NPR's Book of the Day Folgen

The World And All That It Holds starts off in Sarajevo, in 1914, when shots ring out and World War I begins. It changes the course of protagonist Rafael Pinto's life, as he goes on to travel across time and conflict to find a twin flame in another Bosnian soldier named Osman. In today's episode, author Aleksandar Hemon paints a poetic backdrop for his striking new novel. He tells NPR's Scott Simon about the concept of macaronic language, a bilingual mix of ways to communicate, and how Pinto and his partner build their own unique dialect to express their love for one another.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Early on in today's episode, NPR's Scott Simon asks Dr. Henry Marsh a question – how could a medical professional miss the signs that they themselves are ill? Marsh, the neurosurgeon behind the new book, And Finally, answers quite simply. He tells Simon that it's common for doctors to feel consciously detached from what it's like to be on the other side of the examination table and, on a more subconscious level, to be in denial about their own ailments. That's what happened to him with his advanced prostate cancer diagnosis – and he explains it's not easy to go from surgeon to patient.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Won Lee, the protagonist of the novel The Sense of Wonder, is the only Asian American player in the NBA. But as was true for real-life basketball star Jeremy Lin, things can get very ugly – and very racist – very quickly. In today's episode, author Matthew Salesses explains to NPR's Leila Fadel how he tried to balance his main character's "happy to be here" energy with the need to push back and stand up for himself. He also tells Fadel about his deep love for Korean dramas, and how that passion found a home in the novel, too.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy