Finalist for the 2021 National Book Award (Fiction)
"A virtuosic portrait." -New York Times Book Review
"A tender, glowing novel." -Anthony Doerr, Guardian, "Best Books of the Year"
"Pages that are polished like jewels." -Scott Simon, NPR, "Books We Love"
"Lit from within." -Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, "Best Fiction Books of the Year"
"A touching, tightly woven story from an always impressive author." -Kirkus (starred review), "Best Fiction of the Year"
"Radiates the heat of a beating heart." -Vox
"A poignant, unforgettable novel." -Hernan Diaz
From prize-winning, acclaimed author Laird Hunt, a poignant novel about a woman searching for her place in the world and finding it in the daily rhythms of life in rural Indiana.
The 2021 National Book Award finalists were announced last week. This prestigious annual literary award includes five different categories—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature, and young people’s literature—with five finalists for each. Read on for the twenty-five books that made the cut.
Summer reading and historical fiction go hand in hand. We love the experience of losing ourselves in another time and place—and learning about some historic facts and figures as we go. Here we feature some of the most exciting new titles so far from 2021.