I am an ethicist—a scholar and professor who thinks and writes about “right” and “wrong” in terms of human behaviors, actions, and relationships, especially where technology is involved. I went into this field because my first pregnancy was a baby girl named Zoe whose brain never developed (anencephaly). When I tried to do what I thought was right, arranging to have her organs donated, some thought it was wrong, and my efforts ultimately failed. In working through my grief, I wrote a SF novel about one woman’s struggles and strength in the face of a frightening use of technology. Books about enduring personal struggles with integrity remind me that this is part of life.
After the Great Storms hit North America, VISHNEW emerged in seven localities on Earth. One of those was the island of Nantucket. Female fertility rates have plummeted worldwide and sperm counts have dropped precipitously; human reproduction protocols are being enforced. Waiting in the Silence narrates the tale of Oriana, an island resident whose pregnancy is of interest to island authorities. Under the watchful eye of VISHNEW, Oriana has been accused of stealing genetic material and using it for self-impregnation. At stake is the fate of Oriana’s unborn child, and her reproductive agency. Oriana’s mother is gone. Her father is grieving. Where can she turn for help? The way we learn, who we love, and how we bring children into the world are all of concern as the novel unfolds.
I didn’t know what to expect when I began reading Educated, and what I got was totally unexpected. This book touched a nerve and then put balm on the pain. Parts of it were too close for comfort around family trauma. Balancing family obligations with personal needs and self-care is something I struggle with and apparently something this author struggled with as well. I thought I had challenges and difficulties in my life but my goodness; how did she ever emerge from her life circumstances with such wisdom and integrity? I have been reassured by this wonderful (though painful) memoir, that what she did, I can do too!
Selected as a book of the year by AMAZON, THE TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, GUARDIAN, NEW YORK TIMES, ECONOMIST, NEW STATESMAN, VOGUE, IRISH TIMES, IRISH EXAMINER and RED MAGAZINE
'One of the best books I have ever read . . . unbelievably moving' Elizabeth Day 'An extraordinary story, beautifully told' Louise O'Neill 'A memoir to stand alongside the classics . . . compelling and joyous' Sunday Times
Tara Westover grew up preparing for the end of the world. She was never put in school, never taken to the doctor. She did not even have a birth certificate…
Trevor Noah is the funniest living comedian, and he is brilliant. Who would ever guess that his childhood was filled with so much trauma? Being set in Apartheid South Africa, I was able to keep a personal distance from the story. But it still touched and inspired me, perhaps because my own children are mixed race and had they been born there, I’d not have been allowed to marry or live with their father. Unimaginable. This autobiographical accounting of Trevor’s tormented life is a testimony to his inner strength. An average person from his background might be in prison or dead. But not Trevor. The question is why he made it through with such integrity and heart. He gives a lot of credit to his mother and I appreciate that.
The compelling, inspiring, (often comic) coming-of-age story of Trevor Noah, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed.
One of the comedy world's brightest new voices, Trevor Noah is a light-footed but sharp-minded observer of the absurdities of politics, race and identity, sharing jokes and insights drawn from the wealth of experience acquired in his relatively young life. As host of the US hit show The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, he provides viewers around the globe with their nightly dose of biting satire, but here Noah turns his…
I think it’s the struggles and painful experiences of the 16-year-old character Nao, that kept my attention throughout this twisty-turning book. The author takes you right into Nao’s young mind. Why is it that no matter where you are in the world, being a teenager comes with such difficulty? Nao’s life was brutal on all counts, except for her relationship with her great-grandmother, Jiko, a Buddhist nun living in a remote monastery. The Japanese cultural context of this book is quite fascinating, and offers much to learn. On a personal level, I could relate to the loving, rather extraordinary relationship between Nao and her quite elderly great-grandmother. (I cherished my grandmother during my rocky teenage years!) It’s probably because of Jiko that Nao was able to handle her life.
A brilliant, unforgettable novel from bestselling author Ruth Ozeki, author of The Book of Form and Emptiness
Finalist for the Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award
"A time being is someone who lives in time, and that means you, and me, and every one of us who is, or was, or ever will be."
In Tokyo, sixteen-year-old Nao has decided there's only one escape from her aching loneliness and her classmates' bullying. But before she ends it all, Nao first plans to document the life of her great grandmother, a Buddhist nun who's lived more than a…
I read this for myself and now assign it to my students as an example of how even if we stumble in our ethics, we can stand up again and lay claim to our values. I appreciate that Suzanne Simard was transformed by the forest. And managed to trust what the forest was teaching, and follow her intuition, despite pressure to doubt herself and her insights. She shares about being a cancer patient and that journey alone was harrowing. Simard is a hero to me and because of this book I have rediscovered trees and learned to love them. Just as important, Simard inspires me to trust my inner voice and the lessons I am gleaning from nature, even in the face of being doubted and dismissed for unconventional thinking.
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • From the world's leading forest ecologist who forever changed how people view trees and their connections to one another and to other living things in the forest—a moving, deeply personal journey of discovery
“Finding the Mother Tree reminds us that the world is a web of stories, connecting us to one another. [The book] carries the stories of trees, fungi, soil and bears--and of a human being listening in on the conversation. The interplay of personal narrative, scientific insights and the amazing revelations about the life of the forest make a compelling story.”—Robin Wall…
This book was uncomfortable to read, and disturbing. I nearly stopped reading it all together. But past the first half, I became engrossed. Wouldn’t it be nice if, in life, actions were clearly right or simply wrong, such as murder. In actuality, life can be complicated and ethics are sometimes grey, not at all black and white. In this book, what counts as morality is perplexing. In fact, the moral integrity of Lauren, the main character, comes into question. Hers is a crumbling world of anguish, suffering, and loss, where all that matters is survival. Even though I found it difficult to digest, I recommend this book because it masterfully explores whether it’s possible to be a person of integrity in a world that has fallen into total chaos.
The extraordinary, prescient NEW YORK TIMES-bestselling novel.
'If there is one thing scarier than a dystopian novel about the future, it's one written in the past that has already begun to come true. This is what makes Parable of the Sower even more impressive than it was when first published' GLORIA STEINEM
'Unnervingly prescient and wise' YAA GYASI
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We are coming apart. We're a rope, breaking, a single strand at a time.
America is a place of chaos, where violence rules and only the rich and powerful are safe. Lauren Olamina, a young woman with the extraordinary power to…
It’s 1969. Women are fighting for equality. Rosalee, an insecure sculptor, and Fran, a best-selling novelist, have their issues. Will their bitter envy of each other and long-held secrets destroy their tenuous friendship? Or will Jill, Rosalee’s granddaughter, and the story behind her emerald necklace bind them together?
A multi-generational novel of friendship and frenemies, envy, and long-held secrets that explores current issues through a historical lens. The Emerald Necklace sheds light on that inevitable time when lovers, family, friends, and circumstances change and force you to reinvent yourself whether you want to or not.
"Engaging and mysterious, The Emerald Necklace sheds light on that inevitable time when lovers, family, friends and circumstances change and force you to reinvent yourself whether you want to or not." –Rebecca Rosenberg, award-winning Champagne Widows series
Three months after her husband's death in 1969, Rosalee Linoff is determined to jump back into life.
For her, that means returning to her art. She desperately wants to be accepted as a talented sculptor, but that requires she dig up the courage to submit her work again - and be judged. Her paralyzing insecurity mounts when she meets her new neighbor, best-selling…
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