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In 2024, BPALiveWire’s bookshelf showcased a diverse collection of works, blending contemporary voices with timeless classics. Among the highlights were newly released titles like Carrie Sheffield’s Motorhome Prophecies, a harrowing yet uplifting memoir of resilience and transformation, and enduring literary treasures such as Clotel by William Wells Brown, a groundbreaking exploration of race, identity, and family written over a century ago. These selections reflect BPALiveWire’s commitment to stories that inspire, challenge, and resonate across generations.
Carrie Sheffield’s Motorhome Prophecies chronicles her remarkable journey from a turbulent childhood to a life of resilience and healing. Raised in a motorhome with seven siblings by an abusive, delusional father excommunicated from the Mormon faith, Sheffield endured poverty, instability, and indoctrination. Despite these challenges, she pursued an education at Harvard and became a powerful advocate for overcoming adversity. Through forgiveness and her Christian faith, Sheffield triumphed over mental health struggles and cycles of despair. Her story is a compelling testament to resilience, redemption, and the restorative power of faith to overcome even the most harrowing beginnings.
Published: 2024
Why it has a shelf life: Sheffield reminds us that we are not defined or limited by our past. Read The Book
In Tom Lake, Ann Patchett tells a compelling story of family and self-discovery. During the pandemic lockdown, Lara’s three daughters return home to their Michigan orchard and press her for details about her past romance with Peter Duke, a once-famous actor. As Lara shares her memories, the daughters gain new perspectives on their mother and their own lives. Patchett masterfully explores themes of love, sacrifice, and the hidden stories that shape families, creating a rich and heartfelt narrative.
Published: 2013
Why it has a long shelf life: Patchett always delivers characters who we care about. In a world of cookie cutter storylines and cardboard characters, Patchett writes characters so real we miss them when they’re gone.
In God Is Able, Priscilla Shirer revisits the timeless truths of Ephesians 3:20–21 in this updated edition, offering a decade’s worth of wisdom and renewed confidence in God’s unchanging power. With personal insights and relatable stories, she reminds readers that despite life's changes and challenges, God’s capacity to transform, restore, and uplift remains constant. This inspiring book encourages believers to trust in God’s supernatural ability to take them above their struggles and experience His boundless love and grace.
Published: 2013
Why it has a long shelf life: No greater truth has ever been written than, God is Able. This book has a shelf life because it’s worth remembering.
Long Walk to Freedom is Nelson Mandela’s powerful autobiography, chronicling his journey from a rural South African village to global icon. Mandela recounts his tireless fight against apartheid, including 27 years of imprisonment and his eventual leadership as the nation’s first Black president. With unflinching honesty, he details the struggles, sacrifices, and triumphs that defined his life. This inspiring memoir stands as a testament to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's words, “the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.”
Published: 1995
Why it has a long shelf life: Mandela’s story is not perfect, but it is marked with courage and clarity needed for these days.
Barbara Neely’s Blanche on the Lam introduces Blanche White, a sharp-witted, no-nonsense African-American housekeeper in North Carolina. On the run after a bounced paycheck and a brush with the law, Blanche hides out working for a wealthy Southern family, only to find herself entangled in a murder mystery. With humor, irony, and an insider’s perspective on privilege and prejudice, Blanche navigates danger and deception, using her wit and resourcefulness to uncover the truth in this trailblazing and endlessly entertaining debut from Neely.
Published: 1992
Why it has a long shelf life: Blanche is a down-to-earth heroine that readers love. Because she wears a maids uniform she is underestimated and always the sharpest person in the room.
William Wells Brown’s Clotel, or the President's Daughter tells the poignant story of Clotel, born to Currer, an enslaved woman, and Thomas Jefferson. Sold after Jefferson’s death, Clotel endures a life of servitude, heartbreak, and resilience. Her relationship with Horatio Green brings fleeting comfort but ends in betrayal, separating her from her daughter, Mary. Disguised as a white man, Clotel attempts a daring escape to reunite with Mary. This annotated edition enriches discussions on this pioneering narrative of race, family, and freedom.
Published: 1853
Why it has a long shelf life: Written less than 30 years after Thomas Jefferson’s death, the fictitious tale of Curer and Clotel comes close to the true story of Sally Hemings and her children. The annotated version published by BPALiveWire partner, BondGirl Books offers study guide questions and a Clotel inspired menu perfect for book clubs.
By curating a bookshelf that spans centuries and themes, BPALiveWire celebrates the enduring power of storytelling to connect readers with shared truths and diverse experiences. Whether exploring personal triumphs, family dynamics, faith, or historical struggles for justice, these books remind us that literature remains a vital force in shaping our understanding of the human spirit and the world we inhabit. Through these works, the bookshelf serves as a bridge between the past, present, and future.
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