SWALLOW THE OCEAN : A MEMOIR
by Laura M. Flynn

As a child Laura Flynn had quite an imagination. She and her two sisters would play with their Little Women dolls creating adventures that would take them far away from reality.
They had to because of their mother. Sally Flynn, once a strong, vibrant woman, started to become unhinged. She analyzed dreams for messages, had rules about what her daughters should wear (she made them hideous clothing), told them what they could eat (Hunt's tomato paste, yes; Del Monte, no), forced them to stay inside, cut off from other people.
The living conditions deteriorated with mail piling up, dirty dishes covering the sink, rotten fruit sitting out, circled by flies.
The girls knew that she was sick, but didn't know that there was a technical name for the illness. Their father told them after he filed for divorce and fought for full custody: paranoid schizophrenia.
Swallow the Ocean is a captivating memoir that hits you right in the gut. The writing is absolutely beautiful.
Highly recommended.

THE ANATOMIST : A TRUE STORY OF GRAY'S ANATOMY
by Bill Hayes

Gray's Anatomy is one of the most famous books in the English language and is the only medical text that most people know by name. In the United States, it is in its thirty-ninth edition, has never gone out of print and has sold five million copies.
2008 marks the 150th anniversary of this publication.
In The Anatomist Bill Hayes writes a fascinating story of how this book came to be.
Henry Gray, a brilliant anatomist, did not leave behind any of his own scribblings. His collaborator, H.V. Carter, who drew all of the magnificent anatomical illustrations, had a dearth of letters and diaries, from which Hayes was able to richly, detail the relationship between these two men and what they brought to the world.
To better understand the human body, Hayes takes a course in classical gross anatomy and performs his own dissections. His descriptions of the adult human skeleton's bones, the muscles, the joints, etc., makes for engrossing and fun reading.
A wonderful tale by a terrific writer.

A WOLF AT THE TABLE : A MEMOIR OF MY FATHER
by Augusten Burroughs

All he ever wanted from his father was love, attention, concern and admiration. Instead, he was pushed away, ignored, not acknowledged.
In A Wolf at the Table Augusten Burroughs writes about the harrowing relationship he had with his sociopathic father. The mood swings, the rage that would erupt, the horrible fights between his parents, the psychological cruelty, threw the family into a perpetual state of terror.
The memoir is told with brutal honesty. Nothing is held back.
Augusten's story is very intense and you are swept in, emotionally.
Recommended, but cautiously.

THE SUSPICIONS OF MR. WHICHER : A SHOCKING MURDER AND THE UNDOING OF A GREAT VICTORIAN DETECTIVE
by Kate Summerscale

A murder was committed in an English manor house in 1860. The victim was a three-year-old child, who was found on the grounds in the privy, with his throat cut.
Jonathan Whicher, Scotland Yard's finest detective, was sent to investigate. He had a tremendous career solving the most heinous crimes, always able to connect the dots.
Whicher turned Road Hill House upside down questioning the inhabitants, searching for clues, digging away until he finally reached a conclusion.
Kate Summerscale's THE SUSPICIONS OF MR. WHICHER is a mesmerizing tale that keeps you in suspense.
The author includes plans of the house, photos of some of the family and investigators and a few drawings.
A great book that you just cannot put down.

AROUND THE WORLD ON TWO WHEELS : ANNIE LONDONDERRY'S EXTRAORDINARY RIDE
by Peter Zheutlin

Women did not ride bicycles in the 1890s. They were supposed to lead sedentary lives, take care of their families, not be independent.
Annie Kopchovsky changed all that. She was a "New Woman" who worked outside the home for a newspaper. After hearing of a bet, between two wealthy merchants that a woman could not ride a bicycle around the world, Annie rose to the challenge. She would earn money ($5,000) by selling advertising on her bike and clothing, lecturing about her adventures along the way, appearing at exhibitions.
In June of 1894, Annie left Boston on a 42-pound bicycle and would not return for fifteen months.
Peter Zheutlin's Around the World on Two Wheels is a delightful book on an unknown woman who took the world by storm and turned her into a legend. Zheutlin had never heard of her until he was contacted by a researcher in the 1990s and found out that he is a great-nephew of Annie. What's more, he's also an avid cyclist.
Well-researched and a great story.

THE DREAM : A MEMOIR
by Harry Bernstein

Harry Bernstein was twelve years old, when after years of letters written to relatives living in America, steamship tickets arrive and he and his family depart from England for Chicago. Their hope is to leave their abject poverty behind and make a new life for themselves. For a while they can savor little known luxuries: electricity, a telephone, new furniture and a parlor, with a piano, that Harry's mother had always promised her children.
But, soon, the Great Depression comes and everything changes.
The Dream, which is a follow-up to Bernstein's previous book The Invisible Wall (reviewed in this blog) captures the same charming style that was written before. The characters, though, are much more nuanced and what, eventually, happens to all of them, is so compelling that the reader is drawn, grippingly, in.
A truly, fabulous memoir.

THE LOST RAVIOLI RECIPES OF HOBOKEN: A SEARCH FOR FOOD AND FAMILY
by Laura Schenone

An obsession to find her great-grandmother's authentic ravioli recipe takes Laura Schenone across the ocean, from New Jersey, to Genoa. She's welcomed into the kitchens and trattorias of the elders, always questioning their methods, watching and trying to remember so that she can reproduce what she has learned.
Schenone writes about what constitutes the dough; should it be hand-rolled or go the modern way and use a pasta-making machine; what kind of cheese is used (a real surprise) ; the role of chestnuts; family feuds; the immigrant experience.
The latter part of the book has a section called "Lost and Found Recipes" which are written with precise instructions, some accompanied by pictures. There's resources for cookware, ingredients, cooking classes, culinary tours, etc.
If you want a sneak preview, check out the author's website at: www.lostravioli.com.
The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken is an absolute gem. The author seamlessly weaves her family history and food together in a fabulous memoir.
Very highly recommended.