Biography

Review: Searching for Charles by Stephen Watts

Searching for Charles by Stephen Watts

Taking readers on a historic journey across the Atlantic and into the burgeoning American continent, Searching for Charles: The Untold Legacy of an Immigrant’s American Adventure by Stephen Watts is a stunning portrait of the past.

In 1835, Charles Watts left the oppressive gloom of Dickensian London in search of a better life in the nascent nation of the United States. What followed were years of curious exploration, keen observation, and diligent letter-writing that captured the energy, emotions, and events of that formative period in American history.

This book serves a number of purposes, and will appeal to a variety […]

2023-08-23T12:11:00+02:00June 20th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: Family Matters by Lance Lee

Family Matters by Lance Lee

In a memoir that does double duty as a multi-generational history of dysfunction and the effort to define a life shaped by deceptions, Lance Lee unmasks the myths his parents clung to in Family Matters: dreams I couldn’t share and how a dysfunctional family became America’s Darling, The Addams Family.

Lee and his sister, Linda, endured a turbulent childhood controlled by their father David “Gar” Levy, a self-absorbed, generally distant, often emotionally abusive patriarch. A high-powered advertising and television network executive, Gar created the sitcom, “The Addams Family,” which Lee believes Gar infused with his own parents’ dysfunction and […]

2022-10-07T15:00:03+02:00October 6th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , , |

Review: One Last Song For My Father by Edwin Fontánez

One Last Song For My Father by Edwin Fontánez

An elegant elegy for an imperfect man, Edwin Fontánez’s One Last Song For My Father: A Son’s Memoir is a gorgeous blend of alliterative prose, lyrical poetry, and lush metaphoric writing.

Growing up in Puerto Rico, author Fontánez always struggled with his often neglectful and financially irresponsible father, Modesto. A tinsmith metalworker who dropped out of school before the third grade, Modesto enjoyed playing music with friends in his spare time, but his alcoholism left his family in a constant state of impoverishment. Fontánez resented his father’s lack of empathy, particularly for his mother, but his dad did have a […]

2022-10-27T16:56:23+02:00September 23rd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Thomas Jefferson: Family Secrets by William G. Hyland Jr.

Thomas Jefferson: Family Secrets by William Hyland A rarely told chapter in the life of an American legend, Thomas Jefferson: Family Secrets by William G. Hyland Jr. is a revelatory look into post-presidential life – a detailed and enthralling peek at the man and his experiences, but also the ongoing state of the young nation.

Most Americans have some image, opinion, or high-school recollection of Thomas Jefferson, but this biographical tome offers a different glimpse into his life, focusing on a less-discussed era of the 3rd US president. Charming scenes of high-ranking visitors arriving at Monticello to find barefoot children underfoot give the aging president a humanness […]

2022-02-17T07:56:13+02:00February 17th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

All I Have: Celebrating Ceramic Artist Ruenell Foy Temps by Sheridan Hill

All I Have: Celebrating Ceramic Artist Ruenell Foy Temps by Sheridan HillAuthor Sheridan Hill celebrates the life and work of a gifted crafter of sculptural magic in All I Have: Celebrating Ceramic Artist Ruenell Foy Temps, a heartfelt homage to an inspired soul.

While this decade-spanning biographical collection of photographs captures Temps’ body of work, as well as the artist in certain intimate creative moments, the prose itself is also meticulously crafted, poetic, and seemingly awed by the work of this talented sculptor. The book takes readers through the fascinating history and unassuming achievements of this eccentric and fearless creator, and those who are unaware of Temps’ work will be […]

2022-01-17T05:29:25+02:00January 15th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Review: Broken Promises: The Story of a Jewish Family in Germany by Bonnie Suchman

Broken Promises: The Story of a Jewish Family in Ger

Unearthing an astonishing family history from the dark heart of the 20th century, Broken Promises: The Story of a Jewish Family in Germany by Bonnie Suchman is a revelatory and powerful read.

In an effort not to let a valuable story be lost, the author dove into the annals of Heppenheimer family history, from their humble beginnings to their industrial accomplishments, as they fought and struggled for their identity, security, and place to call home. From the first decade of the 1700s, once Jewish people were “allowed” to return to Germany, all the way to the decades following World War […]

2022-02-14T07:49:12+02:00January 4th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Roots in Iran by Yasmine Mahdavi

Roots in Iran by Yasmine Mahdavi An uplifting work of non-fiction particularly geared toward young girls, Roots in Iran: Stories of Visionary Women by Yasmine Mahdavi recounts the lives of groundbreaking Iranian women and informs readers about Iran’s unfortunately undervalued culture and history.

The book focuses on fifteen influential women with ties to the country, such as the leading cancer researcher Mina Bissell, the prominent chess champion Dorsa Derakhshani, and the inspiring Florida legislator Anna Eskamani, alongside stunning illustrations by female Middle Eastern artists. The book also features sections and sidebars calling attention to related topics, such as the Iran-Iraq War, gender disparities in STEM fields, […]

2021-11-17T07:06:16+02:00November 16th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Review: Called by Marlena Fiol and Ed O’Connor

Called by Marlena Fiol and Ed O'Connor

Immersing readers in a vibrant slice of the past, Called by Marlena Fiol and Ed O’Connor is an original account of unsung heroism and unwavering faith in the face of impossible odds.

The story begins in the 1940s, as World War II raged and Hitler’s shadow seemed to stretch across the world, even to Paraguay, and right into the lives of Dr. John and Clara Schmidt. While his whirlwind invitation to Paraguay and sudden proposal may have been the tumultuous start of their journey into revolutionary medical practices, the stakes remained just as high in the many decades that followed […]

2021-12-10T08:26:17+02:00October 29th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |
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