On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we feature two new novels that explore the often complicated terrain of motherhood. Our book critic Marion Winik on The Need by Helen Phillips and Strike the Heart by Amelie Nothomb.<p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

Mansion Life: New fiction from Ann Patchett and a classic from Bill Roorbach.

----What should I read next?---- Book critic and longtime NPR commentator Marion Winik answers this question in four opinionated, book-loving minutes. With reviews of new releases and older titles you may have missed, it’s like having a new best friend with very good taste to guide you in your literary adventures. The Weekly Reader is produced by WYPR and hosted by Lisa Morgan.