Worlds Within
Patti Callahan Henry’s latest novel, The Story She Left Behind, follows three generations of women through the mystery of a lost language. The author will appear at Parnassus Books in Nashville on April 2.
Book Reviews
A Stolen Life
FROM THE CHAPTER 16 ARCHIVE: When she died in 1960, Zora Neale Hurston left behind a manuscript that tells the story of Oluale Kossola, known in the United States as Cudjo Lewis, the last survivor of the transatlantic slave trade. With editing by Hurston scholar Deborah G. Plant, Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” was published in 2018.
Laughter in the Face of Despair
Steve Stern’s A Fool’s Kabbalah affirms the power of stories — and a dose of humor — to protect a people and its history. Stern will discuss the novel at Burke’s Book Store in Memphis on March 13.
Managing the Monsters of Childhood
In Kerry Madden-Lunsford’s middle-grade novel, Werewolf Hamlet, something terrible is happening to Angus Gettlefinger’s 17-year-old brother, Liam. He’s turning into a monster, and Angus doesn’t know why. Madden-Lunsford will discuss Werewolf Hamlet at Union Ave. Books in Knoxville on February 20 and at Parnassus Books in Nashville on March 24.
A Deep Enough Grief
When novelist Geraldine Brooks received the devastating phone call informing her that her husband, writer Tony Horwitz, had died unexpectedly, she found herself unable to grieve. In her new memoir, Memorial Days, Brooks recounts traveling to a remote island off the Tasmanian coast, seeking a space in which she can engage “a grief deep enough to reflect our love.” Brooks will discuss Memorial Days at a ticketed event at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville on February 13.
Natural City
In Nashville Native Orchids, Soraya Cates Parr has written a fascinating first book that is part natural science, part field guide, and part cultural heritage. Native orchids turn out to be a key to unlocking hidden nature throughout the city. Soraya Cates Parr will discuss the book at Warner Park Nature Center in Nashville on February 22.
