Biography and Memoir
January 2022
Recent Releases
Apparently There Were Complaints
by Sharon Gless

What it is: Two-time Emmy Award-winning actress Sharon Gless' dishy and moving memoir reflecting on her five decades in showbiz.

Topics include: Gless' rocky path to stardom; mental health and addiction battles; groundbreaking roles on TV's Cagney & Lacey and Queer as Folk, and more. 


 
The Churchill Sisters: The Extraordinary Lives of Winston and Clementine's Daughters
by Rachel Trethewey

What it is: An engaging collective biography that explores Winston Churchill's relationships with his daughters.

Read it for: A richly detailed portrait of how the three Churchill sisters aided in their father's political campaigns and the war effort, supplemented with archival materials and previously unpublished letters. 

 
The Deeper the Roots: A Memoir of Hope and Home
by Michael Tubbs

What it's about: Michael Tubbs' political ascent, from his days interning in the Obama White House to his election as Stockton, California's first Black mayor and its youngest in history.

Why you might like it: Tubbs' candid and moving debut chronicles his triumphs against "the soft bigotry of low expectations" and his efforts to give back to the community that raised him.  

 
Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's...
by Gayle Jessup White

How it began: Spurred to investigate her family's claims that they were descendants of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, Gayle Jessup White spent years researching her family history, and in 2014 DNA tests confirmed her lineage. 

What happened next: White now serves as the Public Relations & Community Engagement Officer at Monticello, where she works to reframe the narratives surrounding Jefferson's legacy and incorporate the stories of the people he enslaved.    
Now or Never
Let's Never Talk About This Again
by Sara Faith Alterman

What it's about: At 12, Sara Faith Alterman discovered that her seemingly straitlaced father, Ira, was the author of pornographic books. Though she kept her discovery secret for years, she was later entrusted to help Ira with his career after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Read it for: An unforgettable memoir of love and loss that's equal parts funny and cringe-inducing.    

 
The Perpetual Now: A Story of Amnesia, Memory, and Love
by Michael D. Lemonick

What it is: A moving biography of multi-hyphenate artist Lonni Sue Johnson, who developed severe amnesia after contracting encephalitis in 2007 and lives her life in the "perpetual now."

Who it's for: Scientific American journalist Michael D. Lemonick's compassionate and accessible portrait will appeal to fans of Oliver Sacks, science lovers interested in memory and the brain, and biography readers who enjoy life-affirming reads.
Never Look an American in the Eye: Flying Turtles, Colonial Ghosts, and the Making of a...
by Okey Ndibe

What it is: An engaging account of Nigerian novelist Okey Ndibe's early immigrant experiences in America.

Topics include: Ndibe's culture shock and how he navigated stereotypes and racial profiling; his friendships with fellow Nigerian authors Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka. 

Also available in eAudiobook on Hoopla
And Now We Have Everything: On Motherhood Before I Was Ready
by Meaghan O'Connell

What it's about: How author Meaghan O'Connell navigated an unexpected pregnancy in her 20s.

Is it for you? O'Connell's frank and darkly humorous debut doesn't shy away from the anxieties and resentments of new motherhood.

 
Contact your librarian for more great books!