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Under magnolia : a Southern memoir / by Mayes, Frances.;
"A lyrical and evocative memoir from Frances Mayes, the Bard of Tuscany, about coming of age in the Deep South and the region's powerful influence on her life. The author of three beloved books about her life in Italy, including Under the Tuscan Sun and Every Day in Tuscany, Frances Mayes revisits the turning points that defined her early years in Fitzgerald, Georgia. With her signature style and grace, Mayes explores the power of landscape, the idea of home, and the lasting force of a chaotic and loving family. From her years as a spirited, secretive child, through her university studies--a period of exquisite freedom that imbued her with a profound appreciation of friendship and a love of travel--to her escape to a new life in California, Mayes exuberantly recreates the intense relationships of her past, recounting the bitter and sweet stories of her complicated family: her beautiful yet fragile mother, Frankye; her unpredictable father, Garbert; Daddy Jack, whose life Garbert saved; grandmother Mother Mayes; and the family maid, Frances's confidant Willie Bell. Under Magnolia is a searingly honest, humorous, and moving ode to family and place, and a thoughtful meditation on the ways they define us, or cause us to define ourselves. With acute sensory language, Mayes relishes the sweetness of the South, the smells and tastes at her family table, the fragrance of her hometown trees, and writes an unforgettable story of a girl whose perspicacity and dawning self-knowledge lead her out of the South and into the rest of the world, and then to a profound return home"--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Mayes, Frances.; Authors, American; Authors, American;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Is a river alive? / by Macfarlane, Robert,1976-author.;
Includes bibliographical references (pages 313-345) and index."From the celebrated nature writer, observer and advocate Robert Macfarlane, a brilliant, immersive and paradigm-shifting book that says an emphatic yes to the question it asks. Robert Macfarlane writes, "At the heart of Is A River Alive? is a single, powerful idea: that rivers, forests, glaciers and mountains are living beings, and that as such they have rights that should be recognized both in imagination and in law. The river has the right to flow unimpeded to the sea; the old-growth forest the right not to be felled; the mountain the right not to be disembowelled for coal." This idea -- known as the Rights of Nature -- is driving a conceptual and legal revolution, largely led by Indigenous and non-white activists who are succeeding at challenging the Western legal system to think beyond the idea of nature as material for humans to exploit to a future where regarding all of nature as a living entity may ensure our survival. The book flows like water, from the mountains to the sea, following three major journeys Macfarlane undertakes with local activists: to Ecuador where a recent court decision protects the ancient cedars of the cloud forests from Canadian mining activity; to India, where the fight to revive rivers that start in the glaciers of the Himalayas and empty into the ocean and polluted lagoons of Chennai is not yet won; and to northeastern Quebec where in 2021 an alliance between the local Innu nation and the regional municipal council declared the Mutehekau (Magpie) River a living being, with legal rights. Along with the voices of his fellow travellers, Macfarlane's own voice and incomparable gifts of expression carry immeasurable power to open hearts, spark conversations and challenge perspectives, making Is A River Alive? not only a wondrous literary experience but a powerful rallying cry in the environmental justice movement"--
Subjects: Macfarlane, Robert, 1976-; Environmentalism.; Rights of nature.; Rivers; Rivers;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Returning light : thirty years of life on Skellig Michael / by Harris, Robert L.,author.;
""On Skellig Michael, thousands of birds appear and disappear, erecting towers, coming together in wings of movement which build and unravel over the empty sea. Often, no one else is there to stand beside me on the island. The mind wanders; links with the past are easily made; ancient ways of viewing things come alive." In 1987, Robert Harris happened upon an unusual job posting in the local paper--a new warden service was being set up on the island of Skellig Michael, and the deadline was imminent. Just weeks later he was on his way to set up camp in one of Ireland's most remote locations, unaware that he would be making that same journey every May for the next 30 years. Here he transports us to the otherworldly island, a place that is teeming with natural life, including curious puffins that like to visit his hut. From the precipice he has observed a coastline that is relatively unchanged for the last thousand years--a beacon of equilibrium in an ever-changing world. But the island can be fierce too. It's inhabitable for only five months of the year, and solitude can quickly become isolation as bad weather rolls in to create a veil between Skellig Michael and the rest of the world, when the dizzying terrain can become a very real threat to life. A beautiful and evocative work of nature writing, Returning Light is an extraordinary memoir about the profound effect a place can have on us, and how a remote location can bring with it a great sense of belonging."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Personal narratives.; Harris, Robert L.; Game wardens;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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The weight of sand : my 450 days held hostage in the Sahara / by Blais, Edith,1984-author.; Grubisic, Katia,translator.; translation of:Blais, Edith,1984-Sablier.English.;
"An evocative, earth-shattering memoir about one woman's kidnapping and 450 days of captivity at the hands of terrorists-and her stunning escape to freedom. In January 2019, news outlets reported that a young Canadian woman and her Italian companion were presumed kidnapped while traveling in Africa's Sahel region, a haven for Islamic terrorists. Little was known about the pair's fate until they reappeared in Mali more than one year later, having apparently escaped their captors. Now, in The Weight of Sand, Edith Blais describes her harrowing hostage experience for the first time-and reveals that writing poetry in secret helped save her life. Edith recounts the prolonged terror of her months as a hostage, enduring violent sandstorms, constant relocations, grueling hunger strikes, extreme isolation, and the unpredictability of her captors. She also shares the luminous poems she wrote in secret with a borrowed pen, which became a lifeline of creativity and one of the few possessions she smuggled out in her escape, strapped to her leg under her clothes. A compelling descent into a strange, brutal universe, The Weight of Sand is ultimately a life-affirming book-a celebration of resilience by a woman who refused to have her humanity stripped away from her."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Blais, Edith, 1984-; Blais, Edith, 1984-; Hostages; Hostages; Kidnapping victims; Kidnapping victims; Terrorism;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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You Like It Darker Stories [electronic resource] : by King, Stephen.aut; cloudLibrary;
From legendary storyteller and master of short fiction Stephen King comes an extraordinary new collection of twelve short stories, many never-before-published, and some of his best EVER. “You like it darker? Fine, so do I,” writes Stephen King in the afterword to this magnificent new collection of twelve stories that delve into the darker part of life—both metaphorical and literal. King has, for half a century, been a master of the form, and these stories, about fate, mortality, luck, and the folds in reality where anything can happen, are as rich and riveting as his novels, both weighty in theme and a huge pleasure to read. King writes to feel “the exhilaration of leaving ordinary day-to-day life behind,” and in You Like It Darker, readers will feel that exhilaration too, again and again. “Two Talented Bastids” explores the long-hidden secret of how the eponymous gentlemen got their skills. In “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream,” a brief and unprecedented psychic flash upends dozens of lives, Danny’s most catastrophically. In “Rattlesnakes,” a sequel to Cujo, a grieving widower travels to Florida for respite and instead receives an unexpected inheritance—with major strings attached. In “The Dreamers,” a taciturn Vietnam vet answers a job ad and learns that there are some corners of the universe best left unexplored. “The Answer Man” asks if prescience is good luck or bad and reminds us that a life marked by unbearable tragedy can still be meaningful. King’s ability to surprise, amaze, and bring us both terror and solace remains unsurpassed. Each of these stories holds its own thrills, joys, and mysteries; each feels iconic. You like it darker? You got it.
Subjects: Electronic books.; Supernatural; Horror; Suspense;
© 2024., Scribner,
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Into the soul of the world : my journey to healing / by Wetzler, Brad,author.;
""My story, at its core, is about faith. Not religious faith. A faith that is more human and essential. Faith in myself, a deep knowing in my heart and body that I was on a good path, an elemental trust that taking one more step forward would lead to where I needed to go without self-betrayal. A faith that, when the world pushed back and set me on my heels, maybe forcing me to backpedal, I could adjust my course a few degrees and then take another step forward. I would get back on my feet, dust myself off, and, leaning into the headwind, restart my journey with one more step forward. And another." Suffering from PTSD and severe depression from past trauma, battling an addiction to overprescribed psychiatric medication, and at the rock bottom of his career, journalist Brad Wetzler had nowhere to go. So he set out on a journey to wander and hopefully find himself--and the world--again. Into the Soul of the World is Wetzler's thrilling, impactful, and heartrending memoir of healing--physically, emotionally, and spiritually. An adventure journalist at heart, Wetzler mixes travelogue with empowering insights about his inner journey to better care for his own mental health. Journey with him as he travels across Israel and the West Bank, before moving on to India, a candle-lit cave on a mountaintop in the Himalayan foothills, and a life-changing encounter with a 100-year-old yogi. Wetzler's writing is full of the poignant, amusing, and occasionally heart breaking situations that unfold when we finally decide to confront depression (or any mental health struggle) and declare ourselves ready to heal: How do we heal our past and thrive again? What does it mean to live a good life? How can we transform our suffering and serve others? His answer: live to tell the story and find the humility and courage to be the best human you can be"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; Wetzler, Brad.; Depression, Mental; Drug addiction; Journalists;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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His Majesty's airship : the life and tragic death of the world's largest flying machine / by Gwynne, S. C.(Samuel C.),1953-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."The tragic story of the British airship R101--which went down in a spectacular hydrogen-fueled fireball in 1930, killing more people than died in the Hindenburg disaster seven years later--has been largely forgotten. In His Majesty's Airship, historian S.C. Gwynne resurrects it in vivid detail, telling the epic story of great ambition gone terribly wrong. Airships, those airborne leviathans that occupied center stage in the world in the first half of the twentieth century, were a symbol of the future. R101 was not just the largest aircraft ever to have flown and the product of the world's most advanced engineering--she was also the lynchpin of an imperial British scheme to link by air the far-flung areas of its empire from Australia to India, South Africa, Canada, Egypt, and Singapore. No one had ever conceived of anything like this. R101 captivated the world. There was just one problem: beyond the hype and technological wonders, these big, steel-framed, hydrogen-filled airships were a dangerously bad idea. Gwynne's chronicle features a cast of remarkable--and often tragically flawed--characters, including Lord Christopher Thomson, the man who dreamed up the Imperial Airship Scheme and then relentlessly pushed R101 to her destruction; Princess Marthe Bibesco, the celebrated writer and glamorous socialite with whom he had a long affair; and Herbert Scott, a national hero who had made the first double crossing of the Atlantic in any aircraft in 1919--eight years before Lindbergh's famous flight--but who devolved into drink and ruin. These historical figures--and the ship they built, flew, and crashed--come together in a grand tale that details the rocky road to commercial aviation written by one of the best popular historians writing today"--
Subjects: Thomson, Christopher Birdwood, Baron, 1875-1930.; R101 (Airship); Air travel; Aircraft accidents; Airships;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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His Majesty's airship [sound recording] : the life and tragic death of the world's largest flying machine / by Gwynne, S. C.(Samuel C.),1953-author.; Boulton, Nicholas,narrator.; Simon & Schuster Audio (Firm),publisher.;
Read by Nicholas Boulton."The tragic story of the British airship R101--which went down in a spectacular hydrogen-fueled fireball in 1930, killing more people than died in the Hindenburg disaster seven years later--has been largely forgotten. In His Majesty's Airship, historian S.C. Gwynne resurrects it in vivid detail, telling the epic story of great ambition gone terribly wrong. Airships, those airborne leviathans that occupied center stage in the world in the first half of the twentieth century, were a symbol of the future. R101 was not just the largest aircraft ever to have flown and the product of the world's most advanced engineering--she was also the lynchpin of an imperial British scheme to link by air the far-flung areas of its empire from Australia to India, South Africa, Canada, Egypt, and Singapore. No one had ever conceived of anything like this. R101 captivated the world. There was just one problem: beyond the hype and technological wonders, these big, steel-framed, hydrogen-filled airships were a dangerously bad idea. Gwynne's chronicle features a cast of remarkable--and often tragically flawed--characters, including Lord Christopher Thomson, the man who dreamed up the Imperial Airship Scheme and then relentlessly pushed R101 to her destruction; Princess Marthe Bibesco, the celebrated writer and glamorous socialite with whom he had a long affair; and Herbert Scott, a national hero who had made the first double crossing of the Atlantic in any aircraft in 1919--eight years before Lindbergh's famous flight--but who devolved into drink and ruin. These historical figures--and the ship they built, flew, and crashed--come together in a grand tale that details the rocky road to commercial aviation written by one of the best popular historians writing today"--
Subjects: Audiobooks.; Thomson, Christopher Birdwood, Baron, 1875-1930.; R101 (Airship); Air travel; Aircraft accidents; Airships;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Salmon : a fish, the earth, and the history of their common fate / by Kurlansky, Mark,author.; Guyeski, Nick,writer of supplementary textual content.; Lichatowich, Jim,writer of supplementary textual content.;
Includes bibliographical references and index.A magnificent species whose survival is inextricably tied to the survival of the planet In what he calls "the most important environmental writing" in his long and award-winning career, best-selling author and journalist Mark Kurlansky recounts the sobering history of salmon and their perilous future. Kurlansky employs his signature multicentury storytelling and compelling attention to detail to chronicle the harrowing yet awe-inspiring life cycle of salmon and the long list of environmental problems, from habit loss to dams, from hatcheries to fish farms, from industrial pollution to the ravages of climate change, that threaten them. Kurlansky traveled extensively to observe those who both pursue and protect them in the Pacific and the Atlantic, in Japan, Russia, Ireland, Norway, and Iceland. The result is a global history of man's misdirected attempts to manipulate salmon and its environment for his own gain. These fish, uniquely connected to both marine and terrestrial ecology as well as fresh and salt water, are a remarkable natural barometer for the health of the planet. His overriding message is clear: "If salmon don't survive, there is little hope for the survival of the planet."--
Subjects: Aquatic ecology.; Fishes; Global environmental change.; Indicators (Biology); Salmon farming; Salmon fisheries; Salmon fisheries; Salmon industry; Salmon; Salmon; Salmon; Salmon; Salmon;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The rise : Kobe Bryant and the pursuit of immortality / by Sielski, Mike,1975-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."The inside look at one of the most captivating and consequential figures in our culture with never-before-seen material. Kobe Bryant's death in January 2020 did more than rattle the worlds of sports and celebrity. The tragedy of that helicopter crash unveiled the full breadth and depth of his influence on our culture, and by tracing and telling the oft-forgotten and lesser-known story of his early life, The Rise promises to provide an insight into Kobe that no other analysis has. In The Rise, readers will travel from the cracked concrete basketball courts of Philadelphia in the 1960s and '70s-where Kobe's father, Joe, became a playground, college, and professional standout-to the Bryant family's isolation in Europe, where Kobe spent his formative years, to the leafy suburbs of Lower Merion, where Kobe's legend was born. The story will trace his career and life at Lower Merion-he led the Aces to the 1995-96 Pennsylvania state championship, a dramatic underdog run for a team with just one star player-and the run-up to the 1996 NBA draft, where Kobe's dream of playing pro basketball culminated with his acquisition by the Los Angeles Lakers. In researching and writing The Rise, Mike Sielski will have a terrific advantage over other writers who have attempted to chronicle Bryant's life. Jeremy Treatman, a Kobe confidant who knew him for 28 years, conducted a series of never-before-released interviews with Bryant not long after his senior season ended. Treatman has shared these transcripts and tapes with the author. They will reveal Bryant's in-the-moment thoughts and tell stories, preserved for a quarter-century, that have never been told before. This will be more than a basketball book. This will be an exploration of the identity and making of an icon and the effect of his development on those around him-the essence of the man before he truly became a man"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Bryant, Kobe, 1978-2020.; African American basketball players; Basketball players;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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