Systems science can help when it comes to understanding complex global crises and their synergistic social, environmental, and economic interconnections, as shown in Wayne Visser’s positive, approachable "Thriving". The book introduces... Read More

In Elif Shafak’s "The Island of Missing Trees", a father and daughter reconnect after years of secrecy and a devastating loss. Ada has only ever known her parents: her father, Kostas, and her mother, Defne, who died. Her other... Read More

Cathy McCrumb’s thought-provoking science fiction novel "Recorder" asks whether one can understand humanity and still remain its impartial observer. In a far-future time wherein human beings have found homes among the stars, Recorders... Read More

A psycholinguist and a Czech immigrant to Canada, Julie Sedivy lost her first language, so much so that her “Czech heritage began to feel more and more like a vestigial organ.” She is not alone in this experience: Generation 1.5... Read More

"The Long Winding Road of Harry Raymond" vivifies and contextualizes a pivotal turn-of-the-century crime. Patrick Jenning’s riveting "The Long Winding Road of Harry Raymond" is a combination regional history, true crime, and biography... Read More

Maryse Condé’s novel "Waiting for the Waters to Rise" addresses immigration, nationalism, friendship, colorism, and political power through the intersecting lives of three friends. Babakar, a handsome obstetrician in Guadeloupe, is... Read More

In Susie Finkbeiner’s touching novel "The Nature of Small Birds", an unusual adoption shows that families don’t have to be perfect in order to be loving. In the first of three interconnected story lines, Linda marries into the... Read More

"Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops" is an immigrant’s memoir that moves from Taiwan to America, charting challenges and triumphs along the way. Allison Hong Merrill relates an emotional story of faith, love, and perseverance in her memoir... Read More