Books from United States — The Book Roads

They Told Me Back Home Would Be Beautiful

Elena Dudum

Raised in a Palestinian Christian family in San Francisco, Elena Dudum grows up surrounded by her father’s stories of a homeland her grandparents were forced to leave. For years, she resists this inheritance, trying to fit into American life and escape the weight of a history she struggles to claim. But a visit to Palestine brings the realities of occupation, displacement, and her family’s past into sharp focus. Weaving together family memories, archival discoveries, and political reflection, this intimate memoir traces one woman’s journey from estrangement to belonging—and her determination to reclaim a heritage that cannot be erased.

2027

Jaded

Anne Meredith

Summer 1986, at Kelsey College. Professors Sam and Vera Ward have been married for decades, but their relationship follows an unusual arrangement: each academic year, Sam may take one student as a lover, provided the affair ends within twelve months. Their carefully controlled tradition begins to unravel when they choose Jade, a mysterious and fiercely intelligent young woman who has plans of her own. As desire turns into obsession and manipulation, the boundaries between predator and prey begin to collapse. Secrets become weapons, loyalties shift, and the power dynamics that once held the Wards’ marriage together threaten to destroy them all. Seductive, unsettling, and sharply observed, Jaded explores sexual politics, complicity, ambition, and the dangerous games people play to maintain control.

2027

Second Nature

Ling Ling Huang

In the isolated community of the Veil, Bodie grows up surrounded by his many mothers and devoted to a female God. His world seems peaceful, governed by ancient traditions and strict expectations. But as Bodie develops romantic feelings for his closest friend, Aster, he begins to question the rules that shape their lives. When he approaches a mysterious ritual marking the transition to adulthood, unsettling truths emerge about the society he has always trusted. To protect himself and the people he loves, Bodie must confront the one thing his community forbids: escape. Haunting and thought-provoking, this speculative novel explores faith, desire, survival, and the dangers of unquestioned traditions.

2027

Eat Bitter, Anastasia

Soma Mei Sheng Frazier

Anastasia Ān Xiá Huang is in her twenties, living in Oakland’s Chinatown, and wondering whether the city she loves is also the place holding her back. Working at a modern art museum while her own artistic ambitions gather dust, she sees an unexpected inheritance—a rundown Victorian house left by her beloved uncle—as her chance to start over. But the house holds more than renovation projects: unsettling memories of her childhood begin resurfacing, forcing her to confront an absent father, a distant mother, and the family secrets that have shaped her. As Anastasia untangles the mysteries of her home and her past, she must decide what it means to belong somewhere and whether moving forward requires leaving something behind. A vivid, intimate novel about family, cultural identity, grief, and the complicated ties between people and places.

2027

Swans

Claire Luchette

March 1970. With postal workers on strike, seventeen-year-old Sibby escapes a conversion camp and hits the road with a letter for the woman she loves. Along the way, she meets Lee, a woman transporting two swans to Ohio, and the pair begin delivering messages across the Midwest. As they invent stories about the people behind the letters, an unexpected love story begins to unfold between them. Funny, tender, and unconventional, Swans explores queer love, self-invention, and the freedom to imagine a different life.

2027

The Society of Forgotten Wives

Pam Jenoff

In 1919 New York, Hazel Brister leaves her privileged past behind to rebuild her life on the Lower East Side. When a woman arrives seeking help finding her missing husband, Hazel uncovers a troubling pattern: a group of women have all been abandoned by husbands who have mysteriously vanished. Hoping to uncover the truth and launch her journalism career, Hazel joins forces with these resourceful women—but their investigation reveals dangerous secrets that reach closer to home than she ever imagined. Inspired by true events, this is a story of female solidarity, resilience, and women reclaiming their futures.

2027

The Jewel of Sugar Hill

Fiona Davis

In 1800s New York, Eliza Brown is determined to escape her humble beginnings and claim a place among the city’s elite. When she catches the attention of political figure Aaron Burr, she sees an opportunity to secure her future—but her ambitions threaten to expose secrets from her past. More than two centuries later, disgraced architect Abby Dorrance investigates her father’s mysterious death at the historic Morris-Jumel Mansion in Harlem. As she uncovers the house’s hidden history, Abby must choose between protecting her family’s legacy and saving the landmark from destruction. Moving between two eras, this compelling novel follows two ambitious women determined to shape their own destinies against society’s expectations.

2027

The Stars Look Like Home

TJ Klune

Burke has always believed that dogs are immortal. After all, his mother told him that dogs are like stars: their light lasts forever. But when this cheerful, big-hearted dog discovers that his time on Earth is limited, he sets out to make every moment count. After moving between homes and struggling to find where he belongs, Burke finally meets Jake, a grieving professor who needs a reason to embrace life again. Their bond transforms both their worlds, but Burke knows he has one last mission: to find Jake someone to love before his own light fades. A funny, tender adventure about grief, belonging, and the extraordinary love between humans and animals.

2027

Blaze

Emma Donoghue

New York, 2040. In a half-flooded city devastated by environmental and social collapse, a young pigeon named Blaze survives with her tightly bonded flock in an abandoned tower. Life is dangerous, but her community has rules that keep them alive—until Blaze rescues a solitary stranger whose memories of the world before the catastrophe challenge everything she believes. As she navigates the complexities of loyalty, love, and motherhood, Blaze must decide whether to follow the traditions of her flock or dare to imagine a different future. An inventive, moving tale of survival, belonging, and the courage to change.

2027

The Witch of Wall Street

Marie Benedict

In Gilded Age New York, Hetty Robinson refuses to follow society’s expectations of a wealthy young woman. Instead of settling into a conventional marriage, she joins her father’s business and reveals an extraordinary talent for investing. After a devastating betrayal threatens everything she has built, Hetty vows never to depend on anyone again. Determined to forge her own financial empire, she takes on Wall Street’s most powerful men, including J. P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie. But behind the notorious nickname “The Witch of Wall Street” lies a more complicated woman: a fiercely independent financier, devoted mother, and shrewd investor whose actions would help save New York City from financial ruin. Inspired by the remarkable life of Hetty Green, this historical novel explores ambition, money, and the price women pay for power.

2027

Serious Music

Percival Everett

In 1918, Arthur Champion is a gifted young Black music scholar studying at the Oberlin Conservatory when a vindictive professor sends his life in an unexpected direction: he is drafted into the US Army and shipped to the trenches of the First World War. Surviving the horrors of the Somme, Arthur begins a remarkable journey through the jazz clubs of Paris and Harlem, eventually reaching the White House of President Woodrow Wilson. Along the way, he discovers the transformative power of his musical voice in a society determined to deny him ownership of his own talent. Blending dark humour with historical drama, Percival Everett examines racism, artistic freedom, and the struggle to claim one’s place in a world shaped by prejudice.

2027

Blade of Honey

Hafsah Faizal

Yasmine Ra’ad has one goal: to kill the king of Arawiya, the man whose throne was built on the destruction of her family. When she receives an invitation to compete for his hand in marriage, she sees the perfect opportunity to get close enough to strike. But King Altair has secrets of his own, including a deadly fate that can only be avoided if he takes a bride before the next full moon. As Yasmine plays the devoted suitor, revenge becomes complicated by an unexpected attraction. A dark, enchanting romantic fantasy about vengeance, political intrigue, and the dangerous distance between hatred and love.

2027