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The
Grafton Public Library presents… Lives
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Book |
Author |
Dewey
Number |
Description |
Most
Blessed of the Patriarchs |
Gordon-Reed,
Annette |
973.46 |
A
portrait of Thomas Jefferson’s passionate belief in Enlightenment values and
how it determined his personal character and that of the young nation. |
The
Firebrand and the First Lady |
Bell-Scott,
Patricia |
920
BEL |
A
significant new exploration of the enormously important friendship between
two activist crusaders in advancing the cause of civil rights for blacks and
women. |
The
Sound of Gravel |
Wariner,
Ruth |
92
WAR |
A
high school Spanish teacher’s memoir about a peripatetic, often turbulent childhood
and adolescence spent among fundamentalist Mormons. |
The
Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo |
Schumer,
Amy |
92
SCH |
It’s
consistently funny and highly readable. “Anyone who does stand-up is
delusional and masochistic….To get real laughs requires years and years. I
got better little by little,” writes the author, who seems to have put the
same effort into this candid, entertaining book. A hilarious and effective
memoir from a woman with zero inhibitions. |
Lab
Girl |
Jahren,
Hope |
92
JAH |
The
author’s tenacity, hope, and gratitude are all evident as she and Bill chase
the sweetness of discovery in the face of the harsh economic realities of the
research scientist. Jahren transcends both memoir and science writing in this
literary fusion of both genres. |
The
Immortal Irishman |
Egan,
Timothy |
92
MEA |
A
fascinating, well-told story by an author fully committed to his subject.
Egan’s impeccable research, uncomplicated readability, and flowing narrative reflect
his deep knowledge of a difficult and complex man. |
Jacqueline
Bouvier Kennedy Onassis |
Spoto,
Donald |
92
ONA |
Celebrity
biographer Donald Spoto illuminates Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis and
the sixty-five years of her life with candor, compassion and compelling
detail. |
Not
My Father’s Son |
Cumming,
Alan |
92
CUM |
From
discovering the truth about his grandfather's mysterious death to attempting
to understand his father's sadistic nature, Cumming explains that it is important
to be candid and forthright, that “there is never shame in being open and
honest.” A raw, revealing memoir from a courageous actor and writer. |
Stitches |
Small,
David |
92
SMA |
Emotionally
raw, artistically compelling and psychologically devastating graphic memoir
of childhood trauma.An award-winning illustrator of children’s books (That
Book Woman, 2008, etc.), Small narrates this memoir from various
perspectives of his boyhood in the 1950s. |
Dearie |
Spitz,
Bob |
92
CHI |
Published
to coincide with what would have been her 100th birthday, this biography of
the iconic Julia Child (1912–2004) does full justice to its complex subject. An
engrossing biography of a woman worthy of iconic status. |
Can’t
We Talk About Something More Pleasant? |
Chast,
Roz |
92
CHA |
A
revelatory and occasionally hilarious memoir by the New Yorker cartoonist
on helping her parents through their old age.Few graphic memoirs are as
engaging and powerful as this or strike a more responsive chord. |
Short
Nights of the Shadow Catcher |
Egan,
Timothy |
770.92
EGA |
New
York Times
Pulitzer Prize–winning writer Egan returns with the story of the astonishing life
of Ed ward Curtis (1868–1952), whose photographs of American Indians now
command impressive prices at auction. Lucent prose illuminates a man obscured
for years in history’s shadows. |
The
Coalwood Way |
Hickam,
Homer |
92
HIC |
In its quiet, sentimental, coming-of-age way,
Hickam’s story is involving, and he paints a nice landscape: And the ending—a
happy one, all around—couldn’t be too sweet for Coalwood’s deserving
townsfolk. |
Keeping
Hope Alive |
Abdi,
Hawa |
92
HAW |
With
the assistance of Robbins, Nobel Peace Prize nominee Abdi chronicles the
ravages of the ongoing civil war in Somalia and her efforts to establish a
safe haven amid the destruction. A poignant account of personal bravery,
love, and loss and a chronicle of the tragedy of our times. |
The
Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks |
Skloot,
Rebecca |
92
LAC |
A
dense, absorbing investigation into the medical community's exploitation of a
dying woman and her family's struggle to salvage truth and dignity decades later.
Skloot's meticulous, riveting account strikes a humanistic balance between
sociological history, venerable portraiture and Petri dish politics. |
Marrow |
Lesser,
Elizabeth |
92
LES |
Omega
Institute co-founder Lesser (Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us
Grow, 2005) tells the story of the profound emotional journey that ensued
after she became her sister’s bone marrow donor. A searching, compassionate,
and uplifting memoir. |