2008 Staff Picks by Genre

Fiction

	Bender, Aimee An Invisible Sign of My Own Fiction
This novel requires more than the usual suspension of disbelief. If you haven’t read within the magical realism genre, the extreme quirks of character and plot may surprise you. One definition of magical realism includes “heightened reality in which elements of the miraculous appear while seeming natural and unforced.” An Invisible Sign of My Own offers large doses of heightened reality as well as miraculous events that defy expectations. Though the protagonist is an obsessive counter, knocker-on-wood (or paper if no wood is available), and a compulsive quitter, it’s easy to sympathize with her as she teaches math to second graders, worries about her ill father, and tries to avoid emotional encounters with the attractive male art teacher who has a few quirks of his own. Recommended by Julie, April 2008
	Brookner, Anita Leaving Home Fiction
On the surface, Leaving Home is about a woman trying to reach a decision about her future and is typical of Anita Brookner’s writing. Brookner specializes in real people, unheroic and almost insanely normal. Their outer lives may appear dull, possibly pathetic, but their inner lives are rich with observation, imagination, and projection. They turn the minor events in their lives into adventures and the major events into only temporary excursions away from their practically unassailable equilibrium. The life of the mind makes these people rich and shows up the pursuits of their more active and adventurous counterparts as being shallow and futile. Read Brookner for her character development and a break from writers that try too hard to stimulate only to exhaust or at best provide only a temporary escape. You will think about her characters long after you've finished her books as if you'd actually met them. Her people think and analyze; perhaps a habit we could all benefit from developing. Recommended by Geo, April 2008
	Crowther, Yasmin The Saffron Kitchen Fiction
A young Iranian woman, Maryam Mazar, doesn’t want the married life expected of someone from a wealthy family like her own. Her head-strong ways eventually lead to trouble, and her father forces her to leave her home following an incident with Ali, a close friend and confidante of Maryam’s who works for the family. Once she is sent away, Maryam becomes a nurse, moves to England, marries, and has her own family. When her nephew comes to live with her, Maryam's long-forgotten feelings about Iran and what happened to her so many years earlier are shaken up. Maryam is compelled to return to her Iranian village to face the unresolved issues of her past, leaving her family in England in the dark as to why she left and when she would return. Maryam eventually convinces her daughter, Sara, to join her in Iran where Sara learns what her mother endured, what she sacrificed and what she gained along the way. An interesting cast of main characters shows what life is like for the women, servants and outsiders in different cultures and settings who are virtually powerless. Recommended by Joanne, April 2008
	Fallon, Jane Getting Rid of Matthew Fiction
Getting Rid of Matthew has all the ingredients for a perfect romantic comedy film. Helen is tired of the limited time she has with her older married lover and demands that he make a choice between his wife and her. When he surprisingly chooses her, Helen soon comes to realize that a terrible mistake was made and tries to "get rid of Matthew." After turning herself into a very unattractive roommate doesn't motivate Matthew to leave, she resorts to more outlandish and comical attempts. Helen invents a second identity as Eleanor and then befriends Matthew's wife for the purpose of bringing the married couple back together. And of course she meets a wonderful guy while under her Eleanor guise, which throws even more complications into her plan. A great ending tops off this funny and touching novel. Recommended by Karen G., January 2008
	Goldstein, Jonathan Lenny Bruce is Dead: A Novel Fiction
Public Radio International’s This American Life contributing editor Jonathan Goldstein writes a fractured novel capturing snapshots of a young man mourning the death of his mother and a succession of failing relationships. Mostly written in the style of stream of consciousness, Goldstein injects occasional incisive moments of literary wisdom. Josh, the novel’s protagonist, is solitary and undoubtedly romantically awkward as the plot fluctuates between Josh struggling with his newly widowed father and impending disaster with every girl he falls in love with. Lusty, poetic and nuanced, Goldstein brilliantly forces us to grip each paragraph at a time. Recommended by Lisa, April 2008
	Levy, Andrea Fruit of the Lemon Fiction
A young woman of Jamaican descent, Faith Jackson, grows up in England. She has spent her entire life around white people, even living with white friends, and never learned anything about her heritage. Faith starts to become depressed about the racism she begins to realize is all around her, although she never seemed to notice it before. Hoping to bring her out of her depression by illuminating the family’s past, her Jamaican-born parents send her to their homeland to visit. Levy’s story about Faith and her family is heartfelt and warm and she paints each character colorfully and lovingly. As Faith learns to fit together the branches of her family tree, she sees how rich her heritage is with ancestors from all over the globe and realizes their hopes and desires are universal to all, regardless of ethnicity. The storytelling is generous and detailed. I couldn’t wait for each new character to be introduced. Recommended by Terry, March 2008
	Miller, Sue The Senator’s Wife Fiction
Newlyweds Meri and Nathan buy the house on the other side of the wall from Delia Naughton, wife of the former senator, Tom Naughton. They soon learn that Tom doesn’t actually live there, but he visits from time to time, sometimes spending the night. Delia, on the other hand, goes to Paris alone for part of the year. Intrigued by this seemingly odd marriage arrangement, Meri finds herself searching through Delia’s personal items, including letters from Tom, while she housesits for her. She feels a longing to know who Delia really is inside, as she offers very little of the details of her life to her new neighbors. What Meri learns about Tom and Delia’s marriage from those letters shocks her. How could a woman keep forgiving a man like Tom? During Delia’s next trip to Paris, Tom has a stroke, and Delia agrees to come home and take care of him despite the protests of their formidable daughter. Delia is happy now at finally having Tom as she always wanted him--hers and hers alone--despite his compromised state. But can this new arrangement really be what Delia wants? Recommended by Terry, May 2008
	Morgan, Jude Passion Fiction
There's something about Mary...Shelley, that is. See also Caroline Lamb, Augusta Byron, and Fanny Brawne, the women behind the men of Romantic poetry. Sisters, wives, lovers, and intellectual sparring partners, these women's experiences are dramatized in Morgan's tony, yet not stuffy, novel of 19th-century England. Stifled by their times and circumscribed by their passions, these women of wit and promise appear both strong and poignant when viewed through Morgan's lens. While the narrative style wobbles in places, the characters' voices are strong and distinct, with Caroline Lamb's calm, yet chilling, descriptions of her Byronic obsession taking center stage. Readers besotted with 19th-century poetry should definitely take a look; lovers of historical fiction in general will want to try it on for size, and those who like reading about women's issues and problems will find fertile ground here for discussion and debate. Recommended by Leigh Anne, January 2008
	Petterson, Per Out Stealing Horses Fiction
Out Stealing Horses is a wisp of a novel narrated by sixty-seven-year-old Trond who has recently decided to live a reclusive life. His thoughts very often return to the seminal summer of his fifteenth year when his relationship with his father and his friendships form the centerpiece of his life to come. The story is poignant and powerful, but Petterson does not allow this novel to feel sorry for itself. While the writing is simple and functional, its staggering beauty draws you so convincingly into Trond's world that you clearly experience events through his senses. This two hundred and fifty page book could easily have been much longer, but Petterson's expertise and profound talent pares down the tale to its essentials without insulting the reader by spoon-feeding each twist and turn and inviting us to capitalize on our own imaginations. This would be a great pick for book groups because the threads of discussion and interpretation are endless. Was I left wanting more? Absolutely! But I savored every minute of this gorgeously-told gem and have not stopped thinking about it since I closed the last page. Recommended by Sheila, April 2008
	Phillips, Marie Gods Behaving Badly Fiction
Oh, what fun! This original romp takes place in modern day London where the entire pantheon of Greek gods are alive and well....and bored. They are all finding it a bit difficult to cope in a world where no one believes in them and where they are reduced to taking on everyday jobs: Aphrodite is a phone sex worker, Artemis is a dog-walker, and Dionysus owns a sleazy night club. There seems to be no excitement or pleasure left in life, so they create their own by tricking and tormenting one another. Unfortunately, the gods' housekeeper and her friend become caught in the crossfire of these lightning-wielding egomaniacs. Can these mere mortals save each other and ultimately save the world? I give two thumbs up for this entertaining and clever look at the gods and their humans. Recommended by Sheila, May 2008

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Nonfiction

	Cassidy, Tina Birth: the Surprising History of How We are Born Nonfiction
To be clear, this is not your mother’s What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Tina Cassidy’s gripping and sometimes stomach-turning exploration of the history of birth is honest, unbiased, and very well-documented. She carefully takes into account many of the physical, anthropological, political, and religious issues that have influenced human birth rituals and customs through recorded history. Hideous and miraculous practices that have governed the lives of women are seldom talked about in such frank terms. From the days of women-only birthing huts, to the ousting of midwives in favor of learned male medical practitioners, to the recent trend to have births scheduled around doctors’ business hours, Cassidy’s dry wit and accessible language make this sometimes harsh topic absolutely fascinating. I would recommend this book to anyone, even those of us who don’t foresee ourselves experiencing childbirth firsthand. Recommended by Connie, January 2008
	Cramer, James J. with Cliff Mason Jim Cramer's Stay Mad For Life: Get Rich, Stay Rich (Make Your Kids Even Richer) Nonfiction
Cramer focuses on successful investment strategies that investors can take advantage of over longer periods of time. He cites specific stocks and mutual funds that he feels can be excellent long-term investments based on the previous successes of their managers. Cramer also identifies several mistakes that investors can make that could substantially impact their retirement objectives. He recalls his personal experiences as a hedge fund manager and identifies other top money managers such as Ken Heebner and Eddie Lampert and the strategies they employed to be successful. I highly recommend this title as it is a very interesting and informative read for both the novice and experienced investor. Recommended by Noufissa, March 2008
	Didion, Joan The White Album Nonfiction
Joan Didion’s White Album is not unlike the Beatles’ White Album in a number of ways. Some of the similarities are obvious. Both objects are white (the first edition of Didion’s book is white, anyway). The album was originally released in 1968; some of Didion’s pieces in her book were written in 1968. A less obvious and more interesting similarity is that Didion wrote about the 1969 Manson Family murders and Charles Manson was supposedly obsessed with the Beatles’ White Album (the misspelt song title “Healter Skelter” was written in blood at one of the Manson Family murder sites). Paranoia runs through both works, evident in the song “Happiness is a Warm Gun” or in Didion’s account of her struggles with mental illness and irrational fears. They both critique at least some of those in power, in “Piggies” and “In Hollywood”, as well as social movements. Didion’s White Album is harder to swallow, though, since it definitely does not contain any love songs. It’s worth a read, nonetheless, as a smart account of those years. I suggest reading it while listening to the Beatles' White Album for a dose of hope and emotion as counterbalance. Recommended by Jude, May 2008
	Grant, Richard God’s Middle Finger: Into the Lawless Heart of the Sierra Madre Nonfiction
This is the rollicking true adventure of a British writer with a death wish who ventures into Mexico’s Sierra Madre Mountain range and mixes it up with mafiosos, Mormons, forgotten Indian tribes, and finally murderous coke-crazed Mexican hillbillies bent on hunting him for sport. Grant finds himself in a series of precarious situations and writes a well-documented, honest look at various facets of the sociology of the Sierra and his own inability to make sense of it. Grant’s account is fascinating, hilarious and thought-provoking. This rough-and-tumble read is for those seeking a great adventure who either don’t have the guts or the vacation time to enter this forbidding land themselves. Recommended by Bonnie, May 2008
	Jenkins, Charles Robert with Jim Frederick The Reluctant Communist: My Desertion, Court-Martial, and Forty-Year Imprisonment in North Korea Nonfiction
This is the autobiography of an American soldier who defected to North Korea during the Korean War and was a prisoner of this bizarre land for 40 years. Jenkins gives a repentant account of his desertion and the description of his time there would convince anyone that he has paid his dues several times over. He lived a nightmarish existence of never being able to trust anyone and was forced to memorize propaganda, work for almost nothing, and live under the constant watch of fake "wives" and "leaders" who observed and reported every aspect of his life. Yet strangely, Jenkins' life is nowhere near as terrible as the citizens of North Korea who starve and work themselves to death in labor camps. Eventually Jenkins married Hitomi Soga, a Japanese citizen who was kidnapped from her home country by Kim Il Sung's communist regime, for the purpose of teaching Japanese to spies. After many years the U.S. discovered that Jenkins was still alive. The Japanese government confronted North Korea and Soga was returned to her home country. Recommended by Bonnie, May 2008
	Kaufman, Frederick A Short History of the American Stomach Nonfiction
Americans seem to be obsessed with dieting, health, and nutrition, while at the same time the incidence of diseases related to over-eating are increasing. I’ve been reading food history books, both old and new, searching for how we arrived at this schizoid state. A Short History addresses these questions in a new way. Though Ben Franklin and Cotton Mather are prominent characters, this is not a dusty history of food. Employing hip language and humor, Kaufman’s revelations surprise and even shock. Kaufman contends that the American Puritan practice of fasting is the clinical ancestor of anorexia nervosa, and goes on to explore our “separate-but-equal urges to stuff and starve ourselves” (as the book jacket copy puts it). He backs up his thesis with enough evidence to convince me. Recommended by Julie, May 2008
	Lydon, Susan Gordon The Knitting Sutra: Craft As A Spiritual Practice Nonfiction
Today's DIY movement is more than just a passing fad. In fact, knitting, crochet, embroidery, and other handicrafts have roots in a variety of cultures, and have been revered as a form of spiritual expression throughout history. This short, gentle exploration of the healing power of handicrafts revolves around the author's obsession with knitting, what it has taught her, how it has helped her mend (literally and figuratively), and the spiritual experiences to which it has led her. A swift, yet powerful read that will embrace you like a homemade sweater and, perhaps, inspire you to bring your own needles and thread out of hiding. Recommended by Leigh Anne, March 2008
	Siegel, Lee Against the Machine: Being Human in the Age of the Electronic Mob Nonfiction
Despite its compelling title and slew of vehement arguments, Against the Machine doesn’t really deliver. Lee Siegel, a prolific author and cultural critic, adopts the premise that all Internet interactions, whether via online marketplaces or social networking sites, equate to commercial transactions. He argues that the Internet extends capitalism into our most intimate moments, reducing all participants to “prosumers” whose leisure time is dominated by the continuous urge to create and consume further product. Also, user-generated material and its multi-media offspring blur the distinction between fact and fiction, truth and lies, art and self-expression. These combined factors, Siegel argues, compel us to “perform our privacy” in a culture increasingly homogenized by conflicting impulses to both express our individuality and market that uniqueness. Against the Machine makes an interesting and seldom-argued case, even if it is one that requires a healthy dose of skepticism, since Siegel is too dismissive of opposing views to present a balanced argument. He does an excellent job of contextualizing the Internet in pre-Internet economic, social and psychological philosophies, and of warning against the Web’s commercial agenda and tendency for commodification. Recommended by Renée, May 2008
	Sorin, Fran Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening Nonfiction
If I were categorizing this book, I’d invent the term, “garden therapy.” Sorin is a counselor who wants to help gardeners (including indoor gardeners) think about their gardening wants and needs, while understanding and accepting the limitations imposed by their garden spaces. Though the chapters include instruction on actual plant cultivation, the reason to read Digging Deep is for its lessons in creativity. Your garden is a perfect place to imagine, explore, play, work, risk, share, and celebrate. Recommended by Julie, May 2008

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Mysteries

Christie, Agatha At Bertram’s Hotel Mystery

In the past few years, many of the Agatha Christie classics have been rebound in sturdy hardcover. This makes it a perfect time to revisit the best selling fiction writer of all time, whose mystery novels have sold over two billion copies. One of the best selections is At Bertram’s Hotel, featuring Miss Jane Marple. While vacationing at a classic hotel, she notices that the staff is perhaps a little too perfect and accommodating. When a man is murdered, Miss Marple, utilizing her acute listening skills and ability to disappear in the background, helps the police uncover the truth. I read this book for the first time many years ago, but still thoroughly enjoyed it the second time through. Recommended by Karen G., May 2008

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Short Stories

	Bender, Aimee Willful Creatures
For a collection of allegorical stories whose characters rarely even have names, Willful Creatures is powerfully emotional. Bender writes the whimsical tales so fluidly that their fantastic inhabitants-like a boy with keys for fingers, a woman with potato children, and a pumpkin family-seem natural and immediate. Her language consists of stark imagery rendered into gorgeous, clever prose infused with humor and wonder. Bender groups the stories into three sections with loosely correlated themes. Part One features unlikable villains, Part Two, characters who make mistakes in surreal situations. In Part Three, protagonists confront impossible, absurdist challenges with noble resignation. Robert Coover fans will appreciate Willful Creatures, as will anyone in search of a heart-piercing bit of magical realism. "Job's Jobs," in which God systematically denies a man his every source of creative pleasure, and the closing "Hymn" are the collection's most moving highlights. Recommended by Renée, March 2008
	Eggers, Dave ed. Best American Non-Required Reading Series Short Stories
I was sooo excited to discover this series, and also sort of ticked off that no one had told me about it before. But since I’m an unusually and extremely nice person, I will let you in on it. This series is awesome. It’s awesome because each volume has such a wide variety of things to read. It has short stories in it, and non-fiction pieces, and each volume also has a graphic novel excerpt. There’s a great excerpt from Lynda Barry’s One Hundred Demons in the 2003 volume. Lynda Barry is so funny and touching. The fiction is so varied that it never bores. Also from the 2003 volume is a piece by Jonathan Safran Foer called “A Primer for the Punctuation of Heart Disease." In it, he uses a symbol like a square or maybe three periods, to represent a way that his family does or doesn’t communicate. Some silences are peaceful, some silences are heavy and angry. Some questions are really commands. His symbols beautifully illustrate the many things that happen in conversations that are wordless, how big our desire to connect with each other is, and how painful our bumbling attempts at it are. Other writers include David Sedaris, Sherman Alexie, Chuck Klosterman, J.T. Leroy, and Michelle Tea. The series starts in 2002 and a 2007 volume was just published. It’s part of the larger Best American series, and according to Houghton Mifflin, it’s now the most popular of the series. So get to it! Recommended by Jude, March 2008
	July, Miranda No One Belongs Here More Than You Short Stories
Careful. Miranda July will disarm you into feeling as attentive, sensitive and lonely as her characters. Their honest observations of daily interactions are full of humor and heart-wrenching loneliness. They narrate self-absorbed fears and longings with strangers and partners, and put themselves in beautiful, painful, absurd situations. A secretary takes a sewing class with an ulterior motive. A woman in love with Prince William cheers on Potato, a runaway dog. July's voice is so clear, natural and clever, it becomes a second internal voice. You may never recover your former defenses. Recommended by Renée, January 2008
	Pollock, Donald Ray Knockemstiff Short Stories
Knockemstiff is the kind of tiny hamlet in southern Ohio that, if you're smart, you don't stop in for food, gas, or lodging. It becomes quickly apparent in this spare, precise set of thematically linked short stories that the hell you've always feared is just a waiting room for Knockemstiff, Ohio. As noted in a recent New York Times review, Knockemstiff is a Winesburg, Ohio for the trailer park set, all accelerator and no brakes. Roll up the rugs and push the furniture to the walls, honey, 'cause this is Chuck Palahniuk territory and daddy's coming home. Recommended by Don, May 2008
	Rock, Peter The Unsettling Short Stories
I first discovered Peter Rock when I read Carnival Wolves(reviewed Sept. 2006). He reminded me then of the "grotesques" of Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio and this short story collection is also populated by the subtly awry. Rock’s stories beg the question “what if?” His characters are just lost enough to pursue ghosts of temptation. The message throughout this collection seems to be: if you don’t seek, you are never going to find. The quest is its own reward; a variation on the theme that the journey is more important than the destination. Rock doesn’t do anything crass or rude or violent, but he does keep you teetering on a brink that somehow you’ve imagined. Perhaps the title says it all. Recommended by Geo, May 2008

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Poetry

Kerouac, Jack Book of Sketches, 1952-57 Poetry

More a companion volume to Kerouac’s recently released Book of Haikus than the bottom drawer material one might expect all these years after his death, the Book of Sketches is for every Kerouac fan who loves his poetry as much as his prose. Written between 1952 and 1957 and culled by Kerouac himself from fifteen handwritten notebooks, this volume is an endless stream of imagery studded with brilliant flashes of poetry and insight that can only be described as vintage Kerouac. Recommended by Don, January 2008

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Horror

	Little, Bentley The Vanishing Horror
The Vanishing is written almost as a series of vignettes or short stories that traverse time and introduce what, at first appearance, seem to be jarringly unrelated characters, victims, and manifestations of dark and brutal forces. The individual stories are fascinating in their own right, but it is the juxtaposition of past and present, ancestors and progeny, and the karmic play of justice that makes this much more than just a scary story and a bumpy ride. Bentley Little is my new favorite horror author. Recommended by Geo, January 2008
	Matheson, Richard I am Legend Horror
Richard Matheson’s original story of a man who finds himself alone in a world overrun by the “living” dead is a misanthrope’s fantasy. The plot has been done over and over again since without improvement. Matheson’s version is so practical in its details, it is almost a how-to book for an apocalyptic event. (I found myself taking mental notes just in case I ever ended up being the “one.”) However, if you read this as a simple story of what could go horribly wrong, you will be unseated when the narrative segues into the philosophical side of what it means to be the “other.” This novel could be a truly refreshing interlude for those who need a break from the turmoil of modern life or a timely read for a world threatened by the not so unrealistic consequences of power shift. You will want to read more of Richard Matheson. Recommended by Geo, May 2008

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Graphic Novels

	Nilsen, Anders Dogs and Water Graphic Novels
On one family vacation, we ended up in the emergency room, waiting for doctors to remove a large bead from my three-year-old sister’s ear. When she emerged, hearing clearly again, she had only one explanation: “The bear did it.” We never met the imaginary bear, but we never figured out how the bead got in her ear, either. Anders Nilsen’s Dogs and Water is a little like that. Nilsen renders his landscape in sparse black and white drawings that limit details to the most suggestive elements, wildly shifting perspectives when it suits the surreal mood. Emphasizing the tone of uncertainty, he doesn’t frame his panels, so scenes blend into each other via common walls, ground, and clouds. Dogs and Water’s plot is sporadic and symbolic rather than linear. (After I finished it, I looked up “dog” and “water” in dream interpretation guides.) The hoodie-clad main character walks along a deserted road into a desert. But does he stumble into a war zone? Or is he actually drifting far from land in a boat? Or is he underwater? Wherever he is, the character has only his teddy bear—with whom he’s apparently very angry— strapped to his back pack to talk to. Apparently, the bear put him up to all this. Recommended by Renée, January 2008
	Peeters, Frederick Blue Pills: A Positive Love Story Graphic Nonfiction
This is a beautiful memoir about Fred, Cati, and L’il Wolf. And HIV. Living with HIV, medicating one’s HIV, raising an HIV-positive little boy, sexually evolving with HIV, and forgiving HIV. Peeters’ style consistently and intimately depicts everyday life for his unique family with honesty and intelligence. Cati’s big, sweet eyes and L’il Wolf’s huge, toothy smiles are just the beginnings of how the reader comes to know this lovely woman and her small child. Peeters’ dialogues with his family, friends, a doctor, and also a wooly mammoth provide insight into what it is to live and love with this disease. Recommended by Laura, April 2008

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Science Fiction

Lackey, Mercedes Reserved For the Cat Science Fiction

Ninette Dupond's father died when she was very young. In order to secure Ninette's future, her mother encouraged her to become a ballerina -- not just so that she would have a career, but in the hopes that a rich older man would become her patron. Ninette grew into a talented young woman, and her income, combined with her mother's, was just barely enough to survive on. Then Ninette's mother died, too. To make matters worse, she upstaged the prima ballerina of her company and was fired. When Thomas the cat revealed that he could speak mind-to-mind with Ninette, she was desperate enough to stake her future on his plans. Thomas managed to get them to England, but their troubles were only just beginning. Recommended by Denise, January 2008

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GBLT

Michelle Tea, Editor Baby Remember My Name: An Anthology of New Queer Girl Writing GLBT

Whether their essays, stories and comics depict a poor trailer park resident's birthday, an acid trip in San Francisco, or a gender-bending six-year-old on a bike, the contributors to Baby Remember My Name: An Anthology of New Queer Girl Writing seethe with exuberance. The collection's numerous highlights particularly include the bookends. (Both of whom have Pittsburgh connections.) In Paige McBee's "Keep Your Goals Abstract," poetic interludes of photographs transition between the character's setting and reflections on a cross-country road trip. In Beth Steidle's "Stay," body parts voice disparate opinions, narration slides from a painful breakup to an aquarium scene, and style alternates between confrontational and hallucinatory statements. Michelle Tea's own writing celebrates honesty and wildness, and her skills as a selecting editor are equally vivacious. Each piece segues gracefully to the next through common style or subject matter, and the pace rarely drags or stutters. (For further proof of Tea's editing prowess, read Without a Net: The Female Experience of Growing Up Working Class.) Recommended by Renée, April 2008

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