Books listed in this issue of Braille Book Review were recently sent to cooperating libraries. The complete collection contains books by many authors on fiction and nonfiction subjects, including biographies, classics, gothics, mysteries, romances, and others. Contact your cooperating library to learn more about the wide range of books available in the collection.
To order books, contact your cooperating library.
Note: For the information of the reader, a notice may appear immediately following the book description to indicate occurrences of strong language, explicit descriptions of sex, or violence. The word "some" before any of these terms indicates an occasional or infrequent occurrence, as in "some strong language."
Redburn: His First Voyage; Being the Sailor-boy Confessions and Reminiscences of the Son-of-a- Gentleman in the Merchant Service BR 11203
by Herman Melville
4 volumes
Wellingborough Redburn makes his first voyage to Liverpool, where there is widespread poverty and a lack of democracy. He enjoys a wild excursion in London and faces a harrowing voyage home. Based on the author's first voyage in 1837. 1849.
Suttree BR 11251
by Cormac McCarthy
4 volumes
After serving time in the workhouse, young Suttree chooses a ramshackle houseboat on the Tennessee River instead of his family's conventional lifestyle. Drifting through the seamy side of Knoxville in the early 1950s, he encounters whores, petty thieves, and derelicts, but remains emotionally detached from his surroundings. Strong language, some violence, and some descriptions of sex. 1979.
She Came to Stay BR 11252
by Simone de Beauvoir
4 volumes
Originally published in 1943 as L'Invitee. In Paris on the brink of World War II, two intellectuals try to establish intimacy with a newcomer. Francoise probes her feelings of love and jealousy when her long-term relationship with Pierre becomes threatened by Xaviere, a younger woman. Xaviere is determined to stay, regardless of the consequences. 1954.
Straight Man BR 11294
by Richard Russo
4 volumes
A week in the life of Hank Devereaux, interim chairman of a mediocre English department at West Central Pennsylvania University. He maintains a sense of humor as he deals with budget problems, paranoid colleagues, and family crises. Some strong language. 1997.
Memory: A Vorkosigan Adventure BR 11295
by Lois McMaster Bujold
4 volumes
The dual identity of Miles Vorkosigan as Admiral Naismith and Lord Miles is central to this adventure. After Naismith is ousted from the military, an assassination plot against Simon Illyan, security chief of the Barrayar empire, gives the Admiral's other identity, Lord Miles, a chance to prove his worth. Sequel to Mirror Dance (BR 10665). 1996.
Collected Stories BR 11296
by Carson McCullers
4 volumes
Short stories from the southern writer including "The Member of the Wedding" and "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe," which are considered McCullers's best works. Many of the stories are autobiographical and feature southerners, either at home or transplanted to the north. Some violence and some strong language. 1987.
An Independent Woman BR 11309
by Howard Fast
3 volumes
Barbara Lavette, matriarch of a diverse California family, writes columns for her ex-husband's newspaper. After being robbed in her home, Barbara refuses to prosecute her assailant, believing him a victim of society, and instead tries to rehabilitate him. Shortly after, while planning a family wedding, Barbara unexpectedly falls in love with the minister, Philip Carter. 1997.
My Antonia BR 11320
by Willa Cather
3 volumes
A lawyer recalls his Nebraska boyhood and the girl who was a strong influence on his life in this novel about pioneering conditions and the assimilation of immigrants. Contains a historical essay by James Woodress that describes the origin, writing, and reception of the book. 1918.
The Knotted Strings BR 11332
by Jake Page
2 volumes
A movie of the Pueblo Rebellion of 1680 is being shot on the reservation, but some of the Native Americans are unhappy. Blind sculptor Mo Bowdre, whose Hopi girlfriend has a small part in the film, becomes involved when the leading man and the agent who leased the land to Hollywood are murdered. Strong language and some violence. 1995.
Caprice BR 11361
by Ronald Firbank
1 volume
Sally Sinquier, a provincial clergyman's daughter, steals from her family in order to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. After fleeing to London, she discovers a new world, both complex and humorous. 1917.
Sketches from a Hunter's Album BR 11373
by Ivan Turgenev
4 volumes
Short stories by the Russian novelist who was born in 1818 and died in 1883. His work is noted for the poetic atmosphere of country settings, the contrast between hero and heroine, and the objective portrayal of heroes who represent the development of the Russian intelligentsia. A hatred of injustice marks all his writings. 1990.
Seedfolks BR 11416
by Paul Fleischman
1 volume
A story about how people of different nationalities help a Vietnamese girl transform a trash-filled vacant lot into a community garden and how friendships developed among the gardeners. Grade 1 braille. 1997.
Blood Kin: Seth Strummar Series, Book 1 BR 11426
by Elizabeth Fackler
2 volumes
In Texas in the 1880s, sixteen-year-old Johanna Devery is forced to work in her stepfather's bordello after she refuses to marry Beau Olwell, the man who brutally raped her. She escapes and falls for hired killer Seth Strummar, who is returning to El Paso on a mission of vengeance. Prequel to Backtrail (BR 11430). Strong language, explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. 1991.
Scarlett: The Sequel to Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind BR 11428
by Alexandra Ripley
7 volumes
Continues the saga of Scarlett O'Hara which began in Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind (BR 11427). Scarlett returns to Tara after Melanie's funeral, but then makes her way to Ireland where she struggles to get Rhett Butler back into her life. The author was chosen by Mitchell's heirs to write the sequel. Bestseller 1991.
Backtrail: Seth Strummar Series, Book 2 BR 11430
by Elizabeth Fackler
2 volumes
Western gunman Seth Strummar may have had a reason to kill, but he is now an outlaw with a price on his head. He flees after arranging an escort to safety for his young wife, but she is kidnapped and he again seeks revenge. Sequel to Blood Kin (BR 11426). Violence, strong language, and explicit descriptions of sex. 1993.
I'll Be Seeing You BR 11441
by Lurlene McDaniel
1 volume
Carley Mattea is in the hospital yet again when Kyle Westin is admitted. Kyle has been temporarily blinded by a chemistry experiment gone awry, so he cannot tell that Carley's face has been disfigured by cancer. Kyle falls in love with the Carley he knows, but she is determined that he will never see her after he recovers. For senior high and older readers. 1996.
The Ornament Tree BR 11448
by Jean Thesman
2 volumes
Orphaned at fourteen, Bonnie Shaster goes to live with her mother's female relatives in Seattle in 1918. They welcome her, even though they, too, have fallen on hard times and are forced to take in boarders--including a young man blinded in the Great War. An ornament tree, which grants secret wishes, helps Bonnie settle into her unusual new home. For junior and senior high readers. 1996.
Fire on the Wind BR 11449
by Linda Crew
1 volume
In the summer of 1933, the loggers of Oregon are facing fire threats and work shutdowns. Meanwhile, Storie has completed eighth grade and is confused about her future. Her mother wants her to go to high school in town and become something other than a logger's wife, but her father wants her to be a camp cook. For junior and senior high readers. 1995.
Witches' Brew BR 11451
by Terry Brooks
2 volumes
Ben Holiday, High Lord of the Magic Kingdom of Landover, is challenged by King Rydall of Marnhull for mastery of the realm. And Ben cannot refuse to do battle with the champions that Rydall sends against him, because Ben's daughter has been abducted through a witch's magic, and Rydall holds the key to her fate. Sequel to The Tangle Box (BR 11179). 1995.
The Masterharper of Pern BR 11464
by Anne McCaffrey
4 volumes
Child prodigy Robinton, born at Harper Hall, is popular among the harpers, who teach the culture of Pern through their music. But the harpers are losing credibility because the dreaded Thread has not fallen for centuries. And in the north, the hatred of Robinton is growing. Falls between Dragonflight (BR 5797) and Dragonsdawn (BR 7601). 1998.
You Can't Get There from Here BR 11478
by Earl Hamner Jr.
2 volumes
Sixteen-year-old Wes tells of a day spent combing New York in search of his father. As he recalls incidents of family life and various friends and relatives from Virginia, the juxtaposition of easy Southern country ways with the hectic pace of New York makes a droll contrast. 1965.
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