Nonfiction Round-Up (6/8/20)

A beautiful and engrossing memoir of escaping the First Liberian Civil War + a little known history of the fight for gay rights + a touching and life-transforming story of the nation’s first all-black high school rowing team = this nonfiction round-up.

THE DRAGONS, THE GIANT, THE WOMEN: A Memoir by Wayétu Moore

2 starred reviews and an Indie Next List pick!

“Moore’s narrative style shines, weaving moments of lightness into a story of pain and conflict, family and war, loss and reunion. Recommended for readers of women’s stories and those interested in learning about African lived experience both on the continent and in the diaspora.”–Library Journal, starred review

“Building to a thrumming crescendo, the pages almost fly past. Readers will be both enraptured and heartbroken by Moore’s intimate yet epic story of love for family and home.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

THE DEVIANT’S WAR: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America by Eric Cervini

“It is widely believed that the struggle for gay rights began with the 1969 Stonewall Riots, but Cervini argues that it actually began more than a decade earlier when a government astronomer named Dr. Frank Kameny, revealed to be homosexual, was summarily fired by his government employer and stripped of his security clearance, which made him virtually unemployable… His is a fascinating story, and Cervini does it more than ample justice in this insightful, meticulously detailed book. He has clearly done a remarkable job of research, creating an absolutely indispensable, highly readable work of history that belongs in every library.”–Booklist, starred review

A MOST BEAUTIFUL THING: The True Story of America’s First All-Black High School Rowing Team by Arshay Cooper

The moving true story of a group of young men growing up on Chicago’s West side who form the first all-black high school rowing team in the nation, and in doing so not only transform a sport, but their lives.

THE DRAGONS, THE GIANT, THE WOMEN: A Memoir by Wayétu Moore; 9781644450314, available now.
THE DEVIANT’S WAR: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America by Eric Cervini; 9780374139797; available now.
MOST BEAUTIFUL THING: The True Story of America’s First All-Black High School Rowing Team by Arshay Cooper; 9781250754769; available 6/30/20.