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Biography and Memoir February 2022 |
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| Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom by Carl BernsteinWhat it's about: Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Carl Bernstein's experiences working as a teen copyboy and reporter for the Washington Star in the 1960s.
Read it for: an amusing and nostalgic look back at a bygone era of newspaper journalism; a clear-eyed portrait of Washington, D.C. during a time of social and political unrest.
Don't miss: Bernstein covering John F. Kennedy's inauguration and funeral; a run-in with the Beatles. |
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| Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality by Tomiko Brown-NaginWho it's about: trailblazing lawyer and activist Constance Baker Motley.
Why you should read it: This richly detailed biography pays insightful tribute to one of the most influential -- yet overlooked -- figures in the American civil rights movement.
Did you know? Among her many achievements, Baker Motley was the first Black woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court and the first Black woman to serve in the federal judiciary. |
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| Manifesto: On Never Giving Up by Bernardine EvaristoWhat it is: Booker Prize-winning Girl, Woman, Other novelist Bernadine Evaristo's debut memoir chronicling her life and career.
Topics include: growing up working-class and mixed-race in 1960s South London; early career experiences as an actor and playwright; Evaristo's relationship with her sexuality; becoming the first Black woman and first Black Briton to win the Booker Prize.
Who it's for: readers who enjoy inspiring memoirs of finding resilience in the face of adversity. |
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| Garbo by Robert GottliebWhat it is: a revealing and extensively researched biography of Greta Garbo, who rose above her impoverished Swedish origins to become one of Classic Hollywood's most enigmatic (and reclusive) stars.
Featuring: "A Garbo Reader," which compiles profiles, quotes, and articles about Garbo; hundreds of eye-catching photographs.
Reviewers say: "this comprehensive biography may be the final word" on Garbo (Library Journal). |
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| The Death of My Father the Pope by Obed SilvaWhat it's about: Mexican American immigrant Obed Silva's turbulent relationship with his abusive and alcoholic father, who died of liver failure at 48.
Is it for you? Heartwrenching yet darkly humorous, Silva's lyrical debut explores grief, generational trauma, and the complexity of familial bonds.
Try this next: For another candid look at the immigrant experience, read Children of the Land by Marcelo Castillo Hernandez. |
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| Madam C.J. Walker: The Making of an American Icon by Erica L. BallWhat it is: the rags-to-riches story of beauty and hair care entrepreneur and philanthropist Madam C.J. Walker, who was born to formerly enslaved parents and became America's first self-made woman millionaire.
About the author: Historian Erica L. Ball is the Mary Jane Hewitt Department Chair in Black Studies at Occidental College.
Series alert: This concise and well-researched portrait is part of the Library of African American Biography; the most recent addition, Martin Luther King: A Religious Life, was published in November 2021. |
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| King of the Blues: The Rise and Reign of B.B. King by Daniel De ViséWhat it is: the first full-length biography of legendary blues musician B.B. King, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Daniel De Visé.
Why you might like it: Written in an engaging, fast-paced style, De Visé's nuanced account illuminates King's career trials and triumphs within the context of the civil rights movement.
Don't miss: interviews with King's surviving loved ones and colleagues. |
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| Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells by Michelle DusterWho it's about: groundbreaking investigative journalist, activist, and NACCP co-founder Ida B. Wells.
Read it for: an accessible tribute to a civil rights icon penned by Wells' great-granddaughter, historian Michelle Duster.
For fans of: vividly illustrated biographies like Erica Armstrong Dunbar's She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman. |
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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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| Odetta: A Life in Music and Protest by Ian ZackWho it's about: influential folk musician Odetta Holmes, who became known as the "Voice of the Civil Rights Movement" after performing at the 1963 March on Washington.
Why you should read it: This thoughtful and well-researched chronicle draws from interviews and Holmes' personal papers to explore how she defied the era's racism through her music.
Reviewers say: "A much-needed biography of a crucial American artist and activist" (Booklist). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Atlantic County Library System | 40 Farragut Avenue, Mays Landing, NJ 08330
Phone: (609) 625-2776 | www.atlanticlibrary.org
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|  | Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson
Atlantic County Board of Commissioners, Maureen Kern, Chairwoman |
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