Prairie Fox Reads

  Book Review:   Under the Falls   (Falls #2) by Richard Russo Estimated Rating:   ★★★☆☆ (3.14 out of 5 stars) Disclaimer: I received a free advance review copy (ARC) of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and analyses presented below are entirely my own. Publication and Context Title:   Under the Falls Author:   Richard Russo Series:   Falls (#2) Expected Publication Date:   August 11, 2026 Publisher:   Knopf Page Count:   256 pages Format:   Hardcover (ASIN / ISBN: 9780593805107) Genres:   Fiction / Literary Fiction / Mystery / Suspense / Friendship / Book Club Contextual Backdrop: Expected to hit shelves in August 2026,   Under the Falls   marks the return of Pulitzer Prize–winning author Richard Russo. Billed in the publisher’s description as his first stand-alone novel since   Chances Are . . . —despite also being categorized as “Falls #2”—this 256-page novel sees Russ...

  Caro Claire Burke Knopf, 2026 (Hardcover edition) 400 pages Disclaimer: This review is based on publicly available bibliographic data and the hardcover book of the month club edition.   Overview Yesteryear follows Natalie Heller Mills, a traditional American woman who built a massive social media following by selling a pastoral, perfected version of farm life—raw milk, farm-fresh eggs, and an idealized maternal ideal. When she awakens in 1805 Idaho, the comforts of modernity vanish and she is confronted with a stark, brutal reality: dirt, manual labor, and a husband whose persona shifts from protective patriarch to capable frontiersman. The novel blends elements of historical fiction, mystery, thriller, and time travel, exploring themes of fame, faith, gender performance, and the performative nature of womanhood. Burke’s debut pulls readers into Natalie’s disoriented, sometimes darkly comic, odyssey as she attempts to discern whether her reality is a hoax, a test, or somethi...

  Emily R. Austin Atria Books, 2026 (Hardcover edition) 304 pages Disclosure: This review is based on the hardcover edition provided by the publisher for review. and publicly available bibliographic information. The assessment applies a set of objective criteria—plot coherence, characterization, pacing, prose/style, structure & point of view, thematic depth, originality, and accessibility—for a numeric scoring approach (1–5) with evidence-based justification, followed by an overall appraisal and practical recommendations.   Overview Emily R. Austin’s Is This a Cry for Help? centers Darcy, a librarian navigating life after a mental breakdown and a public controversy over book bans and DEI programming. Through Darcy’s inner life, relationships, and activism within a community confronting censorship, the novel explores grief, queer identity, chosen family, and the cultural role of libraries as bastions of access and empathy. The book blends literary fiction with contemporary ...