All Things Considered, March 2, 2010

Like so many children of mixed marriages, the author Heidi Durrow has often felt like she's had to straddle two worlds. She is the daughter of a black serviceman and a white Danish mother. Her own personal search for identity inspired her debut novel, The Girl Who Fell from The Sky. The story revolves around a girl who moves across the country to live with her grandmother after surviving a family tragedy. The book has received breathless critical acclaim, and it was awarded the Bellwether Prize for fiction that addresses issues of social justice.

Morning Edition, March 25, 2010 It has been almost 200 years since Jane Austen's death but her books remain some of the most widely read in English literature. Claire Harman, author of the book Jane's Fame, about Austen's life, discussed her popularity.