Southern Review of Books

2022 Staff Favorites

By: Chelsea Risley December 30, 2022December 30, 2022

FeaturesAlana Dagenhart, Casey McQuiston, Emily St. John Mandel, Fernando A. Flores, Gwen E. Kirby, Kate Spencer, Kirstin Chen, Matt Haig, Mesha Maren, Naomi Alderman, staff picksLeave a Comment

The editorial team looks back on their favorite books they read in the last year.

Confronting False Histories in “How the Word is Passed”

By: Chaney Hill December 29, 2022December 27, 2022

ReviewsClint Smith, How the Word is Passed, NonfictionLeave a Comment

Clint Smith’s “How the Word is Passed” takes readers on a cross-country journey to sites that, just below the surface, harbor hidden histories of slavery.

“Because the World is Round” Poignantly Punctuates Memories with Metaphor

By: Jenna Jaureguy December 28, 2022December 28, 2022

ReviewsBecause the World is Round, Deep Vellum Publishing, Jane Saginaw, Memoir, Nonfiction, ReviewLeave a Comment

Jane Saginaw’s nonfiction debut pairs anecdotes of childhood and world travel to craft a remarkable coming-of-age narrative.

“Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands” Depicts a World of Inequalities

By: Konstantin Rega December 22, 2022December 21, 2022

ReviewsDrawn & Quarterly, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, Kate Beaton, Nonfiction, ReviewLeave a Comment

A review of Kate Beaton’s nonfiction graphic novel, “Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands.”

“Our Sister Who Will Not Die” is Raw, Absorbing, and Complex

By: Jenny Maattala December 19, 2022December 17, 2022

ReviewsOur Sister Who Will Not Die, Rebecca Bernard, Short StoriesLeave a Comment

In the short story collection, “Our Sister Who Will Not Die,” Rebecca Bernard explores the darkest innerworkings of her characters while maintaining their humanity.