Five words from the blurb: Australia, skull, Aboriginal, return, descendants Riding the Black Cockatoo is the memoir of an Australian man whose family displayed an Aboriginal skull on their mantelpiece for 40 years. He decides to return it to its native home, discovering lots of facts about Aboriginal people along the way. This book has recently become [...]
Posts under ‘Memoirs’
The Possessed – Elif Batuman
Five words from the blurb: funny, thoughtful, Russian, writers, travels I love the idea of Russian literature, but I have to admit that it scares me and so I have yet to try any (apart from The Master And Margarita, which scared me even more!) This book appealed to me because it allows the reader to [...]
BBC Radio Dramatisation of Direct Red by Gabriel Weston
I have been wanting to read this book ever since I heard Gabriel Weston talk at a library event last year; so when I spotted that the BBC had created a dramatised version I started listening immediately. This book is just as witty, intelligent and insightful as I had hoped it would be and I urge you [...]
Born on a Blue Day – Daniel Tammet
Born on a Blue Day is the memoir of Daniel Tammet, a man who is probably unique in the world. Daniel not only has Savant Syndrome, a rare form of Asperger’s that produces amazing mental powers, but also synaesthesia, the ability to see numbers and words as specific colours and textures. This combination of conditions means that he is able [...]
The Russian Countess – Edith Sollohub
Edith Sollohub was the daughter of a high ranking Russian diplomat, living in luxury on a large estate in St Petersburg. Her lavish lifestyle was brought to a halt by the Russian Revolution of 1917. Edith was separated from her family and had to endure imprisonment, hunger and loneliness. The Russian Countess is her memoir, giving detailed descriptions of [...]
My Father’s Paradise – Ariel Sabar
Winner of National Book Critics Circle Award: Best Biography 2008 I bought this book after reading Violet’s review. I don’t read much non-fiction, but this one sounded too good to miss! My Father’s Paradise is written by journalist, Ariel Sabar, who decides to use his investigative skills to trace the history of his father, a man [...]
