I’m highlighting some nonfiction books coming out in October. All of the mentioned titles are available to put on hold in our catalog and will also be made available via the library’s Overdrive website on the day of publication in eBook and downloadable audiobook format (as available). For a more extensive list of new nonfiction books coming out this month, check our online catalog.
Top Picks
“The Taking of Jemima Boone: The True Story of the Kidnap and Rescue That Shaped America” by Matthew Pearl (Oct 5)
On a quiet midsummer day in 1776, weeks after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, 13-year-old Jemima Boone and her friends Betsy and Fanny Callaway disappear near the Kentucky settlement of Boonesboro, the echoes of their faraway screams lingering on the air. A Cherokee-Shawnee raiding party has taken the girls as the latest salvo in the blood feud between American Indians and the colonial settlers who have decimated native lands and resources. Hanging Maw, the raiders’ leader, recognizes one of the captives as Jemima Boone, daughter of Kentucky’s most influential pioneers, and realizes she could be a valuable pawn in the battle to drive the colonists out of the contested Kentucky territory for good. With Daniel Boone and his posse in pursuit, Hanging Maw devises a plan that could ultimately bring greater peace both to the tribes and the colonists. But after the girls find clever ways to create a trail of clues, the raiding party is ambushed by Boone and the rescuers in a battle with reverberations that nobody could predict. As Matthew Pearl reveals, the exciting story of Jemima Boone’s kidnapping vividly illuminates the early days of America’s westward expansion, and the violent and tragic clashes across cultural lines that ensue. In this enthralling narrative in the tradition of Candice Millard and David Grann, Matthew Pearl unearths a forgotten and dramatic series of events from early in the Revolutionary War that opens a window into America’s transition from colony to nation, with the heavy moral costs incurred amid shocking new alliances and betrayals.
“The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family” by Ron Howard and Clint Howard (Oct 12)
“What was it like to grow up on TV?” Ron Howard has been asked this question throughout his adult life. In “The Boys,” he and his younger brother, Clint, examine their childhoods in detail for the first time. For Ron, playing Opie on “The Andy Griffith Show” and Richie Cunningham on “Happy Days” offered fame, joy, and opportunity — but also invited stress and bullying. For Clint, a fast start on such programs as “Gentle Ben” and “Star Trek” petered out in adolescence, with some tough consequences and lessons. With the perspective of time and success — Ron as a filmmaker, producer, and Hollywood A-lister, Clint as a busy character actor — the Howard brothers delve deep into an upbringing that seemed normal to them yet was anything but. Their Midwestern parents, Rance and Jean, moved to California to pursue their own showbiz dreams. But it was their young sons who found steady employment as actors. Rance put aside his ego and ambition to become Ron and Clint’s teacher, sage and moral compass. Jean became their loving protector — sometimes over-protector — from the snares and traps of Hollywood. By turns confessional, nostalgic, heartwarming and harrowing, “The Boys” is a dual narrative that lifts the lid on the Howard brothers’ closely held lives. It’s the journey of a tight four-person family unit that held fast in an unforgiving business and of two brothers who survived “child-actor syndrome” to become fulfilled adults.
“The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times” by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams with Gail Hudson (Oct 19)
Looking at the headlines — the worsening climate crisis, a global pandemic, loss of biodiversity, political upheaval — it can be hard to feel optimistic. And yet hope has never been more desperately needed. In this urgent book, Jane Goodall, the world’s most famous living naturalist, and Douglas Abrams, explore through intimate and thought-provoking dialogue one of the most sought after and least understood elements of human nature: hope. Jane focuses on her Four Reasons for Hope: The Amazing Human Intellect, The Resilience of Nature, The Power of Young People and The Indomitable Human Spirit. Drawing on decades of work that has helped expand our understanding of what it means to be human and what we all need to do to help build a better world, “The Book of Hope” touches on vital questions, including: How do we stay hopeful when everything seems hopeless? How do we cultivate hope in our children? What is the relationship between hope and action? Filled with moving and inspirational stories and photographs from Jane’s remarkable career, a deeply personal conversation with one of the most beloved figures in the world today. While discussing the experiences that shaped her discoveries and beliefs, Jane tells the story of how she became a messenger of hope, from living through World War II to her years in Gombe to realizing she had to leave the forest to travel the world in her role as an advocate for environmental justice. And for the first time, she shares her profound revelations about her next, and perhaps final, adventure.
More Notable Releases for October
- “The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music” by Dave Grohl (Oct 5)
- “Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide” by Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras (Oct 12)
- “Going There” by Katie Couric (Oct 26)
- “Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: The Story of Schitt’s Creek” by Daniel Levy (Oct 26)
