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Miles To Go Before I Sleep: Letters on Hope, Death and Learning to Live
by Claire Gilbert'Claire's honest, raw, authentic diaries will be a source of comfort to many'- Miranda Hart At the age of 54 Claire Gilbert was diagnosed with myeloma, an incurable cancer of the blood. The prognoses ranged from surviving only a few months to living for several decades, with no guarantee of which outcome was to be hers. It was a shocking diagnosis into uncertainty, or rather, into only one certainty: death. But Claire discovered that facing her own mortality was liberating. She discovered this through writing letters. Claire asked her siblings and a small group of friends if they would let her write to them with total honesty about what she was going through, as she was going through it. These letters turned out to be a great solace, and gradually her group of 'dear readers' has grown; what she had to say wasn't just of value to herself, but to others, too. The letters chart Claire's journey through diagnosis, chemotherapy and a brutal round of stem cell treatment, and end with the rest of the UK joining her in her immuno-compromised isolation in March 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic hit. Unflinchingly honest and wide-ranging, Claire writes about the restorative role of nature, politics, poetry, humour - and a restless exploration of the spiritual dimension of death and dying. This is an honest, luminous account of what Claire has gone through and what keeps her going, a deeply spiritual meditation on life and suffering, and an exploration of how faith is no simple solace but provides a whole new plane of meaning during these liminal moments.'Claire Gilbert's account of the progress of her fatal illness, from diagnosis through various traumatic treatments, is in turn candid, painful, funny, tender, fierce and philosophical. But most of all it is a marvellously enjoyable read depicting the human spirit at its finest: defiant, exuberant, joyous. An example to us all that we can triumph over the cruellest adversity'- Salley Vickers
Miles To Go Before I Sleep: Letters on Hope, Death and Learning to Live
by Claire Gilbert'Claire's honest, raw, authentic diaries will be a source of comfort to many'- Miranda Hart At the age of 54 Claire Gilbert was diagnosed with myeloma, an incurable cancer of the blood. The prognoses ranged from surviving only a few months to living for several decades, with no guarantee of which outcome was to be hers. It was a shocking diagnosis into uncertainty, or rather, into only one certainty: death. But Claire discovered that facing her own mortality was liberating. She discovered this through writing letters. Claire asked her siblings and a small group of friends if they would let her write to them with total honesty about what she was going through, as she was going through it. These letters turned out to be a great solace, and gradually her group of 'dear readers' has grown; what she had to say wasn't just of value to herself, but to others, too. The letters chart Claire's journey through diagnosis, chemotherapy and a brutal round of stem cell treatment, and end with the rest of the UK joining her in her immuno-compromised isolation in March 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic hit. Unflinchingly honest and wide-ranging, Claire writes about the restorative role of nature, politics, poetry, humour - and a restless exploration of the spiritual dimension of death and dying. This is an honest, luminous account of what Claire has gone through and what keeps her going, a deeply spiritual meditation on life and suffering, and an exploration of how faith is no simple solace but provides a whole new plane of meaning during these liminal moments.'Claire Gilbert's account of the progress of her fatal illness, from diagnosis through various traumatic treatments, is in turn candid, painful, funny, tender, fierce and philosophical. But most of all it is a marvellously enjoyable read depicting the human spirit at its finest: defiant, exuberant, joyous. An example to us all that we can triumph over the cruellest adversity'- Salley Vickers
Miles and Me
by Quincy TroupeQuincy Troupe's candid account of his friendship with Miles Davis is a revealing portrait of a great musician and an intimate study of a unique relationship. It is also an engrossing chronicle of the author's own development, both artistic and personal. As Davis's collaborator on Miles: The Autobiography, Troupe--one of the major poets to emerge from the 1960s--had exceptional access to the musician. This memoir goes beyond the life portrayed in the autobiography to describe in detail the processes of Davis's spectacular creativity and the joys and difficulties his passionate, contradictory temperament posed to the men's friendship. It shows how Miles Davis, both as a black man and an artist, influenced not only Quincy Troupe but whole generations. Troupe has written that Miles Davis was "irascible, contemptuous, brutally honest, ill-tempered when things didn't go his way, complex, fair-minded, humble, kind and a son-of-a-bitch." The author's love and appreciation for Davis make him a keen, though not uncritical, observer. He captures and conveys the power of the musician's presence, the mesmerizing force of his personality, and the restless energy that lay at the root of his creativity. He also shows Davis's lighter side: cooking, prowling the streets of Manhattan, painting, riding his horse at his Malibu home. Troupe discusses Davis's musical output, situating his albums in the context of the times--both political and musical--out of which they emerged.
Miles of Style: Eunice W. Johnson and the EBONY Fashion Fair
by Lisa D. BrathwaiteA chic biography about Eunice W. Johnson who brought elegant and contemporary fashion to Black America through the annual EBONY Fashion Fair!Eunice W. Johnson believed in the power of fashion and beauty to inspire people. After she and her husband, John H. Johnson, founded EBONY magazine, it quickly became the premiere lifestyle publication for mid-century Black readers. Among the many hats she wore, Eunice delighted in writing a fashion column describing the latest styles. In 1958, Eunice launched a project that would change fashion forever--the EBONY Fashion Fair. In towns and cities across the United States, Black models walked the runway in the freshest trends that season and Black attendees got to see people who looked like them in bright colors and haute couture. To make the Fashion Fair happen every year, Eunice negotiated with snobby fashion houses in Europe and navigated racism back home in the US, to acquire the most show-stopping styles for her show. Decades later, her name remains a watchword for glamour and elegance in the Black community. Winner of Lee & Low's New Voices award, Miles of Style celebrates a visionary who used her influence to showcase the strength and beauty of the Black community.
Miles on Miles: Interviews and Encounters with Miles Davis (Musicians in Their Own Words)
by Paul Maher Jr.; Michael K. DorrMiles Davis was not only a musical genius, but also an enigma, and nowhere else was he so compelling, exasperating, and entertaining as he was in his interviews, which vary from polite to outrageous, from straight-ahead to contrarian. Miles on Miles collects thirty of the most vital. Even his autobiography lacks the immediacy of the dialogues collected here. Many were conducted by leading journalists like Leonard Feather, Stephen Davis, Ben Sidran, Mike Zwerin, and Nat Hentoff. Other have never before seen print and are newly transcribed from radio and television shows. Until now, no book has brought back to life Miles's inimitable voice—contemplative, defiant, elegant, uncompromising, and humorous. Miles on Miles will long remain the definitive source for anyone wanting to really encounter the legend in print.
Miles to Go
by Hilary Liftin Miley CyrusThree years ago, Miley Cyrus was a virtual unknown. Her life in rural Tennessee was filled with family, friends, school, cheerleading, and the daily tasks of living on a farm. And then came a little show called Hannah Montana. Almost overnight, Miley would rocket to superstardom, becoming a television and singing phenomenon. Quiet days were replaced with sold-out concerts, television appearances, and magazine shoots. But through it all, Miley has remained close to her family and friends and has stayed connected to the Southern roots that made her so strong. In Miles to Go, Miley offers an honest, humorous, and often touching story of one girl's coming-of-age--from private moments with her pappy to off-roading with her dad, Billy Ray, to her run-ins with mean girls. Miley talks about suffering through drama and heartbreak and coming out the other end unscathed (relatively). And now for the first time, she will discuss it all-the milestones still left to reach (driver's license! voting!), dreams to live out (travel to Asia! find true love!), and the lessons to be learned (remembering to enjoy every moment!). This is a truly unique look inside the world of one of today's biggest and brightest stars as she tackles looking back and moving forward.
Miles to Millions: One Aviator's Amazing True Story
by Bill GrenierWhen he became a commercial pilot at age nineteen, Bill Grenier never imagined that one day he’d be captain of the largest commercial plane the world had seen, flying the highest profile routes of a proud national carrier. Even less could he have imagined, at age nineteen and with barely a penny to his name, that he’d one day be a wealthy man. But he would ultimately control an empire worth nearly a billion dollars. With liberal doses of wit and humour, Miles to Millions shows what a little luck, lots of perseverance, and an appetite for adventure can do. From boarding house to boardroom, from cradle to cockpit, Grenier offers a fascinating story of success both as a commercial pilot and as a businessman. Filled with anecdotes you’d never expect from a single career – from acting as repo man taking planes for payment to saving hundreds of passengers in a stricken 747 with a collapsed co-pilot – Miles to Millions is a high-flier of a story bound to entertain both aviation experts and enthusiasts alike.
Miles: The Autobiography
by Quincy Troupe Miles DavisFor more than forty years Miles Davis has been in the front rank of American music. Universally acclaimed as a musical genius, Miles is one of the most important and influential musicians in the world. The subject of several biographies, now Miles speaks out himself about his extraordinary life. Miles: The Autobiography,like Miles himself, holds nothing back. For the first time Miles talks about his five-year silence. He speaks frankly and openly about his drug problem and how he overcame it. He condemns the racism he has encountered in the music business and in American society generally. And he discusses the women in his life. But above all, Miles talks about music and musicians, including the legends he has played with over the years: Bird, Dizzy, Monk, Trane, Mingus, and many others. The man who has given us some of the most exciting music of the past few decades has now given us a compelling and fascinating autobiography, featuring a concise discography and thirty-two pages of photographs.
Militant Mediator: Whitney M. Young, Jr
by Dennis C. DickersonAlone among his civil rights colleagues -- Martin Luther King Jr. , Roy Wilkins, James Farmer, John Lewis, and James Forman -- Whitney M. Young Jr. advocated integrationism embraced by both blacks and whites. As a National Urban League Official in the Midwest and as a dean of social work at Atlanta University during the 1940s and 1950s, Young blended interracial mediation with direct protest. He demonstrated that these methods pursued together were the best tactics for the civil rights movement, then put them to work on a national scale upon becoming the executive director of the League in 1961. In this position, Young forcefully alerted elite whites to the urgency of the black struggle for equality and urged them to spend federal, corporate, and foundation funds to lift residents in the nation's inner cities. Although he actively interacted with powerful whites, Young also drew support from middle- and working-class blacks who shared his belief in racial integration. As he navigated this middle ground Young came under fire from both black nationalists and white conservatives.
Militant Publics in India
by Arafaat A. ValianiAn historically informed ethnographic study of conceptions, arenas, and practices of physical training and militancy in the context of religious nationalism intwentieth-and twenty-first-century western India. Arafaat A. Valiani offers readers a telling glimpse and a rare insider perspective of the social world in which militants are made, explaining how group physical training and technico-ethical experimentswith ithave created a powerful religious nationalist movement in the Indian state of Gujarat that has been held responsible for carrying outmassive episodes of ethnic cleansing against Indian minorities. Aclose reading of Mohandas Gandhi's writing on popular mobilization and resistance and a detailed historical investigation of hitherto understudied episodes of "satyagraha" (Gandhi's celebrated concept of non-violence), this work illuminates debates on politics in South Asian history, anthropology, and sociology. Valiani interprets his own direct observation of Hindu nationalist pogroms in contemporary Gujarat, in addition to testimonies and ethnographic observations of the inner workings of the movement discovered by the author when he immersed himselfas a "trainee" within it. "
Military Dispatches
by The Duke WellingtonThe vivid and exciting accounts written from the front line, taking the story of the British war with Napoleon from its desperate beginnings in Portugal to the final triumph at WaterlooThe Duke of Wellington was not only an incomparable battle commander but a remarkably expressive, fluent and powerful writer. His dispatches have long been viewed as classics of military literature and have been pillaged by all writers on the Peninsular War and the final campaigns in France and Belgium ever since they were published. This new selection allows the reader to follow the extraordinary epic in Wellington's own words - from the tentative beginnings in 1808, clinging to a small area of Portugal in the face of overwhelming French power across the whole of the rest of Europe, to the campaigns that over six years devastated opponent after opponent. The book ends with Wellington's invasion of France and the coda of 'the 100 days' that ended with Napoleon's final defeat at Waterloo.
Military Life in Bivouac, Camp, Garrison, Barracks, &c.
by Pickle Partners Publishing Elzéar Blaze Sir G. C. B. Charles J. NapierThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. Many memoirs of the Napoleonic period are recounting, more or less interesting dependant on the author, of the events of their service interspersed by anecdotes of interesting events, Elzéar Blaze eschewed that style of reminiscence and left a singular view of his time in the Grande Armée. His memoirs are highly stylised, divided into the 'themes' of military life, and eruditely written by an educated man of the era, who combined wit with a eye for an anecdote. He covers the different aspects of his military career with amusing stories and vivid recollections of the men with which he served, a number of the generals who commanded them, and the enemies that they were fought and were billeted on if they were in occupation; he covers the school of the Vélites, his military training, the marches, camp-life, bivouacs, active campaigning, and the battles fought under Napoleon. Referring to the bravery of some troops in battle he said; "There are men, however, who, endued with extraordinary strength of mind, can coolly face the greatest dangers. Murat, the bravest of the brave, always charged at the head of his cavalry, and never returned without having his sabre stained with blood. This one may easily comprehend; but an extraordinary thing, which I have seen done by General Dorsenne, and by him alone, is to stand immovable, turning his back to the enemy, facing his regiment, riddled with balls, crying, "Close your ranks!" without once looking behind him. In other circumstances I have tried to imitate him, and turned my back too; but I could not remain in that position: curiosity always obliged me to look the way from which the balls proceeded." Blaze, like his brother sought out a military life under the eagles of Napoleon, he enlisting in the Vélites of the Imperial Guard, his brother into the medical services of the army. The Vélites were founded as part of Napoleon's further, ultimately unsuccessful, attempts to sway the aristocracy to fall in line and support his rule. The military tutelage in the Vélites was to be supported by private means, which translated into their ranks being filled with the scions of the nobility and wealthy bourgeoisie. Blaze fought as part of Napoleon's invincibles from 1807 until the end of the empire, but continued his service under the returned Bourbons and retired as captain in 1828. An interesting and different view of the Grande Armée. Text taken, from Lights and Shades of Military life it is a translation of La Vie Militaire Sous Le Premier Empire, second edition 1850, published in London, Henry Colbourn. Original - 197 of 428 pages Author - Elzéar Blaze- (1786-1848) Translator and Editor - Lieutenant-General Sir Charles J. Napier, G.C.B. - (1782-1853) Linked TOC.
Military Memoirs Of Four Brothers (Natives of Staffordshire), (Natives of Staffordshire),: Engaged In The Service of Their Country, As Well In The New World And Africa, As On The Continent Of Europe
by Pickle Partners Publishing Robert FernyhoughThis ebook is purpose built and is proof-read and re-type set from the original to provide an outstanding experience of reflowing text for an ebook reader. In November 1864, Abraham Lincoln penned what is known as the "Bixby Letter" offering his condolences to the mother of five soldiers who had fallen in the service of their country. A shocking sacrifice for the cause for any one family to make, although it transpired not all of the sons were in fact dead. Some years earlier the last surviving member of his generation of the Fernyhough family, from Staffordshire in England, wrote the stories of his brothers and himself. Robert Fernyhough's brothers, John and Henry in the Royal Marines and Thomas in the infantry, had fallen in the service of their country during the Napoleonic Wars. Robert himself saw much action as a Royal Marine before eventually fighting in the 95th Rifles in the Peninsular under Wellington, including heavy engagement at the battle of Busaco. The fighting record of the Fernyhough family that is recorded in this work is truly astonishing; Expeditions to Walcheren, Buenos Ayres, Walcheren, the coast of Spain, Savoy, Toulon, Malta, Gibraltar not to mention hard soldiering in the Peninsular make for an excellent Read. Author - Robert Fernyhough (1785-1866) Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in 1829, London, by William Sams. Original - 275 pages. Numerous Illustrations included - apart from one which was missing from the original Linked TOC
Military Mindset: THE EXPLOSIVE NEW BOOK FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR ANT MIDDLETON
by Ant Middleton*Pre-order now: The explosive new book from the multiple Sunday Times bestselling author sharing unique insights gained from a life spent in the battlefield*'Few men are born brave; many become so through care and force of discipline.' Vegetius, De Re Militari, written in the 4th century AD. __________The warzone is the most unforgiving environment on the planet. A single mistake or split-second moment of indecision can mean the difference between success and failure, life and death. For Ant Middleton, first as a commando in the Royal Marines with 40 Commando and later as an elite operator with the SBS, the combat zone was a training ground like no other. Each mission provided valuable insights and teachings. In Military Mindset, Ant shares 52 lessons he learned during his military career that have helped him overcome challenges not only during combat, but also throughout his life. With the help of some historical battles, this book provides a framework for you to build an elite mindset and succeed your life and career. Throughout the book, you will learn:- How to set achievable goals - Why you need to push through the pain barrier- Strategies to eliminate self doubt - The importance of keeping things simple - Embracing a positive mindset - Focussing on the things you can control- And much more Written in a clear and direct way, this book provides simple and digestable wisdom to help you level up your life and discover your true potential. __________
Military Mindset: THE EXPLOSIVE NEW BOOK FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR ANT MIDDLETON
by Ant Middleton*Pre-order now: The explosive new book from the multiple Sunday Times bestselling author sharing unique insights gained from a life spent in the battlefield*'Few men are born brave; many become so through care and force of discipline.' Vegetius, De Re Militari, written in the 4th century AD. __________The warzone is the most unforgiving environment on the planet. A single mistake or split-second moment of indecision can mean the difference between success and failure, life and death. For Ant Middleton, first as a commando in the Royal Marines with 40 Commando and later as an elite operator with the SBS, the combat zone was a training ground like no other. Each mission provided valuable insights and teachings. In Military Mindset, Ant shares 52 lessons he learned during his military career that have helped him overcome challenges not only during combat, but also throughout his life. With the help of some historical battles, this book provides a framework for you to build an elite mindset and succeed your life and career. Throughout the book, you will learn:- How to set achievable goals - Why you need to push through the pain barrier- Strategies to eliminate self doubt - The importance of keeping things simple - Embracing a positive mindset - Focussing on the things you can control- And much more Written in a clear and direct way, this book provides simple and digestable wisdom to help you level up your life and discover your true potential. __________
Military Obituaries (The Daily Telegraph #3)
by David Twiston Davies The Lord BramallThis “classic compilation” (The Field) of newspaper death notices “includes the great, the brave, the adventurous, and the eccentric” (Soldier Magazine). David Twiston Davies’s latest, highly entertaining collection of 100 Daily Telegraph military obituaries from the last sixteen years includes those celebrated for their great heroism and involvement in major operations. Others have extraordinary stories barely remembered even by their families. Those featured include Private Harry Patch, the last survivor of those who went “over the top” on the Western Front in 1917; Lieutenant Colonel Eric Wilson of the Somaliland Camel Corps, who learned he had been awarded a posthumous VC in a prison camp; and Colonel Clive Fairweather, who organized the SAS attack on the terrorists who seized the Iranian embassy in London in 1980. As Andrew Roberts wrote of the first collection: “They evoke swirling, profound, even guilty emotions. . . . To those Britons who have known only peace, these are thought provoking and humbling essays in valor.”
Military Operations from Kosovo to Kabul: The Unique Experiences of a Combat Lawyer
by James NelsonIn this highly unusual role for a lawyer, the author found himself in 1998 having to learn on his feet at a frightening pace as the newly promoted senior legal advisor to the charismatic General Sir Mike Jackson, the commander who led the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps into strife-torn Kosovo the following year to restore some sort of normality in the aftermath of the NATO bombing campaign. A peace deal was finally signed, only for Russia to intervene at the eleventh hour. The author was asked to provide rules of engagement for NATO to eject a stubborn Russian unit from Pristina by force, amongst fears of starting World War III, one of the few occasions when he thought perhaps civilian legal practice might not have been such a bad idea after all. Ten years later the author was back at HQ ARRC, promoted to Colonel. The culture shock on this occasion was not so much, spending six months in Afghanistan as being professionally embedded in a large American military legal office led by a hyper energetic US officer from the 'deep south'. Unlike the short, sharp Kosovo experience in central Europe, this war in central Asia was the longest in the history of the USA, although for the British it was just the latest in a succession of operations going back two centuries to the 'Great Game'. Trying to apply the law, balancing the need for aggression with compliance with Western notions of human rights, and vain efforts to win over the hearts and minds of a proud but impoverished people historically blighted by conflict proved to be unimaginably fraught. Military Operations From Kosovo to Kabul is one experienced soldier’s fascinating account of these historic events, seen on the ground from the perspective of a legal professional, seldom associated with fighting wars.
Military Saints in Byzantium and Rus, 900-1200
by Monica WhiteThe rulers of the Byzantine Empire and its commonwealth were protected both by their own soldiers and by a heavenly army: the military saints. The transformation of Saints George, Demetrios, Theodore and others into the patrons of imperial armies was one of the defining developments of religious life under the Macedonian emperors. This book provides a comprehensive study of military sainthood and its roots in late antiquity. The emergence of the cults is situated within a broader social context, in which mortal soldiers were equated with martyrs and martyrs of the early Church recruited to protect them on the battlefield. Dr White then traces the fate of these saints in early Rus, drawing on unpublished manuscripts and other under-utilised sources to discuss their veneration within the princely clan and their influence on the first native saints of Rus, Boris and Gleb, who eventually joined the ranks of their ancient counterparts.
Military Sexual Trauma Current Knowledge and Future Directions
by Carolyn B. Allard Melissa PlattMilitary Sexual Trauma: Current Knowledge and Future Directions showcases the work of several prominent military sexual trauma (MST) researchers, scholars, and clinicians from across the United States. A review of existing research and original empirical findings converge to indicate that MST contributes to a range of physical health problems, complex posttraumatic responses, and other mental health consequences above and beyond the effects of other types of traumatic experiences. This collection also presents evidence suggesting that MST is often difficult to identify both within the individual military member and within the military population as a whole. Recommendations are offered for addressing this problem. In addition to the research review and empirical findings, an evolutionary framework for understanding sexual assault of women in the military is presented. Taken together, this collection of works may inform MST intervention and prevention efforts. This book was originally published as a special issue of Journal of Trauma & Dissociation.
Milk Drunk: What to Expect When You're Not Expecting
by Danielle SchwartzFor generations, expectations for a "good" life in America have remained the same: go to college, get a job, find a partner, get married, and have children. But what happens if someone decides to accomplish all of those things except have a child?In Milk Drunk: What to Expect When You Are Not Expecting, Danielle Schwartz details her very fulfilling but child-free life with her husband, Jim, while facing constant criticism about their family decision. By sharing conversations with friends, family, coworkers, and even strangers, Milk Drunk explores a wide array of topics and opinions. Some people view Danielle as strong and independent for knowing who she is and what she wants, while others believe her choice is "disappointing God" and attempt to convince her that as a woman, she "must use God's given gift" of fertility. Milk Drunk: What to Expect When You Are Not Expecting explores a slew of opinions surrounding the sensitive and personal topic of remaining child-free and provides insight for those who either need support in a similar decision or do not understand why someone they know or love has turned down the choice of parenthood.
Milk-Blood
by Adrian Simon"In that moment I knew the meaning of milk-blood. Desperate addicts will decant some of their own blood while the drug is still pumping through their veins to save as 'insurance' to inject later. This opiate-laden blood is called milk-blood." Adrian Simon, 38, is the son of Warren Fellows, the infamous heroin smuggler who was imprisoned in Bangkwang Prison in Bangkok for 12 years and published the bestselling memoir "The Damage Done". But Adrian wasn't the only one affected by the experience. In his searing autobiography "Milk-Blood," Adrian tells his side of the story; growing up in suburban Australia the son of two unconventional parents, while trying to make sense of his father's terrible decisions and witnessing his mother shunned by society at every turn. "It was his decisions that led to me having a nervous breakdown as an innocent child, and like a disease that experience clung to me throughout my life. And just like my arthritic condition, I had a bandaid solution but no cure. In a small way I could never be completely free of the past, he was my damage within that I would never be able to eradicate completely." Refusing to give in to the dark shadow his father casts over his life, Adrian lives life to the full, and always on his own terms, right from the get-go. His inherent drive and thirst for adventure sees him abandoning school in favour of chasing the good times, wherever they may lie. Later, this morphs into a deeper search for meaning and purpose, which sees him travel around the globe in a non-stop whirlwind of run-ins and adventures. But it's here, on the road, where he begins to make sense of his fractured life, righting the wrongs of his past and starting the painstaking task of restoring the damage done to his family chi. "People rarely knew my story and how my emotions were like a river, a wild torrent boring through my soul. I grew to understand that we all have our own storm within, that we share the same path to find happiness and self-expression. Deep down, I knew one day I would tell this story. I just had to wait for more chapters to play out. I never thought of myself as a writer, rather as someone with a big story to tell." This raw and honest work tackles complex issues and themes, such as mental health, addiction, and coming-of-age, but ultimately it is a story of love, hope, courage and the healing power of acceptance.
Milkweed and Honey Cake: A Memoir in Ritual Moments
by Wendy A. HorwitzIn Milkweed and Honey Cake: A Memoir in Ritual Moments, Wendy A. Horwitz shares stories about celebration, loss, change, and the best way to open a pomegranate.Holidays delight – and disappoint. A couple marrying in the pandemic finds a surprise after a rainstorm, and a topsy-turvy search for a gravestone honors her ancestors. When a graduation is cancelled, Horwitz serves pomp and circumstance on the front porch, and through the shifting seasons of a life, amid the scramble of pet guinea pigs and birthday parties, her children add wonder and comedy to tradition.With observations from nature, religion, and literature, Horwitz explores how ritual can exalt ordinary moments and frame the extraordinary. A blue heron, an old cupboard's scent, and the lingering feel of an engagement ring long gone prompt reflections laced with yearning and humor. Guiding us along a wooded path, to the kitchen table, in a messy garden, and under a tent reverberating with song, she traces the boundaries of ritual, considering what we do when ritual falls short, and how we might adapt each other's practices. And when the wider world seems broken, new rituals provide hope.Lyrical and funny, thought-provoking and deeply moving, Milkweed and Honey Cake is at once a meditation on our desire for meaning and the story of a woman's lifelong efforts to create it.
Mill Girls: Harriet Hanson's Story
by Alicia Z. KlepeisMill girl Harriet Jane Hanson worked in the booming textile mills of Lowell, Massachusetts, in the 1830s.
Mill Town: Reckoning with What Remains
by Kerri ArsenaultA galvanizing and powerful debut, Mill Town is an American story, a human predicament, and a moral wake-up call that asks: what are we willing to tolerate and whose lives are we willing to sacrifice for our own survival?Kerri Arsenault grew up in the rural working class town of Mexico, Maine. For over 100 years the community orbited around a paper mill that employs most townspeople, including three generations of Arsenault’s own family. Years after she moved away, Arsenault realized the price she paid for her seemingly secure childhood. The mill, while providing livelihoods for nearly everyone, also contributed to the destruction of the environment and the decline of the town’s economic, physical, and emotional health in a slow-moving catastrophe, earning the area the nickname “Cancer Valley.”Mill Town is a personal investigation, where Arsenault sifts through historical archives and scientific reports, talks to family and neighbors, and examines her own childhood to illuminate the rise and collapse of the working-class, the hazards of loving and leaving home, and the ambiguous nature of toxins and disease. Mill Town is a moral wake-up call that asks, Whose lives are we willing to sacrifice for our own survival?
Millard Fillmore Caldwell: Governing on the Wrong Side of History (Florida in Focus)
by Gary R. MorminoWhen actions of the past clash with the values of today Millard Fillmore Caldwell (1897–1984) was once considered one of the greatest Floridians of his generation. Yet today he is known for his inability to adjust to the racial progress of the modern world. In this biography, leading Florida historian Gary Mormino tackles the difficult question of how to remember yesterday’s heroes who are now known to have had serious flaws.The last Florida governor born in the nineteenth century and the first to govern in the atomic age, Caldwell was beloved in his time for leading the state through the hard years of World War II. He was wildly successful in a political career that may never be matched, serving as governor, congressman, state legislator, and chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court. He passed important educational reform legislation. But his attitudes toward race and citizenship strike Americans today as embarrassing and shocking. He refused to address black leaders by their titles. He argued for segregated bomb shelters. And he accepted lynching as part of the southern way of life.Mormino measures the contributions of Caldwell alongside his glaring faults, discussing his complicated role in shaping modern Florida. In the current debates surrounding public memorials and historical memory in the United States, Millard Fillmore Caldwell is a timely example of one man’s contested legacy. A volume in the series Florida in Focus, edited by Andrew K. Frank