In BECOMING ABIGAIL, Abigail is brought to London from Nigeria by relatives who attempt to force her into prostitution. She flees, struggling to find herself in the shadow of a strong but dead mother, and trying to save the one lover she has chosen in her short life, her social worker-disgraced and now facing charges. Award-winning author of GraceLand, Chris Abani brings to life a young woman who lives with a strength and inner light that will enlighten and uplift the reader.

No one seems to know how baseball began. Theories abound, but reliable information has been rare—until now. David Block’s BASEBALL BEFORE WE KNEW IT brings fresh evidence into play, looking at the history of the game and the debate on its origins. Block tackles one myth after another, such as debunking the belief that baseball descends from the English game rounders, and offering a new explanation for the most notorious legend of all—the Abner Doubleday-Cooperstown story.

Join us for an evening with an enduring Chicago legend. A LIFE’S DESIGN chronicles the life, career and the emergent philosophy of Charles “Chuck” Harrison, one the most prolific and respected industrial designers of his time, an influencer of style and design today, and a pioneer as the first African American executive ever hired by Sears Roebuck & Company. Call 312.413.2665 for details.

GRUB: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen, is a savvy guide to organics for urbanites. With the growth of consumer awareness of the social and health-related issues around eating and food production, organics have moved from the aisles of food co-ops into conventional grocery stores. GRUB offers people who buy organics new ways to cook with them, a straight-to-the-point exposé about what organic is (organic doesn’t mean fresh, natural, or independently produced) and the how-to’s of creating an affordable, organic kitchen.

When John Crawford joined the National Guard it seemed a small sacrifice for a free education. Then, just short of graduating, and just married, he was called to active duty—in Kuwait, on the front lines, and ultimately in Baghdad. In raw, immediate way, Crawford’s THE LAST TRUE STORY I’LL EVER TELL vividly chronicles the life of a soldier-the excitement, tedium, fear, and camaraderie, while slowly uncovering more: the transformation of a group of students into something entirely different.

GEORGE & MARTHA is an outrageous satire by daring performance artist Karen Findley. George and Martha meet in a seedy motel the night before the Republican National Convention. Their affair goes way back, before George stole the election, before Martha built an empire on fascist domesticity. George numbs his pain over waging perpetual war with cocaine and kinky sex and Martha is forced to take a look at her life as she suffers a corporate scandal, on the brink of going to prison.

Join Barbara’s Bookstore as we host an evening with celebrated author Anne (Operating Instructions) Lamott as she reads from and signs her latest book, PLAN B: Further Thoughts on Faith, a work that takes up where her 2001 book Traveling Mercies left off. This event will take place at the First United Church of Oak Park, at 848 Lake St. Oak Park, IL. Please call Barbara’s Oak Park at 708.848.9140 for futher details.

Come to Barbara’s Bookstore UIC as we host readings by local (very local) poets in honor of National Poetry Month. Great poets abound on the University of Illinois Chicago campus—Sterling Plumpp, Chris Glomski, Simone Muench and Garin Cycholl to name a few. In April and May we will be featuring their voices as they read from their latest collections. Call Barbara’s at 312.413.2665 to find out more about this schedule.

Iris (Surrendering to Motherhood) Krasnow tackles the toughest relationship in the lives of many grown women, the one with their mother, in I AM MY MOTHER’S DAUGHTER. Drawing on her experiences with her own colorful mother and the wisdom of other adult daughters, Krasnow offers a fresh perspective on how to overcome the anger, guilt, and resentment that can destroy family. The time to repair the bond is now, to recognize your mother for who she truly is, and not who you want her to be.