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Almost brown : a mixed-race family memoir / by Gill, Charlotte,1971-author.;
"An award-winning writer retraces her dysfunctional, biracial, globe-trotting family's journey as she reckons with ethnicity and belonging, diversity and race, and the complexities of life within a multicultural household. Charlotte Gill's father is Indian. Her mother is English. They meet in 1960's London when the world is not quite ready for interracial love. Their union, a revolutionary act, results in a total meltdown of familial relations, a lot of immigration paperwork, and three children, all in varying shades of tan. Together they set off on a journey from the United Kingdom to Canada and to the United States in elusive pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness--a dream that eventually tears them apart. Almost Brown is an exploration of diasporic intermingling involving parents of two different races and their half-brown children as they experience the paradoxes and conundrums of life as it's lived between race checkboxes. Eventually, her parents drift apart because they just aren't compatible. But as she finds herself distancing from her father too--why is she embarrassed to walk down the street with him and not her mom?--she doesn't know if it's because of his personality or his race. As a mixed-race child, was this her own unconscious bias favoring one parent over the other in the racial tug-of-war that plagues our society? Almost Brown looks for answers to questions shared by many mixed-race people: What are you? What does it mean to be a person of color when the concept is a societal invention and really only applies halfway if you are half white? And how does your relationship with your parents change as you change and grow older? In a funny, turbulent, and ultimately heartwarming story, Gill examines the brilliant messiness of ancestry, "diversity," and the idea of "race," a historical concept that still informs our beliefs about ethnicity today"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; Gill, Charlotte, 1971-; Gill, Charlotte, 1971-; Identity (Psychology); Immigrants; Race awareness in children.; Racially mixed families; Racially mixed families; Racially mixed people; Racially mixed people; Racially mixed women; Women authors, Canadian; Race;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The early stories of Truman Capote / by Capote, Truman,1924-1984.; Capote, Truman,1924-1984.Short stories.;
"In a small Southern town, a teenage girl anxiously waits for her date to arrive. A little boy meets his dream dog in Central Park. A woman fights to save the life of a child who has her lover's eyes. Best friends discuss the theoretical murder of husbands. In these never-before-published stories, written by Truman Capote when he was in his teens and twenties, Capote-the-Writer is already recognizable. His prose: witty, poignant, and crystal-clear. His characters: solitary, observant young children; charming and naïve young women whom you could imagine befriending Holly Golightly; aging urban sophisticates worn down by cynicism. His settings: the rural South of his childhood and the cosmopolitan New York of the 1940s. This splendid collection offers readers to opportunity to see the confident first steps of one of the 20th century's most-acclaimed writers onto the path that would lead to his most beloved works"--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Short stories.; Short stories.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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An unlasting home : a novel / by Al-Nakib, Mai,1970-author.;
"In 2013, Sara is a philosophy professor at Kuwait University, having returned to Kuwait from Berkeley in the wake of her mother's sudden death eleven years earlier. Her main companions are her grandmother's talking parrot, Bebe Mitu; the family cook, Aasif; and Maria, her childhood ayah and the one person who has always been there for her. Sara's relationship with Kuwait is complicated; it is a country she always thought she would leave, and a country she recognizes less and less, and yet a certain inertia keeps her there. But when teaching Nietzsche in her Intro to Philosophy course leads to an accusation of blasphemy, which carries with it the threat of execution, Sara realizes she must reconcile her feelings and her place in the world once and for all. Interspersed with Sara's narrative are the stories of her grandmothers: beautiful and stubborn Yasmine, who marries the son of the Pasha of Basra and lives to regret it, and Lulwa, born poor in the old town of Kuwait, swept off her feet to an estate in India by the son of a successful merchant family; and her two mothers: Noura, who dreams of building a life in America and helping to shape its Mid-East policies, and Maria, who leaves her own children behind in Pune to raise Sara and her brother Karim and, in so doing, transforms many lives. Ranging from the 1920s to the near present, An Unlasting Home traces Kuwait's rise from a pearl-diving backwater to its reign as a thriving cosmopolitan city to the aftermath of the Iraqi invasion. At once intimate and sweeping, personal and political, it is an unforgettable epic and a spellbinding family saga."--
Subjects: Feminist fiction.; Historical fiction.; Novels.; Cultural property; Families; Women, Arab;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Winter Garden A Novel [electronic resource] : by Hannah, Kristin.aut; cloudLibrary;
Can a woman ever really know herself if she doesn't know her mother? From the author of the smash-hit bestseller Firefly Lane and True Colors comes Kristin Hannah's powerful, heartbreaking novel that illuminates the intricate mother-daughter bond and explores the enduring links between the present and the past. Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time—and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya's life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago. Alternating between the past and present, Meredith and Nina will finally hear the singular, harrowing story of their mother's life, and what they learn is a secret so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the very foundation of their family and change who they believe they are.General adult.
Subjects: Electronic books.; Contemporary Women; Family Life;
© 2010., St. Martin's Publishing Group,
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Wild minds : the artists and rivalries that inspired the golden age of animation / by Mitenbuler, Reid,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."In 1911, the famed cartoonist Winsor McCay debuted an animated version of his popular newspaper strip, Little Nemo in Slumberland. Loosely inspired by Sigmund Freud's research on dreams, the film was one of the very first of its kind. McCay is largely forgotten today, but his work helped unleash the creative energy of animators like Otto Messmer, Max Fleischer, Walt Disney, and Chuck Jones. Their origin stories, rivalries, and sheer genius, as Reid Mitenbuler skillfully relates, were as colorful and subversive as their creations-from Felix the Cat to Bugs Bunny to feature films such as Fantasia-which became an integral part of American culture over the next five decades. Before television, animated cartoons were often "little hand grenades of social and political satire" aimed squarely at adults. Early Betty Boop cartoons included nudity. Popeye stories slyly criticized the injustices of unchecked capitalism. Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner were used to explore hidden depths of the American psyche. "During its first half-century," Mitenbuler writes, "animation was an important part of the culture wars about free speech, censorship, the appropriate boundaries of humor, and the influence of art and media on society." During WWII it also played a significant role in propaganda. The golden age of animation ended with the advent of television when cartoons were sanitized to appeal to a growing demographic of children and help advertisers sell sugary breakfast cereals. Alongside these stories, Mitenbuler incorporates the surprising contributions of Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), voice artist Mel Blanc, composer Leopold Stokowski, and many others whose talents influenced the world of animation. Illustrated throughout in both black-and-white and color, with rare drawings and photographs, Wild Minds is an ode to our lively past and to the creative energy that would inspire The Simpsons, South Park, and BoJack Horseman today"--
Subjects: Animated films; Animated television programs; Animated films; Animated television programs;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Jackie : a novel / by Tripp, Dawn Clifton,author.;
""Three times that day someone pushed roses into her arms - yellow roses each time, until they reached Dallas. There, the roses were red." (November 22, 1963) And so begins Jackie, a spellbinding, deeply researched novel which goes back in time to imagine Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is telling us the first-person story of her life. At the center of this book is the love story of Jackie and Jack, beginning when Jackie is 21 and meets the charismatic Congressman at a dinner party in Georgetown. She thinks he is not her kind of adventure: "Too American. Too good-looking. Too boy." She dreams of living in France, as she did as a student. And yet: there is the intelligence, the energy, the chemistry between them. On a tip from a friend, she doesn't return his calls; Jack wins the Senate, they become engaged; Jackie quits her job at a Washington newspaper when they marry. The early years of marriage are lonely and difficult: she misses working, is confused by his pattern of creating distance after intimacy, is devastated when she sees Jack leave a party with another woman, and realizes everyone else noticed too. The old trauma resurfaces: her father's many affairs. When she loses a baby while Jack is on a yacht in France, she wakes up in the hospital to find it is Jack's brother Bobby who is sitting there, solidifying a friendship that lasts until one night Jackie picks up the phone, and faces the violent end of Robert Kennedy's life. As First Lady, Jackie's vision for bringing art, literature, elegance to the White House become inspiring to read about, as she digs around in the White House basement, unearthing forgotten portraits and furniture, and as she meets with heads of state: the famous visit to Paris with deGaulle; arranging for the Mona Lisa to be on view in the National Gallery; Cuba and the Bay of Pigs; the space program. Dallas, Onassis, being a book editor. The everlasting mourning: "if only". Always, at the center of Jackie's thoughts are Jack and their children, Caroline and John, and the love story of how, over time, love deepens between two independent people who grow closer, more interdependent, more aware of the simple moments that constitute true happiness"--
Subjects: Historical fiction.; Biographical fiction.; Novels.; Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963; Onassis, Jacqueline Kennedy, 1929-1994; Presidents' spouses;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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The shape of family : a novel / by Gowda, Shilpi Somaya,author.;
The Olander family embodies the modern American Dream in a globalized world. Jaya, the cultured daughter of an Indian diplomat and Keith, an ambitious banker from middle-class Philadelphia, meet in a London pub in 1988 and make a life together in suburban California. Their strong marriage is built on shared beliefs and love for their two children: headstrong teenager Karina and young son Prem, the light of their home. But love and prosperity cannot protect them from sudden, unspeakable tragedy, and the family's foundation cracks as each member struggles to seek a way forward. Jaya finds solace in spirituality. Keith wagers on his high-powered career. Karina focuses relentlessly on her future and independence. And Prem watches helplessly as his once close-knit family drifts apart.
Subjects: Domestic fiction.; East Indian Americans; Families; Suburban life;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 2
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Who owns the clouds? [graphic novel] / by Brassard, Mario,1978-author.; DuBois, Gérard,1968-illustrator.; Ghione, Yvette,translator.; translation of:Brassard, Mario,1978-À qui appartiennent les nuages?English.;
"Even though Mila is no longer 9 years old, her childhood memories sometimes overtake her. What happened there, halfway between dreaming and insomnia, continues in other forms here, twenty years later. Whether it's seeing a very old photo taken by her father, a red balloon rolling at her feet, or just lining up at a wicket, something still trembles in her. If the clouds sometimes remind her of where she came from, she guesses that they can also teach her where to go ... "--
Subjects: Graphic novels.; Fictional autobiographies.; Children and war;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Where the Creek Bends [electronic resource] : by Miller, Linda Lael.aut; cloudLibrary;
From acclaimed #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller comes a beautifully rendered timeslip novel about the family we create for ourselves… Madison Bettencourt has tried to assemble all the pieces of a perfect life, but nothing fits quite the way it should. She’s moved back home to Montana to care for her grandmother, who is slipping further and further away. And she’s called off her wedding, and worries her dreams of a family are fading with it. As Madison rattles around her family home, childhood memories come flooding back. Bliss Morgan transformed eight-year-old Madison with her loyalty, and for a while, the two girls were as close as can be. But Madison never understood why Bliss suddenly vanished, leaving only a friendship bracelet and a message etched into a matchbook. Before she can begin again, Madison must uncover what happened to Bliss, and Liam McKettrick—a widowed dad trying to repair his relationship with his two children—becomes her unlikely ally. He, too, understands the pang of regret. Yet there are mysteries that Madison hesitates to explore with anyone, and strange energies in Bettencourt Hall that blur the lines between past and present.    Poignant and utterly captivating, Where the Creek Bends shows that finding yourself begins with following your heart, no matter where it leads. Perfect for fans of: Second Chances Family Drama Small Town settings Susan Mallery, Nicolas Sparks and Ashley PostonGeneral adult.
Subjects: Electronic books.; Time Travel; Western; Contemporary Women;
© 2024., Harlequin,
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Restaurant kid : a memoir of family and belonging / by Phan, Rachel,author.;
"A warm and poignant narrative about finding one's self amidst the grind of restaurant life, the cross-generational immigrant experience, and a daughter's attempts to connect with parents who have always been just out of reach. When she was three years old, Rachel Phan met her replacement. Instead of a new sibling, her mother and father's time and attention were suddenly devoted entirely to their new family restaurant. For her parents--whose own families fled China during Japanese occupation and then survived bombs and starvation during the war in Vietnam--it was a dream come true. For Phan, it was something quite different. Overnight, she became a restaurant kid, living on the periphery of her own family and trying her best to stay out of the way. As Phan grew up, the restaurant was the most stalwart and suffocating member of her family. For decades, it's been both their crowning achievement and the origin of so much of their pain and suffering: screaming matches complete with smashed dishes; bodies worn down by long hours and repetitive strain; and tenuous relationships where the family loved one another deeply without ever really knowing each other. In Restaurant Kid, Phan seeks to examine the way her life has been shaped by the rigid boxes placed around her. She had to be a "good daughter," never asking questions, always being grateful. She had to be a "real Canadian," watching hockey and speaking English so flawlessly that her tongue has since forgotten how to contort around Cantonese tones. As the only Chinese girl at school, she had to alternate between being the sidekick, geek, or Asian fetish, depending on whose gaze was on her. Now, three decades after their restaurant first opened, Phan's parents are cautiously talking about retirement. As an adult, Phan's "good daughter" role demands something new of her--and a chance to get to know her parents away from the restaurant. In Restaurant Kid, Phan deftly combines candour, wit and insight to craft a vibrant and important narrative on the strength and foibles of family, and how we come to understand ourselves."--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; Phan, Rachel.; Phan, Rachel; Children of immigrants; Restaurateurs; Restaurateurs; Chinese Canadian women;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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