Books | Book Reviews
- 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.”
- 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.
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- 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.
- Detroit’s attempt to improve its schools was hamstrung by redliningMichelle Adams’ “The Containment” argues that unfair housing practices kept Black Detroit residents confined to certain neighborhoods and undercut efforts to integrate schools.
- Find your winter escape with the 10 best books of FebruaryThe 10 best books of February range from humorous novels by Anne Tyler and Tom Lamont to historical novels set in 1950s Leningrad and 1920s Harlem.
- ‘Daughter of Daring’ tells a rip-roaring story of Hollywood’s first stuntwomanHelen Gibson wowed audiences with her jumps, falls, and derring-do. She also offered moviegoers the unique image of a woman in control.
- Curiosity, love, loss: A biographer puts herself in the frameMegan Marshall, a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, looks inward at how her life has been shaped by asking questions and digging deeply.
- Anne Tyler’s trademark wit and empathy shine in ‘Three Days in June’In “Three Days in June,” Anne Tyler makes the case for forgiving people’s shortcomings and cutting each other slack.
- A father-daughter bond forged by meals and memoriesBonny Reichert’s ”How To Share an Egg” celebrates the survival of her Jewish family, measured in joyous family dinners.
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- Arab world unites on Gaza. Can it get US, Israel, and Hamas on board?
- Cover StoryVirginia data centers are running out of power. Maryland farms lie in the way.
- From the ashes: After wildfire, can this Olive Avenue family move forward?
- In Ukraine mining region, a US minerals deal raises hopes and doubts
- Panicked Democratic voters are turning on their own leaders