Laura Waterman talks about her novel, Starvation Shore (University of Wisconsin Press, 2019), which relies upon memoirs, letters, and diaries to reconstruct the life of the Greely Party as it attempted to survive impossible conditions. Waterman is a climber, conservationist, and author who has written many books with her husband Guy Waterman about mountain h ... Show More
Oct 28
Before He Was Red with Christina Ståhle (Pebble Press, 2025)
Few things delight a historical novelist more than true stories of forgotten individuals remembered, if they are remembered at all, for one dramatic moment or act. Flora Cordier—a Belgian glove maker who apparently married the last effective Ottoman sultan, Abdulhamid II (1876–19 ... Show More
26m 50s
Oct 19
The Age of Fury with John Stephens (Random House, 2026)
John Stephen's The Age of Fury (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2026) takes place in Gilded Age New York, a fierce seventeen year-old Irish girl joins forces with a notorious gangster to hunt down her sister's killer. Told from both perspectives, their search for justice pulls the ... Show More
31m 58s
Oct 14
The Instrument Must Not Matter with Christine Fischer Guy (Buckrider Books, 2026)
In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with Christine Fischer Guy about her novel, The Instrument Must Not Matter (Wolsak & Wynn, 2026). She sees the score for the Bach-Brahms in her mind’s eye, hears the indigo notes unfurl.In this sweeping coming-of-age novel gifted yo ... Show More
37m 20s
Jun 2017
"The Lighthouse Keeper" by Daisy Johnson
The story of a solitary life by the sea, and a woman’s courage. "The Lighthouse Keeper" is part of FEN: STORIES, available from Graywolf Press. Thanks to our presenting sponsor Audible. Start your free trial and get a free audiobook at audible.com/levar. Hosted by Simplecast, an ... Show More
30m 44s
Feb 2022
A Spiritual, Dangerous Quest in the Himalayas
<p>Harley Rustad’s new book, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/21/books/review/lost-in-the-valley-of-death-harley-rustad.html" target="_blank">“Lost in the Valley of Death,”</a> is about an American adventurer named Justin Alexander Shetler, who went on a quest in the Hima ... Show More
55m 3s
Sep 2025
Siula Grande: Over the Edge | Keep Moving | 3
Simon Yates begins his lonely return to base camp, convinced that his partner Joe Simpson is dead. He wrestles with guilt and grief, unsure how he’ll ever explain what happened to those back home. Meanwhile, Joe manages to haul himself out of the crevasse. But with a shattered le ... Show More
50m 2s