Author Maura Cheeks talks about her new novel Acts of Forgiveness. Set in a speculative America, readers navigate a world where the government has approved reparation payments for black Americans – but only if they can prove they are descended from slaves.

From New Hampshire Public Radio and the Howe Library in Hanover, New Hampshire, Check This Out is a new 7-part literary series where host Rachel Barenbaum dives deeply into the works of emerging and diverse authors.

Host Rachel Barenbaum sat down with New Hampshire librarians to discuss their favorite reads from 2023.

This week on Check This Out, host Rachel Barenbaum sits down with Emma Törzs, author of "Ink Blood Sister Scribe."

You may know Ayana Mathis from her debut novel, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie. Published 11 years ago, the excitement and noise around that debut took up all the space and energy Mathis had to write fiction. Her new second novel is called The Unsettled. It’s a mother-daughter-son story that braids two narratives - one from the south and one from the north.

This week on Check This Out, host Rachel Barenbaum chats with John Manuel Arias about his debut novel, Where There Was Fire — which focuses on one major event that haunts three generations of Costa Rican women.

This week, host Rachel Barenbaum sits down with Angie Kim, author of the novel "Miracle Creek." Kim was named a finalist for the New American Voices Award. Her latest work, "Happiness Falls" follows the story of family in crisis, after a father goes missing — and the only person who knows what happened to him is the family's non-verbal 14 year old son, Eugene.

This week, host Rachel Barenbaum sits down with Tania James, author of the novels "The Tusk That Did the Damage" and "Atlas of Unknowns." Her latest work "Loot," has been named to the longlist of the 2023 National Book Award in fiction.