Two Major Literary Releases Set to Captivate Readers in 2026
The literary world is already buzzing with anticipation for two significant book releases scheduled for 2026. These upcoming works promise to deliver powerful narratives that explore themes of grief, resilience, cultural identity, and the human spirit.
When We See You Again: A Mother's Heart-Wrenching Memoir
Rachel Goldberg-Polin, an educator originally from Chicago now residing in Jerusalem, will release her memoir When We See You Again globally on April 21, 2026. Published by Random House, an imprint of Penguin Random House, this deeply personal account chronicles her journey following the abduction of her son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, by Hamas-led militants during the October 7, 2023 attack on a southern Israel music festival.
Goldberg-Polin describes the writing process as pouring out "loss, suffering, love, mourning, devotion, grief, adoration and fracturedness." She calls the book "the first steps of a million-mile odyssey that will take the rest of my life to walk on shattered feet." The author will also narrate the audio edition herself, adding an intimate layer to this already poignant story.
The memoir details her global advocacy efforts alongside her husband, Jon, which included meetings with President Joe Biden and Pope Francis, speeches at the United Nations, and appearances at protest rallies. A particularly moving detail reveals her daily ritual of writing the number of days her son had been in captivity on masking tape and sticking it to her chest.
Tragically, Israeli officials announced in September 2024 that Hersh's body, along with five others, had been found in an underground tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip. Forensic experts determined they had been shot at close range. Tens of thousands attended his burial at a Jerusalem cemetery.
Random House promises the memoir will be told in "raw, unflinching, deeply moving prose" that gives "voice to the broken" while exploring "how we remember and how we persevere, of how we suffer and how we love."
American Hagwon: Min Jin Lee's Return to Fiction
Meanwhile, acclaimed author Min Jin Lee returns with American Hagwon, her first novel since the million-selling Pachinko. Scheduled for release on September 29, 2026, this substantial work explores Korean society's obsession with education through the lens of a middle-class family upended by the Asian financial crisis.
The 57-year-old author, who describes herself as an "accidental historian," explains that the novel grew from a fundamental question: "What do Koreans care most about?" Her answer: "We're obsessed with education, and it became my obsession over why Koreans care so much."
American Hagwon takes its title from for-profit tutoring centers in Korea—sometimes called "cram schools"—where students of all ages receive instruction in everything from English to guitar to cooking. Lee notes that any language school or organization offering private music lessons could be considered a hagwon.
This novel represents the third installment in Lee's planned quartet about Korea and the Korean diaspora, following Free Food for Millionaires (2007) and Pachinko (2017). The latter was a National Book Award finalist, adapted by Apple TV+ into a series, translated into dozens of languages, and ranked No. 15 among the 21st century's best novels by The New York Times in 2024.
Published by Cardinal, a Hachette Book Group imprint, American Hagwon is described as a deep examination of "what happens when the rules shift, the world order becomes suddenly unrecognisable and benchmarks of success are no longer a guarantee." The narrative spans from Korea to Australia to Southern California, tracking a family's struggle to regain stability.
Cardinal publisher Reagan Arthur praises Lee's ability to give "shape to history's seismic shifts in her fiction, refracting generational change through indelible, masterfully etched characters you can't help rooting for."
Lee's meticulous research process contributes to her novels' extended gestation periods. A native of Seoul who emigrated to New York City at age seven, she attended the elite Bronx High School of Science, studied history at Yale University, and law at Georgetown University. Her father nicknamed her "the turtle" for being slow but "very steady"—a quality reflected in her thorough approach to writing, which involves extensive travel, interviews, research, and reflection.
"I want to hold up a mirror to society, and, as the kids say, do a 'vibe check'," Lee explains about her creative mission.
These two forthcoming books represent vastly different but equally compelling literary journeys that will undoubtedly spark important conversations and resonate with readers worldwide when they arrive in 2026.
