Memoirs Books

Book SynopsisClaire Walsh spent her twenties living the life she thought she was supposed to live, all the while playing hide and seek with depression. As a result, the road to recovery was the only travelling she did. Aged 32, single and living with her parents, she decided it was time to chart her own path. Booking a flight to South America, she let go of at home Claire' and opened herself up to a new world of possibilities.It was here she discovered freediving. Diving deep under water without the use of breathing apparatus, freediving is one of the most dangerous sports in the world, but at 60 metres below the surface, Claire discovered a fresh perspective that transformed her life and helped her find freedom. Under Water is Claire's candid and captivating story of how holding her breath taught her to live.

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Book SynopsisOne decision can end everything . . . or lead to unlikely redemption.Millions watched the CBS 60 Minutes special on Jack Barsky in 2015. Now, in this fascinating memoir, the Soviet KGB agent tells his story of gut-wrenching choices, appalling betrayals, his turbulent inner world, and the secret life he lived for years without getting caught.On October 8, 1978, a Canadian national by the name of William Dyson stepped off a plane at O'Hare International Airport and proceeded toward Customs and Immigration.Two days later, William Dyson ceased to exist.The identity was a KGB forgery, used to get one of their owna young, ambitious East German agentinto the United States.The plan succeeded, and the spy's new identity was born: Jack Barsky. He would work undercover for the next decade, carrying out secret operations during the Cold War years . . . until a surprising shift in his allegiance challenged everything he thought he believed.

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Book SynopsisAfter four decades as a teacher of self-empowerment and the bestselling author of more than 40 books, Dr Wayne W. Dyer has finally written a memoir! However, he has written it in a way that only he can - with a remarkable take-home message for his longtime followers and new readers alike - and the result is an exciting new twist on the old format. In this revealing and engaging book, Wayne shares dozens of events from his life, from the time he was a little boy in Detroit up to present day. In unflinching detail, he relates his vivid impressions of encountering many forks in the road, taking readers with him into these formative experiences. Yet then he views the events from his current perspective, noting what lessons he ultimately learned, as well as how he has made the resulting wisdom available to millions via his lifelong dedication to service. I Can See Clearly Now is an intimate look at an amazing teacher, but it also holds the key for seekers on a personal path of enlightenment. Wayne offers up his own life as an example of how we can all recognize the hand of the Divine steering our individual courses, helping us accomplish the mission we came here to fulfill.Trade ReviewSelf-help supremo Woman magazine

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Book Synopsis'Searingly self-aware and sharply funny, Emma John takes the cliches about being a single woman and blows them apart with unforgettable originality.' - Hadley Freeman'Fabulous. Made me well up twice. Honest, vulnerable and all those great things.' - Eva WisemanThere is a piece of cod-wisdom regularly dispensed to single women: romance will arrive when you least expect it. I had assumed it would also make its own travel arrangements too. Emma John is in her 40s; she is neither married, nor partnered, with child or planning to be.In her hilarious and unflinching memoir, Self Contained, she asks why the world only views a woman as complete when she is no longer a single figure and addresses what it means to be alone when everyone else isn't.In her book, she captures what it is to be single in your forties, from sharing a twin room with someone you've never met on a group holiday (because the couples have all the doubles with ensuite) to coming to the realisation that maybe your singleness isn't a temporary arrangement, that maybe you aren't pre-married at all, and in fact you are self-contained.The book is an exploration of being lifelong single and what happens if you don't meet the right person, don't settle down with the wrong person and realise the biggest commitment is to yourself.

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Book SynopsisA twenty-year battle-seasoned pilot who flew 151 combat missions in the world's most iconic fighter plane - the F-16 Fighting Falcon - the Viper as its pilots call it. A fighter pilot who came of age at the end of the Cold War, Dan Hampton was one of the flyers scrambled into the skies on 9/11. This title tells his story.Trade Review"A rare riveting memoir of a highly decorated fighter pilot that's packed with grit, swagger, and great humor. Do not miss this one!" -- W.E.B. GRIFFIN & WILLIAM E. BUTTERWORTH IV "Hampton's one of the most decorated pilots in Air Force history. ... We may never see his like again." -- New York Post "Offers a gripping cockpit view of modern air combat ... Hampton is a vivid writer and an unabashed warrior. ... An outstanding work." -- Booklist (starred review) "Viper Pilot is an awesome adrenaline rush. If you love action packed modern day war stories then strap yourself in and get ready for a gut-wrenching, g-force defying thrill ride!" -- ALEX KERSHAW, bestselling author of The Liberator and The Few "Viper Pilot is fantastic. Lt. Col. Dan Hampton offers a personal, irreverent, no-holds-barred look into the life of an Air Force fighter pilot. A great read!" -- DALE BROWN, former USAF Captain and New York Times bestselling author of A Time for Patriots "Viper Pilot is an instant aviation classic. Dan Hampton's thrilling portrayals of combat missions kept me glued to the story, and he has captured the essence of Wild Weasel fighter operations as no one has before." -- BRIGADIER GENERAL DAVID L. MOODY (Retired USAF) "Dan Hampton's Viper Pilot truly impressed me--if you're a combat vet, it's sweaty palms again; if not, strap in and get ready. Filled with lots of action, here's a real and up-close look at modern fighter combat, told straight from the cockpit." -- COLONEL JACKSEL BROUGHTON (USAF, Ret.), recipient of the Air Force Cross for extraordinary heroism and author of Rupert Red Two: A Fighter Pilot's Life "Dramatic. ... Viper Pilot delivers 300 pages of aviation fireworks." -- Kirkus Reviews "The best air combat memoir I have ever read... An incredible look into the unique culture of Wild Weasels." -- Tyler Rogoway, Foxtrot Alpha, a Gawker Media site

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Book Synopsis"A Hymn of Praise to the Palaces of Delight that should grace every street corner. Absolutely exquisite." Ian McMillan. John Bevis is a writer and book-lover on an eccentric quest: to obtain a membership card from every library authority in England. In a ten-year mission criss-crossing the country - from Solihull to Slough, from Cleveland to Cornwall - he enrols at libraries of all shapes and sizes: monuments to Art Deco or Brutalism; a converted corset factory; one even shaped like a pork pie. With the architectural eye of Pevsner and the eavesdropping ear of Bill Bryson, he engages us at every step with anecdotes and apercus about the role of the public library in our national life, while ruing its decline in the age of austerity. As interested in the people he finds as he is in the buildings and their history, he is a humane, witty and erudite guide. The result is a book to be treasured by anyone who has ever used a library.

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Book SynopsisWHAT A STORY! WHAT A LIFE! A FASCINATING MEMOIR FROM A LEGENDARY MUSIC BUSINESS EXECUTIVE WHO... Signed the little-known David Bowie... Owned the Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust albums... Looked after the The Rolling Stones... Helped reorganise The Beatles' Apple Corp... Worked with Mickie Most on The Animals, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, Jeff Beck, and Lulu... Managed The Tremeloes, The New Seekers, and The Sweet... Masterminded a landmark court case that disrupted music publishers exploiting songwriters including Elton John... Started GTO Records, the company that signed Donna Summer, Billy Ocean, The Walker Brothers and Heatwave... AND WHO... Had dinner with John Lennon... Tea with Colonel Parker... Left Led Zeppelin's cash in a safe and lost the key... Threw Rod Stewart out of his office... Turned down chances to manage Queen and Andrea Bocelli... Almost tempted Stevie Wonder away from Motown... And foolishly allowed Iggy Pop to stay in his house! WHO KNEW?

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Book SynopsisAs the Religious Affairs Correspondent of The Irish Times from 1997, Patsy McGarry reported on some of the most troubling scandals to have rocked both Catholic and Protestant Churches in the last few decades. In Well, Holy God, he looks back not only on his time in journalism, recalling some of the most distressing stories he has had to cover, but also his own history with Catholicism and of a faith lost when the stark realities of being part of that Church became apparent to him.This book covers the gamut of his career, from the horrors of the various clerical child sex abuse cases, the vilification of Bishop Eamonn Casey and the muted reaction the Church of Ireland to the violence at Drumcree, to the role of women in the Catholic Church and the tragedies of the Mother and Baby Homes and the Magdalene laundries. Alongside accounts of such seismic events, there are lighter anecdotes, including the perils of travelling with a pope, some characters he? s met along the way and a look at the good that those with a true calling can do. Well, Holy God is a memoir brimming with personality, charting the highs and lows of a truly fascinating career.

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Book SynopsisLodi Gyaltsen Gyari spent decades striving for resolution of the Tibetan-Chinese conflict. He was the Dalai Lama's special envoy and chief negotiator with the People's Republic of China in the formal negotiations over the status of Tibet. In this revealing memoir, Gyari chronicles his lifetime of service to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan cause.Trade ReviewLodi Gyaltsen Gyari has written a fascinating account of a remarkable life, or should I say incarnation, dedicated to the service of Tibet. His narrative combines personal reminiscence, an insider’s description of the modern history of Tibet, and an examination of his role in negotiating with the People’s Republic of China on behalf of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Living through this particularly troubled and turbulent phase of Tibet’s history, Gyari shows remarkable composure, objectivity, and lack of malice toward those whom he encountered, many of whom harmed or made difficult the preservation of Tibetan culture and the transmission of Tibetan Buddhism. The book is an evocative history of a vanished time. At the same time, what it says about the fate and future of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism is topical and relevant when Tibet once again faces forks in the road ahead. This is a book for anyone with an interest in Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism, the diplomacy and minority policy of the PRC, or the sheer power and strength of the human spirit when faced with adversity. I trust that it will find a wide audience and strongly recommend it. -- Shivshankar Menon, former National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of IndiaLodi Gyaltsen Gyari has penned a masterful exposition of His Holiness’s vision of Tibet and dialogue with Beijing. He brilliantly details his life’s journey, provides extraordinary insights into his exchanges with governments, and proposes cogent recommendations for all stakeholders to secure genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people—his life's work and dedication. -- Ambassador Paula Dobriansky, former Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs and Tibet Coordinator, 2001–2009For all those who wish for reconciliation between the Dalai Lama and China, this is a most important book to read. Lodi Gyari wrote it in order for both sides to learn from the mistakes and misunderstandings of the past. He rushed to complete it when he found out that he was ill and did not have much time left. Lodi Gyari described himself as radical in his youth. As special envoy for many years, he was a realist. He kept true his loyalty to the Dalai Lama. He was an enlightened individual who always strove to find good in others. Over nine rounds of formal talks, Lodi Gyari earned the respect of his Chinese interlocutors. Till his last breath, he believed that, with goodwill and persistence, a solution could be found between the Dalai Lama and Beijing to safeguard fully Tibetan identity and autonomy within the framework of the People’s Republic of China. The Tibetan contribution to the culture and philosophy of the Chinese nation is profound. All the placards on buildings in Beijing’s Forbidden City include Tibetan as an integral language. Tibetan threads greatly enrich the Chinese tapestry. -- George Yeo, former Foreign Minister of SingaporeThe Dalai Lama’s Special Envoy is the story of one of Tibet’s most extraordinary diplomats, who was at the center of the Dalai Lama’s and the Tibetan government’s efforts to resolve the Tibetan-Chinese conflict and the Tibetan people’s struggle for survival. This unprecedented insider’s record of high-level politics, diplomacy, and negotiation is a must-read for government officials and anyone else interested in Asia. -- Michael van Walt van Praag, coauthor of Tibet Brief 20/20This is a must-read book for anyone interested in Tibet. For years I followed and assisted the discreet efforts of the Dalai Lama’s wonderful special envoy Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari in his quest to open a dialogue with Beijing. Although the secret backchannel ultimately did not succeed in establishing the mutual trust that could lead to talks ending generations of tension and exile, the heroic efforts of Gyari and his team described in this book can form the basis for future endeavors. -- Jan Egeland, former State Secretary, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign AffairsAstonishing in its thoroughness and geopolitical sweep, offering an exhaustive, firsthand account of the Tibetan political engagement with the Chinese * Buddhadharma The Practitioner’s Guide *Table of ContentsGratitudePrefaceHomageEntering the City of OmniscienceForeword, by Michael J. GreenPart I. Land of My Ancestors1. History of Nyarong, Kham, My Birthplace2. The Gyari Family: Descendants of Nyarong Gönpo Namgyal3. My Spiritual Lineage: The Mindrolling Tradition and Lumorab Monastery4. The Gyaritsang’s Involvement in the Tibetan Resistance5. Our Flight from Nyarong6. The Journey to Lhasa7. From Mindrolling to Exile in IndiaPart II. Tibet Restored: Reuniting the Tibetan People8. A Unified Tibet: Centerpiece of the Tibetan Struggle9. Tibetan Exile Organizations: Too Often Compromised by Conflicting Agendas and Personality Disputes10. Repercussions from Divisions Within the Tibetan Community in Exile11. Tibetans Inside Tibet: Flag Bearers of a Unified TibetPart III. Thirty Years of Engagement with the PRC12. The Early Years: 1979–198413. Tibet’s Rise to Prominence on the International Stage: Adoption of the Middle Way Approach14. Developing United States Support for Tibet15. India, Our Home Away from Home16. Assistance from Other Asian Nations, Europe, Nongovernmental Organizations, and Dharma Centers17. The 1990s: Renewal of Efforts to Engage Beijing18. Fits and Starts: Reengaging the United Front19. Formal Dialogue Begins20. Nine Rounds of Dialogue21. Status of Relationship, Obstacles to Reconnection, and RecommendationsAppendix A. Na-gan Thumo and The Great Oath of UnityAppendix B. Tibetan Policy ActAppendix C. Selected Press ReleasesAppendix D. Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan PeopleAppendix E. Note on the Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan PeopleNotesSelected BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewBest Blues Book of 2016, Readers Poll in Living Blues magazine, 2017 ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Award in the Pop category, ASCAP Foundation, 2017 "Harper’s book, packed with interviews with club owners, musicians and magazine editors, and illuminated throughout by his own thoughtful and sensitive reactions to the many gigs he attends all over the city, is as enlightening as it is racy, as much an unblinking (and often engagingly self-deprecating) eyewitness account, full of telling detail, as an intriguing social history, dealing with such burning issues as authenticity, racial politics, music-industry practices, the difficulties of making a living as a blues player in an increasingly rock-dominated world."-- London Jazz News"Part memoir, part history and part. . . bluesological lament for a time and place that we will never see again."--Goldmine"Harper's memoir is beautifully wrought, and populated with an array of vivid and memorable characters… Flecked with insight, wit and warmth, it proves to be an evocative portrait of a bygone era."--MOJO"Like a great concert that makes you want the owner to leave the bar open for one more round, one more encore. A tip of the pork pie hat to Alan Harper."--American Blues Scene"Waiting for Buddy Guy, Harper's journal of three visits to Chicago, provides a vivid illustration of the 1980s music scene in a city which has fostered the urban blues like no other."--Times Literary Supplement"Harper absorbed Chicago blues utterly and wholly, and in this gem of a book, he imparts his passion and knowledge in a witty, intelligent, revealing and honest manner. It's a real page-turner."--Record Collector"A terrific book. Being from Chicago, it brought back a lot of memories."--Nick Digilio, WGN radio"Harper shares his stories of searching for the blues in Chicago in his crisply told, energetic, and vibrant memoir."--No Depression "The author has captured many encounters with black bluesmen and club owners which give the reader a good sense of the ambiance of the time. This book is a good primer on the modern evolution of blues in America.--Blues News "A page-turning memoir."--Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society "The author has provided a painstakingly detailed glimpse into an almost forgotten era of the Chicago Blues scene. Reading this book filled in some personal lapses of memory, reminding me of the wonderful musical moments that I shared with some of the greatest musicians that I've ever known."--Billy Branch "An absorbing book, combining narrative flair with expertise lightly worn. Alan Harper deals with important subjects, such as the question of authenticity, in a highly readable style."--Dave Gelly, jazz critic, The Observer "It captures an era . . . when the blues scene was about midway through its descent. He profiles the players, the promoters, the clubs, the record labels, the disc jockeys, and much more that went into the early 1980s Chicago Blues scene."--Steve Cushing, author of Pioneers of the Blues Revival "There is a kind of Kerouacian feel to the storytelling. . . . The stories are vivid and well-drawn . . . and they inevitably generate a feeling of nostalgia in a reader, such as myself, who was on that scene at the time."--David Whiteis, author of Chicago Blues: Portraits and Stories

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Book SynopsisThe memoir of the 'Brighton Bomber', Patrick MageeTrade Review'An important book ... Only by hearing such voices will we shape our understanding into some kind of order and reconciliation' -- Irish Times'I read this book with total fascination. Different countries, different conflicts, Pat the bomber and I the bombed - yet how extraordinarily similar, intense, complex and healing the experience of reaching out to the hated 'enemy' had been for both of us' -- Albie Sachs, former judge on the Constitutional Court of South Africa and chief architect of the post-apartheid constitution'Magee’s narrative is calm and collected; analytical and poetic ... His emotional desire for reconciliation comes across as genuine and heartfelt' -- Counterpunch'Patrick Magee is a fine example of a human being making his way through an acute crisis. He and Jo Berry managed to transform the aftermath of a severe conflict into a profoundly useful form of communication. They both deserve our respect and admiration for this' -- Scilla Elworthy, founder of the Oxford Research Group, co-founder of Peace Direct and three-time nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize'A vivid, deeply personal account of why a young, unassuming man became a volunteer in the IRA, risked his life and sacrificed his freedom, to take on not just the British military in Belfast's ghettoes but in the lion's den itself' -- Danny Morrison, Secretary of the Bobby Sands Trust and author of All the Dead Voices (Mercier Press, 2002)‘Compelling … Pat’s exploration of his journey into republican politics, of life as an IRA volunteer, as a political prisoner and the consequences of the armed actions he participated in, provide an important alternative narrative to that often presented by others’ -- Gerry Adams, former President of Sinn Fein'Not many autobiographies show an author feeling his way through his life, seeking to understand each phase of it. This one does' -- Andersonstown News'A treatise on processes of responsibility, grieving and reconciliation' -- Red Pepper‘A fascinating read’ -- Sunday TimesTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Foreword by Jo Berry Introduction 1. Trace Memories 2. The Politics of Place 3. Unity Flats 4. Joining G Company 5. Capture and the Lazy K 6. Back to War 7. Burnout 8. Recommitment 9. Nineteen Eighty-Four 10. Capture and Trial 11. Life X 8 12. Gate Fever 13. My God! Him Too? 14. Bridges Can Be Built 15. Facing the Enemy 16. The F Word 17. The Field of Peace 18. Postscript Index

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Book SynopsisThe first translation into English of a startling 1907 memoir of a writer who was born a boy, was raised as a girl, and who lived as a man. Who was the real N.O. Body, and why did he go to such lengths to hide not just his name but his Jewish identity?Trade Review"This is a very interesting and beautifully written memoir by somebody who would have been called a hermaphrodite in the nineteenth century. The work gives a fascinating picture of the childhood experiences of the anonymous author and is full of sensitive and often moving observations on the plights of sexual ambiguity in childhood. The style, apparently so simple and relatively dispassionate, is extremely effective in pulling the reader into the story." * Chandak Sengoopta *Table of ContentsPreface: Whose Body Is It, Anyway? Hermaphrodites, Gays, and Jews in N. O. Body's Germany —Sander L. Gilman Foreword —Rudolf Presber THE MEMOIR Epilogue —Dr. Med. Magnus Hirschfeld Afterword: In Search of Karl Baer —Dr. Hermann Simon

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Book SynopsisReveals proven solutions for bettering the lives of people with serious mental illness, their families, and their communities. Leading scientist and gifted storyteller Rachel A. Pruchno, PhD, was shocked to encounter misinformation, ignorance, and intolerance when she sought to help her daughter, newly diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Turning to the scientific literature, Dr. Pruchno eventually found solutions, but she realized many others would need help to understand the highly technical writing and conflicting findings. In Beyond Madnesspart memoir, part history, and part empathetic guideDr. Pruchno draws on her decades as a mental health professional, her own family's experiences with mental illness, and extensive interviews with people with serious mental illness to discuss how individuals live with these illnesses, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and major depression. The book presents real-world vignettes that vividly describe what it is like to experience some of tTrade ReviewAt every turn, [Pruchno] puts human faces on maladies that experts sometimes reduce to abstractions. . . . A heartfelt and extremely informative overview of serious mental illness.—Kirkus ReviewsTable of ContentsPrologueChapter 1. Preliminary PointsChapter 2. Breaking BrainsChapter 3. Crisis CareChapter 4. New NormalChapter 5. Ongoing ObstaclesChapter 6. Senseless SufferingChapter 7. Remarkable ResilienceEpilogueAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2024 Michel Déon Prize for Non-Fiction A lyrical portrait of a young Irish woman reinventing herself at the turn of the twentieth century in America Ellen O'Hara was a young immigrant from Ireland at the end of the nineteenth century who, with courage and resilience, made a life for herself in New York while financially supporting those at home. Hereafter is her story, told by Vona Groarke, her descendant, in a beautiful blend of poetry, prose, and history. In July 1882, Ellen O'Hara stepped off a ship from the West of Ireland to begin a new life in New York. What she encountered was a world of casual racial prejudice that characterized her as ignorant, dirty, and feckless, the butt of many jokes. From the slim range of jobs available to her she, like, many of her kind, found a position as a domestic servant, working long hours and living in to save on rent and keep. After an unfortunate marriage, Ellen determined to win financial security on her own, and eventually opened a boarding house where her two children were able to rejoin her. Vona Groarke builds this story from historical fact, drawing from various archives for evidence of Ellen. However, she also considers why lives such as Ellen's seem to leave such a light trace in such records and fills in the gaps with memory and empathetic projection. Ellenscrappy, skeptical, and straight-talkingis the heroine of Hereafter, whose resilience animates the story and whose voice shines through with vivid clarity. Hereafter is both a compelling account of an incredible figure and a reflection on how one woman's story can speak for more than one life.Trade Review"An Irish Times and Irish Independent book of the year" -- 2022"A groundbreaking way of investigating a traumatic period in history, not only Irish history, but American history too." -- Colm Tóibín"Hereafter would be heartbreaking if it weren't so beautiful. As it is, it lifts the heart." -- John Banville, author of The Singularities"Hereafter is a mixed-media multi-genre tour-de-force. With poetry, prose, photographs, and a treasure trove of facts and artifacts pulled from the archives, Vona Groarke conjures the spirit of a woman she never met: Ellen O’Hara Grady, her mother’s beloved grandmother, missing for half a lifetime across the Atlantic Ocean. “Story is company,” Groarke writes; her mosaic of a narrative draws readers around a metaphoric hearth that warms the soul." -- Megan Marshall, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Margaret Fuller: A New American Life and Elizabeth Bishop: A Miracle for Breakfast"A glowingly beautiful book about absence (and about absence becoming presence), this engagement with a ‘boxy, skeptical’ woman moves from plainness to poignancy, from groundedness to grace. It’s the story of a life but also a story of storymaking, written with immense skill and a living sense of writerly tact." -- Joseph O’Connor, author of Star of the Sea"Keats wrote that ‘a man’s life of any worth is a continual allegory.’ So too a woman’s. A conjuring, a searching, a haunting, a documenting, an imagining: Hereafter is a singular work of archival poetics and sympathetic vision. Speculative yet grounded in documents and historical research, this book draws on all the poet’s prodigious gifts—her formal inventiveness, historical sensibility, ethical acuity, linguistic brio. Vivifying the lives of young Irish immigrant women in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, focusing on her own great-grandmother’s elusive presence in the historical record and in family memory, Groarke has brilliantly made of this ‘an intimating life,’ full of sensory detail and surprising transnational currents. Hereafter strikingly suggests en route how the work of Irish women abroad was crucial to the formation of the Irish state; it is a tour-de-force and also points to new horizons for life-writing in/as poetry." -- Maureen N. McLane, author of My Poets"A chance discovery in the archives of the New York Public Library was the seed for this book, and for that we should be thankful, because what has taken root with Hereafter is something remarkable. Vona Groarke, among the most brilliant poets writing today, gifts to her subject, Ellen O’Hara, the power of poetry, and in their joined hands is a powerful story indeed, freeing up the sonnet form so that it not only accommodates but ignites the rich and fascinating specifics of a private and important life. There has been nothing like this from an Irish writer before; it is a thrilling and beautiful creation." -- Belinda McKeon, author of Tender"As it imagines one woman’s life, this genre-bending book probes the nature of family and belonging and the profound ways ordinary immigrant women changed history on both sides of the Atlantic. Intelligent, searching, and warmly rendered." * Kirkus Reviews *"A striking tapestry woven of research and speculation." -- Brendan Daly * Business Post *"A beautifully distinctive exercise in imaginative empathy. Groarke’s writing is intimate — and impeccably honed. Hereafter is a fitting expression of gratitude, a reclamation or rectification as well as an attempt to assemble and understand Ellen’s life." -- Joanne Hayden * Independent.ie *"In Hereafter: The Telling Life of Ellen O’Hara, the poet Vona Groarke traces, through a blend of poetry and prose, the life of her grand-mother, who emigrated from Sligo to New York in 1882 to work as a servant. Groarke’s lyrical act of historical investigation will surely become a classic of Irish literature." -- Frances Wilson * The Spectator *"A groundbreaking blend of history, poetry, and prose, a triumph of negative capability. This is a rich, rewarding, and heartbreaking read. Groarke restores not just Ellen, but all the other women who ‘left to live in other peoples’ houses.’" -- Martina Evans * The Irish Times *"Groarke not only exquisitely explores the nature of belonging in one family but also how Irish immigrant women transformed history both at home and abroad." -- Janet Somerville * Toronto Star *"[Y]ou should grab a copy of Vona Groarke’s Hereafter: The Telling Life of Ellen O’Hara. It is an inventive, fascinating twist on the life story of one so-called Irish 'biddy.' It is also a collage of poetry, history, and memoir. Just like George Saunders re-invented Honest Abe with his dazzling 2017 book Lincoln in the Bardo, Groarke gives us a new way to think about immigrant women, from her great-grandmother to herself." -- Tom Deignan * IrishCentral *

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Book SynopsisThis annotated translation of To the Far North presents the diary of a twenty-seven-year-old Russian physician who was part of the 1900 expedition to the Chukotka Peninsula to find gold. No other account so richly details life along the North Pacific Rim before World War I, especially from a Russian perspective. This volume relates the expedition''s formation, development, and aftermath and offers unique insights on the region''s place in both Russian policymaking and geopolitics. The illustrated diary includes picturesque descriptions of San Francisco, the Nome Gold Rush, Chukchi culture, Petropavlovsk, Vladivostok, and Nagasaki, Japan.Andrew A. Gentes''s translation is based on an edition of Akifëv''s book that was published in St. Petersburg in 1904. The diary shows how Russian and American views and cultural values clashed over a territory that is today more geopolitically important than ever. By documenting Akifëv''s personal travels ou

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Book SynopsisConfronting trauma behind the transnational adoption system—now back in printMany adoptees are required to become people that they were never meant to be. While transracial adoption tends to be considered benevolent, it often exacts a heavy emotional, cultural, and economic toll on those who directly experience it. Outsiders Within is a landmark publication that carefully explores this most intimate aspect of globalization through essays, fiction, poetry, and art. Moving beyond personal narrative, transracially adopted writers from around the world tackle difficult questions about how to survive the racist and ethnocentric worlds they inhabit, what connects the countries relinquishing their children to the countries importing them, why poor families of color have their children removed rather than supported—about who, ultimately, they are. In their inquiry, the contributors unseat conventional understandings of adoption politics, reframing the controversy as a debate that encompasses human rights, peace, and reproductive justice. Contributors: Heidi Lynn Adelsman; Ellen M. Barry; Laura Briggs, U of Massachusetts, Amherst; Catherine Ceniza Choy, U of California, Berkeley; Gregory Paul Choy, U of California, Berkeley; Rachel Quy Collier; J. A. Dare; Kim Diehl; Kimberly R. Fardy; Laura Gannarelli; Shannon Gibney; Mark Hagland; Perlita Harris; Tobias Hübinette, Stockholm U; Jae Ran Kim; Anh Đào Kolbe; Mihee-Nathalie Lemoine; Beth Kyong Lo; Ron M.; Patrick McDermott, Salem State College, Massachusetts; Tracey Moffatt; Ami Inja Nafzger (aka Jin Inja); Kim Park Nelson; John Raible; Dorothy Roberts, Northwestern U; Raquel Evita Saraswati; Kirsten Hoo-Mi Sloth; Soo Na; Shandra Spears; Heidi Kiiwetinepinesiik Stark; Kekek Jason Todd Stark; Sunny Jo; Sandra White Hawk; Indigo Williams Willing; Bryan Thao Worra; Jeni C. Wright.Trade Review"An eye-opening perspective. . . . Anyone contemplating transracial adoption will find provocative ideas."—Publishers Weekly"Provides profound insight into what it’s like to be adopted from another race or into another nation."—Library Journal"A valuable resource for those who believe that transracial, often international, adoption cannot be a curative measure—in the slightest—for the inequalities which stain the human experience."—Seven Oaks Magazine Review"Outsiders Within is not the first book to explore the experience of being adopted across racial lines, but is perhaps the most challenging and ambitious to date."—American Adoption Congress Decree

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Book SynopsisA memoir by a disability rights activist Such a Pretty Girl is Nadina LaSpina's story—from her early years in her native Sicily, where still a baby she contracts polio, a fact that makes her the object of well-meaning pity and the target of messages of hopelessness; to her adolescence and youth in America, spent almost entirely in hospitals, where she is tortured in the quest for a cure and made to feel that her body no longer belongs to her; to her rebellion and her activism in the disability rights movement. LaSpina’s personal growth parallels the movement’s political development—from coming together, organizing, and fighting against exclusion from public and social life, to the forging of a common identity, the blossoming of disability arts and culture, and the embracing of disability pride. While unique, the author's journey is also one with which many disabled people can identify. It is the journey to find one's place in an ableist world—a world not made for disabled people, where disability is only seen in negative terms. La Spina refutes all stereotypical narratives of disability. Through the telling of her life’s story, without editorializing, she shows the harm that the overwhelming focus on pity and on a cure that remains elusive has done to disabled people. Her story exposes the disability prejudice ingrained in our sociopolitical system and denounces the oppressive standards of normalcy in a society that devalues those who are different and denies them basic rights. Written as continuous narrative and in a subtle and intimate voice, Such a Pretty Girl is a memoir as captivating as a novel. It is one of the few disability memoirs to focus on activism, and one of the first by an immigrant.Trade Review"From pity to empowerment, a woman born with polio illuminates her personal changes in attitude and accomplishment amid sweeping societal changes in rights for the disabled. . . . ‘I was the luckiest woman in the world,’ insists the author in this revelatory and deeply moving memoir that clearly shows how and why she came to feel that way." -- STARRED Kirkus Review"In this insightful memoir, disability activist LaSpina effortlessly shares how her personal experiences led to her activism, creating a compelling story that is both instructive and moving. ... readers will encounter her successes and set-backs, both personal and political, and learn about the U.S. medical system and its treatment of individuals with disabilities. ... LaSpina's story of determination and hard-won independence is engaging, informative, and ultimately, inarguably, inspiring." -- STARRED Booklist"The author skillfully ties her personal experiences into a broader social and historical context … an empowering and feminist book. It shows an immigrant, writer, teacher, and activist’s perspective on pivotal moments in history. In an intimate way, Such a Pretty Girl shows how far disability rights have come in the past 70 years and touches on inequalities that still exist." -- Book Riot"From the first vivid chapter set in Sicily to her gutsy activism in the U.S., LaSpinas triumphant memoir of a richly lived life held me rapt." -- Alix Kates Shulman"A memoir fueled by passion and grounded in history. Nadina LaSpina’s beautifully written narrative reveals a conscientious citizen and an exuberant and vibrant woman. Such a Pretty Girl is ultimately a love story." -- Simi Linton, author of My Body Politic"A feminist, personal perspective on disability. One of the main themes is the author’s developing ability to claim and enjoy her own beauty and sexuality." -- Gillian Kendall, coauthor of How I Became a Human Being

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Book SynopsisPaul Weinberg spent 30 years in the Emergency Room (or ER) as a medical doctor and has seen everything, Described as “a strange career” by the author, entry into the field is unrestricted and open to all who are brave (or foolish) enough to start into the stream without the knowledge of the tsunami ahead. The strangeness of the practice is apparent from the very first visit to a busy urban ER. The swarm of commotion and great vividness of the scene can be dizzying. The relentlessness of the torrent and its strange day and night rhythms can enthral and repel like no other practice or job. In turns shocking, sad and funny, this book contains remarkable tales, inside stories and the experiences of a doctor’s career in ER. Emergency medicine in America is a critical asset to its healthcare system. The ER doctor is located at the interface of the public and the first point of healthcare. If a doctor is needed outside of office hours, nights, or holidays, if the patient is uninsured or has inadequate insurance, or is of such a social state that they might be unpleasant to be around, no one is turned away at the ER. In short, the life of the ER doc is one where no situation is off limits.

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Book SynopsisThis lively and irreverent memoir explores the settings where Yiddish - a language of song, rebellion, and eternal longing - has thrived: in the cabaret and cafe, the kitchen and classroom, the literary salon and mystical commune, the partisan brigade and on pilgrimage to Poland.Trade ReviewDavid G. Roskies's passionate narrative of a brilliant family is more than a memoir of rupture and renewal-it is a history of a civilization, its languages, its lost cities, its living songs." - Cynthia Ozick, recipient of the National Book Critics Circle Award, and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize"Yiddishlands' is a richly transcendent piece of writing that salvages many episodes of personal, family, and social history, not only in the Old Country but in modern Montreal and the numerous other places (hence the plural title)." - Jewish News Weekly of Northern California"David Roskies is the only one of his generation who can map the Yiddish literary world after the war with personal stories, vivid portraits of the key players, and extraordinary acumen and wit. Yiddishlands is a tour de force." - Hana Wirth-Nesher, professor of English and American studies and director of the Goldreich Family Institute for Yiddish Language, Literature, and Culture at Tel Aviv University

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Book SynopsisOn his second tour to Vietnam, Nick Brokhausen served in Recon Team Habu, CCN. This unit was part of MACV-SOG (Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observations Group), or Studies and Observations Group as it was innocuously called. The small recon companies that were the center of its activities conducted some of the most dangerous missions of the war, infiltrating areas controlled by the North Vietnamese in Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The companies never exceeded more than 30 Americans, yet they were the best source for the enemy's disposition and were key to the US military being able to take the war to the enemy. This was accomplished by utilizing both new and innovative technology, and tactics dating back to the French and Indian Wars.This small unit racked up one of the most impressive records of awards for valor of any unit in the history of the United States Army. It came at a terrible price, however; the number of wounded and killed in action was incredibly high. Those missions today seem suicidal. In 1970 they seemed equally so, yet these men went out day after day with their indigenous allies - Montagnard tribesmen, Vietnamese, and Chinese Nungs - and faced the challenges with courage and resolve.This riveting memoir details the actions and experiences of a small group of Americans and their allies who were the backbone of ground reconnaissance in the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. It became a cult classic among the Special Forces community when first published over a decade ago.

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Book SynopsisIn post-war Glasgow a primary school class was set a composition topic: a memorable family event. Each child completed the assignment all, that is, but one.Why didn't you write about your family?Please, miss. I didn't, I didn't know what to write.But now, he does.In Already, Too Late, Carl MacDougall, one of Scotland's most accomplished and celebrated literary writers, presents a memoir of extraordinary authenticity and honesty.This memoir takes us through MacDougall's upbringing, both in and out of care on the west coast of Scotland, Fife, and industrial Glasgow, during the first decade of his life.Within this world, now teetering on the brink of our collective memory, sits a single-parent household of German descent; money is tight, trauma roams free and tragedy comes calling again and again.Through a powerful mosaic of stories, MacDougall strips away all rose-tinted sentimentality to create a vivid account of heart-break, dissociation and loss.Already, Too Late is the early life of an outsider looking in, a changeling child, displaced, alone, and in his own grandmother's words no right'. Because for some, even the very beginning is already too late.

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Book SynopsisPaths of Thorns is the story of Jacob Abramovich Neufeld (18951960), a prominent Soviet Mennonite leader and writer, as well as one of these Mennonites sent to the Gulag.Trade Review'Path of Thorns is easily the most substantial published first-person account of Soviet Mennonite life from the 1920s through the Second World War.' -- Benjamin W. Goossen Nova Religio vol 20:02:2016 'A highly readable translation of Neufeld's writings... Dyck offers new insights into how Soviet interrogators weaved grand narratives, drawing friends and colleagues to implicate each other and themselves in fabricated crimes. This adds a deeper understanding of the world in which Neufeld's experiences unfolded.' -- Aileen Friesen The Russian Review vol 73:04:2014 'The book provides an important firsthand account of life in the gulag and a unique perspective on the Nazi invasion of Ukraine.' -- Colin P. Neufeldt The Mennonite Quarterly, April 2015 'Harvey Dyck has done a splendid job of translating Neufeld's dense and intelligent prose and offering an insightful analysis.' -- Royden Loewen University of Toronto Quarterly vol 84:03:2015Table of ContentsMaps Introduction and Analysis, Harvey L. Dyck PART I. MY PATH OF THORNS PART II. 'TIEFENWEGE (TRAGIC PASSAGES),' 1929-1949 Section One: New Directions and Shattering Experiments, 1928-1939 Section Two: World War II, Bolshevik Collapse and German Occupation, 1941-1943 Section Three: The Great Trek, 1943-1944 Section Four: Germany's Collapse, 1944-1945 Section Five: Allied Occupation and Emigration, 1945-1949 PART III. AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL LETTER TO WIFE, LENE NOTES

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