HPL's New Books

Below is a partial list of our new books. To see the full list, download the Excel file for: 2011 . To see new books from other years try: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, or 2006.

The Alpine Vengeance By Daheim, Mary 2011-03 - Ballantine Books 9780345502575 Check Our Catalog Daheim's Alpine novels--the other alphabet series--is wicked entertainment for mystery fans who enjoy delicious intrigue. …More

Crunch Time: A Novel of Suspense By Davidson, Diane Mott 2011-04 - William Morrow & Company 9780061348150 Check Our Catalog Caterer and sleuth-extraordinaire Goldy Schulz returns in another tasty and suspenseful adventure from the ace of the culinary mystery, "New York Times"-bestselling author Davidson. …More

The Longest Night By Dees, Cindy 2010-07 - Harlequin 9780373276875 Check Our Catalog He was the original cool operator. But now Jake Harrington needs Shannon McMahon's help to complete his deadly mission. Watching his target from her apartment, the military sniper isn't prepared for the emotions Shannon awakes in him, tempting him with her tenderness...and her innate sexiness. Shannon had come to far-off St. George to hide. She knows Jake is one of the good guys, but he won't let himself get close to anyone--until his cover is blown, sending them fleeing for their lives. Together on the run, desire flares, hot and unstoppable. Jake will surely rescue her from danger, but can she rescue his soul? …More

The Priest's Graveyard By Dekker, Ted 2011-04 - Center Street 9781599953342 Check Our Catalog Danny Hansen is a priest who lives by a law of love and compassion. It is powerful men and hypocrites who abide by legal law but eschew the law of love that most incense Danny. As an avenging angel, he believes it is his duty to show them the error of their ways, at any cost. …More

Tappin' on Thirty By Dow, Candice 2008-02 - Dafina Books 9780758219374 Check Our Catalog From the author of "Caught in the Mix" and "A Hire Love" comes a sexy, soul-searching novel about love lost, new beginnings, and the big 3-0. …More

The Adventures and the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes By Doyle, Arthur Conan Illustrator McKowen, Scott 2004-10 - Sterling Publishing (NY) 9781402714535 Check Our Catalog The illustrations for this series were created by Scott McKowen, who, with his wife Christina Poddubiuk, operates Punch & Judy Inc., a company specializing in design and illustration for theater and performing arts. Their projects often involve research into the visual aspects of historical settings and characters. Christina is a theater set and costume designer and contributed advice on the period clothing for the illustrations. Scott created these drawings in scratchboard - an engraving medium which evokes the look of popular art from the period of these stories. Scratchboard is an illustration board with a specifically prepared surface of hard white chalk. A thin layer of black ink is rolled over the surface, and lines are drawn by hand with a sharp knife by scraping through the ink layer to expose the white surface underneath. The finished drawings are then scanned and the color is added digitally. It's elementary--there's no more intriguing detective than Sherlock Holmes, with his unequalled powers of deduction, and no better mysteries than the tricky ones that only he can solve. Here are some of the finest Holmes stories, recounted by his trusty friend and assistant, Dr. Watson. …More

The Hanging Wood By Edwards, Martin 2011-04 - Poisoned Pen Press 9781590588529 Check Our Catalog Twenty years ago, teenager Callum Hinds went missing in England's Lake District. His uncle was suspected of having done the boy harm and was interviewed by the police. When he committed suicide close to his cottage in the Hanging Wood, everyone assumed it was a sign of guilt, though the body of the boy was never found. Now his sister, Orla Payne, who never believed in their uncle's guilt, has returned to the Lakes. She wants to find the truth about Callum's disappearance, and--at the prompting of Daniel Kind--in a drunken call tries to interest DCI Hannah Scarlett, head of Cumbria's Cold Case Review Team, in the case. Hannah is reluctant, leading Orla to demand whether she cares about justice. Hannah does care, and when Orla dies in strange and shocking circumstances, she determines to find the truth about what happened to Callum--and to Orla. …More

Three Days Before the Shooting... By Ellison, Ralph Editor Callahan, John F. Editor Bradley, Adam 2011-04 - Modern Library 9780375759543 Check Our Catalog NATIONAL BESTSELLER " [A]n extraordinary book, a work of staggering virtuosity. With its publication, a giant world of literature has just grown twice as tall." --"Newsday" From Ralph Ellison--author of the classic novel of African-American experience, Invisible Man--the long-awaited second novel. Here is the master of American vernacular--the rhythms of jazz and gospel and ordinary speech--at the height of his powers, telling a powerful, evocative tale of a prodigal of the twentieth century. " Tell me what happened while there's still time, " demands the dying Senator Adam Sunraider to the itinerate Negro preacher whom he calls Daddy Hickman. As a young man, Sunraider was Bliss, an orphan taken in by Hickman and raised to be a preacher like himself. Bliss's history encompasses the joys of young southern boyhood; bucolic days as a filmmaker, lovemaking in a field in the Oklahoma sun. And behind it all lies a mystery: how did this chosen child become the man who would deny everything to achieve his goals? Brilliantly crafted, moving, wise, Juneteenth is the work of an American master. …More

Miles to Go: The Second Journal of the Walk By Evans, Richard Paul 2011-04 - Simon & Schuster 9781439191378 Check Our Catalog Evans presents the second installment in an inspiring new series about an executive who loses everything and embarks on a walk that takes him across America. …More

Silent Mercy By Fairstein, Linda 2011-03 - Dutton Books 9780525952022 Check Our Catalog In the latest thriller in Fairstein's "New York Times"-bestselling series, prosecutor Alex Cooper dives deep into the Byzantine, sinister world of New York City's powerful religious institutions to find out why the body of a young woman has been decapitated, set on fire, and left on the steps of a church. …More

Special Exits By Farmer, Joyce 2010-12 - Fantagraphics Books 9781606993811 Check Our Catalog A major, original graphic memoir in the vein of Fun Home. …More

Dark Prince By Feehan, Christine 2005-04 - Leisure Books 9780843955286 Check Our Catalog The indispensable first book in the "New York Times" bestselling author's Dark series--which first introduced the masters of darkness to the world--is now available in this special edition that includes the bonus original short story "Dark Descent." …More

One of Our Thursdays Is Missing By Fforde, Jasper 2011-03 - Viking Books 9780670022526 Check Our Catalog Fforde's exuberant return to the fantastical BookWorld opens during a time of great unrest. All-out Genre war is rumbling, and the BookWorld desperately needs a heroine like Thursday Next. With the real Thursday apparently retired to the Realworld, the Council of Genres turns to the written Thursday. …More

Baby Brother: An Urban Erotic Appetizer By 50 Cent Author Noire 2007-01 - G-Unit 9781416532026 Check Our Catalog Zabu "Baby Brother" Davis has a future full of promise until fate intervenes, and he is wrongly accused of murder. He soon finds himself trapped in a web of justice, murder, and vengeance. …More

The Bone House By Freeman, Brian 2011-03 - Minotaur Books 9780312562830 Check Our Catalog A year after Mark Bradley was accused of a torrid affair with a student, another teenage girl is found dead--and once again Mark faces a hostile town convinced of his guilt. Mark's wife Hilary is determined to prove that Mark is innocent, but she's on a lonely, dangerous quest. …More

Against the Grain By Freeze Contribution by Turner, Nikki 2008-09 - One World 9780345503619 Check Our Catalog Set on the gritty streets of Baltimore, this second novel in the Nikki Turner Presents line, about a hustler with a heart of gold, is the brilliant debut from a fresh new voice in urban fiction. …More

Love You More By Gardner, Lisa 2011-03 - Bantam 9780553807257 Check Our Catalog Detective D. D. Warren of the Boston police and Massachusetts state trooper Bobby Dodge are together again, this time not as lovers but as partners in the investigation of a state trooper who shot and killed her husband. …More

Keep a Little Secret By Garlock, Dorothy 2011-03 - Grand Central Publishing 9780446540124 Check Our Catalog When a teaching position opens up in Oklahoma, Charlotte Tucker jumps at the opportunity to take a room on John Grant's ranch in Sawyer to begin her new career. She soon befriends Owen and Hannah Wallace, a brother and sister who have come from Colorado following the death of their mother. Abandoned at an early age by a father they never knew, they are set on revenge against the man who left them -- a man they believe is John Grant. …More

Dawn Country By Gear, W. Michael Author Gear, Kathleen O'Neal 2011-03 - Forge 9780765320179 Check Our Catalog The story that began in "People of the Longhouse" continues in this second book of the thrilling new Iroquois quartet by the husband-and-wife archaeologists turned bestselling authors. …More

Elizabeth I By George, Margaret 2011-04 - Viking Books 9780670022533 Check Our Catalog One of today's premier historical novelists, "New York Times" bestseller George dazzles here as she tackles her most difficult subject yet: the legendary Elizabeth Tudor, queen of enigma. But what was she really like? In this novel, her flame-haired, lookalike cousin, Lettice Knollys, thinks she knows all too well. …More

Girls from Da Hood 6 By Antoinette, Ashley Author McCall, Amaleka Author Coleman, Jaquavis 2011-04 - Urban Books 9781601624444 Check Our Catalog Bestselling superstar author Ashley & JaQuavis and the talented McCall spin the sixth gritty street drama in this popular series, where fast cash, love, and tragedy drive a trio of fast-paced stories. …More

Flying Changes By Gruen, Sara 2007-04 - Harper Paperbacks 9780061241093 Check Our Catalog The much-anticipated sequel to Gruen's poignant debut novel "Riding Lessons" continues the story of Annemarie Zimmer. As she struggles to make peace with her past, an unanticipated event occurs that drastically alters the fragile world of her family. …More

A Discovery of Witches By Harkness, Deborah 2011-02 - Viking Books 9780670022410 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title Debut novelist Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense--a richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together. …More

Hellhole By Herbert, Brian Author Anderson, Kevin J. 2011-03 - Tor Books 9780765322692 Check Our Catalog From the stunning imaginations of "New York Times"-bestselling and award-winning authors Herbert and Anderson comes an all-new epic original science fiction series set on a colonized planet called Hellhole. …More

Not Without Laughter By Hughes, Langston 2008-04 - Dover Publications 9780486454481 Check Our Catalog Langston Hughes, long recognized as a major American poet and an influential force in African-American literature, brought to this, his first novel, the lyricism, humor, and sureness of touch that characterizes his award-winning poetry. This story reflects the joys and hardships of an African-American boy growing to manhood. …More

Staff Picks for May

STAFF PICKS for May

A Fateful Year This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, and with the sesquicentennial has come renewed debate about the factors that drove the nation to war. In 1861: The Civil War Awakening, author Adam Goodheart offers a fresh perspective on the war's beginnings and portrays some of the little-known figures who played important roles during that fateful year. Among those profiled are an acrobatic militia colonel, an explorer's wife, a regiment of New York City firemen, a close-knit band of German immigrants and a young college professor, James J. Garfield, who would later become president. Goodheart's vivid writing and unique approach gives readers new insight on the beginnings of the long struggle that nearly destroyed the Union.

The Choice By Sparks, Nicholas 2007-09 - Grand Central Publishing 9780446579926 Check Our Catalog Set amid the austere beauty of the North Carolina coast, "The Choice" tells the story of Travis Parker, a small-town veterinarian, who avoids romantic entanglements until new neighbor Gabby Holland enters his life. …More

I'll Walk Alone By Clark, Mary Higgins 2011-04 - Simon & Schuster 9781439180969 Check Our Catalog The #1 bestselling Queen of Suspense Mary Higgins Clark presents her latest captivating thriller. …More

A Visit from the Goon Squad By Egan, Jennifer 2010-06 - Knopf Publishing Group 9780307592835 Check Our Catalog 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Winner BookPage Notable Title From one of today's boldest writers comes a sly, surprising, and exhilarating novel about time, survival, and the electrifying sparks ignited at the seams of our lives by colliding destinies. …More

I Am Ozzy By Osbourne, Ozzy With Ayres, Chris 2010-01 - Grand Central Publishing 9780446569897 Check Our Catalog Osbourne freely admits that his dizzying life of excess should have killed him. People ask me how come I'm still alive, and I don't know what to say. . . . But here I am: ready to tell my story, in my own words, for the first time. …More

The Land of Painted Caves By Auel, Jean M. 2011-03 - Crown Publishing Group (NY) 9780517580516 Check Our Catalog The highly anticipated sixth book of Auel's Earth's Children series, "The Land of the Painted Caves" is the culmination fans have been waiting for. Continuing the story of Ayla and Jondalar, Auel combines her brilliant narrative skills and appealing characters with a remarkable re-creation of the way life was lived more than 25,000 years ago. …More

Kat, Incorrigible By Burgis, Stephanie 2011-04 - Atheneum Books 9781416994473 Check Our Catalog In 19th-century England, 12-year-old Kat Stephenson knows she was born to be a magical Guardian and protector of Society--if she can find true acceptance in the secret order that expelled her mother. She's ready to upend the rigid Order of the Guardians, whether the older members like it or not. …More

Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography By Jacobson, Sid Author Colon, Ernie 2010-09 - Hill & Wang 9780809026852 Check Our Catalog Drawing on the unique historical sites, archives, expertise, and unquestioned authority of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, "New York Times"-bestselling authors Jacobson and Coln have created the first authorized and exhaustive graphic biography of Anne Frank. …More

Close to the Wind: The Beaufort Scale By Malone, Peter 2007-05 - Putnam Publishing Group 9780399243998 Check Our Catalog In 1810, a British naval officer and surveyor named Francis Beaufort developed a scale to give sailors a common language for describing the wind. From 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane), stunning artwork and jaunty prose show what life at sea must have been like for a young boy serving as a midshipman in the 1800s. As William sails from Naples to the Caribbean, we learn intriguing historical information and nautical terminology, and witness how the wind affected day-to-day life on a ship. Detailed illustrations show the wind at work, and readers will be engrossed and fascinated as they watch the storm develop in magnificent full-color paintings. …More

Camille McPhee Fell Under the Bus By Tracy, Kristen 2010-10 - Yearling Books 9780375845468 Check Our Catalog Imagine being Camille McPhee. She has low blood sugar, so she carries extra food in a cooler. Would you want to do that? Didn't think so. And you wouldn't want to fall under the school bus. That happened to Camille too! Her cat, Checkers, is lost. And her best friend, Sally, moved to Japan. It would be hard to stay optimistic, right? But Camille is what her mom calls HOPEFUL. Because really? There are plenty of things to be positive about: gifted reading a nonsqueaky mattress eating banned foods the big blue butterfly Even making a new friend. Imagine that! …More

Clover Twig and the Magical Cottage By Umansky, Kaye Illustrator Wright, Johanna 2009-08 - Roaring Brook Press 9781596435070 Check Our Catalog When the sensible, reliable, and always tidy Clover Twig goes to work for a messy witch, she discovers that the witch's cottage has quite a few secrets hiding inside of it. Illustrations. …More

Solomon Snow and the Silver Spoon By Umansky, Kaye 2007-02 - Candlewick Press (MA) 9780763632182 Check Our Catalog Readers will laugh out loud at these daft and clever accounts of a foundling who sets out in search of his destiny, only to encounter some woeful misadventures along the way. Now available in hardcover editions with new cover art. Illustrations. …More

Mister Wonderful: A Love Story By Clowes, Daniel 2011-04 - Pantheon Books 9780307378132 Check Our Catalog Clowes's fan-favorite Eisner Award-winning story, originally serialized in "The New York Times Magazine," is now collected and includes 40 pages of new material. …More

Once Upon a Time, There Was You By Berg, Elizabeth 2011-04 - Random House 9781400068654 Check Our Catalog A beautiful story about the power of love and family, this new novel by the beloved, bestselling author of "The Last Time I Saw You" follows the journey of a couple who meet again after their divorce. …More

The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems By Siegel, Ronald D. 2010-01 - Guilford Publications 9781606232941 Check Our Catalog From a trusted therapist and mindfulness expert, this book blends psychological savvy with powerful tools for attaining a more balanced life. A wealth of exercises help readers understand and master time-tested techniques for fostering insight, awareness, and acceptance. …More

The Bards of Bone Plain By McKillip, Patricia A. 2010-12 - Ace Books 9780441019571 Check Our Catalog In her newest novel, the World Fantasy Award-winning author of "The Bell at Sealey Head" invites readers to discover a place that may only exist in the mystical wisdom of poetry and music. …More

A Gate at the Stairs By Moore, Lorrie 2009-09 - Knopf Publishing Group 9780375409288 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title Set just after the events of September 2001, Moore's deft, lyrical novel brings readers up against the heart of racism, the shock of war, and the carelessness perpetrated against others in the name of love. …More

This Side of Paradise By Fitzgerald, F. Scott Editor West, James L. W., III Afterword by Bruccoli, Matthew J. 1998-07 - Scribner Book Company 9780684843780 Check Our Catalog This classic novel, first published in 1920, tells the story of Amory Blaine's moral education and sexual awakening, brilliantly capturing the rhythms of postwar America and the spirit of a generation dedicated to the pursuit of excitement, sophistication, and success. …More

In the Woods By French, Tana 2007-05 - Viking Books 9780670038602 Check Our Catalog 2008 Edgar Award Winner - Best First Novel By An American Author 2008 Anthony Award Winner for Best First Novel For readers who like their hard-boiled police procedurals with an international flare ("USA Today"), this thriller marks the debut of an astonishing new voice in psychological suspense. …More

A Discovery of Witches By Harkness, Deborah 2011-02 - Viking Books 9780670022410 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title Debut novelist Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense--a richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together. …More

Summer Jobs with the Federal Government

Summer Jobs with the Federal Government: From USA.gov Blog: "
Summers are synonymous with hot days at the beach, picnics at the park, and lots of fun outdoors. For some, summers are also a busy time of year—especially if you’re a student looking for a summer job.
Fortunately for you, the government is hiring.
Federal agencies have many summer jobs available for both students and recent college grads. The best part is that many of these positions are available across the country—not just in the nation’s capital, Washington, DC.
Wide-Ranging Jobs
Every year, federal agencies turn to students to fill temporary positions that range from administrative assistants and technicians to other support staff in the fields of engineering, national security, environment, health, and technology.
You can see the extensive array of jobs available by going to the student section of USAJobs.gov, an online portal that centralizes job postings across the federal government.
“There are opportunities virtually in every area you can imagine,” said Angela Bailey, Deputy Associate Director for Recruitment and Hiring at the Office of Personnel Management, the agency that runs USAJobs.gov.
Wages for these positions vary from $9 to $15 an hour, and applicants must be at least 16 years of age. Although you need to be a U.S. citizen to get most of these jobs, there are some positions for noncitizens (it depends on the position and the agency).
How to Apply for a Job
Federal summer job searches generally begin by going to USAJobs.gov/studentjobs/ where you can search postings by keywords, geographical areas, and type of student positions. If you find a job that you like, you can apply for it right there on the site.
Federal agencies are not required to post all of their jobs on USAJobs.gov, and in fact many positions are not announced there. That’s why Bailey suggests that you use the portal as a guide for the type of government work that interests you and then reach out to agencies.
“I recommend that students visit the agencies’ websites or call them by phone to see if there are any jobs available,” she said.
To increase the chances of landing a summer job with the federal government, Bailey offers the following advice:

• Start searching for a summer job in March or April. By June, agencies have already identified which students they are going to hire.
• Apply for jobs related to your area of study. For example, if you’re a psychology major then look for jobs in industrial organization; if you study computers look for opportunities in the area of cyber security.
• Speak with school counselors since your school may have a direct relationship with federal agencies and they can help you land a job.
• Speak with someone you know who works for the agency where you’d like to work. This person might help you understand the process better and offer you more specific advice.

Long-Term Opportunities
Besides summer jobs, the government has other programs for students and recent graduates including internships, apprenticeships, fellowships, and grants to help students get more education or experience in a specialized field.
Bailey says students should look at these summer jobs as more than temporary employment, as they can be the beginning of a career with the federal government. These temporary jobs allow students to see if public service is something they want to do in the long term.
So far, it’s worked pretty well for both agencies and students.
“We get to try them out and they get to try us out,” she said. “It’s a win-win for everybody.”
"

EnergyGuide Labels Help You Select Most Energy-Efficient TVs

EnergyGuide Labels Help You Select Most Energy-Efficient TVs: From USA.gov blog: "


If you’ve replaced your old TV with a big flat-screen HDTV, you may have noticed a rise in your electric bill too. While the new technologies are generally more energy-efficient than the old tube TVs, the increase in screen size often offsets any efficiency gains.

To help you buy an energy-efficient TV, the Federal Trade Commission is requiring that all TVs manufactured after May 10 have EnergyGuide labels marked with the set’s estimated yearly energy cost and the cost range of similar models.

To find the most energy-efficient models, keep your eye out for the Energy STAR label. And for other important considerations when buying a TV, read these shopping tips from Energy STAR.
"

Library Journal's Reader's Shelf

Epic Journeys:  Adventures in Reading

Books recommended by editors at Library Journal

This Cold Heaven: Seven Seasons in Greenland By Ehrlich, Gretel 2003-01 - Vintage Books USA 9780679758525 Check Our Catalog For the last decade, Gretel Ehrlich has been obsessed by an island, a terrain, a culture, and the treacherous beauty of a world that is defined by ice. In This Cold Heaven she combines the story of her travels with history and cultural anthropology to reveal a Greenland that few of us could otherwise imagine. Ehrlich unlocks the secrets of this severe land and those who live there; a hardy people who still travel by dogsled and kayak and prefer the mystical four months a year of endless darkness to the gentler summers without night. She discovers the twenty-three words the Inuit have for ice, befriends a polar bear hunter, and comes to agree with the great Danish-Inuit explorer Knud Rasmussen that "all true wisdom is only to be found far from the dwellings of man, in great solitudes." This Cold Heaven is at once a thrilling adventure story and a meditation on the clarity of life at the extreme edge of the world. …More

A Fraction of the Whole By Toltz, Steve 2008-09 - Spiegel & Grau 9780385521734 Check Our Catalog A memorable story of a father and son whose spiritual symmetry transcends all their many shortcomings, "A Fraction of the Whole" is an uproarious indictment of the modern world and its mores. …More

Sea of Poppies By Ghosh, Amitav 2009-09 - Picador USA 9780312428594 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title At the heart of this vibrant saga is a vast ship, the "Ibis," whose destiny is a tumultuous voyage across the Indian Ocean, and whose purpose is to fight China's vicious 19th-century Opium Wars. …More

The Sea Runners By Doig, Ivan 2006-06 - Harvest Books 9780156031028 Check Our Catalog In this timeless survival story, four indentured servants escape their Russian Alaska work camp in a stolen canoe, only to face a harrowing journey down the Pacific Northwest coast. Battling unrelenting high seas and fierce weather from New Archangel, Alaska, to Astoria, Oregon, the men struggle to avoid hostile Tlingit Indians, to fend off starvation and exhaustion, and to endure their own doubt and distrust. Based on an actual incident in 1853, "The Sea Runners"is a spare and awe-inspiring tale of the human quest for freedom. …More

The Mapmaker's Wife: A True Tale of Love, Murder, and Survival in the Amazon By Whitaker, Robert 2004-12 - Delta 9780385337205 Check Our Catalog A True Tale of Love, Murder, and Survival in the Amazon The year is 1735. A decade-long expedition to South America is launched by a team of French scientists racing to measure the circumference of the earth and to reveal the mysteries of a little-known continent to a world hungry for discovery and knowledge. From this extraordinary journey arose an unlikely love between one scientist and a beautiful Peruvian noblewoman. Victims of a tangled web of international politics, Jean Godin and Isabel Gramesin's destiny would ultimately unfold in the Amazon's unforgiving jungles, and it would be Isabel's quest to reunite with Jean after a calamitous twenty-year separation that would capture the imagination of all of eighteenth-century Europe. A remarkable testament to human endurance, female resourcefulness, and enduring love, Isabel Gramesin's survival remains unprecedented in the annals of Amazon exploration. …More

The Places in Between By Stewart, Rory 2006-05 - Harvest Books 9780156031561 Check Our Catalog In January 2002, Rory Stewart survived a walk across Afghanistan by his wits, his knowledge of Persian dialects and Muslim customs, and the kindness of strangers. In this memoir, he writes about heroes and rogues, tribal elders and teenage soldiers, Taliban commanders and foreign-aid workers as he makes tangible the forces of tradition, ideology, and allegiance. …More