2006

December

617.4 FIR
Another Day in the Frontal Lobe: A Brain Surgeon Exposes Life on the Inside by Katrina Firlik
Firlik recounts her seven-year trek from medical student to neurosurgeon, moving confidently in this high-pressure, male-dominated specialty.  Along the way she shares some of her most dramatic, bizarre and intriguing cases. Her technical explanations are accessible to the layperson and her stories are compelling. With chapters ranging from her favorite surgical tools to her interest in the study of higher-level cognition, she offers a candid glimpse into an amazing area of medicine. This book is a good choice for anyone who enjoys medical tales, particularly those considering a surgical career.

973 BRO
If This House Could Talk—: Historic Homes, Extraordinary Americans by Elizabeth Smith Brownstein
Through architecture, art and history, this book journeys into the lives and homes of extraordinary Americans. Brownstein tours twenty-six homes from all walks of American life. From plantations and presidential homes to nineteenth century tenement houses, she tells the story of the inhabitants.  Famous people and those not so famous are included from a variety of eras, reflecting the rich variety in our history and culture.

977.311 BAL
The Great Chicago Fire and the Myth of Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow by Richard F. Bales
In this detailed and engaging account, Bales debunks the time-worn O’Leary myth and the city commissioner’s report at the time which stated the fire’s cause could not be determined.  The author’s research into land records and transcripts of the 1871 investigation reveals a bungled inquiry aimed at preserving reputations rather than pressing for answers.  A fascinating version of the facts of the fire, the book also provides insight into the politics and social mood of the period.

November

028.9 COR
Leave Me Alone, I’m Reading: Finding and Losing Myself in Books by Maureen Corrigan
Maureen Corrigan loves to read. Good thing, since she reads books for a living! As book critic for NPR’s Fresh Air and literature professor at Georgetown University, Corrigan’s life is filled with books. While some of her reading tastes may surprise the reader—“female extreme” adventures, hard-boiled detectives, Catholic martyr stories—her enthusiasm for a variety of books and authors is fascinating. Part memoir, part literary criticism, Leave Me Alone, I’m Reading takes us through her reading life from childhood to adulthood. A list of her favorite books is included. Recommended to those who enjoy hearing about another’s reading odyssey as well as those looking to enlarge their own reading lists.

362.196 LIN
Rowing Without Oars by Ulla-Carin Lindquist
Ulla-Carin Lindquist had it all: a successful career as a newscaster in Sweden, happily married with four children. Then she noticed numbing sensations in her arms and hands, and a general weakness in her body. After numerous trips to the doctors, the diagnosis: ALS. This book is a short, spare, beautifully written account of the last 1 1/2 years of Lindquist’s life, in which she rapidly loses the ability to walk, talk and eat, but loses none of her personality and humanity. She gives us her answer to the question: How can one live with impending death?

942.1 WEI
London’s Thames: The River that Shaped a City and Its History by Gavin Weightman
Fans of English history will enjoy this introduction to the Thames River as it weaves its way through London and history. Short chapters provide the story of the founding of London (the Romans were looking for a crossing, not to settle a city), the history of bridges over the Thames (some have fallen down), and the role of shipping and warehouses in the development of the city (the Thames is a tidal river so ships can run in and out of the city during a 24-hour period.) It’s a quick, enjoyable way to learn more about the history of a great river as well as a great city.

October

070.92 DUN
But Enough About Me: A Jersey Girl’s Unlikely Adventures among the Absurdly Famous by Jancee Dunn
In this laugh-out-loud memoir, Jancee Dunn describes her transformation from a contented, twenty-something homebody in New Jersey to a hip writer for Rolling Stone in New York City. Despite never finishing college, the author’s determination and love of music got her noticed and she was soon interviewing the big names of the entertainment world. Dunn made plenty of mistakes along the way, including experimenting with drugs, but she still managed to come out a success and flirted with celebrity status herself as a VJ for MTV2. This chronological narrative is interspersed with anecdotes of Dunn’s actual interview experiences, including everyone from Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton to U2 and Madonna. The author’s self-deprecating sense of humor, coupled with her fascinating celebrity encounters, make this a good book for the star-struck or anyone in the mood for a lighter, humorous read.

362.192 REI
The First and Final Nightmare of Sonia Reich: A Son’s Memoir by Howard Reich
In this haunting work, Howard Reich describes growing up with Holocaust survivors for parents. While both his mother and father dealt with their trauma extraordinarily well, things changed overnight when his mother, Sonia, began running away from home and saw enemies wherever she turned. The affliction that tortured Sonia’s mind was diagnosed as late-onset Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and the author’s depiction of her condition is heart-wrenching. Reich’s commitment to helping his mother leads him on a journey to Poland, where he comes face-to-face with the graphic and disturbing reality of Sonia’s past. This book will appeal to readers with an interest in the Holocaust and the havoc it continues to wreak on survivors. The title also has regional appeal, as the author is a jazz critic for the Chicago Tribune and the events took place mainly in Chicago and its suburbs.

726.5 SCO
Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter’s by R.A. Scotti
Breathtaking art and architecture and the personalities of the popes and master artists of Renaissance Rome combine in this rousing tale. Scotti uses rich, lyrical prose to bring to life the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica, which spanned two centuries and was the result of often-tumultuous collaborations among pontiffs, architects, and artists. The talents (and occasionally the tempers) of Michelangelo, Bramante, Raphael, and many others are showcased, as well as the scandals and intrigue brought about by the massive construction project. While the tale focuses on the building of the basilica, the author places the event in context, mentioning other important historical events which affected Rome at the time, such as the Protestant Reformation, the exploration of America, and the devastating sack of Rome. Scotti’s work will most appeal to those interested in art, architecture, or history, but it may also be enjoyed by anyone looking for an entertaining story. Readers interested in this title should also try Ross King’s Brunelleschi’s Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture, which describes yet another architectural project in Renaissance Italy.


September

340.092 MER
A Fool’s Gold: A Story of Ancient Spanish Treasure, Two Pounds of Pot, and the Young Lawyer Almost Left Holding the Bag by William E. Merritt
As a fledgling lawyer, Bill Merritt went to work for colorful Oregon attorney Thaddeus Silk, who promptly keeled over behind his desk late one night.  Law enforcement officials swooped down on Silk’s law office, having long suspected him of running a fencing operation and other nefarious practices.  Along with this legal mess, Merritt inherited loopy clients such as crazy-like-a-fox Grady Jackson, who had been battling the state for years for the right to search for mysterious buried treasure on the Oregon coast, and aging pothead Abby Birdsong, arrested for possession of two pounds of marijuana.  The latter case escalated into a charge that Birdsong had four tons of Jamaican weed stashed in a storage locker.

It turned out that these curious cases were not as unrelated as they first seemed.  An assembly of unruly and hilarious characters complicated Merritt’s two-decade attempt to connect the dots.  This mostly true comic caper reads like fiction crafted by Donald E. Westlake or Carl Hiaasen. 

910.4 GIL
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert
Following nasty divorce wars with her husband of six years and a volatile rebound relationship, thirty-something author Elizabeth Gilbert was battling twin demons of depression and doubt.  She embarked on a year-long escape to seek what she felt was missing from her life.  She would spend four months in Italy exploring pleasure, which for Gilbert involved immersing herself in a language and cuisine that she loved.  She then traveled to an ashram in India, spending an equal amount of time in search of self-knowledge and faith.  The final leg of her journey brought her back to a Balinese medicine man whom she had met on a previous junket to Indonesia, hoping he could help her achieve the peace that comes from balancing worldly happiness and spirituality.

Gilbert’s luminous writing and expansive personality keep this from being the self-indulgent rant of a lovelorn traveler.  She explains early on that she has a talent for making friends wherever she goes, and this knack brought quirky and interesting people into her orbit in each country.  Watching her year unfold, the reader celebrates her successes and delights in the satisfactory resolution of her journey.

945.31 DIR
A Venetian Affair by Andrea Di Robilant
The fading years of the Venetian Republic is the setting for this tale of a clandestine affair between two star-crossed lovers.  Andrea Memmo, an ancestor of the author, was the eldest son of a patrician family, destined for a life of public service.  When he met 17-year-old Giustiniana Wynne, born out of wedlock to an Italian mother and English father, they felt an intoxicating attraction.  But prevailing conventions would not condone their relationship.  With the help of servants and sympathetic friends, they plotted secret trysts in borrowed homes and conducted a prolonged and fiery correspondence.

The letters of Andrea and Giustiniana were discovered by di Robilant’s father in the attic of their former family palazzo on the Grand Canal.  Further investigation revealed traces of this 18th century romance in public records in France and England, and even in a stash of letters donated to a Virginia college by a Casanova scholar.  The author artfully ties together these sources to bring the love story and its elegant backdrop vividly to life.

August

759.5 HAR
The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr
This book, part art history and part biography of the Italian Baroque painter Caravaggio, relates the riveting story of how one of his paintings, The Taking of Christ, was identified, restored, and returned to its proper standing in the art world. In 1989 two young graduate students in Rome began a research project for an art scholar which led them to unearth information previously unknown to art historians. Details of the life of Caravaggio, an unconventional figure who lived from 1573 to 1610, are woven into the tale of the modern-day search for his work. The story moves quickly from event to event and location to location, revealing much about the inner workings of the contemporary art world. Mr. Harr, an award-winning author, has written a book that will keep both art enthusiasts and occasional gallery patrons intrigued.

791.457 MOR
Adventure Divas: Searching the Globe for a New Kind of Heroine by Holly Morris
Follow the author to remote areas of the earth as she hunts wild boar with Penan tribesmen on the island of Borneo, climbs the Matterhorn in Switzerland, and crosses the central Sahara with Tuareg nomads in a salt caravan, to name just a few of the destinations in this book. If you are interested in adventure travel, you will enjoy Ms. Morris’s description of her pilgrimages to find “adventure divas”—risk-taking grassroots leaders, all women, who are artists, activists, and political figures—in widely diverse cultures throughout the world. The book documents the filming of the PBS documentary series of the same name, produced and written by the author and co-produced by her mother, former Chicago sportswriter and broadcaster, Jeannie Morris. Much more than a travel book, this is also a fascinating look at women in these cultures who are making their presence felt by their life work and effecting change within the society in which Ms. Morris finds them. The book is guaranteed to broaden your horizons and leave you curious to learn more about each diva’s situation and accomplishments.

Biography, Laskas, J. M.
The Exact Same Moon: Fifty Acres and a Family by Jeanne Marie Laskas
The author, a columnist and contributing writer for magazines and newspapers, has written a biographical account of a period of time in her life when she is dealing with her mother’s serious illness and her own desire to start a family. Ms. Laskas lives on a fifty-acre farm in rural Pennsylvania, and her move there is the subject of an earlier book, Fifty Acres and a Poodle. She continues journaling daily events in a way that emotionally engages the reader. Married to a man fifteen years her senior, she feels conflicted when the farm, already home to four dogs and two mules, seems empty to her. Their mutual decision to start a family unfolds with warmth and humor as they face fertility treatments and contemplate adopting a child from a foreign country. Readers will laugh and cry with her in this journey of the heart.


July

070.5 JOH
The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries by Marilyn Johnson
This is a captivating introduction to a legitimate art form. Johnson is a writer and passionate collector of obituaries. She points out that these succinct accounts celebrate the life of the deceased and the best illuminate the qualities that made the individual unique. These “first drafts of history” offer the reader a view of society from a unique perspective. Johnson interviews the best obituary writers currently working and peppers her text with enticing samples of their work. These entries support her view that “the most creative writing in journalism today” is found in this format. Her descriptions of the writers bring them to life and highlight their various styles. In all, like a good obituary, this book is gracefully written with a keen eye for the telling detail.

572.86 MEY
The DNA Detectives: How the Double Helix Is Solving Puzzles of the Past by Anna Meyer
This book highlights the fascinating scientific research exploring the potential of ancient DNA. After a brief introduction to the topic and the techniques that make such study possible, each chapter is devoted to discussing a particular scientific conundrum. The author examines such questions as whether extinct animals can be brought back to life or if we could clone a dinosaur. Meyer also answers such questions as whether Anastasia survived the Russian Revolution and what became of Louis XVII of France. In her discussion, Meyer touches on the ethical issues that should be considered as science offers ever more options for resurrecting the past. All is told in accessible language and piques the reader’s curiosity. Especially enjoyable for science buffs.

Biography O’Neill, M
Mostly True: A Memoir of Family, Food and Baseball by Molly O’Neil
This is an engaging coming-of-age story with some laugh-out-loud moments. Before Molly O’Neill was an accomplished chef, author and food critic for the New York Times, she was the only sister to five boisterous younger brothers. Together they formed a tribe-apart known as The O’Neills! The first part of the book recounts their various adventures and misadventures growing up mid-century in Columbus, Ohio. Molly helped with the family and tried to find her own voice amid the constant confusion. Their dad was a third-generation baseball player and his dream was to father an entire infield. He knew that the only way to save his wayward sons was to get them involved in the game.
Each son in turn was his great hope to become a professional ballplayer. In the end, it was the youngest, Paul, who went on to the major leagues.

The second half of the book is devoted to Molly’s adventures in finding her true calling. It details her feminist beginnings, her apprenticeships in various food venues and her arrival as an important voice in the culinary world. All is told with humor and love for the family that is a constant in her life.


June

282.092 MAN
Vows: The Story of a Priest, a Nun, and Their Son by Peter Manseau
Peter Manseau was born into a family of deep faith as well as deep emotional conflict, and this memoir of his parents, his life, and his church is rich with the tensions between faith felt and faith followed. Bill Manseau and Mary Doherty were swept up in Boston’s post-war fervor to serve the church, one as a priest and one as a nun. In the tough neighborhood of Rockwell they independently worked and found vitality in the people. Then they met, and fell in love. The calling of Vatican II bubbled with radical potential, and Bill came to believe that the priesthood would soon be open to optional marriage. When Mary left the convent for reasons of her own, she agreed to marry Bill and be a part of this new age. The Manseau family persevered through years of controversy, three children, and emotional struggle. Author and youngest son Peter vividly captures the turbulence of the Catholic Church’s contemporary history and also explores his own personal faith journey and destiny. He is frank about the problems facing the priesthood today, but also thoughtful in his historical analysis. This is a captivating story of a family who embodies the conflict of the modern Catholic Church.

324.623 BAK
Sisters: The Lives of America’s Suffragists by Jean H. Baker
Lucy Stone, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Frances Willard, and Alice Paul – most of these names are known as leaders in the women’s suffrage movement. Author Jean Baker contends that this is the full extent to which they are known, merely as a short paragraph in some modern history books. With the rich personal histories included here, Baker begins to fill the gap of historical consciousness by bringing these women to life on the page. Engaging details in readable prose are brought together through personal narratives and thorough research. Readers explore the paths that led these women to their political vocations, their struggles with family, romance, and political convictions. By the time the book is done, each woman is seen as an individual rather than merely a part of “the movement.” An illuminating look at five important and complex women whom history is just getting to know.

530.11 BOD
E=mc2: A Biography of the World’s Most Famous Equation by David Bodanis
Bodanis’ breezy history tells the story of this elegant but enigmatic formula, including all the parts of the equation, its role in the universe, and the harnessing of its power by humans from the atomic bomb to smoke detectors. While Einstein is certainly given his due here, so much happened before he dropped in. Throughout, Bodanis tucks in marvelous stories of rebels and bumpkins who moved scientific concepts forward, and he sprinkles in tasty anecdotes about big-name physicists and unsung pioneers that make science much more interesting and fun. Who knew that Fred Hoyle, instrumental in the theory of star implosion, spent his youth cutting school and learning to read from the subtitles in the movie theater? The author uses simple analogies to help clarify science concepts that frequently seem unwieldy or incomprehensible. Bodanis is the kind of person you wish you had as a science lecturer in college, because you would have stayed awake a lot more in class. Also recommended is Bodanis’s Electric Universe, another glorious romp through scientific history.


May

523.2 SOB
The Planets by Dava Sobel
A lively exploration of and reflection on the solar system. Sobel begins by explaining her interest in space, and then offers a brief chapter on each member of the solar system, beginning with the sun and moving outward. Each chapter is an independent essay, and each has its own unique style; the chapter on Mars, for example, is told from the point of view of a Martian rock! Sobel provides numerous and interesting scientific facts, but the book is much more than a scientific treatise. By also focusing on our historical and cultural relationships with the planets, she provides a richer understanding of our celestial neighborhood. The result is a fascinating blend of science and art that will appeal to all readers.

578.097 WEI
Return to Wild America: A Yearlong Search for the Continent’s Natural Soul by Scott Weidensaul
In 1953, American birding legend Roger Tory Peterson and British naturalist James Fisher made a 30,000 mile trek across the North American continent, and recorded their findings in the classic Wild America. Inspired by the book as a youth, Weidensaul decided to re-trace and update their journey fifty years later. The result, Return to Wild America, is an often lyrical account of the environmental successes and failures of the past half-century. Although much has changed for the worse, Weidensaul surprisingly found many areas similar to, or actually improved, from the time of Peterson and Fisher. In assessing the heartbeat of our land, his crystal-clear writing will appeal not only to those interested in nature and the environment, but also lovers of travel, history and adventure.

667.26 GRE
A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire by Amy Butler Greenfield
From red carpets, red tape, and red herrings to red-letter days and getting caught red-handed, the color red plays a prominent role in the human psyche. Greenfield tells the story of the color, focusing on cochineal, an amazingly rich and long-lasting red dye developed by the Aztecs. When Spain’s conquistadors discovered the dye in the great Mexican marketplaces in 1519, a source of European wealth, power, intrigue, mystery and espionage was born. Generally successful in its attempt to control the cochineal trade and the secret of its source—the carminic acid released from ground-up cochineal insects—Spain became the envy of a world hungry for all things red. Naturally, other European powers wanted a piece of the action, and Greenfield weaves their often conflicting and centuries-long attempts into a captivating and quick read.


April

362.1969 GRE
Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
Grealy’s story begins when she is diagnosed with cancer at age 10. She presents a very detailed and personal account of her battle with Ewing’s sarcoma (jaw cancer). Much of the story covers her original jaw surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and reconstructive surgery between the ages of ten and fourteen. Grealy’s struggle with accepting the face she has during periods of cancer treatment and following surgeries is the main focus of her memoir. Ultimately, Autobiography of a Face centers on how the author sees her face, not on how others see her.

363.2595 HOR
The Restless Sleep: Inside New York City’s Cold Case Squad by Stacy Horn
Do you enjoy reading true crime books and mysteries? Do you look for clues and savor the details of the case? If so, The Restless Sleep will prove to be a fascinating read. The primary focus of the book is the investigation of four homicides which took place in the city of New York. The unsolved cases go as far back as 50 years. The author gives detailed accounts of what the cold case squad and police department know about each crime. The suspects, victims, families of the victims, and the detectives are thoroughly explored.

Biography Kimmel, H.
She Got Up Off the Couch: A Memoir by Haven Kimmel
Fans of Kimmel’s A Girl Named Zippy will want to continue reading the further adventures of a spunky girl growing up in the very small town of Mooreland, Indiana. The memoir humorously covers Zippy’s life, along with her eccentric family, during the 1970s. In particular, Kimmel focuses on her mother Delonda. After spending years on the couch in the den, Delonda returns to college at nearby Ball State University and becomes an English teacher. Readers will find themselves reminiscing about their own childhood and hoping for another sequel by Kimmel.


March

338.7664 NEW
Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good by Paul Newman
Actor Paul Newman and his writer friend A.E. Hotchner write a zany account of how they took Newman’s homemade salad dressing and got it to the supermarket shelves. They describe how they disregarded the advice of experts and relied on instinct, imagination and mostly luck. They rejected traditional marketing strategies and yet profited nearly a million dollars in their first year. The self-described “bumbling amateurs” went on to market several other all-natural products, the profits from which are given away to charity. Throughout the process they stayed very involved with the business and insisted on quality. The first half of the book tells the business story including anecdotes, song parodies and wacky letters from customers. The second half is more serious, shifting focus to the Hole in the Wall Gang organization they established to build and run camps for seriously ill children. This is an entertaining and inspiring account of extraordinary success and philanthropy.

636.6865 BIT
Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill: A Love Story…With Wings by Mark Bittner
After a period of homelessness in San Francisco, Bittner took a job as a caretaker for a well-to-do elderly woman. With the job came a studio apartment on the famed Telegraph Hill which was home to a flock of brilliantly colored wild parrots. Bittner became fascinated with the birds, cherry headed and blue-crowned conures, most likely escaped from a long-ago South American shipment. He slowly gained their trust and drew attention in the neighborhood. Crowds gathered outside his home to see parrots perched on his head and arms, taking seeds from his hands. He named the birds for their unique personalities and his involvement with them brought meaning to his life. When a documentary filmmaker arrived on the scene to capture the phenomenon on film, the story took a surprising turn.

Biography DUIGNAN, M.A.
The Story of Chicago May by Nuala O’Faolain
Award winning memoirist O’Faolain returns with a biography of notorious female criminal Chicago May. Nineteen year old May Duignan, an Irish country girl of compelling beauty, took off with her family’s savings and headed for America. She began her life of crime in Chicago at the time of the Columbian Exposition and from there went on to New York, London and Paris as showgirl, thief and prostitute. Opportunities presented themselves for her to reform, but she was always drawn back to life in the underworld. She endured two lengthy prison sentences in Paris and then London for robbery and attempted murder. In her later years May had the good fortune to cross paths with a legendary police reformer who encouraged her to write her autobiography as a path to redemption. Interwoven with the facts of May’s life, O’Faolain interjects commentary, attempting to relate to her fellow Irishwoman and connect her with the greater Irish experience.


February

530.092 FEY
Classic Feynman: All the Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard Phillips Feynman
Richard Feynman’s credentials are impressive: Princeton graduate, work on the atomic bomb at Los Alamos, physics faculty member at Cornell and Caltech, 1965 Nobel Prize for physics. But none of these really completely describes the man who was also a bongo player, artist, raconteur and all-around “curious character!” Long-time friend Ralph Leighton has edited a new book with stories from Feynman’s earlier books Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! and What Do You Care What Other People Think?, and with essays from friends such as Freeman Dyson and Alan Alda. Included is a CD with a speech from Feynman on his life while at Los Alamos, so you can hear how the great man himself could entertain a crowd while informing and educating them.

782.1 MUR
Fortissimo: Backstage at the Opera with Sacred Monsters and Young Singers by William Murray
How does a young singer learn to be an opera singer? What are the physical demands put on the body as well as the emotional and mental strain of trying to make it in such a demanding profession? New Yorker writer Murray followed twelve young singers for an entire season in 2003–04, as they learn at Chicago’s Lyric Opera Center for American Artists. He watched them in coaching sessions, master classes, auditions and rehearsals, as well as performances with some of the great names in the opera world. Attending this center can be a launching pad for a career—or maybe just the beginning of the end. How will these twelve singers fare?

977.311 HOL
Chicago in Maps: 1612 to 2002 by Robert Holland
Want to see a different way of looking at Chicago’s history? Author Robert Holland has assembled maps printed over the last 400 years in order to give us a glimpse of the land, as well as the people and events that shaped it into a great city. The book includes such highlights as the Franquelin map of 1688 which was the first map to identify a place called “Checagou,” and the Kinzie Map of 1844 which was the first map actually printed in Chicago. If you like maps, you will like this book. History lovers will also enjoy this book, for along with each map, there is a detailed essay on its history, as well as that of the place or event being depicted.


January

618.928 HAY
One Child by Torey L. Hayden
By the age of six, Sheila had already suffered a lifetime of hurt. When she was four, she was abandoned by her mother on a highway, as if she were a dog, and her drug-addicted, alcoholic father abused and neglected her in between his stints in prison. Sheila was an abused and emotionally disturbed six-year-old and was labeled “unreachable” by the system that was supposed to help her. Full of anger and mistrust, Sheila acted out by tying a three-year-old child to a tree and setting him on fire. As a result, she was scheduled to be placed in a state mental hospital but was temporarily assigned to a classroom for children with behavior problems until a bed opened up. This autobiographical account of Torey Hayden’s experience with a special education class of eight children that no one else wanted to teach chronicles her triumphs and frustrations, not only with Sheila, who is the main character, but with her other students as well. Torey was young (early 20s), idealistic and stubborn, and put her whole heart into building a connection with her students, but especially with Sheila. Over the course of the school year, Torey gained Sheila’s trust and helped her deal with the trauma of her past. Torey also discovered that Sheila was a highly gifted child, with an IQ of 182. The end of the school year was bittersweet, and the parting of teacher and student was very moving. This inspirational story proves the power of love and the resiliency of children. The sequel to this book, Tiger’s Child, describes what happened to Sheila from ages six to 16.

636.7 YOF
What the Dog Did: Tales from a Formerly Reluctant Dog Owner by Emily Yoffe
Emily Yoffe was perfectly content to own two cats, until her young daughter tearfully declared that “Dogs are my life. Dogs are who I am!” Reluctantly, the author relents; the family adopts a beagle they rename Sasha, and life as a dog lover begins. Sasha has some issues, such as her reluctance to be housebroken, her inability to follow simple commands and her love of eating everything in the house, from the author’s bra to anything in the garbage can. Yoffe’s initiation into the dog world is hilarious and poignant, as Sasha changes from a hopeless rescue dog to a well-adjusted member of the family. By the end, Sasha is trained to work as a therapy dog and the Yoffe household becomes a foster home for a series of other needy beagles. The author also recalls the dogs of her childhood, and relates stories of dogs owned by family and friends. Some of the dogs are wonderful, fully trained pets, while others suffer health and behavior problems. The common element is the devotion and love owners have for their pets.

Biography SCHEERES, J.
Jesus Land: A Memoir by Julia Scheeres
In the 1970s, when she was three years old, Julia Scheeres’ parents adopted two black boys into their white, Christian fundamentalist family. Julia immediately became best friends with her new brother David, who was only four months younger. The book takes its title from a homemade sign that the two siblings spotted one day on a road in the Hoosier countryside, proclaiming, “This here is: JESUS LAND.” While religion was pervasive both in their home and at their school, the two rarely found themselves the beneficiaries of anything resembling Christian love. Their father regularly beat his adopted sons, and their mother offered no help with the racist violence they encountered in their town, advising them to turn the other check. Julia loved her brother more than anyone else and they were very close, but she was ashamed of herself for not always defending him or coming to his rescue as other kids attacked him for being black. As the kids got older, things got worse, as Julia turned to alcohol and sex, and David became self-destructive. Their parents sent them to a fundamentalist reform school in the Dominican Republic, where humiliation and physical punishment were meant to redeem the “filthy little sinners.” Julia and David pretended to go along with the program, but as Julia believed, it wasn’t defeat, it was survival. This gripping memoir is tinged with sadness, but the siblings triumph in the end. Jesus Land is a poignant and heartbreaking story, reported by a survivor of family values gone awry.