A “life-affirmative and eccentrically inspirational” collection from the National Book Award– and Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Color Purple (Kirkus Reviews). In these glorious, offbeat, and compassionate tales, one of America’s preeminent authors shares her experiences raising and caring for a flock of affectionately named chickens. Walker addresses her “girls” directly, sometimes from the intimate proximity of her yard, other times at a great distance, during her travels to Bali and Dharamsala as an activist for peace and justice. On the way, she invites readers along on a surprising journey of spiritual discovery. Both heartbreaking and uplifting, The Chicken Chronicles lets us see a new and deeply personal side of one of the most captivating writers of our time. In turn, Walker has created a powerful touchstone for anyone seeking a deeper connection with the natural world. “Heartfelt, thought-provoking ruminations on sustenance from perspectives of both giver and receiver.” —Library Journal “Walker’s sage, compassionate memoir is meant to be savored and contemplated.” —Kirkus Reviews

During a family gathering, eighty-two year old Norman Cohen becomes incensed. A causal remark about his father releases long repressed memories. For the first time Norman realizes the extent of his parents’ lengthy mistreatment of himself, their oldest son. He slips into depression. To salve his anguish and eventually find redemption, he crafts with brutal honesty a memoir that his son edits. The end product is a kaleidoscope of family history reaching back to the nineteenth century immigrants who settle in a small Pennsylvania town in the low-end neighborhood of Chicken Hill. Three generations of Jewish life are vividly portrayed in this gripping narrative. Led by the family patriarch, the first generation of greenhorn immigrants launch new lives in a strange English-speaking Christian world devoid of Jewish institutions and so unlike that of the Galician shtetl. The second generation is generally successful in both business and professions with the exception of the eldest daughter and her hapless husband. Their son Norman, the first child of the third generation, puts aside his own college ambitions. He dutifully assists in the family enterprise, a shoe store. There is a Depression, after all, and family finances are tight, right? But Norman does not understand. Why does his mother treat him so poorly? What is the true basis for his quashed dreams?

What is it really like to work in a restaurant? What do chefs do when they are running out of the night's most popular dish? Do they really serve food that is on the turn? And how do they make it seem fresh? What happens to a restaurant when it gets a bad review? Australians are renowned for our passion for eating out and our cities boast some of the best restaurants in the world. But how many of us really have a sense of what goes on behind the scenes? In this hilarious book Matthew Evans draws on his many years of experience as both chef and restaurant reviewer to ridicule and revere, expose and acclaim the secrets behind one of the most lucrative and risky businesses in Australia. Part memoir, part expose, NEVER ORDER CHICKEN ON A MONDAY is as brilliant as it is brave - an inspiration for anyone stuck for conversation over dinner.

For the past several years, on a farm north of San Francisco, the celebrated writer Alice Walker has diligently cared for a flock of chickens. Over time, her blossoming relationship with "her girls" became a source of inspiration, strength, and spiritual discovery, and helped Walker connect more profoundly with her own past as a girl in rural Georgia. Walker has recorded this journey in The Chicken Chronicles, an extraordinary document of personal discovery, political commitment, and the joys of relating to animals. Each of Walker's thirty-eight chronicles addresses her "girls" directly, sometimes from the intimate proximity of her yard, other times at a great distance, from her journeys to Bali and Dharamsala as a witness and activist for peace and justice. By turns uplifting and heartbreaking, The Chicken Chronicles is a new treat for Walker fans, a powerful touchstone for anyone seeking a deeper connection with the natural world, and a celebration of chickens everywhere