Nonfiction Round-Up (3/3/21)

The biography of a celebrated intellect + a powerful anthem for women + a unique look at the women in the Bush family + a raw confession of addiction and recovery + a family in search of a place to call home = this nonfiction round-up.

PLACES OF MIND: A Life of Edward Said by Timothy Brennan

2 starred reviews!

“Brennan (BORROWED LIGHT: Vico, Hegel, and the Colonies), professor of comparative literature at the University of Minnesota, shines a light in this meticulous account on the intertwined personal, professional, and political lives of professor and public intellectual Edward Said (1935–2003).”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Drawing on abundant archival sources, Said’s hefty FBI file, his published and unpublished works, and hundreds of interviews, Brennan, who remained Said’s friend until his death, traces the evolution of a boldly transformative, controversial thinker, considered to be the inventor of post-colonial studies.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

GIRLHOOD by Melissa Febos

“In long, artistic, and art-informed essays that are rich with references, Febos looks to her past and to the woman it continues to guide…In this book of liberating inquiry and divine depth, Febos again and again connects the constellations of herself and the world she and all women must learn to live in.”–Booklist, starred review

GRACE AND STEEL: Dorothy, Barbara, Laura, and the Women of the Bush Dynasty by J. Randy Taraborrelli

“Biographer Taraborrelli (THE KENNEDY HEIRS) delivers a detailed and largely flattering group portrait of the Bush family matriarchs…this is a unique and colorful look at one of America’s most powerful political families.”–Publishers Weekly

MODEL CITIZEN: A Memoir by Joshua Mohr

“After having a stroke, Mohr learns he has a hole in his heart. It’s the size of eight dimes stacked together, and through it blood clots have a clear path to his brain…A potent mix of regret and resilience, Mohr’s story confronts his demons while finding a sliver of hope for a better life, however brief.”–Booklist

BEYOND THE SAND AND SEA: One Family’s Quest for a Country to Call Home by Ty McCormick

“Foreign Affairs editor McCormick debuts with a moving and meticulously researched portrait of Asad Hussein, a Somali refugee born in the Dadaab Refugee Complex in Kenya, who won a full scholarship to Princeton…This heart-wrenching account ends on a high note.”–Publishers Weekly

PLACES OF MIND: A Life of Edward Said by Timothy Brennan; 9780374146535; available 3/23/21.
GIRLHOOD by Melissa Febos; 9781635572520; available 3/30/21.
GRACE AND STEEL: Dorothy, Barbara, Laura, and the Women of the Bush Dynasty by J. Randy Taraborrelli; 9781250248718; available now.
MODEL CITIZEN: A Memoir by Joshua Mohr; 9780374211721; available 3/9/21.
BEYOND THE SAND AND SEA: One Family’s Quest for a Country to Call Home by Ty McCormick; 9781250240606; available 3/30/21.