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Unsexed: Memoirs of a Prostitute's Daughter

by Marina DelVecchio

Unsexed examines the role that sex plays in the life of one woman with two mothers who introduce her to polarized frameworks of female sexuality.Born in Greece to a violent prostitute and then adopted by a cold and unloving virgin from New York, Marina inherits a sexual identity steeped in fear and shame—one that, as she grows older and becomes a wife and mother, trickles into her marriage and the parenting of her children. Without the tools needed to understand her complex mothers or to unpack the lessons they taught her, Marina relies on self-erasure to survive relationships that silence and define her—until she finally becomes fed up with those old patterns and begins to stand in her own power.A memoir that unearths the layered emotional and sexual lives of women and exemplifies the satisfaction that comes when they assert their voices and power, Unsexed speaks to millions of women who have different narratives but face similar struggles in reclaiming their voices, bodies, and sexuality.

Unsinkable Cayenne

by Jessica Vitalis

“Intensely readable.” —School Library Journal (starred review)When her unconventional parents finally agree to settle down in one place, twelve-year-old Cayenne’s dreams come true—but the reality of fitting in is much harder than she imagined. Acclaimed author Jessica Vitalis crafts an unforgettable historical novel-in-verse about belonging, family, and social class, for fans of Lisa Fipps’s Starfish and Jasmine Warga’s Other Words for Home.As Cayenne enters seventh grade, her parents decide it's time to stop living in their van, roaming from place to place. Cayenne hopes that this means she will finally belong somewhere and make some friends. But it turns out that staying in one place isn’t easy at all.When her social studies class studies the Titanic tragedy (the wreckage has just been discovered and her teacher is obsessed), Cayenne sees more and more parallels between the social strata of the infamous ship and her own life. Will she ever squeeze her way into the popular girls’ clique, even though they live in fancy houses on the hill and she lives in a tiny, rundown home with chickens in the front yard? Is it possible that the boy she likes actually likes her back? Can she find a way to make room for herself in this town? Does she really want to? Maybe being “normal” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.Set in the mid-1980s, this literary novel is for readers of Megan E. Freeman’s Alone and Erin Entrada Kelly’s We Dream of Space.

Unsinkable: A Young Woman's Courageous Battle on the High Seas

by Lynn Vincent Abby Sunderland

A teen girl who attempted to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone recounts her adventure in this memoir of faith and courage.Abby Sutherland grew up sailing. Her father, Laurence, a shipwright, and her mother, Marianne, wanted their kids to develop responsibility, to see other cultures, to experience the world instead of watching it on TV. So they took them sailing down the coast of Mexico . . . for three years.When Abby was thirteen, she began helping her father deliver boats and soon was sailing solo. She loved being on the open ocean, the spray in her face, the wind in her hair. She began to dream of sailing the world. On January 23, 2010, sixteen-year-old Abby Sunderland set sail from Marina del Rey, California, in an attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo, nonstop, and unassisted around the world. Immediately, her trip sparked controversy. What was a girl her age doing undertaking such a voyage? What were her parents thinking?Abby’s critics predicted she’d make it a few weeks at most. But sailing south, she proved them wrong and became the youngest person to solo around Cape Horn, the “Mt. Everest of sailing.” Crossing the Southern and Atlantic oceans, she battled vicious storms and equipment breakdowns—making one critical repair literally with a nail file and some line. Abby bested the wicked waters at the southern tip of Africa and then entered the Indian Ocean—all twenty-seven million square miles of it. It was here that Abby Sutherland encountered the violent storms that would test her mettle and her will to survive—and change her life forever.

Unsinkable: From Russian Orphan to Paralympic Swimming World Champion

by Jessica Long

The top Paralympic swimmer in the world, Jessica Long delivers an inspirational photographic memoir. Born in Siberia with fibular hemimelia, Jessica Long was adopted from a Russian orphanage at thirteen months old and has since become the second most decorated U.S. Paralympic athlete of all time. Now, Jessica shares all the moments in her life—big and small, heartbreaking and uplifting—that led to her domination in the Paralympic swimming world. This photographic memoir, filled with photographs, sidebars, quotes, and more, will thrill her fans and inspire those who are hearing her story for the first time.

Unspoken

by Sharmistha Gooptu

The summer of 2024. Sixty-four-year-old Mrs G starts to reminisce about her love affair with a man she calls &‘A&’. To Aisha, her daughter, &‘A&’ appears to be a figment of her mother&’s dementia-afflicted mind. &‘Miu, there was no A. You were happily married to Boy,&’ an exasperated Aisha tells her mother. Even as it starts to seem that her mother had, for years, lived a whole other life. A life peopled by those who had together played out the obsession of love, morbid jealousy, hurt, harm and finally death. &‘Shree&’s death,&’ her mother whispers to Aisha. But how could it be? Her father had been so deeply in love with her mother and theirs was almost the perfect marriage. Who were these people that her mother now spoke about at odd hours? And the death that seemed to weigh so deeply on her mind… a death that leads Aisha to the holy city of Varanasi where people go to die.

Unspoken: A sexy, emotional second-chance romance (Start Up in the City #2)

by Kelly Rimmer

Unspoken is a unforgettable new romance from bestselling author Kelly Rimmer, in her Start Up in the City series, perfect for fans of Jill Shalvis and Nora Roberts.'Simultaneously deliciously intense and achingly tender. The authentic push and pull of this complex relationship is sure to resonate with readers' Publishers WeeklySometimes it's what you don't say that can change everything...Isabel Winton had planned to spend the last few days of her marriage at her vacation home, intending to reflect, regroup...or maybe just do some solitary sulking. Instead, she collides with her almost ex, Paul, who has the same idea. Too stubborn to leave, Isabel figures this is a chance for them to get some closure. But she's astonished to see that months apart have transformed her emotionally aloof husband into 'Paul 2.0', more open than ever before.Paul was blindsided when Isabel left him. He had no idea she felt he was more committed to his career than to their marriage. With his new, hard-won self-awareness, he blames himself for letting her walk away. But winning her back will take more than simple words. It'll mean finding the courage to grow, to trust, and grab a second chance at life by each other's sides.Praise for Kelly Rimmer: 'Guaranteed to please... Kelly Rimmer should be at the top of the must-read list' Fresh Fiction 'Will delight fans of extremely modern romance' Publishers Weekly

Unstoppable

by Tim Green

If anyone understands the phrase "tough luck," it's Harrison. As a foster kid in a cruel home, he knows his dream of one day playing in the NFL is a longshot. Then Harrison is brought into a new home with kind, loving parents—his new dad is even a football coach. Harrison's big build and his incredible determination quickly make him a star running back on the junior high school team. On the field, he's practically unstoppable. But Harrison's good luck can't last forever. When a routine sports injury leads to a devastating diagnosis, it will take every ounce of Harrison's determination not to give up for good.

Unstoppable Octobia May

by Sharon G. Flake

Bestselling and award-winning author, Sharon G. Flake, delivers a mystery set in the 1950s that eerily blends history, race, culture, and family.Octobia May is girl filled with questions. Her heart condition makes her special - and, some folks would argue, gives this ten-year-old powers that make her a "wise soul." Thank goodness for Auntie, who convinces Octobia's parents to let her live in her boarding house that is filled with old folks. That's when trouble, and excitement, and wonder begin. Auntie is non-traditional. She's unmarried and has plans to purchase other boarding homes and hotels. At a time when children, and especially girls, are "seen, not heard," Auntie allows Octobia May the freedom and expression of an adult. When Octobia starts to question the folks in her world, an adventure and a mystery unfold that beg some troubling questions: Who is black and who is "passing" for white? What happens when a vibrant African American community must face its own racism?

Unstuck

by Barbara Dee

&“Both relatable and inspiring…an entertaining and heartfelt read.&” —Janae Marks, New York Times bestselling author of On Air with Zoe Washington From critically acclaimed author Barbara Dee comes a middle grade novel that&’s &“this generation&’s Dear Mr. Henshaw&” (Kirby Larson, Newbery Honor–winning author of Hattie Big Sky) about a girl whose struggles with anxiety and writer&’s block set off unexpected twists and turns, both on and off the page.Lyla is thrilled when her seventh grade English language arts class begins a daily creative writing project. For the past year, she&’s been writing a brilliant fantasy novel in her head, and here&’s her chance to get it on paper! The plot to Lyla&’s novel is super complicated, with battle scenes and witches and a mysterious one-toed-beast, but at its core, it&’s about an overlooked girl who has to rescue her beautiful, highly accomplished older sister. But writing a fantasy novel turns out to be harder than simply imagining one, and pretty soon Lyla finds herself stuck, experiencing a panic she realizes is writer&’s block. Part of the problem is that she&’s trying to impress certain people—like Rania, her best friend who&’s pulling away, and Ms. Bowman, the coolest teacher at school. Plus, there&’s the pressure of meeting the deadline for the town writing contest. A few years ago, Lyla&’s superstar teen sister Dahlia came in second, and this time, Lyla is determined to win first prize. Finally, Lyla confides about her writing problems to Dahlia, who is dealing with her own academic stress as she applies to college. That&’s when she learns Dahlia&’s secret, which is causing a very different type of writer&’s block. Can Lyla rescue a surprisingly vulnerable big sister, both on the page and in real life?

Unsuitable Bride for a Viscount (The Yelverton Marriages #2)

by Elizabeth Beacon

A beautiful widow of the Peninsular War finds a love that is as unlikely as it is undeniable in this Regency romance.When Alaric Defford, Lord Stafford, goes looking for his runaway niece, he instead encounters the most lovely and alluring woman he’s ever laid eyes on. The widow of a sergeant killed in the Peninsular War, Marianne Turner is equally shocked by the instant connection she shares with Alaric. She never expected to feel this way for another man, especially one so formidable and arrogant!Having vowed never to love again, Marianne insists that she is a completely unsuitable match for the dashing viscount. But when Alaric is injured, and Marianne nurses him back to health, she is reminded of how precious a chance at love can be . . .

Unsung Heroines: Single Mothers and the American Dream

by Ruth Sidel

This compelling book destroys the derogatory images of single mothers that too often prevail in the media and in politics by creating a rich, moving, multidimensional picture of who these women really are. Ruth Sidel interviewed mothers from diverse races, ethnicities, religions, and social classes who became single through divorce, separation, widowhood, or who never married; none had planned to raise children on their own. Weaving together these women's voices with an accessible, cutting-edge sociological and political analysis of single motherhood today, Unsung Heroines introduces a resilient, resourceful, and courageous population of women committed to their families, holding fast to quintessential American values, and creating positive new lives for themselves and their children. What emerges from this penetrating study is a clear message about what all families--two-parent as well as single parent--must have to succeed: decent jobs at a living wage, comprehensive health care, and preschool and after-school care. In a final chapter, Sidel gives a broad political-economic analysis that provides historical background on the way American social policy has evolved and compares the situation in the U.S. to the social policies and ideologies of other countries.

Unsung Lullabies: Understanding and Coping with Infertility

by Janet Jaffe Martha Ourieff Diamond David J. Diamond

For people experiencing infertility, wanting a baby is a craving unlike any other. The intensity of their longing is matched only by the complexity of the emotional maze they must navigate. With insight and compassion, Drs. Janet Jaffe, Martha Diamond, and David Diamond-specialists in the field of Reproductive Psychology who have each experienced their own struggle with infertility-give couples the tools to:*Reduce their sense of helplessness and isolation*Identify their mates' coping styles to erase unfair expectations*Listen to their "unsung lullabies"--their conscious and unconscious dreams about having a family--to mourn the losses of infertility and move on.Ground-breaking, wise, and compassionate, Unsung Lullabies is a necessary companion for anyone coping with infertility.

Untamed (A Thoughtless Novel #5)

by S. C. Stephens

"Addicting and heart-pounding-you won't be able to put it down until you've devoured every word." ---Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author#1 New York Times bestselling author S. C. Stephens brings us the next book in her Thoughtless series! The spotlight doesn't only shine. Sometimes, it burns.UNTAMEDBeing the bad-boy bassist for the world's hottest band has earned Griffin Hancock some perks: a big house, a fast car, and most importantly his incredible wife Anna. The one thing it hasn't brought him is the spotlight. Anna tells him to be patient, that his talent will win out. But Griffin is through waiting for permission to shine. Without warning, Griffin makes a shocking decision and takes the gamble of a lifetime. Suddenly he's caught up in a new level of lights, cameras, and chaos--one that pushes his relationship with Anna to its limits. Anna has always found his unpredictable behavior sexy, but lately he's seen an ache in her eyes, and it has his soul in knots. Just as the recognition Griffin seeks is finally within reach, the thing he loves most in life could be slipping through his fingers . . .

Untamed: MacKinnon's Rangers 2 (MacKinnon's Rangers)

by Pamela Clare

Pamela Clare brings her expert plotting, sizzling chemistry and thrilling adventure to her breathtaking MacKinnon's Rangers series, in the grand tradition of The Last of the Mohicans, perfect for fans of Maya Banks, Monica McCarty and Zoe Archer.They were a band of brothers, their loyalty to one another forged by hardship and battle, the bond between these Highland warriors, rugged colonials, and fierce Native Americans stronger even than blood ties.Though forced to fight for the hated British, Morgan MacKinnon would no more betray the men he leads than slit his own throat - not even when he was captured by the French and threatened with an agonizing death by fire at the hands of their Abenaki allies. Only the look of innocent longing in the eyes of a convent-bred French lass could make him question his vow to escape and return to the Rangers. And soon the sweet passion he awoke in Amalie had him cursing the war that forced him to choose between upholding his honor and pledging himself to the woman he loves.Be swept away by the other sexy MacKinnon's Rangers in Surrender and Defiant. Or take a wildly romantic ride with Pamela Clare's I-Team: Extreme Exposure, Hard Evidence, Unlawful Contact, Naked Edge, Breaking Point, Striking Distance, Seduction Game.

Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood

by Lisa Damour Ph.D.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An award-winning guide to the sometimes erratic and confusing behavior of teenage girls from the author of Untangled and The Emotional Lives of Teenagers Dr. Lisa Damour worked as an expert collaborator on Pixar&’s Inside Out 2!&“The most down-to-earth, readable parenting book I&’ve come across in a long time.&”—The Washington Post In this sane, highly engaging, and informed guide for parents of daughters, Dr. Damour draws on decades of experience and the latest research to reveal the seven distinct—and absolutely normal—developmental transitions that turn girls into grown-ups, including Parting with Childhood, Contending with Adult Authority, Entering the Romantic World, and Caring for Herself. Providing realistic scenarios and welcome advice on how to engage daughters in smart, constructive ways, Untangled gives parents a broad framework for understanding their daughters while addressing their most common questions, including • My thirteen-year-old rolls her eyes when I try to talk to her, and only does it more when I get angry with her about it. How should I respond? • Do I tell my teen daughter that I&’m checking her phone? • My daughter suffers from test anxiety. What can I do to help her? • Where&’s the line between healthy eating and having an eating disorder? • My teenage daughter wants to know why I&’m against pot when it&’s legal in some states. What should I say? • My daughter&’s friend is cutting herself. Do I call the girl&’s mother to let her know? Perhaps most important, Untangled helps mothers and fathers understand, connect, and grow with their daughters. When parents know what makes their daughter tick, they can embrace and enjoy the challenge of raising a healthy, happy young woman.BOOKS FOR A BETTER LIFE AWARD WINNER

Untangling: Starting at an Ending to Find a Beginning

by Emma Grace

Love isn’t always shiny. And it isn’t always forever. With the same gentle, hopeful voice that has captivated readers worldwide comes the guide for starting over. Emma Grace’s second book, Untangling, begins at an ending— and ends at a beginning. Untangling is for anyone navigating the beautifully complicated process of untangling the knots our love stories tie into us.Each chapter tackles the sometimes sequential, sometimes parallel stages of healing a heart— from ‘When it all comes Tumbling Down’ to ‘Don’t you Dare Pick up that Phone.’ From ‘I Keep Forgetting I Can’t Call’ to ‘I will Never Love like this Again.’ This is a journey towards self-growth through reflection. Sprinkled with stories from her own journey, Emma will have you laughing. Reflecting. Tearing up. Letting go. But ultimately, feeling whole. Like a conversation with a best friend, Untangling will help you find your balance again. Remind you that you’re not alone in all this. Encourage you to learn from experiences in love instead of just having them. But mostly— how to find the kind of happiness that someone else didn’t make. And a broken heart can never take. Untangling is the book that helps you move forward without going back. That starts at an ending and ends at a beginning. And helps us each find peace with all the things we do, and did, when love was leading us.

Untethered

by Julie Lawson Timmer

When Char Hawthorn's husband dies unexpectedly, she is left questioning everything she once knew to be true: from the cozy small town life they built together to her relationship with her stepdaughter, who is suddenly not bound to Char in any real way. Untethered explores what bonds truly form a family and how, sometimes, love knows no bounds. Char Hawthorn, college professor, wife and stepmother to a spirited fifteen-year-old daughter, loves her family and the joyful rhythms of work and parenting. But when her husband dies in a car accident, the "step" in Char's title suddenly matters a great deal. In the eyes of the law, all rights to daughter Allie belong to Lindy, Allie's self-absorbed biological mother, who wants to girl to move to her home in California. While Allie begins to struggle in school and tensions mount between her and Char, Allie's connection to young Morgan, a ten-year-old-girl she tutors, seems to keep her grounded. But then Morgan, who was adopted out of foster care, suddenly disappears, and Char is left to wonder about a possible future without Allie and what to do about Morgan, a child caught up in a terrible crack in the system.From the Hardcover edition.

Untethered: Creating Connected Families, Schools, and Communities to Raise a Resilient Generation

by Doug Bolton Ph.D.

An essential guide to restoring our children&’s behavioral health and wellbeingOver the past decade, children&’s mental health challenges have reached epidemic levels—stress, anxiety, childhood depression, and suicide are at unprecedented high rates. Amid high-stakes pressure for kids to succeed, parents and teachers have never needed a road map to healthy child development more urgently. And as psychologist and educator Doug Bolton explains in this eye-opening and powerful guide, underlying our modern-day stresses is an even more pervasive problem: We&’re relying on practices that are not in line with what science tells us about how to truly motivate children and help them thrive.As Bolton persuasively argues, we need to step away from parenting and teaching based on controlling our children with incentives and punishments—they focus on short-term compliance at the cost of health development. Instead, creating healthy and strongly bonded communities for our children, both in our own families and in our schools, is key to their emotional well-being, and their success in life. Untethered offers tools to help us create these communities so our kids develop healthy attachments and learn emotional regulation, helping them feel more connected, less anxious, more included, less shamed, and more securely grounded. The power of communities is not only that they enhance our wellness—they buffer us from the impact of trauma and can be a guiding force in helping kids develop resilience.Weaving in Bolton&’s own experiences as a former principal at a therapeutic school and as a father, Untethered is a deeply empathetic and powerful guide to combating the isolation we see in this generation today, leading them toward a healthier, more interconnected future.

Unthinkable

by Nancy Werlin

This much anticipated sequel to the New York Times Bestseller Impossible - a fantasy full of suspense, mystery, and romance - will appeal to fans of Beautiful Creatures, Raven Boys, and Wicked Lovely.Fenella was the first Scarborough girl to be cursed, hundreds of years ago, and she has been trapped in the faerie realm ever since, forced to watch generations of daughters try to break this same faerie curse that has enslaved them all. But now Fenella's descendant, Lucy, has accomplished the impossible and broken the curse, so why is Fenella still trapped in Faerie? In her desperation, Fenella makes a deal with the faerie queen: If she can accomplish three acts of destruction, she will be free, at last, to die. What she doesn't realize is that these acts must be aimed at her own family - and if she fails, the consequences will be dire, for all of the Scarborough girls. How can she possibly choose to hurt her own cherished family - not to mention the new man whom she's surprised to find herself falling in love with? But if she doesn't go through with the tasks, how will she manage to save her dear ones?

Until Again

by Lou Aronica

Reviewers have called Lou Aronica's novel BLUE "compelling," "beautifully written," "a story to remember and cherish," and "one of those books that everyone should find a moment to read." Readers have said it was "a great inspiration," "I've never been more moved or inspired," and "one of the best books I've read." Now comes this prequel novella, a short work that provides the essential story behind the story.UNTIL AGAIN tells of a decidedly real-world event: the final weekend in the breakup of a marriage. For Chris Astor, the divorce is not something he wants, primarily because of the distance it will put between his ten-year-old daughter Becky and himself. Juxtaposed against this is a critical event in Tamarisk, the bedtime-story fantasy world that Chris and Becky created when Becky was much younger. Miea, the university-age princess of Tamarisk fears that her world has become a terribly dangerous place...but she could not possibly have imagined where that danger will lead her and the people she loves.

Until August: A Novel

by Gabriel García Márquez

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • The extraordinary rediscovered novel from the Nobel Prize–winning author of Love in the Time of Cholera and One Hundred Years of Solitude—a moving tale of female desire and abandon Sitting alone beside the languorous blue waters of the lagoon, Ana Magdalena Bach contemplates the men at the hotel bar. She has been happily married for twenty-seven years and has no reason to escape the life she has made with her husband and children. And yet, every August, she travels by ferry here to the island where her mother is buried, and for one night takes a new lover.Across sultry Caribbean evenings full of salsa and boleros, lotharios and conmen, Ana journeys further each year into the hinterland of her desire and the fear hidden in her heart.Constantly surprising, joyously sensual, Until August is a profound meditation on freedom, regret, self-transformation, and the mysteries of love—an unexpected gift from one of the greatest writers the world has ever known.

Until Friday Night: Until Friday Night; Under The Lights; After The Game; Losing The Field (Field Party #1)

by Abbi Glines

A #1 New York Times bestseller and the first novel in a brand-new series—from bestselling author Abbi Glines—about a small Southern town filled with cute boys in pickup trucks, Friday night football games, and crazy parties that stir up some major drama.To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy: the cocky, popular, way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god who led Lawton High to the state championships. But while West may be Big Man on Campus on the outside, on the inside he’s battling the grief that comes with watching his father slowly die of cancer. Two years ago, Maggie Carleton’s life fell apart when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn’t spoken since. Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn’t draw Maggie back out. So she stayed quiet, keeping her sorrow and her fractured heart hidden away. As West’s pain becomes too much to handle, he knows he needs to talk to someone about his father—so in the dark shadows of a post-game party, he opens up to the one girl who he knows won’t tell anyone else. West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or at least a flood of emotions he couldn’t control. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own—or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn’t ever let her go…

Until I Find Julian

by Patricia Reilly Giff

Newbery Honor-winning author Patricia Reilly Giff tells a vivid, contemporary story about a remarkable boy who risks everything for his family and a bold girl who helps him. At home in Mexico, Mateo knows where he belongs: with Mami, Abuelita, little brother Lucas, and big brother Julian. When Julian leaves to work in el Norte, the United States, Mateo misses him. And when the family stops hearing from Julian, Mateo knows he has to find his beloved brother. With only his old notebook and a backpack, Mateo heads for the border, where dangers await: robbers, and the border police, who will send him back home or perhaps even put him in prison. On his journey, Mateo meets Angel, a smart, mysterious girl who can guide his crossing. Angel is tough; so is Mateo, and his memories of his loving family sustain him. Because no matter what happens, he can't go home until he finds Julian.

Until I Find You

by John Irving

Until I Find You is the story of the actor Jack Burns – his life, loves, celebrity and astonishing search for the truth about his parents. When he is four years old, Jack travels with his mother Alice, a tattoo artist, to several North Sea ports in search of his father, William Burns. From Copenhagen to Amsterdam, William, a brilliant church organist and profligate womanizer, is always a step ahead – has always just departed in a wave of scandal, with a new tattoo somewhere on his body from a local master or “scratcher.”Alice and Jack abandon their quest, and Jack is educated at schools in Canada and New England – including, tellingly, a girls’ school in Toronto. His real education consists of his relationships with older women – from Emma Oastler, who initiates him into erotic life, to the girls of St. Hilda’s, with whom he first appears on stage, to the abusive Mrs. Machado, whom he first meets when sent to learn wrestling at a local gym. Too much happens in this expansive, eventful novel to possibly summarize it all. Emma and Jack move to Los Angeles, where Emma becomes a successful novelist and Jack a promising actor. A host of eccentric minor characters memorably come and go, including Jack’s hilariously confused teacher the Wurtz; Michelle Maher, the girlfriend he will never forget; and a precocious child Jack finds in the back of an Audi in a restaurant parking lot. We learn about tattoo addiction and movie cross-dressing, “sleeping in the needles” and the cure for cauliflower ears. And John Irving renders his protagonist’s unusual rise through Hollywood with the same vivid detail and range of emotions he gives to the organ music Jack hears as a child in European churches. This is an absorbing and moving book about obsession and loss, truth and storytelling, the signs we carry on us and inside us, the traces we can’t get rid of. Jack has always lived in the shadow of his absent father. But as he grows older – and when his mother dies – he starts to doubt the portrait of his father’s character she painted for him when he was a child. This is the cue for a second journey around Europe in search of his father, from Edinburgh to Switzerland, towards a conclusion of great emotional force.A melancholy tale of deception, Until I Find You is also a swaggering comic novel, a giant tapestry of life’s hopes. It is a masterpiece to compare with John Irving’s great novels, and restates the author’s claim to be considered the most glorious, comic, moving novelist at work today.

Until I Find You: Disappeared Children and Coercive Adoptions in Guatemala

by Rachel Nolan

The poignant saga of Guatemala’s adoption industry: an international marketplace for children, built on a foundation of inequality, war, and Indigenous dispossession.In 2009 Dolores Preat went to a small Maya town in Guatemala to find her birth mother. At the address retrieved from her adoption file, she was told that her supposed mother, one Rosario Colop Chim, never gave up a child for adoption—but in 1984 a girl across the street was abducted. At that house, Preat met a woman who strongly resembled her. Colop Chim, it turned out, was not Preat’s mother at all, but a jaladora—a baby broker.Some 40,000 children, many Indigenous, were kidnapped or otherwise coercively parted from families scarred by Guatemala’s civil war or made desperate by unrelenting poverty. Amid the US-backed army’s genocide against Indigenous Maya, children were wrested from their villages and put up for adoption illegally, mostly in the United States. During the war’s second decade, adoption was privatized, overseen by lawyers who made good money matching children to overseas families. Private adoptions skyrocketed to the point where tiny Guatemala overtook giants like China and Russia as a “sender” state. Drawing on government archives, oral histories, and a rare cache of adoption files opened briefly for war crimes investigations, Rachel Nolan explores the human toll of an international industry that thrives on exploitation.Would-be parents in rich countries have fostered a commercial market for children from poor countries, with Guatemala becoming the most extreme case. Until I Find You reckons with the hard truths of a practice that builds loving families in the Global North out of economic exploitation, endemic violence, and dislocation in the Global South.

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