New Arrivals for the Week of August 19

The Guardian was enthralled by this “rich, sweeping tale spanning centuries, continents and cultures” from Ancient Mesopotamia to modern day London, which interweaves the lives of “an extraordinary child born at the edge of the dirt-black Thames in Victorian London, a Yazidi girl journeying across war-torn lands in 2014 Turkey, and a broken-hearted hydrologist in 2018 London.”

The Pulitzer Prize-nominated author of Palmares and The Healing, famously discovered by Toni Morrison in the 70s, returns with a powerful novel about a Black WWII soldier returning to the Jim Crow era South, which Kirkus hailed as "a surprising, welcome gift from one of America's finest and least predictable writers."

Written by an award-winning poet and the first researcher to delve into Lorde’s complete manuscript archives, this book offers a profound look at her enduring impact. "Gumbs, one of our great poets, has delivered not only a masterful biography of Audre Lorde but a revolution in what a biography can be. Whether you only know Lorde through her most famous quotes or if you've read everything she wrote a thousand times, there is something new and exciting here for you. Structurally playful, deeply researched, vibrantly felt, it's a masterwork all around," raved LitHub.

Now available in the US, this 2023 Women’s Prize-shortlisted novel is set during the siege of Sarajevo and was recognized by Publishers Weekly as one of Fall 2024's "Promising Fiction Debuts." It’s a powerful story that draws from the real-life experiences of the British author's Bosnian relatives.

Elle Magazine named this "juicy, electric thriller about a pair of warring momfluencers" as one of the best reads of the season. Loaded with "read-in-one-sitting" appeal and "hilariously wicked" twists, it’s the perfect bang for your final summer binge.

The acclaimed writer and humorist reveals the Bronx's rich history, from Revolutionary War battles to the rise of hip-hop, in a "grandly detailed, vibrant, and caring" (Booklist) history that’s a must-read for anyone captivated by the dynamic tale of America's greatest city, recounted from a unique perspective.

People magazine hailed this "lush, imaginative debut, with hints of magic" about two sisters who are separated as children but reunited after being forced to work in service to a tyrannical Central American regime.

This “bloody good time" of a sophomore novel follows two women still embroiled in a dizzying and toxic relationship years after meeting on a glitzy London dance floor in 1979. "Disco, broken friendships, and a giant mystery are just the beginning,” raved Cosmopolitan.

In this unforgettable “blend of historical fiction and modern-day settings,” a contemporary playwright struggles for recognition, while in 1581, her ancestor Emilia Bassano secretly writes plays for Shakespeare. “The novel gives us timelines that intertwine and surprise,” remarked Harper's Bazaar. “This one is definitely for fans of Shakespeare's work; Picoult has done her research."

In its 2024 list of "Summer Books Our Critics Can't Wait to Read," NPR hailed the author of The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt, who in his latest graphic novel “translates careful research into scenic, emotive comics-in this case tracking the potential effects of an adventitious meeting in Prague between two geniuses on the cusp of world-changing discoveries."