Valeria Cossati never suspected how unhappy she had become with the shabby gentility of her bourgeois life, until she begins to jot down her thoughts and feelings in a little black book she keeps hidden in a closet. This new secret activity leads her to scrutinize herself and her life more closely
A professional captain of traditional sailing ships who has spent thirty years at sea offers a sailor's-eye-view of the moving parts of our atmosphere, unveiling the larger patterns it holds: global winds, storms, air masses, jet streams, and the longer arc of our climate
This book describes the joy and problems in life of the multilayered Soviet Jewish society during the years between Josef Stalin's demise in March 1953, and Moscow's breaking of diplomatic relations with Israel in June 1967
‘Detailed and impeccably researched. Eye-opening' GUARDIAN ‘Punchy and well- reported. Sommer is the perfect person to tell this story' NEW YORK TIMES
When Nova, Lovett High School's first black homecoming queen, is murdered the night of her coronation, her best friend, Duchess, finds an unlikely ally in her search for the killer--her prime suspect, Tinsley, the white rival nominee for queen
In a United States not so unlike our own, the Department of Balance has adopted a radical new form of law enforcement: rather than incarceration, wrongdoers are given a second (and sometimes, third, fourth, and fifth) shadow as a reminder of their crime—and a warning to those they encounter. Within the Department, corruption and prejudice run rampant, giving rise to an underclass of so-called Shadesters who are disenfranchised, publicly shamed, and deprived of civil rights protections.Kris is a Shadester and a new mother to a baby born with a second shadow of her own. Grieving the loss of her wife and thoroughly unprepared for the reality of raising a child alone, Kris teeters on the edge of collapse, fumbling in a daze of alcohol, shame, and self-loathing. Yet as the kid grows, Kris finds her footing, raising a child whose irrepressible spark cannot be dampened by the harsh realities of the world. With a first-person register reminiscent of the fierce self-disclosure of Sheila Heti and the poetic precision of Ocean Vuong, I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself is a bold debut novel that examines the long shadow of grief, the hard work of parenting, and the power of queer resistance.
"In the fourteen masterful stories that make up this collection, Jai Chakrabarti crosses continents and cultures to explore what it means to cultivate a family today, across borders, religions, and race. In the title story, a closeted gay man in 1980s Kolkata seeks to have a child with his lover’s wife. An Indian widow, engaged to a Jewish man, struggles to balance her cultural identity with the rituals and traditions of her newfound family. An American musician travels to see his guru for the final time—and makes a promise he cannot keep. A young woman from an Indian village arrives in Brooklyn to care for the toddler of a biracial couple. And a mystical agent is sent by a mother to solve her son’s domestic problems. Throughout, the characters’ most vulnerable desires shape life-altering decisions as they seek to balance their needs against those of the people they hold closest. The stories in A Small Sacrifice for an Enormous Happiness capture men and women struggling with transformation and familial bonds; they traverse the intersections of countries and cultures to illuminate what it means to love in uncertain times; and they showcase the skill of a storyteller who dazzles with the breadth of his vision"-- Publisher's website
"Spanning decades and perspectives, seamlessly shifting between the gothic and the tenderhearted, Welcome Me to the Kingdom announces the arrival of an immensely talented new voice in literary fiction. Organized around the devastating financial crisis of 1997, these stories introduce us to an unforgettable cast of characters--Nam, Pea, Lara, Benz, Ping, and more--who employ various schemes and strategies to conceal, betray, lie, and seduce their way to achieving the 'good' life. Sex tourism and Buddhist cults threaten to overtake the nation while Elvis impersonators compete for their respective legacies. A spirit medium channels southern Thailand's secessionist anger into her bloody but essential work. An American leaves his family and expatriates to Bangkok, sold on the idea of an 'easy' country. Two friends, down on their luck, enter a cock-fighting tournament with a legendary bird. And in a city where class is fate, two friends volunteer as first responders to accumulate karmic merit toward their next lives"-- Provided by publisher
"A lyrical debut novel that asks what we owe to our families, what we owe to our ancestors, and what we owe to ourselves. Janelle M. Williams's Gone Like Yesterday employs magical realism to explore the majestic and haunting experience of being a Black woman in today's America"-- Provided by publisher
In this follow-up to 123 Fish in the Sea, young readers can touch the numbers 1 through 5 and feel a different molded plastic texture to make learning to count even more fun.Young children can learn their numbers 1 through 5 with this innovative counting book, which features numbers made of molded plastic with different tactile textures. One little star shines above a ladybug who is getting ready for bed. The ladybug sees two more stars, and a friendly firefly sees three stars of his own and wishes everyone a good night. Readers also meet a butterfly, a baby bee, and a glow worm, all of whom see stars in the sky before they fall asleep.