In her vivid epistolary novel “The White Hot,” the Pulitzer-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes explores the long-tail legacy of maternal rage and regret.
The actor had to read so many books (153) she bowed out of most family activities. Still, she said, collaborating to pick a winner was worth the sacrifice.
The rags-to-riches tale had already made fans of Zadie Smith and Dua Lipa. Roddy Doyle, who chaired the judging panel, called the book “singular” and “extraordinary.”
The senator from Pennsylvania chronicles his stroke, unlikely election victory and battle with depression. Just don’t expect him to try to win you over.