The Biggest Book News of the Week

Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more. Here are the biggest headlines from the last week.

Dorothy Allison, Author of Bastard Out of Carolina, Dies at Age 75

Though her second novel, Cavedweller was quite good and sold well, Allison will forever be known for Bastard Out of Carolina. The subject matter is a tough as it gets–abuse of all kinds is depicted with a steely resolve. Allison’s ear is particularly good, and the dialogue and language is sharp and grounding. It’s been awhile since I read it, but I think it still holds up as a good as a depiction of class, gender, and violence in America as you are going to find. Certainly more interesting than a certain best-selling book by a VP-elect I could name.