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Timeless Narratives From Turbulent Eras

Here are the sure signs of summer in the publishing world: a heat-rash eruption of suspense novels; a few waggish dog tales hoping to leash on to the continuing success of Marley and Me; and, as dependable as the days are long, some sweaty Bob's Big Boy-sized biographies of Lincoln and FDR. Other presidents seem more suited to the gloom of winter, but there's something about Lincoln and FDR — their steadiness shining through in adversity — that qualifies them as good company on vacation.

Copyright 2023 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air.

Maureen Corrigan, book critic for NPR's Fresh Air, is The Nicky and Jamie Grant Distinguished Professor of the Practice in Literary Criticism at Georgetown University. She is an associate editor of and contributor to Mystery and Suspense Writers (Scribner) and the winner of the 1999 Edgar Award for Criticism, presented by the Mystery Writers of America. In 2019, Corrigan was awarded the Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing by the National Book Critics Circle.