5 books not to miss: ‘Children Under Fire’ targets American gun violence, more new releases
In search of something good to read? USA TODAY’s Barbara VanDenburgh scopes out the shelves for this week’s hottest new book releases. All books are on sale March 30.
1. “Children Under Fire: An American Crisis,” by John Woodrow Cox (Ecco, nonfiction)
What it’s about: An intimate, hard-hitting account of the devastating impact of gun violence on American children from the perspective of those impacted by it and a call to action to create a new way forward.
The buzz: “Balancing sound research with moving profiles of victims and activists, Cox makes an impeccable case for how to solve the problem and why it’s essential to do so now,” says a starred review from Publishers Weekly.
“Children Under Fire: An American Crisis,” by John Woodrow Cox. (Photo: Ecco)
2. “Libertie,” by Kaitlyn Greenidge (Algonquin, fiction)
What it’s about: The Whiting Award-winning author of “We Love You, Charlie Freeman” returns with the story of a young Black girl coming of age in Reconstruction-era Brooklyn, New York, inspired by the life of one of the first Black female doctors in the U.S.
The buzz: “‘Libertie’ shines as a deeply moving portrait of two very different women and the fraught but loving intertwining of their lives,” says a ★★★ (out of four) review for USA TODAY.
3. “A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance,” by Hanif Abdurraqib (Random House, nonfiction)
What it’s about: A personal meditation in essays on Black artistic performance in the U.S. and how it’s inextricably woven into the fabric of American culture.
The buzz: “Filled with nuance and lyricism, Abdurraqib’s luminous survey is stunning,” says a starred review from Publishers Weekly.
4. “Of Women and Salt,” by Gabriela Garcia (Flatiron, fiction)
What it’s about: A Cuban immigrant mother and daughter in Miami, grappling with the daughter’s addiction, reckon with their family’s legacy back to a 19th-century Cuban cigar factory.
The buzz: “This riveting account will please readers of sweeping multigenerational stories,” says Publishers Weekly.
5. “The Five Wounds,” by Kirstin Valdez Quade (Norton, fiction)
What it’s about: This debut novel from the National Book Critics Circle Award winner is set in a small New Mexico town, where Amadeo Padilla’s daughter Angel shows up unannounced, and pregnant, during Holy Week.
The buzz: “Perfectly rendered characters anchor a novel built around a fierce, flawed, and loving family,” says a starred review from Kirkus Reviews.
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