Share in the childhood tales of A Girl Named Zippy. Hear Kenneth Branagh read Samuel Pepys' exuberant 17th-century diary. Be transformed by the extraordinary women of Half the Sky. You'll find these and other remarkable life stories under biography and memoir.
The first full biography of Ernest Hemingway in more than fifteen years; the first to draw upon a wide array of never-before-used material; the first written by a woman, from the widely acclaimed biographer of Norman Mailer, Peggy Guggenheim, Henry Miller, and Louise Bryant. Learn More
Renowned as a printer, scientist, and diplomat, Benjamin Franklin also published more works on religious topics than any other eighteenth-century American layperson. Based on rigorous research into Franklin's voluminous correspondence, essays, and almanacs, this fresh assessment of a well-known figure unpacks the contradictions and conundrums faith presented in Franklin’s life. Learn More
On the 150th anniversary of his birth comes this monumental biography of conductor Arturo Toscanini, whose dramatic life was unparalleled among twentieth-century musicians. Learn More
by Alexandra Heminsley; read by Alexandra Heminsley
At once inspiring, hilarious, and honest, Leap In chronicles Alexandra Heminsley's endeavor to tackle a whole new element, and the ensuing challenges and joys of open water swimming. Learn More
Complete with poignant anecdotes, The Education of a Coroner provides a firsthand and fascinating glimpse into the daily life of a public servant whose work is dark and mysterious yet necessary for society to function. Learn More
It's a profound, eye-opening experience to reencounter books that you once treasured after decades apart. A clear-eyed love letter to the greatest children's books and authors from Louisa May Alcott and L. Frank Baum to Eric Carle, Dr. Seuss, Mildred D. Taylor, and E.B. White, Wild Things will bring back fond memories for readers of all ages, along with a few surprises. Learn More
Pulitzer Prize Finalist New York Times Notable Book Book Page Best of 2017
Blending memoir, journalism, and history, Notes on a Foreign Country is a moving reflection on America's place in the world. It is a powerful journey of self-discovery and revelation―a profound reckoning with what it means to be American in a moment of grave national and global turmoil. Learn More
In this David versus Goliath story (including the rescue of her own dog, Lily), Laura Schenone takes us into a complex world of impassioned people who stood up for millions of animals. Learn More
The result of twenty years of research, Gene Smith's Sink is an unprecedented look into the photographer's beguiling legacy and the subjects around him. Learn More
This authoritative biography of Patrick Henry—the underappreciated founding father best known for saying, "Give me liberty, or give me death!"—restores him and his fellow Virginians to their seminal place in the story of American independence. Learn More
As a medic and officer in Iraq, Jon Kerstetter balanced two impossibly conflicting imperatives—to heal and to kill. In Crossings, he beautifully illuminates war and survival, the fragility of the human body, and the strength of will that lies within. Learn More
Baillie Gifford Prize Shortlist Saltire Literary Awards Shortlist Kirkus Best of 2017 2018 National Book Critics Circle Awards Finalist
Border is a scintillating, immersive travel narrative that is also a shadow history of the Cold War, a sideways look at the migration crisis troubling Europe, and a deep, witchy descent into interior and exterior geographies. Learn More