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Biography and Memoir July 2018
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| The Wind in My Hair: My Fight for Freedom in Modern Iran by Masih AlinejadWhat it's about: Exiled Iranian journalist and women's rights advocate Masih Alinejad chronicles her life spent resisting the Islamic republic in this captivating and informative memoir. Did you know? Alinejad is the creator of the social media movement My Stealthy Freedom, which encourages women to defy Iran's compulsory hijab laws by sharing photographs of themselves without their head scarves. |
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| There Are No Grown-Ups: A Midlife Coming-of-Age Story by Pamela DruckermanWhat it is: part memoir, part self-help guide, this witty and lighthearted collection of 25 essays explores American expat life in Paris, the realities of aging, and family relationships.
Want a taste? "You know you're a fortysomething parent when you've decided that swimming counts as a shower."
Chapters include: "How to Have a Midlife Crisis;" "How to Plan a Ménage à Trois;" and "How to Think in French." |
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| Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale HurstonWhat it's about: In 1927, author and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston interviewed Cudjo Lewis (c. 1841-1935), one of the last known survivors of the Atlantic slave trade; the transcript of their conversation was only recently discovered.
Read it for: Hurston's folkloristic preservation of Lewis's West African vernacular and storytelling.
Is it for you? Lewis' clear account of his capture and enslavement is both graphic and illuminating. |
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My Girls
by Todd Fisher
What it is: A revelatory and touching tribute to the lives of Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds written by the person who knew them best, Todd Fisher's poignant memoir is filled with moving stories of growing up among Hollywood royalty and illustrated with never-before-seen photos and memorabilia.
Read it for: Todd shares his heart and his memories of Debbie and Carrie with deeply personal stories from his earliest years to those last unfathomable days. His book, part memoir, part homage, celebrates their legacies through a more intimate, poignant, and often hilarious portrait of these two remarkable women than has ever been revealed before.
What reviewers say: "More than a Hollywood tell-all, Fisher's memoir of a family's love and endurance under trying and sometimes outrageous circumstances is a clear-eyed tribute to lives lived to the fullest." (Publishers Weekly Review)
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| Young Washington: How Wilderness and War Forged America's Founding Father by Peter StarkWhat it's about: a lively chronicle of how George Washington's early career exploits during the French and Indian War shaped him from a volatile young man into an empathetic and respected military leader.
Read it for: adventure writer Peter Stark's thrilling, vivid narrative, supplemented with letters, journal entries, and military documents.
Reviewers say: "a discerning history of pre-Revolutionary America and the man who shaped its future" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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Focus on: Prison and Captivity
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Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women
by Susan Burton and Cari Lynn
What it's about: In this moving and eye-opening memoir, Burton recounts her experiences while advocating for improvements in the prison system.
Read it for: One woman's remarkable odyssey from tragedy to prison to recovery and recognition as a leading figure in the national justice reform movement.
Reviewers say: "Burton has helped thousands of formerly incarcerated and homeless individuals, and now, by telling her story, she continues to advocate for a more humane justice system guided by compassion and dignity." ( Booklist)
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Rescue at Los Baños : the most daring prison camp raid of World War II
by Bruce B. Henderson
What it's about: incredible true story of one of the greatest military rescues of all time, the 1945 World War II prison camp raid at Los Banos in the Philippines--a tale of daring, courage, and heroism that joins the ranks of Ghost Soldiers and Unbroken.
About the author: Bruce Henderson is a journalist and author, born in 1946. His career has included newspaper reporter, magazine editor, private investigator, and field producer for television. He taught reporting and writing courses at Stanford University and USC School of Journalism.
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| The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State by Nadia MuradWhat it is: the raw yet inspiring story of Nadia Murad's escape from captivity by the Islamic State, for whom she was forced to serve as a "sabiya" (or sex slave) after her Yazidi village in Iraq was destroyed in 2014.
About the author: Nadia Murad is a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking. |
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| Guantánamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould SlahiWhat it is: a riveting and reflective account of the human rights abuses perpetuated at the Guantánamo Bay military prison.
What sets it apart: Guantánamo Diary is the first book on the subject to be written by a detainee during his imprisonment.
Book buzz: Written in 2005, Guantánamo Diary remained classified for almost ten years; earlier editions of the book were heavily redacted. This Restored Edition reconstructs previously redacted text and includes a new introduction by Slahi. |
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| Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan StevensonWhat it's about: In 1994, lawyer and social justice activist Bryan Stevenson founded the Equal Justice Initiative, which provides legal representation to inmates on Alabama's death row -- many of whom face miscarriages of justice.
Further reading: Stevenson provides the foreword to Anthony Ray Hinton's heartwrenching and hopeful memoir (and Oprah's latest Book Club selection) The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row, which chronicles his 30 years of false imprisonment. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Carrollton Public Library 1700 Keller Springs Road, Carrollton Texas 75006 4220 North Josey Lane, Carrollton Texas 75010 |
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