Ventress Memorial Library15 Library Plaza
Marshfield, MA 02050
781-834-5535ventresslibrary.org
New Nonfiction & Biography
April 2025
Nonfiction
The Lost and the Found: a True Story of Homelessness, Found Family, and Second Chances
by Kevin Fagan

An empathetic exploration of homelessness in San Francisco through the stories of Rita and Tyson, two individuals battling addiction and striving to escape their circumstances, as well as a commentary on the broader societal issues of housing inequality and addiction, shaped by the author's personal experiences and journalistic background.
The Secret Public: How Music Moved Queer Culture from the Margins to the Mainstream
by Jon Savage

Chronicles the transformative influence of queer artists on pop culture from 1955 to 1979, highlighting their covertly revolutionary music that challenged oppression, shaped iconic figures, and fueled cultural and civil rights movements in the face of persistent societal crackdowns and discrimination.
That Librarian: the Fight Against Book Banning in America
by Amanda Jones

Part memoir, part manifesto, the inspiring story of a Louisiana librarian advocating for inclusivity on the front lines of America's vicious
culture wars.
You Can't Kill a Man Because of the Books He Reads: Angelo Herndon's Fight for Free Speech
by Brad Snyder

Tells the story of Angelo Herndon, a young Black Communist organizer wrongly convicted of attempting to incite insurrection in 1932 Georgia, and his five-year fight for freedom, which became a landmark civil rights case championed by a diverse coalition, ultimately influencing the recognition of free speech and assembly rights.
Biographies
Malcolm Before X
by Patrick Parr

In February 1946, when the 21-year-old Malcolm Little was sentenced to eight to ten years in a maximum-security prison, he was a petty criminal and street hustler in Boston. By the time of his parole in August 1952, he had transformed into a voracious reader, joined the Black Muslims, and was poised to become Malcolm X, one of the most prominent and important intellectuals of the civil rights era. While scholars and commentators have exhaustively detailed, analyzed, and debated Malcolm X's post-prison life, they have not explored these transformative six and a half transformative years in any depth. Utilizing a trove of previously overlooked documents, Patrick Parr immerses readers into the unique cultures of Charlestown State Prison, the Concord Reformatory, and the Norfolk Prison Colony where Malcolm devoured books, composed poetry, boxed, debated, and joined the Nation of Islam. This time in prison changed the course of Malcom's life and set the stage for a decade of antiracist activism that would fundamentally reshape American culture.
The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science
by Dava Sobel

A luminous chronicle of the life and work of Marie Curie, the most famous woman in the history of science, also includes the untold story of the many young women trained in her laboratory who were launched into stellar scientific careers of their own.
Ventress Memorial Library
15 Library Plaza
Marshfield, MA 02050
781-834-5535

ventresslibrary.org