Most readers enjoy 鈥渨alking in their shoes鈥 when meeting characters in novels and short stories. Readers of nonfiction may prefer very specific shoes 鈥 tales by and about real men and women.
If you are among them, you鈥檙e in luck. Bookstores and libraries are suddenly teeming with remarkable biographies and memoirs.
Here, courtesy of the Tucson Festival of Books, are some recently published and soon-to-be-published titles that may be the just right fit for you:
“Letter to a Young Female Physician” by Suzanne Koven. Released last week, this is a warm, poignant, funny memoir by a female physician. In addition of being a doctor, Koven is a mother, daughter, teacher and writer. It’s not easy being her. The Tucson Festival of Books will air a free, open-to-everyone, virtual conversation with Koven on May 19 at 3 p.m. at — Lynn Wiese Sneyd
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鈥淢adam Speaker鈥 by Susan Page. Celebrity biographer Susan Page examines the life and times of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. And to think, Pelosi believed her career would probably start winding down when Hillary Clinton was elected president. 鈥 Ginia Desmond
鈥淭he Man Who Ate Too Much鈥 by John Birdsall. Written by a Tucson author, this is a tour-de-force portrait of the complicated, closeted life of James Beard 鈥 the 鈥淒ean of American Cookery.鈥 Deeply researched and highly engaging, it is a must-read for anyone who appreciates the mark Beard made on 20th-century American cuisine. 鈥 Helene Woodhams
鈥沦迟谤辞苍驳别谤鈥 by Cindy McCain. If you鈥檙e looking for an insider鈥檚 perspective of John McCain, you can鈥檛 find a biographer much closer than his widow, Cindy. The full title is all you need to know about the book: 鈥淪tronger: Courage, Hope, and Humor in My Life with John McCain.鈥 鈥 Maria Parham
鈥淢y West Side Story鈥 by George Chakiris. This recently released memoir reflects on a life indelibly shaped by Chakiris鈥 role as Bernardo in the film version of West Side Story in 1961. 鈥 Tricia Clapp
鈥淐rying in H Mart鈥 by Michelle Zauner. The author is already well-known as a gifted singer, song-writer and guitarist. Turns out she can write, too. 鈥淐rying in H Mart鈥 is a funny, heart-felt memoir by a Korean-American who tight-roped the demands of two cultures while growing up in Eugene, Oregon. Published two weeks ago, it quickly raced to No. 2 on the New York Times bestseller list. 鈥 Bill Finley
鈥淭he Triumph of Nancy Reagan鈥 by Karen Tumulty. Nancy Reagan may have been the most influential First Lady in American history, but did we ever really know her? Probably not, but we will know her better after finishing this true biography that was released last week. 鈥 Maria Parham
鈥淏谤补迟鈥 by Andrew McCarthy. Actor Andrew McCarthy was part of the 鈥淏rat Pack鈥 that included Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez and Molly Ringwald. Their distinctive style came to represent an era of pop culture that McCarthy examines in a candid memoir that releases this week. 鈥 Tricia Clapp
鈥淒ark Mirror鈥 by Barton Gellman. Part memoir and part confessional, this about-to-be-released book reflects on Gellman鈥檚 involvement with Edward Snowden 鈥 who handed Gellman, a reporter, a highly classified NSA archive in 2013. It became the biggest real-life spy story of the 21st Century so far. 鈥淒ark Mirror鈥 will be released May 19. 鈥 Helene Woodhams
鈥沦补苍肠迟耻补谤测鈥 by Emily Rapp Black. In this incisive memoir, Rapp reflects on her life鈥檚 journey after losing her 2-year-old son to Tay Sachs. What does it mean to be resilient? Rapp, more than most, knows the answer is complicated. 鈥 Tricia Clapp
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