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Book of queens : the true story of the Middle Eastern horsewomen who fought the War on Terror / by Mahdavi, Pardis,1978-author.;
Includes bibliographical references."Book of Queens reaches back centuries to the Persian Empire and a woman disguised as a man, facing an invading army, protected only by light armor and the stallion she sat astride. Mahdavi draws a thread from past to present: from her fearless Iranian grandmother, who guided survivors of domestic violence to independent mountain colonies in Afghanistan where the women, led by a general named Mina, became their country's first line of defense from marauding warlords. To the female warriors who helped train and breed the horses used by US Green Berets when they touched down in October 2001, with a mission but insufficient intelligence on the ground--women whose contributions were then forgotten. Pardis Mahdavi chases the legacy of Caspian horses and the women whose lives are saved by them, drawing on decades of research, newly-discovered diaries, and exclusive military sources. Among those intersecting stories is that of American Louise Firouz, who helped bring the breed back from the brink of extinction, connecting Virginia traders to British royals to the son of the Shah. Firouz's life is forever changed when she meets Mahdavi's own family, who run an unusual smuggling operation in addition to raising horses in a wild bid for freedom. Book of Queens is an epic tale of hidden women whose communal knowledge was instrumental in saving an animal as ancient as civilization, and who were the genesis of their own liberation"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Personal narratives.; Firouz, Louise.; Caspian horse; Horsemen and horsewomen; War horses; War on Terrorism, 2001-2009; Women soldiers;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Build your house around my body : a novel / by Kupersmith, Violet,author.;
"In 1986, the teenage daughter of a wealthy family gets lost in an abandoned rubber plantation while fleeing her angry father and is forever changed by the experience. In 2009, pressed into a dangerous scheme by a former lover, a woman captures a rare two-headed cobra. And in 2011, a young, unhappy American living in Saigon with her sort-of boyfriend, disappears without a trace. Over the course of the novel, the fates of these three women will lock together in an exhilarating series of nested narratives. Along the way, we meet a young boy sent to a boarding school in the mountains for the métis children of French expatriates just before Vietnam declares its independence from colonial rule in 1945; two Frenchmen trying to start a business with the Vietnam War on the horizon; and the employees of the Saigon Spirit Eradication Co., called to investigate strange occurrences in a farmhouse on the edge of a forest. Each new character and timeline brings us one step closer to understanding what binds the three women together, and what happened to Winnie. Written with wit, ambition, and playfulness, this book takes us from sweaty nightclubs to ramshackle zoos, colonial mansions to ex-pat flats, sizzling back-alley street carts to the noisy seats of motorbikes. Spanning over fifty years and barreling toward an unforgettable conclusion, this is a fever dream about possessed bodies and possessed lands, a time-traveling, heart-pounding, border-crossing marvel of a novel"--
Subjects: Historical fiction.; Magic realist fiction.; Missing persons; Women;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Rightsize today to create your best life tomorrow : a motivational guide for those seeking their ideal home later in life / by Jameson, Marni,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Moving is no fun. Neither is getting rid of stuff. And both jobs get harder as we get older. So, when those over a certain age - say, in the last third of life - are looking to downsize and move all at the same time, many will conclude, "I'll just stay put, thank you very much." It's not just the acquired possessions holding them back, but also the intangibles. Their memories, their family history, their identities are all in jeopardy, they think. And yet, that reluctance to lighten up, let go, and move on is commonly all that stands between them and a better life. Rightsize Today to Create Your Best Life Tomorrow will help this group of root-bound home dwellers cross the bridge between stuck in the past and a lighter, better future. It will encourage them to embrace the fact that now, when they're no longer tethered to a school system or to a job, they need to be near, is their chance to live where they want to live. Every section contains checklists: some soul-searching (should you or shouldn't you move?), some practical (what every kitchen must have), and some logistical (where's your happy place?), to help readers on their journey. Included are enlightening profiles of those who proactively changed their housing in the last third of their life. Whether they moved to a smaller place, remodeled their existing home, or even moved to a larger home, which one third do; whether they moved to a new city, to a senior community, or to a new home in the same neighborhood, they all reimagined their lives, re-evaluated their belongings and made a move toward a better and possibly their best life yet. To live your best life now requires an honest appraisal of who you are and who you're becoming, where you are in your life and where you're going or want to go. This book is designed to help those who are stuck explore what's holding them back, and provide them with the insights, experiences, and courage to move forward"--
Subjects: House cleaning.; Moving, Household.; Older people; Orderliness.; Personal belongings.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Proof : a novel / by McLachlin, Beverley,1943-author.;
"Jilly Truitt has always put her job as a criminal defense lawyer first, but becoming a new mother has changed her priorities. For the first time in her career, she's taking some long-overdue time away from her firm and the day-to-day grind of cases, enjoying the quiet delights of motherhood. Then the daughter of celebrity popstar Trist Jones goes missing and his ex-wife, Katie, is charged with kidnapping. Everyone from the police to the media believe Katie is guilty--her reputation was ripped to shreds in the tabloids during their divorce and subsequent custody battle. Call it mother's intuition, but Jilly has her doubts. Katie's whole life was about being a mother, and she and Trist were very public about their problems conceiving, shining a spotlight on their use of a surrogate. After everything she went through to have a child, Katie claims that she would never do anything to hurt her daughter, and she begs Jilly to take her case. Jilly agrees, but Katie's prospects don't look good. Police have found a witness who says he saw Katie with Tess the afternoon she disappeared, and they are close to giving up the search. The best chance Jilly has of clearing Katie's name is to find the missing girl. But as the weeks go by, the police begin to suspect that Tess might be dead. With the threat of a murder charge hanging over Katie's head, Jilly must find the real kidnapper and save Tess before it's too late."--
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Legal fiction (Literature); Novels.; Attorney and client; Criminal defense lawyers; Kidnapping; Missing children; Missing persons; Mothers; Women lawyers;
Available copies: 2 / Total copies: 2
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Bake the seasons : sweet and savoury dishes to enjoy throughout the year / by DiLonardo, Marcella,author.;
"Rediscover the simple pleasures of baking with a collection of comforting sweet and savoury recipes that celebrates seasonal flavours. Inspired by the abundance of the farms, orchards, and gardens of her childhood, Marcella DiLonardo has always loved baking throughout the year with the wide range of fruits and vegetables that accompany the changing seasons. With a few quality pantry essentials, Marcella focuses on simplicity in Bake the Seasons, sharing over 100 sweet and savoury recipes. These homey favourites are often modern twists on familiar classics and will quickly become tried and true dishes you return to again and again. Whether it's an indulgent Smoked Gorgonzola and Winter Pear Pizza to prepare for friends, a Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread to bring to a summer picnic, or beautiful holiday cakes, these comfort foods will impress your nearest and dearest. Not only can these delicious indulgences be enjoyed throughout the year at special occasions, Marcella serves up options for any time of day, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, not to mention buttery treats, like Lemon Lavender Shortbread, to accompany a cup of afternoon tea. Showcasing Marcella's beautiful photography, Bake the Seasons is filled with mouthwatering treats and pastries, and takes us through the vibrant produce and enticing flavours of the spring, summer, fall and winter. You'll be delighted with classics like Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, as well as Marcella's personal spin on traditional baking, including Zucchini Cheddar Bread and Salted Honey Challah, and inspiring combinations, like Garlic Scape Brie Biscuits and a Lemon Thyme Tart. So whether you need a simple, comforting dinner idea or a lazy weekend breakfast for two, this collection of delicious, rustic recipes will suit your every day and every season."--
Subjects: Cookbooks.; Recipes.; Baking.; Seasonal cooking.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Yours cruelly, Elvira : memoirs of the mistress of the dark / by Peterson, Cassandra,1951-author.;
"The woman behind the icon known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, the undisputed Queen of Halloween, reveals her full story, filled with intimate bombshells, told by the bombshell herself. On Good Friday in 1953, at only 18 months old, 25 miles from the nearest hospital in Manhattan, Kansas, Cassandra Peterson reached for a pot on the stove and doused herself in boiling water. Third-degree burns covered 35% of her body, and the prognosis wasn't good. But she survived. Burned and scarred, the impact stayed with her and became an obstacle she was determined to overcome. Feeling like a misfit led to her love of horror. Due to a complicated relationship with her mother, Cassandra left home at 14, and by age 17 she was performing at the famed Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas. Run-ins with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Tom Jones helped her grow up fast. Then a chance encounter with her idol Elvis Presley, changed the course of her life forever, and led her to Europe where she worked in film and traveled Italy as lead singer of an Italian pop band. She eventually made her way to Los Angeles, where she joined the famed comedy improv troupe, The Groundlings, and worked alongside Phil Hartman and Paul "Pee-wee" Reubens, honing her comedic skills. Nearing age 30, a struggling actress considered past her prime, she auditioned at local LA channel KHJ as hostess for the late night vintage horror movies. Cassandra improvised, made the role her own, and got the job on the spot. Yours Cruelly, Elvira is an unforgettably wild memoir. Always original and sometimes outrageous, her story is loaded with twists, travails, revelry, and downright shocking experiences. It is the candid, often funny, and sometimes heart-breaking tale of a Midwest farm girl's long strange trip to become the world's sexiest, sassiest Halloween icon"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Elvira, 1951-; Actors; Television personalities;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Yellow Bird : oil, murder, and a woman's search for justice in Indian country / by Murdoch, Sierra Crane,author.;
"When Lissa Yellow Bird was released from prison in 2009, she found her home, the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota, transformed by the Bakken oil boom. In her absence, the landscape had been altered beyond recognition, her tribal government swayed by corporate interests, and her community burdened by a surge in violence and addiction. Three years later, when Lissa learned that a young white oil worker, Kristopher 'KC' Clarke, had disappeared from his reservation worksite, she became particularly concerned. No one knew where Clarke had gone, and no one but his mother was actively looking for him. Unfolding like a gritty mystery, Yellow Bird traces Lissa's steps as she obsessively hunts for clues to Clarke's disappearance. She navigates two worlds -- that of her own tribe, changed by its newfound wealth, and that of the non-Native oil workers, down on their luck, who have come to find work on the heels of the economic recession. Her pursuit becomes an effort at redemption -- an atonement for her own crimes and a reckoning with generations of trauma. Yellow Bird is both an exquisitely written, masterfully reported story about a search for justice and a remarkable portrait of a complex woman who is smart, funny, eloquent, compassionate, and -- when it serves her cause -- manipulative. Ultimately, it is a deep examination of the legacy of systematic violence inflicted on a tribal nation and a tale of extraordinary healing"--
Subjects: Yellow Bird, Lissa.; Clarke, Kristopher.; Criminal investigation; Missing persons; Oil industry workers;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Flora! : a woman in a man's world / by MacDonald, Flora,1926-2015,author.; Stevens, Geoffrey,1940-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Flora Isabel MacDonald--politician, humanitarian, adventurer, and role model for a generation of women--was known across Canada and beyond simply as Flora. In her memoir, co-authored by award-winning journalist and author Geoffrey Stevens, she tells her personal story for the very first time. Flora describes her amazing journey from her childhood and secretarial school in Cape Breton through her years in backroom Progressive Conservative politics, to elected office and her appointment as Canada's first female foreign minister. Finally, she details her exceptional humanitarian work in India and in war-torn Africa and Afghanistan. Flora was driven by a lifelong conviction that there is nothing a woman cannot achieve in a world controlled by men, and she pursued this conviction in everything she did, carving a path for women in Parliament. She won international acclaim for bringing 60,000 Vietnamese refugees to Canada, and for engineering the rescue of six American hostages in Tehran in a top-secret collaboration with the CIA known as the the Canadian Caper. She exposed the inhumane treatment of inmates at Kingston's Prison for Women. She defied male chauvinists in the Progressive Conservative party by running for its leadership, and she introduced the Employment Equity Act to guarantee women equal access to federal jobs. Flora was brave. She was relentless. She was controversial. She was a force of nature. In her own words and drawing from interviews with those who knew her, Flora grants us insight into this exceptional woman who changed the course of history"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; MacDonald, Flora, 1926-2015.; Human rights workers; Legislators; Politicians; Women human rights workers; Women legislators; Women politicians;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The forbidden garden : the botanists of besieged Leningrad and their impossible choice / by Parkin, Simon,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."In the summer of 1941, German troops surrounded the Russian city of Leningrad-now St. Petersburg-and began the longest blockade in recorded history, one that would ultimately claim the lives of nearly three-quarters of a million people. At the center of the besieged city stood a converted palace that housed the world's largest collection of seeds-more than 250,000 samples hand-collected over two decades from all over the globe by world-famous explorer, geneticist, and dissident Nikolai Vavilov, who had recently been disappeared by the Soviet government. After attempts to evacuate the priceless collection failed and supplies dwindled amongst the three million starving citizens, the employes at the Plant Institute were left with a terrible choice. Should they save the collection? Or themselves? These were not just any seeds. The botanists believed they could be bred into heartier, disease-resistant, and more productive varieties suited for harsh climates, therefore changing the future of food production and preventing famines like those that had plagued their countrymen before. But protecting the seeds was no idle business. The scientists rescued potato samples under enemy fire, extinguished bombs landing on the seed bank's roof, and guarded the collection from scavengers, the bitter cold, and their own hunger. Then in the war's eleventh hour, Nazi plunderers presented a new threat to the collection ... Drawing from previously unseen sources, award-winning journalist Simon Parkin-who has "an inimitable capacity to find the human pulse in the underbelly of war" (The Spectator)-tells the incredible true story of the botanists who held their posts at the Plant Institute during the 872-day siege and the remarkable sacrifices they made in the name of science"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Personal narratives.; Brücher, Heinz, 1915-1991.; Ivanov, N. R. (Nikolaĭ Rodionovich); Vavilov, N. I. (Nikolaĭ Ivanovich), 1887-1943.; Vsesoi͡uznyĭ institut rastenievodstva (Soviet Union); Botanical specimens; Botanists; World War, 1939-1945;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The Beautiful Dream A Memoir [electronic resource] : by Hutchinson, Atiba.aut; Robson, Dan.; cloudLibrary;
“A captivating read from one of our country’s greatest athletes.” ―Christine Sinclair, former captain of the Canadian Women's National Soccer Team and National Bestselling Author of Playing the Long Game Out of the Toronto suburb of Brampton comes an irresistible story of trials, perseverance, the limelight of international soccer, and—above all—heart. Despite debuting on Canada’s senior national soccer team 20 years ago, scarce is known of Atiba Hutchinson. We’ve watched him win Canadian Men’s Player of the Year six times; celebrated his club team championships; and mourned his injuries. We’ve lamented the state of Canadian soccer and cursed the lost potential—and years. Yet, we know little about Atiba’s personal life, or how he rose from suburban Brampton to becoming Canada’s most-capped national men’s team player, often described as the country’s greatest athlete you haven’t heard about. For the first time, Atiba is ready to share the extraordinary story of his ascent to the heights of professional soccer, nationally and internationally, and what he believes makes a true champion. The Beautiful Dream is an intimate account of Atiba’s awe-inspiring career, from his humble beginnings to playing across Europe; the crushing disappointment of failing national team competitions in the 2010s that nearly led to his resignation from the national program; all the way to his triumphant arrival in Qatar to face off against 31 other nations at the world’s most pre-eminent soccer competition. He has strived to better not only his own game but the landscape of Canadian soccer for over two decades, culminating in Canada’s first trip to the FIFA World Cup since 1986. Yet, as the reflective midfielder shows, this isn’t just his story: The Beautiful Dream is the story of countless Canadians, who strive and scrape for a seemingly unreachable dream—until their fingertips finally graze the surface. It’s a lesson about the unyielding belief required when taking the long road to success. Atiba's journey mirrors the progression of Canadian soccer, and the story of Canada itself: goals that may begin as outsized but as we work towards them, our world changes with us.  Atiba’s journey of hope, belief, and resilience connects the country’s modest soccer past to a bold, exciting future in the game. It’s a story that transcends the pitch, exploring what it means to be a kid who dares to dream of achieving the impossible, and the man who perseveres to get there.  
Subjects: Electronic books.; Personal Memoirs; Sports; Soccer;
© 2024., Penguin Canada,
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