‘Secrets of Happiness,’ by Joan Silber: An Excerpt
An excerpt from “Secrets of Happiness,” by Joan Silber
The Constitution Is More Than a Document — It’s a Conversation
In “The Words That Made Us,” Akhil Reed Amar shows how the United States Constitution was produced by a broad culture of communicators.
New & Noteworthy, From the Brat Pack to a Math Biography
A selection of recent titles of interest; plus, a peek at what our colleagues around the newsroom are reading.
Much More Than Muffins: The Women Scientists Who Invented Home Ec
“The Secret History of Home Economics,” by Danielle Dreilinger, relates the surprising story of a discipline rooted in practical science and clever innovation.
A Rachel Cusk Novel in a Mystical and Enigmatic New Key
In “Second Place,” the British novelist trades her signature cool precision for a mood of dreamlike mystery, evoking a woman’s obsession with a famous painter and the act of artistic creation.
Alone on a Spaceship, Trying to Save the World
In “Project Hail Mary,” by Andy Weir, a former science teacher is the planet’s only hope.
In a New Story Collection, an Insider’s View of the Soviet Union
Mikhail Iossel’s new story collection, “Love Like Water, Love Like Fire,” paints a tender, dark and humorous portrait of Soviet life.
Olivia Laing’s Latest Subject Is Bodily Integrity
In “Everybody,” the author draws on a chorus of voices to investigate the physical meaning of freedom.
Niall Ferguson Examines Disasters of the Past and Disasters Still to Come
Ferguson’s “Doom” places the current pandemic in the context of other catastrophes and reaches the conclusion that all disasters are in some sense man-made.
A Texas Family’s Struggles Have Mythological Echoes
In her debut novel, “Olympus, Texas,” Stacey Swann conjures a dysfunctional clan that makes yours look tame.
A Foster Parent Looks Back
In “Stranger Care,” Sarah Sentilles recalls her experience working with child welfare agencies.
A Broken Family Flees 1970s Saigon for New Orleans
In Eric Nguyen’s debut, “Things We Lost to the Water,” Vietnamese refugees in a single household meet very different Americas.
Seeking Asylum in a London Pizzeria
In Nikita Lalwani’s novel “You People,” the lives of immigrants, documented and not, converge in an urban kitchen.
When a Father Has a Second Family
In “Secrets of Happiness,” her new novel of love triangles and divided loyalties, Joan Silber explores the aftermath of a shocking revelation.
John McWhorter Takes a Serious Look at Profanity
In “Nine Nasty Words,” McWhorter explains that offensive language depends on time, place and history.
From Spain to Sydney to Small-Town New Mexico, 3 Debuts Anchored by a Strong Sense of Place
New novels by Eva Baltasar, Kavita Bedford and Kirstin Valdez Quade.
Where the Other Wild Things Are
Liniers’s “Wildflowers” feels like an older sister to Maurice Sendak’s work, maybe taking place on the next island over from Max’s rumpus.
The Woman Who Looked at a Forest and Saw a Community
In “Finding the Mother Tree,” Suzanne Simard recounts her life’s work of understanding trees as part of an interconnected system.
When You Roast Your Friends in a Book, and One’s Your Landlord
“Higher Ground,” a novel by Anke Stelling, features a mother of four railing against German bourgeois norms.
An Ambitious Novel Takes Flight
In “The Great Circle,” Maggie Shipstead crosses centuries and time zones to deliver an epic story of women whose lives are up in the air.
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