by Alexandra Zapruder
Abraham Zapruder didn't know when he ran home to grab his video camera on November 22, 1963 that this single spontaneous decision would change his family's life for generations to come. Originally intended as a home movie of President Kennedy's motorcade, Zapruder's film of the JFK assassination is now shown in every American history class, included in Jeopardy and Trivial Pursuit questions, and referenced in novels and films. It is the most famous example of citizen journalism, a precursor to the iconic images of our time, such as the Challenger explosion, the Rodney King beating, and the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers. But few know the complicated legacy of the film itself. Now Abraham's granddaughter, Alexandra Zapruder, is ready to tell the complete story for the first time. With the help of the Zapruder family's exclusive records, memories, and documents, Zapruder tracks the film's torturous journey through history, all while American society undergoes its own transformation, and a new media-driven consumer culture challenges traditional ideas of privacy, ownership, journalism, and knowledge. (from Amazon.com)
Under Lincoln's Hat
by James M. Cornelius and Carla Knorowski
What is the oldest artifact linked to Abraham Lincoln? What does a poem written when he was just a schoolboy say about his character? Taking its cue from The History of the World in 100 Objects, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum have selected 100 items from their extensive and rare collection that will give readers an intimate glimpse into the turning points of Lincoln’s life and presidency. From a page taken from his sum book, to the gloves Lincoln wore the night he was assassinated, these objects reveal a sense of the man and his times in a fresh and immediate way. Handsomely designed, with more than 125 photographs visually complimenting the text, Under Lincoln’s Hat will be a gorgeous book and a great gift for anyone interested in one of the most iconic figures in American history. (from Amazon.com)
by Alex George
"From the author of the "lyrical and compelling" (USA Today) novel A Good American comes a powerful story of two friends and the unintended consequences of friendship, loss, and hope. For Robert Carter, life in his coastal Maine hometown is comfortably predictable. But in 1976, on his first day of eighth grade, he meets Nathan Tilly, who changes everything. Nathan is confident, fearless, impetuous--and fascinated by kites and flying. Robert and Nathan's budding friendship is forged in the crucible of two family tragedies, and as the boys struggle to come to terms with loss, they take summer jobs at the local rundown amusement park. It's there that Nathan's boundless capacity for optimism threatens to overwhelm them both, and where they learn some harsh truths about family, desire, and revenge. Unforgettable and heart-breaking, Setting Free the Kites is a poignant and moving exploration of the pain, joy, and glories of young friendship"
The German Girl
by Armando Lucas Correa
In 1939, the transatlantic liner St. Louis set sail for Cuba with more than 900 passengers, most of them German Jewish refugees. In journalist Correa's first novel, among the passengers is 12-year-old Hannah Rosenthal, so much of a blue-eyed blonde that her photograph appears on the cover of The German Girl, a propaganda magazine. Also on board are Hannah's parents, her best friend, Leo, and Leo's father. When they reach Havana, only Hannah and her mother are allowed to disembark. Many years later, a package arrives at the home of 12-year-old Anna Rosen, who lives in New York with her mother. The contents-a copy of the magazine with Hannah's picture and a cache of photographic negatives- prove the catalyst for Anna's exploration of her own identity, and she and her mother travel to Cuba to meet Hannah, who is Anna's great-aunt. The novel loses momentum once Anna and her mother arrive in Havana, but the growing sense of peril that the Rosenthals experience in Berlin and the anxiety underlying the luxurious conditions on the St. Louis are conveyed with remarkable power.
by Mother Dolores Hart