Called Upstairs

Called Upstairs
Author: Tom Gordon
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
Total Pages: 461
Release: 2023-06-15
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0228018358
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A silent clapboard church on a barren Arctic landscape is more than just a place of worship: it is a symbol that can evoke fraught reactions to the history of Christian colonization. In the Inuit homeland of Northern Labrador, however, that church is more likely to resonate with the voices of a well-rehearsed choir accompanied by an accomplished string orchestra or spirited brass bands. The Inuit making this music are stewards of a tradition of complex sacred music introduced by Moravian missionaries in the late 1700s – a tradition that, over time, these musicians transformed into a cultural expression genuinely their own. Called Upstairs is the story of this Labrador Inuit music practice. It is not principally a story of forced adoption but of adaptation, mediation, and agency, exploring the transformation of a colonial artifact into an expression of Inuit aesthetic preference, spirituality, and community identity. Often overlaying the Moravian traditions with defining characteristics drawn from pre-contact expressive culture, Inuit musicians imbued this once-alien music with their own voices. Told through archival documents, oral histories of Inuit musicians, and the music itself, Called Upstairs tracks the emergence of this Labrador Moravian music tradition across two and a half centuries. Tom Gordon presents a chronicle of Inuit leadership and agency in the face of colonialism through a unique lens. In this time of reconciliation, this story offers a window into Inuit resilience and the power of a culture’s creative expressions.

Something Upstairs

Something Upstairs
Author: Avi
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 148
Release: 2010-07
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0545214912
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When he moves from Los Angeles to Providence, Rhode Island, Kenny discovers that his new house is haunted by the spirit of a black slave boy who asks Kenny to return with him to the early nineteenth century and prevent his murder by slave traders.

The Family Upstairs

The Family Upstairs
Author: Lisa Jewell
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 302
Release: 2019-08-08
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1473561345
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Prepare to be hooked . . . A compulsive thriller from Lisa Jewell. * #1 UK SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER * * OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD * * HOLLY WILLOUGHBY'S SUMMER READING HIGHLIGHT * 'I read it all in one sitting.' Colleen Hoover 'I loved The Family Upstairs!' Sarah Jessica Parker 'Really good, gripping. I couldn't bear for it to finish...' Olivia Colman 'A twisty and engrossing story of betrayal and redemption.' Ian Rankin 'Rich, dark and intricately twisted' Ruth Ware _______________ In a large house in London's fashionable Chelsea, a baby is awake in her cot. Well-fed and cared for, she is happily waiting for someone to pick her up. In the kitchen lie three decomposing corpses. Close to them is a hastily scrawled note. They've been dead for several days. Who has been looking after the baby? And where did they go? Two entangled families. A house with the darkest of secrets. _______________ More love for The Family Upstairs . . . 'My eyes were glued to this book!' Hayley Morris 'You don't read a Lisa Jewell book, you fall into it.' Erin Kelly 'I swear I didn't breathe the whole time I was reading it.' Clare Mackintosh 'Creepy, intricate and utterly immersive.' Guarian 'I had a thrilling for-God's-sake-tell-me-what-happened sensation in my stomach for the entire read' Ruth Jones 'Absolutely brilliant.' Sarah Pinborough 'Glitters like a blade and cuts even deeper.' AJ Finn 'I was hooked from the first page.' Alice Feeney 'Utterly compelling. Deliciously dark and twisty .' Jane Corry 'It's absolutely bloody brilliant.' Tammy Cohen 'I genuinely struggled to put this one down.' The Unmumsy Mum

The Woman Upstairs

The Woman Upstairs
Author: Claire Messud
Publisher: Vintage
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2013-04-30
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0307962407
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Told with urgency, intimacy, and piercing emotion, this New York Times bestselling novel is the riveting confession of a woman awakened, transformed, and abandoned by a desire for a world beyond her own. Nora Eldridge is a reliable, but unremarkable, friend and neighbor, always on the fringe of other people’s achievements. But the arrival of the Shahid family—dashing Skandar, a Lebanese scholar, glamorous Sirena, an Italian artist, and their son, Reza—draws her into a complex and exciting new world. Nora’s happiness pushes her beyond her boundaries, until Sirena’s careless ambition leads to a shattering betrayal. A New York Times Book Review Notable Book • A Washington Post Top Ten Book of the Year • A Chicago Tribune Noteworthy Book • A Huffington Post Best Book • A Boston GlobeBest Book of the Year • A Kirkus Best Fiction Book • A Goodreads Best Book

Upstairs at the White House

Upstairs at the White House
Author: J. B. West
Publisher: Open Road Media
Total Pages: 536
Release: 2013-10-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1480449385
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In this New York Times bestseller, the White House chief usher for nearly three decades offers a behind-the-scenes look at America’s first families. J. B. West, chief usher of the White House, directed the operations and maintenance of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue—and coordinated its daily life—at the request of the president and his family. He directed state functions; planned parties, weddings and funerals, gardens and playgrounds, and extensive renovations; and, with a large staff, supervised every activity in the presidential home. For twenty-eight years, first as assistant to the chief usher, then as chief usher, he witnessed national crises and triumphs, and interacted daily with six consecutive presidents and first ladies, as well as their parents, children and grandchildren, and houseguests—including friends, relatives, and heads of state. J. B. West, whom Jackie Kennedy called “one of the most extraordinary men I have ever met,” provides an absorbing, one-of-a-kind history of life among the first ladies. Alive with anecdotes ranging from Eleanor Roosevelt’s fascinating political strategies to Jackie Kennedy’s tragic loss and the personal struggles of Pat Nixon, Upstairs at the White House is a rich account of a slice of American history that usually remains behind closed doors.

The Upstairs Room (Winner of the Newbery Honor)

The Upstairs Room (Winner of the Newbery Honor)
Author: Johanna Reiss
Publisher: Graymalkin Media
Total Pages: 119
Release: 2011-07-13
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1935169610
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This Newbery Honor-winning book shows us that in the steady courage of a young girl lies a profound strength that can transcend the horrors of war. This is the true story of a girl's extraordinary survival during the German occupation of Holland of World War II. Annie was only ten years old, but because she was Jewish, she was forced to leave her family, her home, and everything she knew. Annie was taken in, far from home, by complete strangers who risked everything to help her. They showed Annie where she had to stay - the cramped upstairs room of their farmhouse. She would remain there while Nazis, who were ever vigilant, patrolled the streets outside. If Annie made even a sound from upstairs, or if a nosy neighbor caught sight of her in the window, it would surely mean a death sentence for her and the family that took her in. Elie Wiesel writes, “This admirable account is as important in every aspect as the one bequeathed to us by Anne Frank." A Newbery Medal Honor Book, ALA Notable Book, and winner of the Jewish Book Council Children’s Book Award. Be sure to read the moving sequel "The Journey Back" by Johanna Reiss.