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Land & Sea: Secrets to simple, sustainable, sensational food
By Alexandra Dudley. 2017
A celebration of real food and wholesome ingredients, Land and Sea brings sustainable eating to the table in true flavour…
and style. With advice on using the whole ingredient (no matter what it is); how you can make the most of leftovers; and how to be creative with herbs and spices, these recipes show you how to inject every mealtime with flavour and goodness.Inspired by her Dutch and German roots, Alexandra's storybook style recipes include family breakfasts of sweet-spiced, apple puffed pancakes - a traditional 'Dutch Baby' - warming lunches such as Hake, Prawn and Lemongrass Curry, and comforting dinners to share like Spatchcocked Persian-Spiced Peanut Butter Chicken. And with a whole chapter on how to make vegetable 'king', you'll also find lots of ideas to make the most from your bounty, such as Caramelised Carrot Tarte Tatin and Shepherdless Pie.Including beautiful photography and stunningly designed, these recipes will show you how to celebrate all that Land and Sea has to offer, to the full.Always Smiling: The World According to Toff
By Georgia Toffolo. 2018
For fans of Made in Chelsea, I'm a Celeb and Celebs Go Dating, ALWAYS SMILING is the first book from…
the nation's favourite reality TV star Toff!Everyone loves Toff and she has come a long way since bursting onto our screens on E4's Made in Chelsea in 2014. As the runaway winner of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here 2017, Toff surprised us all, not least herself, with her positive, happy-go-lucky attitude and kindness to others, no matter what challenge came her way in the jungle. In ALWAYS SMILING, Toff is here to share her experiences, some funny, some sad, some that make her cringe with embarrassment. So whether it is friendships, family dramas, heartbreak and relationships, or how she coped with living her life in front of millions of viewers of Made in Chelsea, Toff reveals how she has learnt to keep a smile on her face, whatever life throws at her. Told with her trademark honesty, humour and endless sense of fun, ALWAYS SMILING is a must-have for any fan.Fully Functioning Human (Almost): Living in an Online/Offline World
By Melanie Murphy. 2017
'I'm just a nitwit girl who's sort of stumbling through life learning that we all have our own roads to…
walk - but that it's still valuable, and rather lovely, to hear about other people's journeys...'Filled with honesty, wit and wisdom, Fully Functioning Human (Almost) - part memoir, part life guide - will show you the real Melanie Murphy: warm, fun, positive, honest, a girl who's got this whole adult thing down. Almost. Irish YouTuber Melanie Murphy regularly chronicles the ups and downs of her life on her popular channel, discussing topics such as sexuality, skincare, social media and self-esteem. Now, in her first book, she looks with her trademark humour and down-to-earth honesty at the experiences that have shaped her.From learning how to manage her online life, to giving up on the idea of perfection, living with anxiety and the lessons she has learned about relationships, Mel shows us that difficult times can teach us the most about who we are, and by learning to value ourselves, we can overcome whatever life throws at us.Every Word is a Bird We Teach to Sing: Encounters with the Mysteries & Meanings of Language
By Daniel Tammet. 2017
'Full of charm and fascination' The Bookseller'Would dazzle any storyteller in love with words and their deepest meanings' Amy Tan,…
author of Joy Luck Club'A generous book and a beguiling read' Rebecca Gowers* * * * * *From the bestselling author of Born on a Blue Day and Thinking in Numbers, a delightful and eclectic exploration of language, and what it can teach us about ourselves and our lives.Why is the name 'Cleopatra' not allowed in Iceland? Why do clocks 'talk' to the Nahua people of Mexico? And if we are what we eat, are we also what we say? These are just some of the questions Daniel Tammet answers in Every Word is a Bird We Teach to Sing, a mesmerising new collection of essays investigating the intricacies and profound power of human language. Tammet goes back in time to explore the numeric language of his autistic childhood; he looks at the music and patterns that words make, and how languages evolve and are translated. He meets one of the world's most accomplished lip readers in Canada, learns how endangered languages like Manx are being revived and corresponds with native speakers of Esperanto in their mother tongue. He studies the grammar of the telephone, contemplates the significance of disappearing dialects, and also asks: will chatbots ever manage to convince us that they are human?From the art of translation to the lyricism of sign language, Every Word is a Bird We Teach to Sing is a fascinating journey through the world of words, letters, stories and meanings, and an extraordinary testament to the stunning range of Tammet's literary and polyglot talents.Finding Freedom: A Cook's Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch
By Erin French. 2021
**New York Times Bestseller**From Erin French, owner of the critically acclaimed The Lost Kitchen, a TIME world dining destination, a…
life-affirming memoir about survival, renewal, and finding a community to lift her upLong before The Lost Kitchen became a world dining destination with every seating filled the day the reservation book opens each spring, Erin French was a girl roaming barefoot on a 25-acre farm, a teenager falling in love with food while working the line at her dad’s diner and a young woman finding her calling as a professional chef at her tiny restaurant tucked into a 19th century mill. This singular memoir—a classic American story—invites readers to Erin's corner of her beloved Maine to share the real person behind the “girl from Freedom” fairytale, and the not-so-picture-perfect struggles that have taken every ounce of her strength to overcome, and that make Erin’s life triumphant. In Finding Freedom, Erin opens up to the challenges, stumbles, and victories that have led her to the exact place she was ever meant to be, telling stories of multiple rock-bottoms, of darkness and anxiety, of survival as a jobless single mother, of pills that promised release but delivered addiction, of a man who seemed to offer salvation but in the end ripped away her very sense of self. And of the beautiful son who was her guiding light as she slowly rebuilt her personal and culinary life around the solace she found in food—as a source of comfort, a sense of place, as a way of bringing goodness into the world. Erin’s experiences with deep loss and abiding hope, told with both honesty and humor, will resonate with women everywhere who are determined to find their voices, create community, grow stronger and discover their best-selves despite seemingly impossible odds. Set against the backdrop of rural Maine and its lushly intense, bountiful seasons, Erin reveals the passion and courage needed to invent oneself anew, and the poignant, timeless connections between food and generosity, renewal and freedom."F"-It-Less: 18 F-Words to Reframe and Repurpose Your Life
By Shaun Rawls. 2021
What does it take to say &“F-it!&” and really mean it? To walk away from the circumstances that have you…
stuck in neutral, or worse, headed in the wrong direction? To reroute your life along a smoother path toward success? To live an &“F&”-It-Less life?Shaun Rawls, popular motivational speaker and founder of Atlanta&’s #1 real estate firm, discovered the answers to those questions and more during one of the most trying, yet triumphant periods of his life. After unexpectedly finding love and consequentially navigating a divorce, the life he knew changed. Even when you are the one to implement such change, it can feel like a punch in the gut, especially when those you care about and with whom you share history are affected. In his attempt to minimize disruption to the company and his wife&’s livelihood, Rawls&’ divorce included handing over to her the operational responsibilities of the successful business they had built together. During this transition, he discovered a whole new lexicon of &“F&” words more powerful than the one we all know. Employing each thoughtfully and practically in his life, he began to craft the existence he had always dreamed of. Words such as &“fragmented,&” &“frustrated,&” &“fractured,&” and &“failed&” helped him identify where he was in the moment and to earnestly assess where he&’d gone wrong in the past. In time he enjoyed days that were &“fine&” or even &“fantastic.&” Prioritizing words such as &“float,&” &“family,&” &“faith,&” &“fun,&” and &“freedom&” reminded him of his destination, while words such as &“find,&” &“forgive,&” &“forget,&” &“fix,&” and &“foxhole&” helped him to get there faster. What he now knows is that these F-words can align us with our purpose and goals, enabling us to live a more intentional and rewarding life. In this infinitely empowering book, Rawls encourages you to use these words to examine your own life—to see if it is one you&’ve consciously crafted or one you simply allowed to unfold. To decide whether you&’re living how you really want to or if there is still much roadwork to be done. To truly listen to your heart and gut, and to honestly acknowledge the areas of your life where you&’ve compromised love and happiness for money, safety, security, or—worse—fear. He coaxes you not to let your best life pass you by, but rather to proactively attain the life you really want. By sharing some of his greatest lessons, Rawls, who is happily remarried and enjoying his expanded family and career, aims to help you avoid some of the same landmines he encountered and to live what he refers to as an &“F-it-less&” life—the life we&’re all entitled to discover, explore, and fulfill for ourselves. Saying &“F-it!&” doesn&’t always mean you are giving in or giving up. With the right tools, it can actually mean you are ready to pursue a better life—one of greater ease, meaning, and purpose—a truly &“F&”-It-Less life.When the Sh*t Hits the Fan and The End of The World As We Know It Has Arrived, Who Will…
Survive and Who Will Perish? Chances are that those people who seriously prepare ahead of time, who have contingency survival plans, will have a definite edge over most other people. Part of those contingency plans involve having the right gear to help you make it. In this book, survival expert James C. Jones lists every item of gear you need to have in order to survive and, eventually, thrive. Here you will find detailed descriptions of the following gear: sleeping bags, shovels and saws, stoves, clothing and footwear, advanced medical care equipment, communications and monitoring devices, biological and chemical survival equipment, and much more. Not only is every item examined carefully, but Jones also tells you how to use it, and how to maintain it. You may not take the possible ending of the world seriously, but you need to, as it is a real possibility - and those who survive are those who are prepared.Lincoln in Private: What His Most Personal Reflections Tell Us About Our Greatest President
By Ronald C. White. 2021
&“A fascinating tour inside the mind—and the heart—of Abraham Lincoln . . . An important and timeless work.&”—Jon Meacham, Pulitzer…
Prize–winning author of His Truth Is Marching On From the New York Times bestselling author of A. Lincoln and American Ulysses, a revelatory glimpse into the intellectual journey of our sixteenth president through his private notes to himself, explored together here for the first timeA deeply private man, shut off even to those who worked closely with him, Abraham Lincoln often captured &“his best thoughts,&” as he called them, in short notes to himself. He would work out his personal stances on the biggest issues of the day, never expecting anyone to see these frank, unpolished pieces of writing, which he&’d then keep close at hand, in desk drawers and even in his top hat. The profound importance of these notes has been overlooked, because the originals are scattered across several different archives and have never before been brought together and examined as a coherent whole.Now, renowned Lincoln historian Ronald C. White walks readers through twelve of Lincoln&’s most important private notes, showcasing our greatest president&’s brilliance and empathy, but also his very human anxieties and ambitions. We look over Lincoln&’s shoulder as he grapples with the problem of slavery, attempting to find convincing rebuttals to those who supported the evil institution (&“As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.&”); prepares for his historic debates with Stephen Douglas; expresses his private feelings after a defeated bid for a Senate seat (&“With me, the race of ambition has been a failure—a flat failure&”); voices his concerns about the new Republican Party&’s long-term prospects; develops an argument for national unity amidst a secession crisis that would ultimately rend the nation in two; and, for a president many have viewed as not religious, develops a sophisticated theological reflection in the midst of the Civil War (&“it is quite possible that God&’s purpose is something different from the purpose of either party&”). Additionally, in a historic first, all 111 Lincoln notes are transcribed in the appendix, a gift to scholars and Lincoln buffs alike.These are notes Lincoln never expected anyone to read, put into context by a writer who has spent his career studying Lincoln&’s life and words. The result is a rare glimpse into the mind and soul of one of our nation&’s most important figures.Hilarious adventures in home renovations and repairs, from a real-life Red Green.Meet Brian Harris, a (mostly) retired, self-proclaimed jack of…
all trades with a knack for home improvements and inventive money-saving schemes. Armed with a soldering gun, his trusty 9-foot ladder, and of course the handyman&’s secret weapon—duct tape—Brian&’s projects start out as simple chores: trim a tree branch, stain the cedar siding on his home...but all too often they end in costly disaster. Sometimes he&’s trying to do the right thing, like the time he wrecked his pool while saving some baby ducks. Often, he channels his inner MacGyver: he once taped his hockey skate back together so he could finish his rec-league game, only to get suspended for falling on the referee when it broke (again). But usually, he&’s just trying to save a buck, like the time he accidentally destroyed an expensive car key fob because he wouldn&’t pay the (outrageous) $10 fee to have the new battery professionally replaced. Filled with funny and entertaining true stories from the everyday life of an average guy just trying to save a few dollars, The Cheap Handyman is a tribute to anyone who has ever thought, &“Sure! I can do that!&”Let's Talk About Hard Things
By Anna Sale. 2021
From the host of the popular WNYC podcast Death, Sex, & Money, Let&’s Talk About Hard Things is an invitation…
to discuss the tough topics that all of us encounter. &“You will laugh, cry, nod in recognition, and by the end, feel like no topic is off-limits when it comes to creating meaningful connection&” (Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk To Someone).Anna Sale wants you to have that conversation. You know the one. The one that you&’ve been avoiding or putting off, maybe for years. The one that you&’ve thought &“they&’ll never understand&” or &“do I really want to bring that up?&” or &“it&’s not going to go well, so why even try?&” Sale is the founder and host of WNYC&’s popular, award-winning podcast Death, Sex, & Money, or as the New York Times dubbed her, &“a therapist at happy hour.&” She and her guests have direct and thought-provoking conversations, discussing topics that most of us are too squeamish, polite, or nervous to bring up. But Sale argues that we all experience these hard things, and by not talking to one another, we cut ourselves off, leading us to feel isolated and disconnected from the people who can help us most. In Let&’s Talk About Hard Things, Sale uses the best of what she&’s learned from her podcast to reveal that when we have the courage to talk about hard things, we learn about ourselves, others, and the world that we make together. Diving into five of the most fraught conversation topics—death, sex, money, family, and identity—she moves between memoir, fascinating snapshots of a variety of Americans opening up about their lives, and expert opinions to show why having tough conversations is important and how to do them in a thoughtful and generous way. She uncovers that listening may be the most important part of a tough conversation, that the end goal should be understanding without the pressure of reconciliation, and that there are some things that words can&’t fix (and why that&’s actually okay). Touching, personal, and inspiring, Let's Talk About Hard Things is a profound meditation on why communication can connect us instead of divide us and how we can all do it better.The Wreckage of My Presence: Essays
By Casey Wilson. 2021
Laugh-out-loud, deeply insightful, and emotion-filled essays from multitalented actress, comedian, podcaster, and writer Casey Wilson. Casey Wilson has a lot…
on her mind and she isn’t afraid to share. In this dazzling collection, each essay skillfully constructed and brimming with emotion, she shares her thoughts on the joys and vagaries of modern-day womanhood and motherhood, introduces the not-quite-typical family that made her who she is, and persuasively argues that lowbrow pop culture is the perfect lens through which to examine human nature. Whether she’s extolling the virtues of eating in bed, processing the humiliation over her father’s late in life perm, mourning her mother's passing, or revealing her patented method for keeping the mystery alive in a marriage, Casey is witty, candid, and full of poignant and funny surprises. Humorous dives into her obsessions and areas of personal expertise—self-help, nice guys, cool girls (not her) and how to receive visitors in the bath—are matched by touching meditations on female friendship, anger, grief, motherhood, and identity. Reading The Wreckage of My Presence is like spending time with a close friend—a deeply passionate, full-tilt, joyous, excessive, compulsive, shameless, hungry-for-it-all, loyal, cheerleading friend. A friend who is ready for any big feelings that come her way—and isn’t afraid to embrace them. A New York Times BestsellerHow Stella Learned to Talk: The Groundbreaking Story of the World's First Talking Dog
By Christina Hunger. 2021
An incredible, revolutionary true story and surprisingly simple guide to teaching your dog to talk from speech-language pathologist Christina Hunger,…
who has taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using simple paw-sized buttons associated with different words.When speech-language pathologist Christina Hunger first came home with her puppy, Stella, it didn’t take long for her to start drawing connections between her job and her new pet. During the day, she worked with toddlers with significant delays in language development and used Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices to help them communicate. At night, she wondered: If dogs can understand words we say to them, shouldn’t they be able to say words to us? Can dogs use AAC to communicate with humans?Christina decided to put her theory to the test with Stella and started using a paw-sized button programmed with her voice to say the word “outside” when clicked, whenever she took Stella out of the house. A few years later, Stella now has a bank of more than thirty word buttons, and uses them daily either individually or together to create near-complete sentences.How Stella Learned to Talk is part memoir and part how-to guide. It chronicles the journey Christina and Stella have taken together, from the day they met, to the day Stella “spoke” her first word, and the other breakthroughs they’ve had since. It also reveals the techniques Christina used to teach Stella, broken down into simple stages and actionable steps any dog owner can use to start communicating with their pets.Filled with conversations that Stella and Christina have had, as well as the attention to developmental detail that only a speech-language pathologist could know, How Stella Learned to Talk will be the indispensable dog book for the new decade.My Time Will Come: A Memoir of Crime, Punishment, Hope, and Redemption
By Ian Manuel. 2021
At fourteen Ian Manuel was sentenced to life without parole. My Time Will Come is a paean to the capacity…
of the human will to transcend adversity through determination and art. &“Ian is magic. His story is difficult and heartbreaking, but he takes us places we need to go to understand why we must do better.&” —Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy&“My story has been told many times and by highly regarded experts in their fields—judges, prosecutors, juvenile probation officers, sociologists, journalists. But I would like to try to tell it to you myself. I have reason to believe the experts may be wrong about me. You see, today, thirty years later, I am neither in prison nor dead.&” —from My Time Will Come The United States is the only country in the world that sentences thirteen- and fourteen-year-old offenders, mostly youth of color, to life in prison without parole, regardless of the scientifically proven singularities of the developing adolescent brain—a heinous wrinkle in the scandal of mass incarceration. In 1991, Ian Manuel, then fourteen, was sentenced to life without parole for a non-homicide crime. In a botched mugging attempt with some older boys, he shot Debbie Baigrie, a young white mother of two, in the face. But as Bryan Stevenson, attorney and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, has insisted, none of us should be judged by only the worst thing we have ever done. Capturing the fullness of his humanity, here is Manuel&’s powerful testimony of growing up homeless in Central Park Village in Tampa, Florida—a neighborhood riddled with poverty, gang violence, and drug abuse—and of his efforts to rise above his circumstances, only to find himself, partly through his own actions, imprisoned for two-thirds of his life, eighteen years of which were spent in solitary confinement. Here is the at once wrenching and inspiring story of how he endured the savagery of the United States prison system, and how his victim, an extraordinary woman, forgave him and bravely advocated for his freedom, which was achieved by a crusade on the part of the Equal Justice Initiative to address the barbarism of our judicial system and bring about &“just mercy.&” Full of unexpected twists and turns as it describes a struggle to attain the glory of redemption, My Time Will Come is a paean to the capacity of the human will to transcend adversity through determination and art—in Ian Manuel&’s case, through his dedication to writing poetry.Stranger Care: A Memoir of Loving What Isn't Ours
By Sarah Sentilles. 2021
&“A powerful, heartbreaking, necessary masterpiece.&”—Cheryl Strayed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wild The moving story of what one woman learned from fostering…
a newborn—about injustice, about making mistakes, about how to better love and protect people beyond our immediate kin May you always feel at home. After their decision not to have a biological child, Sarah Sentilles and her husband, Eric, decide to adopt via the foster care system. Despite knowing that the system&’s goal is the child&’s reunification with the birth family, Sarah opens their home to a flurry of social workers who question them, evaluate them, and ultimately prepare them to welcome a child into their lives—even if it means most likely having to give the child back. After years of starts and stops, and endless navigation of the complexities and injustices of the foster care system, a phone call finally comes: a three-day-old baby girl named Coco, in immediate need of a foster family. Sarah and Eric bring this newborn stranger home. &“You were never ours,&” Sarah tells Coco, &“yet we belong to each other.&” A love letter to Coco and to the countless children like her, Stranger Care chronicles Sarah&’s discovery of what it means to mother—in this case, not just a vulnerable infant but the birth mother who loves her, too. Ultimately, Coco&’s story reminds us that we depend on family, and that family can take different forms. With prose that Nick Flynn has called &“fearless, stirring, rhythmic,&” Sentilles lays bare an intimate, powerful story with universal concerns: How can we care for and protect one another? How do we ensure a more hopeful future for life on this planet? And if we&’re all related—tree, bird, star, person—how might we better live?Give Them Lala
By Lala Kent. 2021
The Vanderpump Rules breakout star and provocateur brings her signature sharp wit to the page with this collection of humorous…
and brutally honest essays exploring her rocky road to fame, sobriety, and beyond. What does &“Give them Lala&” mean? It means giving the truest, most honest version of yourself to the world. It means being authentic, bold, adventurous, and having an unapologetic approach to life. Hollywood is where Lauren Burningham, aspiring actress from Utah, fully embraced her alter-ego Lala Kent, entrepreneur, entertainer, and film and television star. Some say she&’s rude; Lala says she claps back. Some say she&’s spontaneous; Lala says &“eat up the drama.&” Some say she&’s too bold; Lala knows she&’s reality TV gold. Truth is, without giving them Lala, Lauren could never have become the woman she is today. In her debut collection of essays, Lala shares how you, too, can embrace the best version of yourself and never feel guilty for deserving more. As she leads us on her bumpy journey from suburban boredom to Hollywood glamour, she&’ll explain how women can—and should—feel just as free as men when it comes to sex, how sobriety saved her life and relationship, and how we should treasure every day we have with those we love.I Am Here: The Journey from Fear to Freedom
By Ashley LeMieux. 2021
“Everyone can take something beneficial from these powerful words.” — Rachel Platten"Ashley is a trustworthy guide, let her grab you by the…
hand and walk you toward wholeness." — Jen HatmakerFollowing her bestselling memoir, Born to Shine, founder of The Shine Project Ashley LeMieux shows how she found healing and transformation, even in difficult seasons. I Am Here continues this journey using “Clarity Mapping,” a tool that walks women through setting intentions, understanding why you are worthy of the life of your dreams, identifying the things you carry that no longer serve you, noticing the people you can serve, and finally, identifying the truest version of yourself.I Am Here will help you: Reframe your thoughts Reimagine your life Reclaim your power If you've been looking for help to create a plan to start moving toward your dreams, this book has all the inspiration and useful tools to get you where you want to go.This Cold House: The Simple Science of Energy Efficiency
By Colin Smith. 2007
A “witty, erudite, and accessible” guide to creating an environmentally friendly home without sacrificing comfort (Jeffrey C. May, author of My…
House Is Killing Me!).Does turning the thermostat down on a winter’s night offset the costs of reheating the house in the morning? What will best prevent energy loss: new windows or insulation in the attic? Is heating oil cheaper than natural gas?In This Cold House, Colin Smith blends science with anecdote and example to help homeowners identify heating and cooling priorities and choose the most appropriate methods, tools, and equipment. Basic equations allow you to estimate possible savings in annual heating and cooling bills and determine payback times for improvement projects.Practical and entertaining, This Cold House illuminates the concepts behind energy efficiency and translates them into ideas you can use, whether you live in a castle, igloo, or house.“Packs in important insights and is a pick for any general interest lending library catering to homeowners and those concerned with energy savings and the environment.” —Midwest Book Review“Smith . . . has a wonderful way with words, and his storytelling is superb. This guy sure knows how to hang an analogy on a scientific principle to make it delightfully understandable.” —Dan Holohan, heatinghelp.comA compulsively readable behind-the-scenes memoir that takes readers inside the weddings section of The New York Times--the good, bad, and…
just plain weird--through the eyes of a young reporter just as she's falling in love herself.Growing up in the south, where tradition reigns supreme, Cate Doty thought about weddings . . . a lot. She catered for them, she attended many, she imagined her own. So, when she moved to New York City in pursuit of love--and to write for The New York Times--she finds her natural home in the wedding section, a first step to her own happily-ever-after, surely. Soon Cate is thrown into the cutthroat world of the metropolitan society pages, experiencing the lengths couples go to have their announcements accepted and the lengths the writers go in fact-checking their stories; the surprising, status-signaling details that matter most to brides and grooms; and the politics of the paper at a time of vast cultural and industry changes.Reporting weekly on couples whose relationships seem enviable--or eye-roll worthy--and dealing with WASPy grandparents and last-minute snafus, Cate is surrounded by love, or what we're told to believe is love. But when she starts to take the leap herself, she begins to ask her own questions about what it means to truly commit...Warm, witty, and keenly observed, Mergers and Acquisitions is an enthralling dive into one of society's most esteemed institutions, its creators and subjects, and a young woman's coming-of-age.About Natalie: A Daughter's Addiction. A Mother's Love. Finding Their Way Back to Each Other.
By Christine Pisera Naman. 2021
A mother traces her daughter's years-long battle with addiction in this compelling memoir that opens a raw and honest dialogue…
about substance abuse.A mother&’s first, most basic instinct is to protect her child. Christine Naman&’s daughter Natalie was the light of her life. She was a spirited child with sparkling eyes who was growing up and finding her way in the world. But by adolescence, she had ended up on the wrong road, meeting the wrong kind of people. Natalie was a full-blown addict, caught in a self-destructive spiral that was destroying her life and taking her family along for the nightmarish journey. Christine wondered how she could have missed the warning signs. Was there anything she could do to save Natalie from herself? About Natalie tells one woman&’s heartbreaking story, one that is played out in homes across the country, and reveals the rollercoaster of emotions that loving an addict unearths. There is despair and joy; denial and acceptance; rage and tranquility. Christine&’s reflections as she traces her daughter&’s life are interspersed with Natalie&’s compelling poems that tell the unvarnished truth of her side of this struggle: &“I have handcuffs on/And no one can see them/My screams are so loud /Yet no one can hear &‘em&”. By sharing the difficult days of isolation, pain, and humiliation that being the parent of an addict can bring, Naman offers comfort and consolation to others in similar circumstances. Ultimately, About Natalie is a story of loving no matter what, keeping the faith, battling hard, and getting back on the right road.Letter to a Young Female Physician: Notes From A Medical Life
By Suzanne Koven. 2021
A poignant and funny exploration of authenticity in work and life by a woman doctor. In 2017, Dr. Suzanne Koven…
published an essay describing the challenges faced by female physicians, including her own personal struggle with "imposter syndrome"—a long-held secret belief that she was not smart enough or good enough to be a “real” doctor. Accessed by thousands of readers around the world, Koven’s “Letter to a Young Female Physician” has evolved into a deeply felt reflection on her career in medicine. Koven tells candid and illuminating stories about her pregnancy during a grueling residency in the AIDS era; the illnesses of her child and aging parents during which her roles as a doctor, mother, and daughter converged, and sometimes collided; the sexism, pay inequity, and harassment that women in medicine encounter; and the twilight of her career during the COVID-19 pandemic. As she traces the arc of her life, Koven finds inspiration in literature and faces the near-universal challenges of burnout, body image, and balancing work with marriage and parenthood. Shining with warmth, clarity, and wisdom, Letter to a Young Female Physician reveals a woman forging her authentic identity in a modern landscape that is as overwhelming and confusing as it is exhilarating in its possibilities. Koven offers an indelible account, by turns humorous and profound, from a doctor, mother, wife, daughter, teacher, and writer who sheds light on our desire to find meaning, and on a way to be our own imperfect selves in the world.