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Through short stories, 'The Faraway World' encompasses the Latin American diaspora Feb 06, 2023

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Patricia Engel's new collection of short stories, The Faraway World, reaches into the lives of imaginary characters scattered throughout Latin America. There's a family that's left reeling after a very important member disappears; there's an immigrant woman grappling with societal expectations of what her body and career should look like. In today's episode, Engel talks with NPR's Leila Fadel about some of the overarching themes that tie the ten stories together – and how the title came from a family photograph she found from when her own grandfather took a leap into the unknown.
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Two novels take a closer look at class and gender in Indian society Feb 03, 2023

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Today's episode features two books that examine wealth – or lack thereof – and gender in India. First, Deepti Kapoor chats with NPR's Scott Simon about her novel, Age of Vice, and the way it portrays indulgence in New Delhi society through a protagonist who is an "oppressed everyman." Then, NPR's Mary Louise Kelly asks Parini Shroff about The Bandit Queens, which follows a jewelry maker who refuses to set the record straight on the village rumor that she murdered her husband – and finds unexpected laughs in her dark quest to help other women get rid of their partners, too.
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In 'Beaverland,' Leila Philip credits the beaver with building America Feb 02, 2023

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Journalist Leila Philip first became interested in beavers when she saw a group of rodents building a pond near her house. Her fascination with what they were doing led her to research and report her new book, Beaverland, which takes a closer look at the animals' impact on North America, from the earliest transatlantic beaver fur trade to today's river restoration efforts. Philip spoke with NPR's Michel Martin about how learning their long history on our continent can highlight beavers' ongoing economic and environmental contributions, especially when it comes to water conservation.
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'Shubeik Lubeik' imagines a world where you can buy and sell wishes Feb 01, 2023

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In Arabic, the rhyme Shubeik Lubeik means "your wish is my command." So it's an apt title for a new graphic novel by Deena Mohamed, which explores a world in which wishes are commodified and classified for consumption. Cheap wishes are packaged and sold in cans, while expensive wishes belong in bottles. In today's episode, Mohamed explains to NPR's Ayesha Rascoe how this system is meant to illustrate the ways wealth already works in our society, and how difficult it can be to decide what wishes are worth hoping for.
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In 'The Survivalists,' doomsday prepping becomes a way to regain control Jan 31, 2023

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Comedy writer Kashana Cauley grew up watching the film Conspiracy Theory, starring Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts, with her parents. She says that's likely her earliest entryway into a world she explores in her debut novel, The Survivalists – it follows a millennial lawyer falling in with a community of doomsday preppers. In this episode, Cauley tells NPR's Juana Summers about the control people might feel preparing for an impending apocalypse, and how that experience is ultimately shaped by our understanding of race in the U.S.
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'Sorry, Sorry, Sorry' believes in the power of a good apology Jan 30, 2023

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Saying sorry can be really difficult sometimes – it requires a certain amount of accountability, reflection and empathy. But that's precisely why it can go so far in a familial, romantic or professional relationship. In their new book, Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, Marjorie Ingall and Susan McCarthy break down six essential steps to a good apology – and explain why it's more important to think about the impact of our words than the intent behind them. They tell NPR's Mary Louise Kelly that while focusing on regret centers our own feelings, saying sorry actually puts the other person first.
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Two books trace enslaved people's journey to freedom in the 19th century Jan 27, 2023

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Today's episode features two books examining the sacrifices made by enslaved people in the U.S. First, NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with author Ilyan Woo about Master, Slave, Husband, Wife. It's a true story about a young couple that poses as an elderly white man and his slave in order to escape the South. Then, author Kai Thomas tells NPR's Ari Shapiro about how his novel, In the Upper Country, takes a closer look at the relationship between Black and indigenous people – and how free Black communities in Canada became a safe haven during the American Civil War.
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In 'Bad Cree,' a horror mystery unfolds in the aftermath of loss and colonialism Jan 26, 2023

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Jessica Johns' thriller, Bad Cree, opens with a startling image: a severed crow's head in someone's hand. In today's episode, Johns tells NPR's Ayesha Rascoe she hoped that image would set the tone for the winding mystery within her new novel. It follows a young Cree woman who returns to a home and culture she left behind in hopes of helping her cope with grief. Much of Mackenzie's story involves her dreams, and Johns explains why she felt it was so important to honor that world – especially after a professor told her otherwise.
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'Life on Delay' chronicles what it means to live with – and accept – a stutter Jan 25, 2023

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In 2019, John Hendrickson wrote a piece for The Atlantic about then-presidential candidate Joe Biden's life with a stutter. Hendrickson himself stutters – and in his new reported memoir, Life on Delay, he takes a closer look at his relationship with talking out loud. In this episode, Hendrickson tells NPR's Scott Simon about the physical discomfort that he and others experience when stuttering and how, beyond that, there are layers of mental work to be done to remember it's still worth it to keep speaking up.
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'Decent People' is a murder mystery grappling with race in the segregated South Jan 24, 2023

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In a small North Carolina town in 1976, three siblings are shot to death. That's the mystery at the center of De'Shawn Charles Winslow's new book, Decent People – and it's one the segregated town's white police officers aren't paying much attention to. In today's episode, Winslow tells NPR's Scott Simon about the heroine who takes it upon herself to solve the case, and why the author feels a need to paint a nuanced portrait of even the antagonists in his books.
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