Thinking of Miller Place: A Memoir of Summer Comfort


Book Description

In my memory . . . I am in a place where I can still, if only in my daydreams, take off my shoes and run barefoot up the hill. Relive the magic of childhood in Ethel Lee-Miller's stories of summers spent at her grandfather's home in Miller Place, a town on the northeastern end of Long Island. Away from mysterious adult worries, Ethel and her identical twin enjoy carefree days diving in the waters of the Long Island Sound and nights chasing fireflies. Coupled with their adventures are the wondrous people the twins come into contact with: the sophisticated and graceful French woman who greets them at the beach with a warm smile, the fearless neighbor boy who initiates them into his tribe, and their loving father who takes time away from his busy work schedule to construct and fly kites with them. With her "Finn" always by her side, Ethel savors childhood innocence while coming of age and forming secure, lasting ideals about love, beauty, home, and family. Even today, Ethel has only to think of Miller Place to claim a sense of comfort, serenity, and belonging.




Thinking of Miller Place


Book Description




Seedlings


Book Description

We are defined by our relationships. From seven-second meetings with strangers to lifelong bonds among family members, relationships nurture us, challenge us, and teach us not to take ourselves so seriously. Seedlings: Stories of Relationships pays tribute to those connections, honoring the friends, neighbors, spouses, coworkers, siblings, and passing acquaintances who bring meaning to our lives. You'll meet: Big Al, who has to enlist the help of an ex-lover when he's imprisoned by childproof locks. Catherine the dental hygienist, who eases her patients' anxiety through humor and flattery. Three-year-old Casey, who proposes a noble sacrifice that will allow her to spend more time with her daddy. Some of the stories in this collection are fictionalized; others recount real-life happenings just as they occurred. All serve as entertaining reminders to treasure the people who share our journeys.




Thinking of Miller Place


Book Description

"In my memory, I am resting in a hammock between a childhood that was and the reality of today. In it, I am in a place where I can still, if only in my daydreams, take off my shoes and run barefoot up the hill. If you don't have a red-ribbon experience or your own red-ribbon place, I offer you mine-in a sleepy New York town of the 1950s called Miller Place." In this tender, sparkling memoir, Ethel Lee-Miller reflects on childhood summers at her grandfather's home in an idyllic town on the northeastern end of Long Island. Carefree summertime at Miller Place grounded and sustained Ethel and her twin sister Eileen through the inevitable clumsiness of adolescence and informed the character, beliefs, and values that would serve them forever. An enchanting oasis of freedom and exploration, Miller Place offered days filled with diving in the waters of the Long Island Sound and evenings lit by fireflies. With her twin always by her side, Ethel savored childhood innocence while coming of age and forming secure, lasting ideals about love, beauty, home, and family. To this day, Ethel has only to think of Miller Place to be overcome by feelings of comfort, serenity, and belonging.




Know My Name


Book Description

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Know My Name is a gut-punch, and in the end, somehow, also blessedly hopeful." --Washington Post Universally acclaimed, rapturously reviewed, and an instant New York Times bestseller, Chanel Miller's breathtaking memoir "gives readers the privilege of knowing her not just as Emily Doe, but as Chanel Miller the writer, the artist, the survivor, the fighter." (The Wrap). Her story of trauma and transcendence illuminates a culture biased to protect perpetrators, indicting a criminal justice system designed to fail the most vulnerable, and, ultimately, shining with the courage required to move through suffering and live a full and beautiful life. Know My Name will forever transform the way we think about sexual assault, challenging our beliefs about what is acceptable and speaking truth to the tumultuous reality of healing. Entwining pain, resilience, and humor, this memoir will stand as a modern classic.




My Heart Can't Even Believe It


Book Description

All parent stories about raising a child with Down syndrome are special and unique, but in the hands of a good writer, they can have the power to reach, change, and resonate far beyond family and friends. And that is the case with My Heart Can't Even Believe It, by journalist, blogger, and NPR contributor Amy Silverman. Amy bravely looks at her life, before and after her daughter Sophie was born, and reflects on her transformation from "a spoiled, self-centered brat," who used words like retard and switched lines at the Safeway to avoid a bagger with special needs, into the mother of a kid with Down syndrome and all that her new identity entails. She describes her evolution as gradual, one built by processing her fears and facing questions both big and small about Sophie, Down syndrome, and her place in the world. Funny, touching, and honest, this wonderful book looks at a daughter and her power to change minds and fill hearts with love so deep.




The Boy in the Black Suit


Book Description

A 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book Just when seventeen-year-old Matt thinks he can’t handle one more piece of terrible news, he meets a girl who’s dealt with a lot more—and who just might be able to clue him in on how to rise up when life keeps knocking him down—in this “vivid, satisfying, and ultimately upbeat tale of grief, redemption, and grace” (Kirkus Reviews) from the Coretta Scott King – John Steptoe Award–winning author of When I Was the Greatest. Matt wears a black suit every day. No, not because his mom died—although she did, and it sucks. But he wears the suit for his gig at the local funeral home, which pays way better than the Cluck Bucket, and he needs the income since his dad can’t handle the bills (or anything, really) on his own. So while Dad’s snagging bottles of whiskey, Matt’s snagging fifteen bucks an hour. Not bad. But everything else? Not good. Then Matt meets Lovey. Crazy name, and she’s been through more crazy stuff than he can imagine. Yet Lovey never cries. She’s tough. Really tough. Tough in the way Matt wishes he could be. Which is maybe why he’s drawn to her, and definitely why he can’t seem to shake her. Because there’s nothing more hopeful than finding a person who understands your loneliness—and who can maybe even help take it away.




Those who Save Us


Book Description

Trudy Swenson, haunted by her German heritage, embarks upon a deeper investigation of her past and uncovers secrets her mother has kept hidden for five decades.




Stoner


Book Description

"Born the child of a poor farmer in Missouri, William Stoner is urged by his parents to study new agriculture techniques at the state university. Digging instead into the texts of Milton and Shakespeare, Stoner falls under the spell of the unexpected pleasures of English literature, and decides to make it his life. Stoner is the story of that life"--




Surprised by Oxford


Book Description

When Carolyn Weber set out to study Romantic literature at Oxford University, she didn't give much thought to God or spiritual matters—but over the course of her studies she encountered the Jesus of the Bible and her world turned upside down. Surprised by Oxford chronicles her conversion experience with wit, humor, and insight into how becoming a Christian changed her. Carolyn Weber arrives at Oxford a feminist from a loving but broken family, suspicious of men and intellectually hostile to all things religious. As she grapples with her God-shaped void alongside the friends, classmates, and professors she meets, she tackles big questions in search of truth, love, and a life that matters. From issues of fatherhood, feminism, doubt, doctrine, and love, Weber explores the intricacies of coming to faith with an aching honesty and insight echoing that of the poets and writers she studied. Surprised by Oxford is: The witty memoir of a skeptical agnostic who comes to a dynamic personal faith in God Rich with illustration and literary references Gritty, humorous, and spiritually perceptive An inside look at Oxford University Weber eloquently describes a journey many of us have embarked upon, grappling with tough questions and doubts about the meaning of faith—and ultimately finding it in the most unlikely of places.