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In WWII, Millions Of Indians Fought For A Britain They Abhored

4:30pm August 25, 2015

by NPR Staff

As Indians struggled to break free of Britain, more than 2 million signed up to fight with the Allies, the largest volunteer force in the world. Raghu Karnad unearths the story in The Farthest Field.

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In Richard Price's Latest Novel, Haunted Cops And Cases They Couldn't Close

1:29pm August 25, 2015

Price says that in every precinct there's one cop who just can't let go of a case. "They all reminded me of Ahab ... looking for their whales," he says. Originally broadcast Feb. 17, 2015.

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Capturing An Unknowable Writer In 'Love Song'

10:56am August 25, 2015

by Michael Schaub

Author Tracy Daugherty's new biography of Joan Didion is an honest attempt to construct a coherent narrative about her — but critic Michael Schaub says it doesn't completely work.

Algerian writer and journalist Kamel Daoud's new book, The Meursault Investigation, reworks Albert Camus' The Stranger.

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Novelist Kamel Daoud, Finding Dignity In The Absurd

6:54pm August 24, 2015

by Robert Siegel

His new novel, The Meursault Investigation, reworks Albert Camus' The Stranger from the point of view of the murdered Arab's brother. He says Camus' vision of the absurd gave him back his dignity

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'Sad Puppies' Fail To Stuff Ballot Box At Hugo Awards

6:37pm August 24, 2015

by Petra Mayer

The "sad puppies" — a group of disgruntled, mostly white male science fiction authors — struck out at the Hugo Awards over the weekend after trying to stuff the ballot box.

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A Manual For Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin

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'A Manual For Cleaning Women' Showcases A Gritty, One-Of-A-Kind Voice

4:13pm August 24, 2015

by Maureen Corrigan

A posthumously published collection of stories steers recognition to Lucia Berlin, whose fictional narrators are the sort who have seen it all and aren't afraid to tell you about their crappy day.

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'I Regret Everything': Toni Morrison Looks Back On Her Personal Life

4:13pm August 24, 2015

"It's not profound regret," Morrison tells Fresh Air. "It's just a wiping up of tiny little messes that you didn't recognize as mess when they were going on." Originally broadcast April 20, 2015.

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'Science Of Mom': Scientist Sorts Through Studies So Parents Don't Have To

3:09pm August 24, 2015

Alice Callahan uses her background in nutritional biology and fetal physiology to help new parents tell fact from fiction in her new book The Science of Mom. She gives tips to NPR's Rachel Martin.

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Librarian S. Kalaivani has worked at the Jaffna Public Library in Sri Lanka for five years. "I love working here," she says. "It's a pleasure to help the people who are continuing to get knowledge."

Up From The Ashes, A Public Library In Sri Lanka Welcomes New Readers

1:45pm August 24, 2015

by Julie McCarthy

The Jaffna library once held irreplaceable, ancient manuscripts, lost when it was torched in 1981. Fully restored, the beloved landmark today is filled with readers.

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Ms. Marvel, which was not on the Sad Puppies slate, took home this year's Hugo for best graphic story.

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Amid A Hubbub At The Hugos, 'Puppies' See Little Success

6:53pm August 23, 2015

by Colin Dwyer

At science fiction's Hugo Awards, voters largely rejected a slate of nominees pushed by a group called the Sad Puppies. In an unusual end to the controversy, a few categories didn't even get a winner.