The common thread is the reading pleasure promised, and delivered. Novels of historical context, of futuristic speculation, and of societal fantasy/magic, make up the trio of books reviewed today. The ...

The result was “Dutch Double,” published in 2006. It’s a time-travel story aimed at young children, and follows the exploits ...

Allegra Goodman’s novel follows a pampered 16th-century orphan tested by a number of catastrophes.