John Powers

In the new autobiographical novel "Live Fast," Brigitte Giraud looks back at the accident that killed her husband. She speculates on the many ways that tragedy could have turned out differently. The book won the French equivalent of the Booker Prize.

John Powers reviewed the new season of "The White Lotus," which begins Sunday on HBO.

In the new film "I'm Still Here," the Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles tells the true story of a Rio de Janeiro mother who reinvents herself when Brazil's military dictatorship goes after her husband. The movie has been Oscar-nominated for both Best Picture and Best International Feature Film. Our critic-at-large, John Powers, says that "I'm Still Here" is a moving, inspiring, beautifully made story about learning to confront tyranny.