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Historical Fiction October 2018
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| Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen by Sarah BirdInspired by: the life of Cathay Williams, the first African American woman to enlist in the U.S. Army.
What happens: After describing her life in bondage, Williams recounts how she became Union Army "contraband" during the Civil War and how, disguised as a man, she later served as Buffalo soldier "William Cathay."
You might also like: James McBride's The Good Lord Bird; Paulette Jiles' The Color of Lightning. Digital Formats: Available as an Overdrive ebook. |
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| Washington Black by Esi EdugyanWhat it's about: In 1830, 11-year-old enslaved child George Washington Black -- a.k.a. "Wash" -- is hired out as a manservant to Christopher "Titch" Wilde, an inventor who needs the boy's help to test his hot-air balloon. Everything goes wrong, and that's just the beginning.
Reviewers say: "strong, beautiful and beguiling" (The Guardian)
Book Buzz: This novel by acclaimed Canadian author Esi Edugyan (Half-Blood Blues) was recently shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Digital Formats: Available as an Overdrive ebook. |
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| The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes GowarWhat it's about: When London merchant Jonah Hancock becomes the owner of a mummified "mermaid" specimen, his decision to display it publicly results in some colorful new acquaintances, including brothel madam Mrs. Chappell and beguiling courtesan Angelica Neal.
Read it for: well-developed characters; witty, period-appropriate dialogue; and a vividly drawn setting that captures the sights, sounds, and smells of 18th-century London.
For fans of: the panoramic view of British society in Michel Faber's The Crimson Petal and the White. Digital Formats: Available as an Overdrive ebook. |
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| The Air You Breathe by Frances de Pontes PeeblesWhat it's about: Dreams of musical stardom lead orphaned Dores and privileged Graça to run away from their convent school and head to Rio, where they immerse themselves in samba. From there, they head to 1940s Hollywood, where Graça reinvents herself as "Brazilian Bombshell" Sofia Salvador and Dores pursues a songwriting career.
Want a taste? "Being a woman is always a performance; only the very old and very young are allowed to bow out of it. The rest must play our parts with vigor but seemingly without effort." Digital Formats: Available as an Overdrive ebook. |
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| The Underground River by Martha ConwayIntroducing: Seamstress May Bedloe and her cousin, actress Comfort Vertue.
What it's about: After surviving a steamship explosion, the women follow separate paths: Comfort becomes a speaker on the abolitionist circuit, while May joins a riverboat theater troupe and is blackmailed into ferrying enslaved children across the Ohio River to freedom.
Publication history: The Underground River was originally published in the United Kingdom as The Floating Theater. Digital Formats: Available as an Overdrive ebook and always available as a Hoopla eaudiobook. |
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| Fools and Mortals by Bernard CornwellStarring: Richard Shakespeare, younger brother of playwright William.
What happens: A junior member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, Richard leaps at the chance to prove himself when the company's scripts are stolen by a rival playhouse. Meanwhile, Puritans would shut down every theater in London if they could.
Author alert: Known for fast-paced, action-packed series about soldiers (Sharpe) and warriors (Saxon Stories), Bernard Cornwell shifts gears in this stand-alone, which brings to life the world of Elizabethan theater. Digital Formats: Available as an Overdrive ebook. |
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| The Tumbling Turner Sisters by Juliette FayFeaturing: Kit, Gert, Winnie, and Nell Turner, sisters who -- under the direction of their overbearing mother -- form an acrobatic troupe after their father loses his job.
Why you might like it: Set in 1919, this upbeat novel offers an authentic depiction of Vaudeville shortly before the nascent motion picture industry transforms American entertainment.
Did you know? Author Juliette Fay is the great-granddaughter of a Vaudeville performer. Digital Formats: Available as an Overdrive ebook and always available as a Hoopla eaudiobook. |
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| Church of Marvels by Leslie ParryWhat it's about: Shortly after a fire consumes the Church of Marvels, their mother's Coney Island sideshow, teen sword-swallower Belle Church disappears, prompting her twin sister, Odile, to search for her.
Why you might like it: This richly detailed novel, set in a gritty 1895 New York City, takes place within a 24-hour period and contains four interwoven storylines.
You might also like: Alice Hoffman's The Museum of Extraordinary Things. Digital Formats: Available as an Overdrive ebook and always available as a Hoopla eaudiobook. |
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| The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie WisemanWhat it's about: Lilly Blackwood, a nine-year-old with albinism, becomes a sideshow attraction after her mother sells her to a traveling circus. In a parallel narrative, set 25 years later in the 1950s, 19-year-old Julia Blackwood investigates her family history.
Why you might like it: The Life She Was Given introduces resilient young protagonists thrust into difficult circumstances and provides a well-researched depiction of circus life during the Great Depression.
For fans of: Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants. Digital Formats: Available as an Overdrive ebook. |
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Historically Speaking: Natives Today
Saturday, November 3,
10:00 am
Downtown Library
Come join us to celebrate Native American Heritage Month with a panel discussion about issues in Indian Country like sovereignty, appropriation, the ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act), pipelines & water rights, violence against native women, and Indigenous People’s Day, by some of Oklahoma’s leading native voices in law, education, and activism. Panelists include Summer Wesley (Choctaw) tribal lawyer, advocate, activist, and founding board member of Live Indigenous OK; Sarah Adams-Cornell (Choctaw) advocate for Native American culture, education, and rights, co-creator of Matriarch, Vice President for ACLU of Oklahoma, and board member of Live Indigenous OK; Jacob S. Tsotigh, Jr. (Kiowa) Tribal Education Specialist for the National Indian Education Association specializing in culturally responsive pedagogy, Title IX Indian Education programming, and school improvement; and Tim Maxville (Choctaw, Chickasaw, & Eastern Band Cherokee) graduate from the Sequoyah Indian Boarding School, who joined the American Indian Movement (AIM) through the guidance of Wilma Mankiller, with degrees in Criminal Justice and Native American Studies.
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Intro to Tablets and Mobile Devices
Saturday, October 27,
2:00 pm
Almonte Library
Did you receive a new tablet, smartphone, or mobile device recently? Have questions or just want to know how to get the most out of it? Bring your device and friendly library staff will work with you to answer any questions you may have - from eBooks, Internet access, email, and more!
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Perennials: Planting Ahead
Sunday, October 28,
3:00 pm
Warr Acres Library
Do you have a green thumb? Fall is the time to plant perennials! Floyd Richardson will offer instruction about how to grow perennials, and provide other helpful gardening tips. In addition, check out our wide variety of gardening books to take home.
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E-Resources @ Your Library
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American Indian History Online
Explore more than 15,000 years of culture and history with event and topic entries, biographies, images and videos, maps and charts, legends, primary sources, and timeline entries.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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