I was sobbing on the subway by the end of “Martyr!” – unfettered, unabashed sobbing (in true New York City fashion, no one batted an eye). But it also had me laughing out loud. This book ...

On the final page of Kaveh Akbar’s 2024 novel “Martyr!,” the first person he thanks in his acknowledgements for helping him complete his debut work of fiction is “Tommy Orange: bandmate.” It’s ...