In this photo provided by Oliver Widger via his Instagram account on Thursday, May 15, 2025, his cat, Phoenix, sits inside their sailboat somewhere in the Pacific Ocean as both make their way from Oregon to Hawaii. (Oliver Widger via AP)
As the novel progresses and Freya starts to rebuild her life in Somers, we learn bit by bit the horrific events that led to her departure.Reconnecting with childhood friends, avoiding the demons of her past, and navigating an entirely new level of adulthood via being thrust into homeownership, “Home of the American Circus” is Freya’s journey of empowerment, to reclaim her life and the people and things she holds most dear; to recognize her own resilience and inherent self-worth. Larkin builds a robust picture of Freya’s life, her family, and a small American town home to a circus elephant.
It takes more than a little verve to write a story based on the iconic characters created byin perhaps the 20th century’s most famous American novel, but Claire Anderson-Wheeler has done just that with “The Gatsby Gambit.” And, say, old sport, it’s delightful.Fans of “The Great Gatsby” — Penguin Classics is publishing a 100th anniversary edition in conjunction with Anderson-Wheeler’s new work — will delight in seeing their old friends again. Jay Gatsby is here, of course, but also Nick Carraway, Tom and Daisy Buchanan, and Jordan Baker. They are joined by Anderson-Wheeler’s invention, Jay’s sister Greta, back from finishing school and spending the summer at the mansion in West Egg. She’s the real star of the story, which after re-introducing readers to Fitzgerald’s cast, quickly takes a tragic turn.
Saying more about the tragedy would spoil the reading experience, but suffice it to say that it fits perfectly with the story Anderson-Wheeler wants to tell — about a young woman with extraordinary means who is awakening to the inequities of the 1920s America she inhabits.She moves easily between the wealthy partygoers at her brother’s famous lawn parties and the servants who meet their every need, which puts her in perfect position to become a youthful version of Miss Marple, following every lead to solve the book’s central mystery.
Anderson-Wheeler writes in a voice that is fun to read, even as she stays true to the character traits Fitzgerald created a century ago. Here’s a moment in Greta’s head: “It was fortuitous, Greta reflected, that the future of women’s liberation did not depend solely on Daisy Buchanan.” Or Jordan, as she pushed “the duck confit morosely around her plate: Murder investigations aren’t half so much fun as I thought they’d be.”
Fitzgerald scholars may find it all frivolous — nothing but fan fiction that effectively negates the plot of the original — but readers who either don’t care about that or who just want to spend more time with these characters will be rewarded.premiering Thursday. The six-episode show follows settlers during the westward expansion and stars Taylor Kitsch and Betty Gilpin. Like the “Yellowstone” prequel
this new series depicts how the fight for land in the American west was a violent one.— Noah Wyle returns to where we first met him — in the emergency room — for his new series
Instead of playing a green intern, Wyle’s character Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch is an experienced doctor at a fictional Pittsburgh hospital. Each episode follows one hour of Dr. Robby’s 15-hour shift. John Wells, who was the showrunner of “ER” is an executive producer. Writer Michael Crichton wrote the pilot script for “ER” and his estate — led by his widow Sherri Crichton —Warner Bros. Television, calling “The Pitt” an unauthorized rebranded version of “ER.” “The Pitt” debuts Thursday on Max.