Memoirs Books
HarperCollins Publishers Wild Swans Three Daughters of China
Book SynopsisFew books have had such an impact as Wild Swans: a popular bestseller which has sold more than 13 million copies and a critically acclaimed history of China; a tragic tale of nightmarish cruelty and an uplifting story of bravery and survival.Through the story of three generations of women in her own family the grandmother given to the warlord as a concubine, the Communist mother and the daughter herself Jung Chang reveals the epic history of China''s twentieth century.Breathtaking in its scope, unforgettable in its descriptions, this is a masterpiece which is extraordinary in every way.Trade Review‘It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of this book.’ Mary Wesley ‘Everything about “Wild Swans” is extraordinary. It arouses all the emotions, such as pity and terror, that great tragedy is supposed to evoke, and also a complex mixture of admiration, despair and delight at seeing a luminous intelligence directed at the heart of darkness.’ Minette Marrin, Sunday Telegraph ‘Immensely moving and unsettling; an unforgettable portrait of the brain-death of a nation.’ J. G. Ballard, Sunday Times ‘“Wild Swans” made me feel like a five-year-old. This is a family memoir that has the breadth of the most enduring social history.’ Martin Amis, Independent on Sunday ‘There has never been a book like this.’ Edward Behr, Los Angeles Times
£11.69
Orion Publishing Co East West Street
Book SynopsisTHE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLERWhen he receives an invitation to deliver a lecture in the Ukrainian city of Lviv, international lawyer Philippe Sands begins a journey on the trail of his family''s secret history. In doing so, he uncovers an astonishing series of coincidences that lead him halfway across the world, to the origins of international law at the Nuremberg trial. Interweaving the stories of the two Nuremberg prosecutors (Hersch Lauterpacht and Rafael Lemkin) who invented the crimes or genocide and crimes against humanity, the Nazi governor responsible for the murder of thousands in and around Lviv (Hans Frank), and incredible acts of wartime bravery, EAST WEST STREET is an unforgettable blend of memoir and historical detective story, and a powerful meditation on the way memory, crime and guilt leave scars across generations.* * * * * ''A monumental achievement: profTrade ReviewA monumental achievement: profoundly personal, told with love, anger and great precision -- John le CarréSupremely gripping. Sands has produced something extraordinary. Written with novelistic skill, its prose effortlessly poised, its tone perfectly judged, his book teems with life, from the bustling streets of Habsburg Lviv to the high drama of the Nuremberg trials. One of the most gripping and powerful books imaginable -- Dominic Sandbrook * SUNDAY TIMES *Important and engrossing. . . even when charting the complexities of law, Sands's writing has the intrigue, verve and material density of a first-rate thriller. . . He can magic whole histories of wartime heroism out of addresses eight decades old. Or, chasing the lead of a faded photograph, he can unearth possible alternate grandparents and illicit liaisons to be verified only by DNA tests. . . an exceptional memoir -- Lisa Appignanesi * OBSERVER *Engrossing ... Sands has written a remarkable and enjoyable book, deftly weaving his own family history into a lively account of the travails of the early campaigners for international human rights law -- Caroline Moorhead * LITERARY REVIEW *A magnificent book. A work of great brilliance. There is narrative sweep and intellectual grip. Everything that happens is inevitable and yet comes as a surprise. I was moved to anger and to pity. In places I gasped, in places I wept. I wanted to reach the end. I couldn't wait to reach the end. And then when I got there I didn't want to be at the end -- Daniel Finkelstein * THE TIMES *A fascinating and revealing book, for the things it explains: the origins of laws that changed our world, no less. It's also a readable book, and thoughtful, and compassionate. Most fundamentally, though, it's a book that tells a few individual human stories that lie behind the world-changing ones. That storytelling isn't redemptive - what could be, in this context? - but it confronts all those silences and challenges them. That challenge makes it an important book too -- Daniel Hahn * THE SPECTATOR *A vivid and readable contribution, part memoir, part documentary, to the history debate ... Much of the most compelling material in this book is personal ... Moving and powerful -- Mark Mazower * FINANCIAL TIMES *Outstanding ... This is the best kind of intellectual history. Sands puts the ideas of Lemkin and Lauterpacht in context and shows how they still resonate today, influencing Tony Blair, David Cameron and Barack Obama. When we think of the atrocities committed by Slobodan Milosevic or Bashar al-Assad, it is the ideas of these two Jewish refugees we turn to. Sands shows us in a clear, astonishing story where they came from -- David Herman * NEW STATESMAN *In a triumph of astonishing research, Sands has brilliantly woven together several family stories which lead to the great denouement at the Nuremberg tribunal. No novel could possibly match such an important work of truth -- Antony BeevorA book like no other I have ever read - unputdownable and unforgettable -- Orlando FigesA beautiful and necessary book -- A.L. KennedyDazzling, shattering. EAST WEST STREET is one of the most extraordinary books that I have ever read -- Antonia FraserAn exacting, heroic, essential education -- Peter Florence * DAILY TELEGRAPH *A masterpiece -- Andrew Neather * EVENING STANDARD *A narrative to my knowledge unprecedented. . . a machine of power and beauty that should not be ignored by anyone in the United States or elsewhere who would believe there are irreparable crimes whose adjudication should not stop at the border * NEW YORK TIMES *
£10.44
Random House The Search Warrant
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£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers Food for Thought
£21.25
Duckworth Books Possessions
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£14.24
Hodder & Stoughton Funny Thing Getting Older
£17.00
Simon & Schuster Ltd Kutchinskys Egg
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£17.00
HarperCollins Publishers Her Name Is Alice
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£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC M Train
Book Synopsis''So honest and pure as to count as a true rapture'' JOAN DIDION''A poetic masterpiece'' JOHNNY DEPP''Our St John of the Cross, a mystic full of compassion'' EDMUND WHITE''A roadmap to my life'', from the National Book Award-winning author of Just Kids: an unforgettable odyssey of a legendary artist, told through the prism of cafés and haunts she has worked in around the worldREVISED EDITION WITH FIVE THOUSAND WORDS OF BONUS MATERIAL AND NEW PHOTOGRAPHS M Train begins in the tiny Greenwich Village café where Smith goes every morning for black coffee, ruminates on the world as it is and the world as it was, and writes in her notebook. Through prose that shifts fluidly between dreams and reality, past and present, and across a landscape of creative aspirations and inspirations, we travel to Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul in Mexico; to a meeting of an Arctic explorer's society in Berlin; to a ramshackle seaside bungalow in New York's Far Rockaway Trade ReviewThis book is so honest and pure as to count as a true rapture * Joan Didion *Patti Smith has graced us with a poetic masterpiece, a rare and privileged invitation to unlatch a treasure chest never before breached * Johnny Depp *A tender, harrowing, often hilarious portrait of young lovers forging their paths in an eccentric milieu of Beat poets, Warhol socialites, and transvestites, rock stars and artists * Vogue *The most beautiful, incredible autobiography – it will make you ache for a time and a place that you probably never knew, New York in the 1970s * Nick Hornby *She was once our savage Rimbaud, but suffering has turned her into our St John of the Cross, a mystic full of compassion * Edmund White *
£11.69
Duckworth Books Chopsy
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£12.74
Brown Dog Books Those Flat Share Girls (Oh, How They Laughed)
Book SynopsisThose Flat Share Girls is a collection of light verse, written in easy to read rhyming couplets, containing an old man’s recollections of his young life in London in the 1960s. It begins in January 1960, when he bids his school goodbye with the thought that: I knew I’d never use again A logarithm or a sine But the trappings of a cultured mind I knew exactly where to find. And, not long after this, while strolling to a local coffee bar, he and a friend sense that: There was a fire about to burn And of that flame we had both caught a spark. That warm summer’s evening in Grovelands Park. And so, life moves forward through the years with the usual parties and musical delights of the superb jazz bands to be found performing in the back rooms of pubs for twopence ha’penny and the emerging electric bands who would sell black rhythm and blues back to the USA. Unfortunately, he misses most of this scene’s excitement because: Far from the fuss and ballyhoo I was on my way to Kathmandu On what became known as the Hippie Trail. Then onwards to a couple of years in Australia as a roustabout ‘swagman’. A few further adventures follow, an attempt to walk the Pennine Way amongst them; and there are several unconsummated romances along the way until he eventually finds himself ‘complete’ in the comforting arms of a loving wife. And finally, back in a local park, an old man minding a friend’s dog. He sits observing the changed world of 2022, sixty odd years after he sensed a fire about to burn and ponders contentedly: There really is no better place To see first-hand the changing face Of our noble, ancient ‘Island Race’ Than in a local park on a Sunday morn …
£13.50
John Murray Press The Flower Bearers
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£18.00
Unbound The Hard Way
Book SynopsisA captivating blend of feminism, ancient roads and history that asks and answers the question: where are the women in nature?Why is it radical for women to walk alone in the countryside, when men have been doing so for centuries? The Hard Way is a powerful and illuminating book about addressing this imbalance, reclaiming fearlessness and diving into the history of the landscape from a woman’s point of view.Setting off to follow the oldest paths in England, The Ridgeway and The Harrow Way, Susannah Walker comes across artillery fire, concern from passing policemen and her own innate fear of lone figures in the distance: a landscape shaped by men, from prehistoric earthworks to today’s army bases.But along the way, Susannah finds Edwardian feminists, rebellious widows, forgotten writers and artists, as well as all their anonymous sisters who stayed at home throughout history. They become her co
£15.29
HarperCollins Publishers The Escape
Book SynopsisA unique memoir from British cycling's most fascinating competitorIn the summer of 2020 sportswriter David Walsh asked Pippa York if she'd be interested to be his travelling companion for the Tour de France. The deal was that he would sort out the logistics beforehand, the hotels, the transport details and she would do the day to day tasks of getting them about and adding her insight occasionally. It would also mean she would return to the race she had ridden eleven times as Robert Millar.This is the resulting book: a unique and entertaining sporting odyssey, The Escape uses the minutiae of Pippa and David's trip, and the iconic landmarks of the Tour de France, to explore her early life growing up in working class Glasgow; her entry into racing; the psychological aspects of the sport and how that manifested itself in her personality; her ups and downs as a competitor; her post-career and her eventual transition in her 40s.Touching on doping, gender in sport and the unique wonders and d
£18.70
Penguin Books Ltd Maternity Service
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£9.99
Pushkin Press The Madmans Guide to Stamp Collecting
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£10.44
Cornerstone Educated
Book SynopsisTHE MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLER A BETWEEN THE COVERS PICK Selected as a book of the year by AMAZON, THE TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, GUARDIAN, NEW YORK TIMES, ECONOMIST, NEW STATESMAN, VOGUE, IRISH TIMES, IRISH EXAMINER and RED MAGAZINE 'One of the best books I have ever read . . . unbelievably moving' Elizabeth Day 'An extraordinary story, beautifully told' Louise O'Neill 'A memoir to stand alongside the classics . . . compelling and joyous' Sunday Times Tara Westover grew up preparing for the end of the world. She was never put in school, never taken to the doctor. She did not even have a birth certificate until she was nine years old. At sixteen, to escape her father's radicalism and a violent older brother, Tara left home. What followed was a struggle for self-invention, a journey that gets to the heart of what an education is and wTrade ReviewA memoir to stand alongside classics by the likes of Jeanette Winterson and Lorna Sage . . . a compelling and ultimately joyous account of self-determination * Sunday Times *[A] fascinating, jaw-dropping memoir * Observer *[A] superb memoir… Westover’s journey from a remote corner of the American west to one of the world’s grandest seats of learning is extraordinary . . . Her story, of fighting to be herself, is as old as the hills she came from, but Westover gives us such a fresh, absorbing take that it deserves to bring her own private Idaho into the bestseller lists, book groups and, eventually, cinemas. * The Times *Brilliantly recounts her journey towards knowledge and enlightenment * Guardian *An amazing story, and truly inspiring. The kind of book everyone will enjoy. IT’S EVEN BETTER THAN YOU’VE HEARD.Her story is remarkable, as each extreme anecdote described in tidy prose attests. That someone who grew up in her circumstances could achieve as much as she has is astonishing . . . The central tension she wrestles with throughout her book is how to be true to herself without alienating her family. Her upbringing was extraordinary, but that struggle is not. * The Economist *This memoir [is] one of the wisest accounts of family love and betrayal that I’ve read * Mail on Sunday *[An] astonishing autobiographyHeartbreaking in its honesty...[an] intelligent and powerful memoir * Literary Review *An astonishing and uplifting story about the transformative power of education * Mail on Sunday, 2018 Cultural Highlights *Educated is quite simply one of the best books I have ever read. What a writer, what a thinker and what a gift for the rest of us to be able to read her story. Unbelievably moving and profoundly thought-provoking.Educated is an unflinching account of love and brutality, of the strength of blood ties and the power of imagination, and of a young woman whose intellect, self-knowledge and courage illuminate every page. There are passages so painfully vivid that they sear themselves into the memory, yet Westover is never prurient or punitive: even when writing from the depths, she does so with compassion and grace. Both the book and its writer are remarkable in every respectWestover has a story to tell that shouldn't be ignored * The Guardian *This fiercely intelligent memoir is a fascinating and compassionate view of another world and the author’s struggle to both escape from and understand it as she heads out into the world * The Pool, Ones to Watch in 2018 *A dazzling example of what you can achieve if you set your mind to something… an inspirational, truly unique coming-of-age tale * BBC Ones to Watch in 2018 *A shocking and powerfully moving memoir * Daily Express *What comes through is Tara’s grit, determination and instinctive sense that somewhere within education lies her redemption ... There is pain and adversity in this heart-wrenching memoir but ultimately what Tara leaves us with is hope * Sunday Express *Marvellous. There is no feeling like discovering a young writer who is springing up fully armed with so much talentAbsolutely superb . . . the last 100 pages were so gripping I could hardly breatheTara Westover's beautifully written memoir shines a light on a part of our country that we too often overlook. Her powerful tale—of trying to find a place for herself in the world, without losing her connection to her family or her beloved home—deserves to be widely read. My Mamaw would have been rooting for Tara.
£10.44
Random House There Is No Meant to Be
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£17.09
Simon & Schuster Ltd I Regret Almost Everything
Book Synopsis
£21.25
Pan Macmillan J Memoir
Book SynopsisThe Right Honourable Dame Jacinda Ardern was elected the fortieth prime minister of New Zealand at the age of thirty-seven, becoming the country's youngest prime minister in more than 150 years. Since leaving office, Ardern has established the Field Fellowship on empathetic leadership. She is a Senior Fellow at Harvard University, continues to work on climate action, and is the Patron of the Christchurch Call to Action to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. Ardern also works on a number of projects that support women and girls, but considers her greatest roles to be those she will hold for life, including that of mum and proud New Zealander.
£21.25
Pan Macmillan This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior
Book SynopsisA Major BBC Series Starring Ben Whishaw. The multi-million copy bestseller and Book of the Year at The National Book Awards.‘Painfully funny. The pain and the funniness somehow add up to something entirely good, entirely noble and entirely loveable.' - Stephen FryWelcome to the life of a junior doctor: 97-hour weeks, life and death decisions, a constant tsunami of bodily fluids, and the hospital parking meter earns more than you.Scribbled in secret after endless days, sleepless nights and missed weekends, Adam Kay's This is Going to Hurt provides a no-holds-barred account of his time on the NHS front line. Hilarious, horrifying and heartbreaking, this diary is everything you wanted to know – and more than a few things you didn't – about life on and off the hospital ward.Sunday Times Number One Bestseller for over eight months and winner of a record FOUR National Book Awards: Book of the Year, Non-Fiction Book of the Year, New Writer of the Year and Zoe Ball Book Club Book of the Year.This edition includes extra diary entries and an afterword by the author.Trade ReviewI’d prescribe this book to anyone and everyone. It's laugh-out-loud funny, heartbreakingly sad and gives you the lowdown on what it’s like to be holding it together while serving on the front line of our beloved but beleaguered NHS. It’s wonderful -- Jonathan RossPainfully funny. The pain and the funniness somehow add up to something entirely good, entirely noble and entirely loveable. -- Stephen FrySo clinically funny and politically important for supporters of the NHS that it should be given out on prescription * Guardian *Finally a true picture of the harrowing, hilarious and ultimately chaotic life of the junior doctor in all its gory glory, dark comedy and unavoidable sadness. A blisteringly funny account shot through with harrowing detail, many pertinent truths and the humanity we all hope doctors conceal behind their unflappable exteriors -- Jo BrandAs hilarious as it is heartbreaking – and it IS heartbreaking (also hilarious) -- Charlie BrookerBlisteringly funny, politically enraging and often heartbreaking . . . hilarious . . . brimming not just with humour but with humanity . . . This should be a wake-up call to all who value the NHS -- Hannah Beckerman * Sunday Express *A funny, excoriatingly revealing, beautiful book -- Dawn FrenchHorrifyingly hilarious and hilariously horrifying -- Danny WallaceA ferociously funny book -- Mark WatsonSuperb -- Pam AyresAs a hypochondriac I was worried about reading Adam Kay’s book. Luckily it’s incredibly funny – so funny, in fact, that it gave me a hernia from laughing -- Joe LycettBy turns witty, gruesome, alarming, and touching. Always illuminating and searingly honest -- Jonathan DimblebyBrilliant -- Mark HaddonTable of ContentsIntroduction - i: Introduction Chapter - 1: House Officer Chapter - 2: Senior House Officer Post 1 Chapter - 3: Senior House Officer Post 2 Chapter - 4: Senior House Officer Post 3 Chapter - 5: Registrar Post 1 Chapter - 6: Registrar Post 2 Chapter - 7: Registrar Post 3 Chapter - 8: Registrar Post 4 Chapter - 9: Senior Registrar Chapter - 10: Aftermath Section - ii: An Open Letter to the Secretary of State for Health Acknowledgements - iii: Acknowledgements
£9.49
Bonnier Books Ltd You Are Not Your Limits
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£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Blue Nights
Book SynopsisFrom one of our most powerful writers, a classic work of stunning frankness about losing a daughter.Richly textured with bits of her own childhood and married life with her husband, John Gregory Dunne, and daughter, Quintana Roo, this new book by Joan Didion examines her thoughts, fears, and doubts regarding having children, illness, and growing old.Blue Nights opens on July 26, 2010, as Didion thinks back to Quintana's wedding in New York seven years before. Today would be her wedding anniversary. This fact triggers vivid snapshots of Quintana's childhood in Malibu, in Brentwood, at school in Holmby Hills. Reflecting on her daughter but also on her role as a parent, Didion asks the candid questions any parent might about how she feels she failed either because cues were not taken or perhaps displaced. How could I have missed what was clearly there to be seen?' Finally, perhaps we all remain unknown to each other.Blue Nights the long, light evening hours that signal the summer solstice, the opposite of the dying of the brightness, but also its warning' like The Year of Magical Thinking before it, is an iconic book of incisive and electric honesty.This is a beautiful and devastating book by one of the finest writers we have' Zadie SmithSearing, informative and affecting. Don't leave life without it.' Financial Times*Notes to John, the remarkable recently discovered journal from Joan Didion is available now*Trade Review‘Her prose is a thing of beauty’ Daisy Goodwin, Sunday Times ‘Where the book is most successful – and most poignant – is in the viciously honest picture Didion draws of a lonely, encroaching old age … your heart breaks for her increasing and incurable frailty’ Julie Myerson, Observer Reviews for ‘A Year of Magical Thinking’:‘It is the most awesome performance of both participating in, and watching, an event. Even though Didion does not allow herself to break down, only a terribly controlled reader will resist doing the same.’ John Freeman, Independent ‘Ultimately, and unexpectedly for a book about illness and death, this is a wonderfully life affirming book.’ Lisa O’Kelly, Observer ‘Searing, informative and affecting. Don’t leave life without it.’ Financial Times ‘This is a beautiful and devastating book by one of the finest writers we have. Didion has always been a precise, humane and meticulously truthful writer, but on the subject of death she becomes essential.’ Zadie Smith
£9.49
Transworld Chutzpah
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£10.44
Simon & Schuster Ltd And Away...
Book SynopsisThe number one bestseller and Sunday Times Humour Book of the Year by national treasure Bob Mortimer.‘The most life-affirming, joyful read of the year’ - Sunday Times‘Winningly heartfelt’ – The Guardian‘A triumph’ – Daily Mail Bob Mortimer’s life was trundling along happily until suddenly in 2015 he was diagnosed with a heart condition that required immediate surgery and forced him to cancel an upcoming tour. The episode unnerved him, but forced him to reflect on his life so far. This is the framework for his hilarious and moving memoir, And Away… Although his childhood in Middlesbrough was normal on the surface, it was tinged by the loss of his dad, and his own various misadventures (now infamous from his appearances on Would I Lie to You?), from burning dTrade Review‘It’s probably fairer to say that since his brush with mortality, Mortimer has come into his own. There is this book, which is a triumph… And Away is as good a celebrity autobiography as you could hope to read, and enthusiastically recommend.’ * Daily Mail *‘…(a) fascinating and often poignant memoir.’ * Daily Express & Daily Mirror *‘The book, too, grows more confident in talking about serious subjects as it progresses and it’s the honesty and openness that he allows in Gone Fishing that make And Away…, by the end, an unexpectedly moving read’ * The Observer *‘A glorious collection of stories from an extraordinary life. Once you put it down, you may get the immediate urge to pick it up again. Yes, you couldn’t let it lie.’ * Yorkshire Magazine *‘Bob Mortimer is pretty much established as a national treasure…So it's great to hear his story of how he got there first-hand…In the end he has become loved for being himself. And maybe that's the best type of success of all.’ * Beyond the Joke *‘Bob’s recent reinvention via the …Gone Fishing series means a whole new audience might indeed be surprised at how many different things he’s done and will particularly admire the non-showbiz route to stardom in our age of driven but ultimately vacuous and content-free superstars.’ * Yorkshire Bylines *‘It’s a precarious world, but And Away... is a heartfelt testament to the magic of finding your happy place within it.’ * The Sunday Times *‘(a) touching, funny autobiography.' * Observer *‘(a) comic masterpiece of a memoir: melancholically amusing, warm and witty’ * Strong Words *‘Filled with anecdotes from Mortimer’s life, And Away… contrasts humour with a deeper contemplation of life following his open-heart surgery’ * Radio Times *‘…deftly combines all the varied aspects of Mortimer’s eventful, fascinating life and paints a fully three-dimensional picture of this much-loved figure’ * Chortle *‘…it’s everything you would want from the man who is the highlight of every show you see him on’ * The Independent *
£8.99
Icon Books Hijab Butch Blues
Book Synopsis''A masterful, must-read contribution to conversations on power, justice, healing, and devotion from a singular voice I now trust with my whole heart''GLENNON DOYLE, author of Untamed**Roxane Gay''s Book Club March 2023 Pick**When Lamya is fourteen, she decides to disappear. It seems easier to ease herself out of sight than to grapple with the difficulty of taking shape in a world that doesn''t fit. She is a queer teenager growing up in a Muslim household, a South Asian in a Middle Eastern country. But during her Quran class, she reads a passage about Maryam, and suddenly everything shifts: if Maryam was never touched by any man, could Maryam be... like Lamya? Written with deep intelligence and a fierce humour, Hijab Butch Blues follows Lamya as she travels to the United States, as she comes out, and as she navigates the complexities of the immigration system - and the queer dating scene. At each step, she turns to her faith to make sense of her life, weaving stories from the Quran to
£10.44
Pan Macmillan Wilderness Mum
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£17.60
HarperCollins Publishers Motherland
£18.04
HarperCollins Publishers The Shetland Way
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£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Hack Yourself Healthy
Book Synopsis
£18.00
Profile Books Ltd In the Dream House: Winner of The Rathbones Folio
Book Synopsis'Ravishingly beautiful' Observer 'Excruciatingly honest and yet vibrantly creative' Irish Times 'Provocative and rich' Economist 'Daring, chilling, and unlike anything else you've ever read' Esquire 'An absolute must-read' Stylist WINNER OF THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE 2021 'A masterpiece. Proceed with caution' Phoebe Bridgers In the Dream House is Carmen Maria Machado's engrossing and wildly innovative account of a relationship gone bad. Tracing the full arc of a harrowing experience with a charismatic but volatile woman, this is a bold dissection of the mechanisms and cultural representations of psychological abuse. Each chapter views the relationship through a different lens, as Machado holds events up to the light and examines them from distinct angles. She casts a critical eye over legal proceedings, fairy tales, Star Trek and Disney villains, as well as iconic works of film and fiction, infusing all with her characteristic wit, playfulness and openness to enquiry. The result is a powerful book that explodes our ideas about what a memoir can do and be.Trade ReviewA tender, incandescent memoir like no other. There's no doubt that Machado is one of the brightest literary talents around. -- Johanna Thomas-Corr * Observer *Absolutely remarkable ... What makes this book truly exceptional is how Machado creates an archive where, shamefully, there is none -- Roxane GayThis book is devastating. Machado is a sublime, phenomenal, breathtakingly good writer and a new work by her is a momentous occasion. -- Daisy JohnsonMachado's dazzling memoir of violence in a queer relationship flips acrobatically between genres - myth, sci-fi thriller, soap opera, comedy of errors - to document her abuse with steely precision. * Daily Telegraph *Carmen Maria Machado lets loose the full force of her gothic imagination to recount her real-life entanglement in an addictive but psychologically abusive same-sex relationship, and in language so sensual the violence comes as a shock ... sublime -- Marina Benjamin * New Statesman *This is challenging and thrilling. There is never one reading. Memoir here is resurrection, rebirth and archive. In the Dream House is a dark jewel reflecting something startling - familiar and strange. - * Guardian *Merge the house and the woman-watch the woman experience her own body as a haunted house, a place of sudden, inexplicable terrors-and you are reading the blazingly talented Carmen Maria Machado. -- Parul Sehgal * The New York Times *Machado's genre-crushing memoir is a meditation on the eclipse of knowledge and intuition by the narcotic light of a destructive bond that feels like love. -- Melissa BroderInnovative and haunting, compelling and jarring, Machado has created what is essentially a new form of memoir ... excruciatingly honest and yet vibrantly creative. * The Irish Times *Provocative and rich ... the cycle of abuse is a kind of poisonous enchantment in which victims can be enthralled. Ms Machado's memoir casts a powerful counter-spell * Economist *Astonishing ... Machado writes with such precision and poetry it's hard not to be utterly blown away as she pinpoints those moments that can cause the destruction of all relationships. An absolute must-read for 2020. * Stylist *Breathtakingly inventive. . . . Machado's writing, with its heat and precise command of tone, has always had a sentient quality. But what makes In the Dream House a particularly self-aware structure-which is to say, a true haunted house-is the intimation that it is critiquing itself in real time. .Here and in her short stories, Machado subjects the contemporary world to the logic of dreaming. -- Katy Waldman * New Yorker *Carmen Maria Machado has re-imagined the memoir genre, creating a work of art both breathtakingly inventive and urgently true. In the Dream House is crucial queer testimony. I've never read a book like it. -- Alex Marzano-LesnevichThe way [In the Dream House] seamlessly weaves the facts of [Machado's] life with fictions-the ghosts that still haunt her, the fact that even time travel could not undo what's been done-is a masterstroke. Machado's that writer who can convincingly code-switch between sci-fi nerdery and lyrical realism. She's equally at home in both worlds. * Wired *Piercing. . . . In the Dream House makes for uneasy but powerful reading. * USA Today *A raw, innovative memoir. * BBC Culture *Realistic, poetic, and sometimes grimly funny ... A hard-hitting and layered book that reminds us we need to continue addressing abuse with queer women's communities * Diva *A groundbreaking memoir in terms of both form and content. . . . Get ready for Machado to take you on several breakneck cross-country trips of the soul. * The Observer *An unflinching, engrossing memoir. * POPSUGAR *A stunning book, both deeply felt and elegantly written. * Boston Globe *Forget everything you think you know about memoir when reading Carmen Maria Machado's brilliant, twisting, provocative entry in the genre. * NYLON *A towering achievement from a truly outstanding writer. * Independent Best LGBTQ+ Books *A masterpiece. Proceed with caution. -- Phoebe Bridgers
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Taste
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAn instant classic . . . As captivating, simple, charming and insanely moreish as the best Italian food. Take it to bed with you and you will fall asleep dreaming you're in Italy. But take it to the kitchen and you will find yourself using it as often as a pan or a peeler * Stephen Fry *A brilliant food-led memoir from the all-round gem, Stanley Tucci. It's a love letter to food and a life lived in the pursuit of the good things * Anna Jones, Author of 'One Pot, Pan, Planet' *It is as infectious as it is delicious, as funny as it is insightful. The only reason to put this book down, is to go cook and eat from it' * Heston Blumenthal *A delicious story of appetite, family and pasta. A serious amount of pasta. In this gloriously written memoir, the ever tasteful Stanley Tucci invites us to his table and feeds us all the good stuff * Jay Rayner *Tucci, as all the world knows by now, likes to eat and drink . . . His memoir, however, takes his passion to another level . . . The world needs more men like this * Observer *A divine celebration of food, Italy and life, this joyous memoir from the popular actor is a real treat * Woman & Home *Moving, funny and greedy . . . If food is everything to you, you'll love it * Diana Henry, Sunday Telegraph *His descriptions of the Italian food he grew up with, woven through with family stories and the recipes he's encountered on his travels, will leave you hungry - and in no doubt that this is a man who knows both how to eat and how to live * Guardian *A delicious foodie memoir . . . An intimate reflection on the intersection between food and life * Irish Daily Mirror *Incredibly seductive ... A warm and lovely book * Financial Times, Best Books of 2022: Food and Drink *
£10.44
Eye Books Tough Crowd: How I Made and Lost a Career in
Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'A must-read. Funny and utterly compelling' Jonathan Ross The Bafta-garlanded creator of Father Ted and The IT Crowd tells of his rise and painful fall. Part comedy-writing masterclass, part diary of a gender wars 'cancellation'. Having cut his teeth in music journalism, Graham Linehan became the finest sitcom writer of his generation. He captured the comedy zeitgeist not just as the co-creator of Father Ted but also with The IT Crowd and Black Books, winning five Baftas and a lifetime achievement award. Then his life took an unexpected turn. When he championed an unfashionable cause, TV commissioners no longer returned his emails, showbiz pals lost his number and his marriage collapsed. In an emotionally charged memoir that is by turns hilarious and harrowing, he lets us into the secrets of the writing room and colourfully describes the high-octane atmosphere of a sitcom set. But he also berates an industry where there was no one to stand by his side when he needed help. Bruised but not beaten, he explains why he chose the hill of women and girls' rights to die on - and why, despite the hardship of cancellation, he's not coming down from it any time soon.Trade Review'One of the best TV comedy writers of all time delivers a book which is a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered: a) how to create a hit sit-com and b) how it feels to lose everything. It's funny, complicated and utterly compelling' Jonathan Ross 'One of the most compelling and unflinchingly honest memoirs I've read in many years. It's also the funniest' Andrew Doyle 'Graham Linehan has long been one of my favourite writers - and this book shows that his brilliance in prose is the equal to his brilliance as a screenwriter. It unfolds with the urgency of a Sam Fuller film: that of a man who has been through something that few have experienced but has managed to return, undaunted, to tell us the tale' Richard Ayoade 'Hilarious, raw and touching. A must-read for anyone who wants to know the backstory behind Father Ted - and why he gave up the life of a luvvie to fight the threats posed by trans ideology to women's rights and child safeguarding' Helen Joyce 'This book is great company, and reminds us that Graham is first and foremost a writer, and a very funny one indeed. It is a not inconsiderable relief, in fact, to see that he has not lost the gift' Simon Evans 'A brilliant account of the evolution of a comedy writer, but also an extraordinary and chilling portrayal of cancel culture. I found it unputdownable' Lissa Evans A funny but dark memoir that goes from Linehan’s childhood in Dublin (nerdy, bullied) to his days as a music journalist, to writing Father Ted and The IT Crowd, to getting involved in the trans argument’ The Herald ‘A beautifully written memoir that is full of good humour and grace, and the best account yet of cancellation. Linehan’s is a story that calls out to be heard. To recommend it is to take a small stand’ Entertainment Focus ‘Because so much of the discussion around Tough Crowd will almost certainly be focused on his politics, I want to start by saying that this is a great book, full stop. In fact, it is one of the most entertaining new books I’ve read in a long time, in any genre’ Spiked ‘Simultaneously eloquent and chatty, Linehan never strays far from his need to entertain. The saddest thing about this memoir is that the very people who should read it, to hear the facts, probably won’t’ Irish Independent ‘The good news is that Graham Linehan is still funny. Tough Crowd contains a lot of fire and brimstone, but it is very entertaining’ The Critic ‘Linehan’s bracing and, at times, riveting memoir...charts the story of his apparent cancellation, but it also takes a deep dive into his formative years as a writer. The Father Ted chapters are stuffed with great detail and gossip’ Irish Independent ‘Seriously funny. Like Father Ted, Linehan will never stop scheming to escape his exile, and we laugh because it hurts’ The Distance ‘Sure to be the most controversial British TV memoir of the decade’ British TV.com
£16.99
Vintage Publishing What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Book SynopsisIn 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, the author began running to keep fit. A year later, he'd completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such races, he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life and on his writing. This title presents his portrait.Trade ReviewIt’s an inspiring, reflective read that’ll make you want to dust your trainers off -- Andy McNicoll * Professional Social Work *An outstanding read -- Peter Sharkey * Eastern Daily Press *
£9.99
Bonnier Books Ltd Justice For My Father
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group Empty Pockets Wide Eyes
Book SynopsisA powerful childhood memoir by former Conservative MP Sajid Javid'This is a memoir unlike anything you will read from a politician. Sajid Javid tells his story with eloquence and wit' Alan Johnson
£21.25
Vintage Publishing Death of an Ordinary Man
Book SynopsisNow I understand there are no ordinary lives that every death is the end of a single event in time's history: an event so improbable as to be miraculous, and irreplaceable in every particular.Sarah Perry''s father-in-law, David, died at home nine days after a cancer diagnosis and having previously been in the good health. The speed of his illness outstripped that of the NHS and social care, so the majority of nursing fell to Sarah and her husband. They witnessed what happens to the body and spirit, hour by hour, as it approaches death.Death of an Ordinary Man is an unstinting account of death by cancer, a reportage into the daily experience of caring, an exploration of the structural conditions of dying in the UK, and most importantly a testament to David's life, that of an ordinary man.Unflinching and profoundly moving, Sarah Perry confronts the taboo surrounding death and shows us how to confront all of the terror and beauty that comes with the end of life - and how the saddest thing she has ever seen is also the best thing she''s ever done.
£17.09
Pan Macmillan The Eyes of Gaza
Book Synopsis
£16.88
Cornerstone The North Road
Book SynopsisA dazzlingly inventive work of literature.' Robert MacfarlaneAt the heart of this book is a highway. The A1; The Great North Road. A 400-mile multiplicity of ancient trackway, Roman road, pilgrim path, coach route and motorway that has run like a backbone through Britain for the last 2,000 years. In this genre-defying and profoundly personal book, Cowen follows this ghost road from beginning to end on a journey through history, place, people and time. Weaving his own histories and memories with the layered landscapes he moves through, this is the story of an age, of coming to terms with time past and time passing, and the roads that lead us to where we find ourselves. Written in kaleidoscopic prose, The North Road is an unforgettable exploration of Britain's great highway. 'Stunning and utterly unique. The North Road sits in a genre of one. He's a magician whose brilliance lies not in trickery, but in real talent and a wild, untamed imagination that's capable of transcending time.' Benjamin Myers With his singular blend of research, personal exploration and intensely visceral storytelling, Rob Cowen is truly in a class of his own.' Amy-Jane Beer'A dazzling, dogged, layered account of one road's passage through place, time and an ordinary family's history, The North Road truly is a trip.' Melissa Harrison'Thought-provoking and beautiful.' Matt Gaw'A beautifully woven and mesmerising book.' Tom Bullough'Sweeping, sensitive and enduring.' Tristan GooleyI loved the combination of memoir, history, family story, the vivid fictional interludes ... Rob has given the A1 an entirely new sense of life.' Luke Turner
£18.70
Penguin Books Ltd Home
Book Synopsis'Quintessentially indispensable brimming with generosity and love of life. I want to share this book with everyone I love and those I don't in the conviction that Home will make them NICER by association' Juliet Nicolson In this book inspired by her phenomenally popular Substack newsletter, India Knight explores the essence of what makes a home, debunking intimidating ideas about taste' and trends, offering practical and reassuring advice for every room, and above all celebrating the joy and comfort that comes from being surrounded by things you love. This is partly a book about a feeling. We all know it, regardless of where we live. Home is when you open the front door and exhale. In this joyous, practical, wise and entertaining book, inspired by her phenomenally popular Substack newsletter, India Knight explores and celebrates the essence of what makes a home. Whether it is grand or modest, urban or rural, rented or owned, shared or occupied solo, her mission is to make you sigh with contentment the moment you're through your front door. From it's understanding the best lightbulbs and the most flattering paint colours, or knowing what to make when you've asked people to dinner and have forgotten (or maybe never learned) how to cook, Home debunks intimidating ideas about taste' and celebrates the timeless importance of charm. Inspiring you to think imaginatively about how to use the things you've already got, advising you on what to look out for when buying a sofa, and opening your eyes to the transformative power of a well-chosen picture frame, India will steer you far, far away from trends and Instagram and helps you find, trust and take pride in what you like. Going from the hallway to the bedroom, via the bathroom, the kitchen, the sitting room and all the spaces in between, India shares everything she knows about how to create and find joy in every room. Along the way she shares life lessons, tips and stories of the things and people that have shaped her, and the places she has called home. So, step over the threshold and come on in.
£21.75
Wilton Square Books All My Worldly Joy
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£17.09
Pan Macmillan The Happiest Man on Earth: The Beautiful Life of
Book SynopsisHolocaust survivor Eddie Jaku made a vow to smile every day and believed he was the ‘happiest man on earth’. In his inspirational memoir, he paid tribute to those who were lost by telling his story and sharing his wisdom.‘Eddie looked evil in the eye and met it with joy and kindness . . . [his] philosophy is life-affirming’ – Daily ExpressLife can be beautiful if you make it beautiful. It is up to you.Eddie Jaku always considered himself a German first, a Jew second. He was proud of his country. But all of that changed in November 1938, when he was beaten, arrested and taken to a concentration camp.Over the next seven years, Eddie faced unimaginable horrors every day, first in Buchenwald, then in Auschwitz, then on a Nazi death march. He lost family, friends, his country.The Happiest Man on Earth is a powerful, heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful memoir of how happiness can be found even in the darkest of times.‘Australia’s answer to Captain Tom . . . a memoir that extols the power of hope, love and mutual support’ – The TimesTrade ReviewI have never met Eddie Jaku, but having read his book I feel like I have made a new friend . . . This is a beautiful book by a truly amazing man * Daily Telegraph *Eddie looked evil in the eye and met it with joy and kindness . . . [his] philosophy is life-affirming * Daily Express *A reminder of the power of love, kindness and hope . . . A life-affirming story, beautifully told * Sydney Morning Herald *His tale is compelling and particularly pertinent as we struggle to make sense of challenging times * Weekend Post *Jaku’s memoir can be our private celebration of evil that was ultimately vanquished * Country Style *This simple, moving account of a remarkable life offers plenty to think about and reflect on . . . Highly recommended * Canberra Weekly *Australia's answer to Captain Tom . . . a memoir that extols the power of hope, love and mutual support * The Times *Resilience, generosity of spirit and a belief, despite everything, in the fundamental goodness of humanity shine through this outstanding memoir -- Daily Mail
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd The Other Wes Moore
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£10.44
Vintage Publishing Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
Book SynopsisDISCOVER the BESTSELLING GRAPHIC MEMOIR behind the Olivier Award nominated musical.'A sapphic graphic treat' The TimesA moving and darkly humorous family tale, pitch-perfectly illustrated with Alison Bechdel's gothic drawings. If you liked Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis you'll love this.Meet Alison's father, a historic preservation expert and obsessive restorer of the family's Victorian home, a third-generation funeral home director, a high-school English teacher, an icily distant parent, and a closeted homosexual who, as it turns out, is involved with his male students and the family babysitter. When Alison comes out as homosexual herself in late adolescence, the denouement is swift, graphic, and redemptive.Interweaving between childhood memories, college life and present day, and through narrative that is equally heartbreaking and fiercely funny, Alison looks back on her complex relationship with her father and finds they had more in common than she ever knew.'A groundbreaking masterpiece' The Independent'A finely woven blend of yearning and euphoric fantasy' Evening Standard**ONE OF THE GUARDIAN'S 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE 21st CENTURY**Trade ReviewA work of passion... It's perhaps one of the best books I've read that explores sexuality and identity * Writing Magazine *
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Things in Nature Merely Grow
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£10.44
John Murray Press It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: (YA edition)
Book SynopsisADAPTED FOR YOUNG READERSThe host of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah, tells the story of growing up mixed race in South Africa under and after apartheid in this young readers' adaptation of his bestselling adult memoir Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood.BORN A CRIME IS SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING OSCAR-WINNER LUPITA NYONG'O!Trevor Noah, host ofThe Daily Show, shares his remarkable story of growing up in South Africa, with a black South African mother and a white European father at a time when it was against the law for a mixed-race child like him to exist. But he did exist -- and from the beginning, the often-misbehaved Trevor used his keen smarts and humour to navigate a harsh life under a racist government. This compelling memoir blends drama, comedy and tragedy to depict the day-to-day trials that turned a boy into a young man. In a country where racism barred blacks from social, educational, and economic opportunity, Trevor surmounted staggering obstacles and created a promising future for himself, thanks to his mom's unwavering love and indomitable will.It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime not only provides a fascinating and honest perspective on South Africa's racial history, but it will also astound and inspire young readers looking to improve their own lives.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR BORN A CRIME - *An engaging, fast-paced and vivid read . . . Essential reading not only because it is a personal story of survival, leavened with insight and wit, but because it does more to expose apartheid - its legacy, its pettiness, its small-minded stupidity and its damage - than any other recent history book or academic text - GUARDIANIt's no surprise that Trevor Noah, the slyly suave successor to Jon Stewart as host of The Daily Show, should write a smart book. But 'smart' doesn't begin to cover what he pulls off in Born a Crime . . . Noah's memoir is extraordinary . . . essential reading on every level. It's hard to imagine anyone else doing a finer job of it - SEATTLE TIMESPowerful . . . a unique perspective - THE TIMES
£10.44
Random House Monique Escapes
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£13.49
ZE Books Twist: An American Girl
Book Synopsis"One of the most original, amazing stories I've ever read" (Mary Gaitskill), iconic rock-and-roll musician Adele Bertei's memoir Twist is her harrowing and electric story of transforming trauma through art, pluck, and imagination, as told through the inimitable voice of her young alter ego, Maddie Twist. From iconoclastic writer and musician Adele Bertei comes a wholly original hero's journey that wages war on the cliche of the "misery memoir." Set in a 1960s and '70s American neighborhood rife with poverty and violence, fatherless Irish mothers and Italian mobsters, and women crucified into madness by misogyny, Bertei speaks through her electrically alive avatar Maddie Twist to flip the victim script. Through her unshakable belief in imagination, poetry, music, and community, she transforms trauma into survival. The immediacy of Maddie's voice is a revelation, providing insight into long-enduring systemic problems without the scrim of adult analysis. In an age of lies and obfuscation, Twist is a sharp yet tender arrow to the heart of naked truth. Bertei reveals what it's like to be a queer teen at a time when discovery could be fatal. Maddie peers deeply into the American psyche, refusing to consent to the systems of harm. Along the way we encounter an unforgettable schizophrenic mother, Catholic saints, West Side Story and Oliver!, poet killers, the abyss of rape, girl-gangsters and faux-pimps, teenage lesbian sex, racial tensions and misconceived divides, a drag family known as the Holy Maudlins, Vietnam vets in dark and light, cabaret, true family, rock and roll. And the ultimate saving grace: love. A compelling personal history of queer culture from a working-class view and a glimpse into worlds yet unseen, Twist is good medicine: for readers who've experienced similar traumas, for teens caught in the foster care system, for the formerly incarcerated looking for hope, for writers grappling with how to tell their own stories. Most of all, it's for everyone seeking transportive experiences in art and on the page.Trade Review"Twist is one of the most original, amazing stories I've ever read-a story of innocence and brutality, of courage and faith and luck. It is the story of an extraordinary woman-child in an extraordinary time, of devils and angels, trolls under the bridge and unexpected helpers. For all the pain and misfortune in the early life of the intrepid narrator, it is most of all about the connective, transformative power of art and soulful community. Twist is strong and strange poetry; while reading it you may hear music in your head-I did." -Mary Gaitskill "Twist is a dark, demented, horrific and hilarious shot to the heart of American girlhood. Adele Bertei was gender fluid before gender even entered the lexicon. Her writing is miraculous, but the bigger miracle may be that the author survived to write it. And lucky for us she did. This is a book to love." -Jerry Stahl "A powerful look at survival and redemption despite extremely challenging obstacles.... [Bertei] narrates with a zest and objectivity probably only possible from a long temporal remove, and she excels at bringing readers deep into the difficult circumstances of her life.... Throughout the book, Maddie comes across as curious, impulsive, and observant, fond of losing herself in books and brought to life by the music she hears-and creates." -Kirkus (starred review) "This raw, vivid work brings readers into a life of poverty, domestic violence, mental illness, war, and trauma . . . Readers travel with her through her coming-of-age experiences, such as being shunned and punished for her attraction to other girls. She also candidly shares her experiences of sexual violence. After aging out of the foster-care system, the author stumbles but finds her footing in the family she forms with her drag-queen neighbors, her boss at the thrift store, and her love for music and writing. VERDICT Bertei's childhood is harrowing, and her memoir does not hold back on the details, which are horrific at times. But the author sounds her voice loudly in this book, and her sense of self is captured throughout the pages. The end result is likely to captivate readers." -Rebekah Buchanan, Library Journal "Fascinating.... Twist is beautifully written in crystalline prose without judgment or stigmatization. What carries her through is music and singing and Bertei writes memorably about both. This is a story about a gay teenager in the 1960s and early 70s at a time, and in institutions, which had little understanding and less tolerance for gay youth. There are episodes of horrifying brutality and violence against Bertei. Yet the great accomplishment of Twist is that it ends on an uplifting and positive note, as Maddie/Bertei becomes herself-the person we know will go on to be a force in the New Wave No Wave scene in New York.... To be placed on your hit parade." -Tom Teicholz, Forbes "Bertei depicts her relationship with her brilliant mother, who was schizophrenic, with uncommon empathy and grace.... Equal parts raucous and harrowing, Twist gives the reader a glimpse of the formation of a singular, uncompromising artist." -Brendan Dowling, Public Library Association "Once 'the Devil ran through' her family, Maddie free falls from institution to institution, growing into her queerness and discovering her fate-that 'God has to be music.' This riveting novel/memoir by underground icon Adele Bertei situates the making of a survivor rebel against the background of the chaotic side of 1960's America. An honest, hard times page turner filled with heart and revelation." -Sarah Schulman "A harrowing voyage through the cultural tornado of America in the latter part of the 20th century as seen through the eyes of a thoroughly 21st century girl. This book gives serious credence to the expression 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' Very inspirational." -Rufus Wainwright
£17.00
