Karl Marlantes’ ‘Deep River’ is an epic tale of Finns, the Wobblies and the will to endure
Karl Marlantes, who wrote the breakout novel "Matterhorn," has penned a novel that has all the elements of a classic immigrant story. But the immigrants...
Mary Ann Gwinn
From cows roaming Ballard to horses fighting fires, a new book shows dog-friendly Seattle has always been a city of animals VIEW
The city was shaped by animals. Horses helped fight fires, move earth and haul lumber; dogs and cats had the run of the streets. Herds...
Lit Life: Narratives of struggle, from political strife in Vichy France to a man confronting death
Struggle is an essential element of narrative, and two new books put the spotlight on two characters in the thick of their own battles.
Lit Life: Ian McEwan talks androids, consciousness and Alan Turing
Ian McEwan's new novel “Machines Like Me” is a book of ideas, a love story, and a cautionary tale. It’s also frightening, and moving, and...
Through Narcissa Whitman’s story, this Pacific Northwest author asks herself what it means to be a ‘woman of the West’
Narcissa Prentiss Whitman was one of the first white women to cross the Rocky Mountains, and later became one of 13 people killed in the...
Ahead of its 100th anniversary, revisiting the Seattle General Strike and the city’s long legacy of organized labor
The Seattle General Strike lasted six days, with not a single shot fired nor a single striker arrested. A new edition of Robert L. Friedheim's...
Favorite nonfiction from 2018, from Princess Margaret to a Silicon Valley scammer VIEW
2018 brought much to enjoy in the way of nonfiction. Here are seven books that drew in Seattle Times literary critic Mary Ann Gwinn.
Delving into the dark origins of sneaky sprites with ‘Fairies: A Dangerous History’ author Richard Sugg
Fairies? Those gossamer-winged princesses from the golden age of Disney? People are scary enough — what could humans possibly fear from fairies? Richard Sugg’s engrossing...