The Diary of a Fatherless Immigrant Child


Book Description

The book is a true narrative of a young Jamaican teenager who, broken and devastated by the tragic death of her father, found herself tossed out too early into the rough seas of life. The historic accident of Train and Truck of July, 1973, the tragic deaths and sad funerals stirred up so much emotion among the citizens of the town, including the representatives of the then Prime Minister, Mr. Michael Manly. The sad circumstances of the tragic events transformed and continue to define the lives of spouses who felt marooned and kids orphaned and abandoned. This novel is a captivating story, the lived experience of one of those kids who emerged from the ashes of that wreck that upturned the life and fortunes of so many in Manchester, Jamaica. Her wild initiation was celebrated on the treacherous streets of Kingston away from the loving grasp of her adorable and long suffering mother and grandma to whom she attributes her survival instincts, determination, and faith.




Life Stories


Book Description

Memoirs, autobiographies, and diaries represent the most personal and most intimate of genres, as well as one of the most abundant and popular. Gain new understanding and better serve your readers with this detailed genre guide to nearly 700 titles that also includes notes on more than 2,800 read-alike and other related titles. The popularity of this body of literature has grown in recent years, and it has also diversified in terms of the types of stories being told—and persons telling them. In the past, readers' advisors have depended on access by names or Dewey classifications and subjects to help readers find autobiographies they will enjoy. This guide offers an alternative, organizing the literature according to popular genres, subgenres, and themes that reflect common reading interests. Describing titles that range from travel and adventure classics and celebrity autobiographies to foodie memoirs and environmental reads, Life Stories: A Guide to Reading Interests in Memoirs, Autobiographies, and Diaries presents a unique overview of the genre that specifically addresses the needs of readers' advisors and others who work with readers in finding books.




Fatherless America


Book Description

A compelling and controversial exploration of absentee fathers and their impact on the nation.




Please Don't Come Back from the Moon


Book Description

In this haunting debut novel, Michael Smolij and his friends are unable to leave the blue-collar Detroit neighborhoods abandoned by their fathers. They stumble through their teens into their 20s until the restlessness of the fathers blooms in them, threatening to carry them away.







Bibliographic Index


Book Description




The First Man


Book Description

From the Nobel Prize-winning author comes the story of Jacques Cormery, a boy who lived a life much like his own, with the sights, sounds and textures of a childhood steeped in poverty and a father's death yet redeemed by the beauty of Algeria and the boy's attachment to his mother. "A work of genius." —The New Yorker Published thirty-five years after its discovery amid the wreckage of the car accident that killed Camus, The First Man is the brilliant consummation of the life and work of one of the 20th century's greatest novelists. Translated from the French by David Hapgood. "The First Man is perhaps the most honest book Camus ever wrote, and the most sensual...Camus is...writing at the depth of his powers...It is "Fascinating...The First Man helps put all of Camus's work into a clearer perspective and brings into relief what separates him from the more militant literary personalities of his day...Camus's voice has never been more personal." —The New York Times Book Review




Polish Migrants in European Film 1918–2017


Book Description

This study explores the representation of international migration on screen and how it has gained prominence and salience in European filmmaking over the past 100 years. Using Polish migration as a key example due to its long-standing cultural resonance across the continent, this book moves beyond a director-oriented approach and beyond the dominant focus on postcolonial migrant cinemas. It succeeds in being both transnational and longitudinal by including a diverse corpus of more than 150 films from some twenty different countries, of which Roman Polański’s The Tenant, Jean-Luc Godard’s Passion and Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Trois couleurs: Blanc are the best-known examples. Engaging with contemporary debates on modernisation and Europeanisation, the author proposes the notion of “close Otherness” to delineate the liminal position of fictional characters with a Polish background. Polish Migrants in European Film 1918-2017 takes the reader through a wide range of genres, from interwar musicals to Cold War defection films; from communist-era exile right up to the contemporary moment. It is suitable for scholars interested in European or Slavic studies, as well as anyone who is interested in topics such as identity construction, ethnic representation, East-West cultural exchanges and transnationalism.




Books and Notes


Book Description




Experiencing America’s Story through Fiction


Book Description

Historical fiction helps young adults imagine the past through the lives and relationships of its protagonists, putting them at the center of fascinating times and places--and the new Common Core Standards allow for use of novels alongside textbooks for teaching history. Perfect for classroom use and YA readers’ advisory, Crew’s book highlights more than 150 titles of historical fiction published since 2000 that are appropriate for seventh to twelfth graders. Choosing award-winners as well as novels which have been well-reviewed in Booklist, The Horn Book,Multicultural Review, History Teach, Journal of American History, and other periodicals, this resource assists librarians and educators bySpotlighting novels with a multiplicity of voices from different cultures, races, and ethnicitiesFeaturing both YA novels and novels written for adults that are appropriate for teensOffering thorough annotations, with an examination of each novel’s historical contentProviding discussion questions and online resources for classroom use that encourage students to think critically about the book and compare ideas and events in the story to actual historyThis book will help teachers of history as well as school and public librarians who work with youth to promote a more inclusive understanding of America’s story through historical fiction.