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'Represent' charts the United States' long struggle for the right to vote Sep 19, 2024

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Election denialism and myths of voter fraud have long been part of the history of the United States. In their new book, Represent: The Unfinished Fight for the Vote, Michael Eric Dyson and Marc Favreau trace the contentious battle for democratic representation from the American Revolution to the present day–up to the 2024 election. In today's episode, Dyson and Favreau speak with NPR's Ayesha Rascoe about lesser-known heroes in the struggle for voting rights, the political impact of non-voters and the legacy of recent events like the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
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In 'Entitlement,' a young woman helps an elderly billionaire give away his fortune Sep 18, 2024

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In Rumaan Alam's new novel, Entitlement, Brooke, a former teacher, is given a rare opportunity. She takes a job with an 83-year-old billionaire and is tasked with helping him decide what to do with his fortune. But, as Brooke spends more time in proximity to such great wealth, the experience begins to distort her sense of priorities, ambitions and personal ethics. In today's episode, Alam speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about the stratification of wealth, whether we're living through a new Gilded Age and the effect money has on us.
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Venus Williams' new book 'Strive' is a personal guide to physical and mental health Sep 17, 2024

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Tennis legend Venus Williams has a lot on her plate. There's her tennis career, of course, but also business pursuits in fashion, interior design, nail art and more. As a result, Williams says it can be difficult for her to find balance. In her new book Strive, she details eight steps she follows in pursuit of this balance between her mental, physical and emotional health. In today's episode, Williams speaks with NPR's Michel Martin about learning from an early-career loss at the U.S. Open, resting more and living with an autoimmune disease.
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Rachel Kushner's new novel 'Creation Lake' is inspired by real-life espionage Sep 16, 2024

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Rachel Kushner's new novel, Creation Lake, has all the makings of a great spy thriller: a cool and unknowable secret agent, a mysterious figure who communicates only by email and a radical commune of French eco-activists. Kushner has said that some of these elements were, in fact, inspired by real-world stories of espionage and her own access to the social and political worlds of activist communes. In today's episode, Kushner speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about the murky boundaries of being an undercover agent–and a writer.
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'At War with Ourselves' and 'Broken Open' are memoirs chronicling internal conflict Sep 13, 2024

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New memoirs by former National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster and recovery advocate William Cope Moyers document conflicts of different kinds. In At War with Ourselves, McMaster contends with his years in the Trump administration and the political infighting he experienced at the White House. Moyers' Broken Open documents a more personal struggle with maintaining his sobriety 35 years into his recovery journey. In today's episode, McMaster talks with NPR's Steve Inskeep about the three types of people he encountered at the White House–and what U.S. foreign policy would look like under a second Trump presidency. Later, Moyers speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about what happens when sobriety is jeopardized.
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'The Museum of Failures' follows a father-to-be as he stumbles upon family secrets Sep 12, 2024

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The Museum of Failures follows Remy Wadia, an Indian American ad executive who left India for the United States years ago. But when Remy returns to Bombay to adopt a child, he realizes things aren't as he left them. Remy's mother is ill, and soon, he uncovers a shocking family secret. Thrity Umrigar's novel, first released last year, is now out in paperback. In today's episode, Here & Now's Deepa Fernandes speaks with Umrigar about gender roles, parenthood and the psychic toll of leaving home.
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In 'The Stories We Cannot Tell,' difficult pregnancies unite two very different women Sep 11, 2024

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Over 25 years ago, author Leslie Rasmussen connected with a stranger over challenges with their fertility. That friendship inspired her 2023 novel, The Stories We Cannot Tell, which follows two very different women who contend with excruciating decisions around their pregnancies. In today's episode, Rasmussen talks with NPR's Leila Fadel about her years-long fertility struggle, the difficulty of discussing the decision to terminate a pregnancy, and the political context surrounding her novel following the fall of Roe v. Wade.
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In 'We're Alone,' Edwidge Danticat's essays extend an invitation to be together Sep 10, 2024

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Edwidge Danticat is known for her novels and short stories. But her new book, We're Alone, is a collection of eight wide-ranging essays. These essays touch on intimate and historical topics: Danticat's past and present, the history of Haiti, parenting, migration and the author's connection to her literary heroes. In today's episode, Danticat speaks with NPR's Ari Shapiro about the complexity of nostalgia and the Haiti she remembers.
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'A Pair of Wings' draws inspiration from Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman to fly Sep 09, 2024

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Carole Hopson wanted to be a pilot since childhood, but it wasn't until her mid-30s that she learned about Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman to earn her pilot's license in 1921. Coleman's story not only encouraged Hopson to pursue her own career as a commercial pilot, but it also inspired A Pair of Wings, Hopson's first novel. In today's episode, Hopson speaks with NPR's Michel Martin about Coleman's groundbreaking path and about Hopson's own experience as one of few women of color working as a pilot for a major airline. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
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'Anything's Pastable' and 'My Life in Recipes' explore viral pasta and family history Sep 06, 2024

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Anything's Pastable and My Life in Recipes, new cookbooks from Dan Pashman and Joan Nathan, get personal in very different ways. Pashman, the James Beard Award-winning podcaster, sets out to revolutionize our relationship with pasta, while Nathan's 12th cookbook blends recipes and memoir to trace her family history through Jewish cuisine. In today's episode, Here & Now's Robin Young talks with Pashman about food innovation, his viral pasta shape and why home cooks shouldn't sweat over homemade sauce. Then, NPR's Ari Shapiro joins Nathan at her home to discuss Jewish holidays, her family's immigration story and the perfect matzo ball soup.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
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