Alicia Oltuski's first-hand account of New York City's diamond district is engrossing, even if you've never stopped to wonder how those precious stones travel from South African mines to the ring fingers of brides-to-be.  Documenting the centuries-old link between Jewish families and the diamond trade, her book blends ancient, near-ritualistic practices with the twenty-first-century practicalities of commerce.

Louisa Thomas surveys the early-twentieth-century past of her own family when four brothers faced an ethical dilemma that divided one household: to serve in the military during the Great War or not. Thomas charts the unpredictable destinies of these four siblings as they live with their choices while also offering a fine depiction of the nascent Jazz Age milieu.