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An alphabet for Joanna : a portrait of my mother in 26 fragments / by Rogers, Damian,author.;
"Throughout her life, acclaimed poet Damian Rogers was never given a satisfactory account of the circumstances around her birth. The "truth" behind the stories she was told by her mother--the free-spirited, beautiful and often troubled Joanna--constantly shifted, and Damian could collect only fragments: a trip to California, a mysterious trauma, a miscarriage followed by a psychotic break, and a dramatic return to Detroit, pregnant. Now, in the present day, as 40-year-old Damian copes with Joanna's debilitating frontal-lobe dementia, she realizes she may never truly uncover the full story. At once a riveting portrait of a time and place (Detroit and Southern California from the mid-1960s to the late-1980s), an unconventional mother-daughter saga, and an exploration of how memory constantly shapes and reshapes our intimate relationships, at its heart An Alphabet for Joanna is a meditation on the relationship between mental illness and creative life. Damian Rogers writes effortlessly across genres, including lyrical memoir, investigative reporting, and powerful philosophical reflection, as she pieces together the ways we build lives out of stories. And by tracing her mother's deterioration into the present day, she poignantly shows how, even when memory fails, we remain connected through art, empathy, and imagination."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Rogers, Damian.; Rogers, Damian; Children of mentally ill mothers; Mentally ill mothers; Mothers and daughters.; Poets, Canadian (English);
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Lolo's light / by Scanlon, Elizabeth Garton.;
"Once in your life, sometime after your first memory but before you can drive a car, something is going to happen to you that doesn't happen to anyone else you know. It might be something good. It might be something bad, or special, or funny, or shocking. For Millie, it's something really sad. Lolo, her neighbors' infant daughter, dies--unexpectedly, suddenly, inexplicably--on the night Millie babysits. There's nothing she could have done. There's nothing she can do now. So how does she go on? She does what you'll do. She finds her way. This poignant and profound coming-of-age story portrays a tragic experience of responsibility and its poisonous flip side: guilt. Cathartic and important, it's an honest and empathetic portrait of a girl at her most vulnerable--a mess of grief, love, and ultimately acceptance--who must reckon with those most difficult of demons: death ... and life."--Provided by publisher.LSC
Subjects: Bildungsromans.; Babysitters; Life change events; Children; Grief;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Elisapee and Her Baby Seagull. by Fenter, Keith,film director.; Hirtzel, Russell,film director.; Buscemi, Miali,actor.; Vooks (Firm),dst; Kanopy (Firm),dst;
Miali BuscemiOriginally produced by Vooks in 2022.When her father brings home a baby seagull, Elisapee falls in love with the tiny bird. She names it Nau (short for Naujaaraq). Elisapee and her brother feed Nau sculpins, seal fat, and small krill. Nau grows bigger and her feathers turn white. Eventually, Elisapee and her brother teach Nau to fly. To be sure they know which bird is theirs, Elisapee ties a pink bow onto Nau’s leg.Every day, Nau flies with the other seagulls, then comes back to sleep on the roof of Elisapee’s shed. But then one day, Nau is ready to leave home for good. Will Elisapee have to say a final goodbye? Or will Nau’s spirit and memory live on, no matter where the arctic winds lead her?ELISAPEE AND HER BABY SEAGULL is a charming story about learning to care for animals, and also learning to let them go. The story focuses on Nunavut culture, along with themes of kindness, compassion, and doing what’s best for others. Written by Nancy Mike, illustrated by Charlene Chua, and published by Inhabit Media.Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Subjects: Education films.; Children's stories.;
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Kâ-pî-isi-kiskisiyân = The way I remember / by Ratt, Solomon,author,translator.; Ogg, Arden C.(Arden Catherine),1960-editor,writer of introduction.; container of (expression):Ratt, Solomon.Kâ-pî-isi-kiskisiyân.English.; container of (work):Ratt, Solomon.Kâ-pî-isi-kiskisiyân.;
"A residential school survivor finds his way back to his language and culture through his family's traditional stories. When reflecting on forces that have shaped his life, Solomon Ratt says his education was interrupted by his schooling. Torn from his family at the age of six, Ratt was placed into the residential school system--far from the love and comfort of home and family. In The Way I Remember, Ratt reflects on these memories and the life-long challenges he endured through his telling of autobiographical stories and traditional tales. In many ways, these stories reflect the experience of thousands of other Indigenous children across Canada, but Ratt's stories also stand apart in a significant way: despite the destruction wrought by colonialism, he managed to retain his mother language of Cree by returning home to his parents each summer. Ratt then shifts from the âcimisowina (personal, autobiographical stories) to âcathôhkîwina (sacred stories), the more formal and commonly recognized style of traditional Cree literature, to illustrate how, in a world uninterrupted by colonialism and its agenda of genocide, these traditional stories would have formed the winter curriculum of a Cree child's education. Presented in Cree th-dialect standard roman orthography, syllabics, and English, Ratt's particularly Cree sense of humour shines, making kâ-pî-isi-kiskisiyân / The Way I Remember an important and unique memoir that emphasizes and celebrates Solomon Ratt's perseverance and life after residential school."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Ratt, Solomon; Ratt, Solomon.; Cree language; Cree language; First Nations; First Nations; First Nations; First Nations;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Bravey : chasing dreams, befriending pain, and other big ideas / by Pappas, Alexi,author.; Rudolph, Maya,writer of foreword.;
"When Alexi Pappas was four years old, her mother committed suicide, drastically altering the course of Pappas's life and setting her on a perpetual search for female role models. When her father started signing her up for sports teams as a way to keep his bereaved daughter busy, female athletes became some of the first women Pappas looked up to, and she became a girl with a goal: to be an Olympian. Despite setbacks and hardships, Pappas held fast to that dream, putting in the tremendous hard work, both mentally and physically, and letting nothing stand in her way until she achieved it, making her Olympic debut as a runner in 2016. Unflinching, often exuberant, and always entertaining, Bravey showcases Pappas's signature, charming voice as she reflects upon the touchstone moments in her life and the lessons that have powered her career as both an athlete and artist -- chief among them, how to be brave. She faces obstacles with optimism and finds the dark moments as important to her process as the breakthroughs, from high school awkwardness to post-Olympic depression, offering valuable wisdom on the benefits of embracing what hurts, both physical and emotional. To Pappas, bravery is inward-facing; it's all in how you feel about yourself, as much about always believing in yourself as it is about running toward your goals. Pappas's experiences reveal how anyone can overcome hardship, befriend pain, celebrate victory, relish the loyalty found in teammates, and claim joy. In short: how anyone can be a bravey"--
Subjects: Autobiographies.; Biographies.; Pappas, Alexi.; Runners (Sports); Women runners; Women Olympic athletes; Women motion picture producers and directors; Children of suicide victims; Greek Americans; Courage.; Conduct of life.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Holly and Ivy / by Michaels, Fern,author.;
"The flames of memory always seem to glow a little brighter during the holidays. Perhaps that's why this time of year is so difficult for airline heiress Ivy Macintosh, as she faces thoughts of yet another festive season alone. Since the plane crash that claimed the lives of her husband and two children eight years ago, she's been submerged in grief. When eleven-year-old Holly Greenwood knocks on her door, lost and frightened after a forbidden visit to her singing teacher, Ivy's self-imposed exile is shattered. Holly has an extraordinary voice, and wants nothing more than to perform in an upcoming Christmas musical. Holly's father, Daniel, doesn't allow music in their home, refusing to give a good reason why -- just as he refuses to talk about Holly's mother. Ivy has no idea how closely she and Daniel are linked by their tragic pasts, yet she's drawn to the warmth she senses beneath his gruff exterior. And as Christmas nears, their shared concern for Holly begins to draw Ivy back into the world again ... and toward a family who may need her just as much as she needs them."--From Amazon.com.
Subjects: Christmas fiction.; Domestic fiction.; Widows; Widowers; Girls; Singing; Music; Musicals; Christmas;
Available copies: 2 / Total copies: 2
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Omega farm : a memoir / by McPhee, Martha,author.;
"A long-awaited memoir from an award-winning novelist -- a candid, riveting account of her complicated, bohemian childhood and her return home to care for her ailing mother. In March 2020, Martha McPhee, her husband, and their two almost-grown children set out for her childhood home in New Jersey, where she finds herself grappling simultaneously with a mother slipping into severe dementia and a house that's been neglected of late. As Martha works to manage her mother's care and the sprawling, ramshackle property -- a broken septic system, invasive bamboo, dying ash trees -- she is pulled back into her childhood, almost against her will. Martha grew up at Omega Farm with her four sisters, five stepsiblings, mother, and stepfather, in a house filled with art, people, and the kind of chaos that was sometimes benevolent, sometimes more sinister. Caring for her mother and her children, struggling to mend the forest, the past relentlessly asserts itself -- even as Martha's mother, the person she might share her memories with or even try to hold to account, no longer knows who Martha is. A masterful exploration of a complicated family legacy and a powerful story of environmental and personal repair, Omega Farm is a testament to hope in the face of suffering, and a courageous tale about how returning home can offer a new way to understand the past"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; McPhee, Martha.; McPhee, Martha; McPhee, Martha; Adult children of aging parents; Aging parents; Dementia; Family farms; Forest management; Women novelists, American;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Worthy opponents [text (large print)] : a novel / by Steel, Danielle,author.;
"From #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel comes a powerful novel about a woman running her family's luxury department store and the wealthy investor who threatens to take it over. Spencer Brooke always knew she was destined to be CEO of her grandfather's business-the most respected and luxurious department store in New York City. Brooke's has been at the center of every happy memory she has, but it hasn't been an easy journey. Seven years after her father's death, her life is very different from the days when she walked through the store with her grandfather as a young girl. She may be the owner of Brooke's, but she's also now a divorced single mother of twin boys. And with the ever-evolving landscape of the fashion industry comes new challenges for Spencer and the legacy she's inherited. Mike Weston is known for making enormous profits by transforming small businesses into bigger, more successful ones. With his marriage at a breaking point and his children grown up, investing is where he thrives-where he can build something greater. And Brooke's feels like the perfect opportunity. Yet the firm's beautiful and savvy CEO turns down the offer before they even meet. Spencer has no interest in outside investors meddling in her family business; her grandfather never saw the need for them, and neither does she. She refuses to be tempted by Mike's offer, despite her big dreams of expanding the store. But when bad luck strikes, suddenly she is backed into a corner. In Worthy Opponents, Danielle Steel crafts a thrilling story about a powerful woman-and her equally formidable opponent"--
Subjects: Domestic fiction.; Large print books.; Novels.; Businesswomen; Department stores; Family-owned business enterprises; Man-woman relationships; Single mothers;
Available copies: 2 / Total copies: 2
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The Twyford code : a novel / by Hallett, Janice,author.;
"Forty years ago, Steven Smith found a copy of a famous children's book by disgraced author Edith Twyford, its margins full of strange markings and annotations. Severely dyslexic and wanting to know more, he took it to his remedial English teacher Miss Iles, not realising the chain of events that he was setting in motion. Miss Iles became convinced that the book was the key to solving a puzzle, and that a message in secret code ran through all Twyford's novels. Then Miss Iles disappeared on a class field trip, and Steven has no memory of what happened to her. Now, out of prison after a long stretch, Steven decides to investigate the mystery that has haunted him for decades. Was Miss Iles murdered? Was she deluded? Or was she right about the code? And is it still in use today? Desperate to recover his memories and find out what really happened to Miss Iles, Steven revisits the people and places of his childhood. And as he does so, he records the story of his life in the form of voicemails and voice memos for his estranged and long unknown son, a professor of mathematics. But it soon becomes clear that Edith Twyford wasn't just a writer of forgotten children's stories. The Twyford Code is valuable, and he isn't the only one trying to solve it."--
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Novels.; Children's literature, English; Ciphers; English teachers; Missing persons; Secrecy; Women authors;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The return of Ellie Black : a novel / by Jean, Emiko,author.;
It's been twenty years since Detective Chelsey Calhoun's sister vanished when they were teenagers, and ever since she's been searching: for signs, for closure, for other missing girls. But happy endings are rare in Chelsey's line of work. Then a glimmer: local teenager Ellie Black, who disappeared without a trace two years earlier, has been found alive in the woods of Washington State. But something is not right with Ellie. She won't say where she's been, or who she's protecting, and it's up to Chelsey to find the answers. She needs to get to the bottom of what happened to Ellie: for herself, and for the memory of her sister, but mostly for the next girl who could be taken--and who, unlike Ellie, might never return.
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Psychological fiction.; Novels.; Missing children; Policewomen; Sisters; Teenage girls; Women detectives;
Available copies: 2 / Total copies: 2
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