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The First Lady of Radio
by Blanche Wiesen Cook Stephen Drury SmithOn the afternoon of December 7, 1941, as a stunned nation gathered around the radio to hear the latest about Pearl Harbor, Eleanor Roosevelt was preparing for her weekly Sunday evening national radio program. At 6:45pm, listeners to the NBC Blue network heard the First Lady's calm, measured voice explain that the president was conferring with his top advisors to address the crisis. It was a remarkable broadcast. With America on the verge of war, the nation heard first not from their president, but from his wife.Eleanor Roosevelt's groundbreaking career as a professional radio broadcaster is almost entirely forgotten. As First Lady, she hosted a series of prime time programs that revolutionized how Americans related to their chief executive and his family. Now, The First Lady of Radio rescues these broadcasts from the archives, presenting a carefully curated sampling of transcripts of Roosevelt's most famous and influential radio shows, edited and set into context by award-winning author and radio producer Stephen Drury Smith. With a foreword by Roosevelt's famed biographer, historian Blanche Wiesen Cook, The First Lady of Radio is both a historical treasure and a fascinating window onto the power and the influence of a pioneering First Lady.
The First World War, 1914-1918; Personal Experiences Of Lieut.-Col. C. À Court Repington Vol. I [Illustrated Edition] (The First World War, 1914-1918; Personal Experiences Of Lieut.-Col. C. À Court Repington #1)
by Lieut.-Col. Charles à Court Repington C.M.G.Includes the First World War Illustrations Pack - 73 battle plans and diagrams and 198 photosA fascinating history of the First World War seen through the eyes of a highly respected and connected War Correspondent.Lieut.-Col. Charles à Court Repington was a career soldier in the British Army; renowned for his service in the Sudan, Burma and the Boer War, he was drummed out of the service for having an affair with the wife of British official in 1902. He was well known as an excellent staff officer and remained closely tied to the comrades that he had fought and served with including the future leaders of the British Army in the First World War. Cutting his teeth as a war correspondent during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, he was ideally placed as the War Correspondent of the Times when war broke out in 1914 to report on the unfolding tragedy. Using all of his connections and influence he visited the Western Front many times and was in intimate correspondence and contact with the senior figures of the British Army such as Sir John French, Sir Douglas Haig, Herbert Plumer and Horace Smith-Dorrien. No great respecter of private conversations or confidences he lost many friends when he wrote The First World War; his work was critical, well-written, caustic and unbiassed.These classic memoirs remain as valuable and vivid as they when they were written. This first volume covers the outbreak of the war to early 1917.
The First World War, 1914-1918; Personal Experiences Of Lieut.-Col. C. À Court Repington Vol. II [Illustrated Edition] (The First World War, 1914-1918; Personal Experiences Of Lieut.-Col. C. À Court Repington #2)
by Lieut.-Col. Charles à Court Repington C.M.G.Includes the First World War Illustrations Pack - 73 battle plans and diagrams and 198 photosA fascinating history of the First World War seen through the eyes of a highly respected and connected War Correspondent.Lieut.-Col. Charles à Court Repington was a career soldier in the British Army; renowned for his service in the Sudan, Burma and the Boer War, he was drummed out of the service for having an affair with the wife of British official in 1902. He was well known as an excellent staff officer and remained closely tied to the comrades that he had fought and served with including the future leaders of the British Army in the First World War. Cutting his teeth as a war correspondent during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, he was ideally placed as the War Correspondent of the Times when war broke out in 1914 to report on the unfolding tragedy. Using all of his connections and influence he visited the Western Front many times and was in intimate correspondence and contact with the senior figures of the British Army such as Sir John French, Sir Douglas Haig, Herbert Plumer and Horace Smith-Dorrien. No great respecter of private conversations or confidences he lost many friends when he wrote The First World War; his work was critical, well-written, caustic and unbiassed.These classic memoirs remain as valuable and vivid as they when they were written. This second volume covers the period from spring 1917 until the end of the war.
The Fixer
by Daniel Paisner Ira JudelsonFrom New York's foremost bail bondsman with "over $30 million on the street" comes the story of a modern-day "fixer" who walks a fine line between hustler and humanitarian with clients ranging from the rich and famous to the mafia and gangs of New York.With from-the-gut prose, Ira Judelson sheds light on the highs and lows of the bondsman life. But Judelson is no process server. He sees himself as a sort of modern day "macher"--using his juice as a bail bondsman to help friends old and new out of jams wherever he can. He is also a keenly observant and wildly charismatic insider who's seen it all. Prepare to be shocked, but also informed in The Fixer as Judelson reveals the unwritten laws of the courtroom and even prison--not to mention the shameless activities of his unbelievable list of clients, including former New York Giants Plaxico Burress and Lawrence Taylor; rappers Ol' Dirty Bastard, Ja Rule, Lil' Wayne, and DMX; comedian Katt Williams; notorious Manhattan madam Kristin Davis; and former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn. You'll see why the New York Times describes Judelson as "an inevitable entry in the BlackBerrys of New York defense lawyers, an ATM for desperate rappers, actors, athletes, executives, and madams with pocketbooks much fatter than his." The Fixer is a rollicking narrative that follows Judelson as he learns the ins and outs of the down-and-dirty world of bonds: which judge might let you slide, which ones have zero tolerance, which lawyers do pro bono for the right case, and the cops and DAs who believe in second chances. Judelson illuminates a world almost entirely opaque to the general public, but also entertains and informs with the inside scoop on the underbelly of the justice system.
The Flatlanders: Now It's Now Again (American Music Series)
by John T. Davis&“Conservative West Texas spawns radical creativity and lifelong bonds of friendship in this story of an unlikely band&” from the renowned music journalist (Kirkus Reviews). A group of three friends who made music in a house in Lubbock, Texas, recorded an album that wasn&’t released and went their separate ways into solo careers. That group became a legend and then—twenty years later—a band. The Flatlanders—Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock—are icons in American music, with songs blending country, folk, and rock that have influenced a long list of performers, including Robert Earl Keen, the Cowboy Junkies, Ryan Bingham, Terry Allen, John Hiatt, Hayes Carll, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, and Lyle Lovett. In The Flatlanders: Now It&’s Now Again, Austin author and music journalist John T. Davis traces the band&’s musical journey. He explores why music was, and is, so important in Lubbock and how earlier West Texas musicians such as Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison, as well as a touring Elvis Presley, inspired the young Ely, Gilmore, and Hancock. Davis recounts their first year (1972–1973) as a band, during which they recorded the songs that, decades later, were released as the albums More a Legend Than a Band and The Odessa Tapes. He follows the three musicians through their solo careers and into their first decade as a (re)united band, in which they cowrote songs for the first time on the albums Now Again and Hills and Valleys and recovered their extraordinary original demo tape, lost for forty years. Many roads later, the Flatlanders are finally both a legend and a band.
The Fly Trap
by Thomas Teal Fredrik SjöbergA Nature Book of the Year (The Times (UK))"The hoverflies are only props. No, not only, but to some extent. Here and there, my story is about something else." A mesmerizing memoir of extraordinary brilliance by an entomologist, The Fly Trap chronicles Fredrik Sjöberg's life collecting hoverflies on a remote island in Sweden. Warm and humorous, self-deprecating and contemplative, and a major best seller in its native country, The Fly Trap is a meditation on the unexpected beauty of small things and an exploration of the history of entomology itself. What drives the obsessive curiosity of collectors to catalog their finds? What is the importance of the hoverfly? As confounded by his unusual vocation as anyone, Sjöberg reflects on a range of ideas--the passage of time, art, lost loves--drawing on sources as disparate as D. H. Lawrence and the fascinating and nearly forgotten naturalist René Edmond Malaise. From the wilderness of Kamchatka to the loneliness of the Swedish isle he calls home, Sjöberg revels in the wonder of the natural world and leaves behind a trail of memorable images and stories.From the Hardcover edition.
The Foreign Policy of Russia: Changing Systems, Enduring Interests, 2014
by Robert H Donaldson Joseph L NogeeNow fully updated, this widely respected text traces the lineage and development of Russian foreign policy with the insight that comes from historical perspective. The fifth edition incorporates new and fully updated coverage of issues including relations with the major powers and with other post-communist states, international security issues including arms control issues and grounds for sanctions and intervention, and domestic and regional issues related to natural resource politics, human rights, Islamism and terrorism.perspective. Chronologically organized chapters highlight the continuities of Russias behavior in the world since tsarist times as well as the major sources of change and variability over the revolutionary period, wartime alliances and cold war, dtente, the Soviet collapse, and the first post-communist decades. The fifth edition incorporates new and fully updated coverage of issues including relations with the major powers and with other post-communist states, international security issues including arms control issues and grounds for sanctions and intervention, and domestic and regional issues related to natural resource politics, human rights, Islamism and terrorism. New coauthor Vidya Nadkarni strengthens the books coverage of issues related to Asia. The basic framework used in the book is a modified realism that stresses the balance of power and the importance of national interest, and identifies several factors (both internal and external) that condition Russian policy. The interpretations are original and based on a mix of primary and secondary sources.
The Forgotten Adventures of Richard Halliburton: A High Flying Life from Tennessee to Timbuktu
by R. Scott WilliamsA biography of the charismatic world traveler whose daredevil exploits thrilled millions in the early twentieth century. Born in 1900, Richard Halliburton ran away from his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of nineteen to lead an extraordinary and dramatic life of adventure. Against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression, Halliburton&’s exploits around the globe made him an internationally known celebrity and the most famous travel writer of his time. From climbing Mount Olympus in Greece to swimming the Panama Canal and flying all the way to Timbuktu, Halliburton experienced and wrote about adventures that others never even believed possible. His youthful spirit and bohemian lifestyle won the hearts of millions, and this absorbing biography tells his story. &“He was Marco Polo and Indiana Jones wrapped up in one, with P.T. Barnum&’s flippancy and James Bond&’s bravado, capped off by F. Scott Fitzgerald&’s aristocratic good looks and manners.&” —Smithsonian &“A concise new biography [that] covers the life of a man of marvels.&” —Memphis Magazine
The Forgotten Promise: Rejoining Our Cosmic Family
by Sherry WildeThis is the story of one woman's life-long interaction with beings from another world, and her journey to go beyond the fear to find meaning and purpose. In this book she explores the abduction experience and shares with you the three important things they insisted she learn. It is the author's belief that most people in this world have had at least one encounter with a being from another dimension or planet. Trying to integrate these kinds of events into your life, and still live what the world would consider a normal life, is pretty much impossible. This book is not only a recounting of her experiences, but the story of how she discovered that, like most things, it is possible to turn the worst thing in your life into something positive, just by choosing to look at it from a different perspective.
The Four Lives of Steve Jobs: Steve Jobs biography
by Daniel IchbiahThe Four Lives of Steve Jobs Daniel Ichbiah No. 1 on the best-sellers list in August 2011 (French version). New edition updated in 2016 "So at thirty I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating… …I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me." This was Steve Jobs' confession on that morning in June 2005 to students at Stanford University. It summed up the growth that was slowly taking place in him. Chased out of Apple like scum in 1985, Jobs had made a resounding comeback ten years later and gave us devices that left a mark on their time, such as the iPod, iPhone and iPad. The world's most admired CEO, Steve Jobs mostly went against the tide, driven by a vision of genius and an extraordinary strength of conviction. However, he could also get it wrong: he was the one who nearly ruined Apple in 1984 after launching the Macintosh by insisting on poor technical choices! The 4 lives of Steve Jobs depicts Jobs' troubled youth, his rise to glory following the founding of Apple, his disgrace and his vain attempt at revenge followed by a return to the top. It also reveals a thousand unexpected facets of the extraordinary artist who ran Apple. * His quest for enlightenment in India * His initial refusal to recogniae the paternity of his daughter Lisa * His relationship with folk singer Joan Baez * The search for his mother, who abandoned him at birth * The attempt to treat his cancer with a vegetarian diet In his own way, Steve Jobs never stopped wanting to change the world, to change life... A best-seller Published by Leduc Editions in April 2011, the French version of The Four Lives of Steve Jobs was a number one best-seller at the end of August, 2011.
The Freedom Summer Murders
by Don MitchellA gripping true story of murder and the fight for civil rights and social justice in 1960s Mississppi.On June 21, 1964, three young men were killed by the Ku Klux Klan for trying to help black Americans vote as part of the 1964 Fredom Summer registration effort in Mississippi. The disappearance and brutal murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner caused a national uproar and was one of the most significant events of the civil rights movement.The Freedom Summer Murders tells the tragic story of these brave men, the crime that resulted in their untimely deaths, and the relentless forty-one-year pursuit of a conviction. It is the story of idealistic and courageous young people who wanted to change their county for the better. It is the story of black and white. And ultimately, it is the story of our nation's endless struggle to close the gap between what is and what should be.
The French Executioner
by C. C. HumphreysThe last thing Jean Rombaud expects upon being summoned to behead Anne Boleyn is to dedicate his life to her. But the ill-fated queen has a mysterious request for her executioner: that after taking her life he also take her infamous six-fingered hand and bury it at a sacred crossroads in France. His oath will set Jean on the most dangerous journey of his life.In The French Executioner, C.C. Humphreys once again brings the past to life in all its glory and peril. This thrilling novel captures the breathtaking story of how courage, love, and loyalty bound Anne Boleyn to the man who ended her life--and saved her legacy."Humphreys has fashioned a rollicking good yarn that keeps the pages turning from start to finish."--Irish Examiner"A wonderful saga of magic and heroism. If you can find a first impression, hoard it and wait till it rises in value like a first edition of Lord of the Rings. This is as good."--Crime Time, UK"A brilliant, brutal, and absorbing historical thriller on the real-life figure of Jean Rombaud, the man who beheaded Anne Boleyn."--Northern Echo"An entertaining read--a charming page turner."--Edmonton Journal"Lightning paced."--Publishing News
The French House
by Don Wallace"On a tiny French island, a couple of American dreamers redefine their lives by restoring a ruin--which in this lovely, shimmering story becomes a parable of a saner, greener, more sustainable path that we all can follow if we will but listen to the wisdom of the villagers the way the Wallaces did. The French House moves to a soulful, very funny rhythm all its own."--Meryl Streep "A brave, insightful, and very amusing memoir about a fantasy that many of us have had but not dared to attempt."--Jane Smiley When life hands you lemons, make citron pressé. Shortly after Don and Mindy Wallace move to Manhattan to jump-start their writing careers, they learn of a house for sale in a village they once visited on a tiny French island off the Brittany coast. Desperate for a life change, the Wallaces bravely (and impulsively) buy it almost sight unseen. What they find when they arrive is a ruin, and it isn't long before their lives begin to resemble it--with hilarious and heartwarming results. Redolent with the beauty and flavors of French country life, The French House is a lively, inspiring, and irresistibly charming memoir of a family that rises from the rubble, wins the hearts of a historic village, and finally finds the home they've been seeking off the wild coast of France. "Don Wallace has crafted a delicious French bonbon of a book...full of humor, hope, and lessons on how to live a life full of meaning."--Dani Shapiro, bestselling author of Devotion and Still Writing "The French House isn't a memoir. It's a vacation. Charming, gorgeous, perceptive, it is peppered with unforgettable characters and steeped in the deep red wine of long-term friendship, showing us how a remarkable place can make a life worth living."--Jennie Fields, author of The Age of Desire
The Friendship Highway: Two Journeys in Tibet
by Charlie CarrollAfter a twenty-year obsession, Charlie finally experienced Tibet in all its heartbreaking beauty. At the end of the road known as the Friendship Highway, he met Tibetan-born Lobsang who recounts the extraordinary story of how he fled the volatile region over the Himalayas, on foot, as a child in 1989, but was called back to Tibet by love.
The Gardener of Versailles
by Alain Baraton Christopher Brent MurrayFor gardening aficionados and Francophiles, a love letter to the Versailles Palace and grounds, from the man who knows them best. In Alain Baraton's Versailles, every grove tells a story. As the gardener-in-chief, Baraton lives on its grounds, and since 1982 he has devoted his life to the gardens, orchards, and fields that were loved by France's kings and queens as much as the palace itself. His memoir captures the essence of the connection between gardeners and the earth they tend, no matter how humble or grand.With the charm of a natural storyteller, Baraton weaves his own path as a gardener with the life of the Versailles grounds, and his role overseeing its team of eighty gardeners tending to 350,000 trees and thirty miles of walkways on 2,100 acres. He richly evokes this legendary place and the history it has witnessed but also its quieter side that he feels privileged to know. The same gardens that hosted the lavish lawn parties of Louis XIV and the momentous meeting between Marie Antoinette and the Cardinal de Rohan remain enchanted, private places where visitors try to get themselves locked in at night, lovers go looking for secluded hideaways, and elegant grandmothers secretly make cuttings to take back to their own gardens. A tremendous best seller in France, The Gardener of Versailles gives an unprecedentedly intimate view of one of the grandest places on earth.
The Gatekeeper: Missy LeHand, FDR, and the Untold Story of the Partnership That Defined a Presidency
by Kathryn SmithThe “fine biography” and “compelling personal story” (The Wall Street Journal) of arguably the most influential member of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s administration, Marguerite “Missy” LeHand, FDR’s de facto chief of staff, who has been misrepresented, mischaracterized, and overlooked throughout history…until now.Widely considered the first—and only—female presidential chief of staff, Marguerite “Missy” LeHand was the right-hand woman to Franklin Delano Roosevelt—both personally and professionally—for more than twenty years. Although her official title as personal secretary was relatively humble, her power and influence were unparalleled. Everyone in the White House knew one truth: If you wanted access to Franklin, you had to get through Missy. She was one of his most trusted advisors, affording her a unique perspective on the president that no one else could claim, and she was deeply admired and respected by Eleanor Roosevelt. With unprecedented access to Missy’s family and original source materials, journalist Kathryn Smith tells the “fascinating” (Publishers Weekly) and forgotten story of the intelligent, loyal, and clever woman who had a front-row seat to history in the making. The Gatekeeper is a thoughtful, revealing unsung-hero story about a woman ahead of her time, the true weight of her responsibility, and the tumultuous era in which she lived—and a long overdue tribute to one of the most important female figures in American history.
The Getaway Car: A Donald Westlake Nonfiction Miscellany
by Donald Westlake edited by Levi StahlOver the course of a fifty-year career, Donald Westlake published nearly one hundred books, including not one - but two - long-running series, starring the hard-hitting Parker and the hapless John Dortmunder. In the six years since his death, Westlake's reputation has only grown, with fans continuing to marvel at his tightly constructed plots, no-nonsense prose, and keen, even unsettling, insights into human behavior. With The Getaway Car, we get our first glimpse at another side of Westlake the writer: what he did when he wasn't busy making stuff up. And it's fascinating. Setting previously published pieces, many little-seen, alongside never-before-published material found in Westlake's working files, the book offers a clear picture of the man behind the books - including his background, experience, and thoughts on his own work and that of his peers, mentors, and influences. The book opens with revealing (and funny) fragments from an unpublished autobiography, then goes on to offer an extended history of private eye fiction, a conversation among Westlake's numerous pen names, letters to friends and colleagues, interviews, appreciations of fellow writers, and much, much more. There's even a recipe for Sloth a la Dortmunder. Really. Rounded out with a Foreword by Westlake's longtime friend Lawrence Block, The Getaway Car is a fitting capstone to a storied career, and a wonderful opportunity to revel anew in the voice and sensibility of a master craftsman.
The Getaway Car: A Donald Westlake Nonfiction Miscellany
by Donald E. Westlake&“This is a book for everyone, anyone who likes mystery novels or good writing or wit and passion and intelligence.&”—The New York Times Over the course of a fifty-year career, Donald E. Westlake published nearly one hundred books, including two long-running series starring the hard-hitting Parker and the hapless John Dortmunder. With The Getaway Car, we get our first glimpse of another side of Westlake the writer: what he did when he wasn&’t busy making stuff up. Mixing previously published pieces, many little seen, with never-before-published material found in Westlake&’s working files, this compendium offers a clear picture of the man behind the books—including his thoughts on his own work and that of his peers, mentors, and influences. It opens with revealing (and funny) fragments from an unpublished autobiography, then goes on to offer an extended history of private eye fiction, a conversation among Westlake&’s numerous pen names, letters to friends and colleagues, interviews, appreciations of fellow writers, and much, much more. There&’s even a recipe for Sloth à la Dortmunder. Really. &“A must-have for Westlake fans.&”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) &“This book doesn&’t disappoint…Westlake was a hugely entertaining and witty writer. Whether he is writing a letter to his editor or about the history of his genre, he remains true to his definition of what makes a great writer: &‘passion, plus craft.&’&”—The Guardian &“[A] valuable collection.&”—Toronto Star Includes a foreword by Lawrence Block
The Ghost Horse: A True Story of Love, Death, and Redemption
by Joe Layden“A rollicking read about how magic and the mystifying thrive at the racetrack” from the New York Times–bestselling author (Joe Drape, author of The Saint Makers).In The Ghost Horse, Joe Layden tells the inspiring true tale of a one-eyed, club-footed thoroughbred racehorse and a journeyman trainer, Tim Snyder, who scraped together every penny he had to purchase the broken and unwanted filly.Snyder helped the horse overcome its deficiencies, eventually naming her in part after his deceased wife, Lisa, the great and only love of his life—a bright and sweet-tempered woman whose gentle demeanor seemed eerily reflected in the horse. The trainer (and now owner) was by nature a crusty and combative sort, the yin to his wife’s yang, a racetrack lifer not easily moved by new-age mysticism or sentiment. And yet in those final days back in 2003, when Lisa Snyder lay in bed, her body ravaged by cancer, she reassured her family with a weak smile. “It’s okay,” she’d say. “I’ll see you again. I’m coming back as a horse.”Tim Snyder did not then believe in reincarnation. But he acknowledged the strangeness of this journey, the series of coincidences that brought them together, and the undeniable similarities between the horse and his late wife. And so did those who knew the couple well, and who could now only marvel at the story of the filly, Lisa’s Booby Trap, and the down-on-his-luck trainer who apparently had been given a new lease on life.The Ghost Horse is a powerful horseracing story of underdogs and second chances.“A heart-warming tale, artfully told.” —William Nack, author of Secretariat
The Gift of Cancer: A Miraculous Journey to Healing
by Christiane Northrup Marsha Mercant Brenda MichaelsFor fourteen years, Brenda Michaels battled cancer. Then one day she surrendered to the experience and found the gift in her disease. The Gift of Cancer: A Miraculous Journey to Healing speaks to anyone on a journey of wellbeing, whether suffering from a life-threatening disease or merely desiring to live a better, more fulfilling life. After Brenda's third cancer diagnosis and being told she had a year to live, she boldly stepped away from the accepted medical model, said "no" to chemotherapy, and chose alternative treatment. This unorthodox path, the connection of mind, body, and spirit, which many experts now believe is the key to true healing, ultimately saved Brenda's life and put her in control of her own destiny. Her story reveals the immense healing power available within each of us.With each obstacle Brenda encounters, we see the indefatigable courage and fortitude she demonstrates in facing her demons both inside and out. Michaels' uplifting memoir encourages us to listen to our inner voice, trust our intuition, and look at the true source of healing. When we are willing to look deep within and take responsibility for our choices, we have the power to alter the course of our lives in miraculous and unexpected ways.
The Girl From Yesterday
by Shane DunphyAfter the death of his best friend, Shane Dunphy runs away from his life working at a special needs crèche, and attempts to avoid his child protection instincts. However, when a part time journalism job in rural Ireland leads him to a family in desperate need of intervention, and a young girl crying out for protection, Shane cannot stand idly by and watch...Little Emma Blaney lives with her three siblings in an ancient farmhouse, with a life that is like something from another time - no running water, no electricity, and no contact with the outside world. Whilst covering a land dispute between Emma's father Tom and his powerful brother Gerry, Shane discovers that there is a lot more wrong with the family than just a feud. The children are filthy, nervous and and undernourished. In order to protect Emma and her siblings, Shane finds himself at loggerheads with the church, local government, big business, property developers and industrial farmers. But Shane must discover the truth about the Girl from Yesterday, before it is too late, even if it will cost him his new life...
The Girl From the Tar Paper School: Barbara Rose Johns and the advent of the Civil Rights Movement
by Teri KanefieldBefore the Little Rock Nine, before Rosa Parks, before Martin Luther King Jr. and his March on Washington, there was Barbara Rose Johns, a teenager who used nonviolent civil disobedience to draw attention to her cause. In 1951, witnessing the unfair conditions in her racially segregated high school, Barbara Johns led a walkout--the first public protest of its kind demanding racial equality in the U.S.--jumpstarting the American civil rights movement. Ridiculed by the white superintendent and school board, local newspapers, and others, and even after a cross was burned on the school grounds, Barbara and her classmates held firm and did not give up. Her school's case went all the way to the Supreme Court and helped end segregation as part of Brown v. Board of Education.<P><P> Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Winner
The Girl Next Door . . . And How She Grew
by Jane PowellThe star of the classic musical films Royal Wedding and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers recounts her life in Hollywood and beyond—includes photos! Jane Powell is immortalized on film as the sweet-faced gal who sang and danced with Fred Astaire and shared on-screen romances with Ricardo Montalban, Farley Granger, and other legends of Hollywood&’s Golden Age. Starting her career as a child singer and vaudeville performer, Powell grew up alongside Elizabeth Taylor, Roddy McDowall, and Ann Blyth. She and &“Liz&” were even bridesmaids at each other&’s weddings. But life was no fairytale for America&’s girl next door. Born Suzanne Burce, this sweet and spunky girl took the name Jane Powell when she signed a contract with MGM in 1943. But with multiple marriages and many films behind her, Powell came to realize that she&’d never found happiness—or herself—until now. In this candid and heartfelt autobiography, Jane Powell gives an unabashed account of her struggle to grow beyond her screen image—after it had been created and torn down by Hollywood.
The Girl With Nine Wigs
by Sophie van der Stap'It's Saturday and everything is different. No, I didn't go to the market this morning and I didn't have my usual coffee on Westerstraat. And no, I wasn't getting ready for a new semester at college. Next Monday, January 31st, I have to admit myself at the hospital for my first chemotherapy session. For the next two months, I'm expected each week for a fresh shot of vincristine, etoposide, ifosfamide and loads more exciting abracadabra.'Sophie is twenty-one when she is diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of cancer. A striking, fun-loving student, her world is reduced overnight to the sterile confines of a hospital. But within these walls Sophie discovers a whole new world of white coats, gossiping nurses, and sexy doctors; of shared rooms, hair loss, and eyebrow pencils.As wigs become a crucial part of Sophie's new life, she reclaims a sense of self-expression. Each of Sophie's nine wigs makes her feel stronger and gives her a distinct personality, and that is why each has its own name: Stella, Sue, Daisy, Blondie, Platina, Uma, Pam, Lydia, and Bebé. There's a bit of Sophie in all of them, and they reveal as much as they hide. Sophie is determined to be much more than a cancer patient.With refreshing candor and a keen eye for the absurd, Sophie van der Stap's The Girl With Nine Wigs makes you smile when you least expect it.
The Girl Without a Voice
by Casey WatsonCasey has been in the post for six months when thirteen-year-old Imogen joins her class. One of six children Casey is teaching, Imogen has selective mutism. She's a bright girl, but her speech problems have been making mainstream lessons difficult. Life at home is also hard for Imogen. Her mum walked out on her a few years earlier and she's never got along with her dad's new girlfriend. She's now living with her grandparents. There's no physical explanation for Imogen's condition, and her family insist she's never had troubles like this before. Everyone thinks Imogen is just playing up - except the member of staff closest to her, her teacher Casey Watson. It is the deadpan expression she constantly has on her face that is most disturbing to Casey. Determined there must be more to it, Casey starts digging and it's not long before she starts to discover a very different side to Imogen's character. A visit to her grandparents' reveals that Imogen is anything but silent at home. In fact she's prone to violent outbursts; her elderly grandparents are terrified of her. Eventually Casey's hard work starts to pay off. After months of silence, Imogen utters her first, terrified, words to Casey: -I thought she was going to burn me. ' Dark, shocking and deeply disturbing, Casey begins to uncover the reality of what Imogen has been subjected to for years.