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Biography and Memoir April 2021
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| The Soul of a Woman: On Impatient Love, Long Life, and Good Witches by Isabel AllendeWhat it is: beloved author Isabel Allende's intimate and lyrical reflections on the role that feminism has played in her life.
Topics include: Allende's career beginnings as a journalist in 1960s Chile; the roadblocks she encountered while attempting to publish her first novel, 1982's The House of the Spirits; aging, sex, and family life.
Who it's for: fans of Allende's work will appreciate this empowering memoir/manifesto and the lessons shared within. |
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The Marathon don't stop : the life and times of Nipsey Hussle
by Rob Kenner
The founding editor of Vibe presents an in-depth portrait of the hip-hop mogul, artist and activist to share insights into his motivational lyrics, visionary business savvy and tragic murder in a neighborhood he was trying to rebuild. 75,000 first printing. Illustrations.
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The Beauty of Living Twice
by Sharon Stone
The Nobel Peace Summit Award-winning actress, activist and humanitarian chronicles her efforts to recover and rebuild after a massive stroke, discussing how her health challenges were also shaped by industry standards, childhood traumas and family bonds.
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Plunder : a memoir of family property and Nazi treasure
by Menachem Kaiser
A young writer documents the story of his effort to reclaim his Holocaust-survivor grandfather’s family apartment building in Poland, detailing his grandfather’s firsthand experiences as a slave laborer and his own confrontations with Nazi treasure hunters. 30,000 first printing. Illustrations. Maps.
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| Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight by Julia SweigWhat it is: a well-researched biography of First Lady Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson that offers fresh insights on her life and legacy.
What sets it apart: This revisionist account positions Johnson as a key player in husband Lyndon B. Johnson's presidential administration, revealing the role she played in shaping his political strategies and ambitions.
Featuring: diary entries the First Lady recorded during her time in the White House. |
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| Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women by Susan Burton and Cari Lynn; foreword by Michelle AlexanderHow it began: After her five-year-old son was hit by a car and killed, Susan Burton turned to drugs, spending the next decade in and out of prison.
What happened next: Burton founded the nonprofit A New Way of Life, dedicated to helping women re-enter society after incarceration.
Book buzz: Winner of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Burton's candid and moving memoir offers clear-eyed suggestions for prison reform. |
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| A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea by Masaji Ishikawa; translated by Risa Kobayashi and Martin BrownWhat it's about: Born in Japan to a Korean father and a Japanese mother, a teenaged Masaji Ishikawa and his family moved to North Korea in 1960 as part of the country's repatriation program.
What happened next: Ishikawa spent three decades enduring poverty, starvation, and ostracism under Kim Il-Sung's totalitarian rule before making a daring escape back to Japan.
Reviewers say: "[a] painful story with sardonic humor and unwavering familial love even in the depths of despair" (Booklist Reviews). |
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| We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria by Wendy PearlmanWhat it is: a sobering yet hopeful oral history of Syrian refugees' experiences in the aftermath of 2011's Arab Spring protests.
Book buzz: Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal, this eye-opening collection offers a diverse array of perspectives from "a population that meets with too few opportunities to represent itself."
Further reading: For more intimate firsthand insights into the Syrian civil war, pick up Alia Malek's The Home That Was Our Country. |
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The secret life of Dorothy Soames : a memoir
by Justine Cowan
Documents the author’s investigation into her late mother’s tragic experiences as an illegitimate orphan who endured an early life of discrimination, physical abuse and harsh labor serving England’s ruling class at infamous Foundling Hospital. 40,000 first printing.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Joliet Public Library Ottawa Street Branch: 150 N Ottawa St Black Road Branch: 3395 Black Rd Joliet, Illinois 815-740-2660www.jolietlibrary.org |
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