Deer Park Public Library Deer Park, Texas
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Biography and Memoir May 2017
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| Dadland by Keggie CarewAuthor Keggie Carew grew up knowing her father, Tom, as a brilliant, unconventional man who failed to keep his family in the style his first wife expected. Until he began showing symptoms of dementia, Keggie knew nothing of her father's World War II experiences as a Jedburgh -- a skilled guerilla who parachuted behind the lines in Burma and France. After she accompanied him to a Jedburgh reunion, she started piecing together his earlier life, discovering his wartime exploits and the reasons he struggled to achieve normality after the war. Dadland provides a "tender evocation of an extraordinary life" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Inferno: A Doctor's Ebola Story by Steven HatchIn November 2013, American Dr. Steven Hatch went to work at a hospital in Monrovia, Liberia; by June 2014 the Ebola virus had killed several of his colleagues. In vivid, compelling detail, Hatch describes his experiences in Liberia, calling his memoir a "horror story." He reviews West Africa's history of colonialism, post-colonial dictatorships, and lagging technology that made the region vulnerable to the epidemic. His compassionate writing evokes empathy for the Africans, who were often reduced to anonymity by Western journalists as they recounted the heroism of volunteer American and European health workers. In a starred review, Booklist declares that this powerful work "deserves sharp notice" for its analysis of the events. |
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| Tell Me Everything You Don't Remember: The Stroke That Changed My Life by Christine Hyung-Oak LeeAfter suffering a stroke at age 33, author Christine Hyung-Oak Lee spent days in the hospital and months recording her memories in a notebook, preserving thoughts that her mind could only briefly retain. In this memoir, Lee recounts the issues she dealt with during her recovery and afterwards: she looked well but wasn't, and she came to recognize problems in her relationships that she had ignored. She also developed a new, healthier relationship with her body. Expanded from her viral Buzzfeed essay, Tell Me Everything You Don't Remember offers an inspiring and thought-provoking chronicle of self-discovery. |
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| The Home That Was Our Country: A Memoir of Syria by Alia MalekJournalist and civil rights lawyer Alia Malek, born in Baltimore to Syrian refugee parents, always felt a strong connection to her family's history. In 2011, during the Arab Spring, she moved to Damascus to restore her grandmother's house and report on Syrian politics under the Assad family dictatorship. The Home That Was Our Country traces stories of her ancestors back to 1899, depicting an amicably diverse Syria that was ruptured starting in 1970 by Hafez al-Assad's repressive policy of division. Whether you're curious about Syria's past or a fan of family histories, you won't want to miss this "provocative, richly detailed" (Kirkus Reviews) memoir. |
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| Grace Notes: My Recollections by Katey SagalBest known for her role as Peggy Bundy on television's Married...with Children, Katey Sagal has experienced a varied career in show business as a singer-songwriter and actress. In Grace Notes, she chronicles her life in conversational vignettes about growing up, her relationships with her parents (both of whom died young), her own illness with cancer, her addictions, and her friends and family. This book is for readers who appreciate insightful memoirs about the authors' lives, as well as for Sagal's fans. For another reflective autobiography that omits superficial gossip, check out Linda Ronstadt's Simple Dreams. |
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Focus on: Athletes and Competitors
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| Imperfect: An Improbable Life by Jim Abbott and Tim BrownMajor League Baseball star Jim Abbott was born with no right hand, but became one of the most celebrated pitchers in the game. In Imperfect, Abbott reflects on his life, which has included starring for the University of Michigan, pitching for the gold medal-winning U.S. team in the 1988 Olympics, and going straight to a Major League team without first playing in the Minors. This modest and candid account provides not just Abbot's record of growing up with a disability, but an absorbing baseball autobiography that will also appeal to general biography fans. |
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A different kind of daughter : the girl who hid from the Taliban in plain sight
by Maria Toorpakai
A woman from an oppressive Pakistani tribal region, where women playing sports is forbidden, discusses how she passed as a boy in order to play the sports she loved, thus becoming a lightning rod of freedom in her country's fierce battle over women's rights, as well as the subject of a forthcoming 2016 documentary. Reading-group guide available. 40,000 first printing.
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Unbroken : An Olympian's Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive
by Laura Hillenbrand
This captivating young adult edition of the award-winning #1 New York Times best-seller tells the story of Louis Zamperini's breathtaking survival odyssey and the courage, cunning and fortitude he found to endure and overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. Includes more than 100 photographs and an exclusive interview with Louis Zamperini. Simultaneous.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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