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Author Timothy Egan argues in The Big Burn that the forest fire of 1910 — the largest in American history — actually saved the forests, even as its flames charred the trees. It helped rally public support, Egan explains, behind Theodore Roosevelt's push to protect national lands.

The Messenger tells the story of a man assigned to one of the toughest jobs in the military: notifying the families of the fallen. Col. Steve Beck does that job for the U.S. Marine Corps, and his story is at the center of Final Salute, a book by Jim Sheeler. Sheeler (pictured) and Beck join Fresh Air to talk about a duty that's both an honor and a burden.

Eunice Chapman won the first legal divorce in New York State in 1818. Her scandalous case pitted Mrs. Chapman against her abusive husband, who took their three children and joined the radical Shaker sect. NPR's Guy Raz talks to Ilyon Woo, author of a new book about the case, called The Great Divorce.

It's not unusual to get in a cab and find a paperback novel on the seat next to the driver. What makes Jack Clark's cab different is that he's both the driver and the author. Clark is a Chicago cab driver who's been driving for 30 years — and written three mystery novels.

Widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Andre Agassi admitted in his autobiography that he hates tennis, "with a dark and secret passion." Always has. He spoke to Terry Gross last November about what he calls the "contradictions" at the core of his life.

A memoir tells of a journey between two countries and cultures. My Name Is Iran follows three generations of Iranian-American women and the personal, political and religious decisions that each must make.

In Brother, I'm Dying, Edwidge Danticat, a Haitian immigrant, tells the story of her family and two men who profoundly affected her life. Though plagued by secrets, political strife and tragedy, Danticat's family adapts and endures.

Alan Cheuse makes a prediction for forthcoming novels from John Grisham and Stephen King. Grisham's The Appeal centers on a $41 million jury award to a Mississippi woman whose family died at the hands of a chemical company; King's Duma Key features an evil genie who goes after a man in the Florida Keys.

In the early 20th century, many of England's workers awoke to the tap, tap, tap of their town's "knocker-up." In her children's book Mary Smith, Andrea U'Ren follows a day in the life of a knocker-up armed with a pea shooter.

A recurrence of breast cancer hasn't kept Elizabeth Edwards from being a vital presence in her husband's presidential campaign. Edwards, who plays a key role in delivering her husband's message, says she hopes his opponents don't hold back because of her health.