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Armchair Travel August 2017
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| Love, Africa: A Memoir of Romance, Love, and Survival by Jeffrey GettlemanBefore he was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Jeffrey Gettleman was a 19-year-old who fell in love with Africa. In his adventure-laden (hanging out in war zones, being kidnapped, etc.) memoir, he explores his undying affection for this complex continent, documents his career (including local reporting in Florida and war reporting in various countries), and traces his relationship with a fellow student who becomes his coworker and wife (though there were most definitely bumps along the way). If you want to understand either Africa or journalism better, this engrossing book is a must-read. |
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The only street in Paris : life on the Rue des Martyrs
by Elaine Sciolino
"Part memoir, part travelogue, part love letter to the people who live and work on a magical street in Paris. Elaine Sciolino, the former Paris bureau chief for the New York Times, invites us on a tour of her favorite Parisian street, offering an homage to street life and the pleasures of Parisian living. 'I can never be sad on the rue des Martyrs,' Sciolino explains, as she celebrates the neighborhood's rich history and vibrant lives. While many cities suffer from the leveling effects of globalization, the rue des Martyrs maintains its distinct allure. On this street, the patron saint of France was beheaded and the Jesuits took their first vows. It was here that Edgar Degas and Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted circus acrobats, Émile Zola situated a lesbian dinner club in his novel Nana, and François Truffaut filmed scenes from The 400 Blows. Sciolino reveals the charms and idiosyncrasies of this street and its longtime residents--the Tunisian greengrocer, the husband-and-wife cheesemongers, the showman who's been running a transvestite cabaret for more than half a century, the owner of a hundred-year-old bookstore, the woman who repairs eighteenth-century mercury barometers--bringing Paris alive in all of its unique majesty. The Only Street in Paris willmake readers hungry for Paris, for cheese and wine, and for the kind of street life that is all too quickly disappearing"--Provided by publisher
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Living in Another Language
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| Home is a Roof Over a Pig: An American Family's Journey in China by Aminta ArringtonAminta Arrington married an Army linguist and lived all over the world. Eventually, she, her retired husband, and their three children under the age of five (including an adopted Chinese daughter) moved to China...and experienced culture shock when they arrived. Recounting their experiences in a small university town, Arrington explains how they dealt with day-to-day activities, how the children adapted to school, and how she fell in love with their new language. Readers who want another travelogue focused on the Mandarin language should try Deborah Fallow's Dreaming in Chinese. |
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| When in French: Love in a Second Language by Lauren CollinsAn American in London fell in love with a Frenchman and moved to Geneva, Switzerland. Once there, she decided to learn French; not only did she want to be able to buy things on her own, but she wanted to become closer to her new husband and, when the time came, not be "a Borat of a mother." Chronicling her amusing adventures overseas and her attempts to communicate in a new tongue, talented New Yorker writer Lauren Collins serves up a funny, romantic, intelligent memoir, which provides "a thoughtful, beautifully written meditation on the art of language and intimacy" (The New York Times). |
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Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the...
by Anthony Doerr
Imagine moving to a foreign country for a year...with six-month-old twin boys in tow! That's just what author Anthony Doerr and his wife did in 2004 after he won the prestigious Rome Prize, which offers an aspiring writer a stipend and a place to live in the Eternal City for a year. In this "delightful, funny" (Kirkus Reviews) memoir, first-time parent Doerr writes eloquently of children, sleepless nights, intriguing Romans, the funeral of Pope John Paul II, and the multitude of things to see and do in the centuries-old city. Though Doerr is better known now as the author of the mega-bestselling All the Light We Cannot See, this lovely travelogue is still worthy of attention.
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| La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair With Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language by Dianne HalesAfter traveling in Italy, journalist Dianne Hales became "madly, gladly, giddily besotted" with the Italian language and used all sorts of language-learning methods, including visiting Italy for large chunks of time, to master la bella lingua. Visiting various places and interviewing locals and language experts, Hales learned as much as she could about the language (including some profanity!) and the culture that gave rise to it. For a more introspective, literary take on this topic, pick up Pulitzer Prize-winning Jhumpa Lahiri's concise In Other Words, which offers a look at her own love affair with Italian and includes a short story she first wrote in that language. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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