~ Standard Hardcover

The Republic of Imagination: America in Three Books

A passionate hymn to the power of fiction to transform people’s lives, The Republic of Imagination is an impassioned, beguiling and utterly original tribute to the vital importance of fiction in a democratic society. 

Taking her cue from a skeptical reader who told her that Americans don't care about books the same as other cultures do, The Republic of Imagination blends memoir and polemic with close readings of favorite American works from Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn to Carson McCullers' The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter to invite readers into a country where the only passport for entry is a free mind and a willingness to dream.

“A passionate argument for returning to key American novels in order to foster creativity and engagement.  Touching on myriad literary examples, from L. Frank Baum to James Baldwin, her work is both poignant and informative.” -- Kirkus