Memoirs Books

Book SynopsisNot all abuse leaves a mark. For more than two years, BBC Radio 4’s The Archers ran a disturbing storyline centred on Helen Titchener’s abuse at the hands of her husband Rob. Not the kind of abuse that leaves a bruise, but the sort of coercive control that breaks your spirit and makes it almost impossible to walk away. As she listened to the unfolding story, Helen Walmsley-Johnson was forced to confront her own agonizing past.Helen’s first husband controlled her life, from the people she saw to what was in her bank account. He alienated her from friends and family and even from their three daughters. Eventually, he threw her out and she painfully began to rebuild her life.Then, divorced and in her early forties, she met Franc. Kind, charming, considerate Franc. For ten years she would be in his thrall, even when he too was telling her what to wear, what to eat, even what to think. Look What You Made Me Do is her candid and utterly gripping memoir of how she was trapped by a smiling abuser, not once but twice. It is a vital guide to recognizing, understanding and surviving this sinister form of abuse and its often terrible legacy. It is also an inspirational account of how one woman found the courage to walk away.'Powerful' Jane Garvey, Woman's Hour'Compelling' Suzanne MooreTrade ReviewCompelling ... A hard book to read, harder I imagine to have written. But absolutely necessary if you want to understand coercive control. Read it. -- Suzanne Moore * Guardian *Coercive control may have recently been made illegal in Britain, but not many women dare to open up about it. Helen Walmsley-Johson is an exception. * The Times *At first, Helen Walmsley-Johnson was so desperate to please her boyfriend Franc that she overlooked his exacting standards, his overbearing interest in what she wore and who she saw. But before long, her every move was controlled by the man who claimed to love her. The scariest part? How easily such behaviour – and worse – became her new normal. * You Magazine *A forensic investigation into how an intelligent and proud forty-three year old woman became trapped in an abusive love affair ... a warming subtle realistic narrative of recovery -- Terri Apter * TLS *Brilliant and engrossing * David Challen *A piercingly accurate depiction of being in a controlling relationship and how difficult it is to leave * Dawn Foster *Powerful -- Jane Garvey * Woman's Hour *

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Book SynopsisOn 29 September 1981, Peter Turner received a phone call that would change his life. His former lover, Hollywood actress Gloria Grahame, had collapsed in a Lancaster hotel and was refusing medical attention. He had no choice but to take her into his chaotic and often eccentric family's home in Liverpool. Liverpool born and bred, Turner had first set eyes on Grahame when he was a young actor, living in London. Best known for her portrayal of irresistible femme fatales in films such as The Big Heat, Oklahoma and The Bad and the Beautiful, for which she won an Oscar, Grahame electrified audiences with her steely expressions and heavy lidded eyes and the heroines she bought to life were often dark and dangerous. Turner and Grahame became firm friends and remained so ever after their love affair had ended. And it was to him she turned in her final hour of need.Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool is an affectionate, moving and wryly humorous memoir of friendship, love and stardom.

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Book SynopsisThe tell-all memoir of Lunden Roberts's tumultuous relationship with Hunter Biden.He was sitting there wearing nothing but parrot boxer briefs, organizing his pipes on his Rosemont Seneca desk. I was sitting in Barack Obama's actual chair from the Senate floor. I took another look at Hunter - this kind, intense, and startlingly transparent man - and thought, 'this is definitely a guy I want to get to know better.” That was the first time Lunden Roberts met Hunter Biden. She had moved to DC from Arkansas in an impulsive decision to apply for a grad program. Hunter radiated the “live-for-the-moment” energy she sought. What followed from that first meeting was a wild journey that would come to define Lunden’s young life in ways she never could have anticipated. Out of the Shadows chronicles that rollercoaster ride of a relationship, touching on the drug cook working in Rosemont Seneca's kitchen, strip clubs where Hunter mig

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Book Synopsis'This book will set you free' STEVE LOPEZ 'Sheds light so eloquently on such a widespread and too easily trivialised affliction' SUNDAY TIMES 'Captivating, fascinating and wide-ranging' OBSERVER ___________________ Stage fright is one of our deepest fears, ranked higher than snakes or heights. But it can be tamed: Laurence Olivier, Salma Hayek, Paul McCartney and Adele have all battled it and learned to cope. As a child, Sara Solovitch studied piano and fell in love with it. But as a teen she was overwhelmed by stage fright and gave up any hopes of a musical career. In her late fifties, Sara gave herself one year to tame performance anxiety and play before an audience. Resuming music lessons, she explored remedies including meditation, exposure and cognitive therapy, biofeedback and beta-blockers. Finally, the day before her sixtieth birthday, she gave a formal recital. Drawing on Sara’s own journey as inspiration, Playing Scared is an insightful cultural history of performance anxiety and a tribute to pursuing personal growth at any age.Trade ReviewSolovitch is a skilled, self-deprecating, wry, and quizzical writer, who fills her account both with diligent research into all relevant fields – from psychology and medicine to sports history – and wonderful vignettes * The Times *Heartfelt and moving … Sheds light so eloquently on such a widespread and too easily trivialised affliction * Sunday Times *Captivating, fascinating and wide-ranging * Observer *This book will set you free -- Steve LopezGripping and compelling … Playing Scared will hold significance for anyone who fears the spotlight, whether in the boardroom, on the playing field or on stage. Masterfully done! -- Jennifer L. Eberhardt, Professor of Psychology at Stanford UniversityFascinating … We hear about music, sport, philosophy, psychology … and there are quite a few useful tips along the way -- Stephen Hough

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Book SynopsisVF Eberle MC joined up on the outbreak of the war in No 2 Field Company Royal Engineers, 48th (South Midland) Division, the same company as his brother, who was a captain in it. He was commissioned before sailing for France at the end of March 1915 and remained with it for the rest of the war. In that time he saw action on the Somme and in the Advance to the Hindenburg Line before his Division took part for most of the Battle of Third Ypres (Passchendaele). Transferred to Italy at the end of 1917, he took part in the final stages of the war, including the Battle of Asiago. Besides his eloquent description of the work of a field company RE, he spends some time in outlining his role in the development of the Bangalore Torpedo. Based on his war time letters, diaries and records - which can now be consulted in the Imperial War Museum, it gives a detailed picture of the employment of a field company in war, both during periods of relative tranquility as well as during major offensives. There are relatively few memoirs of Royal Engineers' officers, especially of those in his position, so close to the line. The memoirs benefit from his key eye for observation and his skilful use of the material available to him, making this a fine addition to the literature of the Great War.

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Book SynopsisEddie Idrees, a pseudonym for security reasons, has a fascinating and inspiring story to tell. Born in Afghanistan, he spent time as a refugee in Pakistan during the civil war dreaming of serving with the military. As this unique memoir reveals, his wishes came true in spades. For eight years from 2004, Eddie worked as an interpreter with, first, American Special Forces before moving across to the Special Air Service. A veteran of over 500 operations, he describes the most notable ones including breaking into a Taliban prison to free prisoners about to be executed. He was the first Afghan interpreter to parachute in with the SAS. His aim in writing his story is to explain the interpreter's role and contribution and the challenges and threats they faced, not just from the Taliban. For all the media attention, these have never been fully understood. Eddie concludes by describing his experiences and emotions on leaving his fractured and politically corrupt homeland and making a new life in the United Kingdom. Special Forces Interpreter demands to be read and not just for its vivid and thrilling descriptions of Special Forces' operations.

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Book SynopsisFrom the challenges of travelling when blind to becoming a parent for the first time, Kika & Me is the moving, heart-warming and inspirational story of Dr Amit Patel’s sight-loss journey and how one guide dog changed his world.'Inspiring and compelling . . . rekindles one's faith in human nature' - Andrew MarrAmit Patel is working as a trauma doctor when a rare condition causes him to lose his sight within thirty-six hours. Totally dependent on others and terrified of stepping outside with a white cane after he's assaulted, he hits rock bottom. He refuses to leave home on his own for three months. With the support of his wife Seema he slowly adapts to his new situation, but how could life ever be the way it was? Then his guide dog Kika comes along . . . But Kika’s stubbornness almost puts her guide dog training in jeopardy – could her quirky personality be a perfect match for someone? Meanwhile Amit has reservations – can he trust a dog with his safety? Paired together in 2015, they start on a journey, learning to trust each other before taking to the streets of London and beyond. The partnership not only gives Amit a renewed lease of life but a new best friend. Then, after a video of an irate commuter rudely asking Amit to step aside on an escalator goes viral, he sets out with Kika by his side to spread a message of positivity and inclusivity, showing that nothing will hold them back.'An incredible story of courage, perseverance and, ultimately love' - Sun'The most moving book of the year' - The Lady Trade ReviewAn entirely original, inspiring and compelling book, which is genuinely hard to put it down. Amit's story is nothing less than extraordinary, and rekindles one's faith in human nature . . . I think for millions of people, this will come to be an essential piece of reading. -- Andrew MarrAn incredible story of courage, perseverance and, ultimately love. * Sun *An uplifting read that highlights not only how we can all be better allies to disabled people but the importance of family and community support while navigating hardships. * Cosmopolitan *The most moving book of the year * Lady *

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Book SynopsisAn uplifting true story from foster carer and Sunday Times bestselling author, Angela Hart.Why has no one given Jasmine the safety and care she desperately needs? Angela is determined to find a solution.Jasmine is a little girl with a difficult upbringing whose current foster carers have refused to keep her on as they can no longer handle her behaviour. Social Services place her with specialist foster carer Angela Hart. Angela does her best to provide a secure environment for Jasmine in the hope that she can begin to move on, but it proves challenging as Jasmine often breaks out in bursts of anger and sometimes physical violence. Can Angela show Jasmine what safety looks like? And can she help Jasmine's beloved grandparents – who have been campaigning to become her full-time guardians – persuade social services that they are best placed to look after this troubled little girl?The Girl with the Saddest Secret is the eighth book from well-loved foster carer Angela Hart. A true story that shares the tale of one of the many children she has fostered over the years. Angela's stories show the difference that quiet care, a watchful eye and sympathetic ear can make to those children whose upbringing has been less fortunate than others.Trade ReviewPraise for Angela Hart: A no holds barred insight into the reality of looking after someone else's children. A remarkable story from a remarkable woman, it brought back a lot of memories for me. -- Casey WatsonPraise for Angela Hart: A moving story that testifies to the redemptive power of love. I hope Angela Hart inspires many others to foster. -- Torey HaydenPraise for Angela Hart: A true tear-jerking tale of love and compassion. -- Sunday Mirror

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Book SynopsisDown and Out in Paris and London was George Orwell’s first published book. It is at once a very personal account, and a vivid exposé of hard lives weighed down by poverty in France and England between the wars.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is introduced by writer Lara Feigel.Towards the end of the 1920s, whilst living in Paris, George Orwell’s few remaining funds are stolen and he quickly falls into a life of severe poverty. Living hand to mouth, he shares squalid lodgings with Russian-born Boris and finds tedious and back-breaking work washing up in the bowels of Paris restaurant kitchens. On his return to England, he lives as a tramp, finding occasional shelter in often dangerous doss houses.Trade ReviewThe thief who took the last of an ailing George Orwell’s money from his Paris room in 1929 did a big favour to political literature. -- Vanessa Thorpe * Observer *Little that Orwell has written, here and elsewhere, has lost the hum of relevancy, from the causes of poverty and its long-term effects – “it annihilates the future” – to its everyday toll of boredom. -- Laurence Mackin * Irish Times *Down and Out is an extraordinary and curious book: beautifully phrased, meticulous, honest and funny. George Orwell’s 1933 memoir, and a study of poverty, is a book both rooted in its era and able to transcend it. * Independent *Orwell’s is a plea for empathy for the laborer, the tramp, and the impoverished . . . [it] is a fascinating anthropological study of poverty, its empirical value tarnished by its richly entertaining prose, and overt imposition of Orwell’s political dispositions upon his observations. * Medium *Books like Down and Out show us that the line between deprivation and success can be a very thin one. The latter is often achieved through learning how to love the former . . . What makes [it] fantastic is his lucid prose. * LA Review of Books *Have a look at the book and catch the strange fascination of the telling. Vivid and lurid and unappetizing, are the pictures he gives of what goes on behind the scenes, human and otherwise. * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book Synopsis'A wonderful book.' - Temple Grandin, author of Animals in TranslationAn instant New York Times bestsellerAn incredible, revolutionary true story and surprisingly simple guide to teaching your dog to 'talk' from speech-language pathologist Christina Hunger, who has taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using simple paw-sized buttons associated with different words.When speech-language pathologist Christina Hunger first came home with her puppy, Stella, it didn't take long for her to start drawing connections between her job and her new pet. During the day, she worked with toddlers with significant delays in language development and used Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices to help them communicate. At night, she wondered: if dogs can understand words we say to them, shouldn't they be able to say words to us? Can dogs use AAC to communicate with humans?Christina decided to put her theory to the test with Stella and started using a paw-sized button programmed with her voice to say the word 'outside' when clicked, whenever she took Stella out of the house. A few years later, Stella now has a bank of more than thirty word buttons, and uses them daily either individually or together to create near-complete sentences.How Stella Learned to Talk is part memoir and part how-to guide. It chronicles the journey Christina and Stella have taken together, from the day they met, to the day Stella 'spoke' her first word, and the other breakthroughs they've had since. It also reveals the techniques Christina used to teach Stella, broken down into simple stages and actionable steps any dog owner can use to start communicating with their best four-legged friend.Filled with conversations that Stella and Christina have had, as well as the attention to developmental detail that only a speech-language pathologist could know, How Stella Learned to Talk will be the indispensable dog book for the new decade.Trade ReviewA talented speech therapist who works with children, Christina Hunger trained her puppy to use words in a meaningful way. She was amazed that language learning in her dog was similar to that of a young child. The results speak for themselves. A wonderful book. -- Temple Grandin, author of Animals in TranslationWhen we are open to the idea that communicating with another species is possible, and provide a language-enriched environment, we create the space for shared language and a deep connection. Christina has provided the key that unlocks this potential for all of us. -- Penny Patterson, PhD, president and research director of the Gorilla Foundation and Project KokoThis delightful book is a joy to read. But it also has an important message for the study of animal languages: When you think outside the box, you can come up with amazing results. Christina has shown that a dog has the cognitive capability to learn to use buttons as words and to formulate meaningful sentences. She also has very practical advice on how to teach your dog to do the same. I highly recommend this book. -- Con Slobodchikoff, PhD, author of Chasing Doctor Dolittle: Learning the Language of AnimalsA must-read for anyone who ever wished their dog could talk, Stella’s story will lift your spirits and inspire your soul. Christina Hunger takes us on an incredible journey of joy, discovery, and innovation that will forever change the relationship between dogs and their humans. -- Shari Robertson, PhD, CCC-SLP, former president of the American Speech and Hearing Association

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Book Synopsis'A wonderful book.' - Temple Grandin, author of Animals in TranslationUnderstand what your canine best friend is thinking with this New York Times bestselling handbook.An incredible, revolutionary true story and surprisingly simple guide to teaching your dog to 'talk' from speech-language pathologist Christina Hunger, who has taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using simple paw-sized buttons associated with different words.How Stella Learned to Talk is part memoir and part how-to guide. It chronicles the journey Christina and Stella have taken together, from the day they met, to the day Stella 'spoke' her first word, and the other breakthroughs they've had since. It also reveals the techniques Christina used to teach Stella, broken down into simple stages and actionable steps any dog owner can use to start communicating with their best four-legged friend.Filled with conversations that Stella and Christina have had, as well as the attention to developmental detail that only a speech-language pathologist could know, How Stella Learned to Talk is the indispensable dog book for you and your puppy pal.Trade ReviewA talented speech therapist... Christina Hunger trained her puppy to use words in a meaningful way... The results speak for themselves. A wonderful book. -- Temple Grandin, author of Animals in TranslationWhen we are open to the idea that communicating with another species is possible... we create the space for shared language and a deep connection. Christina has provided the key that unlocks this potential for all of us. -- Penny Patterson, PhD, president and research director of the Gorilla Foundation and Project KokoThis delightful book is a joy to read... Christina has shown that a dog has the cognitive capability to learn to use buttons as words and to formulate meaningful sentences. She also has very practical advice on how to teach your dog to do the same. I highly recommend this book. -- Con Slobodchikoff, PhD, author of Chasing Doctor Dolittle: Learning the Language of AnimalsA must-read for anyone who ever wished their dog could talk, Stella’s story will lift your spirits and inspire your soul. Christina Hunger takes us on an incredible journey of joy, discovery, and innovation that will forever change the relationship between dogs and their humans. -- Shari Robertson, PhD, CCC-SLP, former president of the American Speech and Hearing Association

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Book SynopsisFrom the Number One bestselling author, a memoir full of hilarious, personal and surprising stories from their working life in the law.* The Sunday Times Bestseller ** A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week*‘The SB is a gifted writer. Words tumble out with extraordinary fluency . . . entertaining and instructive’ – The Times__________Just how do you become a barrister? Why do only 1 per cent of those who study law succeed in joining this mysteriously opaque profession? And why might a practising barrister come to feel the need to reveal the lies, secrets, failures and crises at the heart of this world of wigs and gowns?Nothing But The Truth is The Secret Barrister's bestselling memoir. It charts an outsider’s progress down the winding path towards practising at the Bar, taking in the sometimes absurd traditions of the Inns of Court, where every meal mandates a glass of port and a toast to the monarch, to the Hunger Games-style contest for pupillage, through the endlessly frustrating experience of being a junior barrister – as a creaking, ailing justice system begins to convince them that something has to change . . .Full of hilarious, shocking and surprising stories, Nothing But The Truth tracks the Secret Barrister’s transformation from hang ‘em and flog ‘em, austerity-supporting twenty-something to campaigning, bestselling, reforming author whose writing in defence of the law is celebrated around the globe. With a keen eye for the absurd and an obsessive fondness for Twitter, SB reveals the uncomfortable truths and darkest secrets about life in our criminal courts.__________‘With compassion, wit and intelligence, The Secret Barrister shows why is it that any of us plunge into the harrowing depths of criminal law’ – TLS‘Masterful, compassionate and hilarious’ – Adam Rutherford‘The Zorro of the criminal bar’ – The TimesTrade ReviewEntertaining and instructive . . . A gifted writer . . . The Secret Barrister's picaresque journey to barristerhood is served up with large helpings of humour * The Times *Wonderful and insightful . . . With compassion, wit and intelligence, the Secret Barrister shows why is it that any of us plunge into the harrowing depths of criminal law * TLS *Excellent . . . at once a vicious polemic, a helpful primer and a cringe-inducing account of one barrister’s travails * Telegraph *As entertaining as ever in this third foray into the courtroom * Radio Times *Eye-opening. The candour is, at times, breathtaking . . . it is both human and urgent . . . A no-holds-barred book that tells an unvarnished story of a broken system an the people who hold it together * Law Society's Gazette *As compelling and illuminating - and as full of gob-smacking stories - as its predecessors, it is also fascinatingly personal. Anyone thinking of a career in the law should certainly read it * Bookseller *

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Book Synopsis‘An absolutely fascinating read’ - newsreader Emily MaitlisJames Comey, former FBI Director and Sunday Times number one bestselling author of A Higher Loyalty, uses his long career in federal law enforcement to explore issues of justice and fairness in the US justice system.James Comey might best be known as the FBI director who Donald Trump fired in 2017, but he’s had a long, varied career in the law and justice system. He knows better than most just what a force for good the US justice system can be, and how far afield it strayed during the Trump presidency.In his much-anticipated follow-up to A Higher Loyalty, Comey uses anecdotes and lessons from his career to show how the federal justice system works. From prosecuting mobsters as an assistant US attorney in the Southern District of New York in the 1980s to grappling with the legalities of anti-terrorism work as the deputy attorney general in the early 2000s to, of course, his tumultuous stint as FBI director beginning in 2013, Comey shows just how essential it is to pursue the primacy of truth for federal law enforcement.Saving Justice is gracefully written and honestly told, a clarion call for a return to fairness and equity in the law.Trade ReviewAn absolutely fascinating read for anyone who wants to understand the workings of the US justice system and American politics more broadly -- Emily MaitlisThe Capitol riot was our Chernobyl . . . I was sickened to watch an attack on the literal and symbolic heart of our democracy, and, as a law enforcement person, I was angered. I am mystified and angry that Capitol Hill wasn’t defended. It’s a hill! If you wanted to defend it, you could defend it, and for some reason it was not defended. I think that’s a 9/11-size failure and we’re going to need a 9/11-type commission to understand it so that we don’t repeat it -- James Comey, Guardian interview, 19 January 2021

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Book Synopsis'Raw. Vulnerable. Open. Truthful . . . This is a book that will open up the floor for even more honest conversations about the side of yoga we don't often see.' - Angie Tiwari @tiwariyogaHow did an ancient spiritual practice become the preserve of the privileged?Nadia Gilani has been practising yoga for twenty-five years. She has also worked as a yoga teacher. Yoga has saved her life and seen her through many highs and lows; it has been a faith, a discipline, and a friend, and she believes wholeheartedly in its radical potential. However, over her years in the wellness industry, Nadia has noticed not only yoga's rising popularity, but also how its modern incarnation no longer serves people of colour, working class people, or many other groups who originally pioneered its creation. Combining her own memories of how the practice has helped her with an account of its history and transformation in the modern west, Nadia creates a love letter to yoga and a passionate critique of the billion-dollar industry whose cost and inaccessibility has shut out many of those it should be helping. By turns poignant, funny, and shocking, The Yoga Manifesto excavates where the industry has gone wrong, and what can be done to save the practice from its own success.Trade ReviewThe first yoga book I've read that has a punk rock attitude and does what it says on the tin. Nadia is a formidable storyteller taking us through the highs and lows of her personal journey. However, the most critical aspect is her fierce analysis of the appropriation of yoga. -- Sima Kumar, co-founder and CEO of The Other Box and founder of Sima SaysRaw. Vulnerable. Open. Truthful. Exposing the darker side of the industry provides us all with the pathway to reach the lightness that yoga brings. This is a book that will open up the floor for even more honest conversations about the side of yoga we don't often see. -- Angie Tiwari @tiwariyogaThe Yoga Manifesto is about equality and creativity and revolutionary hope – and you definitely don’t need to practise yoga to know these things matter. -- Stella Duffy, author of Lullaby Beach

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Book SynopsisA gorgeous, evocative memoir of family, food and migration. As a child, Or Rosenboim’s knowledge of her family history was based on the food her grandmothers cooked for her – round kneidlach balls in hot chicken broth, cinnamon-scented noodle kugel, stuffed vine leaves, herby green rice with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and aubergine in tomato sauce. She knew that her family had a complex past but it was only reading her grandmothers’ recipe books after they both died that she began to explore that past for the first time.The result is a vivid chronicle of displacement and escape, retracing the complex network of journeys her family took from Samarkand and Riga to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in search of safety and a better life, punctuated by the food they ate and cooked along the way. Today, though, these journeys, and this long tradition of migration, would now be almost impossible.A beguiling mixture of history, memoir, travel and fo

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Book Synopsis‘From inspiration to sketch, pattern to fabric, the making of a dress has been the structure that has held me, and my passion to dress others is the momentum of my life.’ Jenny Packham is one of Britain’s leading designers and most in-demand couturiers, known for her exquisite dresses made for brides, celebrities and even royalty. In How to Make a Dress, she explores her creative journey in a brilliant meditation on life and style.Beginning with the search for creative inspiration and taking us into her studio then onto the red carpet and beyond, she asks the questions that have preoccupied us for centuries: What makes the perfect dress? What do our clothes mean to us? And why do we dress the way we do? Whether she is on the trail of Marilyn Monroe in LA, designing a bespoke piece for the red carpet or sketching for a new collection, Jenny documents her pursuit of the eternal truths of style. Decades in the making, How to Make a Dress is an unforgettable book for anyone who has ever loved a piece of clothing.Trade ReviewCaptivating—Sunday ExpressFascinating—GraziaHow to Make a Dress is inspirational. It shows the relevance of fashion in everyday life - undertaking a cool analysis of your closet the Packham way reveals more than garments but the tale of an interesting past. The mad, mad mistakes, the ridiculous dreams, that unworn touch of regret. Unlike most designers Packham acknowledges the word sexy when it comes to dressing and chooses Marilyn Monroe as a Muse. Taut as the seams that hold the top A-listers on the red carpet, it's so much more than frock and roll.—Eve Pollard OBEI love this book. It's a very beautiful and intimate insight into the creative mind. Jenny takes us on the journey from her childhood to the glamourous world of dressing the red carpet stars with such refreshing honesty. I couldn't put it down!—Deborah Brett, fashion editorI really enjoyed this book, the photographs are fabulous, and the stories even better. I just could not put this down, can't wait for the next one!—Richard Young, photographerPackham details her inspirations, struggles and successes in a style that is as lyrical and dreamy as one of her own satin and gauze confections.—Town and CountryWhat a beautiful story. Not only does it take you through the journey of her inspiration and the making of her gorgeous pieces but I love the details of Jenny's personal life. I read it in one sitting and I loved it.—Jessica Paster, celebrity stylistJenny writes with an eye for colour, a feel for romance and an unerring instinct for the pertinent detail. Passionate about fashion and unpersuaded by its excesses, How To Make A Dress is a total treat.—David Downton

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Book Synopsis'Brilliant, horrifying and really f***ing funny' KATHY BURKE'Give[s] powerful voice to the often silent story that explains so much of Britain's current fracturing' OBSERVERI'm a scrounger, a liar, a hypocrite, a stain on society with no basic morals - or so they say. After all, what else do you call a working-class single mum in temporary accommodation?The darkly funny debut memoir from the creator of HBO and BBC's Rain Dogs, Skint Estate is a scream against austerity that rises full of rage in a landscape of sink estates, police cells, refuges and peepshows.A voice that must be heard.'Cash's brutal honesty will leave you wanting to make a change, stand up and be heard. A must-read' VICKY McCLURE'Extraordinary ... Bursts with energy, wit and anger' KEN LOACH'The new voice of a generation' THE TIMES'Astonishingly brilliant ... Raw, gut-wrenching and immensely moving' RUTH JONES'A fascinating, shocking look at poverty and motherhood' BILLIE PIPER'A howl of rage ... I loved it' THE IRISH TIMES'The definition of edgy' LIONEL SHRIVERTrade ReviewExplosive, funny and insightful ... You have to read it * Stylist *Visceral, high-octane prose, a cocktail of Irvine Welsh and Charles Bukowski with a splash of feminist polemic ... Skint Estate is a full-throttle dispatch from the front line of the war against the poor. * Morning Star *Cash Carraway's unique voice, filled in equal measure with rage and inspiration, tells a story of hope amongst state violence. Brilliant and compelling. * Anna Minton *This is a raw, painful, funny book. And it rings true. Cash Carraway is a real writer, who shares her extraordinary story with a developing sense of politics. Her writing bursts with energy, wit and anger - it might be too strong for the Radio4 Book of the Week, but it is essential reading. * Ken Loach *What an astonishingly brilliant memoir. I’m speechless. So beautifully, passionately written without a shred of self-pity and brim full of this unbreakable mother daughter Love at the heart of it all... Raw, gut-wrenching and immensely moving. * Ruth Jones *

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Book SynopsisIntroduction by Deborah E. Lipstadt, author of DenialJuly 15, 1942, WednesdayRemember this day; remember it well. You will tell generations to come. Since 8 o’clock today we have been shut away in the ghetto. I live here now. The world is separated from me and I’m separated from the world.Renia is a young girl who dreams of becoming a poet. But Renia is Jewish, she lives in Poland and the year is 1939. When Russia and Germany invade her country, Renia's world shatters. Separated from her mother, her life takes on a new urgency as she flees Przemysl to escape night bombing raids, observes the disappearances of other Jewish families and, finally, witnesses the creation of the ghetto.But alongside the terror of war, there is also great beauty, as she begins to find her voice as a writer and falls in love for the first time. She and the boy she falls in love with, Zygmunt, share their first kiss a few hours before the Nazis reach her hometown. And it is Zygmunt who writes the final, heartbreaking entry in Renia’s diary.Recently rediscovered after seventy years, Renia’s Diary is already being described as a classic of Holocaust literature. Written with a clarity and skill that is reminiscent of Anne Frank, Renia's Diary also includes a prologue and epilogue by Renia's sister Elizabeth, as well as an introduction by Deborah E. Lipstadt, author of Denial. It is an extraordinary testament to both the horrors of war, and to the life that can exist even in the darkest times.Trade ReviewAt a moment when basic agreement over simple truths has become a political battleground and history a weapon, the publication of the book, Renia’s Diary, offers a reminder of the power of bearing witness * New York Times *Extraordinary... It is a privilege to read these pages, and an impertinence to review them. Renia Spiegel was an astonishingly brave girl who developed into a remarkable young woman. (5* review) * Daily Telegraph *Astonishing... A new invaluable contribution to Holocaust literature * Smithsonian Magazine *It is as though the murderous machine of Hitler's vision and the barbarity being brought upon her people couldn't silence the integrity of her voice... Renia emerges as a poet of real lyricism and emotional heft, which makes her demise all the more tragic * Irish Independent *Recall[s] moments of intense happiness in the gathering gloom * Times *

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Book SynopsisGuardian Books to Watch 2022Evening Standard Books to Watch 2022Bookseller Editor's ChoiceWinner of the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature'A wonderful book - exhilarating and taut, fearless in its explorations of wildness, risk, motherhood, and the inner and outer worlds of the writer' Jon McGregor'This book is beautiful' Emma Jane Unsworth'Climbing gives you the illusion of being in control, just for a while, the tantalising sense of being able to stay one move ahead of death'As a child, Helen Mort was drawn to the thrill and risk of climbing, the tension between human and rockface, and the climber's need to be hyperaware of the sensory world - to feel the texture of rock under their fingers, how their crampons bite into the ice, the subtle shifts in weather. But when she becomes a mother for the first time, she finds herself re-examining this most elemental of disciplines, and the way that we view women who put themselves in danger.Written by one of Britain's most talented young writers, A Line Above the Sky melds memoir and nature writing to create what will surely become a classic of the genre; it asks why humans are compelled to climb and poses other, deeper questions about self, motherhood and freedom. It is a love letter to losing oneself in physicality, whether that in the risk of climbing a granite wall solo, without ropes, or the intensity of bringing a child into the world.Trade ReviewA gorgeous memoir all about the great outdoors and the impulse to go to our limits * Evening Standard *Strong stuff, satisfying and intriguing to read * Sarah Moss *A candid and moving exploration of early motherhood...the writing is beautifully lyrical * The I *This is a book of the seen and unseen; on being alive; on being wild; on being a woman. This book is about being a woman - both seen and unseen - alive and wild - in a world that needs new words for every single part of this. And my oh my, how Mort writes those new words. * Caught By the River *An intimate take on motherhood and self-dissolution, and the way mountains can come to fill the voids of a life. * Economist *

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Book SynopsisNominated for the Chortle Comedy Book Award 2023'Blisteringly well written, deeply humane and very funny' Daily Telegraph'Enough to make you die laughing' Daily Mail'Funny and moving' Daily ExpressWhether he's initiating a coup d'état against new regulations with the residents, or forging a bond with the 98-year old who once called him a fat slut, Pope Lonergan's work is infinitely varied. This no-holds-barred account shows what life inside a care home is really like, for both residents and carers. Featuring night-time drama, incontinence pads and the uniquely dark humour of one double-amputee Alzheimer's patient, here you can learn everything you ever wanted to know (and a few things you probably really didn't) about Britain's care system.This important memoir challenges us all to think differently about the value of our elderly, and also the carers who look after them.Trade ReviewFunny and moving... deeply affecting * Daily Express *Blackly funny... enough to make you die laughing * Daily Mail *Five out of five stars. This book does for care home workers what This Is Going to Hurt did for junior doctors... this isn't just a conscience-rebooting book. It's also blisteringly well written, deeply humane and very funny * Daily Telegraph *Pope Lonergan is always very funny even when dealing with the most serious subject matter -- David BaddielPope is such a kind, funny and erudite guide through a world many of us ignore. I hope people read the book. It can't possibly be what they think. It is exceptional * Andrew Hankinson *

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Book Synopsis'Her story is intimate and revealing about what it is to smile and what it means when you can't' Cynthia NixonThe extraordinary story of one woman's ten-year odyssey that brought her physical, creative, emotional, and spiritual healing.With a play opening on Broadway, and every reason to smile, Sarah Ruhl has just survived a high-risk pregnancy when she discovers the left side of her face is completely paralyzed. She is assured that 90 percent of Bell's palsy patients experience a full recovery, like her own mother. But Sarah is in the unlucky ten percent. And for a woman, wife, mother, and artist working in theatre, the paralysis and the disconnect between the interior and exterior brings significant and specific challenges. So she begins an intense decade-long search for a cure while simultaneously grappling with the reality of her new face - one that, while recognisably her own, is incapable of accurately communicating feelings or intentions.Smile is Ruhl's piercing, witty, lucid chronicle of her journey. She explores the struggle of a body yearning to match its inner landscape, the pain of postpartum depression, the story of a marriage, being a playwright and working mother to three small children, and the desire for a resilient spiritual life in the face of illness.Brimming with insight, humility, warmth and humour, Smile is a triumph: an intimate examination of loss and reconciliation, and above all else, the importance of perseverance and hope in the face of adversity.Trade ReviewWith poignancy and power, Smile helps us all to find ways of expressing our internal truth. It helped me to both learn and grow * Gloria Steinem, author of My Life on the Road *Sarah Ruhl has written a remarkable book. Smile is at once a gripping story and a profound exploration of the mysteries of illness. I know of nothing like it * James Shapiro, author of Shakespeare in a Divided America *Ravishing ... that rare and gorgeous melding of gemlike, literary insights, raw honesty, heart break and radiant wisdom. It took my breath away. For real * V (formerly Eve Ensler), author of I Am an Emotional Creature, The Vagina Monologues and The Apology *Profound and necessary. I adore this book * Mary Louise Parker, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Mr. You *Staggeringly great... -- Beth Henley, author of Crimes of the Heart

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Book Synopsis'Steve beautifully communicates his vulnerabilities in his music -- he does the same in this powerful story' Niall Breslin As lead singer and songwriter of hugely successful Irish rock band Kodaline, Steve Garrigan plays to thousands of fans worldwide - his business is being in the spotlight. But, for years, Steve was privately battling his own demons.High Hopes is a deeply personal memoir about how everyone carries a story. In his down-to-earth and often humorous style, Steve takes us from his childhood growing up in Dublin and the shyness that only dissolved in front of a microphone, to the highs of rock star success touring and playing stadiums, and the lows of anxiety, depression and panic attacks. Ultimately, his story describes how it is only by learning to share our deepest vulnerability - embracing all aspects of our true selves - that we can work through darkness and ultimately find freedom.

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Book SynopsisWHAT HAVE WE HERE? follows Billy Dee Williams from his childhood growing up in Harlem to his days on Broadway and in Hollywood before landing the role in George Lucas' space opera that would win him everlasting fame.Over a 60-year career spanning Broadway, music, movies, and television, Billy's tales and travels include Lawrence Olivier, Marlon Brando, James Baldwin, Henry Fonda, Duke Ellington, Berry Gordy, Diana Ross, Richard Pryor, Sylvester Stallone, Diahann Carroll, and a world of less famous but no less colourful characters.And that's just his life on this planet. As hundreds of millions of Star Wars fans worldwide know, Williams is and always will be Lando Calrissian, the double-dealing, outlandishly handsome rogue from George Lucas' classic Star Wars adventures The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi, a role he reprised in 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

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Book Synopsis'An extraordinary portrait of a son navigating his way through grief and loss in real time. Funny, candid, and measured' GRAHAM NORTONHappily settled in a new relationship and with a dream house of his own, Tom Allen could finally call himself an adult. But when his beloved dad died suddenly, Tom's life was rocked by a fresh set of challenges, and he started to find comfort in his friends, his past and his newly dug vegetable patch.With his hallmark honesty and wit, Tom writes beautifully about those days, weeks and months following loss, and about how bewildering the practicalities of life can be in the wake of an upheaval - those moments, really, when everything can start to feel a bit too much . . .'Hilarious and poignant' JO BRAND'Heartfelt, vulnerable and touchingly sincere' GUARDIAN'Life-affirming' ATTITUDETrade ReviewAn extraordinary portrait of a son navigating his way through grief and loss in real time. Funny, candid, and measured -- Graham NortonHilarious and poignant -- Jo BrandHilarious and at times heart-breaking * Independent *Tom Allen paints a moving portrait of his father and their relationship . . . Heartfelt, vulnerable and touchingly sincere * Guardian *Explores the complexity of grief and charts a belated independence * The i *Life-affirming * Attitude *

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Book SynopsisA Sunday Times Bestseller March 2022 (Ireland)Soon, the lockdown would start. People would die alone, without any proper ceremony. Charlotte's death would be washed away, the first drop in a downpour. Nobody knew it then but hers would be the last good funeral of the year.It was February 2020, when Ed O'Loughlin heard that Charlotte, a woman he'd known had died, young and before her time. He realised that he was being led to reappraise his life, his family and his career as a foreign correspondent and acclaimed novelist in a new, colder light.He was suddenly faced with facts that he had been ignoring, that he was getting old, that he wasn't what he used to be, that his imagination, always over-active, had at some point reversed its direction, switching production from dreams to regrets. He saw he was mourning his former self, not Charlotte.The search for meaning becomes the driving theme of O'Loughlin's year of confinement. He remembers his brother Simon, a suicide at thirty; the journalists and photographers with whom he covered wars in Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans, wars that are hard to explain and never really stopped; his habit of shedding baggage, an excuse for hurrying past and not dwelling on things.Moving, funny, and searingly honest, The Last Good Funeral of the Year takes the reader on a circular journey from present to past and back to the present: 'Could any true story end any other way?'Trade ReviewWar correspondent, father, husband, son, friend and grieving brother - Ed O'Loughlin has given us a powerful and unusual memoir. At times heartbreaking and often laugh-aloud funny, The Last Good Funeral is set to be among the very best of books for 2022. -- Christine Dwyer HickeyEd O'Loughlin is a natural storyteller, a good one, and he invites the reader right alongside in his honest search for meaning through reminiscence, memory and adventure. With precision and expertise, he probes past and present chapters of his life, all the while imparting his own brand of wisdom and humour. A great pleasure to read! -- Frances Itani, winner of the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize and author of DeafeningThe past is a revenant that haunts the present in this exquisite and startling memoir by Ed O'Loughlin. The Last Good Funeral of the Year is a witty, engaging, heartbreaking, and beautifully wrought tour through the workings of memory, all unearthed during the world's great period of lockdown stillness. The stories and their people will remain with you long after finishing this book. -- Emily Urquhart, Canadian author and memoiristThe Last Good Funeral of the Year is intelligent, funny, profound, painfully honest, beautifully written, and powerfully moving. Ed O'Loughlin is a writer who does brilliantly everything he turns his hand to; it's no surprise to find that his memoir is so unforgettably good. -- Kevin Power, author of White CityThis is a searing book, reminiscent of Joan Didion's masterpiece, "The Year of Magical Thinking." It wheels between the waypoints in O'Loughlin's life with remarkable dexterity, honesty and grace... What I found here was an exquisite portrait of grief * The Miramichi Reader *[A] brief and astonishingly frank memoir . . . Deftly and with increasing assurance, O'Loughlin weaves the tapestry of a life, pulling at the threads and dropped stitches of experience that have brought him to this difficult time and place . . .The account of his brother Simon's struggles with depression is achingly sad and beautifully rendered . . . O'Loughlin can be acerbic, self-deprecating and droll, often in the same paragraph. * Sunday Times Ireland *The Last Good Funeral of the Year by Ed O'Loughlin. It's one of the most unflinching memoirs you'll ever read. lt's an at-tirnes­ sad, at-times-funny excavation of SO-something years of living conducted during the Covid lockdowns. I couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks after finishing it. * Sunday Independent *

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Book Synopsis''[A] heartfelt memoir'' New York Times''Compelling and heartbreaking'' Ann NapolitanoA deeply moving memoir of a young daughter, her dying mother - and the trail of letters and gifts she left behind.''Her messages met me like guideposts in a dark forest; if her words couldn''t point the way, at least they offered the comfort of knowing someone had been there before''Ten days before Gwen Kingston turned twelve, her beloved mother - with whom she shared a birthday - died. She left behind two chests - one for Gwen and one for her brother - filled with lovingly wrapped presents and letters marking the milestones she would miss: driver''s licences, graduations and every one of their birthdays until the age of thirty. Each gift a chance to reach back into the past and, for the briefest moment, hear her voice again.Over the last twenty years, the chest of treasures has travelled with Gwen across a continent,

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Book SynopsisAn honest and gripping memoir of one man’s life-altering experience teaching at Rikers Island. When Brandon Dean Lamson first accepted the teaching position at Horizon Academy, a court-mandated academic program for eighteen- to twenty-year-old prisoners at Rikers Island, even he had to question his own motivation. Why was he risking his life every day at a prison notorious for being one of the most dangerous places to work? Was it his small way of making amends for the blatant and pervasive racism he witnessed every day growing up in his small Southern town? Or was it to prove he wasn’t afraid to go where his own father, a prominent District Court judge, had sent both the innocent and guilty alike? In Caged, Lamson provides an intimate view of his transformative experience teaching inmate students on Rikers Island. Rikers Island resonates as a place of horrific violence and inescapable punishment, one of the last places in America that truly invoke overwhelming, universal fear. Set in the late 1990s—a time when the city was rapidly changing into an increasingly corporatized and policed space—Caged exposes a criminal justice system designed to thwart efforts to rehabilitate and educate the incarcerated. Lamson’s first-hand account illustrates how penitentiaries too often use prison education as another means of control. Written in a gripping, confessional narrative, Caged explores the consequential impact of Lamson’s move to New York City, his childhood experiences with racial justice, and his journey working in four prisons over the course of three years. Lamson provides glimpses into his own self-destructive behavior as parallels emerge between his life on Rikers and his personal life, his white privilege, and how his behavior progressively entraps him in ways that resonate with the challenges faced by his students. The book intimately captures how incarceration changes both prisoner and educator alike as Lamson struggles to integrate into life outside prison after his departure from Horizon Academy.Table of ContentsPart I: Falling The Weapons Board | 3 Killer Inside | 5 Island Bound | 12 Brujo | 18 Horizon | 21 Queen of Cups | 24 Stray Cats | 27 Burning | 30 Antigone | 34 Hellfire Club | 38 The Seagull | 41 Apollo Kids | 44 Part II: The Labyrinth The Minotaur | 49 The Sweet Science | 51 Demon Weed | 54 Windows | 63 Maximum | 66 Solitary | 71 Red, White, and Blue | 75 Native Son | 79 Knockdown | 82 Mistress Evil | 84 Paris and Birdlegs | 88 The Duck Game | 92 Part III: Submerged Devil Mountain | 97 Island Holidays | 103 Redpath | 109 The Cove | 112 Pink Leaves | 118 Strong and White | 121 Yard Blues | 124 Lost Dalí | 127 Hoops | 132 The Voice | 137 Do-Over | 142 Atlantis | 145 Epilogue | 151 Acknowledgments | 155

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Book SynopsisA moving journey through the shadows of queer suicide and a tribute to lives marked by struggle and beautyThe Lamentations explores the struggles and resilience within the queer community, offering a unique blend of historical analysis and emotional tribute to those affected. Author Patrick Anderson examines the phenomenon of queer suicide across various art forms such as film, theatre, and literature, tracing its evolution from the twentieth century to today.Anderson brings to light the personal stories of individuals in the queer community who have ended their lives, compiling narratives from sources like newspaper articles, obituaries, and case studies. The book confronts the harsh realities of loneliness, shame, and oppression faced by many LGBTQ+ individuals, providing a poignant reflection on the societal challenges they face.The Lamentations is more than a meditation on death; it's a narrative of survival, mourning, and healing. Sharing

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Book SynopsisFRIENDS FROM THE BEGINNING celebrates the dear friendship and shared experience between the Vice President and her close, childhood friend Stacey Johnson-Batiste.Growing up together in Berkeley in the '60 and '70s, Stacey and Kamala were born of a time and place bursting with cultural diversity and freedom of expression. This memoir provides a candid, colorful, look at the formative years during which Stacey and Kamala shared and experienced an inclusive environment of community support, love, and non-traditional education-set against the backdrop of roiling political tension, demonstrations held frequently on and around the U.C. Berkeley campus and People's Park, and bold expressions from people from all walks of life.FRIENDS FROM THE BEGINNING also offers readers a window into Kamala's mother, Shyamala-as observed by Stacey-the brave woman who set the future Vice President on a path of many firsts. While that path was not always easy, Shyamala's light and legacy shines through on these pages. In addition, Johnson-Batiste introduces several other essential formative figures who informed their early lives and whose influences have played a role in shaping the character of both the author and of our Vice President.FRIENDS FROM THE BEGINNING is a story of enduring friendship, life lessons described in bright, loving detail, and the courage, sacrifice, and dedication to shared values that have sustained their friendship for decades.

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Book SynopsisAxton Betz-Hamilton grew up in small-town Indiana in the early '90s. When she was 11 years old, her parents both had their identities stolen. Their credit ratings were ruined and they were constantly fighting over money. This was before the age of the Internet, when identity theft became more commonplace, so authorities and banks were clueless and reluctant to help Axton's parents.Axton's family switched PO Boxes, changed all of their personal information and moved to different addresses but the identity thief followed them wherever they went. Convinced that the thief had to be someone they knew, Axton and her parents completely cut off the outside world, isolating themselves from friends and family. Axton learned not to let anyone into the house without explicit permission and once went as far as chasing a plumber off their property with a knife. She had panic attacks throughout her formative years and often became physically sick with anxiety and quarantined behind the closed curtains in her childhood home. She began starving herself at a young age in an effort to blend in - her clothes, hair, makeup and weight could be nothing short of perfect or she would be scolded by her mother, who had become paranoid and consumed by how others perceived the family.Years later, her parents marriage still shaken from the theft, Axton discovered that she, too, had fallen prey to the identity thief but by the time she realised, she was already thousands of dollars in debt and her credit was ruined. After her mother's death, Axton's father found a box filled with pay stubs that listed his wife's first name but a different last name; copies of Axton's birth certificate; denial of application letters for various checking accounts; properties with other men. Axton and her father quickly came to realise that the identity thief was her mother all along. THE LESS PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT US is Axton's attempt to untangle the intricate web of her mother's lies and to understand why and how her mother could have inflicted such pain upon the two people closest to her. Axton will present a candid, shocking and redemptive story that will provide clarity and comfort for others in similarly unfortunate circumstances, and reveal her courageous effort to grapple with a parent who broke the unwritten rules of love, protection, and family.

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Book Synopsis'This is an incredible story!'--Steve HarveyEach of us is living a story--the story of our life. For Sam Collier, his story started with rejection, because when he and his twin sister were born, their biological mother gave them up for adoption. Through the many obstacles and challenges throughout Sam''s life, God would prove to him that in spite of the opposition, he was truly writing a story Sam could never have written in his own strength. In this deeply personal yet remarkably universal book, Sam Collier tells his inspiring story of abandonment, sacrifice, gratitude, and rescue, revealing how God is always doing something bigger and better than we might imagine. That he has a purpose and a plan for every single one of us. That he is always telling his greater story through our trials, our relationships, and our triumphs.If you''re in the middle of a challenging time and long to know that God is working through it, Sam''s story will teach yo

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