The history of American prohibition has long been linked to major cities like New York and Chicago, leaving the rich story of the DC temperance movement long overlooked until now. Local historian Garrett Peck takes readers on a tour of the city, beginning at the usually forgotten Temperance Fountain and snaking a path through government buildings, spectacular mansions, and city squares that tell the story of just exactly how dry we weren’t. Many of these sights still stand today and I encourage you to grab a beer and take a step back in time to one of our nation’s most famous failed experiments.
Places where, while reading this book, my belly laugh drew attention from strangers: the E4 to Friendship Heights, Panera, the back of an Uber, the front of an Uber, the waiting room at my endocrinologist’s office. Let me tell you, dear reader, this book is funny as heck. In this collection of essays Philpott discusses her life as a genuinely funny person; from getting married, to raising children, to analyzing the clothing choices of celebrities. This delightful and entertaining memoir also prominently features a lobsterman, a snake wedding, and an exploding dog butt. Just trust me and read this book, OK?
Sisters Laya and Liba have grown up in a remote hamlet among their neighbors where life is comfortable and familiar. But their village is surrounded by an expanse of forest that may hide more than it tells. Dangers lurk beyond the tree line; some are starkly hazardous but many are hidden between dark and magical secrets that have been watching and waiting for generations. In a world where fairy tales are real, it’s up to Laya and Liba to get to the root of the evil by setting aside their differences, which may be greater than they know.
