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Biography and Memoir November 2020
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| Reclaiming Her Time: The Power of Maxine Waters by Helena Andrews-Dyer and R. Eric Thomas; illustrated by Sabrina DorsainvilWhat it is: an inspiring portrait of trailblazing California congresswoman Maxine Waters, featuring vivid full-color illustrations, photographs, and a selection of Waters' iconic quotes.
Who it's for: Fans of illustrated political biographies like The Notorious RBG and the Queens of the Resistance series will enjoy this similarly upbeat and conversational read. |
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| I'll Be Seeing You by Elizabeth BergWhat it's about: bestselling novelist Elizabeth Berg's (The Story of Arthur Truluv) relationship with her aging parents, whom she helped care for during their final years.
Is it for you? Berg's candid and insightful memoir will resonate with readers who are caring for older family members.
Food for thought: "The failing of an aging parent is one of those old stories that feels abrasively new to the person experiencing it." |
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| The Man Who Ate Too Much: The Life of James Beard by John BirdsallWhat it is: a richly detailed biography of chef and cookbook author James Beard (1903-1985) that expands upon author John Birdsall's James Beard Award-winning essay "America, Your Food Is So Gay."
Read it for: a nuanced portrait of the charismatic yet complicated "Dean of American Cookery," who pioneered new cuisine while grappling with his closeted sexuality, depression, and difficult workplace reputation.
Don't miss: lush descriptions of Beard's culinary creations that will whet readers' appetites. |
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| Tecumseh and the Prophet: The Shawnee Brothers Who Defied a Nation by Peter CozzensStarring: Shawnee leader Tecumseh; and his younger brother, Tenskwatawa, who worked together to create a pan-Indian alliance against the United States government in the early 19th century.
What sets it apart: Though there have been many accounts of Tecumseh's life and accomplishments, this well-researched, "long overdue" (Library Journal) dual biography also examines the life and legacy of the overlooked Tenskwatawa. |
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| I Am These Truths: A Memoir of Identity, Justice, and Living Between Worlds by Sunny HostinWhat it's about: The View co-host and ABC News legal analyst Sunny Hostin's life and career.
Topics include: Hostin's loving yet dysfunctional childhood; her Afro Latina identity; making a name for herself in an industry that isn't always hospitable to women of color.
Reviewers say: "inspiring" (Booklist); "educational" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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Focus on: National Book Awards
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| The Yellow House by Sarah M. BroomWhat it's about: author Sarah M. Broom's upbringing as the youngest of 12 children raised in a New Orleans East shotgun house that was later destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
Why you might like it: Broom's lyrical family history explores the painful reality of redefining "home" following displacement.
Want a taste? "Without that physical structure, we are the house that bears itself up. I was now the house." |
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| The Indian World of George Washington: The First President, the First Americans, and the... by Colin G. CallowayWhat it's about: the complicated relationships George Washington fostered with tribal nations throughout the American Revolution and his presidency.
Why it matters: Nuanced and accessible, this well-researched biography illuminates perspectives rarely told from the era and examines Washington's cruel exploitation of the fragile alliances that were crucial to American independence. |
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| What You Have Heard is True: A Memoir of Witness and Resistance by Carolyn ForchéWhat it's about: In 1977, after accepting the invitation of a mysterious acquaintance to visit him in El Salvador, American poet Carolyn Forché was plunged into the horrors of the country's burgeoning civil war, becoming an unlikely activist and resistance fighter.
Is it for you? Vivid depictions of violence may be too much for some readers.
Further reading: Forché's 1981 poetry collection The Country Between Us, inspired by her experiences during the war. |
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| If the Oceans Were Ink: An Unlikely Friendship and a Journey to the Heart of the Qur'an by Carla PowerHow it began: Friends for years, secular journalist Carla Power and Islamic scholar Mohammad Akram Nadwi had become frustrated by the name-calling among and between their communities.
What happened next: Hoping to improve her understanding of Islam, Power undertook extensive study of the Qur'an, meeting with Akram Nadwi weekly for private lessons and observing his lectures at Oxford.
Why you might like it: This engaging Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist offers compelling insight into difficult religious topics. |
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| Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth by Sarah SmarshWhat it's about: the cycle of rural poverty that blighted author Sarah Smarsh's Kansas farming family for generations.
Who it's for: readers looking for a thought-provoking rejoinder to J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy.
Reviewers say: "a searing indictment of how the poor are viewed and treated in this country" (Library Journal). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Indianapolis Public Library P.O. Box 211 Indianapolis, Indiana 46206-0211 317-275-4100www.indypl.org/ |
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