Publication Date: Wednesday, October 06, 2004
New & Recommended
New & Recommended
(October 06, 2004)
This month's picks from Frank Sanchez, head book buyer at Kepler's in Menlo park, include two well-written memoirs of family difficulties, the story of a soldier who became a monk, a book chronicling singer Johnny Cash's famous visit to Folsom prison, and more.
"Another Bullshit Night in Suck City" by Nick Flynn is the story of the author's reunion with his father after his mother committed suicide. Flynn, a poet and 27 at the time the story takes place, has a difficult time with his dad, an ex-con (the book's title is his father's description of his life). Powerful but painful.
"Devil in the Details: Scenes from an Obsessive Girlhood" by Jennifer Traig is a memoir of the author's childhood, during which she suffered from obsessive-compulsive behavior which went undiagnosed. She also had a religious obsession, filling the washing machine with her sneakers and barrettes at age 12 because she thought they were contaminated by pork fumes from the kitchen.
"Hell's Gate: A Soldier's Journey" by Claude Anshin Thomas begins with the author's time as a soldier in Vietnam in 1967-'68, followed by many difficult years dealing with post-traumatic stress syndrome. The book culminates with his eventual conversion to a Zen monk where he leads retreats with victims of violence.
"Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison: The Making of a Masterpiece" by Michael Streissguth revisits Jan. 13, 1968, when the singer visited the prison for a concert and the events that led up to that day. The concert resulted in one of the later singer's most famous and highly regarded albums. Cash gave more than 30 prison concerts during his career.
"Bloodsworth: The True Story of the First Death Row Inmate Exonerated by DNA" by Tim Junkin is the story of Kirk Bloodsworth who was convicted of a rape-murder that occurred in 1984. Bloodsworth, who didn't commit the crime, never gave on fighting for his freedom and was vindicated nine years later.
"Madeleine Is Sleeping" by Sarah Shun-lien Bynum is a dream-like novel and part
fairy tale about a young woman who joins a traveling gypsy circus. The book goes back and forth between illusion and reality and features unique, unusual characters.
"The Warlord's Son" by Dan Fesperman is a novel about Afghanistan in 2002 just when the United States began attacking the Taliban. The protagonist is a journalist who is being aided by a Pakistani translator, the son of a warlord, and a bond develops between the two men and the difficulties they go through together.
"Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found" by Suketu Mehta is a tour of the great city conducted by the author, one of its sons. He tells the story of the city through the people there, from gangsters to bar girls. He also revisits 1992-'93, talking with Hindus who massacred Muslims.
--Don Kazak
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