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Biography and MemoirJanuary 2016
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"We lit candles, and then Mom and Dad led us into a pew, where we dropped to our knees and prayed to Sainte Anne, even though none of us had anything that needed fixing." ~ from John Grogan's The Longest Trip Home
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| We Were Brothers: A Memoir by Barry MoserIn this affecting memoir, acclaimed artist and illustrator Barry Moser relates his white supremacist upbringing in Chattanooga and his severe conflicts with his older brother Tommy. Expressing remorse for his heritage of bigotry and violence, Moser focuses on his brother and their estrangement while highlighting the complexity of their family's racial views. Through an exchange of letters, the brothers come to understand each other more clearly as adults and enjoy a close relationship during the final eight years of Tommy's life. Nuanced and detailed illustrations enhance Moser's spare but emotionally revealing prose. |
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| The Education of Kevin Powell: A Boy's Journey into Manhood by Kevin PowellIn The Education of Kevin Powell, African American poet, journalist, and essayist Powell reviews the extreme poverty of his childhood, his mother's brutal beatings that contrasted with her encouragement to excel, and the effects of having an absent father, placing it all in the context of American racial divisions. Though the deprivation set the stage for petty crime and his own abuse of women, Powell graduated from Rutgers University and launched a writing career. Residual anger poisoned much of his adult life, but a trip around Africa allowed him to find healing and claim his heritage. Don't miss this raw but insightful and thought-provoking account. |
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| The Arab of the Future: A Childhood in the Middle East (1978-1984): A Graphic Memoir by Riad Sattouf; translated by Sam TaylorCartoonist and filmmaker Riad Sattouf grew up in rural France, Muammar Gaddafi's Libya, and Hafez al-Assad's Syria, the son of a Pan-Arabist determined to raise his family in the ideal Arab nation. A bestseller in France, The Arab of the Future portrays in graphic novel format the turmoil within his family and in international politics. Sattouf makes Arab customs and politics accessible to Westerners while depicting their contradictions and grimness from a child's viewpoint. His narration through text and drawings deftly expresses the humor and irony in his life and may remind readers of Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis. |
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| Prince of Darkness: The Untold Story of Jeremiah G. Hamilton, Wall Street's... by Shane WhiteIn the mid-19th century, one of the richest men in America was Jeremiah Hamilton, who competed successfully with Cornelius Vanderbilt and other business magnates. The fact that Hamilton was African American makes his prominence and wealth in that era even more interesting, and offers reasons why his name is so obscure today. In Prince of Darkness, Australian historian Shane White explores Hamilton's life and career, during which the black press disparaged him and white businessmen bitterly resented him. Employing "superb scholarship and a sprightly style" (Kirkus Reviews), White vividly depicts Hamilton and the society in which he operated. |
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| Dietrich & Riefenstahl: Hollywood, Berlin, and a Century in Two Lives by Karin Wieland; translated by Shelley FrischFilm artists Marlene Dietrich and Leni Riefenstahl were born eight months apart and came of age in post-World War I Berlin. Both became major film industry figures in the 1930s. Their work differed radically, however: Dietrich was a Hollywood star and Riefenstahl was a film actor, screenwriter, director, and producer in Nazi Germany. American troops during World War II adored Dietrich's appearances with USO shows, while Riefenstahl's works extolled Nazi prowess and Hitler's commanding personality. In this compelling joint biography, historian Karin Wieland relates their lives in alternating chapters, emphasizing their respective contributions to early feminism and providing well-researched information about their historical context. |
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Focus on: January and February Birthdays
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| Then Again by Diane KeatonJanuary 5, 1946. Actress Diane Keaton, perhaps best known for her Oscar-winning role as the title character in Woody Allen's Annie Hall, thoughtfully explores memories of her own life and her mother's in Then Again. Keaton alternates excerpts from her mother's journals and descriptions of her increasing dementia with passages that portray Keaton's early life, her acting experiences and love affairs, and her adopted children. This emotionally engaging memoir weaves a colorful tapestry depicting Keaton's family and her relationship with her mother. |
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| Get Capone: The Secret Plot That Captured America's Most Wanted Gangster by Jonathan EigJanuary 17, 1899. Drawing on long-overlooked government files and other records, journalist Jonathan Eig offers a compelling account of Al Capone's life and a vivid history of Prohibition-era Chicago. Setting the record (which has been distorted by legend) straight, Get Capone brings to life the usual suspects along with the more obscure law enforcement agents who determinedly built the case that won Capone's conviction. This is an irresistible biographical study: informative, engagingly written, and richly detailed. |
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| The Return of George Washington: 1783-1789 by Edward J. LarsonFebruary 22, 1732. Many people forget that General George Washington retired after the Revolutionary War. He just went home to Mount Vernon and resumed farming his estate. In The Return of George Washington, Pulitzer prize-winning historian Edward Larson relates how Washington reluctantly came out of retirement to help establish a more effective form of government than the Articles of Confederation. With engaging, vivid writing, Larson makes the years between 1782 and 1789 accessible to general readers. For another biography that emphasizes Washington's personality and private life, try Ron Chernow's Washington. |
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| The Longest Trip Home: A Memoir by John GroganFebruary 24, 1961. John Grogan, author of the bestselling Marley & Me, grew up in a devout Catholic family whose vacation trips featured visits to religious shrines. In The Longest Trip Home, Grogan relates his childhood, during which his family's deep involvement in the church contrasted with his less devout -- even sacrilegious -- attitudes. As an adult, Grogan's distinct break from his Catholic upbringing distanced him from his parents. Eventually, as his father's health failed and he felt guilt and emptiness in his skeptical views, he found a way to span the gap between them. Those who appreciate a humorous but poignant family story should pick up Grogan's memoir. |
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| Johnny Cash: The Life by Robert HilburnFebruary 26, 1932. In Johnny Cash, former Los Angeles Times music critic Robert Hilburn compellingly presents all the downs and ups of the country music star's life. Growing up on an Arkansas farm, Cash dreamed of performing to large audiences, but didn't know how to achieve his dream. Eventually, he moved to Nashville and persuaded a reluctant Sam Phillips (the groundbreaking record producer) to listen to his songs. Years of stardom, struggles with drugs, divorce, remarriage, and an apparent end to his performing life followed -- until he re-launched his career in the 1990s. Hilburn's thoroughly researched and "spellbinding" (Publishers Weekly) biography will please showbusiness fans. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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