"This top-of-the-line modern American Western debut explores the themes of violence, revenge, and forgiveness with a sure hand. Security guard Wes Carver, age 60, lives in Spokane, Wash., with his wife, Claire. When she dies after a lengthy battle with leukemia, he fulfills her request to transport her ashes to their first home of Black River in the Montana outback. His 34-year-old stepson, Dennis Boxer, a successful farrier, puts up Wes at the old homestead despite the history of acrimony between the two men. . . From the bluegrass theme to the Western rural setting, Hulse handles his story like a pro." - Publishers Weekly

"Scotton's accomplished debut is the story of Kevin Gillooly, a 14-year-old boy who moves to coal country and learns about courage and violence, beauty and danger, from his wise, weathered grandfather and a best friend well versed in backwoods survival. Kevin's mother brings him to her hometown of Medgar, Ky., after the death of Kevin's three-year-old brother. Kevin's grandfather Pops is a large-animal veterinarian and hires Kevin as an assistant. Pops also introduces him to books like Treasure Island and gives him time off to explore the surrounding mountains with his friend and confidant Buzzy Fink. . . The coming-of-age story is enriched by depictions of the earth's healing and redemptive power. . ." - Publishers Weekly

Hector is trapped. The water truck, sealed to hide its human cargo, has broken down. The coyotes have taken all the passenger's money for a mechanic and have not returned. Those left behind have no choice but to wait. Hector finds a name in his friend Cesar's phone: AnniMac, a name with an American number. He must reach her, both for rescue and to pass along the message Cesar has come so far to deliver. Hector's story takes us from Oaxaca its rich culture, its rapid change to the dangers of the border, reminding us of the power of storytelling and the power of hope.

"Genova does here for Huntington's disease what her novel Still Alice. . .did for Alzheimer's. Joe O'Brien is a 44-year-old Boston cop who. . .begins experiencing involuntary, jerky movements, and his fellow cops suspect he might be a drunk, but a doctor's visit and extensive testing reveal that he suffers from Huntington's disease, which is hereditary and incurable. On top of his own worries about his health and his wife's financial future, he also experiences guilt at the thought that he might have passed the gene on to his four children, who must now decide whether to get tested themselves and live with the knowledge. . ." - Booklist

The Middle East is in a constant state of change, and understanding it has never been more important. In this essential guide to the region and its politics, Smith unravels the history of the Middle East from the Ottoman Empire to the present day. With the acute and fair-minded analysis readers have come to expect from him, Smith highlights key issues and maps their global implications to explain why the Middle East has become, and will remain, the focal point of foreign policy. There can be no one-line summary of the Middle East, but Smith gives readers the primer they need to understand the ongoing conflicts in the region.