Many people love learning about others through biographies, whether it be to learn about a different way of life or getting to know the inside life of someone they admire. Some people do their learning with documentaries, or the slew of reality TV shows now being made (not that I’m sure how complete a picture they paint) but I still think the best way is to pick up a well written biography, or autobiography.
Today I’m here to share with you some of the great biographies available in time for Christmas this year.
Down The Dirt Roads – Rachael Treasure
Treasure is an accomplished author of rural fiction novels who has also written a number of non-fiction works. Her latest release is Down the Dirt Roads, a memoir.
Down the Dirt Roads is a touching story of love and loss but it’s also an inspiring read focused very strongly on the land that Treasure holds so dear. Her passion for the land is palpable and as she talks through her life, from a land loving tomboy to a single parent dedicated to sustainable farming and rejuvenating the land you can’t help but be drawn into her passion and vision for what life on the land could become.
Treasure takes us on her personal journey through a painful divorce resulting in her loss of the childhood farm she loved, the journey that saw her awaken to fresh ways of farming that will rejuvenate land and help farms become more drought resistant. Farming that nurtures the land and returns it to a more natural state.
This ardent lover of the land, dedicated to teaching her children about the world around them, goes from her family farm to a friend’s farm and eventually finds herself in a rental property in town… the last place she ever would have expected to be. But sometimes life takes you down unexpected roads that are exactly where you need to be for the healing to happen.
This book is as much a personal journey as a farming one and will be sure to resonate with lovers of Rachael Treasure’s work, the land and those with an interest in sustainability and wholesome eating.
Down the Dirt Roads is published by Penguin and is available now where all good books are sold.
RRP: $35
Nujeen – Nujeen Mustafa with Christina Lamb
Nujeen Mustafa is a refugee from war-torn Syria who traveled across countries to find a place of safety, she is one of thousands who fled, and one of the lucky ones that made it to a new life in Germany.
The other thing that sets Nujeen apart is her cerebral palsy, before her family made the decision to pay exorbitant fees for places on a dinghy she hardly ever left her fifth-story apartment. Her crossing of countries was further complicated by her wheelchair. The time on the dinghy was punctuated by fear of the damage her wheelchair catching and creating a tear could do.
Nujeen is her story, from the very beginning until now. She tells her story clearly and factually to share the inside story that many of us just don’t see. She shows us that refugees aren’t just numbers and statistics, they are real people like you and I and their stories are worth telling.
Nujeen shows us the human side of the refugee crisis and the heartbreaking plight many displaced persons feel. She may have reached safety and settled in Germany but she’s now separated from her family and her home, and she still has nightmares about the bombings
I think this would make an inspiring read for many of us, to see the struggles that Nujeen has faced and overcome in her short life.
Nujeen is published by HarperCollins and is available now where all good books are sold.
RRP: $29.99
The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo – Amy Schumer
Amy Schumer is a world renowned comedian who has put pen to paper to share the highs and lows of her life with her fans.
In her introduction Schumer tells us that this isn’t her autobiography, she’s too young to write a memoir. This is the truth, everything in the book happened but it’s not the whole truth. The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo is not her autobiography, it is a collection of stories from her life.
Schumer is a female comic so expect her style of wit and humour, and her ability to take the not so fantastic moments of her life and write about them in a way that will make you laugh. It is also a book peppered with profanities, which is completely fine with me because some of my favourite words start with the letter F, and though I try hard not to use it I’m no stranger to the C word either.
I have been trying to write a little something about this book for hours but I keep getting caught up in the pages and reading it. Schumer is a talented comedian who has done a lot in her career but she is also an honest, strong and intelligent woman who has been through her share of troubles.
The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo may not be her memoir and it may not be a tell-all of all her secrets but it certainly doesn’t skirt the hard stuff. Schumer writes of the changes in family fortunes, sexual assault, domestic violence, one-night stands, self esteem and a lot of big moments that helped shaped the woman she is today.
I think this book will be a great read for women everywhere, whether you are a Schumer fan or not. I certainly enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would have.
Amy Schumer is a successful woman who remains down-to-earth and happy to share her good fortune, there are a lot of inspiring chapters within the book.
The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo is published by HarperCollins and is available now where all good books are sold.
RRP: $29.99
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!