An exuberant, darkly humorous novel by the US National Book Award-shortlisted author of FieldworkCelebrated stage actress Mona Zahid wakes up on the morning of Thanksgiving to the clamour of guests packed into her Manhattan apartment and to a wave of dread: her in-laws are lurking on the other side of the bedroom door; she has been fighting with her husband; and in just a few weeks she will begin rehearsals to play Shakespeare’s Cleopatra, the most challen...

**“What a treat, what an absolute delight this warm, funny novel is. … [Berlinski]’s written a sharp analysis of something dark, and he’s made it a pure pleasure to read.”—Constance Grady, Vox“The journey of Mona Acts Out is insightfully, entertainingly multitudinous."—Laura Collins-Hughes, New York Times"Extravagantly brilliant and darkly funny.”—Ann Levin, Associated Press"Rhapsodic and enlightening about Shakespeare, full of fun on every page, M...

Shortlisted for the National Book Award for FictionSet in Thailand, a brilliantly original and page-turning first novel of anthropologists, missionaries, demon possession, sexual taboos, murder, and one obsessed young American reporter.When his girlfriend takes a job in Thailand, Mischa goes along for the ride, planning only to enjoy himself as much as possible. But when he hears about the suicide of a young woman, Martiya van der Leun, in ...

A dazzling, bravura display of sex, small-town politics and the stifling heat of the Haitian sky, by the National Book Award finalist of Fieldwork.When Terry White, a former deputy sheriff and a failed politician, goes broke in the 2007-2008 financial crisis, he takes a job working for the UN, helping to train the Haitian police. He's sent to the remote town of Jérémie, where there are more coffin makers than restaurants, more donkeys than cars, and the di...

A Florida ex-cop is caught up in a tale of love, politics and death in Haiti in this daring novel by the National Book Award–nominated author of Fieldwork."On the troubled half-island of Haiti, love, power, and poverty collide, as do a tough Florida cop, a beautiful singer, politicians, and the United Nations post-2004 peacekeeping mission. . . . [Berlinksi] is a kind of heir to Graham Greene and Robert Stone, both for his excellent storytelling and...

A daring, spellbinding tale of anthropologists, missionaries, demon possession, sexual taboos, murder, and an obsessed young reporter named Mischa Berlinski.When his girlfriend takes a job as a schoolteacher in northern Thailand, Mischa Berlinski goes along for the ride, working as little as possible for one of Thailand's English-language newspapers. One evening a fellow expatriate tips him off to a story. A charismatic American anthropologist, Martiya van der Leun...

An exuberant, darkly humorous novel by the National Book Award–nominated author of Fieldwork.Literary Hub • Best Book Covers of October 2024Celebrated stage actress Mona Zahid wakes up on Thanksgiving morning to the clamor of guests packed into her Manhattan apartment and to a wave of dread: her in-laws are lurking on the other side of the bedroom door; she’s still fighting with her husband; and in just a few weeks she will begin rehearsals as Shakespeare’s Cleopatra, the h...

An exuberant, darkly humorous novel by the US National Book Award-shortlisted author of FieldworkCelebrated stage actress Mona Zahid wakes up on the morning of Thanksgiving to the clamour of guests packed into her Manhattan apartment and to a wave of dread: her in-laws are lurking on the other side of the bedroom door; she has been fighting with her husband; and in just a few weeks she will begin rehearsals to play Shakespeare’s Cleopatra,...

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"Ben Williams's narration couldn't be more perfect for this tragicomic novel of Haiti ... His conversational delivery also enhances the listener's understanding of Haiti's confounding mix of politics and superstition." — AudioFile MagazineThe daring, second novel by the National Book Award-nominated author of Fieldwork.Mischa Berlinski’s first novel, Fieldwork, was published in 2007 to rave reviews—Hilary Mantel c...

A Wall Street Journal Top Ten Fiction Book of the Year * A Washington Post Notable Fiction Book of the Year * A Seattle Times Favorite Book of the Year * An NPR Best Book of the Year * A Kirkus Reviews Best Historical Fiction Book of the Year * A Library Journal Top Historical Fiction Book of the Year * Winner of the Costa First Novel Award, the RSL Ondaatje Prize, and the Desmond Elliott Prize * Winner of the New York City Book Award

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A fascinating portrait of life as a Chinese American woman in the 1930s and ’40s.”—The New York Times Book Review“Superb . . . This emotional, informative, and brilliant page-turner resonates with resilience and humanity.”—The Washington Post (Best Books of the Year)“A sweeping, turbulent tale of passion, friendship, good fortune, bad fortune, perfidy, and the hope of reconcili...