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Non-Fiction That Reads Like Fiction | 
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Ashcraft, Tami Oldham. Red Sky in Mourning. 2002 910.45 AS Newly engaged and in love with sailing , Tami and Richard are delivering a yacht from Tahiti to California when hurricane Raymond strikes. "Oh my God" are the last words Tami hears Richard speak. The next thing she knows, she's awakened in calm seas, covered in blood, with two feet of water in the cabin, both masts broken. Richard is gone. How she survives--both physically and emotionally-- is both harrowing and touching.
Blanchard, Melinda. A Trip to the Beach. 2000 972.973 BL A humorous chronicle of mishaps, at times quite poignant, takes shape as the Blanchards try to open a restaurant on the tiny Caribbean island of Anguilla. They meet face to face with pampered patrons, no electricity, and a devastating hurricane, all to the beat of "island time." At Blanchard's Table: A Trip to the Beach Cookbook (2003) is the logical follow-up to A Trip to the Beach. It is primarily a cookbook, but it also includes short humorous stories about running a restaurant in the Caribbean Islands.
Bloom, Stephen. Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America. 2000 977.7 BL When Orthodox Lubavitcher Jews move into the tiny town of Postville, Iowa, to establish a kosher meat processing business, the townspeople are less than welcoming and the Jews are openly hostile toward the Postville residents. Enter Stephen Bloom, a secular Jew, who writes a fascinating account of the increasing tension between the groups, while reflecting on his own faith and providing insight into a unique and difficult situation.
Blunt, Judy. Breaking Clean. 2002 921 B629b Judy Blunt grew up on a Montana ranch in the 1960s, an independent girl in a man's world. Her novel-like memoir of her spare-the-rod spoil-the-child upbringing, marriage after high school to an older rancher, and eventual divorce, is a vivid picture of life at the mercy of nature on the one hand and iron-clad tradition on the other. Her description of the blizzard of 1964 is absolutely unforgettable.
Bourke, Angela. The Burning of Bridget Cleary. 1999 364.1523 BO In the changing world of Ireland in 1895 the burning of Bridget Cleary is a clash between the old beliefs of folklore and the modern world. Was the burning of Bridget Cleary an attempt to rid the victim of magic? Or was it actually punishment for being childless, too independent and suspected of having an affair?
Bradley, James. Flags of Our Fathers. 2000 940.54 BR For many of us, the photo of the American flag being raised on Iwo Jima's Mount Suribachi by six U.S. Marines in 1945 remains an indelible image of World War II. The authors take us behind-the-scenes of the photograph, exploring the lives of each of the six flagbearers, one of whom was Bradley's father. This is a very personal story of heroes, and the reality they faced upon their return home from the war.
Bragg, Rick. All Over but the Shoutin'. 1998 921 B7312b Rick Bragg grew up dirt-poor in Alabama with two brothers, a drunken father who was mostly absent, and a dedicated mother who picked cotton and took in laundry to support her sons. A heartfelt tribute to her, his book is full of funny and sad stories of his childhood and his rise to become a Pulitzer-Prize winning reporter for the New York Times.
Burnett, D. Graham. A Trial by Jury. 2001 345.7471 BU A Princeton University professor writes a you-are-there account of a murder trial in which he served as foreman of the jury. As the twelve jurors fight their way to a verdict, they come to understand the crucial difference between justice and the law, and what they learn changes their attitude toward criminal justice.
Carhart, Thad. The Piano Shop on the Left Bank. 2001 768.2 CA Thad Carhart steps through the doors of a mysterious Paris storefront to discover a backroom of pianos, all waiting to be repaired, reassembled and delivered to the perfect owner. As Carhart chooses a piano for himself, he rediscovers his passion for the piano. A bit of history and a love of music combine perfectly with the charming sights and sounds of Paris.
Chapman, Fern. Motherland: Beyond the Holocaust: A Mother-Daughter Journey to Reclaim the Past. 2000 943.33 CH The author of this riveting memoir grew up in a home where the past was not discussed. She did not know that her mother had survived the Holocaust when her parents sent her as a child to live with relatives in Chicago. In Motherland, mother and daughter travel back to Germany. Their story is one of exploration, understanding and ultimately, forgiveness.
Ellis, Joseph. Founding Brothers. 2000 973.4 EL Ellis focuses on six crucial moments in the life of the new nation and the men who played a huge part in creating it; John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and George Washington. This detailed and compelling narrative shows us the public and private personas of our nation's first leaders.
Fraser, laura. An Italian Affair. 2001 921 F863f Stunned when her husband of barely a year left her for his high school sweetheart, Laura Fraser fled to Italy to recover. On the island of Ischia she met a sophisticated, married Parisian art professor. Their subsequent meetings in a variety of sumptuous locations from London to Marrakech form the basis of this globetrotting love story.
Gawande, Atul. Complications: a Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science. 2002 617 GA What is the view from the other side of the stethoscope? A surgical resident does a wonderful job of describing the high-stakes pressure of being a doctor-in-training. We learn what it's like to wield the scalpel the first time, what makes a good doctor, and what makes a good doctor go bad.
Graham, Katharine. Personal History. 1997 070.92 GR In this Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir Katharine Graham, former publisher, president and chairperson of The Washington Post, candidly shares her struggles and her triumphs, ranging from battling her husband's inner demons, to presiding over the controversial coverage of the Watergate scandal in the 1970s. A very readable, personal story.
Haddock, Doris. Granny D. 2001 917.3 HA Nearing age 90, Doris Haddock set off on a walk across the U.S. to draw attention to campaign finance reform. Don't worry if you don't care very much about the issue. Her story is an inspiring chronicle of the people she met and the hardships she overcame. Starting out in the desert, she writes, "There is an urge to just walk into the desert, away from the road, and be done with it. There is also an urge to have some ice cream with chocolate sauce. Life is what we patch together between those competing desires."
Hallahan, William. The Day the American Revolution Began. 2000 973.3 HA This fast moving story travels with the Express Riders as they alert the colonials to the approaching British army. Eyewitness accounts of the Battle of Lexington and Concord and short bursts of narrative evoke the emotional turmoil and the thuggery, media wars and terror at the start of the revolution.
Hessler, Peter. River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze. 2001 915.138 HE As a Peace corps volunteer in the isolated Chinese town of Fuling, Hessler teaches English at a small college. He closely observes local life, first through the eyes of his students and then, as his language skills improve, from a wider perspective. As his understanding of Chinese ways increases, he moves from isolated outsider to moments of honesty and friendship.
Hillenbrand, Laura.. Seabiscuit: an American Legend. 2001 798.4 HI This is the story of a homely, Depression-era racehorse that captured the public's imagination and heart as he competed to be best in the land. Hillenbrand's entrancing tale of the horse, his trainers and jockeys, and the conditions they inhabited has something for everyone: drama, adventure, suspense, and history.
Horwitz, Tony. Blue Latitudes. 2002 910.92 HO Tony Horwitz endured all sorts of discomfort while retracing the routes of Captain James Cook's three great voyages of discovery. In this funny and thought-provoking account, Horwitz takes readers along on his travels to remote parts of the world to find out what the inhabitants think about the impact the British explorer had on their ancestors' lives.
Huchthausen, Peter. October Fury. 2002 973.922 HU During the Cuban Missile Crisis Huchthausen served as a junior officer aboard a Navy destroyer. Combining U.S. officers' first-hand experiences with those of many of the Soviet officers they opposed, he tells the tense tale of the naval showdown in the Caribbean—one in which U.S. forces hunted Soviet submarines armed with nuclear-tipped torpedoes.
Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. 1996 High School Collection KR pb Teen Room The emaciated body of Chris McCandless, a 24-year-old native of Virginia was found in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness in September 1992. How did he die? Krakauer, the author of Into Thin Air, pieces together McCandless' haunting story from the observations of those who met the young college graduate on his doomed adventure in the wild
Larson, Erik. Devil in the White City. 2003 364.1523 LA Murder and madness make for great fiction and for even more fascinating true stories. Set in turn-of-the-century Chicago, Devil in the White City tells the story of the building of Chicago's 1893 Colombian Exposition, and the grisly tale of H. H. Holmes, the serial killer who preyed upon young women drawn to life in the big city.
Lauck, Jennifer. Blackbird: A Childhood Lost and Found. 2000 921 L369L Jennifer Lauck conveys the perceptions, thoughts, and emotions of a frightened child with conviction and immediacy in her remarkable memoir of the six years during which both of her parents died. It is a journey which Jennifer survived through utter determination. (DH)
Levy, Adrian. Stone of Heaven: Unearthing the Secret History of Imperial Jade. 2001 553.8 LE Investigative reporters Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark risked their lives to visit the remote valley in Burma where jade is still being mined. Their story interweaves a shocking expose of the working conditions of jade miners today with the secrets and myths surrounding the history of this precious stone.
Macintyre, Ben. The Englishman's Daughter: A True Story of Love and Betrayal in World War I. 2001 940.4 MA A small band of British soldiers successfully hid in a tiny French village from 1914 to 1916 thanks to their own cunning and the aid of local villagers. Eventually, though, someone turned them in to the German occupiers. Ben Macintyre's book is a fascinating attempt to solve the mystery of who betrayed them and why.
McBride, James. The Color of Water. 1996 920 McB McBride is one of 12 black children who were raised by their widowed Jewish mother in the dangerous housing projects of mid-20th-century New York. In his compelling and inspirational memoir, McBride focuses on the issue of race in his life, and how his mother, through sheer strength of will, raised all of her children to graduate from college.
Montgomery, Sy. Search for the Golden Moon Bear. 2002 599.74446 MO Journalist Montgomery and Gary J. Galbreath, professor of evolutionary biology at Northwestern University, embark on an expedition to find out if the elusive golden moon bears of Southeast Asia are a rare "color phase" or a new species. Their search is severely hampered by the ravages of war in Laos, but they encounter many heroic people trying to save these unique creatures.
Nelson, Craig. The First Heroes: The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raid-America's First World War II Victory. 2002 940.54 NE In a daring counter to Pearl Harbor, sixteen medium bombers fly a one-way trip from the deck of an aircraft carrier to target Tokyo. Then, attempting to reach unoccupied China, most of the planes crash into Japanese territory. First Heroes dramatically recounts the mission and its aft ermath, as friendly Chinese help some survivors while others suffer years of captivity.
Philbrick, Nathaniel. In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. 2000 910.452 PH Herman Melville based the classic sea-faring tale, Moby Dick, on the real-life sinking of the Whaleship Essex in 1820 after it was attacked by an enormous sperm whale. Philbrick combines the first-hand accounts of the ship's first mate and its cabin boy, along with history of the whaling industry, to weave this riveting and vivid story of survival at sea.
Reichl, Ruth. Comfort Me with Apples: More Adventures at the Table. 2001 921 R2713rei In this sequel to Tender at the Bone, Ruth Reichl recounts her years as a food critic for the Los Angeles Times, including her marriages, travels (notably to Paris, China and Thailand), and encounters with celebrities such as Wolfgang Puck and MFK Fisher. Her gustatory and romantic adventures are presented in sensual detail and recipes are included.
Reichl, Ruth. Tender at the Bone: Overcoming Obstacles by Learning to Cook Well. 1998 921 R2713r , Ruth. . 1998. 282 p.
Gourmet Magazine editor and former New York Times restaurant critic Ruth Reichl writes with engaging immediacy and infectious humor of the memorable characters who shaped her life. Her descriptions of food preparation, from early disasters to later triumphs, are so vivid the reader can almost taste the results. Recipes abound.
Ryan, Terry. The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio. 2001 921 R953r Terry Ryan's biography of her mother Evelyn could have been grim--after all, Evelyn had an alcoholic husband and ten children to feed in the 1950s, when women were expected to be nothing other than housewives. But Ryan's book is instead a heartwarming tribute to her mother's resourcefulness at supporting the family through winning jingle-writing contests. The antics of the children and their pets are laugh-out-loud funny.
Schiller, Lawrence. Cape May Court House. 2002 364.1523 SCH The airbags are blamed when Tracy Thomas is killed in an automobile accident and Eric Thomas files a wrongful death suit against Ford Motor Company. The story develops into a page-turning, real-life whodunit as accusations of an extramarital affair, a sudden spending spree and frequent unexplained trips cast doubt on Eric's story.
Sides, Hampton. Ghost Soldiers. 2001 940.54 SI This book is all about heroes, a riveting, detailed account of a few specially selected troops from the elite 6th Army's Ranger Battalion. Their mission? To rescue 513 U.S. and British prisoners-of-war who were in hell -- a prison camp named Cabanatuan in the Philippines during WWII. The story proves the resilience of the human spirit in times of horror.
Smith, Bob Hamle. Hamlet's Dresser. 2002 921 SM525 Bob Smith's fascinating memoir interweaves growing up with a beloved, profoundly disabled sister, his recent work sharing his love of Shakespeare with senior citizens, and his years as a young man working as a dresser for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Katharine Hepburn, Jessica Tandy, Bert Lahr and other familiar figures co-star as he gives the reader an intimate picture of life behind the scenes at the festival.
Stewart, James. Blind Eye: How the Medical Establishment Let a Doctor Get Away with Murder. 1999 364.1523 ST Blind Eye is a truly scary story about Dr. Michael Swango, nicknamed "Dr. Death," who committed murders yet continued practicing medicine, slipping through the cracks of the system. The book reads like a thriller as it delves into Swango's psyche while recounting the chilling story of his killing spree and failure of authorities to catch up to him.
Terzani, Tizian. A Fortune Teller Told Me. 2001 915 TE Terzani, a journalist based in Asia, was told in 1976 by a Hong Kong fortune-teller not to fly during 1993. During that fateful year his earth-bound wanderings gave him a new per- spective on the countries he visited. Then on March 20, 1993, the Hong Kong prophecy came back to haunt him.
Theroux, Paul. Dark Star Safari : Overland from Cairo to Cape Town. 2003 916 SH As a young man in the 1960s Theroux came of age in Africa, serving in the Peace Corps and later as an English teacher. Decades later, as he travels the length of the continent using only locally available transportation, he finds an Africa very different from the one seen in wildlife safaris and tourist centers—an Africa often painfully different from that of his youth.
Thorpe, Nick. Eight Men and a Duck: An Improbable Voyage by Reed Boat to Easter Island. 2002 910.4 TH Journalist Nick Thorpe joined a crew determined to sail from Chile to Easter Island in a small, slowly sinking reed boat. The ineptitude of the crew reduced the attempt to a comedy of errors, made worse by food shortages, personality clashes and a vicious storm. Read Thorpe's book to find out if they triumphed against the odds.
Van Tighem, Patricia. The Bear's Embrace: A Study of Survival. 2001 616.852 VA Hiking in the Canadian Rockies, Patricia Tighem and her husband are savagely attacked by a grizzly bear. Trained as a nurse, Van Tighem endures multiple reconstructive surgeries. Her disfigurement is a personal and professional ordeal. She worries that it will cause employers to doubt her abilities. "What I see isn't even me." Her achingly honest account of despondence and ultimate recovery leaves the reader amazed at the strength of the human spirit.
Winchester, Simon. The Map that Changed the World. 2001 550 WI Brilliance, plagiarism, and debt are the engines that move this story. William Smith was a self-taught country boy who mapped the geology of the earth. George Belles Greenough, president of the Geology Society, plagiarized the map and deliberately discredited Smith's version of the map, relegating Smith to bankruptcy, debtor's prison, and a long struggle for vindication.
Worrall, Simon. The Poet and the Murderer. 2002 364.163 WO , Simon. . 2002. 263 p.
Follow Simon Worrall as he unravels the mystery of a forged Emily Dickinson poem that appears so authentic that it fools the experts at Sotheby's. The skills of master forger, Mark Hofmann, don't stop at Emily Dickinson. He skillfully replicates writing by George Washington, Daniel Boone, and others. His forgery of the Salamander letter, a document that could rock the Mormon Church to its foundations, would lead to murder.
Created 07/01/06 by Nancy Wagner
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