A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

From the moment she entered the world, Francie needed to be made of stern stuff, for the often harsh life of Williamsburg demanded fortitude, precocity, and strength of spirit. Often scorned by neighbors for her family’s erratic and eccentric behavior—such as her father Johnny’s taste for alcohol and Aunt Sissy’s habit of marrying serially without the formality of divorce—no one, least of all Francie, could say the Nolans’ life lacked drama.

By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the Nolans’ daily experiences are tenderly threaded with family connectedness and raw with honesty. Betty Smith has captured the joys of humble Williamsburg life—from "junk day" on Saturdays, when the children of Francie’s neighborhood traded their weekly take for pennies, to the special excitement of holidays, bringing cause for celebration and revelry. Smith has artfully caught this sense of exciting life in a novel of childhood, replete with incredibly rich moments of universal experiences—a truly remarkable achievement for any writer.

The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson, introduction and notes by Rachel Wetzsteon; consulting editorial director, George Stade

Born in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1830, Dickinson began life as an energetic, outgoing young woman who excelled as a student. However, in her mid-20s, she began to grow reclusive and eventually rarely descended from her room in her father’s house. She spent most of her time working on her poetry, largely without encouragement or real interest from her family and peers, and died at age 55. Only a handful of her 1,775 poems had been published during her lifetime.

When Dickinson's poems finally appeared after her death, readers immediately recognized an artist whose immense depth and stylistic complexities would one day make her the most widely recognized female poet to write in the English language. 

In Dorothy, we see a woman whose potential was ignored in her early life. But, as a Golden Girl, she flourished. We think she'd take comfort from Dickinson's work. 

The Portable Dorothy Parker, introduction by Marion Meade

In this new 21st century edition, devoted admirers will be sure to find their favorite verse and stories. But a variety of fresh material has also been added to create a fuller, more authentic picture of Parker's work. At the heart of her serious work lie her political writings dealing with race, labor, and international politics. "A Dorothy Parker Sampler" blends the sublime and the silly with the terrifying, a sort of tasting menu of verse, stories, essays, political journalism, and a speech on writing, plus a catchy off-the-cuff rhyme she never thought to write down.

Do we  even need to explain? From one Master of Sass to another, we love our Dorothys!
 

Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman

"I move throughout the world without a plan, guided by instinct, connecting through trust, and constantly watching for serendipitous opportunities." From the preface of Tales of a Female Nomad is the story of Rita Golden Gelman, an ordinary woman living an extraordinary existence. At the age of 48, on the verge of a divorce, Rita left an elegant life in L.A. to follow her dream of connecting with people in cultures all over the world.

In 1986, she sold her possessions and became a nomad, living in a Zapotec village in Mexico, sleeping with sea lions on the Galapagos Islands, and residing everywhere from thatched huts to regal palaces. She has observed orangutans in the rain forest of Borneo, visited trance healers and dens of black magic, and cooked with women on fires all over the world. Rita's example encourages us all to dust off our dreams and rediscover the joy, exuberance, and hidden spirit so many of us bury when we become adults.