Books listed in this issue of Braille Book Review were recently sent to cooperating libraries. The complete collection contains books by many authors on fiction and nonfiction subjects, including biographies, classics, gothics, mysteries, romances, and others. Contact your cooperating library to learn more about the wide range of books available in the collection.
To order books, contact your cooperating library.
Note: For the information of the reader, a notice may appear immediately following the book description to indicate occurrences of strong language, explicit descriptions of sex, or violence. The word "some" before any of these terms indicates an occasional or infrequent occurrence, as in "some strong language."
The Life of Timon of Athens BR 10923
by William Shakespeare
2 volumes
Early seventeenth-century play, most likely unfinished but
printed in the First Folio of 1623. It is a satire on Timon, an
extravagant Athenian nobleman, who becomes bankrupt and loses
his friends. He retires to a cave in the woods where he meets
and talks with Alcibiades, an Athenian captain in exile. Timon
discovers gold and finds some who would renew their friendship.
But he expresses his disdain for treasure and leaves an epitaph
that curses humankind. 1967.
The Last Battle BR 10973
by Cornelius Ryan
5 volumes
Recounts the last three weeks of the war against Germany in
April 1945 from the viewpoint of the Allied and German armies
locked in battle and of individual soldiers and civilians who
survived the final horrors of the siege and fall of Berlin.
Companion to A Bridge Too Far (BR 10974). 1994.
A Bridge Too Far BR 10974
by Cornelius Ryan
6 volumes
Recounts the 1944 battle of Arnhem and the daring Allied
airborne assault on Nazi-occupied Holland. The attack, which was
intended to capture a crucial bridge and end the war early,
resulted in heavy losses and a defeat for the Allies. Companion
to The Longest Day (BR 9765). Violence. 1974.
The Three Theban Plays: Antigone, Oedipus the
King, and Oedipus at Colonus BR 11058
by Sophocles
3 volumes
Plays from the fifth century B.C. In Oedipus the King, a
young man is warned by an oracle that he will kill his father
and marry his mother. Oedipus at Colonus describes how
the people of Thebes seek the return of the aged exile. In
Antigone, the new king of Thebes refuses to permit his
nephew's burial. Antigone defies his edict and suffers the
consequences. 1984.
No Time to Say Good-bye: Surviving the Suicide of a Loved One
BR 11066
by Carla Fine
2 volumes
Seven years before writing this book, the author learned that
her forty-four-year-old husband had killed himself. She relates
her experiences in dealing with her anguish, discusses the
stories of the people she met in survivor groups, and provides
comments from experts. Includes lists of related organizations,
resources, and support groups. Some violence. 1997.
Bound Feet and Western Dress BR 11093
by Pang-Mei Natasha Chang
2 volumes
The author tells the story of her great aunt, whose life
combined traditional Chinese and Western cultures. Born near
Shanghai in 1900, Chang Yu-i rebelled against having her feet
bound, but entered an arranged marriage at fifteen. Although she
bore him two sons, Yu-i's husband, poet Hsu Chih-mo, divorced
her. In China, where "a woman is nothing," Yu-i
managed to become a successful banker. 1996.
The Social Contract BR 11094
by Jean Jacques Rousseau
2 volumes
The eighteenth-century French philosopher's major work
advocating the principles of political right, which declared
that the general will is the rightful authority in matters of
controversy. 1947.
Blake BR 11182
by Peter Ackroyd
5 volumes
Life of the eighteenth-century English poet, painter, and
engraver who died in 1827. Ackroyd examines the influence of
William Blake's dissenting parents on his philosophical and
religious views. He also frames the complex and challenging body
of Blake's work, which went largely unnoticed in his lifetime,
within the great social and political changes of his era. 1995.
Paul: The Mind of the Apostle BR 11191
by A.N. Wilson
3 volumes
A portrait of Paul, the early Jewish convert to Christianity,
whose written and spoken words served to advance and popularize
the new faith. Traces his travels around the Roman Empire
spreading Christ's word and proselytizing. Discusses the
teachings set forth in Paul's epistles. 1997.
Women Who Kept the Lights: An Illustrated History of Female
Lighthouse Keepers BR 11195
by Mary Louise Clifford and J. Candace Clifford
2 volumes
Profiles of twenty-eight American women lighthouse keepers who
worked on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts as well as the Gulf of
Mexico and the Great Lakes. Most were appointed to replace
deceased husbands or fathers, and several were commended for
heroism for rescuing seamen whose ships had capsized. Includes a
number of journal entries. 1993.
The Only Way I Know BR 11217
by Cal Ripken and Mike Bryan
3 volumes
Memoir of Cal Ripken, who in 1995 broke Lou Gehrig's record of
playing 2,130 consecutive games. His feat established him as a
baseball great and earned new acclaim for his team, the
Baltimore Orioles. Traces Ripken's baseball life from Little
League to the majors, highlighting triumphs and setbacks. Also
discusses how the sport has changed over the past fifteen years.
Bestseller 1997.
Gay Rights BR 11221
by Judith C. Galas
1 volume
This history of the modern gay rights movement looks at such
topics as the struggle for family rights, discrimination in the
workplace, gays in the military, referendums and legislation,
and the impact of AIDS. Includes organizations to contact and
suggestions for further reading. For junior and senior high
readers. 1996.
Wood-Notes Wild: Walking with Thoreau BR 11222
by Henry David Thoreau
1 volume
Scenes from nature described by Thoreau on his long daily walks
during a twenty-four-year period. The selections are arranged by
season, giving sensory impressions of the woodland plants,
earth, and animals that the nineteenth-century philosopher
encountered. 1995.
A Natural History of Parenting: From Emperor Penguins to
Reluctant Ewes, a Naturalist Looks at Parenting in the Animal
World and Ours BR 11229
by Susan Allport
2 volumes
An exposition of parenting in the animal kingdom. The author
illuminates the similarities and differences between the
interaction humans have with their offspring and the maternal
and paternal tendencies of insects, fish, and other mammals.
1997.
Like Cats and Dogs BR 11232
edited by Kenneth Jernigan
1 volume
The nine stories in this collection describe typical ways in
which blind people learn to live comfortably in their
environment, emphasizing harmony and friendship with one's
surroundings, rather than misunderstanding and frustration.
Eight of the selections are written by blind people. 1997.
Wall-to-Wall Thanksgiving BR 11233
edited by Kenneth Jernigan
1 volume
Ten short stories by National Federation of the Blind members
focusing on how they have overcome difficulties they faced
growing up and how their views on these problems changed as they
grew older. The title selection tells how Barbara Pierce handled
a Thanksgiving celebration in England. 1997.
Even the Stars Look Lonesome BR 11239
by Maya Angelou
1 volume
Twenty essays on topics such as aging, fame, family, marriages,
sexuality, and Africa. In "A House Can Hurt, a Home Can
Heal," Angelou discusses how her marriage breakup was
related to her house, and the contentment she felt in her new
home. Some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 1997.
Raising a Reader: Make Your Child a Reader for Life BR
11254
by Paul Kropp
3 volumes
A parents' guide to helping children grow up reading. Explains
the parents' critical role in nurturing the young reader,
suggesting techniques for making reading an important part of a
child's life. Recommends more than 300 "must have"
book titles. 1996.
Upholding Mystery: An Anthology of Contemporary Christian
Poetry BR 11259
edited by David Impastato
3 volumes
Extensive collection of poetry featuring the work of fifteen
poets, such as Annie Dillard and Daniel Berrigan. Poems are
divided into the following sections: The Cross, Transformation,
Death, Injustice, Presence, God's Body, Fools, Wayfarers, Love,
The Dark, Grace, Praise, The Mystical Body, Sacrament, The Leap,
and Holy. 1997.
Remember Laughter: A Life of James Thurber BR 11263
by Neil A. Grauer
2 volumes
Biography of the twentieth-century American humorist best known
for his stories and cartoons featured in the New Yorker
in the 1930s and 1940s. Thurber, who published most of his
writing after the onset of blindness in the early 1940s, was
renowned for such works as My Life and Hard Times (RC
21038) and Thurber Carnival (RC 18374). Some strong
language. 1994.
Blood Rites: Origins and History of the Passions of War BR
11264
by Barbara Ehrenreich
3 volumes
The author theorizes that the origin of the human propensity for
war is linked to the fear that the earliest people had of
predators in the wild, rather than an innate aggressiveness.
1997.
In the Country of Country: People and Places in American
Music BR 11267
by Nicholas Dawidoff
4 volumes
These portraits of notable figures in American country music
include Earl Scruggs, whose innovative approach to the banjo
took the instrument beyond being a vaudeville prop, and Patsy
Cline, country's first torch singer. Also discusses Chet Atkins,
Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Harlan Howard, Emmylou Harris, Bill
Monroe, and the Louvin Brothers. Some strong language. 1997.
Snakes and Ladders: Glimpses of India BR 11269
by Gita Mehta
2 volumes
Essays depicting the contrasts and disparities in modern Indian
society. Describes a land that, during its fifty years of
independence, has become a progressive, capitalist nation yet
retains its traditional religious and cultural diversity.
Touches on politics, religion, art, and other facets of the
world's largest democracy. 1997.
Pregnant? Adoption Is an Option: Making an Adoption Plan for
a Child BR 11271
by Jeanne Warren Lindsay
2 volumes
For pregnant girls and women, married or unmarried, who feel
they are not in a position to parent their child. The author
includes excerpts from interviews with thirty-nine birthparents
to explain what's involved in open adoption and how it compares
to adoptions in the past. For junior and senior high and older
readers. 1997.
Thoughts on the East BR 11276
by Thomas Merton
1 volume
Reflections of a noted Trappist monk and writer on major
religions of the East. Defines and describes Taoism, Buddhism,
Sufism, and Hinduism. Observes principles and themes that these
religions share with their Western counterparts. Includes
introductory materials by George Woodcock. 1995.
Not Exactly What I Had in Mind: An Incurable Love Story BR
11277
by Rosemary Breslin
2 volumes
At thirty-two, New York journalist Breslin developed a serious
illness that baffled the medical community, and a couple of
years later, she fell in love with Tony Dunne. Her description
of their relationship and of her ongoing medical crisis is
peopled with famous characters including her father, columnist
Jimmy Breslin. Some strong language. 1997.
The Man Who Listens to Horses BR 11288
by Monty Roberts
3 volumes
A portrait of Monty Roberts, the horse trainer who discovered a
humane technique for taming wild horses. Appalled by traditional
methods of "breaking" horses that he witnessed in his
youth, Roberts developed a gentle procedure for
"joining-up" with a horse through a process of
man-animal communication. Bestseller 1997.
Wait till Next Year: A Memoir BR 11289
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
2 volumes
A personal history of growing up in suburban New York in the
1950s. A love of baseball permeated the author's childhood and
helped her forge a special bond with her father, who taught her
at age six to keep a scorebook for the Brooklyn Dodgers and to
relate an inning-by-inning account of the game to him at the end
of the day. Bestseller 1997.
Favre: For the Record BR 11298
by Brett Favre
2 volumes
A candid and earthy portrait of the Green Bay Packer quarterback
who led his team to victory in Super Bowl XXXI. Traces his youth
in rural Mississippi, his wild college days, his triumph over an
addiction to painkillers, and his laudable NFL career. Strong
language. Bestseller 1997.
Next section of Braille Book Review | Previous section of Braille Book Review | Braille Book Review Home Page
Go to the NLS Home Page