- Table View
- List View
Straight Up: The insiders' guide to the world's most interesting bars and drinking experiences
by Joel Harrison Neil RidleyHow great would it be to have access to the world's experts to help you choose the coolest and most interesting bars, wherever you find yourself in the world? Well, now you do. Straight Up is a carefully curated collection of insider tips that will allow you to discover the best drinking spots around the globe.From a 10-seat basement bar in Tokyo, to classic hotel-bar glamour and a glitzy rooftop poolside bar in Milan, this book contains everything you need to drink in style, brought to you by the locals in the know.Spirits experts Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley have gathered a team of expert contributors among the world's bartending community to nose out the most interesting and characterful experiences. Throughout the book you'll also find lots of features on signature cocktails, the low-down on star bartenders, and even 'A Day Drinking in...' with the perfect city itinerary.
Straight Up Tasty
by Adam RichmanThe much anticipated first cookbook from Adam Richman, the irrepressible host of Man vs Food and NBC's Food Fighters, delivers what his fans have been waiting for: a heaping helping of over-the-top flavors with a side order of the erudite humor that is his trademark. Having eaten his way from coast to coast and around the globe, Adam Richman has learned more than a little bit about what makes food taste good. He draws on all that knowledge and his lifelong dedication to seeking out memorable flavors and eating experiences in this high octane collection of dishes that are, quite simply, straight up tasty. The more than 100 diverse, dazzling, and downright delectable recipes reflect the flavor combinations, techniques, and ingredients Adam has encountered in his nonstop travels, all translated into easy-to-use recipes perfect for the home cook, and all given a distinctive Richman spin. But Straight Up Tasty is much more than a scrapbook of Adam's culinary expeditions; it offers the perfect foodie flavor bomb for every occasion from a crowd-pleasing spread for game day to a turbocharged holiday feast. Along the way he holds forth on topics as diverse as where to encounter the nation's best burgers and why the best thing on a restaurant menu isn't always what you might think; delivers helpful advice on kitchen prep in haiku form; and recounts the history of chocolate in rhyming couplets. And did we mention Candied Bourbon Bacon? You'll find those delectable tidbits and oh so much more in Straight Up Tasty, a cookbook that could only have come from the passionate palate and irrepressible enthusiasm of America's ambassador of flavor, Adam Richman.
Straits: Beyond the Myth of Magellan
by Felipe Fernandez-ArmestoAn uncompromising study of the fictions, the failures, and the real man behind the myth of Magellan. With Straits, celebrated historian Felipe Fernández-Armesto subjects the surviving sources to the most meticulous scrutiny ever, providing a timely and engrossing biography of the real Ferdinand Magellan. The truth that Fernández-Armesto uncovers about Magellan’s life, his character, and the events of his ill-fated voyage offers up a stranger, darker, and even more compelling narrative than the fictional version that has been celebrated for half a millennium. Magellan did not attempt––much less accomplish––a journey around the globe. In his lifetime he was abhorred as a traitor, reviled as a tyrant, self-condemned to destruction, and dismissed as a failure. Straits untangles the myths that made Magellan a hero and discloses the reality of the man, probing the passions and tensions that drove him to adventure and drew him to disaster. We see the mutations of his character: pride that became arrogance, daring that became recklessness, determination that became ruthlessness, romanticism that became irresponsibility, and superficial piety that became, in adversity, irrational exaltation. As the real Magellan emerges, so do his real ambitions, focused less on circumnavigating the world or cornering the global spice market than on exploiting Filipino gold. Straits is a study in failure and the paradox of Magellan’s career, showing that renown is not always a reflection of merit but often a gift and accident of circumstance.
Strands: A Year of Discoveries on the Beach
by Jean SpracklandStrands describes a year's worth of walking on the ultimate beach: inter-tidal and constantly turning up revelations: mermaid's purses, lugworms, sea potatoes, messages in bottles, buried cars, beached whales and a perfect cup from a Cunard liner. This is a series of meditations prompted by walking on the wild estuarial beaches of Ainsdale Sands between Blackpool and Liverpool, Strands is about what is lost and buried then discovered, about all the things you find on a beach, dead or alive, about flotsam and jetsam, about mutability and transformation - about sea-change.
Strange 66: Myth, Mystery, Mayhem, and Other Weirdness on Route 66
by Michael Karl WitzelWhen you open Strange 66, take a look beyond the all-American sheen to the seedy, creepy, and just plain weird stories behind America's Mother Road. Route 66 conjures images of an innocent golden age of car travel: shiny V8s powering down hot, two-lane blacktop, sucking 20-cent-a-gallon gasoline, and periodically depositing their occupants at mom-n-pop greasy spoons, neon-lit motels, and tourist traps. But America&’s Mother Road wasn&’t all about ruddy-cheeked, summer vacationers. Route 66 and the regions it traverses have a side more seldom seen, rich with weird tales (mimetic architecture, paranormal phenomena, and even cryptozoology) to the downright sordid and seedy (murder, mistreatment, and other assorted mayhem). In Strange 66, bestselling Route 66 authority Michael Witzel explores the flip side of Route 66 to offer details on infamous Route 66 locations that once served as hideouts for the James Gang (Meramec Caverns), Bonnie and Clyde (Baxter Springs, Kansas), and Al Capone (Cicero, Illinois). There are the stories of unspeakable crimes committed along 66, such as the Stafflebeck &“murder bordello&” in Galena, Kansas, and Arizona&’s &“Orphan Maker of Route 66.&” Witzel also explores the people that passed through the region, including the Dust Bowl exodus and the Trail of Tears tribute in Jerome, Missouri. Then there are the lighter, though still strange stories, such as the Route 66 Great Transcontinental Footrace and the origins of various roadside colossi, like the Blue Whale of Catoosa and Giganticus Headicus in Walapai, Arizona. And speaking of heads, what about steak? Eat one as big as your head at the Big Texan in Amarillo—and it&’s free! All of these stories culminate in a look at Route 66 unlike any other, completely illustrated with modern and archival photography and written by an acknowledged authority on the Mother Road.
Strange and Obscure Stories of New York City: Little-Known Tales About Gotham's People and Places
by Tim RowlandUrban legends, unsolved murders, and historical oddities from the five boroughs . . . Even many native New Yorkers don’t know all the secrets of their city. This book takes you on a tour, uptown, downtown, and below ground, with fascinating stories that range from a cross-dressing governor to a celebrity-filled cemetery. Learn about the 1904 General Slocum steamboat disaster that killed over a thousand people; the man who claimed to survive a jump off the Brooklyn Bridge in 1886; the persistent rumors of alligators in the sewers; and much more—in a treasury of tales as colorful as the city itself.
Strange and Obscure Stories of Washington, DC: Little-Known Tales about Our Nation's Capital
by Tim RowlandStrange and Obscure Stories of Washington, DC is a collection of wild but true tales about our nation’s capital. Starting in the early days of the republic and reaching into modern times, the book recounts odd and humorous events that didn’t make their way into the history books. Along the way the book introduces a host of memorable characters: • Land speculators James Greenleaf and Robert Morris, whose financial shenanigans almost took down the Federal City before it was even established • Civil War madam Mary Ann Hall, who ran the city’s most upstanding brothel and died with an estate valued at $2 million • The “Treasury Girls—the first wave of female workers, hired to cut individual bills from printed sheets of cash (with scissors), who prompted a government investigation into immoral behavior in the workplace • The NSA’s secret staff of African Americans who went to work in code rooms after Harry Truman desegregated the federal workforce • The 1960s activist who drew attention to a rat problem in poor neighborhoods by shuttling them in his station wagon to the toniest parts of Georgetown Readers will also find out how a hurricane saved the city in 1812, how a demonstration of the world’s largest naval gun nearly killed the president, and about the tree at Washington Cathedral whose origins trace back to the Holy Land at the time of Joseph of Arimathea. With Strange and Obscure Stories of Washington, DC in hand, the city will never seem the same again.
Strange But True Stories from Japan
by Jack SewardStrange But True Stories from Japan is a fascinating collection of vignettes, ranging from historical to the personal. Here you will be exposed to the goings-on of Americans serving time in Japanese prisons and the many who claimed the identity of Tokyo Rose.In this eclectic and, well, strange, book you'll relive-from a distance-Kamakura's hara-kiri bloodshed and discover the surprising fate of the armless geisha, Tsuma-kichi. Seward also weaves touching memoir pieces between chapters that recount hilarious instances of fractured English and shocking-to-the-average-American Japanese cuisine. Written with an eye and ear for the theatrical and for the rhythm of Japanese life, this delightful but serious romp through modern Japan brings Seward's wide and varied cultural and military background to center stage.
Strange But True Stories from Japan
by Jack SewardStrange But True Stories from Japan is a fascinating collection of vignettes, ranging from historical to the personal. Here you will be exposed to the goings-on of Americans serving time in Japanese prisons and the many who claimed the identity of Tokyo Rose.In this eclectic and, well, strange, book you'll relive-from a distance-Kamakura's hara-kiri bloodshed and discover the surprising fate of the armless geisha, Tsuma-kichi. Seward also weaves touching memoir pieces between chapters that recount hilarious instances of fractured English and shocking-to-the-average-American Japanese cuisine. Written with an eye and ear for the theatrical and for the rhythm of Japanese life, this delightful but serious romp through modern Japan brings Seward's wide and varied cultural and military background to center stage.
The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star: Baby Ganesh Agency Book 3 (Baby Ganesh series #3)
by Vaseem KhanThe enchanting new Baby Ganesh Agency novel sees Inspector Chopra and his elephant sidekick investigating the dark side of Bollywood.Mumbai thrives on extravagant spectacles and larger-than-life characters.But even in the city of dreams, there is no guarantee of a happy ending. Rising star and incorrigible playboy Vikram Verma has disappeared, leaving his latest film in jeopardy. Hired by Verma's formidable mother to find him, Inspector Chopra and his sidekick, baby elephant Ganesha, embark on a journey deep into the world's most flamboyant movie industry.As they uncover feuding stars, failed investments and death threats, it seems that many people have a motive for wanting Verma out of the picture. And yet, as Chopra has long suspected, in Bollywood the truth is often stranger than fiction...See what everyone is saying about this brilliant read:'I am in love with this series.' Goodreads reviewer'First class read.' Amazon reviewer'I can honestly say that I struggle with 364 days of the year when I do not have a new Vaseem Khan book to read. ' Goodreads reviewer'A brilliant addition to the series' Amazon reviewer'I couldn't put it down... This is a real treasure of a book.' Goodreads reviewer
The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star: Baby Ganesh Agency Book 3 (Baby Ganesh series)
by Vaseem KhanThe enchanting new Baby Ganesh Agency novel sees Inspector Chopra and his elephant sidekick investigating the dark side of Bollywood.Mumbai thrives on extravagant spectacles and larger-than-life characters.But even in the city of dreams, there is no guarantee of a happy ending. Rising star and incorrigible playboy Vikram Verma has disappeared, leaving his latest film in jeopardy. Hired by Verma's formidable mother to find him, Inspector Chopra and his sidekick, baby elephant Ganesha, embark on a journey deep into the world's most flamboyant movie industry. As they uncover feuding stars, failed investments and death threats, it seems that many people have a motive for wanting Verma out of the picture. And yet, as Chopra has long suspected, in Bollywood the truth is often stranger than fiction...(P)2017 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Strange Harvests: The Hidden Histories of Seven Natural Objects
by Edward PosnettAn original and magical map of our world and its riches, formed of the stories of the small-scale harvests of seven natural objectsIn this beguiling book, Edward Posnett journeys to some of the most far-flung locales on the planet to bring us seven wonders of the natural world--eiderdown, vicuña fiber, sea silk, vegetable ivory, civet coffee, guano, and edible birds' nests--that promise ways of using nature without damaging it. To the rest of the world these materials are mere commodities, but to their harvesters they are imbued with myth, tradition, folklore, and ritual, and form part of a shared identity and history.Strange Harvests follows the journeys of these uncommon products from some of the most remote areas of the world to its most populated urban centers, drawing on the voices of the people and little-known communities who harvest, process, and trade them. Blending history, travel writing, and interviews, Posnett sets these human stories against our changing economic and ecological landscape. What do they tell us about capitalism, global market forces, and overharvesting? How do local microeconomies survive in a hyperconnected world? Is it possible for us to live together with different species? Strange Harvests makes us see the world with wonder, curiosity, and new concern.
The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst: Now Filmed As The Mercy
by Nicholas Tomalin Ron Hall'A masterpiece.' New Yorker'Wholly riveting, brilliantly researched.' Evening Standard'A meticulous investigation into the seeds of disaster... fascinating, uncomfortable reading.' Sunday Times In 1968, Donald Crowhurst was trying to market a nautical navigation device he had developed, and saw the Sunday Times Golden Globe round the world sailing race as the perfect opportunity to showcase his product. Few people knew that he wasn't an experienced deep-water sailor. His progress was so slow that he decided to short-cut the journey, while falsifying his location through radio messages from his supposed course.Everyone following the race thought that he was winning, and a hero's welcome awaited him at home in Britain. But on 10 July 1968, eight months after he set off, his wife was told that his boat had been discovered drifting in mid-Atlantic. Crowhurst was missing, assumed drowned, and there was much speculation that this was one of the great mysteries of the sea. In this masterpiece of investigative journalism, Nicholas Tomalin and Ron Hall reconstruct one of the greatest hoaxes of our time. From in-depth interviews with Crowhurst's family and friends and telling excerpts from his logbooks, Tomalin and Hall develop a tale of tragic self-delusion and public deception, a haunting portrait of a complex, deeply troubled man and his journey into the heart of darkness.
The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst: Now Filmed As The Mercy
by Nicholas Tomalin Ron Hall'A masterpiece.' New Yorker'Wholly riveting, brilliantly researched.' Evening Standard'A meticulous investigation into the seeds of disaster... fascinating, uncomfortable reading.' Sunday Times In 1968, Donald Crowhurst was trying to market a nautical navigation device he had developed, and saw the Sunday Times Golden Globe round the world sailing race as the perfect opportunity to showcase his product. Few people knew that he wasn't an experienced deep-water sailor. His progress was so slow that he decided to short-cut the journey, while falsifying his location through radio messages from his supposed course.Everyone following the race thought that he was winning, and a hero's welcome awaited him at home in Britain. But on 10 July 1968, eight months after he set off, his wife was told that his boat had been discovered drifting in mid-Atlantic. Crowhurst was missing, assumed drowned, and there was much speculation that this was one of the great mysteries of the sea. In this masterpiece of investigative journalism, Nicholas Tomalin and Ron Hall reconstruct one of the greatest hoaxes of our time. From in-depth interviews with Crowhurst's family and friends and telling excerpts from his logbooks, Tomalin and Hall develop a tale of tragic self-delusion and public deception, a haunting portrait of a complex, deeply troubled man and his journey into the heart of darkness.
The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst: Now Filmed As The Mercy
by Nicholas Tomalin Ron Hall'A masterpiece.' New Yorker'Wholly riveting, brilliantly researched.' Evening Standard'A meticulous investigation into the seeds of disaster... fascinating, uncomfortable reading.' Sunday Times In 1968, Donald Crowhurst was trying to market a nautical navigation device he had developed, and saw the Sunday Times Golden Globe round the world sailing race as the perfect opportunity to showcase his product. Few people knew that he wasn't an experienced deep-water sailor. His progress was so slow that he decided to short-cut the journey, while falsifying his location through radio messages from his supposed course.Everyone following the race thought that he was winning, and a hero's welcome awaited him at home in Britain. But on 10 July 1968, eight months after he set off, his wife was told that his boat had been discovered drifting in mid-Atlantic. Crowhurst was missing, assumed drowned, and there was much speculation that this was one of the great mysteries of the sea. In this masterpiece of investigative journalism, Nicholas Tomalin and Ron Hall reconstruct one of the greatest hoaxes of our time. From in-depth interviews with Crowhurst's family and friends and telling excerpts from his logbooks, Tomalin and Hall develop a tale of tragic self-delusion and public deception, a haunting portrait of a complex, deeply troubled man and his journey into the heart of darkness.(P)2016 Hodder & Stoughton
Strange South Carolina
by Sherman CarmichaelSouth Carolina is well known for beaches, barbecue and palmetto trees, but plenty of mystery lies behind the idyllic façade. Some residents once claimed to be tormented by a creature that was part lizard and part man. South of the Border is one of the more famous and unique tourist attractions in the state--complete with a giant sombrero. Lynches River is the only river in the nation that crosses under the same bridge three times. Peachtree Rock Heritage Preservation in Lexington County is home to one of the most unusual natural formations in the United States. Author Sherman Carmichael details these and more in a collection of stories that can be found only in the Palmetto State.
Strange Stones: Dispatches from East and West
by Peter HesslerFull of unforgettable figures and an unrelenting spirit of adventure, Strange Stones is a far-ranging, thought-provoking collection of Peter Hessler’s best reportage—a dazzling display of the powerful storytelling, shrewd cultural insight, and warm sense of humor that are the trademarks of his work.Over the last decade, as a staff writer for The New Yorker and the author of three books, Peter Hessler has lived in Asia and the United States, writing as both native and knowledgeable outsider in these two very different regions. This unusual perspective distinguishes Strange Stones, which showcases Hessler’s unmatched range as a storyteller. “Wild Flavor” invites readers along on a taste test between two rat restaurants in South China. One story profiles Yao Ming, basketball star and China’s most beloved export, another David Spindler, an obsessive and passionate historian of the Great Wall. In “Dr. Don,” Hessler writes movingly about a small-town pharmacist and his relationship with the people he serves.While Hessler’s subjects and locations vary, subtle but deeply important thematic links bind these pieces—the strength of local traditions, the surprising overlap between apparently opposing cultures, and the powerful lessons drawn from individuals who straddle different worlds.
Strange Tales from Virginia's Mountains: The Norton Woodbooger, The Missing Beale Treasure, The Ghost Town of Lignite and More
by Denver MichaelsExplore the mysterious side of Virginia with these strange tales of Bigfoot, buried treasure, phantom dogs, UFOs, ghosts, and more. The stunning mountains of Virginia offer spectacular views and endless outdoor activities, yet they also hold secrets. A nineteenth-century cache of gold is buried in the hills. Nine-foot giants once walked the ridges, pre-Columbian explorers built homes on isolated mountaintops and a ghost town lies deep in the Jefferson National Forest. The mountains conceal canines that walk upright, black panthers and a resurgent mountain lion population. The hide-and-seek champion of the world, Bigfoot, lurks in the dark hollows, phantom dogs pace the back roads and aggressive monkeys swing through the trees. UFOs crisscross the skies, and ghosts haunt the caverns below. Join Denver Michaels, local author and explorer of the unexplained, as he explores these mysteries and many more.
Strange Telescopes: Following the Apocalypse from Moscow to Siberia
by Daniel KalderWhen Daniel Kalder descended into the sewers of Moscow in pursuit of the mythical lost city of tramps, he didn't realize that he was embarking on a bizarre, year-long odyssey that would lead him thousands of miles across Russia to the Arctic Circle via the heart of Asia.
Strange Telescopes: Following the Apocalypse from Moscow to Siberia
by Daniel KalderThe acclaimed author of Lost Cosmonaut &“takes us into a world of exorcism, cults and oddballs&” living in Ukraine, Siberia, and the catacombs beneath Moscow (The Guardian). In Lost Cosmonaut, travel writer and anti-tourist Daniel Kalder ventured into the most distant republics of the former Soviet Union. Now Kalder is back in Russia to explore some of its strangest communities and hidden places on a year-long odyssey from Moscow to the Arctic Circle. The trek begins in the sewers of Moscow, where Kalder encounters a lost city inhabited by people known as &“the Diggers.&” After exploring the depths of this underground planet and meeting the eccentric Utopians who call it home, Kalder journeys to Ukraine, where exorcists chase down demons in the dubious afterglow of the Orange Revolution. In Siberia, he meets a man called Vissarion—a former traffic cop who is now known at the Jesus of Siberia, and to his thousands of followers, the true messiah. Salvation and damnation collide in this colorful account of a truly unique adventure that &“provides rare glimpses into the odd afterlife of a collapsed superpower&” (Publishers Weekly).
Stranger in the Desert: A Family Story
by Jordan SalamaInspired by family lore, a young writer embarks on an epic quest through the Argentine Andes in search of a heritage spanning hemispheres and centuries, from the Jewish Levant to turn-of-the-century trade routes in South AmericaOne Thanksgiving afternoon at his grandparents&’ house, Jordan Salama discovers a large binder stuffed with yellowing papers and old photographs—a five-hundred-year wandering history of his Arab-Jewish family, from Moorish Spain to Ottoman Syria to Argentina and beyond.One story in particular captures his attention: that of his great-grandfather, a Syrian-born, Arabic-speaking Jewish immigrant to Argentina who in the 1920s worked as a traveling salesman in the Andes—and may have left behind forgotten descendants along the way. Encouraged by his grandfather, Jordan goes in search of these &“Lost Salamas,&” traveling more than a thousand miles up the spine of South America&’s greatest mountain range.Combining travelog, history, memoir, and reportage, Stranger in the Desert transports readers from the lonely plains of Patagonia to the breathtaking altiplano of the high Andes; from the old Jewish quarter of Damascus to today&’s vibrant neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. It is also a fervent journey of self-discovery as Salama grapples with his own Jewish, Arab, and Latin American identities, interrogating the stories families tell themselves, and to what end.
The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit
by Michael FinkelNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The remarkable true story of a man who lived alone in the woods of Maine for 27 years, making this dream a reality—not out of anger at the world, but simply because he preferred to live on his own.&“A meditation on solitude, wildness and survival.&” —The Wall Street JournalIn 1986, a shy and intelligent twenty-year-old named Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the forest. He would not have a conversation with another human being until nearly three decades later, when he was arrested for stealing food. Living in a tent even through brutal winters, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store edibles and water, and to avoid freezing to death. He broke into nearby cottages for food, clothing, reading material, and other provisions, taking only what he needed but terrifying a community never able to solve the mysterious burglaries. Based on extensive interviews with Knight himself, this is a vividly detailed account of his secluded life—why did he leave? what did he learn?—as well as the challenges he has faced since returning to the world. It is a gripping story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude, community, and what makes a good life, and a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded.
Stranger to History: A Son's Journey through Islamic Lands
by Aatish Taseer"Indispensable reading for anyone who wants a wider understanding of the Islamic world, of its history and its politics." —Financial TimesAatish Taseer's fractured upbringing left him with many questions about his own identity. Raised by his Sikh mother in Delhi, his father, a Pakistani Muslim, remained a distant figure. Stranger to History is the story of the journey he made to try to understand what it means to be Muslim in the twenty-firstcentury. Starting from Istanbul, Islam's once greatest city, he travels to Mecca, its most holy, and then home through Iran and Pakistan. Ending in Lahore, at his estranged father's home, on the night Benazir Bhutto was killed, it is also the story of Taseer's divided family over the past fifty years. Recent events have added a coda to Stranger to History, as his father was murdered by a political assassin. A new introduction by the author reflects on how this event changes the impact of the book, and why its message is more relevant than ever.
Strangers: A brilliant thriller of heart-stopping suspense
by Dean KoontzWhat connects the nightmares of strangers...? In Strangers, Dean Koontz writes a terrifying thriller of the consequences of one fateful night in a lonely motel. Perfect for fans of Stephen King and Richard Laymon.'[Koontz] is a great storyteller, and Strangers features a plot so original you'll be reading, with chills, well into the morning' - New York Daily News A surgeon, a writer, a motel-keeper, a priest and a thief; they have nothing in common - nothing but one hot summer night at the Tranquillity Motel: a night filled with unending terror; a night when an awesome power stripped them of their memories.Now the evil is creeping back into their minds. Slowly, tauntingly, maddeningly, they are recalling the unspeakable events of that fateful moonlit evening. And as the vision of evil grows clearer, the guests of the Tranquillity Motel seek each other out. Some of them will not live to face the power head on. But some will - in a terror-packed climax unlike anything ever experienced before... What readers are saying about Strangers: 'As the story progressed, I felt the fear and exaltation experienced by Koontz' characters as the secrets of their nightmares were revealed one by one''You've just got to keep reading to find out what happens next - it is truly unputdownable''Simply put, this is the best bit of fiction I have read thus far'
Strangers in the House
by Dorothy GallagherHere are two acclaimed memoirs in one remarkable volume. In an extraordinarily compelling voice, Dorothy Gallagher tells stories taking us from her parents’ beginnings in the Ukraine to her own childhood in 1940s New York, through the many adventures of her extended family and into her own adult life. Her themes are universal: the fragility of friendship, the power of love, the marital crisis brought on by chronic illness, the role of dumb luck at the heart of life–Gallagher dramatizes her stories with acute insight, strong feeling, and edgy wit.