Imagine growing up the child of Pablo Picasso or Paul Gauguin. That alone might persuade you to read Tom Rachman’s third novel, The Italian Teacher (Viking, 352 pp., ★★★★ out of four), a poignant, ...

When Tomales High School language teacher Catherine Burton returns to her classes Wednesday, she'll have quite a tale to tell the students about what she did on her summer vacation. After all, not ...

Great artists are known to have big egos — they can suck up all the air in a room if given half a chance. And living in the shadow of such greatness can stunt a person's growth, which is exactly what ...