Decades ago, academic and political forces altered the American college purpose from a public good to a private benefit. Bunch persuasively details how the skyrocketing cost of college, its associated student debt, and the animosity toward college from a wide segment of the public helped fuel the harsh divisions in America today. ~ Reviewed by Mike Hare
The whole Hempel family stops being repressed. But it takes a long time. Jessi Hempel's self-absorption and dizzying number of flings are balanced by a growing interest in her parents and siblings, all of whom embark on rocky roads to self-realization. ~ Reviewed by Mike Hare
Inventive, interlocked tales where, through the exploits of fish and weasels, themes of relationships and parenthood in modern Japan surreally emerge. ~ Reviewed by Mike Hare
A strange, startling waking dream formed in the midst of war. When a futile, deadly cavalry charge is repulsed on a bridge, Baron Bagge seems to spend days in a lively, crowded, constantly partying town where he meets the love of his life, the enemy is laughed away, and it all seems so astonishingly real. ~ Reviewed by Mike Hare
A 1793 date rape in New York City brought to meticulous life. The 17-year old victim did something unheard of: she pressed charges against the assailant. Her story, and the city itself. are intimately detailed, and the heavily patriarchal 18th Century culture disturbingly resonates today. ~ Reviewed by Mike Hare
