Happy Independence Day! Here’s a firecracker of a mystery character from fiction. Let’s see if you can guess who it is.
From the first moment that we meet this character covered in the evidence of their latest mischief, we know there will be calamities and escapades to come!
This character beguiled, infuriated, enthralled, aggravated and delighted the people who knew and loved them. And readers — millions of them since the novel was published — felt the same.
The author who created this character told journalists that the character was a composite of people the author had known.
But a contemporary magazine investigation revealed that the author had encountered the role model for this character on a trip and decided to write this new friend into the novel, enchanted by their stories.
Do you know who this character is and the novel in which they appear?
When you do, email me at kmiller@mpr.org (I will respond to each guess before Monday at 5 p.m.)
To mark Independence Day, Big Books and Bold Ideas is airing an encore presentation of Kerri Miller’s conversation with historian Patrick O’Donnell about his 2024 book, “The Unvanquished.”
In her new memoir "Running Uphill: Confronting a Life with Epilepsy," author Stacia Kalinoski hopes to inspire others living with epilepsy or any health condition.
For many working adults, the summer can often feel the same as the rest of the year. So, maybe our idea of a “summer read” should encompass a wider swath of books? Here are a few out this week.
A deep dive on gossip. Revolutionary history. A meditation on muscle. A closer look at the color blue. And memoirs galore. There’s something for everyone on this nonfiction summer reading list.
