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Historical Fiction February 2019
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| That Churchill Woman by Stephanie BarronPresenting: Lady Randolph Churchill -- née Jennie Jerome, the American heiress who snags a titled husband and scandalizes Victorian England's high society with her political ambition and affaires de coeur.
Why you might like it: This biographical novel offers a sympathetic portrait of an intelligent woman who rebels against the restrictive social mores of the late 19th century.
You might also like: Karen Harper's American Duchess or Therese Anne Fowler's A Well-Behaved Woman, about Gilded Age heiresses who seek personal fulfillment within socially advantageous yet emotionally impoverished marriages.
Format/Location: Fiction, eBook |
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| The Only Woman in the Room by Marie BenedictStarring: Hedwig Kiesler, the Austrian Jewish trophy wife who flees 1930s Vienna and reinvents herself as Hollywood star Hedy Lamarr -- while secretly pursuing her dream of becoming an inventor.
About the author: Marie Benedict wrote The Other Einstein, which similarly illuminates the overlooked scientific contributions of women.
Further reading: Margaret Porter's forthcoming novel Beautiful Invention, or the biography Hedy's Folly by Richard Rhodes.
Format/Location: Fiction |
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| The Perilous Adventures of the Cowboy King: A Novel of Teddy Roosevelt and His Times by Jerome CharynWhat it is: a biographical novel about Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States.
Want a taste? "I was glad, glad that I had been born, despite the frozen fist in my lungs, despite the wolf-man at the foot of the bed, and the sudden bouts of diarrhea that we called the Roosevelt colic."
About the author: Jerome Charyn is known for his iconoclastic character studies of prominent Americans such as The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson and I Am Abraham: A Novel of Lincoln and the Civil War.
Format/Location: Fiction, eBook |
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Mad Blood Stirring
by Simon Mayo
A tale inspired by the remarkable story of the first all-black Shakespeare production follows the arrival of a crew of war-ravaged sailors in 1814 Dartmoor prison, where segregated inmates fight to survive an entirely different type of conflict.
Format/Location: Fiction
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The Wartime Sisters
by Lynda Cohen Loigman
Reunited after an estrangement at the beginning of World War II, two Brooklyn sisters, one an officer's wife, the other a widow and factory laborer, are shattered by the revelations of a mysterious figure from the past.
Format/Location: Fiction, eBook
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The Age of Light: A Novel
by Whitney Scharer
A debut novel inspired by the life of the Vogue model-turned-renowned photographer finds Lee Miller relocating to 1929 Paris, where she becomes the muse and colleague of the mercurial Surrealist, Man Ray.
Format/Location: Fiction
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The Eulogist: A Novel
by Terry Gamble
"From the author of The Water Dancers and Good Family comes the story of an Irish family that emigrates to America in 1819 and settles in Cincinnati, Ohio, where they will confront the horrible reality of slavery on the opposite bank of the Ohio River."
Format/Location: Fiction, eBook
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| The House at the Edge of Night by Catherine BannerWhat it's about: the Esposito family and their experiences on the Mediterranean island of Castellamare from World War I to the Great Recession.
Read it for: an atmospheric and leisurely paced tale of island life, full of colorful characters and spiced with magical realism.
For fans of: Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernières.
Format/Location: Fiction |
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| Gateway to the Moon by Mary MorrisStarring: New Mexico teen Miguel Torres, an aspiring astronomer, and his 15th-century converso ancestor, Luis de Torres.
What happens: In parallel narratives separated by 500 years, Miguel discovers his Jewish heritage as Luis, fleeing the Inquisition, sails to the New World with Columbus.
Reviewers say: "With prose as clear as the star-strewn sky, Morris’ novel explores people’s hidden connections" (Booklist).
Format/Location: eBook |
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| Barkskins by Annie ProulxWhat it's about: In the deep, dark forests of 17th-century New France (now Canada), indentured censitaires work as "barkskins," or woodcutters bound to their seigneur as they toil in the "evil wilderness."
Meet: René Sel and Charles Duquet, censitaires whose paths diverge dramatically: one marries a Mi’kmaw woman and becomes the patriarch of a large, mixed-race family, while the other escapes servitude to become a wealthy trader.
You might also like: Joseph Boyden's The Orenda, which shares Barkskins' setting but focuses on the region's indigenous inhabitants.
Format/Location: Fiction |
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| Some Sing, Some Cry by Ntozake Shange and Ifa BayezaIntroducing: the formerly enslaved Betty Mayfield and her musically gifted descendants, whose lives intersect with pivotal moments in African American history from Reconstruction to the present day.
About the authors: sister playwrights Ifa Bayeza and the late Ntozake Shange are best known for The Ballad of Emmet Till (Bayeza) and for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf (Shange).
For fans of: Lalita Tademy's Cane River; Ayana Mathis' The Twelve Tribes of Hattie.
Format/Location: Fiction |
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| The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem by Sarit Yishai-Levi; translated from the Hebrew by Anthony BerrisWhat it is: a women-centric multigenerational saga set in 20th-century Jerusalem.
Why you might like it: Revolving around complicated mother-daughter relationships, this dramatic novel contains scandals, secrets, forbidden love, and a family curse.
You might also like: Nomi Eve's The Family Orchard, which vividly depicts 200 years of Jewish life in Jerusalem.
Format/Location: Fiction |
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Great Decisions
Monday, February 25, 6:30 pm
Library Meeting Room
The foreign policy discussion program Great Decisions returns to the library for a 21st season. The discussion this session is the Middle East: Regional Disorder. For more information, call 873-3049. Reading material is available at the circulation desk.
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Needle Arts League
Every Thursday, 5:30 pm
Library Meeting Room
The Needle Arts League of Michigan City, formerly known as the Knit Club, joins the library in promoting all forms of needle arts. Membership is open to anyone interested in needle arts such as crochet, needlepoint, cross-stitch, crewel, tatting, and other hand stitching. All skill levels and ages are welcome. An exchange of skills and materials is encouraged. For more information, call 219-873-3049.
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Gentle Flow Yoga
Saturday, March 2, 12:30 pm
Library Meeting Room
Certified yoga instructor Lauralee Sikorski, who has taught over 5,000 hours of classes, will lead a free gentle flow yoga with emphasis on deep breathing and releasing stress. Bring your own mat, wear comfortable attire and come on an empty stomach.
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Library Catalog
Look up books and other materials, place items on hold, and more.
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Axis 360 eBooks
Find popular fiction, non-fiction, and picture e-books and e-audiobooks for children, teens, and adults! It's simple--just download the app on your device, search for "Michigan City Public Library", and log in with your library card number and PIN.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Michigan City Public Library 100 E. 4th Street Michigan City, Indiana 46360 219-873-3044mclib.org/ |
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