Courtesy of Oneworld
“Via Negativa”
Daniel Hornsby (Aug. 11)
The newly homeless Father
Dan, kicked out of his conser-
vative diocese, is now a monk
on the move, living out of
his Camry as he travels the
country searching for peace.

He’s on his way to finding it,
he believes, before he witnesses
the vehicular injuring of a fox,
who becomes his companion
on his increasingly weird
journey across America.

Courtesy of Crown
Courtesy of Riverhead Books
Courtesy of Knopf
“The Sprawl”
Jason Diamond (Aug. 25)
The suburbs are not typically
considered to be incubators
of uniquely American art and
culture; in fact, many stories
about artists with suburban
origins typically posit that their
success came in spite of their
surroundings. In “The Sprawl,”
Diamond seeks to challenge the
narrative that the suburbs are
the place “where art happens
despite: despite the conformity,
the emptiness, the sameness.”
“The Lying Life of Adults”
Elena Ferrante (Sept. 1)
Fer ra nte’s
Neapol ita n
novels, translated from Italian,
have brought her fame the world over (you can watch an adapta-
tion of the best-known one, “My Brilliant Friend,” on HBO, and
this newest novel will be adapted for Netflix). The pseudonymous
writer is frequently listed in discussions regarding future Nobel
Prize winners; we advise trying to get on the bandwagon as early
as you can. Ferrante’s newest novel takes place in Naples yet
again, but with a new cast of characters.

JEWISHEXPONENT.COM Courtesy of Coffee House Press
Courtesy of Europa Editions
“Mother for Dinner”
Shalom Auslander (Sept. 22)
Upon the death of his mother, Seventh Seltzer, a “Cannibal-
American,” is forced to confront the community tradition he’d
always dreaded: He has to eat her. Seventh has to contend with
the fact that the Seltzer family is flung all over country; what’s
he going to do, eat her by himself? Cannibal-Americans, a once
thriving ethnic group, have more or less assimilated, and only
their Uncle Ishmael still knows how to undertake the eating
ritual. If this insane premise works for you, give Auslander a try.

“True Believer”
Abraham Riesman, (Sept. 29)
Whatever you love or hate Marvel Comics and the movies
they’ve spawned, there is no denying the massive effect they’ve
had on the American cultural landscape. Riesman, who
frequently writes on Jewish subjects, delivers a biography of Stan
Lee, the man behind it all. It’s a serious look from someone who
holds an abiding love for Lee’s work, without letting it blind a
critical, journalistic eye. l
jbernstein@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0740
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