracturing: the multinational hubris of colonialism and greed. This collection is her witness to our collective unraveling, vowel by vowel, syllable by syllable. “Let the plural be a return of us,” the speaker of “On the Thirtieth Friday We Consider Plurals” says and this plurality is our tenuous humanity and the deep need to hang on to kindness in our communities. In these poems Khalaf Tuffaha reminds us that love isn’t an idea; it is a radical act. Especially for those who, like this poet, travel through the world vigilantly, but steadfastly remain heart first.
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by Daniyal Mueenuddin
In the realms of power, money, and love, the characters in Daniyal Mueenuddin‘s work grapple with the choice between moral integrity and practical decisions that enable them to navigate the entrenched systems of caste, capital, and social influence in their culture. Profoundly moving and both intimate and epic, This Is Where the Serpent Lives is a remarkable work poised to become a classic of contemporary literature. The New York Times has listed it as one of “The Novels Everyone Will Be Talking About in 2026.”
Moving from Pakistan’s vibrant, chaotic cities to its lawless, feudal countryside, This Is Where the Serpent Lives vividly portrays contemporary life there. The story follows the intertwined fates of a dozen unforgettable characters, connected through violence, tragedy, triumph, and love.
Orphaned as a young boy and surviving on the streets of the city, Yazid rises to a position of responsibility and respect in the Lahore household of Colonel Atar, a powerful industrialist and politician. However, he soon finds his position threatened by conflicting loyalties and misplaced trust.
Born on Colonel Atar’s country estate to a poor gardener, Saqib is entrusted with managing a pioneering business. Yet, he overreaches and becomes an outlaw, facing the violent corruption of the Punjab Police. Meanwhile, the colonel’s son competes with his beloved brother for the affections of a woman, only to discover that her choice brings unexpected darkness and light into his life.
Daniyal Mueenuddin, raised in Lahore, Pakistan, and Elroy, Wisconsin, graduated from Dartmouth College and Yale Law School. His stories have appeared in prestigious publications such as The New Yorker, Granta, Zoetrope, and The Best American Short Stories 2008, which Salman Rushdie selected. His collection, “In Other Rooms, Other Wonders,” was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. For several years, he practiced law in New York. He currently splits his time between Oslo, Norway, and his farm in South Punjab, Pakistan.
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by Maggie Stiefvater
Maggie Stiefvater‘s latest historical fiction, The Listeners, is now available in stores today, and it’s an enthralling read that you won’t want to put down. Set against the backdrop of January 1942, the luxurious Avallon Hotel & Spa stands as a beacon of elegance amid the rugged beauty of West Virginia, its refreshing mountain waters promising to wash away the worries of high society until it is ordered to house Axis diplomats. Stiefvater‘s meticulous research and attention to historical detail bring this era to life in a way that will captivate any history buff.
At the heart of this gripping tale is June Porter Hudson, a local girl who has risen to the role of general manager. With remarkable skill, she navigated the early challenges of wartime operations, but nothing could prepare her for the complexities of hosting diplomats from the Axis powers. As tensions mount and secrets unfold, June must confront her fears and the profound changes in history, all while striving to uphold the dignity of the Avallon. Dive into this captivating story and feel the weight of the changing tides of history.
In the opulent world of the Avallon Hotel, the Gilfoyle family reigns supreme, their aristocratic lineage a testament to old-world charm and privilege. But this sanctuary of luxury is thrown into turmoil when the family heir strikes a clandestine deal with the State Department, bringing a motley crew of captured Axis diplomats into their midst. June, the hotel’s resourceful manager, finds herself in an impossible position, tasked with persuading her dedicated staff, many of whom have loved ones fighting on the front lines, to serve these enemy guests with charming smiles.
As tensions simmer beneath the surface, FBI Agent Tucker Minnick lurks in the shadows, his coal tattoo serving as a reminder of his rugged Appalachian roots. He presses his ear against the hotel’s walls, eavesdropping on the diplomats’ whispered secrets. Yet, his past clings to him like a specter, revealing that the very same balancing act that keeps June poised could lead to perilous consequences. Beneath the hotel lies Sweetwater—its power to heal intertwined with its potential to destroy.
June is known for her ability to charm any guest, but these diplomats challenge her mastery. They’ve waged a silent war at her doorstep, forcing her to confront the reality that clashing loyalties threaten to shatter Avallon’s polished exterior. As June navigates this treacherous terrain, she must weigh the actual cost of luxury and decide what she’s willing to sacrifice in a time of conflict.
Maggie Stiefvater is the New York Times bestselling author of the Shiver trilogy, The Raven Cycle, and The Scorpio Races, among dozens of other YA fantasy novels. Her books have sold over five million copies worldwide. She lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband and their two children.
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