The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Lemmon

From library Journal: "Journalist Lemmon tells the moving story of Kamila Sidiqi, a young woman in Kabul, Afghanistan, who, out of desperation, started a successful dressmaking business to support her family and other destitute women during the repressive Taliban regime. Through Kamila's story, Lemmon captures the lives of women after the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 1996. She rejects characterizing Afghan women as victims of war and instead demonstrates how women, particularly entrepreneurial women, actively resisted gender oppression. Kamila's story ends on a positive note with the fall of the Taliban regime after the American presence in Afghanistan; her impressive yet furtive enterprise later received recognition from such figures as Condoleezza Rice. A revealing work that contributes to the literature on women under Afghanistan's Taliban regime."

Home Front by Kristin Hannah

From Library Journal: "Hannah's latest is an emotional, honest, and timely read that depicts the life of a military family from a female perspective. Jolene is a mother who protects her two children, Betsy and Lulu, with ubiquitous positivity, but she can't preserve her marriage with Michael and their growing distance and fading love. Michael has never embraced Jolene's job as a helicopter pilot in the Army National Guard, and their relationship grows more strained when Jolene and her best friend are deployed to Iraq. Over the course of her tour, Jolene is understandably changed-she's broken both physically and mentally when she returns home. And Michael, too, has changed. Hannah has written a remarkable tale of duty, love, strength, and hope that is at times poignant and always thoroughly captivating and relevant."

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

From Library Journal: "The introvert extrovert dichotomy is easily stereotyped in psychological literature: extroverts are buoyant and loud, introverts are shy and nerdy. Here, former corporate lawyer and negotiations consultant Cain gives a more nuanced portrait of introversion. Introverts are by nature more pensive, quiet, and solitary, but they can also act extroverted for the pursuit of their passions. Cain's conclusion is that the introversion or extroversion personality trait is not as simple as an on/off switch but a much more complex expression of a personality. This book is a pleasure to read and will make introverts and extroverts alike think twice about the best ways to be themselves and interact with differing personality types."

Sister by Rosamund Lipton

From Library Journal: "Written in the form of a letter from Beatrice, the older, more substantial sister, to her younger, bohemian sibling, Tess, the narrative reveals within the first few pages that Tess has gone missing and is found dead. Bea and Tess, even with a big age difference and an ocean between them, were incredibly close, so when Bea receives the "phone call," she drops everything and races from New York City to London. Although Tess's death is ruled a suicide, Bea knows her sister would never kill herself. As Bea frantically tries to find the murderer, in the process losing pieces of herself, the reader is catapulted into the search." The New York Times Book Review calls Sister "Both tear-jerking and spine-tingling... provides an adrenaline rush that could cause a chill on the sunniest afternoon." Check it out!

The Three Sisters Indian Cookbook by Sereena, Alexa & Priya Kaul

From Library Journal: "Sisters Sereena, Priya, and Alexa Kaul, who immigrated to England from Kashmir, in India, in the 1970s, provide a colorful introduction to Indian cooking likely to appeal to cooks ready to plunge into Indian cuisine at home. Lavishly illustrated and filled with personal notes (e.g., "This dish reminds us of the first wedding we went to as children"), this cookbook contains over 100 recipes, ranging from the familiar to those less well known to American audiences, and includes starters, side dishes, entrees, and desserts. Instructions are clear and well organized. This enjoyable, attractive cookbook is a good general introduction to Indian cooking, particularly for beginners.

New DVDs

Newly arrived at the library:



Sarah's Key (Rotten Tomatoes rating 73%)







Moneyball (Rotten Tomatoes rating 94%)








Captain America: The First Avenger (Rotten Tomatoes rating 79%)






Crazy Stupid Love (Rotten Tomatoes rating 78%)

The Summer of the Bear by Bella Pollen

From Library Journal: "In summer 1979, a bear touring the British Isles with its trainer slips off its leash and paddles through the waves until it reaches the Outer Hebrides. It's soon spotted by Jamie Fleming, an imaginative if slightly off-balance lad who quickly associates the creature with his father. Nicky Fleming, once a rising star in the diplomatic corps, died mysteriously while serving in Bonn and has since been suspected of being a traitor. His devastated wife, Letty, seeks respite by bringing Jamie and his sisters, dutiful Georgie and rebellious Alba, to the family's vacation spot in the Hebrides, once her own home. There, she tries to piece together what Nicky really did (or didn't do) and whether his fall from the embassy roof was accident or suicide, even as oddly assorted townsfolk drop by, Alba turns shoplifter, and Jamie, who's never -really understood that his dad is dead, comes to regard the bear as his savior. The mystery here is satisfying (and effectively resolved), but this is not a spy novel despite Nicky's calling. It's a sweet, affecting, well-wrought tale of a family torn apart and then reunited and will charm most fiction readers."

The Kitchen Gardener's Handbook by Jennifer R. Bartley

It's starting to feel like spring out there (in February, no less!). All gardeners know it's never too early to start planning, and we have lots and lots of books to help!

Free blood pressure check!

As part of Heart Healthy month, sponsored by Fairview Red Wing and the YMCA, you can get a free blood pressure check & heart health tips today at the Red Wing Public Library. Stop on by!

Winter Saturday Family Story Time

Please come join us this Saturday, February 18, at 9:30am for the fourth of our special Winter Saturday Family Story Times. Library staff will present a special themed story time including stories, songs, rhymes and a take home craft. This week's theme is Fowl Play! Older siblings welcome and no registration required.

Rafa by Rafael Nadal

From Kirkus Reviews: "Elite tennis star Nadal serves up a smashing account of his life on and off the court. Tenacious. Driven. Obsessed. This is how the sports world has come to know Nadal, the Mallorcan phenom who at age 24 became the youngest man ever to complete a career Grand Slam in the Open Era. What's revealed here, however, is a much more complex figure prone to all sorts of anxieties, and a man who simply would not be the athlete he is today if not for the constant love and support of his extended family. The titanic showdown between Nadal and Federer at Wimbledon in 2008 is played out shot-for-shot over several engrossing chapters. Throughout, the alternating point of view and over-the-shoulder accounts provide readers with a stunning invitation into the mind of one of the greatest tennis players ever. A winning endeavor packed with intelligence and excitement. "

The Magic Room: A Story About the Love We Wish for Our Daughters

Jeffrey Zaslow, author of The Girls From Ames and co-author of The Last Lecture, was killed in a car accident on February 10. He was driving to a show to promote his latest book, The Magic Room: A Story About the Love We Wish for Our Daughters. Publishers Weekly called the book "[a] tender, intimate study of the changing nature of wedlock [that] traces the many generations of devoted customers at a Michigan bridal shop. The Detroit-based author, now a columnist at the Wall Street Journal, with three daughters of his own, elicits personal stories from worthy brides-to-be captured at the store, such as the Baptist-raised local daughter who along with her three sisters swore "a vow of purity" until marriage; the 40-year-old marrying for the first time; and the young lady maimed in a car crash whose fiance stood by her." The touching stories are made even more poignant by the untimely death of the author.

Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens

From the Barnes & Noble Review: "A reviewer in the UK's Telegraph described Christopher Hitchens as an "essayist, polemicist, self-styled contrarian, Bush-supporting apostate, smoker, drinker." To Joseph Heller, he is a remarkable commentator: "He jousts with fraudulence of every stripe and always wins." But perhaps Christopher Buckley portrayed him most succinctly: "the greatest living essayist in the English language." All those sides emerge unapologetically in this new collection of essays, Hitchens' first since 2004. Feisty and free-ranging; brilliant skepticism."

eBook changes

There have been some unpleasant recent developments with regard to library eBooks. Large US publishers are becoming nervous about the extraordinary popularity of eBooks from libraries and are pulling back, apparently fearing that it will cut into their business. Three of the "Big 6" US publishers have decided to no longer sell eBooks or eAudiobooks to OverDrive, the company that provides the Red Wing Public Library (as part of SELCO) with eBooks and eAudiobooks. Other publishers are limiting their offerings and/or raising prices. If you'd like to learn more, and especially if you'd like to contact the publishers to express your displeasure with their policies, check out this blog post from the San Rafael Public Library.

Reception in memory of Sal Baringer

Please come join the friends and family of Sal Baringer this Saturday at 11am here at the Red Wing Public Library. The Friends of the Library have purchased a painting in remembrance of Sal, a long time volunteer for the library and many other organizations in Red Wing, and will be joining together to dedicate it this Saturday.

From Library Journal: "Myfanwy (rhymes with "Tiffany") Thomas wakes up in a London park surrounded by dead men, all wearing latex gloves. She has no idea who she is or how she got there. She finds two letters in the pocket of her jacket from her body's former owner. The first tells her the body is now hers and warns of danger. Myfanwy is a Rook, a high-level operative in a clandestine security force charged with protecting Britain from supernatural forces, and there's a mole in the organization who's trying to kill her. Possessed of her own supernatural powers, underestimated until now, Myfanwy proves unexpectedly resourceful and is soon kicking butt with the best of them. The pace never lets up in this entertaining high-action read. First-time novelist O'Malley has fashioned a near-perfect supernatural thriller. Don't start this book unless you've got lots of time, because you won't want to put it down. It's that good."

Taken by Robert Crais

From Library Journal: "Crais's entertaining 15th Elvis Cole/Joe Pike thriller features a multinational cast of bandits who buy, sell, and steal one another's kidnapped victims. When professional kidnappers capture a college-age couple who venture into the desert south of Palm Springs near the Mexican border, the young woman's mother hires Cole to find them. Through a series of undercover efforts, Cole, Pike, and their talented sidekick Jon Stone begin to decipher the power balance in this international matrix of cartels and move cautiously yet decisively to infiltrate the smugglers' web. But when the bandits capture Cole, Pike and Stone must find a way to use his misfortune to their advantage, thwarting the kidnappers and bringing justice to the victims. Crais's captivating plot together with his crisp dialog makes for swift and satisfying reading."

Soon to be hot off the presses!

From BookPage, a list of the 30 most anticipated books of 2012. Well worth a look!

Winter Saturday Family Story Time

Please come join us this Saturday, February 4, at 9:30am for the third of our special Winter Saturday Family Story Times. Library staff will present a special themed story time including stories, songs, rhymes and a take home craft. This week's theme is Red! Dress up if you like! Older siblings welcome and no registration required.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

From Publishers Weekly: "Fisher scores a resounding success in this beautifully imagined science fantasy set in a far future where, many years earlier, civilization was artificially frozen at late-medieval levels in order to save the world from dangerous technologies. Simultaneously, all of the world's malcontents and madmen were sealed into an unimaginably vast, sentient prison named Incarceron, where a dedicated group of social engineers intended to create utopia. Claudia, the brilliant daughter of the cold-blooded warden of Incarceron, has been raised from birth to marry and eventually control Caspar, the simpleminded heir to the throne. Finn, a young man without a past, is a prisoner in Incarceron, which has become a hideous dystopia, an "abyss that swallows dreams." When Claudia and Finn each gain possession of a high-tech "key" to the prison, they exchange messages, and Finn asks Claudia to help him attempt an escape. While he negotiates the hideous maze of the prison, Claudia makes her way through the equally deadly labyrinth of political intrigue. Complex and inventive, with numerous and rewarding mysteries, this tale is certain to please."

National Geographic's History Book: an Interactive Journey by Marcus Cowper

From the publisher: "You won't find dusty topics and long-dead heroes and villains in the National Geographic History Book. Turn the pages and you'll find documents, letters, journals, telegrams, posters, and artworks that you can literally pull out and examine. See for yourself, with the primary source materials that history buffs love, what really happened and who really did it. Pull out Shakespeare's will and see how he changed his mind about who got what. Examining a facsimile of the Zouche-Nuttall Codex gives you a sense of the turmoil of pre-Columbian Mexico. Take a look at a steamy love letter written by Napoleon to his wife Josephine. Marvel at the beauty of a wall fresco from first-century Pompeii. Read pages from the Gutenberg Bible, the world's first printed book. Examine a "Wanted" poster for Abraham Lincoln's assassin...and more."