48 Time February 10, 2020
TimeOff Books
A crop of new books this month asks
readers to consider their roots. Some of
the authors of February’s most antici-
pated releases mine their histories to un-
derstand how the places they come from
have shaped who they are. Others craft
narratives that explore the complications
that come with moving away but never
on from the past. Some voices, like Clare
Beams and R. Eric Thomas, are emerging.
Others, like veterans Colum McCann and
Erik Larson, are celebrated. All are explor-
ing how attachments to home define the
contours of our lives.
ROUNDUP
Fresh reads
for February
By Annabel Gutterman
DJINN PATROL ON THE
PURPLE LINE
DEEPA ANAPPARA
In journalist Anappara’s first
novel, a 9-year-old crime-show
fanatic attempts to find his
missing classmate. Jai and
his two friends search all
over the smoggy, unnamed
Indian city where children keep
disappearing, devastating the
community. Though the premise
is bleak— there are thousands of
real cases of missing children in
Indian cities—the protagonist’s
youthful perspective makes a
moving case for perseverance
and hope. (Feb. 4)
BROTHER & SISTER
DIANE KEATON
The Academy Award–winning
actor intimately describes loving
and living with a troubled sibling,
tracing her childhood with her
brother Randy. Though they
were close as kids, their paths
diverged in adulthood: Randy
struggled with alcoholism and
mental illness, while Keaton
rose to prominence in the film
industry. Illustrating years they
spent both together and apart,
Keaton showcases the difficulties
of loving someone you can never
fully understand. (Feb. 4)
THE ILLNESS LESSON
CLARE BEAMS
After a strange flock of birds flies
into town in Beams’ debut novel,
the students at an all-girls school
in 19th century Massachusetts
begin to develop headaches,
rashes and odd sleepwalking
habits. As they grow sicker, a
doctor with a questionable track
record is invited to campus, his
presence underlining a timely
conversation about who claims
control of women’s bodies.
(Feb. 11)A MAP IS ONLY ONE STORY
NICOLE CHUNG AND MENSAH
DEMARY (EDITORS)
How do we define home? The 20
voices in this essay collection
seek to articulate what it feels
like to live between cultures.
From stories about being
undocumented in the U.S. to
living on the border with Mexico,
these personal narratives
delve into the challenges—and
power—that we derive from our
connections to place. (Feb. 11)SHUGGIE BAIN
DOUGLAS STUART
In his debut novel, Stuart
focuses on a working- class
family living in 1980s Glasgow,