Kate’s 2¢: “World war C: lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic and how to prepare for the next one” by Sanjay Gupta; Kristin Loberg,

“World war C: lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic and how to prepare for the next one” by Sanjay Gupta; Kristin Loberg,

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   Did you see the 2011 movie ”Contagion”? Apparently, it was quite prophetic, considering the Covid-19 pandememic that manifested itself in 2020.

   It is possible for a society to become pandemic PROOF: Plan ahead; Rewire risk, evaluate the uncertainty; Optimize health; Organize your family; Fight for the future of us.

   The virus will always be with us.  What if we are the virus?

   Plan: communicate what to do. Why you’re doing it. How we will help you get it done. Confidence. Competence. compassion.

   Prepare: Gain prospective. Find sources of valid information. Be prepared to go into pandemic mode.

And the book goes on to instruct us how to be ready for the next viral invasion.  I think is is a book worth reading and might just save lives.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sanjay Gupta (born October 23, 1969) is an American neurosurgeon, medical reporter, and writer. He serves as associate chief of the neurosurgery service at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, associate professor of neurosurgery at the Emory University School of Medicine, member of the National Academy of Medicine[1] and American Academy of Arts and Sciences[2] and is the chief medical correspondent for CNN.

Gupta is known for his many TV appearances on health-related issues. During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, he has been a frequent contributor to numerous CNN shows covering the crisis, as well as hosting a weekly town hall with Anderson Cooper.[3] Gupta was the host of the CNN show Sanjay Gupta MD for which he has won multiple Emmy Awards. Gupta also hosted the 6 part mini series Chasing Life. He is a frequent contributor to other CNN programs such as American Morning, Larry King Live, CNN Tonight, and Anderson Cooper 360°. His reports from Charity Hospital, New Orleans, Louisiana, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina led to him winning a 2006 Emmy Award for Outstanding Feature Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast. He is also a special correspondent for CBS News.

Sanjay Gupta also co-hosts the health conference Life Itself, along with Marc Hodosh (co-creator of TEDMED).[4] Gupta published a column in Time magazine and has written four books: Chasing Life, Cheating Death, Monday Mornings: A Novel, and Keep Sharp (Jan 2021).[5][6][7]

   Gupta was born in Novi, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. In the 1960s, Gupta’s parents, Subhash and Damyanti Gupta, moved from India prior to their marriage and met in Livonia, Michigan, where they worked as engineers for Ford Motor Company.[8][9] His mother was born in the village of Tharushah in Sindh (now Pakistan), but at age 5 fled to India as a Hindu refugee during the Partition of India.[10] Gupta and his younger brother Suneel graduated from Novi High School and Gupta went on to receive his Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical sciences at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and his M.D. degree from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1993. He was part of Interflex, a since discontinued accelerated medical education program that accepted medical students directly from high school.

As an undergraduate, Gupta worked as an orientation leader for the freshman orientation program and was a member of the Men’s Glee Club. He also served as president of the Indian American Students Association (IASA), which is now the second-largest student organization at the university.[11] Gupta completed his residency in neurological surgery within the University of Michigan Health System, in 2000, followed by a fellowship at the Semmes Murphy Clinic, in Memphis, Tennessee.[12] Gupta plays the accordion, having taken ten years of lessons, as he noted in an interview with David Hochman for Playboy.[13]

Kristin Loberg is a professional writer and book collaborator who specializes in transforming experts’ knowledge and ideas into engaging, reader-friendly works .

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

World war C: lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic and how to prepare for the next one DB105587

Gupta, Sanjay; Loberg, Kristin Reading time: 8 hours, 46 minutes.

Sanjay Gupta

Science and Technology

Health and Medicine

Neurosurgeon and author of Keep Sharp (DB 101866) analyzes the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic based on his experiences providing medical care. Argues for better policies across the public health, business, and government sectors surrounding pandemics. Addresses questions on how to prepare. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021.

Download World war C: lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic and how to prepare for the next one DB105587

Kate’s 2¢: “The Poison Jungle” by Tui Sutherland

“The Poison Jungle” by Tui Sutherland

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   This could be a real scary story for the younger readers. Not only does this story have the Queen Wasp that is turning all the critters into zombies with white eyes, the plants the children might know are poisonous and very large.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

tuibooks.com Edit this at Wikidata

Tui T. Sutherland (born July 31, 1978 in Caracas, Venezuela)[1] is a Venezuelan-American children’s book author who has also written under the pen name Heather Williams. She shares another pen name, Erin Hunter, with writers Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and others when they collaborate with editor Victoria Holmes on the Seekers and Warriors series of novels. She is also known for writing the Wings of Fire series of novels.

In 2009, she appeared as a contestant on Jeopardy!, becoming a two-day champion and winning a grand total of $46,200.[2]

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Contents [hide]

Early life[edit]

Tui T. Sutherland was born on July 31, 1978 in Caracas, Venezuela. Her mother, who is from New Zealand named her after the tui, a bird native to that country. Sutherland lived in Asuncion, Paraguay; Miami, Florida; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; before moving to New Jersey in high school. While in high school she began doing theater, which consisted mostly of backstage work.[3]

Sutherland graduated from Williams College in 1998, after which she abandoned her ideas of a career in theater in favor of a career in fiction writing, which she found to be more stable.[3]

Personal life[edit]

Sutherland lives in Boston, Massachusetts, with her husband and their two children.[3]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The poison jungle: Wings of fire DB103875

Sutherland, Tui. Reading time: 7 hours, 28 minutes.

Read by Shannon McManus.

Fantasy Fiction

The surviving LeafWings hide in the Poison Jungle, waiting for a dragon clever and powerful enough to exact their revenge–and now they are searching for the jungle’s oldest and darkest mystery, one that could destroy them all. Sequel to The Hive Queen (DB 103871). Commercial audiobook. For grades 4-7. 2019.

Downloaded: April 12, 2022

Download The poison jungle: Wings of fire

Kate’s 2¢: “The homeplace” by Kevin Wolf

“The homeplace” by Kevin Wolf

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   Obviously, the perp isn’t Chase Ford and the culprit can be deduced early on in the story. Nonetheless, I kept reading this story straight through to the conclusion. There are a few loose ends, so I’m wondering if there won’t be a sequel.

Kevin Wolf is a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and Crested Butte Writers. The great-grandson of Colorado homesteaders, he enjoys fly fishing, old Winchesters and 1950s Western movies. He lives in Littleton, Colorado, with his wife and two beagles.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The homeplace DBC13008

Wolf, Kevin. Reading time: 7 hours, 13 minutes.

Read by Shawn Hertel. A production of Colorado Talking Book Library.

Suspense Fiction

Mystery and Detective Stories

Chase Ford was the first of four generations of Ford men to leave Comanche County, Colorado. Now, he has come home and his friends–and his enemies–are waiting for him. Then the murder of a boy, a high school basketball star just like Chase, rocks the small town. When another death is discovered–one that shares unsettling connections to him–law enforcement’s attention turns towards Chase, causing him to wonder just what he came home to. Some descriptions of sex, some strong language, and some violence.

Kate’s 2¢: “History vs women: the defiant lives that they don’t want you to know” by Anita Sarkeesian and Ebony Adams

“History vs women: the defiant lives that they don’t want you to know” by Anita Sarkeesian and Ebony Adams

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   While reading (listening to) this interesting book, I felt like I was sitting down with a cuppa and chatting companionably with the authors about remarkable friends and neighbors. Sarkeesian’s and Adams’s relaxed delivery of the women’s profiles eluded the traditional textbook approach to history and shared what they thought as fact, as well as supposition.

   Jeff Allin did a great job of narrating this composite of notable women, but, my personal thing, is that a story about women should be read by a woman. It is more credible to hear a woman talk about women’s issues.

From her website:

Anita Sarkeesian ( /sɑːrˈkiːziən/; born 1983) is a Canadian-American feminist media critic, blogger, and public speaker. She is the founder of Feminist Frequency, a website that hosts videos and commentary analyzing portrayals of women in popular culture. She has received particular attention for her video series Tropes vs.

Maybe you’ll have more success accessing About — Ebony Adams

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

History vs women: the defiant lives that they don’t want you to know DB96578

Sarkeesian, Anita; Adams, Ebony. Reading time: 4 hours, 22 minutes.

Read by Jeff Allin.

Social Sciences

Women

Young Adult

Introduction to a range of diverse and remarkable women in history from across the globe. Notable figures are grouped into five categories: reckless rebels, revelatory scholars, ruthless villains, restless artists, and relentless amazons. For junior and senior high and older readers. 2018.

Kate’s 2¢: “The nesting dolls: a novel” by Alina Adams

“The nesting dolls: a novel” by Alina Adams

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   I enjoyed this book for all the reasons other reviewers stated; although, I sometimes got confused when a lot of Hebrew or Russian names, places, and phrases were used.

“Adams’ sweeping tale offers captivating explorations of her characters and their complexities, particularly when it comes to their struggles between the pull of the heart and the realities in which they live.” – Booklist

“The Nesting Dolls is a vividly rendered, sweeping historical novel. Alina Adams deftly portrays three generations of women, beautifully weaving their coming of age stories about love, sacrifice, family, and ultimately survival. I absolutely devoured this compulsively readable gem of a novel.” (Jillan Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of The Lost Letter and In Another Time)

“A moving saga of three generations of women determined to triumph over the forces of history no matter the cost. The Nesting Dolls is memorable story of courage that is both inspiring and bittersweet.” (David R. Gillham, New York Times bestselling author of City of Women and Annelies)

“The author’s wry Soviet-Jewish humor enlivens the well-developed characters, who make fatal mistakes as well as selfless sacrifices. This is a satisfying, life-affirming saga.” – Publisher’s Weekly

“The novel adds a degree of nuance to a historical narrative that is often flattened: It depicts some of the subtleties and complexities of being a Jew in the Soviet Union, offering a partial corrective to the frequent oversimplification of a chapter of history that is anything but simple.” – The Kirkus Review

From: www.alinaadams.com/

Alina Adams is a New York Times best-selling author, romance and mystery writer, soap opera industry insider, and a pioneer in online storytelling and continuing drama.

Adams, was born in Odessa, Ukraine,  the Soviet Union and immigrated with her parents to Brighton, CA, U.S. at age seven, where she learned English by watching  TV

From NLS/BARD/LOC:        

The nesting dolls: a novel DB109355

Adams, Alina. Reading time: 12 hours, 33 minutes.

Read by Nancy Peterson.

Historical Fiction

Family

Psychological Fiction

“Spanning nearly a century, from 1930s Siberia to contemporary Brighton Beach, a pause resisting, epic family saga centering on three generations of women in one Russian Jewish family–each striving to break free of fate and history, each yearning for love and personal fulfillment–and how the consequences of their choices ripple through time. Odessa, 1931. Marrying the handsome, wealthy Edward Gordon, Daria–born Dvora Kaganovitch–has fulfilled her mother’s dreams. But a woman’s plans are no match for the crushing power of Stalin’s repressive Soviet state. To survive, Daria is forced to rely on the kindness of a man who takes pride in his own coarseness. Odessa, 1970. Brilliant young Natasha Crystal is determined to study mathematics. But the Soviets do not allow Jewish students–even those as brilliant as Natasha– to attend an institute as prestigious as Odessa University. With her hopes for the future dashed, Natasha must find a new purpose–one that leads her into the path of a d

Download The nesting dolls: a novel

Kate’s 2¢: “Firekeeper’s daughter” by Angeline Boulley

“Firekeeper’s daughter” by Angeline Boulley

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   The stereotype is that whiskey is the down-fall of the Indian; however, in this narrative arc, deadly Met is the cause of young people’s deaths. The FBI want to find who is making and distributing the deadly pills and drink; while Daunis wants to save her people  and learn what really happened to her uncle.

   Woven into the narrative are many Native American traditional celebrations, spiritual and physical beliefs,  and profound insights into the culture of the tribe.

   Here are a few interesting take-aways from the story:

–My father’s family, the Firekeeper’s side, is as much a part of Sugar Island as it’s spring fed streams and sugar maple trees.

My grandmothers could not be more different. One views the world as a surface, while the other saw connections and teachings that run deeper than our known world.  

–The seven grandfathers: love, humility, respect, honesty, bravery, wisdom, and truth.

–It is hard to explain how feeling connected to everyone and everything here, yet, feeling that no one ever sees the whole me.

–The Thunder Birds flash lightening. They bring our ancestors back to us from the other world to check on us.

–Scientific method: observe, question, research, hypothesize, experiment, analyze, conclude; which brings order from chaos.

–My whole life I’ve been seeking validation of my identity from others. Now that it’s within my reach, I realize, I don’t need it.

–Indian time really means that things happen when they’re supposed to happen.

–I love my elders…I thought I had no resource, but they were here for me.

–Lies, in whatever form, are exhausting.

–sage, cedar, sweet grass and tobacco are used to purify and cleanse.

–When a loved one dies, the love stays alive in the present.

–The intent of banishment, is to rid the reservation of dealers, while showing compassion for to members who are struggling with addiction.

   Isabella Star LaBlanc did a good job of reading this story for the NLS and, I feel it aided in my enjoying listening for 14 hours, 16 minutes

From Wikipedia:

Angeline Boulley is a Chippewa (Ojibwe) author and has worked to improve education for Indigenous children. Her debut work, Firekeeper’s Daughter, was named one of the top 100 young adult novels of all time by Time magazine,[1] was a New York Times best seller,[2]

It is being adapted for television at Netflix by Higher Ground Productions, former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company.

   Boulley is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.[4] She was born in 1966 and raised in “Bahweting (the place of the rapids) in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.”[5]

She is a graduate of Central Michigan University.[6]

Her “father is a traditional firekeeper, who strikes ceremonial fires at spiritual activities in the tribal community and ensures protocols are followed, while providing cultural teachings through stories told around the fire.”[5]

   Boulley has worked in “Indian education at the tribal, state, and national levels.”[5] At the tribal level, she served as the Educational Director and Assistant Director.[5] She also served on the Board of Regents at Bay Mills Community College before becoming the Director for the Office of Indian Education at the U.S. Department of Education.[5]

At present, Boulley works as a full-time author.[5]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Firekeeper’s daughter DB102762

Boulley, Angeline Reading time: 14 hours, 16 minutes.

Isabella Star LaBlanc

Suspense Fiction

Young Adult

Daunis, who is part Ojibwe, defers attending the University of Michigan to care for her mother. When Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, she reluctantly agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source of a new drug. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers. 2021.

Download Firekeeper’s daughter DB102762

Kate’s 2¢: “Head Start” by Freya Barker

“Head Start” by Freya Barker

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   Oh, Dear Gussie!  When Neil and Kendra finally get it together, they have sex every which way, except…well, I don’t really know what’s left for them to do.

   Once you get passed the sex and you can think again, the take-away from this story might be that post-traumatic stress issues can often be ameliorated by talking to other people who have gone through a similar situation.

From the WEB:

I started writing January of 2014 without any idea what was going to come of it. That first book, Slim To None, released in August of that year.

It was only supposed to be a one-time thing, but I discovered I had more to say and my passion was born.

Writing is therapy for me, and through my stories I hope to share a little of what it has given me: HOPE.

My dream is for my readers to find that same ‘hope’ in my words. Not just for love and romance, but for a good, happy, satisfying life, regardless of current circumstances. To show through my characters that despite roadblocks thrown in our path—with an open mind—we can learn to see and move beyond our limitations. That we can stand strong in the face of adversity, and sometimes as a result of it.

Believe in yourself—in your worth.

I hope you enjoy my stories, and I hope you’re able to take something away from them.

Happy reading!

xox

Freya

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories. 

With forty-plus books already published, she continues to create characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy. 

Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Follow Me!

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Head start DB106434

Barker, Freya Reading time: 9 hours, 52 minutes.

Noel Harrison

Mystery and Detective Stories

Romance

Junior member of the GFI team, Neil James, has been trying unsuccessfully for over a year to get closer to the slightly older physical therapist, Kendra Smith. Now that she might be in danger after going on a disastrous blind date, he’s determined to win her trust. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2016.

Download Head start DB106434

Kate’s 2¢: “Slaughter of the Mountain Man” by Johnstone Johnstone Garrett

“Slaughter of the Mountain Man” by Johnstone Johnstone Garrett

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   I think Smoke Jensen is a bit too squeaky clean, but the story is entertaining.  The professor’s idea to finesse the revolution isn’t half bad. Look at how many moles have infiltrated our government and industries.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Slaughter of the Mountain Man DB106359

Johnstone, William W; Johnstone, J. A; Garrett, Jack Reading time: 9 hours, 27 minutes.

Jack Garrett

Adventure

Western Stories

When a professor-turned-outlaw devises a plot to kidnap President Hayes and General Sherman, Smoke Jensen travels with America’s leaders in order to protect them. Sequel to Texas Kill of the Mountain Man (DB 103367). Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021.

Download Slaughter of the Mountain Man DB106359

Kate’s 2 cents: Maxwell John C Leader Within You  and No Such Thing As Business Ethics

(Career) “Developing the leader within you 2.0”

By John C. Maxwell

   As I listened to John C. Maxwell read his own book, I started to jot down concepts I thought I’d be able to apply to the organizations in which I’m a member. Things such as:

–The world becomes a better place with better leaders.

–Better leadership will add to your effectiveness; subtract from your weaknesses; divide your workload; and multiply your impact.

–When opportunity comes, it’s too late to prepare.

There have been meetings of only a moment, which have left impressions for life for eternity.

–Leadership is communication, recognition, and influence.

–If you don’t believe the messenger, you won’t believe the message.

–priortize your time to be more productive.

–The 20%/80% rule of thumb: 20% of the people on the team get 80% of the work done and 20% of the people at a picnic will eat 80% of the food.

   Then, I realized that I was wasting my time  almost re-writing the book, when it would be more efficient to share with you the Library of Congress description of the two Maxwell’s books that I read.

   Author of Running with the Giants presents a guide to developing yourself into a transformational leader. Topics covered include defining leadership, identifying priorities, developing character, creating positive change, problem solving, serving people, establishing self-discipline, and recognizing areas for personal growth.

   I also read: “There’s no such thing as business ethics: there’s only one rule for making decisions”

By John C. Maxwell

   Leadership expert and author of Running with the Giants explains how the Golden Rule–“do unto others”–can be applied to business to build morale, increase productivity, and encourage teamwork. Uses real-life ethical dilemmas and in-depth discussion questions to demonstrate the benefits of following this universal guideline.

Kate’s 2¢:

“Failure is, in a sense, the highway to success, inasmuch as every discovery of what is false leads us to  seek earnestly after what is true, and every fresh experience points out some form of error which we shall afterwards carefully avoid.”

   –John Keats

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

There’s no such thing as business ethics: there’s only one rule for making decisions DB57002

Maxwell, John C. Reading time: 2 hours, 40 minutes.

Read by John C. Maxwell.

Business and Economics

Leadership expert and author of Running with the Giants (DB 55101) explains how the Golden Rule–“do unto others”–can be applied to business to build morale, increase productivity, and encourage teamwork. Uses real-life ethical dilemmas and in-depth discussion questions to demonstrate the benefits of following this universal guideline. Commercial audiobook. 2003.

Downloaded: October 8, 2022

Download There’s no such thing as business ethics: there’s only one rule for making decisions

Developing the leader within you 2.0 DB98692

Maxwell, John C. Reading time: 7 hours, 46 minutes.

Read by John C. Maxwell.

Careers and Job Training

Author of Running with the Giants (DB 55101) presents a guide to developing yourself into a transformational leader. Topics covered include defining leadership, identifying priorities, developing character, creating positive change, problem solving, serving people, establishing self-discipline, and recognizing areas for personal growth. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2018.

Downloaded: October 8, 2022

Download Developing the leader within you 2.0

Kate’s 2¢: “The Vanishing Half” by Britt Bennett

“The Vanishing Half” by Britt Bennett

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   This story bothers me. You might think: So what! And I’d agree with you.

   The story opens with Desiree Vignes and her 7-year old daughter, Jude,  returning to Malard, LA in 1968  after Desiree and her twin sister, Stella, ran away 14-years ago.

   In 1848, Alfons DeQuer created a town where light-skinned Negros could live in peace. They bred light skin until his 3X twin granddaughters were so beautiful and fair-skinned, they could pass as white. Idea and place became one and marrying a black was frowned on and discouraged.

   As young children, the twins witnessed several white men drag their father out of his wood-working workshop, stomp on his fingers, and shoot him. They tracked him down in the hospital and finished him off, so he couldn’t take any more customers from their furniture business.

   After the twins ran away to New Orleans, Stella faded into the white culture. Desiree became an FBI finger-print expert, married a black attorney, and had a daughter. At first, it might have been rebellion or it might have been love, however, it turned to dread when he started to beat her. The ‘hunter’ her husband hired to find his run-away wife and child, happened to be an ardent admirer of Desiree, from when they were teenagers.  Early Jones didn’t want to turn her in and, instead, offered to hunt for Stella.

   In 1978, 17-year-old Jude, lithesome, tall, and very black rode the bus into Las Angeles, CA  to attend UCLA on a full-Track Scholarship. She meets Reese, a trans-gender, and works with a catering business for the white and wealthy. It is during one of her gigs that she gets the surprise of her life.

   Stella has emersed herself in the pampered life as the wife of a rich, white banker, living in a gated community. In fear of her secret being discovered, she protests the sale of the house across the street to a black family with one daughter. Things turn ugly and, after the family moves out, Stella starts taking courses for a degree in math.    

   Jude befriends Stella’s spoiled, actress daughter, in an effort to find out more information about her aunt. One night Jude confronts Stella and is rebuffed.

   Unknown to each other, Jude, who is now a med student,  accompanies Reese for his surgery and Kennedy’s soap opera acting career put them all in NYC. Jude and Kennedy re-unite in an uneasy truce, and Jude passes her a photo of their mothers with their Grandmother at their Grandfather’s funeral.

   Kennedy’s questions get to Stella and she goes to confront Desiree in Mallard. They resume their twinness, but Stella vanishes back to her white life. Even the death of their mother doesn’t re-unite the twins.

   I finally figured out why this story bothers me. So much of being a separatist or inclusionist, straight or gay, male or female, black or white, citified or countrified, is that they lie. They not only lie to each other, they lie to themselves.   

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

britbennett.com

Bennett (b. circa 1989) was raised in Southern California and received an undergraduate degree in English from Stanford University. She later attended the University of Michigan for her M.F.A. She also studied at Oxford University.[1]

   While she was completing her M.F.A. at Michigan, Bennett’s 2014 essay for Jezebel, “I Don’t Know What to Do With Good White People”[2] gained considerable attention, generating over one million views in three days.[3] While at Michigan, she also won a Hopwood Award in Graduate Short Fiction as well as the 2014 Hurston/Wright Award for College Writers.[4]

She has since published other nonfiction essays, including a history of black dolls called “Addy Walker, American Girl” for the Paris Review,[5] as well as a review of the 2015 Ta-Nehisi Coates book Between the World and Me for The New Yorker.[6] Vogue said Bennett’s nonfiction essays “recall Ta-Nehisi Coates [with] a similar ability to contextualize the present moment in a bigoted past.”[3]

   The Washington Post called The Vanishing Half a “fierce examination of contemporary passing and the price so many pay for a new identity.”[15] Within a month of publication it was reported that HBO had acquired the rights for “low seven-figures” to develop a limited series with Bennett as executive producer.[16]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The vanishing half DB99791

Bennett, Brit Reading time: 11 hours, 36 minutes.

Shayna Small

Family

Bestsellers

Desiree Vignes and her daughter return home to Louisiana in 1968, fourteen years after Desiree and her identical twin sister Stella ran away. The sisters ended up on different paths, and as Desiree struggles with the racial tensions of her hometown, Stella lives her life passing as white. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2020.

Download The vanishing half DB99791