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Biography and Memoir December 2021 |
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What it's about: Polly's Manhattan brothels in the Roaring Twenties became gathering places where the culture and celebrity elite mingled with high society and violent figures of the underworld. Reviews say: Feisty and free-spirited, Adler claimed her goals in life were “To have money and have fun.” She amply achieved both. An animated, entertaining history.-Kirkus |
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| Those We Throw Away Are Diamonds: A Refugee's Search for Home by Mondiant Dogon with Jenna KrajeskiWhat it's about: In the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, three-year-old Bagogwe Tutsi Mondiant Dogon fled with his family from their native Congo, spending the next 20 years in refugee camps.
What happened: Dogon's early attempts to return home resulted in his forced recruitment as a child soldier; he later sought an education at the University of Rwanda and New York University, becoming an activist.
Read it for: a sobering and thought-provoking story of survival. |
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Unguarded by Scottie PippenWhat it is: On the 30th anniversary of the Bulls’ first championship, the six-time NBA Champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist and Hall of Famer is finally giving fans a raw, matter-of-fact look into his life, and role within one of the greatest, most popular teams of all time. Why you might like it: In Unguarded Pippen reveals never-before-told stories about some of the most famous games in league history, including the 1994 playoff game against the New York Knicks. Reviews say: Basketball fans will enjoy Pippen’s bird’s-eye view of some of the sport’s greatest contests.-Kirkus |
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| Cokie: A Life Well Lived by Steven V. RobertsWhat it is: an upbeat biography of beloved journalist and writer Cokie Roberts, written by her husband of 53 years, Steven V. Roberts.
What's inside: chapters divided into the roles Roberts played in her public and private life, including wife, mother, journalist, friend, storyteller, and believer; moving remembrances from colleagues and loved ones.
Further reading: Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR by Lisa Napoli. |
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Backstory: On the night of November 29, 1981, Natalie Wood disappeared from her yacht, the Splendour, while visiting Catalina Island with her husband, Robert "R.J." Wagner and their friend, Christopher Walken. What was originally believed to be an open-and-shut case of accidental drowning has been called into question over the years, and in 2011 the investigation was reopened. Read it for: The mix of true crime and Hollywood glamour. |
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The outlier : The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter by Kai BirdWhat it's about: As president, Carter was not merely an outsider, but an outlier. He was the only president in a century to grow up in the heart of the Deep South, and his born-again Christianity made him the most openly religious president in memory. This outlier brought to the White House a rare mix of humility, candor-and unnerving self-confidence that neither Washington nor America was ready to embrace. Topics include: Carter's battles with both a political establishment and a Washington press corps that proved as adversarial as any foreign power. Reviews say: Bird does a magnificent job characterizing the many strong and fiery personalities in the Carter administration, making them all individuals with virtues and flaws.-Booklist |
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| Punch Me Up to the Gods by Brian BroomeWhat it is: Brian Broome's compelling coming-of-age memoir recounting his experiences growing up Black and gay in 1980s Ohio.
Featuring: chapters framed around the stanzas of Gwendolyn Brooks' classic 1960 poem "We Real Cool."
Book buzz: A New York Times Editors' Pick and winner of the Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction, Broome's candid debut has earned comparisons to Kiese Laymon's Heavy and Saeed Jones' How We Fight for Our Lives. |
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| My Broken Language by Quiara Alegría HudesWhat it's about: Pulitzer Prize-winning In the Heights playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes' Jewish Boricua upbringing in 1980s West Philadelphia.
Topics include: Hudes' struggles to embrace her mixed-race identity; tensions over her white-passing privilege; finding her creative voice.
Read it for: an evocative portrait of the community that inspired Hudes' art; a lyrical and resonant exploration of family, identity, and memory. |
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| Plunder: A Memoir of Family Property and Nazi Treasure by Menachem KaiserWhat it's about: journalist Menachem Kaiser's quest to reclaim his Polish Jewish grandfather's apartment building, which was seized by Nazis in the early days of World War II.
Who it's for: Fans of family histories that reveal long-buried secrets will appreciate Kaiser's compelling account.
Reviewers say: "Superbly written, this page-turner reads like a gripping adventure novel" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| And Now I Spill the Family Secrets: An Illustrated Memoir by Margaret KimballWhat it is: illustrator Margaret Kimball's candid account of her family's history of mental illness.
Art alert: Realistic black-and-white illustrations, which often depict empty interiors, complement the tension and intimacy of Kimball's prose.
For fans of: Alison Bechdel's Fun Home and Roz Chast's Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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