'How to Dodge a Cannonball' satirizes the Civil War through a 15-year-old flag twirler A white Illinois teen attaches himself to a regiment of Black Union soldiers in the satirical Civil War novel "How to Dodge a Cannonball." NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with author Dennard Dayle about it. Ayesha Rascoe
10 years after the deadly church shooting, a new history of 'Mother Emanuel' Reporter Kevin Sack's new book is a history of Charleston's Emanuel AME Church, the oldest Black congregation in the South, where a white supremacist killed nine worshippers a decade ago. Samantha Balaban
'Death at the White Hart': When the publican is found dead, everyone's a suspect NPR's Mary Louise talks with Chris Chibnall, author of Death at the White Hart. Mary Louise Kelly
Children's book 'Marianne the Maker' celebrates creativity NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with authors Kelly Corrigan and Claire Corrigan Lichty about their new book Marianne the Maker. Courtney Dorning
A poet on capturing a difficult moment in time Donika Kelly wrote part of her new poetry collection, "The Natural Order of Things," during her first year of teaching, at a time when U.S. drone strikes in military conflicts were killing civilians. Neda Ulaby
'Kill Your Darlings' untangles the secrets couple keep for – and from – one another NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks to author Peter Swanson about his new mystery novel, Kill Your Darlings, which explores the reasons behind a poet's act of murder against her own husband. Mallory Yu
'How to Lose Your Mother' author Molly Jong-Fast reflects on life with mom Erica Jong In her new memoir, Jong-Fast writes that her mother, Erica Jong — who penned the 1973 feminist novel Fear of Flying — had become addicted to fame and couldn't bear losing it. Terry Gross
Rob Franklin dsicusses his novel 'Great Black Hope' In "Great Black Hope," a young, gay, Black man is reeling even before his socialite roommate is found dead. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks Rob Franklin about race, class, addiction, and his debut novel. Ayesha Rascoe
In 'Astronaut', Taylor Jenkins Reid imagines the first women astronauts NPR's Debbie Elliott talks with Taylor Jenkins Reid about the lives of the first women astronauts as imagined in her new novel, "Atmosphere." Debbie Elliott
'The Spinach King' is a tale of American success--and family betrayal NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with John Seabrook about his book The Spinach King: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty, which tells the story of his family's frozen vegetable empire. Jordan-Marie Smith