Friday, December 12, 2014

New Biographies











A Fort of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family Story by Qais Akbar Omar
“A young Afghan man's memoir of his family and country in which the horrors and perils he faced, his imprisonment, and his quiet resistance explore life in a country whose history has become deeply entwined with the United States, but has eluded understanding.” –WorldCat

Between Gods by Alison Pick
When Alison Pick was a teenager, she made a discovery that instantly changed her understanding of her family: that her father’s parents, who had escaped from the Czech Republic during WWII, were Jewish--and that most of this side of the family had died in concentration camps. When Alison was diagnosed with depression in her early thirties, she began exploring this side of her family history. This book recounts her struggle with the meaning of her faith, her journey to convert to Judaism, her battle with depression, and her path towards facing and accepting the past and embracing the future. –Summary.

The Closer: My Story by Mariano Rivera
“Mariano Rivera tells his story for the first time: the championships, the bosses (including the Boss), the rivalries, the struggles of being a Latino baseball player in the United States, and of maintaining Christian values in professional athletics. The twelve-time All-Star will discuss what it's like to run up to that mound with the game, or the season squarely on his shoulders.” –WorldCat

Common Ground by Justin Trudeau
Justin Trudeau's candid memoir will reveal to its readers the experiences that have shaped him over the course of his life and show how his passion for Canada and its people took root. Covering the years from his childhood at 24 Sussex to his McGill days during the tumultuous time of the Charlottetown Accord to his first campaign in Papineau to his role as Liberal leader today, the book will capture the foundational moments that have formed the man we have come to know and informed his vision for the future of Canada.” –WorldCat

Dracula: Prince of Many Faces by Radu R. Florescu
“Dracula, Prince of Many Faces reveals the extraordinary life and times of the infamous Vlad Dracula of Romania (1431 - 1476), nicknamed the Impaler. Dreaded by his enemies, emulated by later rulers like Ivan the Terrible, honored by his countrymen even today, Vlad Dracula was surely one of the most intriguing figures to have stalked the corridors of European and Asian capitals in the fifteenth century.” –Amazon

Growing Up Duggar by Jana, Jill, Jessa and Jill Duggar
The four eldest girls in America's favorite mega-sized family talk about their faith, their dreams for the future, and what it's like growing up a Duggar. Jana, Jill, Jessa, and Jinger Duggar share a candid look into their relationships with their parents, siblings, friends, boys, God, and themselves. –Summary

Hidden Girl by Shyima Hall
“The author, Shyima Hall, was eight when her parents sold her into slavery. In Egypt's capitol city of Cairo, she lived with a wealthy family and served them eighteen hours a day, seven days a week. When she was ten, her captors moved to Orange County, California, and smuggled Shyima with them. Two years later, an anonymous call from a neighbor brought about the end of Shyima's servitude-- but her journey to true freedom was far from over. Now a US citizen, she regularly speaks out about human trafficking and candidly reveals how she overcame her harrowing circumstances.” –WorldCat

UnPhiltered by Phil Robertson
“The controversial patriarch of A&E's Duck Dynasty series outlines his decidedly opinionated philosophy on life, sharing his views on faith, family, work and a range of modern-day issues, including gun control, prayer in school and the government.” –WorldCat

Up Ghost River by Edmund Metatawabin
In the 1950s, 7-year-old Edmund Metatawabin was separated from his family and placed in one of Canada's worst residential schools. St. Anne's, in northern Ontario, is an institution now notorious for the range of punishments that staff and teachers inflicted on students. Years later, in seeking healing, Metatawabin participated in native cultural training workshops that emphasize the holistic approach to personhood at the heart of Cree culture. Now his mission is to help the next generation of residential school survivors. –Summary

Will You Love Me by Cathy Glass
“This book tells the true story of Cathy's adopted daughter Lucy. Lucy was born to a single mother who had been abused and neglected for most of her own childhood. Right from the beginning Lucy's mother couldn't cope, but it wasn't until Lucy reached eight years old that she was finally taken into permanent foster care.” –WorldCat