| Dear Reader... |
| After last week's election, many readers have wondered what use there is in literature when the world outside seems to be falling apart. But in my view, in the face of these feelings of helplessness and despair, books count more than ever. It's not just about escape (though there's that). It's also about the way books offer solace and inspiration. It's about the way books reveal life outside the headlines, provide the long view and help make sense of the world around us. Books give us perspective and insight amid the hot takes and the quick bytes. |
| The novel on our cover this week, Michael Chabon's "Moonglow," is a perfect example of how a deep, insightful novel about the power of family legends and family memories, and the way we create our own stories, can provide a transcendent experience. The same can be said of the most recent book by Adam Kirsch, one of our Bookends columnists, "The People and the Books: 18 Classics of Jewish Literature." |
| On the nonfiction side, let's pay attention to "They Can't Kill Us All," a new look at America's racial justice movement, by Wesley Lowery, and David J. Barron's "Waging War: The Clash Between Presidents and Congress 1776 to ISIS." For inspiration, we can turn to the final volume in Blanche Wiesen Cook's magisterial biography of one of my favorite women in history, Eleanor Roosevelt. Finally, for those who prefer to listen to their stories, this week's issue includes our biannual roundup of the latest in audiobooks. |
| Let's be grateful to our novelists, our story writers and our poets right now. Here's to immersing ourselves in the stories that last. |
| Please stay in touch and let us know what you think – whether it's about this newsletter, our reviews, our podcast or what you're reading. We read and ponder all of it. I even write back, albeit belatedly. You can email me at books@nytimes.com. |
| Pamela Paul |
| Editor of The New York Times Book Review |
