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The girl in the painted caravan: memories of a Romany childhood
By Eva Petulengro. 2011
Born into a Romany gypsy family in 1939, Eva Petulengro's childhood seemed to her to be idyllic in every way.…
She would travel the country with her family in their painted caravan and spend evenings by the fire as they sang and told stories of their past. She didn't go to school or visit a doctor when she was unwell. Instead her family would gather wild herbs to make traditional remedies, hunt game and rabbits, and while the men tended horses to make a living, the young girls would join the women in reading palms. But Eva's perfect world would be turned upside down as the countryside became increasingly hostile to all travellers. 2011.The gift of a home: with decorations
By Beverley Nichols. 1972
The first tycoon: the epic life of Cornelius Vanderbilt
By T J Stiles. 2010
T J Stiles tells the dramatic story of Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt, the combative man and American icon who did more…
than perhaps any other individual to create modern capitalism. From Vanderbilt's humble birth during the presidency of George Washington to his death as one of the richest men in American history, we see how the Commodore helped to launch the transportation revolution, propel the Gold Rush, reshape Manhattan and invent the modern corporation. 2010.The first man in my life: daughters write about their fathers
By Sandra Martin, Ed Martin Sandra. 2007
In twenty-two original narratives, some of Canada's most acclaimed writers share stories, memories, insights, and revelations - from the comic…
to the tragic - about the first man in their lives. These complex stories will open a fresh and intense conversation with daughters everywhere about the men they've observed since childhood: their fathers. Some descriptions of sex and violence and some strong language. 2007.The establishment man: a portrait of power
By Peter C Newman. 1982
The errand runner: reflections of a rabbi's daughter
By Leah Rosenberg. 1981
The color of water: a Black man's tribute to his white mother
By James McBride. 1996
One of twelve siblings in Brooklyn, the author was confused about his mother's race. She called herself light-skinned and refused…
to discuss her past. Years later she admitted to being an Orthodox rabbi's daughter whose family shunned her after her marriage to the first of her two black husbands. Some strong language. 1996.The draw: a memoir
By Lee Siegel. 2017
Hoping to make a killing in New Jersey real estate, the author's father, Monroe Siegel, takes a draw from his…
employer against unearned commission. When the recession hits in the 1970s, Monroe finds himself owing a small fortune to his firm. He sinks toward divorce and bankruptcy, while Lola, Lee's mother, suffers a nervous breakdown that turns her into a different person. Shamed and enraged by his father's fate, Lee grows up wondering what society owes a person who has failed materially but preserved his humanity. Touches on fundamental questions: How do we balance our obligations to ourselves with our obligations to others? What do we owe society when its rules have a legal basis but not a moral one? 2017.The history of the Bronte family: from Ireland to Wuthering heights
By John Cannon. 2000
This account of the Bronte family traces their Irish ancestry from its murky origins around 1710 to 1820 when the…
Bronte family arrived at Haworth Parsonage, Yorkshire. Patrick Brunty was the eldest of a family of ten from Ballynaskeagh near Newry in County Down. His parents were uneducated and impoverished, but his father, Hugh, was known locally as a storyteller whose repertoire included the strange tale of Welsh Brunty, almost certainly a prototype for Heathcliff. Patrick won a scholarship to St John's College, Cambridge, was ordained a Church of England priest, and held various ministries until finally he arrived in Haworth with his wife suffering from cancer and six young children. He cherished literary ambitions which he passed on to Charlotte, Emily and Anne; and this book points out certain themes and stories in their novels which could only have come from a profound knowledge of their Irish roots as told to them by their father. 2000.The glass castle: A Memoir
By Jeannette Walls. 2006
Reporter for MSNBC.com looks back on her unsettled life. Describes growing up in a dysfunctional family, which was always on…
the move. She recalls her father's dream of building a "glass castle," and relates how she and her siblings escaped to make lives of their own. Bestseller. 2006.The Guggenheims: an American epic
By John H Davis. 1978
The gambler: how penniless dropout Kirk Kerkorian became the greatest deal maker in capitalist history
By William C Rempel. 2018
Tells the rags-to-riches story of self-made billionaire Kirk Kerkorian--the daring aviator, movie mogul, risk-taker, and business tycoon who transformed Las…
Vegas and Hollywood as one of the top financiers in America. 2018.The edible man: Dave Nichol, President's Choice & the making of popular taste
By Anne Kingston. 1994
Chronicles the rise of Dave Nichol, whose work with private label products helped revolutionize the supermarket industry. First brought into…
Loblaws by Galen Weston in 1971, Nichol became president in 1976, but was moved to a smaller arm of Loblaws in 1984. Here, he met his great success, developing President's Choice into a retail phenomenon. Kingston discusses Nichol's work at Loblaws, his aggressive and sometimes abusive personality, and his departure from Loblaws in 1993. 1994.The Eatons: the rise and fall of Canada's royal family
By Rod McQueen. 1998
A revealing look at how the Eaton dynasty was created over four generations and almost destroyed in one. It discusses…
the private and business lives of a colourful cast of characters who have touched the lives of Canadians from coast to coast. 1998.The Duke of deception: memories of my father
By Geoffrey Wolff. 1979
The author recaptures the paradox of his brilliant father's turbulent life. Although he found it "fun to be Duke Wolff’s…
son," it was also harrowing to see his father's lies, debts, drinking, and irresponsibility. Some strong language. 1979.The deal maker: how William C. Durant made General Motors
By Axel Madsen. 2000
William C. Durant did big things the big way: he overreached, but, until his final failure, he picked up the…
pieces time after time to confound his competitors. From a turbulent childhood in the small town of Flint, Michigan, to his phenomenal success in creating General Motors, Durant's meteoric career easily rivals the success stories of modern legends. 2000.The desire of every living thing: a search for home
By Don Gillmor. 1999
When Don Gillmor's grandmother broke her hip at the age of eighty, a family secret was revealed: her twin sister…
was not really her twin, but her aunt. The secret had been hidden since the family moved from Scotland to Winnipeg in order to escape the shame of her illegitimacy. The discovery of this secret prompted Gillmor to journey to Scotland and trace his family's history. 1999.The closer we are to dying: A Memoir
By Joe Fiorito. 1999
Fiorito recalls his life growing as a poor, Italian boy in 1950s Fort William, Ontario. He shares memories of his…
father, and of the stories his father told about his own family. Strong language. c1999.The day John died
By Christopher P Andersen. 2000
Calling this the final book in his Kennedy family trilogy, the author of "Jackie after Jack" discusses the life and…
untimely death of John Kennedy Jr. in 1999. Thirty-eight-year-old John, his wife, Carolyn, and her sister died in a plane John was piloting. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2000.The concubine's children: portrait of a family divided
By Denise Chong. 1994
Chong traces her family's history from China to Canada. Her grandfather left his wife and emigrated to Canada, accompanied by…
the concubine he bought in 1924. In Canada, they stinted and sacrificed to support his family in China. Chong tells of her grandparents and parents, and the visits she made to China to try to unite the strands of her family's past. Winner of the 1995 CNIB Talking Book of the Year Award. 1994.