Does the world have to be a place of misery and conflict? What’s the point of life if things never get any better? Dr. David Jeremiah addresses these issues in his joyful exploration of heaven.

Jeremiah argues that we are never satisfied with our lives because we have a natural longing for what we lost when we were expelled from the Garden of Eden. His book contains numerous anecdotes about people who have experienced that longing; others who have struggled against it; and still others who...

Hildy Nybo is a passionate environmentalist, admired for her expertise and leadership. But the real Hildy is a deeply disturbed recluse who buries herself in work to maintain her sanity, which is fraying at the edges.

Traumatic events rise to haunt her when she’s forced to return to the Washington State fishing resort of her childhood. Hildy takes residence in one of the resort cabins while overseeing a government reclamation project to preserve aquatic life in the Elwha River. There she meets...

Today’s newsletter concludes my review of Shirley Jackson’s less-known novels.

Shirley Jackson employed numerous iconic elements to create this darkly hilarious novel. Bits of Hansel and Gretel, Robinson Crusoe, Chicken Little, Lizzie Borden, the Book of Revelation, Jane Austen novels, and Greek tragedy join forces to portray a snobbish family preparing for the end of the world.

The Hallorans have just returned to their cloistered mansion after burying Lionel Halloran. His widow Marjorie claims...