Popular North American Cultural Books

Find cultural books written by authors from North America for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (58)

51.

The Turtle House by Amanda Churchill EN

0 Ratings
Description:
"A heartbreakingly resonant debut, The Turtle House is a tender, big-hearted story about women, family, and the complicated history of Texas. These characters, and their tentative, flawed stumblings toward grace, will stay with me."--Elizabeth Wetmore, author of Valentine "Sweeping yet intimate, Amanda Churchill's Turtle House spans cultures and continents. Minnie and her granddaughter Lia are unforgettable protagonists, whose grit and grace will inspire you. Together, they find a way through in this gripping debut."--Vanessa Hua, author of Forbidden City Moving between late 1990s small-town T... continue

52.

The Vulnerable Observer : Anthropology That Breaks Your Heart by Ruth Behar EN

Rating: 3 (1 vote)
Country: North America / Cuba flag Cuba
Description:
The 25th-anniversary edition of the groundbreaking book that changed anthropology, asserting that ethnographers needn’t exclude themselves or their vulnerabilities from their work In a new epilogue to this classic work, renowned ethnographer and storyteller Ruth Behar reflects on the groundbreaking impact The Vulnerable Observer has had on anthropology, sociology, and psychology and on scholarly writing. A pocket companion for writers, journalists, documentarians, and activists alike, this book speaks to the power of including oneself in the story, bringing deeper meaning to the relationship b... continue

53.

The White Boy Shuffle : A Novel by Paul Beatty EN

Rating: 5 (1 vote)
Description:
A slapstick satire on race relations featuring Gunnar Kaufman, a black writer from Santa Monica who becomes famous by saying all the right things whites want to hear. The novel pokes fun at both blacks and whites. A first novel.

54.

Tropic Death by Eric Walrond EN

Rating: 3 (1 vote)
Description:
Finally available after three decades, a lost classic of the Harlem Renaissance that Langston Hughes acclaimed for its “hard poetic beauty.” Eric Walrond (1898–1966), in his only book, injected a profound Caribbean sensibility into black literature. His work was closest to that of Jean Toomer and Zora Neale Hurston with its striking use of dialect and its insights into the daily lives of the people around him. Growing up in British Guiana, Barbados, and Panama, Walrond first published Tropic Death to great acclaim in 1926. This book of stories viscerally charts the days of men working stone qu... continue


56.

Where the Air is Clear by Carlos Fuentes EN

Rating: 2 (1 vote)
Description:
"Where the Air Is Clear," Carlos Fuentes's first novel, is an unsparing portrayal of Mexico City's upper class. Departing from a traditional linear narrative, Fuentes overlays Mexican myths onto contemporary settings, showing that even the rich and powerful must succumb to the indomitable spirit of Mexico, which undermines all institutions and shapes all destinies. First published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1988, Dalkey Archive Press in 2004, now available again.

57.

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo EN

Rating: 3 (1 vote)
Description:
From the New York Times bestselling author of the National Book Award longlist title The Poet X comes a dazzling novel in prose about a girl with talent, pride, and a drive to feed the soul that keeps her fire burning bright. Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago’s life has been about making the tough decisions—doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Even though she dreams of working as a c... continue

58.

Woman Take Two by Telcine Turner EN

Rating: 5 (1 vote)
Description:
A three-act play that deals with love and greed. Set in The Bahamas, it tells the tale of a few people forging alliances for themselves - for love and/or money. Suspenseful and intriguing, it provides a glimpse into the darker side of the human character.