Charlie’s current case involves Vesper, a woman whose husband vanished and whose investment accounts are inexplicably shrinking. Meanwhile, he’s menaced by a pair of ex-convicts with dangerous knowledge about his past.
Six Nations Diplomat
Donna Tesiero ’76
A former government major in Arts & Sciences, Tesiero holds a JD and two master’s degrees from other institutions. Her latest book combines biography and military history in delving into an Indigenous woman’s role in the American Revolution.
A member of the Mohawk tribe, Molly Brant had a 15-year relationship—and eight children—with Sir William Johnson, Britain’s superintendent for Indian affairs. Sir William, a French and Indian War hero, had been the lead negotiator between Molly’s Six Nations (Iroquois) confederacy and the British colonies.
After his death, and with the Revolution dawning, Molly must decide whether to throw her considerable influence behind the Colonial rebels or the British loyalists.
Says the publisher, McFarland: “Drawing heavily on primary sources, this biography of the Mohawk leader chronicles her task to carve out a promising future for her children and her people in a world that threatens to make homeless refugees of them all.”
Wolverine: Sabretooth War
Victor LaValle ’94, BA ’95
The acclaimed writer of literary horror made his Marvel debut in 2022, penning comics centered around the villainous X-Men mutant Sabretooth. Now, the entire story arc—written by LaValle and others—has been compiled into an omnibus version.
The drama centers on Sabretooth’s exile, and his ultimate return to battle his arch-enemy, Wolverine. And while Sabretooth—a killer-for-hire—has historically been written off as a one-dimensional bad guy, LaValle deepens the character by viewing his wickedness through the lens of his lifelong imprisonment.
The Arts & Sciences alum has garnered numerous awards and honors, penning such novels as The Ballad of Black Tom, The Ecstatic, Big Machine, and The Devil in Silver.
Global Challenges to Democracy
Valerie Bunce, Thomas Pepinsky, Rachel Beatty Riedl & Kenneth Roberts
Four Cornell government professors co-edited this scholarly volume from Cambridge University Press, which explores the ways in which democracy is under threat in numerous countries around the world.
Subtitled Comparative Perspectives on Backsliding, Autocracy, and Resilience, the book was inspired by a conference held on the Hill in 2022.
Its essays include several by Arts & Sciences faculty members.
“Although this topic has received a lot of attention in recent years, we were struck by the lack of a comprehensive, global study that provides a comparative perspective on the dynamics of backsliding across different world regions,” Roberts, the Richard J. Schwartz Professor of Government, told the Cornell Chronicle.
“This book aims to fill that gap by helping scholars understand why democracy is in retreat across so much of the world, but also to recognize the bold and creative ways in which political actors and civil society networks are working to defend democracy and make it more resilient in the future.”
Roman Bioarcheology
Elizabeth Bews, MA ’18
Bews recently earned her PhD from the University of South Florida in biological anthropology.
Her co-edited book explores bioarcheology—the study of bones and other remains, found at archaeological sites, that shed light on the people who lived there.
“Research on the Roman Empire has long focused on Rome’s legendary leaders, culture, and conquest,” says the publisher, University of Florida Press.
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