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Biography and Memoir April 2025 |
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| One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El AkkadWhat it is: In his frank and thought-provoking blend of history and memoir, award-winning novelist Omar El Akkad (American War) examines the West's apathy and inaction toward Israel's ongoing destruction of Gaza.
Try this next: The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates. |
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Alive Day: Finding Hope and Purpose After Losing Everything
by Sam Brown
What it is: At 24, Sam Brown was pursuing his lifelong ambition of serving in the US military when his vehicle detonated one of the Taliban’s bombs. Sam was desperate for death to end his pain. Instead, a fellow soldier extinguished the blaze.
And then: Sam discovered the power of serving others and embarked on a seemingly impossible love story. He shares his story of perseverance, hope, and faith, taking readers from the ashes of a life lost to the freedom of an identity that cannot be shaken.
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| Daughter of Daring: The Trick-Riding, Train-Leaping, Road-Racing Life of Helen Gibson... by Mallory O'MearaWhat it is: Mallory O'Meara's (The Lady from the Black Lagoon) engaging latest chronicles the life and career of Helen Gibson, Hollywood's first professional stunt woman, whose start in silent films included appearances in the long-running adventure serial The Hazards of Helen, from which she took her stage name.
Further reading: Nobody's Girl Friday: The Women Who Ran Hollywood by J.E. Smyth. |
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Henry V: The Astonishing Triumph of England's Greatest Warrior King
by Dan Jones
What it is: Bestselling historian Dan Jones (Powers and Thrones) offers a lively portrait of Henry V (1386-1422), detailing how he utilized his military exploits, diplomacy skills, and creative pursuits to craft his oft-imitated public image.
For fans of: Rife with court intrigue, this evocative biography will appeal to fans of TV's House of the Dragon.
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Emperor of the Seas: Kublai Khan and the Making of China
by Jack Weatherford
What it's about: Genghis Khan built a formidable land empire, but he never crossed the sea. Yet by the time his grandson Kublai Khan had defeated the last vestiges of the Song empire and established the Yuan dynasty in 1279, the Mongols controlled the most powerful navy in the world. How did a nomad come to conquer China and master the sea?
Reviewers say: "A detailed look at one of history's most powerful rulers, and his impact on a huge swath of the world.” (Kirkus Reviews)
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Norman Lear: His Life and Times
by Tripp Whetsell
What it is: An affectionate and candid tribute to a figure who singlehandedly redefined an entire medium by reflecting the world around him.
Reviewers say: "It's a fitting tribute to a consequential figure in television history." (Publishers Weekly)
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Focus on: National Poetry Month
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| Poet Warrior by Joy HarjoWhat it is: Former United States Poet Laureate Joy Harjo's engaging follow-up to her 2012 memoir Crazy Brave explores her Muscogee upbringing with a poetry-loving mother, who encouraged the author's interest in words, and how she survived abuse from her father and stepfather to find communion with fellow Indigenous writers as a University of New Mexico student in the 1970s.
Further reading: When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through: An Anthology of Native Nations Poetry edited by Harjo. |
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| The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley: A Poet's Journeys Through American Slavery and... by David WaldstreicherWhat it is: Named a New York Times Notable Book of 2023, historian David Waldstreicher's thought-provoking and richly detailed biography chronicles the trailblazing life and work of Phillis Wheatley, the first known enslaved poet.
Further reading: African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle & Song edited by Kevin Young. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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