Yael van der Wouden’s The Safe Keep delves into the dark history of Jewish property theft during World War II in the Netherlands, exploring how stolen belongings were never returned to their rightful owners. The novel follows Isabel, a woman maintaining her family home after her mother’s passing, only to uncover unsettling truths about its past.

James by Percival Everett reimagines The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by shifting the focus to Jim, offering a profound critique of literary history and racial narratives. Samantha Harvey’s Orbital juxtaposes the routine of astronauts aboard the International Space Station with the escalating climate crisis on Earth, questioning the cost of human ambition. 

Charlotte Wood’s Stone Yard Devotional follows a woman seeking refuge in a remote religious community, confronting themes of loss, responsibility, and spiritual contemplation. Rachel Kushner’s Creation Lake satirizes the contradictions of utopian communities through the lens of an undercover spy navigating the flaws of an eco-activist commune.

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