March in the Library: True Life Adventures

We library volunteers sometimes lament that non-fiction books are not as popular as fiction ones.  There are many reasons, but one is that readers may not know that non-fiction can be as propulsive and engaging as fiction, especially if there is a lot of adventure and action.  The plots can be varied and unusual.  With that in mind, this month’s display table will be featuring a wide assortment of books that you may enjoy, including the following examples:

Unbroken: a World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption, by Laura Hillenbrand
This book tells the story of Lt. Louis Zamperini, who survives a bomber crash, 47 days adrift in the Pacific, and then being held by the Japanese as a prisoner until the end of the war.  Despite a desperate situation, Zamperini survives with “hope, resolve, and humor.”

The Stranger in the Woods:  the Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit, by Michael Finkel
Confirmed hermit Christopher Knight spent 27 years living in a tent in the Maine woods without speaking to another person.  He lived by his wits, learning to store food and water and avoiding freezing to death.  According to Publishers Weekly, it is “a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way.”

Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver, by Jill Heinerth
Even if the idea of cave diving gives you claustrophobia, you might enjoy Heinerth’s descriptions of being the first person to dive into an Antarctic iceberg and her discoveries in Mayan caves.  Most importantly, as a true adventurer, she helps scientists discover new species, track climate change, and  record freshwater reserves.

Hero Dogs: How a Pack of Rescues, Rejects, and Strays Became America’s Greatest Disaster-Search Partners, by Wilma Melville
We often read newspaper articles about the brave dogs that help find lost people in dangerous circumstances.  Melville’s memoir explains how she turned a group of shelter dogs into a life-saving team that worked in places such as New York after 9/11 and New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.  The dogs and their handlers cope with disasters due in part to their close bonds.

The volunteers wish you another month of good reading.