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Duffy's World: Seeing the World through a Dog's Eyes
by Faith McCuneAn Australian shepherd tells the story of his puppyhood and life with his family—with a little help from his human companion . . . Part memoir, part dog owner&’s manual, this delightful book is narrated primarily from a dog&’s point of view. As Duffy&’s owner chimes in with her own perspective, readers will recognize their own joys and challenges that mark the territory of the human/canine relationship. From eating anything and everything, to a profound fear of needles and bee stings, to being &“released&” from dog training school, Duffy&’s never-ending zest for new experiences is the source of his owner&’s greatest frustration—and most profound life lessons. &“Duffy&’s story touched my heart.&” —Julie Hanson, registered veterinary technician
The Four Gifts of the King: A Novel
by R. Scott RodinThe leadership coach, theological visionary, and author of The Steward Leader delivers a thrilling novel of salvation and hope that speaks to the soul. When Sam Roberts learns he is dying, he is faced with a decision that will determine his legacy and alter forever the destinies of his four adult children. With his lifelong friend Walter at his side, Sam writes his last words to his children. His legacy would come not through money or power, but through a parable. Sam takes his children and readers alike on the breathtaking adventure of Steward of Aiden Glenn and his quest to find the King and learn the purpose for his life. The Four Gifts of the King is a saga of truth and deception, of trust and love, of courage and victory, and of faith. At its heart is the importance of family and coming home to the values that shape adults from children. It calls readers to consider their own legacy. It&’s a parable that changed the lives of Sam&’s children forever, as it changes the lives of all who read it.
The Holocaust: History & Memory (The\second World War Ser.)
by Jeremy Black&“A compact and cogent academic account of the Holocaust.&” —Kirkus Reviews Brilliant and wrenching, The Holocaust: History and Memory tells the story of the brutal mass slaughter of Jews during World War II and how that genocide has been remembered and misremembered ever since. Taking issue with generations of scholars who separate the Holocaust from Germany&’s military ambitions, historian Jeremy M. Black demonstrates persuasively that Germany&’s war on the Allies was entwined with Hitler&’s war on Jews. As more and more territory came under Hitler&’s control, the extermination of Jews became a major war aim, particularly in the east, where many died and whole Jewish communities were exterminated in mass shootings carried out by the German army and collaborators long before the extermination camps were built. Rommel&’s attack on Egypt was a stepping stone to a larger goal—the annihilation of 400,000 Jews living in Palestine. After Pearl Harbor, Hitler saw America&’s initial focus on war with Germany rather than Japan as evidence of influential Jewish interests in American policy, thus justifying and escalating his war with Jewry through the Final Solution. And the German public knew. In chilling detail, Black unveils compelling evidence that many everyday Germans must have been aware of the genocide around them. In the final chapter, he incisively explains the various ways that the Holocaust has been remembered, downplayed, and even dismissed as it slips from horrific experience into collective consciousness and memory. Essential, concise, and highly readable, The Holocaust: History and Memory bears witness to those forever silenced and ensures that we will never forget their horrifying fate. &“A balanced and precise work that is true to the scholarship, comprehensive yet not overwhelming, clearly written and beneficial for the expert and informed public alike.&” —Jewish Book Council &“A demanding but important work.&” —Choice Reviews
Mrs. Pringle of Fairacre: A Novel (The Beloved Fairacre Series #17)
by Miss ReadThere&’s no pleasing Mrs. Pringle—and everyone in Fairacre knows it. &“Miss Read&’s novels are sheer delight&” (Chicago Tribune). Miss Read is certain of one thing—she won&’t be forced to hire grumpy Mrs. Pringle to straighten up her house. Mrs. Pringle of Fairacre chronicles the life of the beloved but curmudgeonly school cleaner through the stories of her fellow villagers. Readers will delight in the quirks of this favorite character, from the &“flare-ups&” of her bad leg to her possessive fondness for the school&’s two coal stoves. Her neighbors also remember Maud Pringle&’s little-known benevolence, like the time she knitted mittens for poor Joe Coggs. The downland village of Fairacre bustles with familiar characters, who all have stories to share about the town&’s (and readers&’) favorite grouch. &“Miss Read is a master of characterization and description . . . Mrs. Pringle is a book to savor to the very end.&” —Broward Sun-Sentinel &“A soothing oasis of tidy living for the frazzled reader weary of an untidy world.&” —Kirkus Reviews
Howard Zinn Speaks: Collected Speeches 1963-2009
by Howard ZinnA wide-ranging collection of speeches—many published here for the first time—by the historian and author of A People&’s History of the United States. Howard Zinn has illuminated our history like no other US historian. This collection of his speeches on protest movements, racism, war, and American history covers more than four decades of his active engagement with the audiences he inspired with his humor, insight, and clarity. This volume features Zinn&’s impassioned and erudite statements on the war in Vietnam, abolishing the death penalty, the legacy of Emma Goldman, the myth of American exceptionalism, the Obama Administration, and much more. &“Reading Howard&’s spoken words, I feel that I am almost hearing his voice again—his stunning pitch-perfect ability to capture the moment and the concerns and needs of the audience, whoever they may be, always enlightening, often stirring, an amalgam of insight, critical history, wit, blended with charm and appeal.&” —Noam Chomsky, leading public intellectual and author of Hopes and Prospects &“With ferocious moral clarity and mischievous humor, Howard turned routine antiwar rallies into profound explorations of state violence and staid academic conferences into revival meetings for social change.&” —Naomi Klein, author of No Is Not Enough and The Battle For Paradise
The Boy on the Lake: A True Story
by Charlie Smith Susan Rosser Trevor SchaeferThe inspiring true story of a boy who turned his struggle with cancer into a public health crusade that went all the way to Washington, DC. Trevor Smith Schaefer was the boy with everything to live for. Born into a family of baseball and Big Macs, his life in a small Idaho mountain town was full of nothing but potential. Then came the piercing headaches that wouldn&’t stop. And soon after his thirteenth birthday he received the diagnosis that would turn Trevor&’s world upside-down—he had brain cancer. After having a tumor the size of a golf ball removed from his brain, Trevor persevered through a difficult recovery. But he wasn&’t done fighting. With the help of his mother, Trevor began organizing fundraisers and educational awareness events for cancer—specifically the types occurring in children due to environmental factors like pollution and toxic waste. This is the incredible tale of Trevor&’s journey from cancer patient to community activist and the force behind what became known as &“Trevor&’s Law&”—which required the government to track and follow cancer clusters and their causes. The bill was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2016. The passing and signing of Trevor&’s Law proved &“the power of one Idahoan, one American, to bring change that will benefit millions of people who could face cancer one day.&” —Senator Mike Crapo, R–Idaho
Get Along with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere!: 8 Keys to Creating Enduring Connections with Customers, Co-Workers . . . Even Kids!
by Arnold Sanow Sandra StraussA renowned business and communication expert demonstrates 8 key ways to create enduring connections with friends, customers, co-workers . . . and even kids! Whether you work in marketing and sales or in customer service . . . are a CEO or a stay-at-home mom, the ability to effectively connect with the needs of others dramatically affects your productivity, effectiveness, and motivation. This is your one-stop guidebook for all the information you need to communicate effectively and build lasting personal and professional relationships today, next week, and next year. Relationships are critical to success and happiness. This book, written by one of only 525 Certified Speaking Professionals in the world, will give you skills you need to turn your encounters with contacts, acquaintances, and even family members, into enduring connections. "A useful reminder of what we all need to make our lives and our businesses work better: communication, openness and sincerity. It's so easy to lose touch with these concepts in a busy, stressful day, but Sanow and Strauss make a compelling argument that it's worth it to make the effort.&” —The Washington Post
Essays: An Essay
by Wallace ShawnA collection of &“deceptively simple, profoundly thoughtful, fiercely honest&” essays on art, life, and politics by the acclaimed actor and playwright (Howard Zinn, author of Political Awakenings and Indispensable Zinn). Whether writing about the genesis of his plays, such as Aunt Dan and Lemon; discussing how the privileged world of arts and letters takes for granted the people who serve our food and deliver our mail; describing his upbringing in the sheltered world of Manhattan&’s cultural elite; or engaging in a fascinating interview with Noam Chomsky, Wallace Shawn has a unique ability to step back from the appearance of things to explore their deeper social meanings. In these essays, Shawn grasps the unpleasant contradictions of modern life and challenges us to look at our own behavior in a more honest light. He also finds the pathos in the political and personal challenges of everyday life. With the same sharp wit and remarkable attention to detail that he brings to his critically acclaimed plays, Shawn invites us to look at the world with new eyes, the better to understand—and change it. &“Full of what you might call conversation starters: tricky propositions about morality . . . politics, privilege, runaway nationalist fantasies, collective guilt, and art as a force for change (or not) . . . It&’s a treat to hear him speak his curious mind.&” —O Magazine &“Lovely, hilarious and seriously thought provoking, I enjoyed it tremendously.&” —Toni Morrison, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature
The Stone Gods: A Novel
by Jeanette WintersonThe Whitbread Prize–winning author of Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit delivers a novel that &“transports us to something like the future of our own planet&” (The Washington Post Book World). On the airwaves, all the talk is of the new blue planet—pristine and habitable, like our own was sixty-five million years ago, before we took it to the edge of destruction. Off the air, Billie Crusoe and the renegade Robo sapien Spike are falling in love. Along with Captain Handsome and Pink, they&’re assigned to colonize the new blue planet. But when a technical maneuver intended to make it inhabitable backfires, Billie and Spike&’s flight to the future becomes a surprising return to the distant past—&“Everything is imprinted forever with what it once was.&” What will happen when their story combines with the world&’s story? Will they—and we—ever find a safe landing place? Playful, passionate, polemical, and frequently very funny, The Stone Gods will change forever the stories we tell about the earth, about love, and about stories themselves. &“Scary, beautiful, witty and wistful by turns, dipping into the known past as it explores potential futures.&” —The New York Times Book Review &“[A book] that you don&’t so much read as drink in, refuse to put down, cast inside of like a hunting dog, seeking against all odds the insight that will illuminate everything, a true answer to the fix we&’re in.&” —Los Angeles Times &“A vivid, cautionary tale—or, more precisely, a keen lament for our irremediably incautious species.&” —Ursula K. Le Guin, bestselling author of Changing Planes
D-Day Through French Eyes: Normandy 1944
by Mary Louise Roberts&“A moving examination of how French civilians experienced the fighting&” at Normandy during WWII from the acclaimed author of What Soldiers Do (Telegraph, UK). &“Like big black umbrellas, they rain down on the fields across the way, and then disappear behind the black line of the hedges.&” Silent parachutes dotting the night sky—that&’s how one Normandy woman learned that the D-Day invasion was under way in June of 1944. Though they yearned for liberation, the French had to steel themselves for war, knowing that their homes, lands, and fellow citizens would have to bear the brunt of the attack. With D-Day through French Eyes, Mary Louise Roberts turns the conventional narrative of D-Day on its head, taking readers across the Channel to view the invasion anew. Roberts builds her history from an impressive range of gripping first-person accounts by French citizens throughout the region. A farm family notices that cabbage is missing from their garden—then discovers that the guilty culprits are American paratroopers hiding in the cowshed. Fishermen rescue pilots from the wreck of their B-17, then search for clothes big enough to disguise them as civilians. A young man learns to determine whether a bomb is whistling overhead or silently plummeting toward them. When the allied infantry arrived, French citizens guided them to hidden paths and little-known bridges, giving them crucial advantages over the German occupiers. As she did in her acclaimed account of GIs in postwar France, What Soldiers Do, Roberts here sheds vital new light on a story we thought we knew. "In the great tradition of Studs Terkel and Is Paris Burning?, Mary Louise Roberts uses the diaries and memoirs of French civilians to narrate a history of the French at D-Day that has for too long been occluded by the mythology of the allied landing.&”—Alice Kaplan, author of Dreaming in French
Salvation and Suicide: Jim Jones, The Peoples Temple, and Jonestown (Religion in North America #No. 690)
by David ChidesterAn &“ambitious and courageous&” examination of the Jonestown cult viewed through the lens of theology (Journal of the American Academy of Religion). Re-issued in recognition of the 25th anniversary of the mass suicides at Jonestown, this revised edition of David Chidester&’s groundbreaking book features a new prologue that considers the meaning of the tragedy for a post-Waco, post-9/11 world. For Chidester, the murder-suicide of some 900 members of the Peoples Temple in Guyana recalls the American religious commitment to redemptive sacrifice, which for Jim Jones meant saving his followers from the evils of capitalist society. &“Jonestown is ancient history,&” writes Chidester, but it does provide us with an opportunity &“to reflect upon the strangeness of familiar . . . promises of redemption through sacrifice.&” His original conclusion that the Peoples Temple was a meaningful religious movement seems all the more prescient and astute today, when fundamentalism has raised the troubling spectre of violence and suicide all over the world.
Follow Me into the Dark
by Felicia C. SullivanA woman&’s tortured past is reawakened when a twisted murderer strikes close to home in this &“original, spellbinding, and horrifying read&” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). Kate is a young woman whose mother is dying of cancer. Gillian is an oversexed, hyper-intellectual who looks like Kate—and is sleeping with Kate&’s loathsome stepfather. Jonah is Gillian&’s odd but devoted stepbrother—who increasingly matches the description of the rampaging serial killer known as the Doll Collector. Though Kate desperately tries to keep herself together and shut out unwelcome memories, snippets of her family legacy keep resurfacing as the Doll Collector&’s body count grows. Are the depraved murders connected to her family&’s sordid history? And will Kate be able to confront the horrors of her own past before it&’s too late to stop the slaughter? A &“haunting and wholly engrossing story of uncommon moral complexity, with prose bright and swift as lightning,&” Follow Me into the Dark is a complex, dark expression of a deprived heart and an exploration of the desperate lengths children will go to in order to create family in the wake of abuse (Laura van den Berg, author of Find Me).
The Comedy Film Nerds Guide to Movies: Featuring Dave Anthony, Lord Carrett, Dean Haglund, Allan Havey, Laura House, Jackie Kashian, Suzy Nakamura, Greg ... Schmidt, Neil T. Weakley, and Matt Weinhold
by Chris Mancini Graham ElwoodA movie guide for film and comedy fans, by filmmakers and comedians, for the movie lover with a good sense of humor. Tired of the usual boring, dry movie discussion? The Comedy Film Nerds Guide to Movies is something new. Is it serious movie discussion? Is it funny? Do the writers know what the hell they are talking about? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Okay, that&’s too many yes&’s, but you get the point. Graham Elwood and Chris Mancini, both professional filmmakers and comedians, created comedyfilmnerds.com to mind meld the idea of real movie talk and real funny. And they called in all of their professionally funny and filmy friends to help them. Comedians and writers who have been on everything from the Tonight Show to their own comedy specials tell you what&’s what about their favorite film genres. While The Comedy Film Nerds Guide to Movies is funny and informative, each genre is given a personal touch. All of the Comedy Film Nerds have a love of film and a personal connection to each genre. Read about a love of film from an insider&’s perspective. The Comedy Film Nerds Guide to Movies brings what has been missing from movie discussion for too long: a healthy dose of humor.
Questioning God (Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Religion)
by John D. Caputo, Mark Dooley and Michael J. ScanlonJacques Derrida and other scholars explore postmodern thinking about God and consider the nature of forgiveness in relation to the paradoxes of the gift. In fifteen insightful essays, Jacques Derrida and an international group of scholars explore the implications of deconstruction for religion, focusing on two topics: God and forgiveness. Among the themes addressed by contributors are the possibilities of imagining God as unthinkable, imagining God as nonpatriarchal, imagining a return to Augustine, and imagining an age in which praise is far more important than narrative. Questioning God moves readers beyond the parameters of metaphysical reason and modernist rationality as it attempts to think the questions of God and forgiveness in a postmodernist context. Contributors include John D. Caputo, Jacques Derrida, Mark Dooley, Francis Schüssler Fiorenza, Robert Gibbs, Jean Greisch, Kevin Hart, Richard Kearney, Cleo McNelly Kearns, John Milbank, Regina M. Schwartz, Michael J. Scanlon, and Graham Ward. &“What sets this work apart from the majority of other publications on the subject of postmodern theology and prevents it from descending into a sanctimonious hagiography of Derrida&’s genius is the presence among the contributors of Graham Ward and John Milbank, two of the founding members of the movement known as radical orthodoxy. This present work is the first to document supporters of radical orthodoxy critically engaging with proponents of Derridean deconstruction.&” —Perspectives
From New York to San Francisco: Travel Sketches from the Year 1869 (Encounters: Explorations in Folklore and Ethnomusicology)
by Ernst Mendelssohn-BartholdyA &“fresh, wonderful, captivating&” journey across 19th-century America through the letters of composer Felix Mendelssohn&’s nephew (alfemminile.blogspot.com). Welcome to an America you&’ve never seen. Where anyone can drop by the White House and visit the President between 10 a.m. and noon; where cowcatchers are bloodied daily on train tracks between New York and Boston; where spent bullets are strewn across Civil War battlefields, and Indians still roam Yosemite Valley; where pigs rut in the sand-and-clay streets of Washington, DC., and the weather-bleached skeletons of oxen and horses line the old mail roads across the West. For three hot summer months in 1869, Ernst Mendelssohn-Barthody, the nephew of famed composer Felix Mendelssohn, traveled by train across the United States accompanied by his older cousin. His letters back home to Prussia offer fascinating glimpses of a young, rapidly growing America. Unceasingly annoyed at the Americans&’ tendency to spit all the time, the Prussian aristocrats seemingly visited everyone and everywhere: meeting President Grant and Brigham Young; touring Niagara Falls, Mammoth Cave, the Redwoods, and Yosemite; taking in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Omaha, San Francisco, and the still war-ravaged city of Richmond; and crossing the continent by rail just two months after the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads had been joined at Promontory, Utah. Full of marvelous tales and insightful observations, Ernst Mendelssohn-Barthody&’s letters are a revealing window to a long-ago America. &“If you love epistolary genre and the USA and if you want to understand how Americans lived immediately after the Secession War, From New York to San Francisco is the book you were waiting for.&”—alfemminile.blogspot.com
Celebrations at Thrush Green: A Novel (The Beloved Thrush Green Series #11)
by Miss Read John S. GoodallSave the date for some English village fun: &“You&’ll relish a visit to Thrush Green&” (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times–bestselling author). In the Cotswolds village of Thrush Green, celebrations are underway. A statue of Nathaniel Patten has graced the green for years, but little is known of the village&’s most distinguished son until an unexpected letter arrives. When the correspondence shows that one hundred years have passed since the opening of Patten&’s mission school in Africa, coinciding with the centenary of Thrush Green&’s own village school, the townsfolk decide to combine festivities for a very special occasion. As with all village events, the plans for the celebration are beset with anxieties, but when the long-anticipated day arrives, the village finds reason to rejoice. &“For the fans, another deep dream of peace—in the doings of that Cotswold English village of Thrush Green, endearingly chronicled as civil neighbors enjoy little pleasures and major satisfactions . . . A bedtime soother of remarkable potency.&” —Kirkus Reviews
I Still Believe Anita Hill: Three Generations Discuss the Legacies of Speaking Truth to Power
by Amy Richards and Cynthia GreenbergA searing collection of essays looks back at the 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearings that ignited a national debate about workplace sexual harassment. In the fall of 1991, Anita Hill captured the country&’s attention when she testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee describing sexual harassment by Clarence Thomas, who had been her boss and was about to ascend to the Supreme Court. We know what happened next: she was challenged, disbelieved, and humiliated; he was given a lifelong judicial appointment. What is less well-known is how many women and men were inspired by Anita Hill&’s bravery, how her testimony changed the feminist movement, and how she singlehandedly brought public awareness to the issue of sexual harassment. Twenty years later, this collection brings together three generations to witness, respond to, and analyze Hill&’s impact, and to present insights in law, politics, and the confluence of race, class, and gender. With original contributions by Anita Hill, Melissa Harris-Perry, Catharine MacKinnon, Patricia J. Williams, Eve Ensler, Ai Jen Poo, Kimberly Crenshaw, Lynn Nottage, Gloria Steinem, Lani Guinier, Lisa Kron, Mary Oliver, Edwidge Danticat, Kevin Powell, and many others. &“These timely essays show us how those historic hearings brought sexual harassment (especially in the workplace) into the public eye, while also revealing what still hasn&’t changed, and reminding us of the intersection of race, class, gender, and power that underlies this contentious issue.&” —Publishers Weekly
Witness to the German Revolution
by Victor SergeDispatches from a workers&’ revolt by the Memoirs of a Revolutionary author, &“one of the most compelling of twentieth-century ethical and literary heroes&” (Susan Sontag, winner of the National Book Award). Following in the wake of the carnage reaped across Europe by World War I, German workers undertook a struggle that would prove decisive in determining the course of the entire twentieth century. In 1923, the fledgling Comintern (The Communist International) dispatched Victor Serge, with his peerless journalistic skills, to Berlin to expedite the German Revolution and write these moving reports from the battlefront. Praise for Victor Serge &“He was an eyewitness of events of world historical importance, of great hope and even greater tragedy. His political recollections are very important, because they reflect so well the mood of this lost generation . . . His articles and books speak for themselves, and we would be poorer without them.&” —Partisan Review &“I know of no other writer with whom Serge can be very usefully compared. The essence of the man and his books is to be found in his attitude to the truth.&” —John Berger, Booker Prize–winning author &“The novels, poems, memoirs and other writings of Victor Serge are among the finest works of literature inspired by the October Revolution that brought the working class to power in Russia in 1917 . . . His articles—like the work of John Reed, his American friend—let us follow revolutionary events as they unfold, as seen through the eyes of an exceptionally alert journalist.&” —Scott McLemee, writer of the weekly &“Intellectual Affairs&” column for Inside Higher Ed
If a Tree Falls: A Family's Quest to Hear and Be Heard
by Jennifer RosnerA revealing memoir of a family and a &“wrenching journey into deafness from the standpoint of a mother, a wife, a daughter, a philosopher, and a Jew&” (Ilan Stavans, author of On Borrowed Words: A Memoir of Language). When her daughters were born deaf, Jennifer Rosner was stunned. Then she discovered a hidden history of deafness in her family, going back generations to the Jewish enclaves of Eastern Europe. Traveling back in time in her mind, she imagined her silent relatives, who showed surprising creativity in dealing with a world that preferred to ignore them. Here, in a &“gentle meditation on sound and silence, love and family&” Rosner shares her journey into the modern world of deafness, and the controversial decisions she and her husband made about hearing aids, cochlear implants and sign language (Publishers Weekly). Punctuated by memories of being unheard, Rosner&’s imaginative odyssey of dealing with her daughters&’ deafness is at its heart a story of whether she—a mother with perfect hearing—can ever truly hear her children.
Unleashing Genius: Leading Yourself, Teams and Corporations
by Paul David WalkerAn executive coach walks you step-by-step through the process that frees up your mind to promote and implement ideas for success. From creating new realities to exploring connectivity to gaining new insight, Unleashing Genius takes you into the heart of how you actually formulate successful ideas and frameworks. With twenty-five years of experience coaching CEOs and executive leaders under his belt, Paul shares the foundational elements of The Secret to unleashing individual genius and team wisdom. Stephen Covey, in an interview with Forbes.com, said that once you unleash the creative energy inside of people it affects every aspect of their life. Through reading Unleashing Genius, you will find out how to actually discover and use your instincts for success to create numerous frameworks and models that may transform your business and your life. &“Paul&’s real value to the Chief Executive Officer of any business organization is that he understands the concept of how cultural change is necessary to develop real growth, working with managers to develop and implement change and provide concrete solutions.&” —Joseph F. Prevratil, president and CEO, RMS Foundation, Inc.
Wasted World: How Our Consumption Challenges the Planet
by Rob HengeveldThis biologist&’s &“monumental cri de Coeur&” for our planet offers a holistic view of our species, the waste we produce, and a path toward sustainability (Nature). In Wasted World, Rob Hengeveld traces the entwined histories of population growth and resource consumption to reveal how our global waste crises came about. As Hengeveld explains, human life depends on energy, which we first obtained through food. Later, we supplemented this with energy from water, wind, animals, and finally fossil fuels, as one source after another fell short of our ever-growing needs. Greater energy consumption has created greater waste, including the atmospheric waste that is driving climate change. As we face a web of interconnected problems, addressing them individually will not work. Instead, Hengeveld argues, we need to tackle their common cause: our staggering population growth. A practical look at the sustainability of our planet from a biologist and expert in the abundances and distributions of species, Wasted World examines the whole process of using, wasting, and exhausting energy and material resources. And by elucidating the complexity of the causes of our current global state, Hengeveld offers us a way forward.
Dear Mendl, Dear Reyzl: Yiddish Letter Manuals from Russia and America
by Alice Nakhimovsky Roberta Newman&“Explore[s] the Jewish past via letters that reflect connections and collisions between old and new worlds.&” —Jewish Book Council At the turn of the 20th century, Jewish families scattered by migration could stay in touch only through letters. Jews in the Russian Empire and America wrote business letters, romantic letters, and emotionally intense family letters. But for many Jews who were unaccustomed to communicating their public and private thoughts in writing, correspondence was a challenge. How could they make sure their spelling was correct and they were organizing their thoughts properly? A popular solution was to consult brivnshtelers, Yiddish-language books of model letters. Dear Mendl, Dear Reyzl translates selections from these model-letter books and includes essays and annotations that illuminate their role as guides to a past culture. &“Covers a neglected aspect of Jewish popular culture and deserves a wide readership. For all serious readers of Yiddish and immigrant Jewish culture and customs.&” —Library Journal &“Delivers more than one would expect because it goes beyond a linguistic study of letter-writing manuals and explicates their genre and social function.&” —Slavic Review &“Reproductions of brivnshtelers form the core of the book and comprise the majority of the text, providing a ground-level window into a largely obscured past.&” —Publishers Weekly &“The real delight of the book is in reading the letters themselves . . . Highly recommended.&” —AJL Reviews
Hold On to the Sun
by Michal GovrinThe Israeli author&’s poetry, essays, and stories on the haunting legacy of WWII &“swirl mystically out of history and into dazzling floods of wonder&” (Don DeLillo, author of White Noise). In this portrait of the artist as a young woman, one of Israel&’s most acclaimed contemporary writers weaves together a kaleidoscope of fiction, poetry, and essays. Populated by both fictional and real people, each tale is in some way a search for meaning in a post-Holocaust world. Reminiscent of W.G. Sebald, characters irrationally and humanely find reason for hope in a world that offers little. Essays describe Govrin&’s visits to Poland as a young adult, where her mother had survived a death camp, but had lost her husband and their child, Govrin&’s half-brother. Capturing the depths of denial and the exuberance of youth in a multiplicity of voices, this haunting collection &“joins the few serious books that try through artistic means to face the unspeakable&” (Aharon Appelfield, author of Badenheim 1939).
Ghosts of Georgetown (Haunted America)
by Tim KreppTake the Exorcist Steps to meet &“the diverse array of ghosts&” in DC&’s historic neighborhood—from the author of Capitol Hill Haunts (The Hoya). On the banks of the Potomac River, Georgetown has had three centuries to accumulate ghoulish tales and venerable apparitions to haunt its cobbled streets and mansions. In this historic Washington, DC, neighborhood, the eerie moans of three sisters herald every death on the river, and on R Street, President Lincoln is rumored to have witnessed the paranormal at a seance. Along the towpath of the C&O Canal, a phantom police officer still walks his lonely beat, and on moonlit nights, he is joined by a razor-wielding ghoul. From the spirit of a sea captain who lingers in the Old Stone House to the strange ambiance of the Exorcist Steps, author and guide Tim Krepp takes readers on a chilling journey through the ghostly lore of Georgetown. Includes photos! &“A great storyteller who, with a confident grasp of the facts and judiciously inserted asides, can bring to life both the haunters and the haunted. His way of ending his chapters with—gasp!—the literary equivalent of a horror movie organ chord lends a delightfully chilling touch.&” —HillRag
Changes at Fairacre: A Novel (The Beloved Fairacre Series #18)
by Miss ReadEven a small English village can&’t escape growing pains— &“If you&’ve ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you&’ll relish a visit to Fairacre.&” (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times–bestselling author). Times are changing in the charming downland village of Fairacre, and Miss Read isn&’t certain it&’s all for the best. The new commuter lifestyle has caused a decline in attendance at the local school, and officials are threatening closure. Miss Read worries about the failing health of Dolly Clare. Vegetable gardens have given way to trips to the Caxley markets, and the traditional village fête now includes a prize for best quiche. With her trademark patience and good humor, Miss Read hopes for the best and plans for the worst as the village grows increasingly modern. Despite all the innovations, Fairacre still retains its essential elements: gentle wit, good manners, and the comfort of caring neighbors. &“The characters and settings are as familiar and comfortable as old shoes. . . . Read writes with deep affection about what she knows and never succumbs to the temptation of clichés. An occasional visit to Fairacre offers a restful change from the frenetic pace of the contemporary world.&” —Publishers Weekly &“For the devoted following: a soothing oasis of tidy living for the frazzled reader weary of an untidy world.&” —Kirkus Reviews