Biography & Memoir | Prepub Alert, May 2024 Titles

Biographies about tennis champ Rafael Nadal and legendary editor Judith Jones, along with a memoir by actor Tom Selleck, top the list of personal stories. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brookins, KB. Pretty: A Memoir. Knopf. May 2024. 240p. ISBN 9780593537145. $28. MEMOIR

Brookins’s poetry volume How To Identify Yourself with a Wound is an ALA Stonewall Honor Book. Their memoir examines queerness, masculinity, and race from a Black transgender perspective as they contemplate growing up in Texas, experiencing marginalization, and coming to terms with being perceived as “other.”

Clarey, Christopher. The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay. Grand Central. May 2024. 320p. ISBN 9781538759134. $32.50. BIOG

Clarey was the longtime tennis columnist for the New York Times and wrote the best-selling biography The Master, about tennis great Roger Federer. Here he gives the same in-depth treatment to another tennis champion—Rafael Nadal, winner of 22 major men’s singles titles. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Franklin, Sara B. The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America. Atria. May 2024. 320p. ISBN 9781982134341. $30. BIOG

Drawing on exclusive interviews, never-before-seen personal papers, and years of research, food writer and historian Franklin delves into the life of legendary editor Judith Jones, who plucked Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl out of the slush pile and went on to edit books from icons Julia Child, Edna Lewis, John Updike, and Sylvia Plath, among others.

Gardner, Jimmie C. Grace Under Pressure: My 27-Year Journey of Injustice, Resilience, and Purpose. Union Square. May 2024. 272p. ISBN 9781454950462. $28.99. MEMOIR

In this moving memoir, motivational speaker and prison reform advocate Gardner confronts racism and the inequality of the criminal justice system after being wrongfully convicted. He was sentenced to 110 years in prison and served 27 before he gained his freedom and had all charges dropped. His sister-in-law Stacey Abrams provides a foreword.

Hendrickson, Paul. Fighting the Night: Iwo Jima, World War II, and a Flyer’s Life. Knopf. May 2024. 320p. ISBN 9780593321133. $32. BIOG

Former journalist and best-selling author of Hemingway’s Boat, Hendrickson recounts the story of Joe Paul Hendrickson, his father, who was a night fighter pilot during World War II. Detailing the challenges of a young military family, Joe Paul’s dangerous wartime missions, and the lingering effects of war, Hendrickson poignantly examines a life and a historic time.

Ingrassia, Lawrence. A Fatal Inheritance: How a Family Misfortune Revealed a Deadly Medical Mystery. Holt. May 2024. 320p. ISBN 9781250837226. $29.99. BIOG

Ingrassia (Billion Dollar Brand Club), a former business and economics editor at the New York Times, turns to his own family story after losing several relatives to cancer. Interweaving his personal story with the history of cancer research, he offers a riveting medical memoir. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Kingston, Genevieve. Did I Ever Tell You?: A Memoir. S. & S./Marysue Rucci. May 2024. 288p. ISBN 9781668006290. $27.99. MEMOIR

Playwright Kingston turns her popular essay from the New York Times’s “Modern Love” column into a full-length memoir as she shares her relationship with mother, who died of cancer but managed to continue bestowing her love and wisdom with her kids through gifts and letters she left behind for them to open on major milestones and birthdays.

Kristof, Nicholas D. Chasing Hope: A Reporter’s Life. Knopf. May 2024. 480p. ISBN 9780593536568. $32. MEMOIR

Best-selling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Kristof (Tightrope with Sheryl WuDunn), who worked for the New York Times as a reporter, foreign correspondent, bureau chief, and now as columnist, writes a candid memoir recounting his career in journalism and the historic events he covered, along with stories about the extraordinary people he met across the globe.

Ponomarenko, Illia. I Will Show You How It Was: The Story of Wartime Kyiv. Bloomsbury. May 2024. 352p. ISBN 9781639733873. $28.99. MEMOIR

Ukrainian journalist Ponomarenko has been reporting from the front lines of the Russian invasion in Ukraine and pens a personal chronicle of the war to date, documenting what’s been lost but also the fierce courage and resistance of those in his home country. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Psaki, Jen. Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World. Scribner. May 2024. 256p. ISBN 9781668019856. $30. MEMOIR

Former White House Press Secretary and current MSNBC host Psaki shares entertaining, essential lessons in communication—managing difficult conversations, giving and receiving feedback, connecting with an audience, and more—as she recounts her time working at the White House under two presidents and now hosting a TV show while parenting two kids.

St. Pierre, Nina. Love Is a Burning Thing: A Memoir. Dutton. May 2024. 304p. ISBN 9780593473825. $28. MEMOIR

St. Pierre’s memoir contemplates spirituality, poverty, and mental health while telling the heartbreaking tale of her childhood and difficult relationship with her mother. Before she was born, her mother lit herself on fire in a suicide attempt, and years later, burned down their house. Here, St. Pierre wrestles with this past and its origins.

Selleck, Tom. You Never Know: A Memoir. Dey Street. May 2024. 320p. ISBN 9780062945761. $29.99. MEMOIR

Promising to be a frank and highly personal memoir. Famed actor Selleck, known for his 1980s breakout role in Magnum P.I. and current stint on Blue Bloods, brings readers on his journey to Hollywood and details his time spent in the limelight, sharing never-told stories, recounting celebrity friendships, and revealing personal struggles.

Sharma, Nina. The Way You Make Me Feel: Love in Black and Brown. Penguin Pr. May 2024. 336p. ISBN 9780593492826. $28. MEMOIR

Sharma debuts with a memoir in essays as she talks about her love story with a Black man and the racism they encounter due to their interracial marriage. Interweaving history, pop culture, and politics, she also tackles issues of caste, colorism, and mental health.

Velshi, Ali. Small Acts of Courage: A Legacy of Endurance and the Fight for Democracy. St. Martin’s. May 2024. 304p. ISBN 9781250288851. $30. MEMOIR

Journalist and MSNBC host Velshi illustrates how small acts of courage matter through his family history. More than a century ago his great-grandfather sent his young son to live in Gandhi’s ashram in South Africa, where he learned a deeply ingrained sense of public service and social justice that would live on in generations of his family. With a 200K-copy first printing.

Wallace, Carvell. Another Word for Love: A Memoir. MCD. May 2024. 272p. ISBN 9780374237820. $28. MEMOIR

Writer and podcaster Wallace shares his experiences of growing up Black and queer in the United States. From his childhood where housing was a challenge, to becoming a partner and parent, Wallace examines the beauty and struggles of his life and emerges with hope and healing. With a 75K-copy first printing.

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