Biography Girls

All I ever wanted was to be normal. But when I was diagnosed with a horrible disease, my life became filled with insurmountable challenges far from normal. Terrified I wouldn’t have a life worth living, I went to an academy where everything changed for me. I was exhilarated to discover my life was just beginning. Living without my parents and dealing with my disease alone scared me. But after making friends, my temporary home was better than I could have imagined

Patti Eddington always knew she was adopted, and her beloved parents seemed amenable enough to questions—but she never wanted to hurt them by expressing curiosity, so she didn't. The story of her mother cutting off and dying her hair when she was a toddler? She thought it was eccentric and funny, nothing more. When she discovered at fifteen that her birthday wasn't actually her birthday? She believed it when her mother said she'd changed it to protect her from the "nosy old biddies" who might try to discover her identity.

When Sacagawea's son asks her about her life, she isn't sure where to begin. Does she start with her birth as a Shoshoni? Her kidnapping by an enemy tribe at age 11? Or her role as the famous guide for the Lewis and Clark expedition? She's seen and experienced more in her young life than most people ever will. Told from Sacagawea's point of view, this historical novel shares the ordeals of her youth along with the memory of her long, arduous journey west with Lewis and Clark.

From the suburbs of Leeds to the streets of Sydney, from the queer clubs of London to a quiet life by the sea, through love, family, friendship and heartache, join Roxy Bourdillon on a journey to work out exactly who she is. What a Girl Wants is the perfect listen for anyone who’s searched for their place in the world, for anyone who’s ever been catcalled, anyone who's despaired about their body, fallen in love, had their heart broken and found friends who can put it back together.

Picking up where he left off at the end of his widely praised debut memoir, One of These Things First, Gaines recounts his hilarious, sometimes poignant attempt to forge a writing career and a successful love life in the gay world of the 1970s. He has limited success until he falls in love with an older woman dying of cancer.

In sixteen essays published over the past decade, acclaimed novelist Elisa Albert considers everything from the creative process to reproductive justice, ambition to Ani DiFranco, Judaism to the ethos of punk, all in the midst of making a home in the strange city of Albany, New York.

A memoir of a woman traveling musician from the chronic illness and death of her partner in music and life, Shannon returns to the beginning of her life and natural musical talent. She takes us on this compelling journey from how it all started, where her life headed from the early days to sex, drugs, love, and rock and roll which was always all around her.

The summer of 1939 turned out to be the last summer of author Lucy Lipiner's childhood. On September 1, when she was six years old, her parents roused Lucy and her older sister from their beds, and with other relatives in tow fled their town of Sucha and the invasion by Nazi Germany.

Twice: The Story of K-Pop’s Greatest Girl Group tells the amazing story behind one of the most loved groups of our time. Covering their triumphs and setbacks, the making of everyone’s favourite tracks - including ‘Like Ooh-Aah’, ‘Cheer Up’ and ‘Likey’ - and their unique sense of style, this in-depth, unofficial guide is perfect for any Twice fan.

In May 1972, Liese Greensfelder arrived in the small Norwegian town of Øystese to startling news: Johannes, the farmer who hired her for the summer, had just been hospitalized after a stroke. Could she please watch over his place for a month or so, until he got back on his feet? Twenty years old and with no farming experience, Liese was dropped off the next day at a centuries-old mountain farm at the end of a dirt road high above the magnificent Hardanger Fjord—with 115 sheep, two cows, one calf, a draft horse, and a Norwegian herding dog to care for.

The 1970s saw women coming into their own, working hard to create new roles at home and in sports, culture, politics, and business. It was also the start of the “fitness revolution.” At this unique intersection of feminism and athleticism, Lisa Lindahl’s game-changing entrepreneurial journey began.

Brian Belovitch has the rare distinction of coming out three times: first as a queer teenager; second as a glamorous transgender woman named Tish, and later, Natalia Gervais; and finally as an HIV-positive gay man surviving the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. From growing up in a barely-working-class first-generation immigrant family in Fall River, Massachusetts, to spinning across the disco dance floor of Studio 54 in New York City, Brian escaped many near-death experiences. Trans Figured chronicles a life lived on the edge with an unforgettable cast of characters.

Maeve Higgins was a best-selling memoirist and comedian in her native Ireland when, at the grand old age of 31, she left the only home she’d ever known in search of something more. Like many women in their early 30s, she both was and was not the adult she wanted to be. At once smart, curious, and humane, Maeve in America is the story of how Maeve found herself, literally and figuratively, in New York City.

Jenny’s dad “Grizz” was as large as his boisterous laugh and hailed as his daughter’s hero. High on acid, the father of four girls turned violent, triggering fear and unspeakable misery that sent the girls running. Jenny’s mom was an authentic 70's hippy who grew up on the streets and in the system. She worked her fingers to the bone to keep her family together, but the odds were against her. The idea of her girls living the same life she had lived, sent her mental health spiraling.

Hamburg, 1943. Die junge Petra muss aus dem vom Zweiten Weltkrieg gezeichneten Deutschland fliehen. Auf sich allein gestellt, gelingt es ihr allen Widrigkeiten zum Trotz, sich ein neues Leben in Amerika aufzubauen. Von Selbstzweifeln geplagt tritt sie den Ambition Girls bei, einer Gruppe von Hoffnungsträgerinnen für US-Soldaten. Unter großem Druck wächst Petra über sich hinaus. Mit ihrer neugewonnenen Kraft setzt sie sich für Minderheiten im vom Rassentrennung geprägten Amerika ein. Als sie schließlich für eine Sondermission ausgewählt wird, erlebt sie die Schrecken des Krieges hautnah.

Like the script of a riveting Hollywood Western and nearly forgotten for over 130 years, the Meeks Family Tragedy of 1894 is one of the most heartbreaking stories in the history of America. From bank fraud, bribery, “blind tiger” saloons and cheating at cards, to poisoning, insurance fraud, Mickey Finns, murder and more, this is a fascinating look at the treacherous Taylor Boys.

Revealing a startlingly accomplished voice, Evanna uses her book to delve into the very heart of a woman's relationship with her own body. Unwilling to let the darkness of her eating disorder eclipse her dreams, but afraid to fully release the certainty and safety of self-destruction, Evanna explores the pivotal moments and choices in her life that led her down the path of creativity and dreaming and away from the empty pursuit of perfection, and reaches towards acceptance of the wild, sensual and unpredictable reality of womanhood.

Despite being rejected by the Marines in 1972, Effin G kept his ambition and discipline. He was ultimately recruited by a private army in 1975 and participated in his first mission in 1976. This is a riveting story of how a young man uses the power of music, especially the music of The Grateful Dead, to help him through an amazing military adventure. The real characters show how a diverse group of Vietnam Era soldiers come together for an important cause: The War on Drugs.

Two years ago, Margaret left her Arctic home for the outsiders’ school. Now she has returned and can barely contain her excitement as she rushes toward her waiting family - but her mother stands still as a stone. This strange, skinny child, with her hair cropped short, can’t be her daughter. “Not my girl!” she says angrily. Margaret’s years at school have changed her. Now 10 years old, she has forgotten her language and the skills to hunt and fish. She can’t even stomach her mother’s food. Her only comfort is in the books she learned to read at school.

Life of the Party Girl is a raw and inspiring debut memoir of a top wedding planner reflecting on the moments that define us as human beings, both the traumatic and fantastic.