Explore the latest books of this year!
Bookbot

Allegra Goodman

    January 1, 1967

    This author crafts narratives that delve into the complexities of family, exploring its many forms alongside themes of religion, science, and the evolving landscape of technology. Her work often investigates the interplay between tradition and modernity, and the blurred lines between the real and the imagined. With a keen eye for psychological depth, she examines human relationships and the distinct motivations that drive her characters.

    The Chalk Artist
    Total Immersion
    Kaaterskill Falls
    The Family Markowitz
    Sam
    The Other Side of the Island
    • 2025

      Isola

      • 400 pages
      • 14 hours of reading

      REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “A shocking story, made all the more stunning by the fact that it has its roots in true history.”—Jodi Picoult, author of By Any Other Name “A new generation of survival story . . . an extraordinary book that reads like a thriller, written with the care of the most delicate psychological and historical fiction.”—Vogue (Best of 2025 Preview) A young woman and her lover are marooned on an island in this “lushly painted” (People) historical epic of love, faith, and defiance from the bestselling author of Sam. LONGLISTED FOR THE AMERICAN LIBRARY IN PARIS BOOK AWARD Heir to a fortune, Marguerite is destined for a life of prosperity and gentility. Then she is orphaned, and her guardian—an enigmatic and volatile man—spends her inheritance and insists she accompany him on an expedition to New France. That journey takes a unexpected turn when Marguerite, accused of betrayal, is brutally punished and abandoned on a small island. Once a child of privilege who dressed in gowns and laced pearls in her hair, Marguerite finds herself at the mercy of nature. As the weather turns, blanketing the island in ice, she discovers a faith she’d never before needed. Inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, Isola is the timeless story of a woman fighting for survival.

      Isola
    • 2023
      3.7(9812)Add rating

      "There is a girl, and her name is Sam. She adores her father, though he isn't around much. Her mother, Courtney, struggles to make ends meet, and never fails to remind her daughter that her life should be different. Sam doesn't fit in at school, where the other girls have the right shade of blue jeans and don't question the rules. Sam doesn't care about jeans or rules. She just loves to climb--trees, fences, walls, the side of a building. When she's climbing, she discovers a place she belongs: she can turn off her brain, pain has a purpose, and it's okay if you want to win. As Sam grows into her teens, she grapples with self-doubt and insecurity for the first time. She yearns for her climbing coach to notice her, but his attention crosses boundaries she doesn't know how to resist. She wishes her father would leave for good, instead of always coming and going, but once he's gone, she realizes how much she's lost. She rages against her mother's constant pressure to plan for a more secure future, but also sees how hard she works and how much she sacrifices. Wrestling with who she wants to be in the face of what she's expected to do, Sam comes to understand that she alone can make her dreams come true"-- Provided by publisher

      Sam
    • 2017

      The Chalk Artist

      • 352 pages
      • 13 hours of reading
      3.4(186)Add rating

      From New York Times bestselling novelist Allegra Goodman comes an inventive, big-hearted and big-brained modern-day romance.

      The Chalk Artist
    • 2011

      The Cookbook Collector

      • 416 pages
      • 15 hours of reading
      3.3(168)Add rating

      'Goodman is everything it says on her tin - a wonderful, lyrical writer - but she also has an astute eye for comedy and some bits of the book are truly hilarious.' Wendy Holden, Daily Mail

      The Cookbook Collector
    • 2009

      The Other Side of the Island

      • 288 pages
      • 11 hours of reading
      3.8(325)Add rating

      In a seemingly perfect world on Island 365, young Honour and her family defy societal norms, ignoring curfews and traditions. While Honour struggles to fit in at school, she meets Helix, who reveals a dark secret: those who don't conform mysteriously vanish, never to return.

      The Other Side of the Island
    • 2007

      A charismatic doctor and a rigorous scientist are co-directors of a cancer research lab. They demand nothing less than complete dedication and obedience from their young protégés. In this high-pressure setting, one young man's experiments begin to show exciting results. At first the entire lab is giddy with expectation. But his colleagues become suspicious, and soon an all-too-public controversy engulfs the lab and everyone in it… Intuition is a rich and compelling human drama about the quest for 'truth', that asks: who can you trust when you aren't even sure you can trust yourself?

      Intuition
    • 2001

      Allegra Goodman is known for her engaging storytelling and rich character development, as seen in her acclaimed works like Total Immersion and The Family Markowitz. Her first novel, Kaaterskill Falls, garnered widespread recognition, becoming a national bestseller and a finalist for the National Book Award, showcasing her talent for exploring complex themes and family dynamics.

      Paradise Park
    • 1998

      Total Immersion

      Stories

      • 304 pages
      • 11 hours of reading
      3.4(137)Add rating

      Diverse narratives explore complex familial and communal dynamics. In "The Succession," a synagogue's unity crumbles when its president steals funds, revealing deeper conflicts among members. "The Closet" delves into sibling estrangement as Evelyn's sister isolates herself, prompting Evelyn to confront her own identity. Meanwhile, "Wish List" follows a terrorism expert at an academic retreat who faces an unexpected crisis when asked to comment on a hostage situation, highlighting the challenges of navigating unexpected moral dilemmas.

      Total Immersion
    • 1998

      NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “A richly textured portrait . . . an intimate look at a closed Orthodox community.”—Los Angeles Times Book Review NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK It is 1976. And the tiny upstate New York town of Kaaterskill Falls is bustling with summer people in dark coats, fedoras, and long, modest dresses. Living side by side with Yankee year-rounders, they are the disciples of Rav Elijah Kirshner. Elizabeth Shulman is a restless wife and mother of five daughters; her imagination transcends her cloistered community. Across the street Andras Melish is drawn to Kaaterskill by his adoring older sisters. Comforted, yet crippled by his sisters’ love, he cannot overcome the ambivalence he feels toward his own children and his young wife. At the top of the hill, Rav Kirshner is nearing the end of his life. As he struggles to decide which of his sons should succeed him—the pious but stolid Isaiah or the brilliant but rebellious Jeremy—his followers wrestle with their future and their past. With this community, Allegra Goodman weaves magic. The nationally bestselling author of The Family Markowitz crafts a tale of family and tradition—one that confirms this author’s place as a virtuoso of her generation.

      Kaaterskill Falls
    • 1997

      The Family Markowitz

      • 262 pages
      • 10 hours of reading
      3.6(39)Add rating

      Told through weddings, deaths, holiday dinners, and dreams, the story of three generations of the Markowitzes is revealed.

      The Family Markowitz