Newscolumn

The Library has new non-fiction books and they cover a wide spectrum. There’s one which deals with a man and his dog, trekking across the United States and encountering dog lovers along the way. There’s another one that takes a look at the history of two families, one black, one white, and how it traces back to the same slave plantation. And finally, if you enjoy those delicious Vietnamese sandwiches called Banh Mi and wanted to make them yourself, there’s a cookbook that delivers over 50 recipes. Check these books out!

Travels with Casey
By Benoit Denizet-Lewis

A moody Labrador and his insecure human take a funny, touching cross-country RV trip into the heart of America’s relationship with dogs.

“I don’t think my dog likes me very much,” New York Times Magazine writer Benoit Denizet-Lewis confesses at the beginning of his journey with his nine-year-old Labrador-mix, Casey. Over the next four months, thirty-two states, and 13,000 miles in a rented motor home, Denizet-Lewis and his canine companion attempt to pay tribute to the most powerful interspecies bond there is, in the country with the highest rate of dog ownership in the world.

On the way, Denizet-Lewis—known for his deeply reported dispatches from far corners of American life—meets an irresistible cast of dogs and dog-obsessed humans. Denizet-Lewis and Casey hang out with wolf-dogs in Appalachia, search with a dedicated rescuer of stray dogs in Missouri, spend a full day at a kooky dog park in Manhattan, get pulled over by a K9 cop in Missouri, and visit “Dog Whisperer” Cesar Millan in California. And then there are the pet psychics, dog-wielding hitchhikers, and two nosy women who took their neighbor to court for allegedly failing to pick up her dog’s poop.

Travels with Casey is a delightfully idiosyncratic blend of memoir and travelogue coupled with an exploration of a dog-loving America. What does our relationship to our dogs tell us about ourselves and our values? Denizet-Lewis explores those questions—and his own canine-related curiosities and insecurities—during his unforgettable road trip through our dog-loving nation.

Tomlinson Hill: The Remarkable Story of Two Families who Share the Tomlinson Name – One White, One Black
by Chris Tomlinson

“Foreign correspondent Chris Tomlinson returns to Texas to discover the truth about his family’s slave-owning history. Tomlinson Hill tells the story of two families, one black and one white, who trace their ancestry to the same Central Texas slave plantation. Tomlinson discovers that his counterpart in the African American family is LaDainian Tomlinson, one of the greatest running backs in the history of the National Football League. LaDainian’s father was the last Tomlinson living on the Hill when he died in 2007. LaDainian’s earliest memories are from the idyllic community built by former slaves on the former plantation grounds. Chris learns that many of the stories surrounding the Civil War and the South that he learned as a child are simply untrue. He finds family letters that detail the mix of brutality and meager kindness that his relatives used to maintain order. He then compares and contrasts what the two families experienced at Emancipation, during Reconstruction, through the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and the Civil Rights era, and ending the day LaDainian’s father died. Tomlinson Hill is more than a history of two families; it tells the story of America and how slavery still shapes our society. And it ends with the fulfillment of Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream that one day the sons of slaves and the sons of slaveholders would meet in brotherhood”

The Banh Mi Handbook: Recipes for Crazy-Delicious Vietnamese Sandwiches
by Andrea Quynhgiao Nguyen

A cookbook devoted to the beloved Vietnamese sandwich, with 50 recipes ranging from classic fillings to innovative modern combinations. The Banh Mi Handbook opens a new realm of flavor for cooks who are tired of the same old sandwiches. Who can resist the addictive combination of crisp baguette, succulent fillings (such as grilled pork, roast chicken, or “the special,” which is loaded with garlicky pork liver pate and thin slices of Vietnamese cold-cuts) and toppings (like tangy daikon and carrot pickles, thin chile slices, refreshing cucumber strips, and pungent cilantro sprigs)? Banh mi are the epitome of delicious street food, and their popularity has skyrocketed in the US in recent years. Respected food writer Andrea Nguyen’s simple recipes for proteins, condiments, pickles, and more are a great introduction for those looking to venture into Vietnamese cuisine but who are intimidated by complicated recipes.