Our Favorite Books of 2017
What astonishes us about this year's best books is their audacity, their inventiveness, and their ability to delight and devastate in equal measure. In a field rich with powerful voices, these spoke to us most urgently.
By Natalie Beach, Hamilton Cain, Leigh Haber, Claire Luchette
7 of 11
The Future Is History
By Masha Gessen
528 pages;
Riverhead Books
Soviet-born
activist and journalist Gessen has divided her professional life between Russia
and America, writing with clarity and authority about subjects as varied as
Vladimir Putin and Pussy Riot. In this deep dive into the lives of four young
Russians as they come of age after Communism's fall, Gessen reveals why,
instead of embracing democracy, the country turned back to the rule of
strongmen. Her extraordinary reportage yields a cautionary tale about the
vulnerability of freedom's institutions.
Published 11/10/2017
