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Biography and Memoir February 2020
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| The Shadow of Vesuvius: A Life of Pliny by Daisy DunnWhat it is: a non-linear dual portrait of Roman author and naturalist Pliny the Elder and his nephew Pliny the Younger, a lawyer and senator.
Read it for: an illuminating glimpse into the tumultuous Roman Empire of the 1st century; insights into how the pair influenced future generations of scholars and thinkers.
Did you know? Charles Dickens drew inspiration from the Younger's work to create the character of Jacob Marley in A Christmas Carol. |
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| A Bookshop in Berlin: The Rediscovered Memoir of One Woman's Harrowing Escape... by Françoise FrenkelStarring: Berlin-based Polish Jewish bookseller Françoise Frenkel, who fled the Nazis in 1939 and spent the next four years evading capture in occupied France.
Read it for: a nail-biting tale of courage and survival.
What sets it apart: Originally published to little fanfare in 1945 Switzerland, Frenkel's memoir lingered in obscurity until a copy resurfaced in 2010, leading to its English language publication nearly 75 years after its initial release. |
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| And Then We Grew Up: On Creativity, Potential, and the Imperfect Art of Adulthood by Rachel FriedmanWhat if? Years after her attendance at the Interlochen Arts Camp stoked her passion for a career as a violinist, author Rachel Friedman contemplates the path her life might have taken had she stuck with her childhood dreams.
Don't miss: interviews with Friedman's former Interlochen classmates exploring creativity, ambition, and identity.
Is it for you? Readers who've felt conflicted about their life's path or the weight of expectation will find much to relate to in this reflective chronicle. |
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| Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry by Imani PerryWhat it is: a revealing biography of acclaimed A Raisin in the Sun playwright and social activist Lorraine Hansberry.
Topics include: Hansberry's conflicted views on her privileged upbringing; career beginnings writing for Pan-Africanist newspaper Freedom; brushes with the FBI; her closeted sexuality.
Why you might like it: Library Journal calls this concise and engaging portrait "a must-read for fans of black and queer history." |
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| Jane Crow: The Life of Pauli Murray by Rosalind RosenbergStarring: lawyer, activist, and first black woman Episcopal priest Pauli Murray, who, among other accomplishments, inspired Thurgood Marshall's arguments in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and co-founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1966.
Read it for: a poignant portrait of a complicated figure grappling with identity -- though Murray used she/her pronouns throughout her life, she also unsuccessfully sought hormone therapy in the 1930s and is embraced today as a transgender icon.
Try this next: Readers looking for insights on Murray's life in her own words will want to check out her candid memoir Song in a Weary Throat. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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