Upcoming Novels, Snowstorms & the Infinite Oddity of the Human Condition

This morning, I sat down at my desk, ready to write about the upcoming novels I’m excited for– gifts, if you will, to help me get through the long, lingering months of February and March. Continue reading Upcoming Novels, Snowstorms & the Infinite Oddity of the Human Condition

Decolonizing History & Reclaiming the Narrative: Leila Aboulela’s Latest Novel River Spirit

What is not to love about a postcolonial novel that complicates the concepts of “victory” and “heroism,” inviting questions about whose victory, whose hero, and whose version of events–whose (hi)story is being told? Continue reading Decolonizing History & Reclaiming the Narrative: Leila Aboulela’s Latest Novel River Spirit

Finding Beauty ‘In Our Times of Greatest Love and Greatest Fear’: The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

Lefteri approaches her characters’ vulnerability in such a gentle, graceful way that the novel feels heart-warming and hopeful despite the horrifying reality millions of people worldwide face today. Continue reading Finding Beauty ‘In Our Times of Greatest Love and Greatest Fear’: The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

Civilizational Collapse, Taylor Swift(s) of the World, and the Beauty of Connection

As I continued to read the emails Alice and Eileen exchange throughout the novel, I realized: as citizens of the world, we had more in common than I initially thought. Continue reading Civilizational Collapse, Taylor Swift(s) of the World, and the Beauty of Connection