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After the Civil War, the United States seemed poised to grant equal rights to blacks. But the Supreme Court's rulings in the late 19th century kept blacks segregated for decades, says constitutional scholar Lawrence Goldstone.

Jonathan Evison's West of Here explores the nature of the frontier. Lynn Neary speaks to the writer about the Pacific Northwest, a fictional town ravaged by development and the hope for the American wilderness.

Hannah Pittard's debut novel, The Fates Will Find Their Way, tells the story of a 16-year-old girl who inexplicably disappears one day — and the neighborhood kids who become entranced by what may have happened to her.

Harlem has served as an incubator both for African-American optimism, and for ongoing racial conflict. In her first book, Harlem Is Nowhere, Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts writes of a Harlem where legacies of triumph and misfortune in America still duel. The reality, she finds, is somewhere in between.

This week's fiction ranges from Robert Harris' take on Cicero's year as leader of Rome, to Louise Erdrich's twisted story of a marriage, to Walter Mosley's second Leonid McGill detective novel. In nonfiction, Elizabeth Gilbert gets Committed, and Michael Lewis probes The Big Short.

The book features a less-than-lovable protagonist navigating 30-odd years of life and family, but debut novelist Adam Schwartz proves that even imperfect, dysfunctional relationships have their moments of beauty.

In The Tiger's Wife, Natalia reflects on her close relationship with her grandfather, a reasonable man with a penchant for mythical Balkan folktales. Young author Tea Obreht tells Lynn Neary about growing up in the former Yugoslavia and returning to it for inspiration.

In an uncanny portrait of the television genre, the novel Deus Ex Machina stars a bitter reality TV producer who plays the role of deity, and added voice-overs and contrived slo-mo shots conveniently resolve disturbing events on a remote island.

For the month of February, best-selling author Laura Hillenbrand will join NPR to lead discussions about her new No. 1 book, Unbroken. This book club will take place on Facebook, Twitter and NPR.org. Read on to find out how you can participate.

From Adam Haslett's unchecked financial wizard to Cathleen Schine's late-life divorce to Alan Bradley's 11-year-old chemist and sleuth, this week's fiction is bursting with big personalities. And in nonfiction, journalist David Kirkpatrick profiles Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.