"Step into the extraordinary life of Samuel Adler, one of the most celebrated composers and conductors of our time. From a childhood marked by the horrors of Nazi Germany to a career spanning over six decades in music, teaching, and composition, Adler's journey is a testament to resilience, creativity, and the unifying power of music"--

"Peter Godwin's mother is dying. Born in England, and having spent most of her adult life as a doctor in Zimbabwe, she now lies on a hospital bed in the partitioned living room of his sister's London home. Peter has spent his life missing his Zimbabwean childhood, a longing that does not diminish as he reflects on his time as a journalist on the frontlines of combat around the world, or life in New York with his English wife and transatlantic children. In his mother's final months, he must come to terms with everything his family was and wasn't: the secrets they kept from one another, the stoicism that sometimes threatened to destroy them, and the beauty of the wildly different places they called home. With generations of history behind him, Godwin lyrically brings us into the spaces which make us question and suffer, shows us how we can heal our own scars, and celebrate the lives we have among family and friends" -- Publisher's description.

The distinguished French author portrays her memories of the experiences of her early life spent in Paris, Russia, and Switzerland

. 1982clean copy, light wear to covers, no markings, Professional booksellers since 1981

Gerda Lerner s search to extract meaning from death s violent mystery glows with the humanist energy of an honest yet consoling and inspiring vision. Helen Yglesias New York Times Book Review A book about courage, written without heroics or sentimentality This is a story out of ordinary life, about love and endurance and loyalty. Elizabeth Janeway, author This is a deeply moving and exquisitely sensitive account. Daniel Schorr, journalist and author A great book unflinchingly revelatory of its writer, a man, a marriage reflective of the passionate richness the last passage of life can have. Honor Moore, author and poet In her deeply moving document, Lerner copes with the moral questions of the patient s right to know, his right to choose, his right to die Though intensely personal, Lerner s story speaks with a universal quality. Wilma Salisbury, Cleveland Plain Dealer This book gives one hope that marriage, in the very real sense of the word, is still possible. Eleanor Perry, screenwriter

"This is an insider's view, and Raskin offers readers insights into a hidden California. The impact of his book is to return culture to agriculture in a state dominated by agribusiness."--Gerald Haslam, author of The Great Central Valley: California's Heartland "Jonah Raskin has lived and taught in this area for well over thirty years and has the credibility to write about the evolution of farming here. His book is a magical mixture of journalism and memoir. I loved his interviews with local farmers and growers. He explores the questions that we all are asking about our relationship to food and what it means to eat locally, who grows it, and will they be able to continue to do so."--Ianthe Brautigan, author of You Can't Catch Death: A Daughter's Memoir "'Think global, buy local' takes on new meaning in this intriguing synthesis of memoir and reportage on the slow and local food movements."--Peter Laufer, author of Wetback Nation and The Dangerous World of Butterflies "Anyone wanting to know what it's like to live in the paradise that is Sonoma County must read Field Days . Jonah Raskin brings this blessed region and its communities of environmental champions vividly to life."--Jeff Cox, author of The Organic Cook's Bible and The Organic Food Shopper's Guide "In Jonah Raskin's wonderfully observant ramble through Sonoma County's farms, orchards, and vineyards, it becomes abundantly clear that American farming has not been killed off by agribusiness, or the Department of Agriculture's call to 'get big or get out'. With Raskin we meet a rich community of amazing people who have stayed on the land, or gone back to it, sharing a new kind of ecologically informed consciousness about our intimate connections to the land and the people who work it. Anybody who reads this book, wherever they live, will gain a new appreciation of this new generation of farmers. Thanks to them, we're learning to eat well--a basic necessity in the hard times ahead."--Ernest Callenbach, author of Ecotopia "In Field Days , Jonah Raskin becomes the George Plimpton of organic farming. Instead of getting out on the playing field to measure his stuff against pro athletes, he toils long days beside farm workers. Soulful and always curious, Raskin traces the tradition of responsible farming practices in Northern California, and explores the meaning of living locally."--Bart Schneider, author of The Man in the Blizzard

"A heartrending and beautiful memoir of sudden loss and a journey to peace"--

Commemorating Bette Burke-Nash: World Record Flight Attendant's Heroic Life Tale to be Published - A Tribute to Resilience, Motherhood, and Sky-High Spirit. In the pages of this book, readers are invited into the extraordinary life of Mary Elizabeth Burke-Nash, affectionately known as Bette. For nearly seven decades, Bette reigned the skies, earning her a Guinness World Record as the Longest Serving Flight Attendant(68 years). But her soaring spirit wasn't confined to the high-altitude cabin of an aircraft. Bette's life on the ground was a testament to her remarkable resilience, fierce bravery, and unwavering devotion to her severely challenged Down Syndrome son, Christian. This biography, crafted from hours of intimate interviews, the sharing of her intimate journaling of her life during the last two years of Bette's life, reveals the strength and courage of a woman who faced tremendous personal challenges. As a single mother Bette raised Christian for forty-nine years, with immeasurable love and determination. Her marriage, marked by emotional turmoil, abuse and violence, further tested her fortitude, yet she remained unwavering in her pursuit of a better life for her and her son. The book also illuminates Bette's indomitable spirit, her contagious enthusiasm, and her enduring belief in her faith and the power of kindness. Her story is not only a tribute to her life's accomplishments but also a testament to her remarkable character. Bette reached heights far beyond the planes she flew on - her legacy is one of resilience, motherhood, and a spirit that reached for the stars. This biography aims to honor Bette's memory and fulfill a promise made to her. In line with her philanthropic spirit, donations from book proceeds will be made to two of her preferred charities, including the National Down Syndrome Society. Bette's story is one of triumph over adversity, of love in the face of hardship, and of a woman who, in her own unique way, soared higher than the planes she flew on. Her tale is an inspiring tribute to all who have faced challenges and emerged stronger, a testament to the power of resilience and the enduring spirit of humanity.

From acclaimed designer and novelist Peter Mendelsund, a deeply personal reflection on depression and the redemptive power of art, interspersed with 100 original paintings In the early days of the pandemic, Peter Mendelsund and his family traveled up to a secluded New Hampshire farmhouse to weather the chaos. There began his journey through a crippling and seemingly intractable depression--which differed in degree but not in kind from episodes that have recurred periodically throughout his life--that brought him to the brink of suicide. Relief came from an unlikely source: painting, something Peter had never contemplated doing before. And yet it became the thing that may very well have saved his life. Bleakly funny, profoundly moving, and--against all odds--truly inspiring, Exhibitionist is not just an account of a mind thinking through its own suffering in real-time, and of the author's reckoning with his father's tortured legacy; it's also the story of the birth of an artist, and a portrait of an artist at work. --

This volume, including the journal Connolly kept from 1927 to 1938--part writer's notebook, part private reflection, and part gossip--gives an illuminating memoir of Connolly

"In her trusted loaded-up minivan 'Minnie,' E.A. Hanks follows the same route as a long-ago road trip with her mother in an attempt to better understand the complicated woman who gave her life. Along the way, as she follows her mother's diaries and her own recollections of the route, she begins to uncover secrets--some unexpectedly wonderful, and others darker and more violent than she ever imagined--that bring more questions than answers. From the quiet expanses of White Sands National Park to the bustling streets of New Orleans, and the Texas-Mexico border to the swamps of the Florida panhandle, she interacts with the amazing breadth and diversity of the people that call these places home. Reckoning with the past, the present, her memories, and herself, Hanks brings us along a ... voyage towards understanding how the stories we tell about the places we're from ultimately become the stories we tell about the people we are"--

Tom Mangold is known to millions as the face of BBC television's flagship current affairs programme Panorama. His memoir, Splashed, is packed with revelations about some of the stories which made the headlines during his long journey from print to Panorama. His intent was to uncover some of the more raucous and downright absurd events that marked his life in journalism alongside some of the more serious work which made his name. He describes his national service in Germany through his years in the '50s on Fleet Street's most ruthless newspapers, a period where cheque book journalism ruled and shamelessness could be viewed as a major skill for any would-be journalist. Mangold then moves on to his illustrious career at the BBC, where he developed a reputation for his war reporting and his involvement in a series of major investigations. He then moved to the Panorama team where he worked for twenty-six years.Mangold takes us backstage at Panorama and reveals a world not quite as serious as the stories it broadcast each and every week.From world exclusives with fallen women to chaotic interviews with Presidents, Splashed unveils significant revelations about some of the stories which made the headlines during his long journey from print to Panorama.

The author of over 23 books from 1933-1997, including his superb five-volume "Scenes from the Life of an American Jew," John Sanford is particularly well known for his autobiographical works and memoirs, many of them published by Black Sparrow and Capra presses. This short memoir is a celebration of his life with his wife Maggie, to whom he was married for over 50 years, and who died in 1989. Addressed to her, Sanford's work is a beautiful and loving testimony to his wife's life, including time of her being blacklisted by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during the McCarthy era.

Nestled high in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts, Goose Pond is surrounded by a deeply forested tranquillity that belies the many murmuring voices eager to tell its stories - stories stretching back hundreds, thousands, and yes, even millions of years. This delightful volume reveals the stories behind the abandoned paper mills, the old cabins, the founding families, the dams, the floods, the Appalachian Trail, the teaming wildlife, the Mohican arrowheads, a storied fishing club, a shoreside resort, a Presidential fishing trip, and even the geological origins of the pond's crescent shape. Writing in his engaging and witty style, the author dives deeply into the timeless legends of an Indian grave, a stone throne, a mysterious U.S. Navy operation and a sunken car. While providing readers with the spoken memories of the lake's children, some interviewed while well into their 90s, a complete written memoir, over twenty simple recipes from Goose Pond's very own cookbook, hand-drawn maps from British colonial days, restored black and white photographs rescued from dusty attic shoeboxes, and clippings discovered in the digital archives of the last century's local newspapers, this generously illustrated book tells the saga of a quintessential, mountaintop New England millpond caught up in the sweeping arc of American history.

Step into the halcyon world of pre-war England through the eyes of George Sherston, the fictionalized alter ego of poet and war hero Siegfried Sassoon. In "Memoirs of a Fox-hunting Man", Sassoon masterfully captures the innocence of youth, the thrill of the hunt, and the deep, abiding connection to a countryside untouched by the horrors of the Great War. Through Sherston’s adventures—on horseback and off—readers are immersed in the gentle rhythms of country life, the camaraderie of the hunting field, and the quiet introspections of a young man coming of age. Yet beneath the light-hearted tales and sporting escapades lies an undercurrent of change, as the encroaching reality of war looms over this idyllic existence. Sassoon’s prose is at once nostalgic and sharply observant, offering a portrait of an era and a generation on the cusp of irrevocable transformation. Whether you are a lover of classic literature, historical fiction, or poignant coming-of-age stories, this evocative narrative offers both a window into a vanished world and a powerful commentary on the innocence lost to war.

It was Gold who led the fur workers in their historic 17-week strike in 1926 in which, against all odds, they became the first workers whose union achieved the 5-day, 40-hour week...

Stephen Fisher was born into an Old Order Amish family at the beginning of the Great Depression, the 8th child born of 15, placing him right in the middle of the birth order. Among his many challenges, he had a father who struggled to communicate and a mother who worked hard to make up the difference - only to become overwhelmed by life. Steve and his brothers were farmed out at a young age to work in order to help the family survive tough times. The boys spent their summers away from home and what little money they earned went straight to the family. Steve decided at an early age that he did not want to follow the Amish ways and at the age of 16 left in the middle of the night with everything he owned wrapped in a handkerchief...and so his journey began. This book takes you through his story of nine decades, including service in the Korean War, meeting and marrying the love of his life, raising a family of his, and building a multi-million dollar business. His extreme curiosity moved him into a world that provided opportunities he never could have dreamed of on his own. Ultimately, Steve's life is about the blessings God provided and what he did with them. He was many things in his life....but above all, he was driven.