September's 10 Best New Books are Globe-Trotting

Based on true events, a housekeeper in 1870s England can tell there is deception all around her. From Eliza’s wealthy novelist employer (and cousin by marriage), whom she suspects is talentless, to the major players in local trials about wealth and identity, Eliza needs to sort out who are the frauds and who aren’t.

In colonial Virginia, a young servant girl escapes into the wilderness with nothing but a few possessions and an unbreakable spirit. Fleeing from starvation within her Jamestown settlement, the girl fights on her own for survival, as told in minute detail by Groff.

As food crops disappear because of thick smog, a chef escapes to a mountain colony serving the rich decadent meals. In this oasis, the sky is clear and food grows. Soon, the chef is pushed past her boundaries in this sensual examination of power, pleasure and the senses.

After a chaotic childhood inside a Palestinian-American home, Yara thinks she’s living a dream scenario with her suburban home and career. A racially-charged work incident threatens to derail all she has strived for, though her mother believes it to be a curse on the family. The only way out for Yara is through the weeds of her childhood, confronting what she thought she left behind.

Remy departed India for America years ago, leaving his cold mother behind. When he returns to India to adopt a baby, his guilt compels him to visit his mother again. She is ill and depressed, so he resolves to help her recover, but he uncovers a shocking family secret. As he prepares to become a parent himself, he questions everything about his family and his own childhood. Can he make peace and find forgiveness before his life changes?

To the world, Phil McDaragh is a celebrated poet. To three generations of women, he is a disappointment. He wooed Terry to marriage and then left her with two children, including daughter Carmel. Abandoned and scarred, Carmel raises her daughter Nell alone. Nell grows up to chase the romantic life of a writer but struggles with relationships. Enright explores how many generations will be affected by the choices of this one man in lyrical, descriptive prose.

Jack and Elizabeth start their relationship as college students in the gritty Chicago arts scene of the 1990s. Twenty years of marriage later, they try to navigate the modern world, from fad diets to Facebook wars, but old demons threaten to break them apart. They must turn inward and repair themselves separately if they are to face the future together.

Fans of Netflix true crime will love this teleplay-type novel about the murder of a fictional filmmaker. As the experts gather on camera to dissect the crime, you’ll ride alongside, attempting to crack the case before they do.

Based on a true story, a sorority is terrorized by a killer in 1978. Pamela finds two of her sisters dead and two more wounded in an overnight attack. The news of the crime lights a spark in Tina, convinced her own tragedy was because of the same man. The two women race toward each other, united by grief and seeking justice in a unique story that focuses more on the women in the story and not the murderer.

Lucian is a mogul with vengeance on his mind. Sloane is a skeptical librarian. The two bicker in the small Virginia town Knockemout, which then morphs into an intense attraction. If the pair want something beyond just a physical connection, they not only need to end their feud but get to the same place in their lives.