B/BEARD
Beard, Jo AnnThe Boys of My Youth1998, 187p.
Humorous and heartbreaking by turns, this collection of autobiographical essays are tied together by Beard’s wry point-of-view, and by a sense of herself as daughter, sister, cousin and friend. Despite the title, it is clearly the female relationships in her life that are self-defining. In addition to the title story, in which the author and her best friend face broken marriages by recollecting matters of the heart, notable pieces include “Bonanza” and “Bulldozing the Baby,” which explore childhood memories with perfect pitch. The collection’s strongest story, “The Fourth Estate of Matter,” originally appeared in The New Yorker and is a chilling account of a shoot-out at a university where Beard worked. Winner of a 1997 Whiting Foundation Award, this is a notable example of creative nonfiction.

975.8724/BER
Berendt, JohnMidnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story1994, 388p.
Set in one of the South’s grandest cities, this true murder mystery tells of the 1981 shooting of young Danny Hansford by flamboyant antiques dealer and Savannah party-giver Jim Williams. A remarkable cast of characters appears in the telling of the tale. Masterfully written, it holds the record for the longest run on the New York Times bestseller list. An engrossing reading experience.

975.977/DOR
D’Orso, MichaelLike Judgment Day: The Ruin and Redemption of a Town Called Rosewood1996, 373p.
Until 1997’s release of the film Rosewood, most Americans had never heard of this Florida town. The black hamlet was destroyed by vigilantes in 1923 after a white woman in the neighboring town of Sumner falsely charged that a black man had assaulted and beaten her. At least eight people were murdered, Rosewood was leveled and all of the residents were driven off. Yet authorities at the time found that there was “insufficient evidence” to bring any charges. D’Orso weaves this story with the events of six decades later when a descendent of one of the massacre’s survivors sought justice and closure.

B/GOODWIN
Goodwin, Doris KearnsWait Till Next Year: A Memoir1997, 261p.
If you remember a time when the corner store was a gathering spot, when the first tele-vision was delivered to your house, and when baseball was played on grass, you’ll probably enjoy historian Goodwin’s memoir of her 1950’s Brooklyn childhood. If, like the author, you grew up in a household or neighborhood where baseball was an obsession, you’ll find particular delight in recollections of her beloved Dodgers and of the local competition with Giant and Yankee fans. Beyond baseball, Goodwin shares vivid memories of the times that were not always idyllic (McCarthyism, the polio scare, Sputnik) and of her journey to adulthood in the comforting cocoon provided by her parents and her environment.

346.038/HAR
Harr, JonathanA Civil Action1995, 500p.
Readers who enjoy John Grisham might want to try this true-life legal thriller by journalist Jonathan Harr. In a courtroom clash of good and evil, we learn the plight of residents of Woburn, Massachusetts, where a high rate of leukemia and other illnesses resulted from cancer-causing industrial solvents being dumped into their water supply. Hotshot lawyer Jan Schlichtman (played in the film version by John Travolta) was hired to take on the megacorporations responsible. The narrative is exciting, tense and well written.

959.83/JOH
Johnston, TracyShooting the Boh: A Woman’s Voyage Down the Wildest River in Borneo1992, 256p.
Although journalist Johnston was facing middle age, she decided to seek adventure on a rafting trip down Borneo’s Boh River. The expedition was off to a shaky start, however, when she learned that all of her carefully packed gear was left behind at the L.A. airport, and that the travel company failed to mention that no one had ever run this section of the Boh before. Still game, Johnston attempted to befriend an odd assortment of traveling companions and to brace for the mental and physical trials ahead (including aggressive bees, moldy clothes and unrelenting heat). The narrative includes both gripping accounts of nerve-racking situations and reflective moments of self-discovery. If you’d rather visit Borneo while sitting in an armchair, let Tracy Johnston be your guide.

974.45/JUN
Junger, SebastianThe Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea1997, 227p.
Written like a gripping drama of man against nature, The Perfect Storm retells the events of October 1991 when the fishing boat, the Andrea Gail, was caught in “the storm of the century.” Readers who enjoy real life adventure will be mesmerized by Junger’s account, gathered from published material, radio records, eyewitness interviews and the experiences of people who have survived similar disasters. A suspenseful read.

649.22/LAM
Lamott, AnneOperating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First Year1993, 251p.
One doesn’t have to be a single mother like the author to enjoy this honest, funny and sometimes poignant account of the first year of motherhood. Lamott’s less-than-perfect past does not prevent her from representing everywoman as she teeters between maternal bliss and postpartum depression. Her amusing journal entries introduce us to baby Sam, as well as to a crazy quilt of characters who form her unconventional family and support group. Readers of this book often react by wanting to share it with someone.

B/MCCOURT
McCourt, FrankAngela’s Ashes: A Memoir1996, 364p.
“When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived it at all,” writes McCourt on the opening page of this lyrical memoir. You’ll wonder, too, how a boy’s life in Limerick on and off the dole could result in such a moving and eloquent story. McCourt’s storytelling skill, natural wit and graceful prose provide the satisfaction you’d expect from a fine novel.

B/REICHL
Reichl, RuthTender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table1998, 282p.
New York Times food critic Ruth Reichl has written a celebration of food as well as a candid and comical memoir. She serves up stories of her childhood in Greenwich Village with a cooking-impaired mother, and continues through a full menu of experiences with places and personalities that helped define her passion for food. A natural storyteller, Reichl shares anecdotes (and an occasional recipe) in an accessible style that leaves the reader with a feeling of kitchen-table intimacy.

617.95/SCH
Schomaker, MaryLifeLine: How One Night Changed Five Lives: A True Story1996, 308p.
Donald Mills was declared brain-dead after he was struck by a van one evening as he bicycled across Minneapolis. The author skillfully blends the emotions and facts faced by Donald’s family and the families of the patients awaiting his donated organs. As we learn of their desperation and their hope, we can feel the clock ticking. This is an interesting and informative chronicle, infused with the humanity and drama of the situation.

359.984/SON
Sontag, SherryBlind Man’s Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage1998, 352p.
In its 1998 review Booklist compared this nonfiction look at submarine espionage in the cold war era to a Tom Clancy novel. The Navy discouraged investigative reporter Sontag and co-authors Christopher and Annette Drew from researching this book and discouraged sources from speaking. Still, the authors were eventually able to interview hundreds of men who shared hair-raising stories of their submarine service. Riveting for those who enjoy reading about military history, covert operations and “men in peril under the sea.”

635/SPI
Spiegelman, AnnieAnnie’s Garden Journal: Reflections on Roses, Weeds, Men, and Life1996, 220p.
Quirky Annie is a transplanted New Yorker living in Northern California with Bill, her companion of seven years. When she decides to keep a garden journal, it is only natural that her strong, unconventional personality and opinions spill all over its pages. The reader is kept informed not only of the state of her beloved garden, but also the state of her relationships. Like her garden, they require a lot of work. She has mixed emotions about her divorced parents, her siblings and her commitment to marry Bill. In her irreverent (and occasionally cynical) musings, she admits that “sometimes my New Yorkness starts leaking out of me.” But as she struggles with her past and deals with her future, we get glimpses beneath her offbeat façade. To understand Annie, take to heart her own journal entry: “You can be cynical on the outside, but in your heart there has to be one single drop of hope for the flowers to hear.”

B/WICKS
Gillespie, JanetWith a Merry Heart1976, 231p.
A quiet read about a gentler time in American life. Mrs. Gillespie writes of her childhood in Holyoke, Massachusetts, and of summers at the shore. Although it was the era of the Model T, the horse and carriage were still a part of her life, as were playhouses and fruit cellars and an endearing cast of family characters. The author’s knack for remembering mornings of exceptional blueness, fawn-colored fields and cows “with a look of mild surprise” may leave the reader, like the author, with a merry heart.

Prepared by Lori Sennebogen, November 1999