NPR's Book of the Day Folgen

Amélie Wen Zhao's fantasy novel, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, is rooted in the Chinese genres of xianxia and wuxia. It follows a young girl uncovering the secrets of her tumultuous kingdom with the help of a magician. In today's episode, the author talks to Here & Now's Kalyani Saxena about how her imperfect characters make difficult choices in their search for power. Zhao draws clear comparisons between the themes of anti-imperialism and history depicted in the book to real world battles being fought today, including anti-Asian racism.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The titular protagonist of Meredith, Alone has not left her home in three years. In today's episode, author Claire Alexander tells NPR's Scott Simon about the character's self-imposed isolation, and how trauma from earlier in life can leave long-lasting impacts on a person's mental health. And yet Meredith's trauma doesn't define her – so Alexander explains why she wanted to write a story that provided a full scope of what it means to overcome mental and emotional wounds.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Janet Yellen's career has shattered several glass ceilings; she was the first female head of the Federal Reserve, and she's now the first woman serving as Secretary of Treasury. In this episode, author and journalist Jon Hilsenrath discusses his new biography of her, Yellen, and how her upbringing and marriage reveal a lot about her professional path. Hilsenrath explains to Here & Now's Scott Tong that the love story of Yellen and her husband actually offers insight into the delicate line between democracy and capitalism, and how in a time of economic upheaval, policymakers are bound to make mistakes.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy