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Alice McDermott's novel, "Absolution," explores the lives of women during the 1960s, particularly Irish Catholic women living in New York. The story follows the wives of American men working in Saigon during the early days of the Vietnam War, focusing on an elderly woman reflecting on her past and her connection to her best friend's daughter. McDermott weaves together politics, guilt, and morality, with a particular emphasis on the Catholic religion. The novel delves into themes of forgiveness and the consequences of one's actions. [Extracted from the article]

Stern embellishes his novel with descriptions of several of Soutine's paintings. The Village Idiot: A Novel, by Steve Stern (Melville House, 368 pp., $27.99) CONSIDERED one of the 20th century's leading Expressionist artists, Chaim Soutine (1893 - 1943) was obsessed with drawing and painting even as a boy. Stern mentions Stanley Meisler's biography Shocking Paris: Soutine, Chagall and the Outsiders of Montparnasse as especially helpful. [Extracted from the article]