BY SIDNEY BOKER ’21
A new school year often means new books. Fall 2019 marks the coming of new, highly anticipated books from authors like Margaret Atwood and TaNehisi Coates. This list details five of Fall 2019’s most anticipated new releases.
Science Fiction: “The Testaments” by Margaret Atwood
Release Date: Sept. 10
In perhaps the most eagerly awaited book of the season, Margaret Atwood returns to the slowly crumbling Republic of Gilead in “The Testaments,” a sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Set 15 years after the events of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “The Testaments” follows three very different women, two of whom grew up under the new regime and one who attained power through the manipulation of secrets.
These women will have to decide how far they are willing to go to fight for their beliefs. According to the novel’s blurb, Atwood tells readers, “everything you’ve ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we’ve been living in.” “The Testaments” is shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
Horror: “The Institute” by Stephen King
Release Date: Sept. 10
Acclaimed horror author Stephen King, known for works such as “It” and “The Shining,” is back again in time for spooky season with “The Institute.” One night in the suburbs of Minneapolis, 12-year-old Luke Ellis’s parents are murdered and he is kidnapped and taken to the sinister “Institute” where the “Director,” Mrs. Sigsby, locks up children with special abilities.
Luke meets five other children kept in other rooms of what is called the “Front Half.” Some graduate to the “Back Half,” but are never seen again. As more children disappear into the “Back Half,” Luke gets more desperate to escape the “Institute.”
Young Adult: “Frankly in Love” by David Yoon
Release Date: Sept. 10
David Yoon’s debut novel, “Frankly in Love,” tells the story of Frank Li, a Korean-American high school student who falls for his white classmate, Brit. In an attempt to bypass his parents’ strict “date Korean” rule and help family friend Joy Song out of a similar situation, Frank and Joy pretend to date each other to keep their parents from meddling. As the fake relationship starts to feel more real, Frank will have to face serious questions about family and identity.
Yoon tells the Odyssey that his own adolescence inspired him, balancing his parents’ traditional opinions against his own. Maggie Rockhill ’20 said, “The fake-dating thing always makes for an interesting storyline and it reminds me of ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.’”
Memoir: “Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets & Advice for Living Your Best Life” by Ali Wong
Release Date: Oct. 15
Ali Wong, known for her stand-up comedy Netflix specials “Baby Cobra” and “Hard Knock Wife” as well as her acting and script-writing, is releasing a new project. “Dear Girls” is a series of letters addressed to her two daughters, Mari and Nikki, detailing stories from her life on- and offstage in her trademark, unfiltered humor. Wong shares her hilarious, heartwarming and gross experiences from dating to parenthood, reflecting on her visit to Vietnam and her childhood in San Francisco.
“I’m really excited to read Ali Wong’s book because she is a comedic genius!” Ellena Son ’21 said.
Historical Fiction: “The Water Dancer” by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Release Date: Sept. 24
Author Ta-Nehisi Coates is known for his nonfiction works, including Mount Holyoke’s 2016 common read, “Between the World and Me.” Coates’ newest book, “The Water Dancer,” is his fiction debut. The story follows Hiram, a child born into slavery in Virginia. While still a child, he witnesses his mother’s sale to a different slave owner, an experience that haunts him for years. As a young man, he nearly drowns in a river and sees a vision of his mother. His near-death experience inspires him to escape slavery. Hiram’s daring plan takes him from southern plantations, to the north, to the underground guerilla war between slave owners and the enslaved.