Annotation:Growing up “Congo,” a descendant of two Liberian dynasties, in a 22-room mansion at Sugar Beach near Monrovia, Helene’s family took in a “country” girl to keep her company. Violence exploded in Liberia in 1980, soldiers raped her mother and publicly executed her uncle, and the family fled Liberia for America, leaving Eunice, the country sister behind. A memoir of tragedy, forgiveness and a long journey home.

Annotation:In 1959, Haruko marries the Crown Prince of Japan, becoming the first commoner to enter the mysterious and reclusive world of Japanese royalty, confronting the cruelty and suspicions of the court, until, three decades later, she helps arrange the marriage of her son, in a novel inspired by the real-life stories of the reigning empress and crown princess of Japan.

Annotation:A story of loyalty as only a dog could tell it … Enzo, a Lab/terrier mix from a farm outside Seattle, becomes Denny’s sidekick as he pursues success on the professional racing circuit. In his narration, Enzo mourns not being able to speak, lacking opposable thumbs, and hopes to return in his next life as a man. This dog’s old soul speaks quite eloquently about what it means to be human with all its absurdity and wonder.

Annotation:Chinese-American Henry Lee’s memories of childhood friend Keiko, a Japanese-American whose family was interned in camps during WWII, are reawakened when Japanese immigrant’s belongings are found in the basement of Seattle’s Panama Hotel. The story alternates between the 1940s and the mid-80s, evoking Seattle and the fear and bewilderment of growing up amidst cultural enmity.

Annotation:A novel in stories unfolds in these thirteen linked tales and terse, dry, junior high-school teacher Olive Kitteridge is the thread that ties them all together. Publishers Weekly calls these stories of loneliness and longing “easy to read and impossible to forget.” Set against the backdrop of coastal Maine’s natural wonders, Olive reflects on the beauty of ordinary life—and the endurance it requires—with ruthless honesty.

Annotation:Volunteering to assist earthquake relief efforts in an impoverished Islamic country after the shattering death of his wife, successful cardiologist Charles Anderson encounters life-threatening hostilities when the refugees he expects do not appear and the area where he is stationed comes under fire. A haunting exploration of the tensions between poverty and wealth, the ethics of intervention, the deep cultural differences that divide the world, and the essential human similarities that unite it.