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Journeys Home
by Andrew Mccarthy National Geographic Travl TeamAddressing the explosive growth in ancestral travel, this compelling narrative combines intriguing tales of discovery with tips on how to begin your own explorations. Actor and award-winning travel writer Andrew McCarthy's featured story recounts his recent quest to uncover his family's Irish history, while twenty-five other prominent writers tell their own heartfelt stories of connection. Spanning the globe, these stories offer personal takes on journeying home, whether the authors are actively seeking long-lost relatives, meeting up with seldom-seen family members, or perhaps just visiting the old country to get a feel for their roots. Sidebars and a hefty resource section provide tips and recommendations on how to go about your own research, and a foreword by the Genographic Project's Spencer Wells sets the scene. Stunning images, along with family heirlooms, old photos, recipes, and more, round out this unique take on the genealogical research craze.From the Hardcover edition.
Journeys Through Paradise: Pioneering Naturalists in the Southeast
by Gail Fishman"This book is for those inhabited by the same desires that drove the early naturalists afield, who yearn to know wilder territory. We read it voraciously, as if in the understanding of how they loved we might also begin to do so, as if in the reliving of their lives we might recapture some vanishing part of the human psyche that must know wilderness."-- Janisse Ray, author of Ecology of a Cracker Childhood "Like the naturalists she profiles, Gail Fishman takes us on an odyssey through a time when the extraordinary diversity of the southeastern United States was first being explored and described. . . . Entertaining."-- Steve Gatewood, executive director, Society for Ecological Restoration, Tucson "Fishman modernizes the men and their explorations by retracing the terrain that they explored, wrote about, drew and painted. The result is an intriguing and appealing lesson in biographical and scientific history and a literary reading experience that will appeal to a wide audience."-- William W. Rogers, professor of history emeritus, Florida State University Following the original steps of pioneering naturalists, Gail Fishman profiles thirteen men who explored North America’s southeastern wilderness between 1715 and the 1940s, including John James Audubon, Mark Catesby, John and William Bartram, John Muir, and Alvan Wentworth Chapman. The book is also Fishman’s personal travelogue as she experiences the landscape through their eyes and describes the changes that have occurred along the region’s trails and streams. Traveling by horseback, boat, and foot, these naturalists--dedicated to their task and blessed with passion and insatiable curiosity--explored gentle mountains, regal forests, and shadowy swamps. Their interests ran deeper than merely cataloging plants and animals. They identified the continent’s foundations and the habits and histories of the flora and fauna of the landscape. Fishman tells us who they were and what compelled them to pursue their work. She evaluates what they accomplished and measures their importance, also pointing out their strengths and failings. And she paints an engaging picture of what America was like at the time. Fishman combines natural history and American history into a series of portraits that recapture the American Southeast as it was seen by those who first tramped through the wilderness and whose voices from the beginning urged the preservation of wild places. Gail Fishman, a freelance writer who lives in Tallahassee, has worked for the Florida Defenders of the Environment, The Nature Conservancy, and the National Audubon Society. She is a volunteer for the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge and helped form the St. Marks Refuge Association.
Journeys and Arrivals: On Being Gay and Jewish
by Lev RaphaelLev Raphael explores in non-fiction the gay and Jewish identities that have dominated his highly acclaimed fiction for many years. He describes growing up in a secular family, discovering a Jewish community, early sexual exploration, the turning point that came with writing his first autobiographical story, and life with his partner and his partner's sons. The book also reports on gay literature, gays and lesbians in Israel, and the legacy of the Holocaust for both Jews and gays.
Journeys for Freedom: A New Look at America's Story
by Elspeth Leacock Susan Buckley Rodica PratoEach dynamic spread in Journeys for Freedom maps a factual account of real people pursuing freedom and creating America's story. Continuing their innovative storytelling approach, Susan Buckley and Elspeth Leacock invite you to trace the travelers across space and time as they forge a future for themselves and for our nation.
Journeys in the Kali Yuga: A Pilgrimage from Esoteric India to Pagan Europe
by Aki CederbergA beautifully evocative account of one man’s odyssey to discover authentic and unbroken magical traditions in the East and reawaken them in the West • Details the author’s encounters with the Naga Babas, his initiation into their tradition, and his experience at the Kumbh Mela, the largest spiritual gathering on Earth • Shares the similarities he discovered between the teachings of the Indian tradition and the Western traditions of magic, alchemy, and pagan pantheons • Introduces a wide cast of characters, including Goa Gil, the world-renowned guru of the Goa techno-trance scene, and Mahant Amar Bharti Ji, a “raised-arm Baba,” who for more than 40 years has held up one arm in devotion to Shiva Beautifully detailing his spiritual pilgrimage from West to East and back again, in the age of strife known as the Kali Yuga, Aki Cederberg shares the authentic and unbroken magical traditions he experienced in India and Nepal and how his search for a spiritual homeland ultimately led him back to his native Europe. Cederberg explains how his odyssey began as a search for spiritual roots, something missing in the spiritually disconnected life of the Western world, where the indigenous traditions were long ago severed by the spread of Christianity. Traveling to India, he encounters the ancient esoteric order of mystic, wild, naked holy men known as the Naga Babas, the living source of the Hindu traditions of magic and yoga. Immersing himself in the teachings of the tradition, he receives an initiation and partakes in the Kumbh Mela, the largest spiritual gathering on Earth. With his evocative descriptions, Cederberg shows how traveling in India can be an overwhelming, even psychedelic experience. Everything in this ancient land is multiplied and manifold: people and things, sights and sounds, joy and suffering. Yet beyond the apparent confusion and chaos, a strange, subtle order begins to reveal itself. He starts to glimpse resemblances and analogies between the teachings of the Indian tradition and the Western traditions of magic, alchemy, and pagan pantheons. He meets a wide cast of characters, from mystical hucksters in Rishikesh and the veritable army of naked, chillum-smoking mystics of Maya Devi to Goa Gil, the world-renowned guru of the Goa techno-trance scene, and Mahant Amar Bharti Ji, an urdhvabahu or “raised-arm Baba,” who for more than 40 years has held up one arm in devotion to Shiva. After extensive traveling and immersing himself in the extraordinary world of India, Cederberg returns to his native soil of Europe. Traveling to holy places where old pagan divinities still linger in the shadows of the modern world, he dreams of forgotten gods and contemplates how they might be awakened yet again, reconnecting the West with its own pre-Christian spiritual traditions, sacred landscapes, and soul.
Journeys of the Mind: A Life in History
by Peter BrownA beautifully written personal account of the discovery of late antiquity by one of the world&’s most influential and distinguished historiansThe end of the ancient world was long regarded by historians as a time of decadence, decline, and fall. In his career-long engagement with this era, the widely acclaimed and pathbreaking historian Peter Brown has shown, however, that the &“neglected half-millennium&” now known as late antiquity was in fact crucial to the development of modern Europe and the Middle East. In Journeys of the Mind, Brown recounts his life and work, describing his efforts to recapture the spirit of an age. As he and other scholars opened up the history of the classical world in its last centuries to the wider world of Eurasia and northern Africa, they discovered previously overlooked areas of religious and cultural creativity as well as foundational institution-building. A respect for diversity and outreach to the non-European world, relatively recent concerns in other fields, have been a matter of course for decades among the leading scholars of late antiquity.Documenting both his own intellectual development and the emergence of a new and influential field of study, Brown describes his childhood and education in Ireland, his university and academic training in England, and his extensive travels, particularly in the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. He discusses fruitful interactions with the work of scholars and colleagues that include the British anthropologist Mary Douglas and the French theorist Michel Foucault, and offers fascinating snapshots of such far-flung places as colonial Sudan, midcentury Oxford, and prerevolutionary Iran. With Journeys of the Mind, Brown offers an essential account of the &“grand endeavor&” to reimagine a decisive historical moment.
Journeys to Impossible Places: In Life and Every Adventure
by Simon ReeveIn Journeys to Impossible Places, best-selling author and presenter Simon Reeve reveals the inside story of his most astonishing adventures and experiences, around the planet and close to home.Journeys to Impossible Places continues the story Simon started in his phenomenal Sunday Times bestseller Step by Step, which traced the first decades of his life from depressed and unemployed teenager through to his early TV programmes.Now Simon takes us on the epic and thrilling adventures that followed, in beautiful, tricky and downright dangerous corners of the world, as he travelled through the Tropics, to remote paradise islands, jungles dripping with heat and life, and on nerve-wracking secret missions. Simon shares what his unique experiences and encounters have taught him, and the deeper lessons he draws from joy and raw grief in his personal life, from desperate struggles with his own fertility and head health, from wise friends, fatherhood, inspiring villagers, brave fighters, his beloved dogs, and a thoughtful Indian sadhu.Journeys to Impossible Places inspires and encourages all of us to battle fear and negativity, and embrace life, risk, opportunities and the glory of our world.
Journeys to Impossible Places: In Life and Every Adventure
by Simon ReeveIn Journeys to Impossible Places, best-selling author and presenter Simon Reeve reveals the inside story of his most astonishing adventures and experiences, around the planet and close to home.Journeys to Impossible Places continues the story Simon started in his phenomenal Sunday Times bestseller Step by Step, which traced the first decades of his life from depressed and unemployed teenager through to his early TV programmes.Now Simon takes us on the epic and thrilling adventures that followed, in beautiful, tricky and downright dangerous corners of the world, as he travelled through the Tropics, to remote paradise islands, jungles dripping with heat and life, and on nerve-wracking secret missions. Simon shares what his unique experiences and encounters have taught him, and the deeper lessons he draws from joy and raw grief in his personal life, from desperate struggles with his own fertility and head health, from wise friends, fatherhood, inspiring villagers, brave fighters, his beloved dogs, and a thoughtful Indian sadhu.Journeys to Impossible Places inspires and encourages all of us to battle fear and negativity, and embrace life, risk, opportunities and the glory of our world.
Journeys to Impossible Places: In Life and Every Adventure
by Simon ReeveSimon Reeve reveals more of his journeys, tales and lessons for life.In Journeys to Impossible Places, best-selling author and presenter Simon Reeve reveals the inside story of his most astonishing adventures and experiences, around the planet and close to home.Journeys to Impossible Places continues the story Simon started in his phenomenal Sunday Times bestseller Step by Step, which traced the first decades of his life from depressed and unemployed teenager through to his early TV programmes.Now Simon takes us on the epic and thrilling adventures that followed, in beautiful, tricky and downright dangerous corners of the world, as he travelled through the Tropics, to remote paradise islands, jungles dripping with heat and life, and on nerve-wracking secret missions. Simon shares what his unique experiences and encounters have taught him, and the deeper lessons he draws from joy and raw grief in his personal life, from desperate struggles with his own fertility and head health, from wise friends, fatherhood, inspiring villagers, brave fighters, his beloved dogs, and a thoughtful Indian sadhu.Journeys to Impossible Places inspires and encourages all of us to battle fear and negativity, and embrace life, risk, opportunities and the glory of our world.(P)2021 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Journeys to Professional Excellence
by Robert K. ConyneThis book is about the professional experience of 15 counselors, educators, and practitioners.
Journeys to the Other Side of the World: further adventures of a young David Attenborough
by David Attenborough'With charm, erudition, humour and passion, the world's favourite natural history broadcaster documents some of his expeditions from the late 1950s onwards' Sunday ExpressFollowing the success of the original Zoo Quest expeditions, the young David Attenborough embarked on further travels in a very different part of the world.From Madagascar and New Guinea to the Pacific Islands and the Northern Territory of Australia, he and his cameraman companion were aiming to record not just the wildlife, but the way of life of some of the indigenous people of these regions, whose traditions had never been encountered by most of the British public before.From the land divers of Pentecost Island and the sing-sings of New Guinea, to a Royal Kava ceremony on Tonga and the ancient art of the Northern Territory, it is a journey like no other. Alongside these remarkable cultures he encounters paradise birds, chameleons, sifakas and many more animals in some of the most unique environments on the planet.Written with David Attenborough's characteristic charm, humour and warmth, Journeys to the Other Side of the World is an inimitable adventure among people, places and the wildest of wildlife.'Abundantly good' TLS'A wondrous reminder of Attenborough's pioneering role . . . full of delightful tales' Daily Express'An adventure that sparked a lifetime's commitment to the planet' The Lady'Attenborough is a fine writer and storyteller' Irish Times
Journeys to the Other Side of the World: further adventures of a young David Attenborough
by Sir David Attenborough'With charm, erudition, humour and passion, the world's favourite natural history broadcaster documents some of his expeditions from the late 1950s onwards' Sunday ExpressFollowing the success of the original Zoo Quest expeditions, the young David Attenborough embarked on further travels in a very different part of the world.From Madagascar and New Guinea to the Pacific Islands and the Northern Territory of Australia, he and his cameraman companion were aiming to record not just the wildlife, but the way of life of some of the indigenous people of these regions, whose traditions had never been encountered by most of the British public before.From the land divers of Pentecost Island and the sing-sings of New Guinea, to a Royal Kava ceremony on Tonga and the ancient art of the Northern Territory, it is a journey like no other. Alongside these remarkable cultures he encounters paradise birds, chameleons, sifakas and many more animals in some of the most unique environments on the planet.Written with David Attenborough's characteristic charm, humour and warmth, Journeys to the Other Side of the World is an inimitable adventure among people, places and the wildest of wildlife.'Abundantly good' TLS'A wondrous reminder of Attenborough's pioneering role . . . full of delightful tales' Daily Express'An adventure that sparked a lifetime's commitment to the planet' The Lady'Attenborough is a fine writer and storyteller' Irish Times
Joven y Alocada: La Hermosa y Desconocida historia de una Evangelais
by Camila GutierrezLas memorias desinhibidas de la verdadera Joven y Alocada. Joven & alocada es la verdadera historia de Camila Gutiérrez.Desde la infancia hasta la madurasound, la autora cuenta su vida como hija de una familia ultraconservadora y evangeláis. Aquí se rebela contra sus padres, su Tío Pastor y su iglesia, su colegio canuto, sus restricciones, su «culpa fornicaria». Y es a través del sexo -heterosexual, homosexual y desenfrenado- que descubre sus intereses, perfila su identidad y consigue su libertad.Esta novela autobiográfica es el retrato íntimo y atrevido de una joven que decide escapar, a pesar de las consecuencias, de un mundo demasiado estrecho para buscar su destino.
Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter
by Aida SalazarJovita dreamed of wearing pants! She hated the big skirts Abuela made her wear. She wanted to scale the tallest mesquite tree on her rancho, ride her horse, and feel the wind curl her face into a smile <P><P> When her father and brothers joined the Cristero War to fight for religious freedom, Jovita wanted to go, too. Forbidden, she defied her father's rules - and society's - and found a clever way to become a trailblazing revolutionary, wearing pants! <P><P> This remarkable true story about a little-known maverick Mexican heroine is brought vividly to life by her great-niece and Américas Award-winner Aida Salazar, and Eisner Award-honoree Molly Mendoza. <P><P><i>Advisory: Bookshare has learned that this book offers only partial accessibility. We have kept it in the collection because it is useful for some of our members. Benetech is actively working on projects to improve accessibility issues such as these.</i>
Jovita llevaba pantalones: La historia de una mexicana que luchó por la libertad (Jovita Wore Pants)
by Aida SalazarThe remarkable true story of Jovita Valdovinos, a Mexican revolutionary who disguised herself as a man to fight for her rights, told by her great-niece, award-winning author, Aida Salazar!Jovita soñaba con poder usar pantalones como sus hermanos Ramón y Luciano.Cuando su padre y sus hermanos marcharon a la Guerra Cristera a luchar por el derecho a practicar libremente su religión, ella quiso ayudar. Entonces sobrevino la tragedia, y Jovita se vio obligada a cortarse el pelo, ponerse pantalones y continuar la lucha. Disfrazada de hombre, se puso al mando de un batallón que la siguió sin dudar.Jovita dreamed of wearing pants like her brothers, Ramón and Luciano.When her father and brothers joined the Cristeros War to fight for the right to practice religion freely, she wanted to help. Then tragedy struck, compelling Jovita to cut her hair, put on pants, and continue the fight. Disguised as a man, she commanded a battalion who followed her without question.
Joy Adamson's Africa
by Joy AdamsonFrom the Book Jacket: Joy Adamson is a woman of many talents and immense energy. This lavishly illustrated volume reveals the scope of her interests and achievements as wood carver, flower painter, portraitist of birds, fish, insects, animals and people. In a delightfully vivid text keyed to the illustrations, joy Adamson tells about the background of her work in the visual arts. Married to a botanist, who took her to Kenya, she started collecting and painting the indigenous flora of East Africa. Exploring the coral reefs of the Indian Ocean, she sketched the coral fish on the reef before their colors faded. She painted whatever aroused her interest : insects, reptiles, shells, and what she calls the wonders of nature-insects that shape themselves into flowers, and other forms of ingenious camouflage. On a Government commission, she made a record of the customs and costumes of the Kenya tribes, spending over six years living among these Africans, often in very isolated places. After her marriage to George Adamson, a Senior Game Warden of the Northern Frontier District, she became foster mother of lions, elephants, monkeys, a tree hyrax, a buffalo, and started her sensational work with cheetah. Living constantly near wild animals, she observed them at close range and made many sketches. This rich and varied life is here documented in pen and brush, a delight for lovers of nature and admirers of a gifted, intrepid woman, a pioneer in ecological concern.
Joy Enough: A Memoir
by Sarah McCollFrom a bracing new voice comes this life-affirming memoir of a daughter making and remaking her life in her mother’s image. Sifting gingerly through memories of her late mother, brilliant newcomer Sarah McColl has penned an indelible tribute to the joy and pain of loving well. Even as her own marriage splinters, McColl drops everything when her mother is diagnosed with cancer, returning to the family farmhouse and laboring over elaborate meals in the hopes of nourishing her back to health. In a series of vibrant vignettes—lipstick applied, novels read, imperfect cakes baked—McColl reveals a woman of endless charm and infinite love for her unruly brood of children. Mining the dual losses of both her young marriage and her beloved mother, McColl confronts her identity as a woman, walking lightly in the footsteps of the woman who came before her and clinging fast to the joy she left behind. With candor reminiscent of classics like C. S. Lewis’s A Grief Observed, Joy Enough offers a story that blooms with life.
Joy Goddess: A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance
by A'Lelia BundlesA vibrant, deeply researched biography of A&’Lelia Walker—daughter of Madam C.J. Walker and herself a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance—written by her great-granddaughter.Dubbed the &“joy goddess of Harlem&’s 1920s&” by poet Langston Hughes, A&’Lelia Walker, daughter of millionaire entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker and the author&’s great-grandmother and namesake, is a fascinating figure whose legendary parties and Dark Tower salon helped define the Harlem Renaissance. After inheriting her mother&’s hair care enterprise, A&’Lelia would become America&’s first high profile black heiress and a prominent patron of the arts. Joy Goddess takes readers inside her three New York homes—a mansion, a townhouse, and a pied-a-terre—where she entertained Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Paul Robeson, Florence Mills, James Weldon Johnson, Carl Van Vechten, W.E.B. DuBois, and other cultural, social and intellectual luminaries of the Roaring Twenties. Now, based on extensive research and Walker&’s personal correspondence, her great-granddaughter creates a meticulous, nuanced portrait of a charismatic woman struggling to define herself as a wife, mother, and businesswoman outside her famous mother&’s sphere. In Joy Goddess, A&’Lelia&’s radiant personality and impresario instincts—at the center of a vast, artistic social world where she flourished as a fashion trendsetter and international traveler—are brought to vivid and unforgettable life.
Joy Hunter: Messy Faceplants, Radical Love, and the Journey That Changed Everything
by Alexis JonesA timely, colorful, and cinematic memoir chronicling one woman&’s journey to rediscover her own power, resilience, and happiness&“Joy Hunter gives us all permission to be human and invites us to radically love ourselves for exactly who we are.&”—KRISTEN BELLI took a bone-deep breath as we drove away from my state, my city, my street, and my house, escaping my life and leaving behind all my broken parts.With a successful speaking career putting her on the road 250 days a year, a slew of prestigious awards for her activism, the hugely successful book I Am That Girl, and a happy marriage, Alexis Jones was living a seemingly charmed life. But the principles of self-care, setting boundaries, and eschewing perfectionism that she espoused in her talks didn&’t seem to translate into her own life; she still never seemed to feel &“enough&” inside. Then, in a matter of months, things started to fall apart on the outside, too: She discovered that the man she&’d always called dad was not her biological father, she had a devastating miscarriage, and the pandemic sidelined her travel schedule—and paycheck. A self-described &“productivity junkie,&” she was forced to slow down for the first time in her life.Hoping that time away would be a good distraction from all the chaos and heartbreak, Alexis rented an RV and set out for the open road to explore the rugged American west with her husband and their best friend. For her, the trip was both healing and disruptive. In the presence of nature&’s majesty, she re-learned the art of sitting still and surrendering to the unknowable; along treacherous hiking trails she wrestled with her self-doubt and fear of failure; and through profound conversations with friends old and new, she reconnected to the power of sisterhood and began to rebelliously reconsider her priorities and ambitions—for herself and whatever shape her family might take going forward. A soulful memoir of seeking and finding, Joy Hunter traces Alexis&’s quest to reclaim her voice and find wholeness within. Along the way she discovers that there is always purpose to our pain and that happiness is not something that can simply be checked off a list. Joy, it turns out, is not a destination; it&’s a way of life.
Joy Prescriptions: How I Learned to Stop Chasing Perfection and Embrace Connection
by Tiffany MoonDoctor by day and Bravo&’s Real Housewife by night, Tiffany Moon has a prescription for releasing perfectionism and finding joy! "A must-read for anyone seeking more balance, purpose, and joy at home and at work.&”—Barbara Corcoran As a self-proclaimed &“good girl,&” Tiffany was a people pleaser and an A-student, fitting into the roles that were prescribed by her Chinese American family. As a lifelong overachiever, she accomplished a thriving career as an anesthesiologist. Yet Tiffany felt unfulfilled. She spent more time at work than at home with her family, didn&’t know how to say &“no&” to anyone, and was governed by perfectionist standards. In Joy Prescriptions, Tiffany shares her journey to reconnect with herself. In order to feel whole, she had to drop the perfectionist trope and focus on rediscovering who she was. Tiffany abandoned other people&’s expectations and ultimately discovered how to live for her true self. She put herself first and embraced more creativity and laughter. Taking surprising chances on herself, she started a candle business, starred on a reality TV series, tried her hand at stand-up comedy, and became a social media influencer.Joy Prescriptions is a must-read if you want to add more spark and joy to your life. Tiffany offers a healthy dose of introspection and healing that will release you from the constrained expectations of others and inspire you to design a joyful life that is more authentically you!&“Tiffany&’s hard-earned wisdom and heartfelt stories remind us that true wealth is all about creating a life that feels rich in every way.&” —Vivian Tu, New York Times bestselling author of Rich AF
Joy Ride
by John LahrJoy Ride throws open the stage door and introduces readers to such makers of contemporary drama as Arthur Miller, Tony Kushner, Wallace Shawn, Harold Pinter, David Rabe, David Mamet, Mike Nichols, and August Wilson. Lahr takes us to the cabin in the woods that Arthur Miller built in order to write Death of a Salesman; we walk with August Wilson through the Pittsburgh ghetto where we encounter the inspiration for his great cycle; we sit with Ingmar Bergman at the Kunglinga Theatre in Stockholm, where he attended his first play; we visit with Harold Pinter at his London home and learn the source of the feisty David Mamet's legendary ear for dialogue. In its juxtaposition of biographical detail and critical analysis, Joy Ride explores with insight and panache not only the lives of the theatricals but the liveliness of the stage worlds they have created.
Joy Unleashed: The Story of Bella, the Unlikely Therapy Dog
by Jean Baur Aimee ScottIn 2007, Mary Eldergill, a volunteer member of Amigos de Los Animales (Friends of the Animals), discovered a group of newborn puppies on Dead Dog Beach in Puerto Rico. Mary rescued and rehabilitated them and, three months later, they flew to Newark, New Jersey, to be placed in their forever homes. Jean Baur and her husband adopted one of Mary’s rescues?a dog named Bella?and opened her Pennsylvania home to her new best friend. Just as Jean enrolled Bella in certified therapy-dog classes, she lost her job at the age of sixty-five. This new work, visiting hospital patients with her therapy job, gave Jean hope and a new purpose in life. After moving to Connecticut, Bella’s work expanded to nursing homes and elementary schools, as well as local hospitals and cancer centers. She met an Alzheimer’s patient who learned to smile again after Bella took a treat from her hand. She also befriended a six-year-old boy with autism (who previously held a deep fear of dogs) along with a disabled hospital patient who was withdrawn and uncommunicative until Bella jumped into the bed with him and coaxed him to open up again. Jean and Bella’s journey into the world of therapy-dog work gave them a bright, new outlook?and has helped countless others overcome their own struggles?while proving to all that broken souls can, indeed, be healed.Joy Unleashed is a must-read for anyone who appreciates the true power of the human-canine bond.
Joy, to the World
by Lisa Bunker Kai ShappleyA young Dumplin’ meets Melissa in this joyful and energetic middle grade novel about a twelve-year-old girl living her life to the fullest, celebrating her love for sports and fighting for her right to cheer.Joy, a twelve-year-old trans girl, just moved to Texas with her mother and older brother. Her family has accepted Joy as the girl she is early in her transition, with little fuss, leaving Joy to explore her love of sports, competition, teamwork, school spirit, and worship.But when she is told she’s off the cheerleading team, Joy wants to fight for her right to cheer. As her battle with the school board picks up momentum, Joy attracts support from kids all around the country . . . she even gets the attention of her hero, trans activist Kai Shappley.Inspired by Kai’s own life, Joy, to the World is a timely story of living life to the fullest, celebrating and centering trans joy, courage, and resilience.
Joy: Poet, Seeker, and the Woman Who Captivated C. S. Lewis
by Abigail Santamaria&“A lush Narnia tale for grownups&”: The first comprehensive biography of the rebel thinker who married C. S. Lewis (Megan Marshall, Pulitzer Prize winner). If Joy Davidman is known at all, it&’s as the wife of C. S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia. On her own, she was a poet and radical, a contributor to the communist journal New Masses, and an active member of New York literary circles of the 1930s and &’40s. Growing up in a family of Jewish immigrants in the Bronx, she became an atheist, then a practitioner of Dianetics, and finally a Christian convert after experiencing a moment of transcendent grace. She was also a mother, a novelist, a screenwriter, and an intelligent, difficult, and determined woman. In 1952 she set off for England to pursue C. S. Lewis, the man she considered her spiritual guide and her intellectual mentor. Out of a deep friendship grounded in faith, poetry, and a passion for writing grew a timeless love story, and an unforgettable marriage of equals—one that would be immortalized in the film Shadowlands and Lewis&’s memoir, A Grief Observed. &“Plumbing the depths of unpublished documents, Santamaria reveals the vision and writing of a young woman whose coming of age in the turbulent thirties is both distinctive and emblematic of her time&” (Susan Hertog, author of Anne Morrow Lindbergh: Her Life). Finally, Joy Davidman is brought out of her husband&’s shadow to secure a place in literary history that is both a long-time coming and well-deserved. &“This book gives Davidman her life back. . . . Ms. Santamaria succeeds in de-mythologizing Davidman&’s story.&” —The Wall Street Journal &“Compelling . . . clear, unsentimental.&” — The New York Times Book Review
Joyce Carol Oates: Letters to a Biographer
by Joyce Carol OatesThis rich compilation of Joyce Carol Oates's letters across four decades displays her warmth and generosity, her droll and sometimes wicked sense of humor, her phenomenal energy, and most of all, her mastery of the lost art of letter writing. "It's hard to think of another writer with as fecund and protean an imagination as the eighty-five-year-old Joyce Carol Oates, who is surely on any short list of America's greatest living writers." —New York Times Magazine In this generous selection of Joyce Carol Oates's letters to her biographer and friend Greg Johnson, readers will discover a never-before-seen dimension of her phenomenal talent. In 1975, when Johnson was a graduate student, he first wrote to Oates, already a world-famous author, and drew an appreciative, empathetic response. Soon the two began a fairly intense, largely epistolary friendship that would last until the present day. As time passed, letters became faxes, and faxes became emails, but the energy and vividness of Oates's writing never abated. Her letters are often sprinkled with the names of famous people, from John Updike and Toni Morrison to Steve Martin and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. There are also descriptions of far-flung travels she undertook with her first husband, the scholar and editor Raymond Smith, and with her second, the distinguished Princeton neuroscientist Charlie Gross. But much of Oates's prose centered on the pleasures of her home life, including her pet cats and the wildlife outside her study window. Whereas her academic essays and book reviews are eloquent in a formal way, in these letters she is wholly relaxed, even when she is serious in her concerns. Like Johnson, she was always engaged in work, whether a long novel or a brief essay, and the letters give a fascinating glimpse into Oates's writing practice.