|
Biography and Memoir January 2019
|
|
|
|
|
The sun does shine : how I found life and freedom on death row
by Anthony Ray Hinton
A powerful and compelling true story that brings to life deep, human questions about suffering and redemption. Anthony Ray Hinton was poor and black when he was convicted of two murders he hadn't committed. For the next three decades he was trapped in solitary confinement in a tiny cell on death row, having to watch as - one by one - his fellow prisoners were taken past him to the execution room. Eventually his case was taken up by the award-winning lawyer, Bryan Stevenson, who managed to have him exonerated, though it took 15 years for this to happen. How did Hinton cope with the mental and emotional torture of his situation? "The Sun Does Shine" throws light not only on his remarkable personality but also on social deprivation and miscarriages of justice.
|
|
|
Born with wings : the spiritual journey of a modern Muslim woman
by Daisy Khan
Raised in a progressive Muslim family in the shadows of the Himalayan mountains, where she attended a Catholic girls school, Daisy experienced culture shock when her family sent her to the States to attend high school in a mostly Jewish Long Island suburb. Ambitious and talented, she quickly climbed the corporate ladder after college as an architectural designer in New York City. Though she loved the freedom that came with being a career woman, she felt that something was missing from her life. One day a friend suggested that she visit a Sufi mosque in Tribeca. To her surprise, she discovered a home there, eventually marrying the mosque's imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf, and finding herself, as his wife, at the center of a community in which women turned to her for advice. Guided by her faith, she embraced her role as a women's advocate and has devised innovative ways to help end child marriage, fight against genital mutilation, and, most recently, educate young Muslims to resist the false promises of ISIS recruiters.
|
|
|
Second wind : a sunfish sailor, an island, and the voyage that brought a family together
by Nathaniel Philbrick
In the spring of 1992, Nat Philbrick was in his late thirties, living with his family on Nantucket, feeling stranded and longing for that thrill of victory he once felt after winning a national sailing championship in his youth. Was it a midlife crisis? It was certainly a watershed for the journalist-turned-stay-at-home dad, who impulsively decided to throw his hat into the ring, or water, again. With the bemused approval of his wife and children, Philbrick used the off-season on the island as his solitary training ground, sailing his tiny Sunfish to its remotest corners, experiencing the haunting beauty of its tidal creeks, inlets, and wave-battered sandbars. On ponds, bays, rivers, and finally at the championship on a lake in the heartland of America, he sailed through storms and memories, racing for the prize, but finding something unexpected about himself instead.
|
|
|
That F word : growing up feminist in Aotearoa
by Elizabeth Marvelly
Lizzie Marvelly tells the story of New Zealand's feminist roots, then traverses the modern landscape, tearing apart areas of gender imbalance and pervading attitudes to Kiwi women. In particular, Lizzie examines how men have been brought up with certain values - the rugby, racing and beer mentality we know all too well. Lizzie grew up an ardent Chiefs and All Blacks fan, but a wiser head now recognises that there are still endemic issues for society to address. Lizzie speaks about her own first-hand experiences with sexism and male misconduct, while also offering advice to young girls on how to take full control of their lives.
|
|
|
Don't stop believin'
by Olivia Newton-John
My mantra is simple - Don't stop believin'! For more than five decades Olivia Newton-John has been one of our most successful and adored entertainers. A four-time Grammy Award winner, she is one of the world's best-selling recording artists of all time, with more than 100 million albums sold. Her starring roles in the iconic movies Grease and Xanadu catapulted her into super stardom. Her appeal as a performer is timeless. In addition to her music and screen successes, Olivia is perhaps best known for her strength, courage and grace. After her own personal journeys with cancer, she has thrived and become an inspiration for millions around the world. A tireless advocate for countless charities, her true passion is as the founding champion of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre in her hometown of Melbourne. Olivia has always radiated joy, hope and compassion - determined to be a force for good in the world. Now she is sharing her journey, from Melbourne schoolgirl to international superstar, in this deeply personal book. Warm, candid and moving, "Don't stop believin'" is Olivia Newton-John's story in her own words for the very first time.
|
|
| The World According to Bob: The Further Adventures of One Man and His Street-Wise Cat by James BowenThe sequel to the bestselling "A street cat named Bob" continues the remarkable adventures of James and Bob showing - through new stories - how Bob's extraordinary street wisdom has shown James the meaning of friendship, loyalty, trust - and happiness.
James Bowen's third memoir, 'A Gift from Bob", completes the Bob the Cat trilogy. |
|
|
I woke up in the future : a powerful true story of amnesia, secrets and second chances
by Naomi Jacobs
Naomi Jacobs went to sleep one night in 2008 as a 32-year-old mother, and woke up the next morning believing she was a fifteen-year-old school girl. She did not recognise the house she woke up in, though it was hers, nor her ten-year-old son, Meo. As far as she was concerned, she was in 1992 when John Major was Prime Minister, before the world had been blessed with mobile phones, DVDs or reality TV. She didn't know it, but she had dissociative amnesia. With the help of her personal diaries and those close to her, Naomi set about piecing together as much as she could of her missing years. What she discovered shocked her. As she dug deeper, she began to experience disturbing flashbacks of traumatic events. Would Naomi ever find her way back to the person she once was? Did she even want to?
|
|
|
Stroke of faith : a stroke survivor's story of a second chance at living a life of significance
by Mark Moore
Mark Moore always believed he was in charge of his life. All that changed on a beautiful Saturday morning in May 2007. Suddenly he was no longer in control of anything. Though his life will never return to his pre-stroke normality, through this crisis, he has gained a deeper understanding of the centrality of God's role in his life and in all of our lives. "A stroke of faith" tells the story of moving from acceptance to surrender and from hope to faith. It reveals God's work in Mark's life as He transformed him from thinking he had everything under control to knowing God has had control all along.
|
|
|
Elvis and me : how a world-weary musician and a broken racehorse rescued each other
by Gillian Wills
A world-weary musician and a broken racehorse rescue each other in this inspirational memoir about second chances. At 56 years of age, Gillian Wills bought her first horse on a whim. Elvis was emaciated, scarred, unruly, saddle-phobic and imbued with attitude. However, she sensed in him the remnants of a fierce pride that resonated with her own almost-lost sense of self-worth, depleted after leaving a high status job as head of a prestigious music conservatorium in Melbourne to move across the country with her partner to Queensland. Owning a horse pushed the need for paddocks to the top of Gillian's wish list. And she tried to ride Elvis. Elvis had been pitched to Gillian as a quiet, beginner's 'I'll-do-whatever-you-want-kind-of-horse' that could hardly summon up the energy to trot. The truth was very different.
|
|
|
|
|
|