The literary world is no longer run by dead white men, which is fitting, because the good ol’ U.S. of A. is getting more colorful by the minute. Heidi Durrow’s debut novel, The Girl Who Fell From the Sky (Algonquin, $13.95, new in paper), is exactly the kind of socially relevant book that is destined to become a new classic. Having won the Bellwether Prize for best fiction manuscript addressing issues of social justice, the novel tells the story of Rachel, the daughter of a Danish mother and a black GI, who becomes the sole survivor of a family tragedy. Taken in by her African-American grandmother, Rachel moves to a predominantly black community, where her light skin and blue eyes single her out. Durrow unflinchingly tackles the big questions of race as she peels away the layers of Rachel’s powerful story. (Also: SoDo Costco, 12:30 p.m. Fri; and Third Place Books, 6:30 p.m. Fri.) A. PEREZ

Thu., Jan. 13, 7 p.m.; Fri., Jan. 14, 12:30 & 6:30 p.m., 2011