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NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker about the U.S. military withdrawal from the country after nearly 20 years.

Settler violence is on the rise in the West Bank.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's latest, Americanah, follows the trials and tribulations of Ifemelu, a middle-class Nigerian immigrant to America. Reviewer Jennifer Reese calls Americanah a "rich and gloriously detailed tapestry ... hung on the sturdy scaffolding of a sweet love story."

Daniel Woodrell's new novel explores the lingering consequences of an explosion in an Ozarks dance hall that kills 42 people. It wasn't an accident, but the book isn't about a hunt for the murderer. Instead, reviewer Ellah Allfrey says, it's a remarkable study of a surviving sister's life and grief.

The latest book from the celebrated American novelist is a collection of short stories pulled from his decades-long career. Exploring themes of isolation and solitude, The Angel Esmeralda charts a changing America from the 1970s through today.

For 44 years, British author Penelope Lively has been publishing children's books, short stories and novels. Her latest book, Dancing Fish and Ammonites, is subtitled "A Memoir," but critic Ellah Allfrey says it is "more a collection of thoughts, a scattering of advice and a reading list to treasure."

More than a million people left the Swat Valley in May when the Pakistani military announced a major offensive to drive out the Taliban. Residents are now returning to Mingora, the biggest center in the valley, eager to restore their lives, but also anxious about what they will find.

In the aftermath of the attacks in Mumbai, India, the government has announced plans for a major security overhaul, but critics doubt if that will make much difference.

In Vermont, a new incentive offers recent graduates $5,000 if they stay and work in any field for two years.

The worsening situation with Afghanistan's national unity government triggered a mass exodus of young Afghans. Yet some are staying, hoping to save their nation by pressing for change from within.