Yolo County Library
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Biography and MemoirApril 2016
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"I am a docile ex-Young Pioneer who only this morning left the Soviet Union, a ravaged suitcase on the KGB inspector’s table with twenty kilograms of what used to be my life." ~ from Elena Gorokhova's Russian Tattoo
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| The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became... by Timothy EganDuring the Irish Great Hunger of the 1840s, Thomas Francis Meagher achieved renown for his speeches against English rule. Banished for sedition, he eventually ended up in New York on the eve of the Civil War. He organized an Irish brigade for the Union Army and after the war tried to establish a "New Ireland" in Montana. In this gripping biography, multiple award-winning author Timothy Egan brings to life 19th-century conflicts in both Ireland and the U.S. while vividly detailing Meagher's exploits. American or Irish history buffs, Civil War aficionados, and general biography readers will find that Egan covers previously unexplored territory in The Immortal Irishman. |
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What happened, Miss Simone? : a biography
by Alan Light
A biography of the beloved singer, inspired by the acclaimed Netflix documentary, explores both her public persona and her private life, including her love of classical music despite her heartbreaking rejection from that field, her successful rise in the world of soul and her civil rights activism. By the author of The Holy or the Broken and Let's Go Crazy.
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Kill 'em and leave : searching for James Brown and the American soul
by James McBride
Traces how the author acted on a tip from a family member and embarked on a cultural journey in search of the man behind the legend of James Brown, discovering his rich musical legacy and the ongoing disputes surrounding his will as well as the complicated race, music and cultural factors that shaped his story.
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Bernie
by Ted Rall
Discusses the life of the presidential candidate and the decline of leftist politics in the Democratic Party
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| The Lovers: Afghanistan's Romeo and Juliet: The True Story of How They Defied... by Rod NordlandZakia and Ali, the lovers in this dual biography, grew up in a small community in the Bamiyan Valley of Afghanistan. Though they belonged to different ethnic groups and Muslim traditions, their families readily associated with one another...until as teenagers the couple fell in love. Their desire to marry provoked violent reactions from both families, and the pair eventually fled for their lives. In The Lovers, international affairs journalist Rod Nordland details their story and considers whether Western influences can change other cultures. This compelling and thought-provoking account also discusses the status of women in Afghanistan in the context of Zakia and Ali's story. |
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| 1924: The Year That Made Hitler by Peter Ross RangeAdolf Hitler spent 1924 in jail along with other German Workers' Party members convicted in the failed Beer Hall Putsch. During this time, he read extensively and considered how he could emerge victorious from his political defeat in Bavaria. This is when he wrote his manifesto, Mein Kampf (My Struggle). In the book 1924, distinguished journalist Peter Range details Hitler's pivotal year, observing how he got a light sentence and early release and how his courtroom rants became the basis for his writing. This detailed, eye-opening analysis of Hitler's evolution into a successful tyrant sheds new light on the man many consider the greatest monster in history. |
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Focus on: Immigrants in America
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| The Poker Bride: The First Chinese in the Wild West by Christopher CorbettDuring the California Gold Rush of the mid-1800s, many thousands of people from China migrated to the western U.S. One of them, a concubine who took the name Polly, married an Idaho saloonkeeper named Charlie Bemis and lived with him for many years on their isolated farm. In 1923, after Charlie's death, Polly emerged from the ranch and shared her story. In The Poker Bride, journalism professor Christopher Corbett relates Polly's experiences and those of many other Chinese immigrants, especially young women. Fans of immigration history, women's history, and the Gold Rush will want to grab this one. |
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| Learning to Die in Miami: Confessions of a Refugee Boy by Carlos EireAuthor Carlos Eire won a National Book Award for his earlier memoir, Waiting for Snow in Havana, which describes his escape from Castro's revolution in 1962. Eire picks up his story in Learning to Die in Miami, where at age 11 he faced linguistic and cultural barriers while coping with homesickness. In this "funny, furious, and heartbreaking" (Booklist) account, he describes how he "killed" his Cuban self in order to become fully American. In addition to offering a compulsively readable book, this memoir provides valuable insight into the immigrant experience. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Yolo County Library
226 Buckeye St. Woodland, California 95695 530-666-8005
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