NYT Books

In “Pure Wit,” Francesca Peacock makes a fresh case for the writer Margaret Cavendish’s place in the feminist canon.

In “The Furies,” the journalist Elizabeth Flock reports the stories of three women who fought back — to defend themselves, other women or their people.

The illustrator of classic children’s books like “Frederick” and “Swimmy” was also a painter, sculptor, graphic designer and more.

Emily Cockayne’s “Penning Poison,” a history of anonymous letters, reveals the ways we’ve been torturing one another, verbally, for centuries.

In “The Other Side,” the art critic Jennifer Higgie explores artists who found self-expression through different media — and mediums.

True to the promise of its title, “The Storm We Made” kicks up a weather system of epic proportions, ranging from military terror during World War II to domestic warmth.

This bracing anthology of Christopher Hitchens’s work for The London Review of Books is just the ticket.

In “Mercury,” Amy Jo Burns explores the conflicting loyalties and many secrets of a roofing clan in small-town Pennsylvania.

“Carnival of Dreams” collects surrealist photo collages by the Hong Kong artist who once designed graphics for “Monty Python.”

Four new books look to fauna to get us through tough times.