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David Grann, author of The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder

On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were 30 emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty’s Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. Six months later, another, even more decrepit craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways, and they told a very different story. The 30 sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes --- they were mutineers. The first group responded with countercharges of their own. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth.

Week of February 24, 2025

Paperback releases for the week of February 24th include LONG ISLAND, a spectacularly moving novel featuring Eilis Lacey, the complex and enigmatic heroine of BROOKLYN, Colm Tóibín’s most popular work in 20 years; AFTER ANNIE by Anna Quindlen, whose trademark wisdom on family, friendship and the ties that bind us are at the center of her novel, which is about   the power of love to transcend loss and triumph over adversity; GRIEF IS FOR PEOPLE, a disarmingly witty and poignant memoir that explores multiple kinds of loss following the death of Sloane Crosley’s closest friend; David Grann's THE WAGER, a page-turning story of shipwreck, survival and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth; and WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA? by Dervla McTiernan, an emotional novel of suspense about two families pitted against each other --- one seeking justice in the disappearance of their daughter, the other desperate to clear their son’s name.