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Reviews

Reviews

by Kate Andersen Brower - History, Nonfiction, Politics

America’s First Families are unknowable in many ways. No one has insight into their true character like the people who serve their meals and make their beds every day. Full of stories and details by turns dramatic, humorous and heartwarming, THE RESIDENCE reveals daily life in the White House as it is really lived through the voices of the maids, butlers, cooks, florists, doormen, engineers and others who tend to the needs of the President and First Family.

by Sally Hepworth - Fiction

THE SECRETS OF MIDWIVES tells the story of three generations of women devoted to delivering new life into the world --- and the secrets they keep. Neva, a third-generation midwife, is determined to keep the details surrounding her own pregnancy --- including the identity of the baby’s father --- hidden for as long as possible. Her mother, Grace, finds it impossible to let this secret rest. For Floss, Neva’s grandmother, Neva’s situation thrusts her back 60 years in time to a secret that eerily mirrors her granddaughter’s --- a secret that, if revealed, will change everything.

by Anne Tyler - Fiction

Abby and Red Whitshank, and their four grown children, have accumulated not only tender moments, laughter and celebrations, but also jealousies, disappointments and carefully guarded secrets. From Red’s father and mother, newly arrived in Baltimore in the 1920s, to Abby and Red’s grandchildren carrying the family legacy boisterously into the 21st century, here are four generations of Whitshanks, their lives unfolding in and around the sprawling, lovingly worn Baltimore house that has always been their anchor.

by Molly Guptill Manning - History, Literature, Nonfiction

When America entered World War II, we faced an enemy that had banned and burned over 100 million books and caused fearful citizens to hide or destroy many more. The War Department and the publishing industry stepped in with an extraordinary program: 120 million small, lightweight paperbacks, for troops to carry in their pockets and their rucksacks, in every theater of war. Comprising 1,200 different titles of every imaginable type, these paperbacks were beloved by the troops and are still fondly remembered today.

by Louis Zamperini and David Rensin - Memoir, Nonfiction

Louis Zamperini’s struggle to survive the unimaginable --- brought to life in his autobiography, DEVIL AT MY HEELS, and in Laura Hillenbrand’s bestseller and its film adaptation, UNBROKEN --- elevated him to his rightful place among our country’s greatest heroes. Now Zamperini, who passed away in 2014 at the age of 97, reveals the wisdom he learned along his incredible journey. In DON’T GIVE UP, DON’T GIVE IN, he offers never-before-told tales that embody his simple yet essential secrets of success.

by Jon Katz - Memoir, Nonfiction, Pets

When Jon Katz got a call from an animal control officer about Simon, a neglected donkey who had been found on a failing farm, he wasn't expecting to take him in. But when he made the trek out to meet Simon, he couldn't help falling in love with the skinny, mangy donkey, and ended up taking him into his home. Simon listened in the fields as Jon read and discussed philosophy, forcing Jon to confront the most difficult parts of life and bringing him to a new understanding about mercy and compassion.

by Penny Junor - Biography, Nonfiction

Prince Harry, one of the most popular members of the British royal family, has had a colorful life. After losing his mother at 12 years old, he spent his teenage years making questionable choices under intense international media scrutiny. As he's grown, he has distinguished himself through military service, flying helicopters for the RAF. As he reaches his 30th birthday, Prince Harry is proving himself a prince of the people.

by Ellen Cooney - Fiction

Ellen Cooney’s latest novel is the story of two women and a whole pack of dogs who, having lost their way in the world, find a place at a training school --- and radical rescue center --- called the Sanctuary. It is a story of strays and rescues, kidnappings and homecomings, moving on, holding on and letting go. And it is, ultimately, a moving and hilarious chronicle of the ways in which humans and canines help each other find new lives, new selves and new hope.

by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella - Essays, Humor, Nonfiction

Once again, the mother-daughter writing duo of Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella provide a uniquely frank and often humorous look at life. With twenty-something Francesca navigating New York City, Lisa holding down the fort in the suburbs, and Mother Mary making frequent and always entertaining appearances, there are plenty of opportunities for family-induced guilt, fighting, laughter and love.

by Sarah Jio - Fiction

June Andersen is professionally successful, but her personal life is marred by unhappiness. Unexpectedly, she is called to settle her great-aunt Ruby’s estate and determine the fate of Bluebird Books, the children’s bookstore Ruby founded in the 1940s. Amidst the store’s papers, June stumbles upon letters between her great-aunt and the late Margaret Wise Brown --- and steps into the pages of American literature.