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For anyone interested in the intersection of feminism and politics comes this inspiring, base-on-a-true-story tale of fighting back against sexism in the labor movement, set against the backdrop of Harvard in the 1990s. As soon as courses at Harvard begin, Ana, a White female, finds herself being stalked by Aaron, a Black male classmate. Word quickly gets out to the rest of the cohortâbut not wanting to get anyone kicked out, Ana refuses to name names. With their program director insisting thereâs nothing she can do to intervene if no one will name the perpetrator, the class becomes engulfed in a campaign to protect Ana that splits the group into two camps. Some of the men join the women to fight the harassment; some of the women join the harassers. In short order, the conflict becomes a fight for power that divides along race, sex, LGBTQ, and class linesâmirroring the heartbreaking history of the labor movement, and serving as a precursor to our current political landscape. A galvanizing behind-the-scenes look at the labor movement of the 1990s, Scabmuggers is ultimately a triumphant tale of womenâs empowerment. Ana and her friends may be outnumberedâbut they wonât go down without a fight. Author: Yvonne Martinez Publication Date: September 16, 2025 -
âBravely honest. This is a moving narrative, and one that will ultimately serve a useful guide for families and their caretakers.â âPublishers Weekly âRoughâs memoir details her experience as her motherâs primary caretaker after a cancer diagnosis, with the years leading up to her motherâs death, as well as her struggle to come to terms with her passing afterward. Readers get a first-person look at how to embrace difficult people, as well as a meditation on forgiveness.â âLibrary Journal When her alcoholic and emotionally abusive motherâs health declines, Joan Rough invites her to move in with herâand for the next seven years, they both struggle to maintain their own privacy and independence. Rough longs to be the âgood daughter,â helping her narcissistic mother face the reality of her coming death. But her mom, convinced she will live forever, does everything she can to remain in control of her own life. When repressed memories of childhood abuse by her mother arise, Rough is filled with deep resentment and hatred toward the woman who birthed her. And when her mother finally dies, she is left with a plastic bag of her motherâs ashes and a diagnosis of PTSD. What will she do with them? Courageous and unflinchingly honest, Scattering Ashes is a powerful chronicle of letting go of a loved one, a painful past, and fearâa journey that will bring hope to others who grapple with the pain and repercussions of abuse. Author: Joan Z. Rough Publication Date: September 20, 2016  -
âA timely critique, and needed story. Masculinityâs measure by money is not only ludicrous, itâs getting downright dangerous.â âNomi Prins, former managing director, Goldman Sachs, and author of All the Presidentsâ Bankers: The Hidden Alliances that Drive American Power The personal is not only political, itâs also economic and sexual: as a society, weâre encouraged to view economics as objective science far removed from usâwhen in reality it has concrete and far-reaching effects on our everyday lives. In Screwnomics, Rickey Gard Diamond shares personal stories, cartoons, and easy-to-understand economic definitions in her quest to explain the unspoken assumptions of 300 years of EconoMansplainingâthe economic theory that women should always work for less, or better for free. It unpacks economic definitions, turns a men-only history on its head, and highlights female experiences and solutions. encouraging female readers to think about their own economic memoir and confront our systemâs hyper-masculine identity. In the past fifty years, the US has witnessed a major shift in economic theory, and yet few women can identify or talk about its influence in their own lives. Accessible and inspiring, Screwnomics offers female readers hope for a better, more inclusive futureâand the tools to make that hope a reality. Author: Rickey Gard Diamond Publication Date: April 3, 2018 Â -
Part culinary memoir and part travelogue, Carole Bumpus gathered this compilation of intimate interviews, conversations, stories, and traditional family recipes (cuisine pauvre) in the kitchens of French families as she traveled throughout the countryside. Travel with her through Champagne caves/wineries and historic cathedrals, local farmersâ markets, ancient pottersâ guilds, and restaurant kitchens with wood-fire ovens. Learn how to make homemade Spinach-stuffed Tortellini with Bolognaise Sauce from the Champagne region, CrĂȘpes and Watercress-stuffed Ravioli from the Lorraine, and Baekeofe and Kugelhopf from the Alsace. âGo blindâ from the family stock of Eau de Vie liqueur and be treated to tales of foraging for snails for the infamous and now extinct Escargots Festival. And, on a somber note, listen to accounts of families forced from their communities during the German occupation of WWII in the Alsace and Lorraine, only to continue to struggle for survival after finally making their way home. This book is a compilation of stories about making ends meet; about people being grateful for all they had, even when they had almost nothing; about the sharing of family jokes and laughter; and about family trials and triumphs. This book is about people savoring the life they have been given. Author: Carole Bumpus Publication Date: July 23, 2019 -
Praise for Book One of Savoring the Olde Ways: âBoth a regional history and a cooking memoir, this is even more than the sum of its parts, and a celebration of living life every moment. Francophiles, history fans, and foodies will love this book.â âBooklist Join Carole Bumpus as she continues the culinary journey of Book One in Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table, with her incomparable guide, Josiane, as they head north from Paris to Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Normandy, and Brittany, then drop into the Loire Valley before ending in the Auvergne. Sample family favorites and regional delights such as Flemish Potjevlesh, Algerian-influenced chicken tagine, moules (mussels) in cider and cream, salt-encrusted Lamb Grevin, Far BrĂȘton, and PĂątĂ© de Pomme de Terre. Enjoy the music and antics of local festivals like La Bande de Pecheur (Gang of Fisherman), Feast of St. John, and the Blessing of the Fleet. Discover the wonder of troglodyte caves, wineries, and truffle farms in the Loire Valley. Then travel to Josianeâs family home, where you, too, can discover why food and family time are considered sacred in the Auvergne. And, all along the route, witness the impact WWI and WWII on the families profiled. Even seventy-five years later, the legacy of war remainsâand yet, incredibly, the gift that each generation has handed down has been gratitude and a deep understanding of the importance of family. A compilation of personal stories, memorable moments, family secrets, and mouth-watering recipes, this French culinary travelogue is sure to find a prized place on the bookshelf of readers who love Franceâits food, its people, and its history. Author: Carole Bumpus Publication Date: August 18, 2020 -
"In her debut memoir, Meadows memorializes her daughter while deploring the state of adolescent mental health care. The bookâs power comes from the way Meadows lucidly analyzes her own story to identify larger systematic issues in mental health care for young people. The memoir also includes basic advice and resources for struggling teens and their families. An intense, moving account of raising and mourning a child with mental illness.â âKirkus Reviews Karen Meadows had a normal, happy family until depression consumed her daughter, Sadieâa struggle that ended with Sadieâs suicide at age eighteen. In Searching for Normal, Meadows shares her familyâs journey as she tries to help her daughter Sadie cope with her mental illness, expertly intertwining her own storyline with excerpts from her daughterâs diaries. The years Meadows chronicles are characterized by Sadieâs heartbreaking bouts of running away, cutting, and living with Portland street families while Karen and her husband desperately search for solutionsâtrying medication, hospitals, therapy, wilderness and residential treatment programs, and more. Ultimately, however, they find themselves the victims of the devastating shortcomings of the USâs mental health system. Including hindsight advice from Meadows, along with an extensive list of resources that she wishes someone had provided her when she was trying to help Sadie, this book will help parents of struggling teens feel less isolated and better equipped to navigate their teenagerâs mental illness. : Meadows also describes recent developments that are paving the way for better diagnoses and treatment options. Author: Karen Meadows Publication Date: November 8, 2016  -
2018 Foreword Indies Finalist in Adult NonfictionâHealth âThis book is a beautiful, raw and poignant story of the role of birthing in womenâs lives. It takes us on one womenâs journey yet it is so real that it is almost impossible to not take it to heart as partly our own.â âErica Weiss,MD, Obstetrician/Gynecologist, San Francisco, California âSo many women today donât believe that they have choices when it comes to giving birth â but Thais Derich shows us the way in her brave and beautifully written memoir. It is an important and timely story â a memoir full of heartache, resilience, and joy. My hope is that all women considering motherhood will find their way to Thais Derichâs book.â âMelissa Cistaro, author of Pieces of My Mother, a NCIBA Best Nonfiction Book of 2015 winner On the joyful day of her sonâs birth, Thais Derich never questioned going to the hospital. A week later, she walked out physically, spiritually, and emotionally injured, and fully disabused of the idea that the medical field would ever put her best interests before protocol, money, and legal concerns. The next three years of her life were spent recovering from that day, and preparing herself to do things her way when she became pregnant again. And then she did get pregnant againâand that resolve was put to the test. A universal story about betrayal and trust and the roller coaster ride in between, Second Chance illuminates the many ways in which our healthcare system is broken when it comes to helping women give birth, and gives a voice to all the mothers who have walked away from their delivery experiences wondering what the hell just happened. Author: Thais Derich Publication Date: May 9, 2017  -
2023 Nonfiction Book Awards Gold Winner 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist in Autobiography/Biography 2022 Foreword INDIES Finalist in Autobiography & MemoirâAdult Nonfiction 2022 Readersâ Favorite Book Awards Honorable Mention in Non-FictionâAutobiography 2022 IPPY Awards Bronze Winner in Autobiography IIâComing of Age/Family
âSublime writing brightens an unforgettable, harrowing personal account.ââKirkus Reviews â...a testament to the human spirit that will not be denied fulfilling its potential. Armento gives witness to the hard fact that we sometimes have to nurture ourselves and shows just how that can be done.ââSue William Silverman, author of How to Survive Death and Other Inconveniences THE STORY OF ONE GIRLâS SEARCH FOR HOPE IN AN ABUSIVE, DYSFUNCTIONAL HOME AND OF THE TEACHERS WHO EMPOWERED HER As the âSeeing Eye Girlâ for her blind, artistic, and mentally ill mother, Beverly Armento was intimately connected with and responsible for her, even though her mother physically and emotionally abused her. She was Strong Beverly at schoolâexcellent in academics and mentored by caring teachersâbut at home she was Weak Beverly, cowed by her motherâs rage and delusions.Beverly's mother regained her sight with two corneal transplants in 1950 and went on to enjoy a moment of fame as an artist, but these positive turns did nothing to stop her disintegration into her delusional world of communists, radiation, and lurking Italians. To survive, Beverly had to be resilient and hopeful that better days could be ahead. But first, she had to confront essential ethical issues about her caregiving role in her family.
In this emotional memoir, Beverly shares the coping strategies she invented to get herself through the trials of her young life, and the ways in which school and church served as refuges over the course of her journey. Breaking the psychological chains that bound her to her mother would prove to be the most difficult challenge of her lifeâand, ultimately, the most liberating one. Author: Beverly J. Armento Pub Date: July 5, 2022 -
âTruly intimate with the world, Lone is a compelling heroine that takes us on an unforgettable journey into both dark and light places of our human heart, mind and soul, helping us discover how truly powerful we are.â â Kristine Carlson, Author of Donât Sweat the Small Stuff for Women and Heartbroken Open. Seeing Red: A Womenâs Quest for Truth, Power, and the Sacred is an intimate memoir about one womanâs search for personal powerâa journey of climbing inner and outer mountains that takes her to the holy Mt. Kailas in Tibet, through a seven-year marriage, and into the arms of the fierce goddess Kali, where she discovers her powerful, feminine self. This is the story of Denmark native Lone MĂžrchâs transformationâa story of love and passion, and also a story of self-betrayal. After realizing that sheâs given up on herself, MĂžrch has to strip herself bare, lose everything sheâs held dear, and tear down everything sheâs ever built in order to reclaim her life and sense of self. Seeing Red has received the Mary Tanenbaum Literary Award for a Nonfiction work in progress and an Honorary Mention at the San Francisco Book Festival. Author: Lone MĂžrch Publication Date: October 29, 2012  -
In this wry memoir, a Harvard-educated CPA with debilitating chemical intolerance digs deep in her family history to uncover the childhood trigger for her illness. Tackling themes of truth, loss, acceptance, and empowerment, Pookie Sekmet interweaves her personal story with timely guidance on the importance of avoiding toxic chemicals in cars, consumer products, and indoor environments; overcomes family trauma and mysterious chronic health struggles with determination and humor; builds an unconventional new life; and, finally, becomes a whistleblower within a corrupt and patriarchal corporate cultureâand achieves righteous justice. Think Titus Andronicus, but with a slight woman in her mid-fifties with defiantly bad hairâwearing worn overalls and a home-sewn hemp jersey topâstanding tall among the corpses. Our society has become polarized by leaders seeking to consolidate exploitative power through the imposition of magical thinking and untruths. Through the story of her struggles and ultimate triumph, Sekmet lays bare the underlying selfishness, heedlessness, and lies of many of our political, societal, and business structures and offers a reality-based and practical path to self-protectionâand even empowerment. Author: Pookie Sekmet Publication Date: October 8, 2019 -
Join Carole Bumpus and her husband in Book Three of the Savoring the Olde Ways series as they take you on their first culinary trek through Italy, including regions of Lombardy, Tuscany, Compania, Apulia, and Lazio. Embrace unforgettable characters such as lovely guides Lisa and Margarita, who introduce you to the âtrue Italian experience.â Sup on traditional foods (cucina povera) including local tortelli, pappardelle al cinghiale (wild boar), bistecca all Fiorentina, pasta alla vongole (clams), or saltimbocca alla Romana. Sip regional wines, along with memorable digestivos like limoncello and grappa. Find yourself dancing at harvest festivals, climbing through Etruscan tombs, traipsing among Roman ruins, or bathing in ancient Roman termĂ©s (hot springs). Climb to the heights in elegant Capri on the gorgeous Amalfi Coast, or to the top of the âholiest of holiesâ at St. Peterâs Basilica. Soak up ancient and cultural history in Milan, Firenze (Florence), Amalfi, Pompeii, Lecce, and Rome. Bask in the sun and opalescent waters along the rugged coasts of the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas. And, best of all, capture a rare glimpse into the secrets of the Mediterranean psyche while sharing a good meal with new friends. It is truly the trip of a lifetime. Publication Date: April 27, 2021 Author: Carole Bumpus -
Serious Little Catholics follows Kathy Gereau, the oldest of seven children, as she grows up in the mid-â50s and â60s and makes her way through Catholic school alongside her siblings. Initially, she buys into the mysteries of faith and the litany of rules being spouted by the Sisters of Mercy. But when her fourth grade teacher tells the class that Kathyâs sweet little Protestant grandmother would never be admitted into heaven, she begins to question the rigid dogma of the church. Later, she discovers that not all boys are as goofy as her brothers and struggles with the notion that it is a womanâs responsibility to discourage men from the plague of impure thoughts. Even an innocent flirtation can sinfully lead men into a temptation they are not capable of resisting; it doesnât seem fair. Ultimately, with the help of her classmates and a few understanding teachers, she learns to laugh at the ridiculous bits of her religionâand discovers the spiritual message within. Publication Date: June 8, 2021 Author: Kathy Gereau -
The stories in Seven Sides of Self explore the various sides of oneâs personality: the storyteller, the skeptic, the survivor, the saint (or the sinner), the scholar, the seeker, and the savior. Through the lives of central characters such as Zarce Sun Deâoggo, Sister Othrosa Vella, Jarka Moosha, and Old MimsâNancy Joie Wilkie explores themes of battling strong emotions, the lengths we might go to for self-preservation and self sacrifice, the inability to accept things different, and taking responsibility for what we create in pieces that inhabit the worlds of both sci-fi and fantasy. Original and thought provoking, these are stories that will stimulate the intellect and engage the imagination. Author: Nancy Joie Wilkie Publication Date: November 5, 2019 -
Women are entering the national and international arena more than ever today, from political campaigns to corporate boards to entrepreneurship, and their success is showing. Statistics show that when women lead countries, those countries are less apt to go to war. There is also a positive correlation between the number of women on corporate boards and greater profits. Women entrepreneurs have also been shown to generate higher revenues and create more jobs than male entrepreneurs. In She Is Me, veteran journalist Lori Sokol, PhD, introduces readers to thirty-five women hailing from all walks of life who have successfully utilized qualities like compassion, empathy, introspection, and solidarity to create change and transform lives. Through interviews with women including Gloria Steinem, Billie Jean King, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Leymah Gbowee, readers will come to understand how these traits, which have long been considered soft and weak in our patriarchal culture, are actually proving more effective in transforming lives, securing our planet, and saving the world. Author: Lori Sokol Publication Date: August 11, 2020 -
A debut memoir for fans of Love Warriorâa candid account of the emotional and psychological pain of infidelity and divorce; and the journey of a lifetime that one woman took to heal. Few things can shatter our hearts like expectations. Sarah expected to live happily ever after. She expected her husband to honor his vows. She expected his military helicopter to land safely. But when the unimaginable occurred and her world unraveled so magnificently, the undoing of her expectations left her on her knees, fighting for her life. When everything we âexpectâ crumbles like ash after a fire, how do we reconcile what was lost? One courageous step at a time. Sarah packed her car, then set out to hike and camp across the country. But pain, codependence, and trauma challenged her as she moved forward. From a sailboat to a yoga studio, a therapistâs couch to a shamanâs ceremony, from selling everything and moving into a vanâon the ashes of her former expectations, Sarah rebuilt, from the inside out. She Journeys is a testament to the transformative power of healing. From darkness to light, from a marriage ended to a life reclaimed, we are reminded that it never matters how we begin. Only that we do. From wounds to wisdom, She is every woman who must find her way from heartbreak to homecoming. Author: Sarah May Publication Date: September 9, 2025 -
At fifty-four, Alenka was running out of time to follow through on a dream sheâd written down in her pocket-size Rumi book just after her first marriage crumbled. Years later, as she slowly rebuilt her life with her second husband, things started spiraling out of control. The only way she knew how to heal and connect all painful parts of her life was by riding her bike, and she didnât want to have regrets. But was she brave enough to embark on an unknown path and risk losing everything . . . perhaps even her own life? Determined to awaken her dying spirit and heal her battered body, Alenka loaded her mountain bike with 50 poundsâ worth of camping gear and set off on a 2,500-mile journey. Starting in Lake Tahoe California, she hoped to ride along the Sierra Nevada Mountain range to the tip of Mexicoâs Baja Peninsula, following remote mountain trails. Alone. What followed was an irrevocably transformational journey of love, hope, courage, and resilienceâand here, Alenka tells that story in a voice stripped of self-pity and infused with a good dose of humor. She Rides is a galvanizing wake-up call for anyone who wants to unearth and follow their own deeply buried dreamsâand reclaim their life. Pub Date: July 18, 2023 Author: Alenka Vrecek -
A schoolteacher escapes an abusive marriage and finds love on a blind date. Mary Janeâs new man, sure that riding a Harley will restore her confidence, ends up following the white lines with her through fifteen years of marriage. Traveling together, they learn to be partners, both on and off the road, until Dwayne is diagnosed with cancer. After losing her husband, Mary Jane once again must learn to live on her ownâbut sheâll never be the same again. Author: Mary Jane Black Publication Date: October 1, 2019 -
During the German occupation of the Netherlands, 1940 to 1945, all Jews were ordered to register the religion of their grandparents. The Reichskommissar appointed the young lawyer Hans Calmeyer to adjudicate âdoubtful cases.â Calmeyer used his assignment to save at least 3,700 Jews from deportation and death, dwarfing the number saved by Schindlerâs famous rescue operation. Laureen NussbaumânĂ©e Hannelore Kleinâowes her life to this brave German official. In Shedding Our Stars, she tells how Calmeyer declared her mother non-Jewish and deleted her and her family from the deportation lists, saving them from death. She goes on to interweave his story with her familyâs tale of survival, as well as with that of her boyfriend and, later, husband, Rudi Nussbaum. Since in Amsterdam the Kleins were close to the Franks, Anne Frank and her family also figure in book. Going beyond the liberation of the Netherlands to follow both Calmeyerâs and the authorâs story to the end of their lives, Shedding Our Stars is a story of courage in the darkest of times, and of the resilience of the human spirit. Author: Laureen Nussbaum Publication Date: October 1, 2019 -
2016 Foreward INDIE Awards Finalist, Science Fiction 2016 Indie Fab Finalist, Science Fiction 2017 National Indie Excellence Finalist, Regional Fiction: Southeast On Memorial Day, a series of bomb explosions shuts down major cities across the US. Her apartment in ruins, Sabine flees Washington DC and begins a grueling journey on foot that brings her to West Virginia, where she finds safety at an abandoned farmhouse with other refugees. For Sabine, family is a vague memoryâshe canât even remember her last name. Without an identity, she hidesâalthough thirty-five, she pretends to be twenty-eight, even to the refugee she falls in love with. But Sabine wants to recover her identity. Despite gangs, bombings, riots, and spreading disease, she longs to return to a family she has begun to recallâa mother, a father, and brothers. Are they alive, surviving, in hiding as she is? Do they await news, and hope to reconcile? Even in harrowing times, Sabineâs desires to belong and to be loved pull her away from shelter. Author: Lenore Gay Publication Date: August 9, 2016 Â -
2016 Indie Excellence Winner in Literary Fiction âA sensitively told exploration of layers of loss, isolation, motherhood, and marriage. Diamond knows there are no easy answers and her portrait of Sarah is drawn by a skillful, compassionate hand.â âAimee Bender, author of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and An Invisible Sign of My Own Since the death of her infant daughter, lawyer-turned-stay-at-home mom Sarah Shaw has struggled to keep it together for her two young sons and law professor husband. With her husband burying himself in his career and her friendships all having withered, she is lost in a private world of grief. Then one day walking in L.A., Sarahâs heart catches at the sight of a young homeless woman pushing a baby in a strollerâand saving them becomes her mission. An unlikely bond grows between Sarah and the mother, Josie, whose pride and strained relationship with her own mother prevent her from going home to Oakland. Through her friendship with Josie, Sarah slowly learns that those we love are never far, even in deathâand that sometimes it is the people we set out to save who save us. Shelter Us speaks to the quiet joys and anxieties of parenthood, and illuminates the place all parents know: that shadowy space between unconditional love and fear of unbearable loss. Author: Laura Diamond Publication Date: June 8, 2015 -
Kim Fairley was twenty-four when she fell in love with and married a man who was fifty-seven. Something about Vernâhis quirkiness, his humor, his devilish smileâmade her feel an immediate connection with him. She quickly became pregnant, but instead of the idyllic interlude sheâd imagined as she settled into married life and planned for their family, their love was soon tested by the ghosts of Vernâs pastâa town, a house, a family, a memory. Shooting Out the Lights is a real-life mystery that explores the challenges faced in a loving marriage, the ongoing, wrenching aftermath of gun violence and the healing that comes with confronting the past. Publication Date: July 27, 2021Â Author:Â Kim Fairley -
A powerful contemporary romance that explores the incredible healing power of love. Tess Lee is a world-famous novelist. Her inspirational books explore peopleâs innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnelâbut despite her extraordinary success, sheâs been unable to find personal happiness. Jack Miller is a federal agent working in counterterrorism. After spending decades immersed in a violent world, a residue remains. Heâs dedicated everything to his job, leaving nothing for himself. The night Tess and Jack meet, their connection is palpable. She examines the scars on his body and says, âIâve never seen anyone whose outsides match my insides.â The two embark on an epic love story, but old traumas soon rise to the surface as Jack struggles with the death of a loved one and Tess is forced to confront her childhood abuse. Can unconditional love help heal their invisible wounds? Together, will they be able to move from darkness to light? Author: Patricia Leavy Publication Date: March 18, 2025 -
An acclaimed authorâs collection of short stories for fans of genre-bending fiction, Shot blends social impact fiction and activist fiction, tackling the gun violence crisis head on. Anna argues with her mom about a school science award. Ben discovers in his seventh decade that he is Jewish. Chester searches for his little sister in a snowstorm. Dixie is pregnant with her second child. Their stories and twenty-two others read like the ABCâs of everyday life. One way or another, the challenges that bring drama to our lives work themselves out, right? Or maybe not. Sometimes the ending isnât at all what you expect. Shot is a collection of short stories about gun violence, organized as a dictionary, with a story for each letter of the alphabet. Each life is precious. And life itself is to be celebrated. Author: Jude Berman Publication Date: July 15, 2025 -
It's Berkeley in the 1960s, and all Martha Goldenthal wants is to do well at Berkeley High and plan for college. But her home life is a cauldron of kooky ideas, impossible demands, and explosive physical violence. Her father, Jules, is an iconoclast who hates academia and canât control his fists. Her mother, Willa, has made a career of victimhood and expects Martha and her siblings, Hildy and Drew, to fend for themselves. Meanwhile, Julesâs classical record store, located directly across the street from the U.C. Berkeley campus, is ground zero for riots and tear gas. Martha perseveres with the help of her best friend, who offers laughter, advice about boys, and hospitality. But when Willa and Jules divorce and Jules loses his store and livelihood, Willa goes entirely off the rails. A heartless boarding school placement, eviction from the family home, and an unlikely custody case wind up putting Martha and Drew in Jules's care. Can Martha stand up to her father to do the one thing she knows she mustâgo to college? With its running "soundtrack" of classical recordings and rock music and its vivid scenes of Berkeley at its most turbulent, Shrug is the absorbing, harrowing, and ultimately uplifting story of one young womanâs journey toward independence. Author: Lisa Braver Moss Publication Date: August 13, 2019