Stories My Grandmother Told Me by Anastasia Hamelis by no means an ordinary story.Her fascinatingly diverse life began in Greece and included long periodsspent in her grandmotherOCOs care while her parents searched for work.Ultimately, the young family moved to the United States, but AnastasiaOCOsheart was always with her beloved grandmother. Anastasia recalls that: Hearing my grandmother describe how myparents met and how their married life was full of turbulent times gaveme a better understanding of why they made some of their decisions.Her grandmotherOCOs patience in describing lifeOCOs events . . . was betterthan any book, better than any movie. It was real and all about ourfamily. AnastasiaOCOs own telling of those lifeOCOs events is a captivatingtale, as well as a beautiful tribute to a remarkable woman."
The illuminating and deeply personal debut from Gabriela Maya Bernadett, Stories My Grandmother Told Me explores culture, race, and chosen family, set against the backdrop of the twentieth-century American Southwest. In a hilly Southern California suburb in the late twentieth century, Gabriela Maya Bernadett listens as her grandmother tells her a story. It’s the true story of Esther Small, the great-granddaughter of slaves, who became one of the few Black students to graduate from NYU in the 1940s. Having grown up in Harlem, Esther couldn’t imagine a better place to live; especially not somewhere in the American Southwest. But when she learns of a job teaching Native American children on a reservation, Esther decides to take a chance. She soon finds herself on a train to Fort Yuma, Arizona; unaware that each year, the Bureau of Indian Affairs kidnaps the native Tohono O’odham children from the reservation and forces them to be educated in the ‘ways of the White man.’ It doesn’t take long for Esther to notice how Fort Yuma parallels her own grandmother’s story as a slave in the South—the native children, constantly belittled by teachers and peers, are forced to perform manual labor for local farmers. One of two Black people in Fort Yuma, Esther feels isolated, never sure where she belongs in a community deeply divided between the White people and the Tohono O’odhams. John, the school bus driver and Tohono O’odham tribe member, is one of the only people she connects with. Friendship slowly grows into love, and together, Esther and John navigate a changing America. Seamlessly weaving in the present day with the past, Stories My Grandmother Told Me blends a woman’s memory of her life, and that woman’s granddaughter’s memories of how she heard these stories growing up. Bernadett’s captivating narrative explores themes of identity, tradition, and belonging, showing what it really means to exist in a multicultural America.
"At last! An engrossingly honest insider's tale of the part of Al Capone's life that mattered most to him, life with his wife, son, and four granddaughters. Diane Patricia Capone, the granddaughter who was with him almost every day throughout his final years, has supplemented her childhood memories with many previously unknown revelations told to her as an adult by her father and grandmother. Al's beloved wife, Mae, and with her readings in the extensive private diaries kept by her own mother, Diana Casey Capone. It is a fascinating tale, and must-reading for anyone who wishes to understand the complex life of the legendary American icon who was Al Capone." -Deirde Bair received the National Book Award among her many honors, and is the author most recently of Al Capone: His Life, Legacy, and Legend."This is an important, heartfelt story, told honestly and solidly organized around the lives of Alphonse Capons, his wife, and his direct descendants. It answers a number of major historical questions and has a credibility which readers will immediately recognize because it is written by Al Capone's granddaughter Diane. It is based on what her grandmother, Mae Capone, told her in many conversations they had over the years, and it is supported by various documents in the family's possession, other evidence (including DNA tests), and personal photos. As much as this book needed to be written, it needs to be read. It is the first of its kind - a factual account of Al Capone's personal life by one of his relatives." -John J. Binder, author of Al Capone's Beer Wars and The Chicago Outfit.For the first time, the true stories of Al Capone's private life written by his granddaughter, Diane Patricia Capone. Now living with her husband in the Sierra Foothills of North California, Diane is sharing her grandparent's story. After a lifetime of keeping quiet about their private lives, she shares about passion, betrayal, heartbreak and ultimately, hope, forgiveness and a love that never died.
From beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman, a beautiful boxed set collection of his first three charming, matchless novels that have taken the world by storm: A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, and Britt-Marie Was Here. Fredrik Backman’s novels have delighted readers with their irrepressible charm, whimsy, and warmth. Now, for the first time, all three of his novels are collected in one boxed set, making this a perfect gift for both longtime and new fans. In A Man Called Ove, an unexpected friendship forms when a young family moves next door to the neighborhood curmudgeon. In this feel-good tale of love and redemption, Backman explores the profound impact one life has on countless others. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry is the story of a young girl named Elsa who is struggling after the death of her beloved and eccentric grandmother. When she discovers a series of letters her grandmother wrote apologizing to people she had wronged, Elsa embarks on a life-changing adventure. With humor and heart, this is a story about life and death and one of the most important human rights: the right to be different. Finally, in Britt-Marie Was Here, Backman tells the “heartwarming story about a woman rediscovering herself after a personal crisis…fans of Backman will find another winner in these pages” (Publishers Weekly). When the fastidious Britt-Marie leaves her cheating husband and starts over in a small backwater town, she never expects to find herself drawn into the lives of its quirky and odd inhabitants. Most alarming of all, she’s given the impossible task of leading the supremely untalented children’s soccer team to victory. In this small town of misfits, can Britt-Marie find a place where she truly belongs?
NATIONAL BESTSELLER ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: VOGUE • FORBES • BOOKPAGE • NEW YORK POST • WIRED “I have not been as profoundly moved by a book in years.” —Jodi Picoult Even after she left home for Hollywood, Emmy-nominated TV writer Bess Kalb saved every voicemail her grandmother Bobby Bell ever left her. Bobby was a force—irrepressible, glamorous, unapologetically opinionated. Bobby doted on Bess; Bess adored Bobby. Then, at ninety, Bobby died. But in this debut memoir, Bobby is speaking to Bess once more, in a voice as passionate as it ever was in life. Recounting both family lore and family secrets, Bobby brings us four generations of indomitable women and the men who loved them. There’s Bobby’s mother, who traveled solo from Belarus to America in the 1880s to escape the pogroms, and Bess’s mother, a 1970s rebel who always fought against convention. But it was Bobby and Bess who always had the most powerful bond: Bobby her granddaughter’s fiercest supporter, giving Bess unequivocal love, even if sometimes of the toughest kind. Nobody Will Tell You This But Me marks the creation of a totally new, virtuosic form of memoir: a reconstruction of a beloved grandmother’s words and wisdom to tell her family’s story with equal parts poignancy and hilarity.
Legendary recording artist Mia X who was the first lady of multi-platinum record label No Limit Records. Has released her cookbook/memoir filled with memories from her childhood all the way through her musical career. As well as sharing some of her delicious recipes. The cookbook/memoir is an ode to her late grandmother. Who she fondly calls Mamaw. Mamaw had a big hand in raising Mia. She had a straightforward lace with raw gritty cuss words at times approach to life. Things My Grandma Told Me. Things My Grandma Showed Me will have you laughing crying quoting Mamaw and cooking.
As a young girl spends time at her grandmother's apartment, she is treated to traditional Jewish tales, including "Bavsi's Feast," "The Golden Shoes," "The Garden of Talking Flowers," and "A Phantom at the Wedding."
