For the first time, Michael Frayn, the "master of what is seriously funny,” turns his humor and narrative talent on his own family's story, to re-create the world that made him who he is. 

From a master of modern American letters comes a collection of short fiction about people who, as E. L. Doctorow notes in his Preface, are somehow “distinct from their surroundings --- people in some sort of contest with the prevailing world.” 

Propelled by the same superb instinct for storytelling that made THE KITE RUNNER a beloved classic, A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS is at once an incredible chronicle of 30 years of Afghan history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation to be found in love.

Ten-year-old Alice MacCauley and her playmate, Theo Swann, are the heroes of this frank and tender portrayal of two children coming of age in the course of a Vermont summer. Veteran literary novelist Carrie Brown brings her considerable gifts to bear in creating this affecting tale.

Lorrie Moore's ability to blend quick wit and hilarious observations of current trends with moving portraits of people struggling with loneliness, confusion, and the desire for love has made her one of the most admired writers of our time. Capturing the mood of post-9/11 America with astonishing deftness and precision, A Gate at the Stairs showcases Moore at the height of her powers.

Journalist Sebastian Junger spent the better part of a year embedded with a combat platoon in Afghanistan. With WAR, he returns with an intense and unflinching look at the almost inhuman difficulty of the task they face and the bonds that compel them to perform it.