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Biography and MemoirNovember 2015
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"There was no denying that a normal day in the life of a young Iranian is very different from that of most young Americans." ~ from Azar Nafisi's The Republic of Imagination
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| The Shift: One Nurse, Twelve Hours, Four Patients' Lives by Theresa BrownThis absorbing, elegantly written memoir describes one 12-hour shift in author Theresa Brown's work as a hospital nurse, offering insights into the serious illnesses experienced by her patients and detailing the challenges of clinical routine. Through humor, accessible descriptions, and thoughtful commentary, Brown paints a multidimensional portrait of her job on a cancer ward, where empathy for the patients tempers the unending hard work and the frustrations of bureaucracy. Kirkus Reviews says this account is as "riveting as a TV drama." |
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| Hemingway in Love: His Own Story by A.E. HotchnerIn Hemingway in Love, author A.E. Hotchner, a close friend of Ernest Hemingway, recounts conversations with the writer that they recorded over several years. This memoir relates vivid anecdotes about Hotchner and Hemingway's friendship but focuses primarily on Hemingway's reminiscences about his love life, including the revelation that his first wife, Hadley, was the one he always loved best. For Hemingway fans, this volume "fills in giant gaps" (Library Journal) in the biographical record, while offering insightful reading for anyone interested in literary biography. |
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| Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story by JewelChart-topping singer-songwriter Jewel grew up working with her entertainer parents in biker dives and honky-tonks in Alaska. To escape this marginal and often abusive family situation, she left home at age 15, determined to forge a successful career and avoid the unhappy future such a childhood often foretells. Never Broken reveals her struggles to protect herself from her controlling mother, maintain a healthy relationship with her husband, and write and record beautiful music. Jewel's fans will be especially enthralled, but this portrait of hard work and success -- lightened by glimpses into her love life -- will appeal to any biography reader. |
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| In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park with Maryanne VollersThough Yeonmi Park was born into comfortable circumstances in North Korea, her family lost their privileges after her father -- a civil servant -- was arrested for smuggling, and their life became a constant, humiliating battle to survive. At age 13 Park escaped with her mother to China; additional degrading and dangerous challenges followed until they attained safety and freedom in South Korea. There, North Koreans are regarded with suspicion, but Park eventually went public with her story and has become an internationally recognized advocate for human rights. This gripping memoir details her ordeals and recounts how she learned that freedom means caring for herself and loving others. |
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| Underground in Berlin: A Young Woman's Extraordinary Tale of Survival in... by Marie Jalowicz Simon; translated by Anthea BellIn this absorbing memoir, author Marie Jalowicz Simon relates her experiences as a hidden Jew in Berlin during World War II. In 1941, when she realized that the SS was likely to round her up for deportation to a concentration camp, she disappeared into the city, relying on family and friends to help her survive to the end of the war. Simon's son Hermann transcribed his mother's unusual odyssey from her tape recordings. Her emotionally touching -- but unsentimental -- account is "also full of miracles, hope, and a future," says Publishers Weekly. |
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Focus on: November and December Birthdays
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| And So It Goes: Kurt Vonnegut: A Life by Charles J. ShieldsNovember 11, 1922. Novelist Kurt Vonnegut came to prominence with the publication of Slaughterhouse-Five, a bestseller that portrayed the firebombing of Dresden, where he was a POW during World War II. Born to parents from two wealthy German-American families in Indianapolis, Vonnegut drifted into college and the Army after the Great Depression depleted their riches. He was a complex character who struggled to support his family before his first successful novel guaranteed a stable income. Shields focuses more on Vonnegut's personality and relationships with friends and family than on his literary work. This compelling biography provides a fascinating backdrop against which to read or re-read Vonnegut's fiction. |
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| Special Deluxe: A Memoir of Life and Cars by Neil YoungNovember 12, 1945. Canadian singer-songwriter and environmentalist Neil Young follows up his earlier memoir, Waging Heavy Peace, with an account of his love-affair with cars. While conscious of -- and eloquent about -- the atmospheric damage automobile exhaust causes, he writes a lyrical history of the vehicles he's loved through the years, vividly describing each one. He combines reminiscences of his musical career, memories of beloved dogs, and politically explicit warnings about climate change into this engaging and informative self-portrait, which will enthrall his fans, car lovers, dog lovers, and anyone concerned about the environment. |
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| Starting at Zero: His Own Story by Jimi Hendrix; edited by Alan Douglas and Peter NealNovember 27, 1942. Weaving together his interviews, song lyrics, and other writings, this posthumous memoir of rock star Jimi Hendrix recounts his life in his own words. Details of his difficult childhood and youth precede accounts of his early musical career, when he bounced around among various gigs before becoming a hit in London. Racial prejudice angered him, opportunities for free expression inspired him, and rock music took his talent to spectacular heights before his untimely death. Readers looking for a standard biography should try Charles Cross' Room Full of Mirrors, but Starting at Zero will please anyone interested in rock music and Hendrix. |
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| The Republic of Imagination: America in Three Books by Azar NafisiDecember 1, 1955. Iranian-American literary scholar Azar Nafisi, author of the surprise bestseller Teaching Lolita in Iran, is now a U.S. citizen. In her new memoir, she engagingly combines her personal experiences with literary analysis and social critique to explore her appreciation of her new country. Using classic American novels as lenses for viewing the contrast between American ideals and social reality, she celebrates freedom of expression while critiquing Americans' materialism, political hypocrisy, and the divisive influence of U.S. media. In the process, she illuminates the power of fiction to provoke thought and asserts that reading is necessary to an informed citizenship. |
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| The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things by Paula ByrneDecember 16, 1775. English novelist Jane Austen cast her sharp eyes on Regency society to produce witty, detailed fiction that mirrored the world around her. The plots of her novels often turn on the significance of small items, and in The Real Jane Austen biographer Paula Byrne examines similar tokens that reflect important aspects of Austen's life. Revealing that Austen -- often envisaged as a country-dwelling homebody -- traveled extensively, that she loved to shop and avidly followed fashion trends, and that she enjoyed the company of children, Byrne offers new insights into Austen's character. Austen fans and readers interested in Regency England will find this biography informative, thought-provoking, and entertaining. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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