Books
Whodunits with history: Those were the slays!Our roundup of mysteries includes Jay Gatsby’s (invented) sister and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as detectives. Retirees and conspiracies abound.
The quiet voice of Emily Brontë was anything but tame“Fifteen Wild Decembers” by novelist Karen Powell shows the depth of creativity shared among the talented Brontë siblings, as narrated by Emily.
The stories ‘move into hope’: Elaine Pagels reflects on Jesus’ teachingsThe Gospels spread the teachings of Jesus and stories about his life. A Bible historian unpacks the message behind them in “Miracles and Wonder.”
A fuller portrait of artist-provocateur Yoko OnoDavid Sheff reappraises Yoko Ono’s role, as an artist in her own right and as a support to John Lennon, with whom she collaborated on “Imagine.”
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The 10 best books of March come in like a lionMarch’s 10 best books deliver drama, danger, and determination, from a novel set on a subantarctic island to a biography that reappraises Yoko Ono.
One night to resolve all matters of the heartBen Okri emphasizes abstract ideas over nuanced characters in the farce “Madame Sosostris and the Festival for the Brokenhearted.”
Laila Lalami taps into privacy concerns in ‘The Dream Hotel’Novelist Laila Lalami’s trepidation about big tech and data collection led her to imagine a world in which even dreams are subject to monitoring.
Actor Merle Oberon hid her South Asian heritage to keep working in HollywoodBritish actor Merle Oberon’s greatest role might have been played off-camera. She kept her biracial heritage a secret so that her career could soar.
The unfulfilled promises of emancipation and ReconstructionTwo books about the American Civil War’s aftermath focus on the experiences of formerly enslaved people.
Earth’s green evolution gave rise to everything from dinosaurs to dandelionsPaleontologist Riley Black traces the cooperation among plants, animals, and ecosystems in “When the Earth Was Green.”
London’s brief, glorious rise in the art worldIn “Rogues & Scholars,” James Stourton tells how postwar London became the center of the global art market.
A sweet-natured hare wins the heart of a writerIn “Raising Hare,” Chloe Dalton writes movingly of rescuing a newborn hare and finding herself more open to the wonders of nature.
Twin sisters compete against one another in Soviet-era ballet worldElyse Dunham’s atmospheric novel “Maya & Natasha” portrays Russian dancers caught up in envy and ambition during the Cold War.
Nellie Bowles of The Free Press punctures pretension left and rightOnce a card-carrying liberal, this writer got fed up with running afoul of the left’s sacred cows.
Monitor's Best: Top 5
The ExplainerSo, how do you know if a country is in a constitutional crisis?
In Syria, Palestinians’ war-shattered camp is a ruin. But it’s home.
In Syria’s terrorized Alawite region, competing narratives, mutual suspicions
Waste not, want not? How Massachusetts became the only state to reduce food waste.
How Jackie Robinson’s legacy survived attempts to erase it
