In THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING, Joan Didion writes an account of her life since the 2003 death of her husband, John Gregory Dunne. Didion's grief was profound and debilitating; she and Dunne had been married for nearly 40 years, during which they were hardly ever apart. But in the course of her mourning period, she also gained crucial insights into herself, her marriage, death, and loss. Winner of the 2005 National Book Award for Nonfiction and named one of the 10 Best Books of 2005 by the New York Times.

During the plague that decimated the population of England during the 17th century, the vicar of an isolated village tries desperately to save the townspeople from death. Narrated by his courageous young housemaid, whose own family members have become victims, YEAR OF WONDERS is a story of the heroism that can arise in extreme situations--and it's also a love story. A New York Times Notable Book for 2001.

The Black Death rolls through Europe in the 14th century, but instead of killing one-third of the population, the plague destroys 99 percent of the peoples of Europe. This alternate history speculates on a world where China and Islam are the formative world powers, while a fiercely innovative and protective India struggles to maintain its independence. Generations of a reconfigured history unfold through the voices of several characters reincarnated each time they die, usually with no memory of the past. A New York Times Notable Book for 2002.