Biographies & Memoirs - Books

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Biographies & Memoirs

Written by Harriet Jacobs, and recited to her narrator, Linda Brent, she opens up about her motivation for personal story of enslavement, degradation, and sexual exploitation public. Critics ignored the narrative as fiction and gave it little acclaim. The book is acclaimed today as the first book written exclusively by an ex-slave. It details the brutalities placed on enslaved women. Many times it is noted as a partner of the Narrative of the Life by Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, and Written by Himself. It was published in 1861, and re-discovered in the 1970s. Without question a great book and historical documentation of life on plantations from the eyes of a woman. The story is a first hand and in-depth accounting of life as a slave girl. It reveals the damaging events that affected every slave girl in America. Although critics skipped away from the book it now shows up in many curriculums as an explosive and telling piece of work. Without question it is valuable as a accounting of the inner workings of society and its relationship to slavery. The book is well written and easy to follow and will elicit many emotions from readers. It is an important part of American history and should be examined by anyone interested in society.

Mosaic

Biographies & Memoirs

One of America’s most popular music artists shares beautiful pieces of an unforgettable human mosaic, revealing pieces of a life in progress.With her unmistakable voice and honest lyrics, Amy Grant has captured a unique place in American music. As the bestselling Christian music artist of all time, a crossover pop sensation, and the wife of country music star Vince Gill, Amy has lived much of her life in the spotlight, subject to adulation, speculation, and scrutiny. Now for the first time she bares her heart and soul to reveal thoughts on everything from motherhood and marriage to fame and forgiveness. Whether describing personal moments alone on a moonlit hillside or very public ones performing with the likes of Tony Bennett and James Taylor, Amy presents a captivating collection of beautiful reflections on life, love, and faith. Includes Never Before Published Lyrics to New SongsRendered with the lyrical insight we see in her music, Amy reflects on the pieces of her life through the years, forming a vivid mosaic of memories rich in color, varied in texture, and united in their heartfelt design.“Thanks to writing and remembering, I’m re-inspired to value both the mundane and magical moments. In trying to capture a few memories as best as I can, I give myself the gift of treasuring what has been so far a very full and meaningful life. I hope you will do the same with yours.” —Amy GrantAmy Grant weaves original lyrics and poetry into a narrative patchwork of timeless candor in Mosaic. The pieces of her life so far provide stunning inspiration for her beloved fans. Mixing lighthearted reminiscences of her Tennessee childhood, poignant scenes from her life as a wife and mother, and down-to-earth insight from her celebrity stardom, Amy invites you into her world and gently leads you to fresh insights about your own. Amy’s winsome personality and joyful authenticity radiate from each page, welcoming you into the satisfying company of a warm and compassionate artist—a woman who sees life through a unique and deeply personal lens. Amy Grant got her start in the music business with a part-time job sweeping up a Nashville music studio, which provided the perfect opportunity to duplicate a tape of her original songs as a gift for her family. A studio executive overheard her recordings—and the rest is music history.Since the surprising success of her debut album thirty years ago, Amy has grown into a music legend, with six Grammy Awards, twenty-six Dove Awards, and six pop chart-topping hits to her credit. An inductee into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame, she also was honored in 2006 with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Anne Boleyn : Les 40 mois qui ont fait l'Angleterre

Biographies & Memoirs

Anne Boleyn, dite la Reine-sans-tête parce que son époux, Henry VIII, la fit décapiter, est fort peu connue en France. Très rares sont les ouvrages qui lui sont consacrés. En Angleterre même, elle est tenue pour une reine de peu de poids, sortie un moment de sa roture par une ambition dérisoire. Son règne, qui n'a duré que trois ans, n'aurait été marqué que par sa maternité de la future Élisabeth la Grande, son mauvais caractère, et sa mort sur l'échafaud. Or, s'étant intéressé à cette période, l'auteur s'est avisé de maintes invraisemblances. Et d'abord celle-ci : c'est Anne Boleyn qui a poussé Henry VIII, qui n'en voulait pas, au schisme d'avec l'Église de Rome ; événement capital, puisqu'il a révélé l'Angleterre à elle-même. Elle s'y est employée avec un étrange acharnement, jusqu'à se faire excommunier, ce qui était à l'époque une sanction épouvantable. Pour se faire néanmoins épouser à un tel prix par Henry VIII, après six ans de lutte et mille péripéties, ne poursuivait-elle pas plutôt une grande politique ? C'est ce dont ses lectures ont persuadé l'auteur, en dépit d'une légende tenace, qu'il s'efforce de dissiper. Une politique aux immenses conséquences, dont l'auteur montre, accessoirement, les prolongements jusqu'à nos jours ; et, de façon audacieuse, puisqu'il va jusqu'à attribuer à cette reine éphémère, la victoire de Churchill sur l'invincible armée allemande ; et, donc, liée à cette victoire, la libération de la France...

Pablo Escobar

Biographies & Memoirs

Vynikajúci dokument o Pablovi Escobarovi je príkladom, ako má vyzerať nekompromisná, neústupčivá investigatívna žurnalistika. Titul, ktorý sa pýši prestížnou novinárskou Cenou Corneliusa Ryana, sleduje krvavý príbeh vzostupu a pádu hlavy medellínskeho kokaínového kartelu, nazývaného aj „Kokaínový kráľ“. Escobarova zločinecká ríša na vrchole moci držala v hrsti celý štát a s ním ako rukojemníkov tridsať miliónov ľudí. Túto hrôzovládu ukončila až smrť narkobaróna. Dôkladný pohľad oceňovaného novinára Marka Bowdena z bezprostrednej blízkosti opisuje donedávna neznáme podrobnosti o šestnásť mesiacov trvajúcom tajnom love na Pabla pod vedením USA. Vďaka dosiaľ nevídanému prístupu k dôležitým hráčom – vrátane kolumbijského prezidenta Césara Gaviriu a plukovníka Huga Martineza, neskorumpovateľnému vodcovi špeciálnej policajnej jednotky, ktorá išla po Escobarovi –, či prísne tajným dokumentom a prepisom odpočutých Escobarových telefonátov napísal Bowden strhujúci príbeh, ktorý je zároveň výstižným obrazom drsnej podoby spravodlivosti v skutočnom svete.

Sharp

Biographies & Memoirs

With “unsparing intensity” and “hard-won self-knowledge,” this memoir of mental illness and recovery is “a must read, remarkably told”(Wally Lamb, #1 New York Times bestselling author of I Know This Much is True).“Endorphins sped through me. I spun around, growing dizzy, frantic, and silly. I wasn’t drunk, but I felt a nice stoned feeling, sans paranoia, and I thought, ‘I believe I’ve found my new pharmaceutical deep inside.’ I giggled fearlessly, manically at this and looked down at myself; hands, arms, chest, and belly covered in crimson . . .”Sharp is the story of David Fitzpatrick who, in his early twenties, became so consumed by mental illness it sent him into a frenzy of cutting himself with razor blades. In this shocking and often moving book, he vividly describes the rush this act gave him, the fleeting euphoric high that seemed to fill the spaces in the rest of his life. Fitzpatrick’s youth seemed ideal. He was athletic, handsome, and intelligent. However, he lived in fear of an older brother who belittled him; and in college, his roommates teased and humiliated him. As he shares these experiences, Fitzpatrick also recounts the lessons learned from the broken people he encountered during his journey—knowledge that led to his own emotional resurrection.With prose that is tough and gritty, profound and insightful, Sharp is a tale of hope, a soul-baring quest of a lost man who returns to himself, overcomes his demons, and reclaims his life. “A courageously honest book.” —Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man and The Astral “Riveting . . . Sharp cuts deep into your heart.” —Michael White, author of Beautiful Assassin and Soul Catcher

Ambition and Desire

Biographies & Memoirs

From CNN’s official royal historian, a highly praised young author with a doctorate from Oxford University, comes the extraordinary rags-to-riches story of the woman who conquered Napoleon’s heart—and with it, an empire. Their love was legendary, their ambition flagrant and unashamed. Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife, Josephine, came to power during one of the most turbulent periods in the history of France. The story of the Corsican soldier’s incredible rise has been well documented. Now, in this spellbinding, luminous account, Kate Williams draws back the curtain on the woman who beguiled him: her humble origins, her exorbitant appetites, and the tragic turn of events that led to her undoing. Born Marie-Josèphe-Rose de Tascher de La Pagerie on the Caribbean island of Martinique, the woman Napoleon would later call Josephine was the ultimate survivor. She endured a loveless marriage to a French aristocrat—executed during the Reign of Terror—then barely escaped the guillotine blade herself. Her near-death experience only fueled Josephine’s ambition and heightened her determination to find a man who could finance and sustain her. Though no classic beauty, she quickly developed a reputation as one of the most desirable women on the continent. In 1795, she met Napoleon. The attraction was mutual, immediate, and intense. Theirs was an often-tumultuous union, roiled by their pursuit of other lovers but intensely focused on power and success. Josephine was Napoleon’s perfect consort and the object of national fascination. Together they conquered Europe. Their extravagance was unprecedented, even by the standards of Versailles. But she could not produce an heir. Sexual obsession brought them together, but cold biological truth tore them apart. Gripping in its immediacy, captivating in its detail, Ambition and Desire is a true tale of desire, heartbreak, and revolutionary turmoil, engagingly written by one of England’s most praised young historians. Kate Williams’s searing portrait of this alluring and complex woman will finally elevate Josephine Bonaparte to the historical prominence she deserves.Praise for Ambition and Desire “Not just a scholarly work, but a page-turner . . . Williams is no stranger to creating works on strong and influential women, and, as in those works, here she does an admirable job of demystifying Josephine. . . . This engrossing and accessible account is for all readers who enjoy historical biography.”—Library Journal “[A] riveting account . . . Williams perfectly illustrates all that was bizarre and maddening about French life during the reign of Josephine and Napoleon Bonaparte.”—Publishers Weekly “Intelligent and entertaining.”—Kirkus Reviews “An in-depth portrait of the substantive woman behind the throne.”—Booklist“Reading [Ambition and Desire] is like watching Silk Stockings, the 1957 Hollywood masterpiece with Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. The book flows and jumps, taking the reader by the hand through tormented times in French history without ever letting you go or losing itself in the intricacies of French politics.”—The Times “A sparkling account of this most fallible and endearing of women.”—Daily Mail “A whirlwind tour of French history.”—The Telegraph

Adieux

Biographies & Memoirs

Simone de Beauvoir’s account of the last ten years of Jean-Paul Sartre’s life provides a focus for understanding one of the greatest thinkers of the twentieth century. But the book, consisting of both a year-by-year account of Sartre’s last decade and a conversation between him and de Beauvoir about his life and work, is more than just a philosophical examination. It is also a personal dialogue of astonishing frankness that illuminates one of the most famous and complex relationships of the twentieth century.Translated by Patrick O'Brian

Man-eaters of Kumaon

Biographies & Memoirs

This is the Merlin Unwin Books edition and is the only one currently available which contains the iconic Raymond Sheppard illustrations which capture with remarkable verve and accuracy the dramatic highlight of each story. All royalties from the sale of the Merlin Unwin Books hardback edition go to the Corbett tiger reserve in India.The presence of a man-eating tiger in the Indian province of Naini Tal spread fear and panic throughout the impoverished rural community. This tigress had already killed 434 villagers by the time Jim Corbett was approached to track and despatch her in 1907.These thrilling and moving tales are Corbett's first-hand accounts as, over the ensuing 29 years and at the request of desperate locals, he expertly tracks and kills various specific tigers and leopards which had become man-eaters, driven to this by injury or extreme old age.No one understood the ways of the Indian jungle better than Corbett. A skilled tracker, he preferred to hunt alone and on foot, sometimes accompanied by his small dog Robin. Corbett derived intense happiness from observing wildlife and he was a fervent conservationist as well as a tracker and ace shot.He empathised with the impoverished people amongst whom he lived, in what is today Uttarakhand, and he established India's first tiger sanctuary there.Corbett's writing is as immediate and accessible today as it was when first published in 1944.

Clementine Churchill

Biographies & Memoirs

Ett mycket läsvärt porträtt av en av den moderna historiens viktigaste kvinnor. Vilken var Winston Churchills mest lysande prestation i livet? Enligt honom själv var det att gifta sig med den smarta, fantastiska men komplicerade kvinnan Clementine Churchill. Efter kriget medgav Winston att hustrun hade gjort mitt liv och allt mitt arbete möjligt. Clementine var sin makes klippa och närmaste förtrogna. Hon utövade ett enormt inflytande över Winston och även hans regering ett inflytande som för moderna ögon ter sig närmast opassande. Men hennes förmåga att charma Storbritanniens allierade och hennes humanitära insatser på hemmaplan ingav djup respekt hos omgivningen. Sonia Purnell har skrivit ett mycket läsvärt porträtt av en av den moderna historiens viktigaste kvinnor. Vi får en fascinerande inblick i Clementine Churchills politiska betydelse, men även en nära skildring av hennes svåra och stundtals tragiska privatliv från den stökiga uppväxten till familjelivet med Winston.

I Saw Ramallah

Biographies & Memoirs

WINNER OF THE NAGUIB MAHFOUZ MEDAL FOR LITERATUREA fierce and moving work and an unparalleled rendering of the human aspects of the Palestinian predicament. Barred from his homeland after 1967’s Six-Day War, the poet Mourid Barghouti spent thirty years in exile—shuttling among the world’s cities, yet secure in none of them; separated from his family for years at a time; never certain whether he was a visitor, a refugee, a citizen, or a guest. As he returns home for the first time since the Israeli occupation, Barghouti crosses a wooden bridge over the Jordan River into Ramallah and is unable to recognize the city of his youth. Sifting through memories of the old Palestine as they come up against what he now encounters in this mere “idea of Palestine,” he discovers what it means to be deprived not only of a homeland but of “the habitual place and status of a person.” A tour de force of memory and reflection, lamentation and resilience, I Saw Ramallah is a deeply humane book, essential to any balanced understanding of today’s Middle East.

Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now

Biographies & Memoirs

'Higher education comes at exactly the right time: in the twilight of your teens, you're just starting to coagulate as a human being, to pull away from parental influence and find your own feet. What better than three years in which to explore the inner you, establish a feasible worldview, and maybe get on Blockbusters.'After an idyllic provincial 1970s childhood, the 1980s took Andrew Collins to London, art school and the classic student experience. Crimping his hair, casting aside his socks and sporting fingerless gloves, he became Andy Kollins: purveyor of awful poetry; disciple of moany music, and wannabe political activist. What follows is a universal tale of trainee hedonism, girl trouble, wasted grants and begging letters to parents. A synth-soundtracked rite of passage that's often painfully funny, it traces one teenager's metamorphosis from sheltered suburban innocent to semi-mature metropolitan male through the pretensions and confusions of trying to stand alone for the first time in your own kung fu pumps in a big bad city.

Não trocaria minha jornada por nada

Biographies & Memoirs

Se for para viver, deixe um legado. Deixe no mundo uma marca que não possa ser apagada. ― Maya Angelou Nos breves ensaios aqui reunidos, temos o privilégio de desfrutar a sabedoria de Maya Angelou, adquirida ao longo de uma vida prolífica pautada por grandes desafios e conquistas ainda mais notáveis. Com a habilidade de uma exímia contadora de histórias, que compartilha suas experiências com palavras simples e generosas, Angelou costura uma diversidade de assuntos ― alguns deles invisibilizados até os dias de hoje, como a solidão da mulher negra ― para tecer uma obra repleta de ensinamentos sobre como viver com autenticidade e sabedoria. Entre meditações e narrativas de sua própria biografia, por vezes em um tom proverbial que evoca os saberes ancestrais, a escritora aborda com sensibilidade temas que atravessam boa parte de nós, como o racismo, a intolerância, o luto, o poder das palavras, a fé, a necessidade de saber quem se é e se autoafirmar no mundo. Em Não trocaria minha jornada por nada, somos envolvidos em uma conversa íntima que nos motiva a nos reconectarmos com nossa essência, desenvolvermos um senso de coletividade e mantermos a mente e o coração abertos ao navegar pela vida. Uma leitura para ser feita com olhar atento e uma lupa, pois em cada frase aparentemente despretensiosa podemos nos deparar com um insight capaz de nos transformar.

Before the Trumpet

Biographies & Memoirs

Before Pearl Harbor, before polio and his entry into politics, FDR was a handsome, pampered, but strong-willed youth, the center of a rarefied world. In Before the Trumpet, the award-winning historian Geoffrey C. Ward transports the reader to that world—Hyde Park on the Hudson and Campobello Island, Groton and Harvard and the Continent—to recreate as never before the formative years of the man who would become the 20th century’s greatest president. Here, drawn from thousands of original documents (many never previously published), is a richly-detailed, intimate biography, its central figure surrounded by a colorful cast that includes an opium smuggler and a pious headmaster; Franklin's distant cousin, Theodore and his remarkable mother, Sara; and the still-more remarkable young woman he wooed and won, his cousin Eleanor. This is a tale that would grip the reader even if its central character had not grown up to be FDR.

The Everly Brothers

Biographies & Memoirs

Comme l’écrit Dick Rivers dans notre préface, « impossible d’imaginer le monde du rock’n’roll, de la country et de la pop music en général sans l’œuvre des frères Everly ». À l’instar de Buddy Holly et du King de « Love Me Tender », ils ont donné ses lettres de noblesse et de tendresse à cette musique qui n’était pas que rebelle. En France, qui d’autre qu’Alain Fournier pouvait, par le menu, présenter cette œuvre magistrale ? Né en 1943, ancien professeur d’Éducation physique, correspondant depuis 1974 de l’Everly Brothers International Fan Club et président du Country Music Memorial, il ouvre à nos lecteurs ses collections, ses connaissances, ses souvenirs... et sa passion.

One Adventure After Another

Biographies & Memoirs

This book is not about heroes, like military pilots who risk their lives protecting our country or commercial pilots who wing their way across the world transporting us from one place to the other or general pilots who daily perform tasks that can only be done from the air. We owe all of these pilots a great respect and gratitude for the job that they do. Most of the books written are about them. This book, however, is about the private pilot who is the average man or woman who does not intend to risk their lives flying an airplane. This book is about those people who simply want to take to the air for the joy of being airborne and for the intellectual challenge of keeping up with the birds. If I thought for a moment that flying was not safe, I would not step into an airplane. For years, I felt that flying was for the foolhardy, until by chance, I discovered that flying is safer than driving a car, if you learn how to fly and follow the rules. This book attempts to describe the transition from becoming a land person to becoming an air person and the pleasures experienced on the way.—John O. Lewis My first adventure with John as an airplane pilot gave me the surprise of my life. After vehemently refusing to go flying with him, I agreed once and for all to join him in the cockpit for a brief tour around Chicago. Once airborne, my imagined fears were replaced by sheer joy of seeing the sights and realizing the wonders both above and below. This initial flight was the beginning of adventures of our lifetime. Never again was any coaxing on his part needed for me to join him on flights.—Edna M. Lewis

THE PRESLEY FAMILY SAGA

Biographies & Memoirs

Imagine walking through the gates of Graceland, feeling the echoes of rock 'n' roll and the presence of the King himself, Elvis Presley. This is where the story of the Presley family unfolds, not just in the past but in the present. This book takes you deep into the heart of this iconic estate, uncovering the personal and legal battles that have shaped its legacy. Riley Keough, Elvis's granddaughter, stands at the forefront of a dramatic struggle to protect Graceland from financial and legal threats. Faced with allegations of forgery and fraudulent claims, Riley fights tirelessly to preserve her family's heritage. From courtroom showdowns to private moments of reflection in the Meditation Garden, this book reveals the untold stories and emotional journeys behind the headlines. Dive into the rich history of Graceland, explore the personal touches Elvis left behind, and witness the ongoing battle to keep this legendary home within the Presley family. This is more than a biography; it's a saga of legacy, love, and determination. Click “ADD TO CART” to get your copy today!

High Flight

Biographies & Memoirs

Richard Hess, born John Patrick Aliano, began life in a typical middle-class household. His parents divorced when he was just a toddler, and after his mom remarried, she gave him her new husband's surname, further distancing him from his paternal roots. Growing up on New York's mean streets with an abusive stepfather taught Richard grit at a very early age.This grit followed him into the United States Air Force, which became his surrogate patriarch for the next twenty-eight years. During his service, from the cockpit of high-performance jet aircraft, Richard learned to leave his scars behind. Now, after fifty years of marriage, raising three kids, fighting in nine war zones, and traveling to countless countries, he's gained a certain perspective on life.Richard's years spent as a military pilot, airline captain, and businessman have given him an education in life, love, and faith-an education that begs to be shared.

Noches azules

Biographies & Memoirs

Un relato autobiográfico lleno de dolor y de belleza sobre la muerte de su hija, por la autora de El año del pensamiento mágico.«Durante las noches azules uno piensa que el día no se va a acabar nunca. A medida que las noches azules se acercan a su fin (y lo hacen, lo hacen siempre), uno experimenta un escalofrío literal, una visión de enfermedad, en el mismo momento de darse cuenta: la luz azul se está yendo, los días ya se están acortando, el verano se ha ido. Este libro se titula Noches azules porque en la época en que lo empecé a escribir sorprendí a mi mente volviéndose cada vez más hacia la enfermedad, hacia la muerte de las promesas, el acortamiento de los días, lo inevitable del apagamiento, la muerte de la luz. Las noches azules son lo contrario de la muerte de la luz, pero al mismo tiempo son su premonición.»Joan DidionEn su celebrado libro El año del pensamiento mágico, Joan Didion contemplaba cómo los rituales que formaban parte de su vida cotidiana cambiaban drásticamente con la súbita muerte de su marido en 2003. Dos años después su única hija, Quintana Roo, moría a los treinta y nueve años de edad. En Noches azules Joan Didion hilvana instantáneas literarias y recuerdos olvidados sobre la vida y la muerte de su hija. Noches azules versa sobre lo que queda tras la pérdida de un ser querido.Críticas: «Poco a poco se va haciendo claro tanto para el lector como para Didion que sus reminiscencias no son solo una elegía a Quintana, sino también un lamento por el paso del tiempo.» Michiko Kakutami, The New York Times«Un clásico breve y sombrío.»Kirkusreviews.com

Goethe: Im Geiste eines Genies

Biographies & Memoirs

Mit der Anthologie 'Goethe: Im Geiste eines Genies' wird dem Leser ein beeindruckendes Spektrum literarischer Erkundungen dargeboten, das sich auf das Schaffen und Wirken Johann Wolfgang von Goethes konzentriert. Diese Sammlung vereint analytische Essays, persönliche Gespräche und tiefgreifende Erzählungen, die sowohl einen fesselnden Einblick in Goethes kreatives Genie als auch in die literarischen Strömungen seiner Zeit bieten. Die Vielfalt der präsentierten literarischen Stile – sei es durch die kritische Auseinandersetzung mit seinen Werken, wie im Falle Friedrich Gundolfs, oder durch die lebhaften und intimen Gespräche, die Johann Peter Eckermann festhält – unterstreicht die bleibende Relevanz und Vielschichtigkeit von Goethes Beitrag zur Weltliteratur. Die beteiligten Autoren dieser Sammlung sind prominente Persönlichkeiten, die Goethes Einfluss und Erbe aus verschiedenen Blickwinkeln reflektieren. Friedrich Gundolf, ein bedeutender Literaturhistoriker, beleuchtet Goethes Werke unter dem Aspekt der klassisch-romantischen Tradition und stellt eine Verbindung zu literarischen Bewegungen seiner Zeit her. Johann Peter Eckermann, durch seine Nähe zu dem Dichterfürsten, bietet aus erster Hand einen emotionalen und authentischen Blick auf Goethes Gedankenwelt. Mit diesem Werk wird nicht nur die außergewöhnliche Kapazität Goethes zelebriert, sondern es wird auch eine Brücke zu den Leserinnen und Lesern von heute geschlagen, die das zeitlose Erbe dieses Genies nachvollziehen möchten. Der Band 'Goethe: Im Geiste eines Genies' ist eine unverzichtbare Bereicherung für jeden literarisch Interessierten, der die einzigartige Gelegenheit nutzen möchte, die komplexen, inspirierenden und vielfältigen Facetten Goethes Schaffenskraft zu erkunden. Die Anthologie fungiert als intellektuelles Kaleidoskop, das es dem Leser ermöglicht, die tiefen Einsichten und den intertextuellen Dialog zwischen den Autoren und dem Wirken Goethes zu entdecken. Die Sammlung bietet sowohl informative als auch inspirierende Inhalte, die ganzheitlich das Verständnis von Goethes Vermächtnis erweitern und den Leser einladen, sich eingehend mit dem kulturellen und literarischen Umfeld des 'genius loci' auseinanderzusetzen.

To the River

Biographies & Memoirs

An author’s walk “from source to sea along the Ouse in Sussex is a meandering, meditative delight” drawing on history, literature, and the river itself (The Guardian, UK). In To The River, author Olivia Laing embarks on a weeklong, midsummer odyssey along the banks of the River Ouse in Sussex, England, from its source near Haywards Heath to the sea, where it empties into the Channel at Newhaven. More than sixty years after Virginia Woolf drowned herself in the River Ouse, Laing still finds inspiration and guidance in the author’s abiding presence. Through cow pastures, woods, and neighborhood streets, Laing’s meandering walk occasions a profound and haunting reflection on histories both personal and cultural, and on landscapes both physical and emotional. Along the way, she explores the roles that rivers play in human lives, tracing their intricate flow through literature, mythology and folklore. Lyrical and stirring, To the River is a passionate investigation into how history resides in a landscape - and how ghosts never quite leave the places they love.“Magical…By turns lyrical, melancholic and exultant, To the River just makes you want to follow Olivia Laing all the way to the sea.”—Daily Telegraph, UK

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