The Biography Shelf

To the One I Love the Best
Ludwig Bemelmans
Pushkin Press
www.pushkinpress.com
9781782277934, $15.95, PB, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/One-I-Love-Best/dp/1782277935

Synopsis: Ludwig Bemelmans (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Bemelmans)=
autobiography "To the One I Love the Best" is a charming memoir of inter-g= enerational friendship and provides an enormously enjoyable nostalgia trip =
to the sun-soaked glamour of Los Angeles with its classic movie stars and a=
luminous parade of life's oddities.

With the publication of "To the One I Love the Best", Bemelmans lifts the c= urtain on 1950s Hollywood -- a bygone world of extravagance and eccentricit=
y, where the parties are held in circus tents and populated by ravishing mo= vie stars.

Bemelmans, who was working at MGM, had originally come to the California ho=
me of de Wolfe just for cocktails but by the end of the night, he was firml=
y established as a member of the family: given a bedroom in their sumptuous=
house, invitations to the most outrageous parties in Hollywood, and the fr= iendship of the larger-than-life woman known to her closest friends simply =
as 'Mother'.

"To the One I Love the Best" (which refers to de Wolfe's dog)is a touching = tribute to a fabulously funny woman and an American icon.

Critique: An inherently fascinating and candidly informative memoir, "To th=
e One I Love the Best" will have a very special appeal to readers with an i= nterest in a life lived among Hollywood movie starts, parties, and spectacu= lar culinary events. While highly recommended, especially for community and=
academic library American Biography/Memoir collections, it should be noted=
for personal reading lists that "To the One I Love the Best" is also avail= able in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Ludwig Bemelmans (1898-1962) was an Austrian-born American = writer and illustrator of books for children and adults. He travelled to Am= erican in 1914, at the age of sixteen, and worked for three years in the di= ning halls of what he called, in his autobiographical works, the Hotel Sple= ndide. In 1926, he quit working in hotels to become a full-time cartoonist = and made frequent contributions to the New Yorker, Vogue and Town and Count= ry. He is perhaps most well-known as the author of the beloved Madeline boo= ks.

Truth or Consequences
Daniel Asa Rose
High Road Books
c/o University of New Mexico Press
1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131-0001
www.unmpress.com
9780826364784, $27.95, HC, 264pp

https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Consequences-Improbable-Adventures-Near-Death/= dp/0826364780

Synopsis: Daniel Asa Rose was a successful novelist, memoirist, book critic=
, and columnist for the New York Times Magazine, Esquire, and others, when = the top blew off his domestic life. His wife of sixteen years wanted out. B= efore he could slip into depression, doubt, and self-loathing, Dan's lifelo=
ng friend Tony made an irresistible proposition: go back to the place where=
, forty years earlier, their college road trip had come to a crashing halt,=
T-boned by a woman in the decidedly oddball little town of Truth or Conseq= uences, New Mexico.

Dan and Tony return to the scene of the crash in an effort to make sense of=
that fateful moment. He's certain that if he can locate the woman in whose=
arms he almost died, he will find the self he lost and make peace with his=
life choices since. Dan moves into a single-wide trailer four blocks from = the crash. Over the next eight months, inexplicable encounters make him fal=
l in love with the New Mexico desert and the wiggy place that embraces him.

Critique: A deeply personal memoir that readers with all the literary flair=
of a deftly crafted novel, "Truth or Consequences: Improbable Adventures, =
a Near-Death Experience, and Unexpected Redemption in the New Mexico Desert=
" by Daniel Asa Rose is an inherently fascinating and ultimately inspiring = read. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college,=
and university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections,=
it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Truth or Consequences"=
is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $27.95).

Editorial Note: Daniel Asa Rose (https://www.danielasarose.com) won an O. H= enry Prize and two PEN Fiction Awards for the stories in his first collecti= on, Small Family with Rooster. His first novel, Flipping for It, a black co= medy about divorce, was a New York Times New and Noteworthy Paperback. Dani=
el is also the author of Hiding Places, the story of how he took his young = sons to Belgium to retrace their family's escape from the Holocaust. His bo= ok, Larry's Kidney: Being the True Story of How I Found Myself in China wit=
h My Black Sheep Cousin and His Mail-Order Bride, Skirting the Law to Get H=
im a Transplant--and Save His Life, was named one of the Top Books of the Y= ear by Publishers Weekly.

Your Heroes, My Grandparents: A Granddaughter's Love
Julie Rogers Pomilia
Briton Publishing
https://britonpublishing.com
9781956216110, $22.99, PB, 262pp

https://www.amazon.com/Your-Heroes-My-Grandparents-Granddaughters/dp/195621= 6111

Synopsis: Singing cowboy film star Roy Rogers (November 5, 1911 - July 6, 1= 998) and his third wife, actress, singer and songwriter Dale Evans (October=
31, 1912 - February 7, 2001) were particularly famous nation-wide in the 1= 940s, 50s. and 60s.

"Your Heroes, My Grandparents: A Granddaughter's Love" by Julie Rogers Pomi= lia is their biography and life story filled with an abundance of candid pi= ctures, many of them never seen by the public.

"Your Heroes, My Grandparents" is a charming read, and the first book ever =
to chronicle the lives of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, one of the most famous=
couples in western film and television history from the distinctive perspe= ctive of their grandchild. We knew them as our heroes, but she knew them as=
simply, Grandma and Grandpa.

Having lived through the '50s and '60s at the height of their popularity, a=
nd on into these current times when few people under the age of 50 remember=
who they were and the impact they had on American culture, the author shar=
es unique insights about what it was like living with her famous grandparen= ts. Still relatable, these heartwarming experiences transcend time and gene= rational differences.

Being the youngest daughter of Dale Evans' only biological son, Julie share=
s from personal experience, the love, and acceptance her grandparents exude=
d as they adopted five children from different walks of life and cultures. = Combining "yours, mine, and ours, step, adopted and foster" making nine tot= al, they were the Brad and Angelina of the '50s before it was in vogue.

Each chapter stands alone, one short story after another, as she recalls wi=
th humor and tenderness, the perception of fame, the tragedies they endured=
, and the rollicking times they experienced being part of this multicultura=
l brood. Spanning from her earliest memories until the time of their passin=
g, this is a must-read for anyone longing for an intimate, positive encount=
er with two of the most beloved heroes in American history.

Critique: An absolutely 'must read' for the still remaining legions of Roy = Rogers and Dale Evans fans, "Your Heroes, My Grandparents: A Granddaughter'=
s Love" is a fascinating, informative, and a little nostalgic trip down mem= ory lane. A welcome and recommended addition to personal and community libr= ary 20th Century American Biography/Memoir collections, librarians should n= ote that there is a large print hardcover edition of (9781956216097, $29.95=
) available from Briton Publishing LLC,

Editorial Note: Julie Rogers Pomilia. being the granddaughter of Roy Rogers=
and Dale Evans, her life from childhood on, has been colored with the deep=
familial love born out of the most famous on-screen (and off-screen) weste=
rn couples of all time The King of Cowboys, Roy Rogers, and The Queen of th=
e West, Dale Evans. Her book "Your Heroes, My Grandparents", is a collectio=
n of short stories and family photos of Roy and Dale, that was originally w= ritten for her three sons. Because this couple played such a vital role in = the formation of American culture, as well as much encouragement from peopl=
e along the way, she decide to widen her audience to the public.

In Search of the Blonde Tigress
Silvia Pettem
The Lyons Press
www.lyonspress.com
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493068630, $29.95, HC, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Search-Blonde-Tigress-Untold-Eleanor/dp/1493068636

Synopsis: Beginning in 1933, Eleanor Jarman was sensationalized by the pres=
s as the "blonde tigress" and "the most dangerous woman alive." But a close=
r look at her life shows that she was an otherwise ordinary woman who got c= aught up in a Chicago crime spree, then was convicted as an accomplice to m= urder and sent to prison. In 1940, Eleanor escaped and managed to live out = her life as, perhaps, America's longest-running female fugitive.

Following the murder of an elderly shopkeeper, readers are given a front-ro=
w seat for Eleanor's arrest, trial, conviction, and sentencing (all documen= ted with recently unearthed primary-source police records, court transcript=
s, and prison files) and her subsequent prison years. Woven in are comparis= ons and contrasts between Eleanor's and her escape partner's criminal histo= ries, as well as speculation on their lives on the lam. Whether Eleanor des= erved her sentence, or whether it was too harsh, is left for the reader to = decide.

With the publication of "In Search of the Blonde Tigress: The Untold Story =
of Eleanor Jarman", author Silvia Pettem sets the mystery and intrigue of t= his wanted woman into an historic context. It also includes her family's pl= ea, in 1993, for Eleanor to come forward and apply for clemency. Most revea= ling at the time was Eleanor's alias. With that information (and considerin=
g that Eleanor, born in 1901, is certainly now deceased), "In Search of the=
Blonde Tigress" documents her search for Eleanor's remains -- right up to =
a visit to her likely grave.

Critique: Rescuing from obscurity one of the most unusual stories in the an= nals of American Criminology, "In Search of the Blonde Tigress: The Untold = Story of Eleanor Jarman" is an extraordinary, exceptionally well researched=
, and simply fascinating study that is especially and unreservedly recommen= ded for personal reading lists, as well as professional, community, and aca= demic library 20th Century American Biography collections and supplemental = curriculum Criminology studies lists.

Editorial Note: Silvia Pettem (http://www.silviapettem.com) is a Colorado-b= ased historical researcher, writer, and author. After local history researc=
h led her to the identification of a decades-old murder victim, Pettem swit= ched from writing about history to the genre of true crime. Pettem's other = books that relate to cold case investigations include Someone's Daughter: I=
n Search of Justice for Jane Doe (2009); Cold Case Research: Resources for = Unidentified, Missing, and Cold Homicide Cases (2013); The Long Term Missin=
g: Hope and Help for Families (2017); and Cold Case Chronicles: Mysteries, = Murders, and the Missing (2021).

Matilda's Triumph: A Memoir
Richard M. Moss
www.RichardMossMD.com
LangMarc Publishing
https://www.langmarc.com
9781880292860, $21.95, PB, 390pp

https://www.amazon.com/Matildas-Triumph-Memoir-Richard-Moss/dp/1880292866

Synopsis: With the publication of "Matilda's Triumph: A Memoir", Dr. Richar=
d Moss of Jasper, Indiana, writes of his childhood in the Bronx, his mother=
's struggles raising five boys alone, Richard's graduation from medical sch= ool, pro bono work in several countries, and finally setting up a tradition=
al medical practice in Indiana. He also writes of his struggles dealing wit=
h his mother's stroke and his inability to save her.

Critique: This inherently interesting, candidly personal, effectively writt=
en life story includes flashbacks, medical research, and his present day li= fe. With a special appeal to readers with an interest in a personal life st= ories that inspire and linger on in the mind and memory long after the book=
has been finished and set back upon the shelf, "Matilda's Triumph: A Memoi=
r" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and academic li= brary Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections. It should be note=
d for personal reading lists that "Matilda's Triumph: A Memoir" is also ava= ilable in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).

Editorial Note: Richard Moss M.D. (www.RichardMossMD.com) is a board-certif= ied specialist in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Ear Nose and Throat=
). He earned his undergraduate degree in Biology at Indiana University and = completed his Doctor of Medicine Degree at the Indiana University School of=
Medicine in Indianapolis. Dr. Moss has written regular columns for Indiana=
newspapers, including The Dubois County Herald, The Indianapolis Star, The=
Evansville Courier and Press, The City County Observer, The Vanderburgh In= dependent Press, The Bloomington Herald-Times, The Petersburg Press Dispatc=
h, and The Ferdinand News; had a local radio talk show; and was the host of=
a local TV show Yoga for Health.

From Lawyer to Warrior
Chris Paviak
www.lawyertowarrior.com
Houndstooth Press
https://www.houndstoothpress.com
9781544538457, $28.99, HC, 242pp

https://www.amazon.com/Lawyer-Warrior-Failing-Becoming-Finding/dp/154453845=
6

Synopsis: When Chris Pavlak failed the bar exam in 2006 and 2007, the comfo= rtable optimism of becoming an attorney vanished, replaced by feelings of s= hame, humiliation, and inadequacy.

Fixated on the financial ascendancy of being a lawyer for a large law firm,=
Chris had attended law school for all the wrong reasons. In that hypercomp= etitive environment he became singularly focused on comparing himself to ot= hers, status, and making money. When chaos reared its ugly head in the form=
of repeated failures, he realized he would have to radically reshape his l= ife.

Uncertain about where a new path might lead, Chris embarked on a life of se= rvice in the United States Marine Corps.

With the publication of his biography, "From Lawyer to Warrior: Failing the=
Bar, Becoming a Marine, and Finding Meaning", Chris shows how failure migh=
t be considered an opportunity to willfully and courageously confront the c= haos of life. The crucible of Marine officer training and the privilege of = leading Marines ultimately helped recalibrate the vision of his life.

This is an honest and inspirational memoir about reinvention and reclamatio= n-of finding meaning in the uniqueness of personal tragedy by being absorbe=
d in something bigger than yourself, camaraderie, and being responsible for=
others.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, inherently interesting, and with a ve=
ry special appeal to readers with an interest in personal stories of dealin=
g with life's problems and opportunities, "From Lawyer to Warrior: Failing = the Bar, Becoming a Marine, and Finding Meaning" is an especially recommend=
ed addition to community and academic library Contemporary Biography/Memoir=
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "From Lawy=
er to Warrior" is also available in a paperback edition (9781544538464, $16= ..99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).

Editorial Note: Chris Pavlak (www.lawyertowarrior.com) graduated from law s= chool in 2006. He failed the bar exam twice before joining the marines and = becoming a ground intelligence officer. During his service, Chris has led m= arine rifle and scout sniper platoons, been a planner for Marine Corps serv= ice-level exercises, and served as an advisor to Afghan security forces. St= ill in the Marine Corps Reserves, Chris is a faculty member at National Int= elligence University near Washington, DC. As a civilian, he is a consultant=
on the policies, ethics, governance, and regulations of artificial intelli= gence and emerging technologies.

My One and Only Love
Laura H. Gilbert
Independently Published
9798378143764, $18.00, PB, 88pp

https://www.amazon.com/My-One-Only-Love-1938-2021/dp/B0BYR86HCS

Synopsis: Helen Day was born in 1923 to a poor family in rural Indiana. Hel=
en dreamt of playing in the school band but had no means to acquire an inst= rument - until her domestic-worker mom rescued a clarinet from the trash. T=
wo years later Helen's band director lent her the school's saxophone. She f= ell in love with it and aspired to a career in music.

In 1942, at age 19, Helen began her 11-year career on the road. Even when s=
he left the road to be a 1950s housewife, Helen never left music. It was he=
r everything; her heart and soul. After nearly two decades of practicing an=
d waiting to perform, at the age of 48 Helen joined a local pick-up group -=
- and was never without a band again!

In 1989 Helen, at the age of 67, began her second musical heyday that laste=
d 31 more years. "My One and Only Love - A Big Band Love Story 1938-2021" b=
y Laura H. Gilbert is her story.

Critique: Nicely enhanced for the reader's enjoyment with illustrations thr= oughout, "My One and Only Love - A Big Band Love Story 1938-2021" is a deft=
ly crafted and inherently interesting biography of Helen Day by her daughte=
r, Laura H. Gilbert. Exceptionally well written, organized, and presented, = "My One and Only Love" presents the life and accomplishments of a dedicated=
musician and is an unreservedly recommended addition to personal, commluni= ty, college, and university library American Biography, Women's Biography, = and Actor/Entertainer/Musician Biography collections.

Editorial Note: Laura H. Gilbert (https://www.nextavenue.org/writer/laura-h= -gilbert) lives in Minnesota where she worked as a musician, professor, cre= ative consultant, attorney, and policy analyst. Laura writes in a practical=
, friend-by-your-side voice, sharing her personal experience and the creati=
ve paths she took to meet common challenges: managing college costs, downsi= zing a lifetime's worth of stuff, and retiring well on a middle-income budg= et. Her most recent work follows her mother's 80+ year journey as a Big Ban=
d musician. She is also the author of: "Enough: A Retirement Life That Work=
s for Me", "The Stories We Leave Behind: A Legacy-Based Approach to Dealing=
with Stuff", "Back to School for Grownups", "How to Save $50,000 on Colleg= e", "Graduate School on a Budget", and "Our Plan - A Family-Centered Approa=
ch to Paying for College."

American Journey: My Life in Art
Marco Sassone
https://marcosassone.com
Arti Grafiche Press
https://www.artigrafichepress.com
9780935194159, $39.00, HC, 360pp

https://www.amazon.com/American-Journey-My-Life-Art/dp/0935194150

Synopsis: "American Journey: My Life in Art" is the vivid, transformational=
life story of internationally acclaimed American-Italian painter Marco Sas= sone, who came to California in search of artistic freedom and success. His=
journey led him through periods of hope and despair and ultimately to the = threshold of true self-fulfillment: a deeper understanding of himself and h=
is mission as an artist.

The life he has lived and the people he has known make the memoir of this r= emarkable artist a wonderful revealing canvas. Dining with Sophia Loren, co= nversing with Luciano Pavarotti, and joking with Tina Turner at his Beverly=
Hills opening are all part of his California days during the 1970s.

But what makes this memoir extraordinary is Sassone's vivid recollection of=
his real-life stories that include: His childhood in post war-torn Florenc=
e in the 1950s; his beginnings as an artist in the glorious studio of his t= eacher overlooking Giotto's Bell Tower; and his harrowing experience of sur= vival during the great flood of Florence in 1966; His first drawing of "Wil= lie" in San Francisco in the late 1980s, and his extensive personal researc=
h on the homeless that led to his groundbreaking exhibition "Home on the St= reets"; And more recently, his reflections on the forgery of his artwork an=
d the subsequent lawsuit in the Nevada's Supreme Court.

In his memoir, Sassone also offers vivid descriptions of what takes place i=
n his studio during the act of painting: an intimate affair that he reveals=
for the first time in his memoir. "American Journey" is an inspiring, some= times painful and courageous examination of a life in art. Sassone's story = explores the very nature of all human beings and fulfills the inner vision = that motivates them.

Critique: A fascinating and fearlessly candid personal life story that is i= nformatively enhanced with the inclusion of numerous full color illustratio= ns, an informative 'Afterword', a four page listing of Acknowledgments, and=
a seven page Index, "American Journey: My Life in Art" by artist and now a= uthor Marco Sassone will have a particular appeal to readers with an intere=
st in the life stories of artists in general, and Marco Sassone in particul= ar. While an especially recommended addition to community and academic libr= ary Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists th=
at "American Journey: My Life in Art" is also readily available in a digita=
l book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Marco Sassone (https://marcosassone.com) was born in Floren= ce, Italy, and the most poignant and enduring of influences can be traced b= ack to his studies in the 1960s with acclaimed painter Silvio Loffredo, him= self a student of the Austrian Master, Oskar Kokoschka. The agitated brush = strokes and vibrant colors appealed to a young Sassone, offering the artist=
a foundation upon which to create his emotional, expressive art works. Num= erous books and catalogues have been written about his work, including a 30= 0-page monograph, "Sassone", written by art historian Donelson Hoops. His p= aintings hang in collections throughout the world. Marco Sassone was knight=
ed into the "Order of the Merit of the Italian Republic" by President Sandr=
o Pertini in 1982

The Fruit You'll Never See
Gail Brenner Nastasia
Independently Published
9798986931302, $14.99 Paper/$9.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/FRUIT-YOULL-NEVER-SEE-overcoming-ebook/dp/B0BWZYGBFV

The Fruit You'll Never See is a memoir about shame and overcoming negative = messages from childhood. It will heavily resonate with readers who have str= uggled to overcome their own self-limiting training and self-perception, an=
d represents an example of the process of nurturing inner strength against = all odds.

Gail Brenner Nastasia's memoir opens with a bang: "Not even law school coul=
d change the fact that I was trash." As her life is revealed, readers learn=
some shocking facts about her family and the progression of her coming of = age and entry into adulthood which fostered this sense of shame and self-de= preciation. Gail's realizations about her beloved aunt's shortcomings ackno= wledges the lure of being included at all costs "...even though I know she = used me, at least I got to go along for the ride."

As she repeats patterns of trusting and loving those who do not have her be=
st interests at heart, Gail moves ever deeper into a familiar quagmire she = is, sadly, well-equipped to handle: trading sexual favors for the feeling o=
f belonging, being desired, and being loved. As Gail moves into various add= ictions, it is with the underlying conviction that her value lies in her wo= rth to others -- not herself. The remarkable part of her story lies in how = she overcame drug addiction to become a successful attorney; then took anot= her big step in defying her inheritance of low self-esteem by creating a di= fferent life.

How she achieves her goals, learns different, healthier ways of interacting=
with her family, and maintains the equilibrium that truly reinforces her v= alue makes for a powerful memoir that many readers will find inspirational = and revealing. Rather than consulting self-help books for growth lessons, r= eaders would do better to read The Fruit You'll Never See. Its lessons in a= buse, recovery, and the contrast between healthy and unhealthy life choices=
are stark and involving, offering clues to better living. It ideally will =
be pursued in book club and psychological group discussions, as well as ava= ilable for library patrons interested in vivid, candid stories of getting a=
nd staying clean.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
s from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these=
reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, inte= rnet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested indivi= duals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.

The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "Califo= rnia Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwat= ch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available=
for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview=
(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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