Biography and Memoir September 2019 Recent Releases Fay Wray and Robert Riskin : a Hollywood memoir by Victoria Riskin The daughter of the actress best known for "King Kong" and the screenwriter for "It Happened One Night" presents a dual memoir that describes her parents' lives and work, her father's collaborations with Frank Capra, and his early death Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben Girma Starring: disability rights lawyer Haben Girma, the first deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. What sets it apart: Emboldened by her Eritrean refugee parents' stories of surviving war-torn Ethiopia in the 1980s, Girma has faced the setbacks of living in an ableist society with wit and optimism. Reviewers say: "an absolute must-read" (Library Journal).  Hungry: Eating, Road-Tripping, and Risking It All With the Greatest Chef in the World by Jeff Gordinier What it is: an immersive chronicle of Esquire food editor Jeff Gordinier's travels with renowned Danish chef René Redzepi in search of culinary inspiration. Cuisine sampled: sandpaper figs; sea urchins; wild celery; ant eggs; grasshoppers. Who it's for: risk-taking foodies and fans of travel writing. Darkness to light : a memoir by Lamar Odom The two-time NBA champion presents a candid account of the highs and lows of his life, sharing insights into his marriage to Khloe Kardashian, his struggles with addiction and the watershed event that transformed his perspectives. Every man a hero : a memoir of D-Day, the first wave at Omaha Beach, and a world at war by Ray Lambert Timed to the 75th anniversary of the Normandy invasion, a first-hand account of D-Day by a decorated U.S. Army medic describes how he landed with the first wave on June 6, 1944, and saved dozens of his fellow American soldiers on Omaha Beach. 200,000 first printing. Parenthood If you love me : a mother's journey through her daughter's opioid addiction by Maureen Cavanagh The founder of the Magnolia New Beginnings nonprofit peer-support group shares the gripping story of her confrontation with the opioid epidemic in the wake of her daughter's sudden and brutal battle with substance abuse. Juniper: The Girl Who Was Born Too Soon by Kelley and Thomas French What it's about: After their "micro-preemie" Juniper was born at 23 weeks, parents Kelley and Thomas French spent a frantic seven months at the hospital as she struggled to survive.  Is it for you? Don't worry -- this heartwarming memoir has a "healthily-ever-after" ending, though the French family encounters several speed bumps along the way. What sets it apart: the Frenches are Pulitzer-lauded journalists, sharing incisive prose in alternating chapters. Kickflip boys : a memoir of freedom, rebellion, and the chaos of fatherhood by Neal Thompson The critically acclaimed author of Driving With the Devil presents a lighthearted memoir about the challenges and concerns he navigated as the father of two strong-willed skateboarder and counterculture sons. 40,000 first printing. The Warner Boys: Our Family's Story of Autism and Hope by Ana and Curt Warner with Dave Boling What it's about: former Seattle Seahawks running back Curt Warner and his wife Ana's difficult and moving journey parenting twin sons with autism. Is it for you? Focusing on their faith, optimism, and a broader need for autism awareness and support, the Warners' intimate chronicle avoids discussing thornier topics surrounding autism advocacy. Raising Ryland: Our Story of Parenting a Transgender Child with No Strings Attached by Hillary Whittington with Kristine Gasbarre What it is: Hillary Whittington's emotional account of parenting her transgender son Ryland, whose transition was famously chronicled in a 2014 viral YouTube video and a 2015 CNN documentary short.   For fans of: Amy Ellis Nutt's Becoming Nicole and Lori Duron's Raising My Rainbow. Reviewers say: "An uplifting testimonial to the power of unconditional familial love and acceptance" (Kirkus Reviews).   Contact your librarian for more great books! Brantford Public Library 173 Colborne Street Brantford, Ontario N3T 2G8 519-756-2220 brantford.library.on.ca/home/