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Biography and Memoir January 2020
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A Bookshop in Berlin: The Rediscovered Memoir of One Woman's Harrowing Escape from the Nazis
by Françoise Frenkel
What it's about: In 1921, Françoise Frenkel—a Jewish woman from Poland—fulfills a dream when she opened La Maison du Livre, Berlin’s first French bookshop. A Bookshop in Berlin is a remarkable story of survival and resilience, of human cruelty and human spirit.
Did you know? A Bookshop in Berlin was originally published quietly in 1945, then rediscovered nearly sixty years later in an attic!
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The faith of Queen Elizabeth : the poise, grace, and quiet strength behind the crown
by Dudley J Delffs
What it is: With testimonies from historic figures such as Winston Churchill, Billy Graham, Mother Teresa and Margaret Thatcher, this tribute offers unprecedented insights into the faith of the world’s most famous queen.
Book buzz: "The Faith of Queen Elizabeth pulls back the royal curtain to reveal a compassionate heart dedicated to serving the King of Kings. Shared through the eyes of a gifted storyteller, this book will inspire you." --Roma Downey, actress, producer, and New York Times bestselling author
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| All Blood Runs Red: The Legendary Life of Eugene Bullard -- Boxer, Pilot, Soldier, Spy by Phil Keith with Tom ClavinStarring: the first African American fighter pilot, Eugene Bullard, a war hero whose remarkable life has been largely forgotten by history.
What he did: Bullard achieved fame as boxer "Black Sparrow," served in the French Foreign Legion during both world wars, ran a Paris nightclub during World War II that he used to spy on Germans, and much more.
Don't miss: the surprising connection Bullard's life had to Casablanca; a jaw-dropping who's who of famous figures. |
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| What We Will Become: A Mother, a Son, and a Journey of Transformation by Mimi LemayWhat it's about: debut author Mimi Lemay's experiences parenting her young transgender son, Jacob.
Why you might like it: Told in alternating chapters, Lemay chronicles Jacob's transition and her own identity journey -- in her 20s, Lemay made the decision to leave behind the strict Orthodox Judaism of her childhood.
Try this next: Jodie Patterson's moving memoir The Bold World explores themes of family and identity from a black mother's perspective. |
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| In the Dream House by Carmen Maria MachadoWhat it's about: In this inventive collection of short essays, award-winning author Carmen Maria Machado (Her Body and Other Parties) unflinchingly recounts a relationship with an unstable woman that devolved into physical and psychological abuse.
What sets it apart: Machado's fragmented, genre-defying prose plays with storytelling tropes, offering a multilayered view of her relationship as a choose your own adventure, a noir, a stoner comedy, and more.
Book buzz: In the Dream House was longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. |
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Wallis in love : the untold life of the Duchess of Windsor, the woman who changed the monarchy
by Andrew Morton
What it is: A portrait of the woman for whom Edward VIII infamously abdicated the British throne draws on journal entries, letters and other previously unseen records to analyze her complex personality against the backdrop of Jazz Age London.
More by this author: If you liked Wallis in Love, check out Morton's Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words!
Book buzz: "The best known chronicler of the Royals, Andrew Morton provides tantalizing new details about the scandalous life of Wallis Simpson."―Meryl Gordon, New York Times bestselling author of Bunny Mellon: The Life of an American Style Legend
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Autumn in Venice : Ernest Hemingway and his last muse
by Andrea Di Robilant
What it's about: The author of A Venetian Affair traces the story of Hemingway's midlife relationship with 18-year-old Adriana Ivancich, exploring how she inspired the creations of Across the River and Into the Trees and The Old Man and the Sea.
Book buzz: “A saga that grips and enthralls from start to finish . . . [di Robilant] has researched every scrap of information and gossip about this curious menage.” —The Times (London)
More by this author: Check out Chasing the Rose: An Adventure in the Venetian Countryside and A Venetian Affair: A Tale of Forbidden Love in the 18th Century.
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Kiss me like a stranger : my search for love and art
by Gene Wilder
What it's about: The comic actor best known for his work in such films as Young Frankenstein and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory shares personal events that led to his understanding of love and the art of acting, discussing his relationships with such contemporaries as Mel Brooks, Richard Pryor, and Gilda Radner.
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What remains : a memoir of fate, friendship, and love
by Carole Radziwill
What it's about: An award-winning television producer traces her life and marriage to Anthony Radziwill, JFK's nephew, in a personal account that describes the influence of her mother's Austrian heritage, her work as a journalist in different international locales, her devastation at the deaths of JFK, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, and her husband's struggle with terminal cancer throughout their short marriage.
Book buzz: Stunning...Radziwill gets at the essence of what matters -- friendship, compassion, destiny." -- Oprah Winfrey, O, the oprah Magazine
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| Before I Forget: Love, Hope, Help, and Acceptance in Our Fight Against Alzheimer's by B. Smith & Dan Gasby with Michael Shnayerson; foreword by Rudolph E. Tanzi, PhDWhat it is: a heartfelt account of restaurateur B. Smith's life with early-onset Alzheimer's, co-written by her husband and caregiver Dan Gasby.
Is it for you? Packed with tips, resources, and lessons the couple have learned, this candid blend of memoir and self-help guide will be best appreciated by Alzheimer's patients and their families.
Reviewers say: "an enduring love story of care and adoration" (Publishers Weekly). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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