- WBEZ Chicago’s “848” reviews The Borrower“Charming, funny, original, thought-provoking, and moving, Rebecca Makkai’s The Borrower embraces outsiders and dissenters, and celebrates the power of our imagination and our empathy. This warmly entertaining, picaresque novel in praise of personal freedom and books leaves us marveling over literature’s magnificent paradox: that in fiction dwells profound truth.” Read more
News
Reading in Milwaukee, 7/20
I will be reading at Boswell Book Company in Milwaukee at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, July 20th. My last reading for a few weeks…
East coast tour dates (Boston and Vermont), week of July 11th!
Three readings coming up on the east coast:
Tuesday, July 12th, 6:00 at the Boston Public Library, along with author Laura Harrington
Wednesday, July 13th, 7:30 at the Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English, Ripton, VT, along with author Tracy Winn (Open to the public, but leave extra time to find the place.)
Friday, July 15th, 7:00 at Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, VT
Come one, come all! Also accepting roadie applications.
Huffington Post Cites The Borrower’s Cover as one of year’s best →
The Huffington Post highlighted The Borrower‘s cover, original art by the amazingly talented Josh Cochran, as one of the year’s best. I wholeheartedly agree!
Rebecca Makkai on It Gets Better
In response to some questions I’ve gotten about the reading lists mentioned at the end of The Borrower, I decided to post my recommended reading for LGBT teens as a video for the It Gets Better Project. Click through here to watch the video on You Tube, and please comment with your own recommendations!
The Borrower Praised in Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune lauds The Borrower in a full review on June 22nd, calling it a “bracingly tough-minded tale,” “wonderfully nuanced,” and “poignant.”
Conversation and Review at Wall Street Journal Speakeasy
A lovely review of The Borrower and a brief conversation with me are up on the Wall Street Journal‘s Speakeasy (their arts and entertainment blog). As a side note, I love that Rupert Murdoch has now inadvertently paid twice to publicize my rather liberal novel. 
Boston Globe Pick of the Week!
The Sunday (6/19/11) issue of the Boston Globe names The Borrower as its Pick of the Week!
The Borrower on Oprah’s Summer Reading List
Oprah has included The Borrower on her 2011 Summer Reading List! (Jonathan Franzen was unavailable for comment.)
The Borrower reviewed in The New York Times, 6/16/11
“[
The Borrower is] an appealing, nonromantic love story about an unexpected pairing — and a surprisingly moving one.” (more)
