Sponsored by Scribner, publisher of She Come By It Natural by Sarah Smarsh.
The National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author of Heartland focuses her laser-sharp insights on one of the most unifying figures in American culture: Dolly Parton. Infused with Smarsh’s trademark insight, intelligence, and humanity, She Come By It Natural is a sympathetic tribute to the icon Dolly Parton and—call it whatever you like—the organic feminism she embodies. “Smarsh and Parton are a perfect pairing for the kind of in-depth examination into gender and class and what it means to be a woman and a working-class hero that feels particularly important right now.” —Refinery29
Everyone doing okay? Getting through October? I hope you drink some water today and give yourself the bonus of an early bedtime. We’ve got some new nonfiction to check out, so let’s get to it:
White Reconstruction: Domestic Warfare and the Logics of Genocide by Dylan Rodríguez
What is White Reconstruction? It’s “the struggle to reassemble the ascendancy of White Being [that] toxifies the formal disassembly of U.S. (Jim/Jane Crow) apartheid and permeates the political and institutional logics of diversity, inclusion, formal equality, and ‘multiculturalist white supremacy.'” Basically, since the 1960s, there has been work going on to undermine civil rights, and this book points out exactly how that’s been done.
The Ghost Road : Anishinaabe Responses to Indian Hating by Matthew L.M. Fletcher
Since the founding of the United States, anti-Indian rhetoric has been a part of American law and policy. From “proportional representation and restrictions on the right to bear arms, to the break-up of tribal property rights and the destruction of Indian culture and family, the attacks on tribal governance and people continue and remain endemic.” A particularly appropriate read in light of Indigenous Peoples’ Day this week.
Parwana : Recipes and Stories from an Afghan Kitchen by Durkhanai Ayubi
Parwana is the name of Ayubi’s family restaurant. Her parents fled Afghanistan during the Cold War and started the restaurant “to share an authentic piece of the Afghanistan the family had left behind.” The recipes include ice dishes, curries, meats, dumplings, Afghan pastas, sweets, drinks, chutneys and pickles, soups and breads, all of which sound awesome (except maybe pickles, for I do not care for them).
As always, you can find me on social media @itsalicetime and co-hosting the nonfiction For Real podcast with Kim here at Book Riot. Until next time, enjoy those facts, fellow nerds.