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I Will Be Good: A Memoir of a Dublin Childhood and a Life Less Ordinary
By Peig McManus. 2023
'One of the best Dublin memoirs I've ever read' Donal FallonPeig McManus was born into the last of Dublin's tenements…
before moving to one of Ireland's first social housing estates in Cabra. Her father believed that children should earn their keep and learn to face reality as soon as possible. While that reality was poverty, class prejudice and strict Catholicism, at the heart of Peig's earliest memories are music, hoolies and the bonds of family and community.I Will Be Good is the story of a girl who rebelled against societal expectations and dreamed of further education. It tells of a young woman whose hopes of marriage to a Scottish sailor ended in the heartbreak of a daughter given up for adoption; of a mother who needed something more than her 'place at home'; and of a pioneering citizen who became one of Ireland's foremost campaigners for educational reform.Now, in her eighties, Peig shares her story of grit and courage: an inspiring journey through the trials and triumphs of a remarkable Irish woman who refused to do what she was told.Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle And The Raid That Avenged Pearl Harbor
By James M. Scott. 2015
Finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in History "Like Lauren Hillebrand's Unbroken…Target Tokyo brings to life an indelible era." —Ben…
Cosgrove, The Daily Beast On April 18, 1942, sixteen U.S. Army bombers under the command of daredevil pilot Jimmy Doolittle lifted off from the deck of the USS Hornet on a one-way mission to pummel Japan’s factories, refineries, and dockyards in retaliation for their attack on Pearl Harbor. The raid buoyed America’s morale, and prompted an ill-fated Japanese attempt to seize Midway that turned the tide of the war. But it came at a horrific cost: an estimated 250,000 Chinese died in retaliation by the Japanese. Deeply researched and brilliantly written, Target Tokyo has been hailed as the definitive account of one of America’s most daring military operations.Basil Street Blues: A Memoir
By Michael Holroyd. 2001
"A wonderful offbeat memoir.... Holroyd has written perhaps his best book yet."—Ben Macintyre, New York Times Book Review Renowned biographer…
Michael Holroyd had always assumed that his own family was perfectly English, or at least perfectly ordinary. But an investigation into the Holroyd past—guided by old photograph albums, crumbling documents, and his parents' wildly divergent accounts of their lives—gradually yields clues to a constellation of startling events and eccentric characters: a slow decline from English nobility on one side, a dramatic Scandinavian ancestry on the other. Fires, suicides, bankruptcies, divorces, unconsummated longings, and the rumor of an Indian tea fortune permeate this wry, candid memoir, "part multiple biography, part autobiography, but principally an oblique investigation of the biographer's art" (New York Times Book Review). "[A] perfect example of a memoir that entrances me."—Katherine A. Powers, Boston Sunday Globe "[O]ne of the few [biographers] who can convey what makes ordinary as well as extraordinary mortals live in our minds."—Los Angeles TimesCultures of War: Pearl Harbor / Hiroshima / 9-11 / Iraq
By John W. Dower. 2010
Finalist for the 2010 National Book Award in Nonfiction: The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian returns with a groundbreaking comparative study of…
the dynamics and pathologies of war in modern times. Over recent decades, John W. Dower, one of America’s preeminent historians, has addressed the roots and consequences of war from multiple perspectives. In War Without Mercy (1986), winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, he described and analyzed the brutality that attended World War II in the Pacific, as seen from both the Japanese and the American sides. Embracing Defeat (1999), winner of numerous honors including the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, dealt with Japan’s struggle to start over in a shattered land in the immediate aftermath of the Pacific War, when the defeated country was occupied by the U.S.-led Allied powers. Turning to an even larger canvas, Dower now examines the cultures of war revealed by four powerful events—Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, 9-11, and the invasion of Iraq in the name of a war on terror. The list of issues examined and themes explored is wide-ranging: failures of intelligence and imagination, wars of choice and “strategic imbecilities,” faith-based secular thinking as well as more overtly holy wars, the targeting of noncombatants, and the almost irresistible logic—and allure—of mass destruction. Dower’s new work also sets the U.S. occupations of Japan and Iraq side by side in strikingly original ways. One of the most important books of this decade, Cultures of War offers comparative insights into individual and institutional behavior and pathologies that transcend “cultures” in the more traditional sense, and that ultimately go beyond war-making alone.God, Human, Animal, Machine: Technology, Metaphor, and the Search for Meaning
By Meghan O'Gieblyn. 2021
A strikingly original exploration of what it might mean to be authentically human in the age of artificial intelligence, from…
the author of the critically-acclaimed Interior States. • "At times personal, at times philosophical, with a bracing mixture of openness and skepticism, it speaks thoughtfully and articulately to the most crucial issues awaiting our future." —Phillip Lopate &“[A] truly fantastic book.&”—Ezra Klein For most of human history the world was a magical and enchanted place ruled by forces beyond our understanding. The rise of science and Descartes's division of mind from world made materialism our ruling paradigm, in the process asking whether our own consciousness—i.e., souls—might be illusions. Now the inexorable rise of technology, with artificial intelligences that surpass our comprehension and control, and the spread of digital metaphors for self-understanding, the core questions of existence—identity, knowledge, the very nature and purpose of life itself—urgently require rethinking.Meghan O'Gieblyn tackles this challenge with philosophical rigor, intellectual reach, essayistic verve, refreshing originality, and an ironic sense of contradiction. She draws deeply and sometimes humorously from her own personal experience as a formerly religious believer still haunted by questions of faith, and she serves as the best possible guide to navigating the territory we are all entering.Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
By Erik Larson. 2016
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author and master of narrative nonfiction comes the enthralling story of the…
sinking of the Lusitania&“Both terrifying and enthralling.&”—Entertainment Weekly&“Thrilling, dramatic and powerful.&”—NPR&“Thoroughly engrossing.&”—George R.R. MartinOn May 1, 1915, with WWI entering its tenth month, a luxury ocean liner as richly appointed as an English country house sailed out of New York, bound for Liverpool, carrying a record number of children and infants. The passengers were surprisingly at ease, even though Germany had declared the seas around Britain to be a war zone. For months, German U-boats had brought terror to the North Atlantic. But the Lusitania was one of the era&’s great transatlantic &“Greyhounds&”—the fastest liner then in service—and her captain, William Thomas Turner, placed tremendous faith in the gentlemanly strictures of warfare that for a century had kept civilian ships safe from attack. Germany, however, was determined to change the rules of the game, and Walther Schwieger, the captain of Unterseeboot-20, was happy to oblige. Meanwhile, an ultra-secret British intelligence unit tracked Schwieger&’s U-boat, but told no one. As U-20 and the Lusitania made their way toward Liverpool, an array of forces both grand and achingly small—hubris, a chance fog, a closely guarded secret, and more—all converged to produce one of the great disasters of history. It is a story that many of us think we know but don&’t, and Erik Larson tells it thrillingly, switching between hunter and hunted while painting a larger portrait of America at the height of the Progressive Era. Full of glamour and suspense, Dead Wake brings to life a cast of evocative characters, from famed Boston bookseller Charles Lauriat to pioneering female architect Theodate Pope to President Woodrow Wilson, a man lost to grief, dreading the widening war but also captivated by the prospect of new love. Gripping and important, Dead Wake captures the sheer drama and emotional power of a disaster whose intimate details and true meaning have long been obscured by history.Finalist for the Washington State Book Award • One of the Best Books of the Year: The Washington Post, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Miami Herald, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, LibraryReads, IndigoThe Obsession
By Meyer Levin. 1973
In 1951, Meyer Levin’s wife gave him a copy of The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, which…
had just been published in France. Levin was already a successful writer in his mid-forties, searching for a way to bear witness to his experiences as a war correspondent in Europe. In Anne Frank’s diary, he found the voice he had been waiting for.The Obsession, widely regarded as one of Meyer Levin’s finest works, is a candid account of his struggle to bring his version of Anne Frank’s diary to Broadway. Levin’s adaptation, begun with the support of Anne’s father, Otto, was eventually deemed ‘unstageworthy,’ and he was supplanted by non-Jewish writers. To Levin, it was a clear case of sanitizing Anne’s story in favor of mass appeal. He battled for his version in courtrooms and out, but the fallout nearly destroyed both his family and his career.In recounting the mania that gripped him for twenty years, Levin spares neither himself nor others. Like all his best work, this extraordinary memoir encompasses larger themes—the nature of Jewishness, the price of assimilation, the writer’s obligation to himself and to his subject, and the search for identity and purpose.The Black Leopard: My Quest to Photograph One of Africa's Most Elusive Big Cats
By Will Burrard-Lucas. 2021
This inspiring book tells the story of a photographer's journey to find the mysterious black leopard.There are few creatures as…
gorgeous and elusive as the black leopard. In Africa, these magnificent cats are so rare as to be the stuff of legend. Will Burrard-Lucas's love for leopards began during his childhood in Tanzania and propelled him into a career as a wildlife photographer. In his quest to create intimate portraits of animals, he developed innovative technology, including a remotely controlled camera buggy and a high quality camera trap system for photographing nocturnal creatures. Then, one day in 2018, he heard about sightings of a young African black leopard in Kenya and with the help of people from the local community, he succeeded in capturing a series of high-quality photographs of the elusive cat. In this compelling and visually stunning book, Burrard-Lucas tells his story of creativity, entrepreneurship, and passion for wild animals, alongside awe-inspiring images of lions, elephants, and the black leopard itself.• STAR WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER: Will Burrard-Lucas's passion for nature and expertise in camera technology have earned him coverage from National Geographic, The New York Times, and the BBC—and over 1 million fans enjoy his breathtaking work online.• NATURE'S HIDDEN WONDERS: Black leopards are individual animals in whom a gene mutation results in excess melanin and an elegant black coat. Most are found in Southeast Asia, where lush vegetation offers them camouflage. In the semiarid shrub lands of Africa, black leopards are extraordinarily rare. Burrard-Lucas's images—showing these beautiful creatures prowling their territory under cover of night—are vivid reminders of nature's hidden wonders.• INCREDIBLE STORY: This is an adventure story that takes place in remote and wild corners of Africa. It reveals Burrard-Lucas's devotion, vision, and innovation that led to him capturing photos that are not only incredibly rare, but also breathtakingly beautiful.Perfect for:• Aspiring and professional photographers• Photography buffs• Nature and animal lovers• Big cat enthusiasts• Conservationists• National Geographic readers• Fans of memoir and adventure stories• Travelers to Eastern and Southern AfricaFrom the acclaimed Ojibwe author and professor Anton Treuer comes an essential book of questions and answers for Native and…
non-Native young readers alike. Ranging from "Why is there such a fuss about nonnative people wearing Indian costumes for Halloween?" to "Why is it called a 'traditional Indian fry bread taco'?" to "What's it like for natives who don’t look native?" to "Why are Indians so often imagined rather than understood?", and beyond, Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition) does exactly what its title says for young readers, in a style consistently thoughtful, personal, and engaging.Updated and expanded to include:• Dozens of New Questions and New Sections—including a social activism section that explores the Dakota Access Pipeline, racism, identity, politics, and more!• Over 50 new Photos• Adapted text for broad appealThe Doula Deck: Practices for Calm and Connection in Your Pregnancy, Birth, and New Motherhood
By Lori Bregman, Gather Round Games. 2021
Mamaste meets Mindfulness Cards in this deck focused around meditation, breathwork, and movement specifically for those expecting.Here is the support…
any mama-to-be needs as she preps for the transition to motherhood. With 78 unique cards filled with thoughtful meditations, movement activities, breathwork exercises, and soothing affirmations, this collection of cards supports expectant mothers through pregnancy, birth, and their new motherhood by nurturing their spirit and talking through their fears.Written by renowned doula Lori Bregman and with soothing artwork accompanying each card, this deck offers expert advice on filling all aspects of pregnancy and birth with comfort and confidence. The Doula Deck is a bridge between mindfulness and motherhood, with support you can keep in your pocket, display on your nightstand, or take with you out into the world.• PROFESSIONAL ADVICE: With a career spanning nearly 20 years, Lori Bregman is a source of wisdom in pregnancy and birth. She runs a complete mind-body-spirit support system that helps women throughout fertility, pregnancy, birth, and new motherhood and has built a thriving career based on her passion for supporting more mindful, healthy, happy mothers and women of all kinds. Now she can help you on your own journey to motherhood, wherever you are.• BABY SHOWER GIFT: With its expert advice on mindfulness during an important life moment, this serves as the ideal gift for anyone who is pregnant. With its luxe package and lovely illustrations, this deck of cards is not only insightful and useful but also gorgeous and gift-worthy.• ELEGANT ART: With gorgeous colors and elegant portrayals of the female body throughout pregnancy and motherhood, these cards offer so much more than just a list of exercises. They’re a visual source of comfort and encouragement as well as a helpful tool.• UNIQUE FORMAT: Not everyone has the opportunity to hire a doula, and this deck offers a unique way for moms-to-be to practice self-care and find additional support during the birth experience by simply pulling a card and completing the activity whenever they need to.Perfect for:• Expectant mothers interested in natural living and doula support• Doulas• Baby shower attendeesThe Sea-Ringed World: Sacred Stories of the Americas
By María García Esperón. 2021
Fifteen thousand years before Europeans stepped foot in the Americas, people had already spread from tip to tip and coast…
to coast. Like all humans, these Native Americans sought to understand their place in the universe, the nature of their relationship with the divine, and the origin of the world into which their ancestors had emerged. The answers lay in their sacred stories. Author María García Esperón, illustrator Amanda Mijangos, and translator David Bowles have gifted us a treasure. Their talents have woven this collection of stories from nations and cultures across our two continents—the Sea-Ringed World, as the Aztecs called it—from the edge of Argentina all the way up to Alaska. The Em Querido list seeks to introduce the finest books in translation from around the world to an American audience. We feel lucky to be bringing you this book on our inaugural list, which we hope will be a true window and mirrorMy Name Is Barbra
By Barbra Streisand. 2023
The long-awaited memoir by the superstar of stage, screen, recordings, and televisionPLEASE NOTE The E-book edition features additional photographs that…
are exclusive to the E-book. Barbra Streisand is by any account a living legend, a woman who in a career spanning six decades has excelled in every area of entertainment. She is among the handful of EGOT winners (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) and has one of the greatest and most recognizable voices in the history of popular music. She has been nominated for a Grammy 46 times, and with Yentl she became the first woman to write, produce, direct, and star in a major motion picture. In My Name Is Barbra, she tells her own story about her life and extraordinary career, from growing up in Brooklyn to her first star-making appearances in New York nightclubs to her breakout performance in Funny Girl (musical and film) to the long string of successes in every medium in the years that followed. The book is, like Barbra herself, frank, funny, opinionated, and charming. She recounts her early struggles to become an actress, eventually turning to singing to earn a living; the recording of some of her acclaimed albums; the years of effort involved in making Yentl; her direction of The Prince of Tides; her friendships with figures ranging from Marlon Brando to Madeleine Albright; her political advocacy; and the fulfillment she&’s found in her marriage to James Brolin. No entertainer&’s memoir has been more anticipated than Barbra Streisand&’s, and this engrossing and delightful book will be eagerly welcomed by her millions of fans.Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within
By David Goggins. 2022
This is not a self-help book. It’s a wake-up call! Can’t Hurt Me, David Goggins’ smash hit memoir, demonstrated…
how much untapped ability we all have but was merely an introduction to the power of the mind. In Never Finished, Goggins takes you inside his Mental Lab, where he developed the philosophy, psychology, and strategies that enabled him to learn that what he thought was his limit was only his beginning and that the quest for greatness is unending. The stories and lessons in this raw, revealing, unflinching memoir offer the reader a blueprint they can use to climb from the bottom of the barrel into a whole new stratosphere that once seemed unattainable. Whether you feel off-course in life, are looking to maximize your potential or drain your soul to break through your so-called glass ceiling, this is the only book you will ever need.Church, Interrupted: Havoc & Hope: The Tender Revolt of Pope Francis
By John Cornwell. 2021
Church, Interrupted: Havoc & Hope: The Tender Revolt of Pope Francis is a revealing portrait of Pope Francis's hopeful yet…
controversial efforts to recreate the Catholic Church to become, once again, a welcoming place of empathy, love, and inclusiveness.Bestselling author, Vanity Fair contributor, and papal biographer John Cornwell tells the gripping insider story of Pope Francis's bid to bring renewal and hope to a crisis-plagued Church and the world at large.With unique insights and original reporting, Cornwell reveals how Francis has persistently provoked and disrupted his stubbornly unchanging Church, purging clerical corruption and reforming entrenched institutions, while calling for action against global poverty, climate change, and racism.Cornwell argues that despite fierce opposition from traditionalist clergy and right-wing media, the pope has radically widened Catholic moral priorities, calling for mercy and compassion over rigid dogmatism. Francis, according to Cornwell, has transformed the Vatican from being a top-down centralized authority to being a spiritual service for a global Church. He has welcomed the rejected, abused, and disheartened; reached out to people of other faiths and those of none; and proved a providential spiritual leader for future generations.Highly acclaimed author John Cornwell's riveting account of the hopeful—and contentious—efforts undertaken by Pope Francis to rebuild the Catholic Church.• Well researched and brilliantly written, readers, scholars, and fans of John Cornwell will want to read his most controversial and compelling work yet.• More than a third of America's 74 million Catholics said they were contemplating departure in 2018. It is estimated that over the past twenty years, the Catholic Church has been losing $2.5 billion dollars annually in revenues, legal fees, and damages due to clerical abuse cases. The decline in church attendance, marriages, and vocations to the priesthood and sisterhood tell a story of major decline and disillusion. Cornwell showcases Pope Francis's way forward, a hopeful message that gives reinvigorated reasons to stay with the church and help be the change the new generation would like to see.• For readers within and outside Catholicism fascinated by the future and restructuring of the church, this will be a book they want to read again and again as the church continues to change and grow.Mango and Peppercorns: A Memoir of Food, an Unlikely Family, and the American Dream
By Tung Nguyen, Katherine Manning, Lyn Nguyen. 2021
A powerful memoir of resilience, friendship, family, and food from the acclaimed chefs behind the award-winning Hy Vong Vietnamese restaurant…
in Miami.Through powerful narrative, archival imagery, and 20 Vietnamese recipes that mirror their story, Mango & Peppercorns is a unique contribution to culinary literature.In 1975, after narrowly escaping the fall of Saigon, pregnant refugee and gifted cook Tung Nguyen ended up in the Miami home of Kathy Manning, a graduate student and waitress who was taking in displaced Vietnamese refugees. This serendipitous meeting evolved into a decades-long partnership, one that eventually turned strangers into family and a tiny, no-frills eatery into one of the most lauded restaurants in the country.Tung's fierce practicality often clashed with Kathy's free-spirited nature, but over time, they found a harmony in their contrasts—a harmony embodied in the restaurant's signature mango and peppercorns sauce.• IMPORTANT, UNIVERSAL STORY: An inspiring memoir peppered with recipes, it is a riveting read that will appeal to fans of Roy Choi, Ed Lee, Ruth Reichl, and Kwame Onwuachi.• TIMELY TOPIC: This real-life American dream is a welcome reminder of our country's longstanding tradition of welcoming refugees and immigrants. This book adds a touchpoint to that larger conversation, resonating beyond the bookshelf.• INVENTIVE COOKBOOK: This book is taking genre-bending a step further, focusing on the story first and foremost with 20 complementary recipes. Perfect for:• Fans of culinary nonfiction• Fans of Ruth Reichl, Roy Choi, Kwame Onwuachi, and Anya Von Bremzen• Home cooks who are interested in Asian food and cookingBy the time he turned thirty at the end of the nineteenth century, John D. Hart thrived as the busiest…
importer of bananas on the East Coast. A master of ships with a thunderous voice, Hart aggressively carried tropical fruit to an insatiable market with little concern for notions of supply and demand. But when an unexpected crisis hit the fruit business, Hart was unprepared. The financial Panic of 1893 doomed his strategy of bringing in limitless bananas. Jobless consumers could not afford such luxuries. Nearing bankruptcy, Hart was approached by Emilio Nuñez, a member of the Cuban Revolutionary Party—a cadre of exiled conspirators in New York whose singular purpose was to liberate the Cuban island from four hundred years of Spanish rule. Nuñez enlisted Hart as a “filibuster” to transport guns and ammunition to the Cuban rebels. For nearly three years, Hart became the most visible of a disparate group of mariners between New York and Key West who tormented Spanish authorities, riled the US government, and became heroes to an oppressed people fighting to be free. In King of the Gunrunners: How a Philadelphia Fruit Importer Inspired a Revolution and Provoked the Spanish-American War, author James W. Miller reveals the untold story of a forgotten American whose adventures helped pave the way for the United States’ emergence as an international power. With the Yellow Press trumpeting his exploits, Hart’s influence helped inflame the nation’s mood and made war with Spain inevitable. The quick US victory in what became known as the Spanish-American War compelled Spain to abandon Cuba and cede sovereignty over Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to the United States, which also annexed the independent state of Hawaii during the conflict. This volume presents the story of Hart, the defiant king of the Cuban gunrunners, who prolonged a revolution, provoked a war, and left an indelible mark on history.Big Questions Book of Sex & Consent
By Donna Freitas. 2020
What this book is NOT:The fear-based How-To on sex and consent, oversimplified and focused on technicalities, that represents so much…
of our sexual education today.What this book IS:A journey into the Big Questions that will turn you into a thinking person about sex and consent, with the ability to wrestle towards the answers that work for YOU and continue to wrestle towards them for the rest of your life.What is the meaning and purpose of sex? How does it intersect with who I am? Why are people so afraid of it? What does a healthy and joyful approach to sex look like for me? Why is consent so much more than a yes or no question?Who this book is FOR:Everybody!! No matter your sexuality, gender, religion, or race.What could be more essential?Necessary Trouble: Growing Up at Midcentury
By Drew Gilpin Faust. 1956
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA memoir of coming of age in a conservative Southern family in postwar America.To grow…
up in the 1950s was to enter a world of polarized national alliances, nuclear threat, and destabilized social hierarchies. Two world wars and the depression that connected them had unleashed a torrent of expectations and dissatisfactions—not only in global affairs but in American society and Americans’ lives.A privileged white girl in conservative, segregated Virginia was expected to adopt a willful blindness to the inequities of race and the constraints of gender. For Drew Gilpin, the acceptance of both female subordination and racial hierarchy proved intolerable and galvanizing. Urged to become “well adjusted” and to fill the role of a poised young lady that her upbringing imposed, she found resistance was necessary for her survival. During the 1960s, through her love of learning and her active engagement in the civil rights, student, and antiwar movements, Drew forged a path of her own—one that would eventually lead her to become a historian of the very conflicts that were instrumental in shaping the world she grew up in.Culminating in the upheavals of 1968, Necessary Trouble captures a time of rapid change and fierce reaction in one young woman’s life, tracing the transformations and aftershocks that we continue to grapple with today.Includes black-and-white imagesYou the Daddy: The Hands-On Dad’s Guide to Pregnancy, Birth and the Early Years of Fatherhood
By Giles Alexander. 2024
A modern-day parenting guide for dads-to-be, packed with insider tips, practical advice and honest accounts of dad lifeSplit into digestible…
chapters for readers who are short on time and need a helping hand, this book covers all the stages of pregnancy, birth and the early years of parenthood, up until your baby's three.Did I Ever Tell You?: The most moving memoir of 2024
By Genevieve Kingston. 2024
'Compelling and heartbreaking' Ann NapolitanoA deeply moving memoir of a young daughter, her dying mother - and the trail of…
letters and gifts she left behind.'Her messages met me like guideposts in a dark forest; if her words couldn't point the way, at least they offered the comfort of knowing someone had been there before'Ten days before Gwen Kingston turned twelve, her beloved mother - with whom she shared a birthday - died. She left behind two chests - one for Gwen and one for her brother - filled with lovingly wrapped presents and letters marking the milestones she would miss: driver's licences, graduations and every one of their birthdays until the age of thirty. Each gift a chance to reach back into the past and, for the briefest moment, hear her voice again.Over the last twenty years, the chest of treasures has travelled with Gwen across a continent, from state to state and apartment to apartment, growing lighter with each passing birthday. And now, just three gifts remain . . .In this beautiful and heart-rending memoir, Gwen describes growing up in the shadow of loss, guided by what her mother left behind. Woven in is her mother's own story, and that of their whole family - tragedies foreseen and unforeseen, paths taken and not taken. It's about a mother's love for her daughter, but more than that, it is a story of marriage, family, inheritance and everything that shapes a life.