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Biography and Memoir July 2020 |
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The Book of Rosy: A Mother's Story of Separation at the Border by Rosayra Pablo Cruz and Julie Schwietert Collazo What it is: A haunting exploration of the Trump administration's
family separation policy, as experienced by one Guatemalan family.
What happened: Fleeing Guatemala after her husband's murder, asylum seeker Rosayra Pablo Cruz and her two sons traveled more than 2,000 miles to the southern U.S. border. Once they arrived,
Pablo Cruz spent 80 days detained in an Arizona facility, and her children were placed with a foster family in the Bronx.
Read it for: a searing account of the lingering effects of separation. | | The Gratitude Diaries: How a Year Looking on the Bright Side Can Transform Your Life by Janice Kaplan How it began: Journalist Janice Kaplan vowed one New Year's Eve
to practice being grateful for one full year.
How she did it: Kaplan kept a "gratitude journal," surveyed experts including psychologists and medical doctors, and interviewed people who have overcome adversity.
Try this next: For another humorous memoir of embracing a new outlook on life, read Shonda Rhimes' inspiring Year of Yes. | | Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years by David Litt What it is: A witty chronicle of author David Litt's five-year tenure as
a speechwriter for President Obama.
Read it for: An engaging behind-the-scenes look at some of the
highs (writing four White House Correspondence Dinner speeches)
and lows (making careless diplomatic gaffes) of an illustrious gig.
Author alert: Litt's latest book, the optimistic political history Democracy in One Book or Less, hit bookshelves in June. | | Autism in Heels: The Untold Story of a Female Life on the Spectrum by Jennifer Cook O'Toole What it is: An inspirational guide that urges readers -- and the
medical establishment -- to reevaluate stereotypical ideas about
what autism looks like, especially the ways gender can affect the expression of autistic traits.
Why it's important: Author Jennifer Cook O'Toole encourages
readers to view autism as more of a difference than a "disease,"
and reveals how her diagnosis at age 34 came as a relief instead of something negative. | | Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting by Anna Quindlen What it's about: Anna Quindlen's examination of her changing family dynamics as she goes from parent to grandparent and must recalibrate her relationship with her child and her own understanding of herself.
Want a taste? "Those who make their opinions sound like the Ten Commandments see their grandchildren only on major holidays and
in photographs."
About the author: Pulitzer Prize winner Quindlen is also known for
her fiction, including Still Life with Breadcrumbs and Object Lessons. | | Where I Come From: Life Lessons from a Latino Chef by Aarón Sánchez What it's about: MasterChef star Aaron Sanchez's culinary
coming-of-age and influences, including legendary New York restaurateur Zarela Martinez (his mother), and New Orleans chef
Paul Prudhomme.
Recipes include: Bacalao-Stuffed Sweet Plantains with Crema Mexicana; Seared Salmon with Pumpkin Seed Mole; Seafood Stew with Coconut and Chipotle.
Reviewers say: Sánchez's fans will relish this richly told life story
of a chef celebrating his roots" (Publishers Weekly). | |
Contact your librarian for more great books!
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