Memoirs Of A Tortoise

Oliver the tortoise has had his human, Ike, for a very, very long time now. In fact, they're the same age--80 years old--and practically twins. They both enjoy the slowness of the garden, cool water from the hose on a hot day, and a nice slice of honeydew melon. But when Ike stops visiting the garden, Oliver wonders why his pet has left him so soon. So he makes the long journey to see his mother ten gardens away--she will certainly have the answer. This tender story from the author and illustrator that brought us Memoirs of a Goldfish reminds us to cherish all the days we have with our pets and loved ones.

"A fridge probably seems an unlikely place from which to introduce myself. After all, someone like myself, being a tortoise of Mediterranean descent, is more usually associated with warmth and sunshine." This is the diary of a slowbody. But just because he lives inside a shell, that doesn't stop this unusual diarist from sticking his neck out, to take in the world around him. Forced by war to leave his native North Africa and embark on an odyssey via Greece to England, Jerry has of necessity learned to live alongside humankind: a species known to tortoises as 'the bipeds'. Ever true to his own species' motto - "Slow and steady wins the race" - Jerry quietly scrutinizes the human race itself, as he deals with deprivation, danger and injury. But he also encounters unexpected kindness, true empathy and help in desperate need. During his long and eventful life, Jerry has keenly observed his hosts' behaviour, habits and communication. The result is Jerry's own tale of life amongst the bipeds.

Sugar and Dirt is the inspiring coming-of-age story of a young émigré during one of the stormiest eras in recent American history. F.P. Romero's stirring memoirs begin in Cuba, where his affluent family loses everything to Fidel Castro's revolution and is forced to flee with scarcely more than the clothes on their backs. Having to start over in Miami, the family struggles with refugee life but resolves to pursue the American Dream. F.P. describes his idyllic years at the elite McCullough Academy, his departure from McCullough, and his startling descent into a world of violence and malice. His reckless decline into drug-fueled dissipation threatens to consume him until a girl and a chance discovery change his life forever. Told with a unique blend of wit, candor, and pathos, Sugar and Dirt recounts F.P.'s early life of privilege, his tragic fall from grace, and his hard-earned redemption. It is a story of true American reinvention.

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