Other books that might interest you

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  Celia A Slave

  Melton A. McLaurin, Jennifer L....

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  Celia was only fourteen years old when she was acquired by John Newsom, an aging widower and one of the most prosperous and respected citizens of Callaway County, Missouri. The pattern of sexual abuse that would mark their entire relationship began almost immediately. After purchasing Celia in a neighboring county, Newsom raped her on the journey back to his farm. He then established her in a small cabin near his house and visited her regularly. Over the next five years, Celia bore Newsom two children; meanwhile, she became involved with a slave named George and resolved at his insistence to end the relationship with her master. When Newsom refused, Celia one night struck him fatally with a club and disposed of his body in her fireplace. 
   
   
   
  Her act quickly discovered, Celia was brought to trial. She received a surprisingly vigorous defense from her court-appointed attorneys. Nevertheless, the court upheld the tenets of a white social order that wielded almost total control over the lives of slaves. Celia was found guilty and hanged. 
   
   
   
  Melton A. McLaurin uses Celia's story to reveal the tensions that strained the fabric of antebellum southern society. Celia's case demonstrates how one master's abuse of power over a single slave forced whites to make moral decisions about the nature of slavery.

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  Love Freddie - Freddie Mercury’s...

  Lesley-Ann Jones

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  Few people knew that Freddie Mercury kept a diary. When he died in 1991, he left behind seventeen handwritten notebooks chronicling his life and times, which he had begun to write in 1976 when Queen were at the height of their global fame. His final entry was made just weeks before his death.
  Only four of his nearest and dearest ever knew what became of those diaries. To one of them, Freddie secretly entrusted the collection just before he died. A mind-blowing read, they constitute the closest thing to a Freddie Mercury autobiography that the world will ever know.
  In 2021, this trusted individual approached the author, offering something unprecedented: complete and unrestricted access to the artist’s most intimate confessions. For three and a half years, Lesley-Ann Jones has immersed herself in Freddie’s personal revelations, crafting a narrative that will overturn everything we thought we knew about him and his legacy.
  Love, Freddie shares shocking secrets from Freddie’s childhood, lifts the lid on his deepest fears and most passionate desires, explores the inspiration behind his songwriting, revisits his closest relationships and reveals the love of his life. Here, once and for all, is Freddie Mercury’s true story.

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  In My Dreams I Dance: A story of...

  Anne Wafula Strike

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  The inspirational memoir from Paralympian and disability advocate Anne Wafula Strike, updated for 2024 
  Left partially paralysed below the rib cage by polio, Anne Wafula Strike was forced to flee her native Kenyan village, moving across the country with her family. After overcoming additional adversity, including the loss of her mother and ableist prejudice, Anne moved to the UK, where she discovered her talent for wheelchair racing. 
  The first East African to compete in her sport, representing Kenya in the 2004 Paralympics before joining Paralympics GB, Anne is now a fierce advocate for the promotion of the games around the world, and a champion of disabled rights. 
  First published in 2010, and fully updated with Anne’s passionate activism – including her campaign for more accessibility on public transport – In My Dreams I Dance is an incredibly inspiring story about why you should never let others slow you down. 
  This best-selling autobiography is a powerful narrative of personal resilience and social advocacy. It's a testament to Anne's journey from a Kenyan village to the top of the Paralympic sports world, and her tireless work for the rights of people with disabilities. 
  nan 
  HarperCollins 2024

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  Tales of a Patchwork Life - A...

  Brighid 'Biddy' McLaughlin

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  Brighid 'Biddy' McLaughlin, the acclaimed Irish journalist and storyteller, has endured unthinkable tragedy—the murder of her beloved sister Siobhan and the devastating drowning of her husband. Yet, in the face of overwhelming grief, McLaughlin refuses to be consumed by darkness. From behind the half-door of her enchanting Dalkey cottage, in exquisite and honest prose, McLaughlin reflects upon the cherished memories evoked by the objects surrounding her, carrying the reader along on a journey of grief, resilience and hope. From the delicate Madeleine tray that whispers Siobhan's name to her own folk art illustrations that dance across the pages, McLaughlin's memoir is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of storytelling to heal even the deepest wounds.
  As the late John B. Keane once remarked, 'Biddy had been a storyteller all her life. In drawings, words and painting, she has captured the tales of common and not-so-common folk caught up in the maelstrom of life.' 
  McLaughlin's memoir celebrates the people, places, and passions that sustained her: her unconventional background, her bohemian friends, her love of art and cooking, and the solace found within the walls of her cottage.
  Tales of a Patchwork Life is a must-read for anyone seeking inspiration and comfort. It offers a powerful reminder of the extraordinary strength that lies within.

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  The Struggle of Struggles

  Vera Pigee

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  From 1955 to 1975, Vera Pigee (1924–2007) put her life and livelihood on the line with grassroots efforts for social change in Mississippi, principally through her years of leadership in Coahoma County's NAACP. Known as the "Lady of Hats," coined by NAACP executive secretary Roy Wilkins, Pigee was a businesswoman, mother, and leader. Her book, The Struggle of Struggles, offers a detailed view of the daily grind of organizing for years to open the state's closed society. Fearless, forthright, and fashionable, Pigee also suffered for her efforts at the hands of white supremacists and those unwilling to accept strong women in leadership. She wrote herself into the histories, confronted misinformation, and self-published one of the first autobiographies from the era. Women like her worked, often without accolade or recognition, in their communities all over the country, but did not document their efforts in this way. 
   
   
   
  The Struggle of Struggles, originally published in 1975, spotlights the gendered and generational tensions within the civil rights movement. It outlines the complexity, frustrations, and snubs, as well as the joy and triumphs that Pigee experienced and witnessed in the quest for a fairer and more equitable nation.

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  Two Hearts One Beat

  Marcus Gunnarsen, Martinus...

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  “For twelve years, others have tried to tell our story. Others have tried to put into words how two ten-year-old twins came to be called the biggest pop phenomenon in the Nordics. Now it’s our turn.” 
  Sold-out concerts, prestigious awards and screaming fans were everyday life for Marcus and Martinus for many years, but just as they were about to embark on their first world tour, everything they had built came crashing down. As the Covid-19 pandemic spread, the twin brothers found themselves isolated in their hometown, forced to face their first major crisis. While the situation gave them a rare opportunity to live a normal life, one question gnawed at them: Would their audience welcome them back — this time as adult artists? 
  For the first time, Marcus and Martinus share the darker side of growing up in the spotlight, the crash that threatened to destroy everything they had worked for, and the challenges of finding their own voices after always being seen as one half of a duo. 
  Marcus & Martinus burst onto the international music scene in 2012 and have since continued to captivate audiences with their charismatic performances. With millions of followers worldwide and over a billion streams, the Norwegian duo has sold out arenas across Scandinavia. 
  Frida Söderlund is a journalist and author.

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