Niall Williams's new novel set in rural 1950's Ireland inspires optimism with the generous spirit of character Christy McMahon. McMahon arrives to assist with the installation of electricity in the village of Faha and seek forgiveness for a past mistake. Read more about this enchanting Irish story.
Author: The Longest Chapter
I am the book critic for NPR member station WOSU 89.7 FM in Columbus, Ohio, an addicted bibliophile and out-of-control collector of first editions I can't afford.
The books I’ll be reading next
A list of books coming in February and March that have me excited, including an essay collection, memoir, biography, fable, crime story and assorted novels.
Lessons for a book critic
Larry Heinemann won the 1987 National Book Award for fiction. It was a controversial upset. Here's why his story has stayed with me all these years.
My year of reading
Here at The Longest Chapter, instead of calling out best books of 2019, I've gathered a more personal list.
Shannon Pufahl’s “On Swift Horses”
This fiction debut features gambling lost souls in the American West during the 1950s. It's written with gorgeous prose. Here's what the story is about.
Books I’m recommending
I've captured here the novels I mentioned on NPR member station WOSU All Sides Weekend Books that aired November 8, 2019.
Verbal combat in 1990’s Kansas
Ben Lerner's new novel "The Topeka School" takes us back to the 1990s with the return of Adam Gordon, the protagonist in Lerner's first novel, "Leaving from the Atocha Station." Adam is a graduating high school senior and debate champion, but Lerner is up to much more than a good story about a Kansas boy.
Classic horror with an evil twin
Thomas Tryon's "The Other" unnerved me the first time I read it when I was 16. It still creeps me out.
National Book Awards 2019 Finalists
Twenty-five nominees in five categories made it from the longlist to the shortlist of the National Book Awards. Here's a look at three of them, and also one that didn't make the cut but has an interesting scandal going on in Norway.
Waiting for Dilly Hearne
Two old Irish drug smugglers sit on a bench and chat in a derelict ferry terminal in Kevin Barry’s third novel, “Night Boat to Tangier.” It's a funny, dark, intoxicating story where the pages fly past under the quick-witted banter of Maurice and Charlie, who are looking for Maurice’s estranged daughter.
Which 2019 Man Booker finalist will win?
Will it be Margaret Atwood's sequel to “The Handmaid's Tale”? Or perhaps Lucy Ellman's one-sentence epic? This year's shortlist offers six novels that embrace the issues of our times. Here's the list and thoughts to go with it.
A new novel inspired by CIA documents
In “The Secrets We Kept,” Lara Prescott unfolds a little-known, Cold War story about Boris Pasternak’s “Doctor Zhivago.” It’s historical fiction that’s entertaining, with a colorful cast of characters.
An orphan in the family storm
"A Girl Returned" is the English-language debut of Italian author Donatella Di Pietrantonio. This memorable novel captivates readers with its young narrator whose identity and sense of belonging is shattered by her misguided family.
Two summer books not to be overlooked
So many summer books, so little time. You'll be sorry, though, if you missed these two.
An astute mystery about racial injustice
"The Gone Dead," a novel by Chanelle Benz, immerses readers in the Mississippi Delta with protagonist Billie James suspecting foul play in her father's death 30 years ago. This atmospheric debut explores themes of deceit, race relations and family ties.
