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The sisterhood : the secret history of women at the CIA / by Mundy, Liza,1960-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."The New York Times bestselling author of Code Girls reveals the untold story of how women at the CIA ushered in the modern intelligence age, a sweeping story of a "sisterhood" of women spies spanning three generations who broke the glass ceiling, helped transform spycraft, and tracked down Osama Bin Laden. Upon its creation in 1947, the Central Intelligence Agency instantly became one of the most important spy services in the world. Like every male-dominated workplace in Eisenhower America, the growing intelligence agency needed women to type memos, send messages, manipulate expense accounts, and keep secrets. Despite discrimination--even because of it--these clerks and secretaries rose to become some of the shrewdest, toughest operatives the agency employed. Because women were seen as unimportant, they moved unnoticed on the streets of Bonn, Geneva, and Moscow, stealing secrets under the noses of the KGB. Back at headquarters, they built the CIA's critical archives--first by hand, then by computer. These women also battled institutional stereotyping and beat it. Men argued they alone could run spy rings. But the women proved they could be spymasters, too. During the Cold War, women made critical contributions to U.S. intelligence, sometimes as officers, sometimes as unpaid spouses, working together as their numbers grew. The women also made unique sacrifices, giving up marriage, children, even their own lives. They noticed things that the men at the top didn't see. In the final years of the twentieth century, it was a close-knit network of female CIA analysts who warned about the rising threat of Al Qaeda. After the 9/11 attacks, women rushed to join the fight as a new job, "targeter," came to prominence. They showed that painstaking data analysis would be crucial to the post-9/11 national security landscape--an effort that culminated spectacularly in the CIA's successful efforts to track down Osama Bin Laden and, later, Ayman al-Zawahiri. With the same meticulous reporting and storytelling verve that she brought to her New York Times bestseller Code Girls, Liza Mundy has written an indispensable and sweeping history that reveals how women at the CIA ushered in the modern intelligence age"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Personal narratives.; United States. Central Intelligence Agency; Espionage, American; Intelligence service; Women intelligence officers; Women spies;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Table for two [sound recording] : fictions / by Towles, Amor,author.; Ballerini, Edoardo,1970-narrator.; Smith-Cameron, J.,narrator.; Penguin Audio (Firm),publisher.;
Read by Edoardo Ballerini, J. Smith-Cameron."The millions of readers of Amor Towles are in for a treat as he shares some of his shorter fiction: six stories set in New York City and a novella in Los Angeles. The New York stories, most of which are set around the turn of the millennium, take up everything from the death-defying acrobatics of the male ego, to the fateful consequences of brief encounters, and the delicate mechanics of compromise which operate at the heart of modern marriages. In Towles's novel, Rules of Civility, the indomitable Evelyn Ross leaves New York City in September, 1938, with the intention of returning home to Indiana. But as her train pulls into Chicago, where her parents are waiting, she instead extends her ticket to Los Angeles. Told from seven points of view, "Eve in Hollywood" describes how Eve crafts a new future for herself -- and others -- in the midst of Hollywood's golden age. Throughout the stories, two characters often find themselves sitting across a table for two where the direction of their futures may hinge upon what they say to each other next. Written with his signature wit, humor, and sophistication, Table for Two is another glittering addition to Towles's canon of stylish and transporting historical fiction"--
Subjects: Audiobooks.; Bildungsromans.; Historical fiction.; Novellas.; Short stories.; Fate and fatalism; Interpersonal relations; Meetings;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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James [text (large print)] : a novel / by Everett, Percival,author.; based on (work):Twain, Mark,1835-1910.Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.;
"From Percival Everett-a recipient of the NBCC Lifetime Achievement Award and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Booker Prize, and numerous PEN awards-comes James, a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and ferociously funny, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view. When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide on nearby Jackson Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father, recently returned to town. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and too-often-unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond. While many narrative set pieces of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remain in place (floods and storms, stumbling across both unexpected death and unexpected treasure in the myriad stopping points along the river's banks, encountering the scam artists posing as the Duke and Dauphin ... ), Jim's agency, intelligence and compassion are shown in a radically new light. Brimming with the electrifying humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a "cult literary icon" (Oprah Daily), and one of the most decorated writers of our lifetime, James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first century American literature"--
Subjects: Historical fiction.; Large print books.; Satirical literature.; Novels.; Finn, Huckleberry (Fictitious character); Fugitive slaves; Male friendship; Race relations; Runaway children;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Daughters of Shandong / by Chung, Eve J.,author.;
"A propulsive, extraordinary novel about a mother and her daughters' harrowing escape to Taiwan as the Communist revolution sweeps through China, by debut author Eve J. Chung, based on her family story. Daughters are the Ang family's curse. In 1948, civil war ravages the Chinese countryside, but in rural Shandong, the wealthy, landowning Angs are more concerned with their lack of an heir. Hai is the eldest of four girls and spends her days looking after her sisters. Headstrong Di, who is just a year younger, learns to hide in plain sight, and their mother-abused by the family for failing to birth a boy-finds her own small acts of rebellion in the kitchen. As the Communist army closes in on their town, the rest of the prosperous household flees, leaving behind the girls and their mother because they view them as useless mouths to feed. Without an Ang male to punish, the land-seizing cadres choose Hai, as the eldest child, to stand trial for her family's crimes. She barely survives their brutality. Realizing the worst is yet to come, the women plan their escape. Starving and penniless but resourceful, they forge travel permits and embark on a thousand-mile journey to confront the family that abandoned them. From the countryside to the bustling city of Qingdao, and onward to British Hong Kong and eventually Taiwan, they witness the changing tide of a nation and the plight of multitudes caught in the wake of revolution. But with the loss of their home and the life they've known also comes new freedom-to take hold of their fate, to shake free of the bonds of their gender, and to claim their own story. Told in assured, evocative prose, with impeccably drawn characters, Daughters of Shandong is a hopeful, powerful story about the resilience of women in war; the enduring love between mothers, daughters, and sisters; and the sacrifices made to lift up future generations"--
Subjects: Historical fiction.; Novels.; Mothers and daughters; Patriarchy; Rich people; Sisters; Torture; War victims; Women;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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California golden [sound recording] : a novel / by Benjamin, Melanie,1962-author.; Lakin, Christine,1979-narrator.; Random House Audio Publishing,publisher.;
Read by Christine Lakin."Southern California, 1960s: endless sunny days surfing in Malibu, followed by glittering neon nights at Whisky A-Go-Go. In an era when women are expected to be housewives, Carol Donelly is breaking the mold as a legendary female surfer struggling to compete in a male-dominated sport--and her daughters, Mindy and Ginger, bear the weight of her unconventional lifestyle. The Donnelly sisters grow up enduring their mother's absence--physically, when she's at the beach, and emotionally, the rare times she's at home. To escape questions about Carol's whereabouts--and chase their mom's elusive affection--they cut school to spend their days in the surf. From her first time on a board, Mindy shows a natural talent, but Ginger, two years younger, feels out of place in the water. As they grow up and their lives diverge, Mindy and Ginger's relationship ebbs and flows. Mindy finds herself swept up in celebrity, complete with beachside love affairs, parties at the Playboy Club, and USO tours to Vietnam. Meanwhile, Ginger--desperate for a community of her own--is tugged into the vibrant counterculture of drugs and cults. Through it all, their sense of duty to each other survives, as the girls are forever connected by the emotional damage they carry from their unorthodox childhood. A gripping, emotional story set at a time when mothers were expected to be Donna Reed, not Gidget, California Golden is an unforgettable novel about three women living in a society that was shifting as tempestuously as the breaking waves"--
Subjects: Audiobooks.; Historical fiction.; Novels.; Interpersonal relations; Mothers and daughters; Sisters;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Christmas at the Women's Hotel A Biedermeier Story [electronic resource] : by Lavery, Daniel M..aut; CloudLibrary;
New York Times bestselling author Daniel M. Lavery returns to the world of Women’s Hotel in this delightful and heartwarming novella about one especially lively Christmastime at the Biedermeier. Christmas at the Biedermeier Hotel means work. For much of the year, employment comes infrequently to Biedermeier residents. But during the Advent season, they're in high demand all over the city: as holiday window dressers, sales-girls at the card stores on Forty-Second Street, Broadway usherettes, assisting the Lincoln Center laundress at the Nutcracker, or working for Pinkerton as off-season security guards at the World’s Fair. Katherine explores the possibility of reconnecting with a younger sister moving to New York. Lucianne goes into business for herself, running a telephone-order, strictly Social Register male escort agency out of her room, while Mrs. Mossler attempts to solve the mystery of the Biedermeier’s skyrocketing phone bill and frets over Christmas tips for the hotel’s few remaining employees. And while the three gem thieves who broke into the American Museum of Natural History have recently been apprehended, not all of the stolen jewels have been recovered—and Patricia and Carol have been behaving very strangely recently. Christmas is a season of wonder and mystery, after all.
Subjects: Electronic books.; Holidays; Lesbian; Literary; Contemporary Women; Political; Humorous;
© 2025., HarperCollins,
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Dirty work : my gruelling, glorious, life-changing summer in the wilderness / by Maxymiw, Anna,author.;
"Wild meets Priestdaddy in this humorous, affecting, keenly observed memoir about daring to go outside of what's comfortable--and being open and ready for all the possibilities. When Anna Maxymiw accepts a summer job as a housekeeper at a fishing lodge in Northern Ontario, she has little idea what to expect. As a child, she goes fishing with her father and brother in Toronto's High Park; as a teenager on a family fishing trip, following the death of her uncle, she finds herself indelibly altered by the thrill of bringing a pike to the surface. At 23, when she decides to leave behind her masters degree and city life, and board a floatplane bound for the remote boreal forest near James Bay, new challenges and unexpected joy await. For 67 days, Anna is one of a group of young women and men who will keep the lodge running. While the male dockhands and fishing guides head out on the water with the fishermen who are the lodge's guests, the women housekeep and serve. Against the backdrop of a vast lake; wild storms; and hot days and eerily still nights, friendships develop, and Anna encounters bears, bugs, and the lore surrounding the lake's legendary pike. As the summer progresses, and the ownership of the lodge changes hands, tensions build to a breaking point. Warm, funny, vulnerable, and wise, Anna Maxymiw gives us a singular perspective on an age-old impulse. She shows us what it's really like to let go of yourself, your insecurities and fears--all the things that hold us back--and move through a summer welcoming all the surprises and possibilities, both good and bad, with open arms and a willingness to be changed by them. An unforgettable memoir, Dirty Work is for anyone who's ever felt the urge to feel uncomfortable and wondered how they'd fare and who they'd be when they came out on the other side."--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Autobiographies.; Biographies.; Maxymiw, Anna.; Authors, Canadian (English); Fishing lodges; Outdoor life.; Self-actualization (Psychology);
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Red roulette : an insider's story of wealth, power, corruption and vengeance in today's China / by Shum, Desmond,author.;
Includes bibliographical resources and index."After the Communist Revolution, Desmond Shum's grandfather was marked as belonging to a "black category" that included former landlords and rich peasants--meaning the Shums would be stigmatized and impoverished. As Desmond was growing up, he vowed his life would be different. Through hard work and sheer tenacity Shum earned an American college degree and returned to China to establish himself in business. There, he met his future wife, the highly intelligent and equally ambitious Whitney Duan who was determined to make her mark within China's male-dominated society. Whitney and Desmond formed an effective team and, aided by relationships they formed with top members of the red aristocracy, vaulted into China's billionaire class. Soon they were developing the massive air cargo facility at Beijing International Airport, and they followed that feat with the creation of one of Beijing's premier hotels. They were dazzlingly successful, traveling in private jets, funding multi-million-dollar buildings and endowments, and purchasing expensive homes, vehicles, and art. But in 2017, their fates diverged irrevocably when Desmond, while residing overseas with his son, learned that his now ex-wife Whitney had vanished along with three coworkers. This is both Desmond's story and Whitney's, because she cannot tell it herself."---Amazon.
Subjects: Shum, Desmond.; Duan, Whitney.; Businesspeople; Political corruption;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Never say never : a novel / by Steel, Danielle,author.;
"Oona Kelly Webster has much to be grateful for. A striking woman with red hair and green eyes, she has a loving family and a job she adores, editing a prestigious line of books. To celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, she and her husband, Charles, have planned a visit to France. But then Charles drops a bombshell. He has been living a lie -- hiding an affair for a year -- and he is leaving Oona for a younger male lover. Although devastated, Oona decides to travel to France without Charles. She arrives in a charming village an hour outside of Paris, and settles into the house she has rented, called La Belle Florence -- named after the king's mistress for whom it was built. But just as she's catching her breath, she's dealt another blow: Her company's merger will eliminate her job. In the space of a few months, everything she nurtured for decades has slipped through her fingers. The only silver lining is that she can remain in France, where the simple life in beautiful surroundings slowly begins to heal her, as does the little white dog she rescues, and her friendly neighbor hailing from Trinidad, who delights her with his openness and warmth. Though she does not recognize him at first, she soon realizes her neighbor is a well-known actor. As their feelings for each other begin to deepen, Oona wrestles with the risks of opening her heart again -- especially to a younger, very famous man. Never Say Never is an inspiring novel about a woman who finds a second chance at happiness and love, all because she understands the importance of being brave enough to stay open to change."--
Subjects: Romance fiction.; Novels.; Actors; Man-woman relationships; Villages;
Available copies: 2 / Total copies: 3
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A light in the dark : a history of movie directors / by Thomson, David,1941-author.;
"Directors operate behind the scenes managing actors, establishing a cohesive creative vision, at times literally guiding our eyes with the eye of the camera. But we are often so dazzled by the visions onscreen that it is easy to forget the individual who is off-screen orchestrating the entire production--to say nothing of their having marshalled a script, a studio, and other people's money. David Thomson, in his usual brilliantly insightful way, shines a light on the visionary directors who have shaped modern cinema and, through their work, studies the very nature of film direction. With his customary candor about his own delights and disappointments, Thomson analyzes both landmark works and forgotten films from classic directors such as Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, Jean Renoir and Jean-Luc Godard, as well as contemporary powerhouses such as Jane Campion, Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino. He shrewdly interrogates their professional legacies and influence in the industry, while simultaneously assessing the critical impact of an artist's personal life on his or her work. He explores the male directors' dominance of the past, and describes how diversity can change the landscape. Judicious, vivid and witty, A Light in the Dark is yet another required Thomson text for every movie lover's shelf"--
Subjects: Motion pictures; Motion picture producers and directors;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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