Behind the Scenes: The Dramatic Lives of Philip Burton by Angela V. John (Parthian, £20)
A talented writer, teacher and producer, Philip Burton (1904-95) recognised the potential of his young protégé, born Richard Jenkins, helping propel him into Richard Burton (he took Philip’s surname) and box-office stardom. He brought the young actor from the south Wales town of Port Talbot to the London stage and on to the glamour of Hollywood. This study draws on previously unseen sources, bringing Philip Burton for the first time into the spotlight. In the 1950s, he moved to the US, working as a theatre director and delivering Shakespearean lecture-recitals, before settling in Florida, where he spent his final years writing books. The biography is published 100 years after the actor’s birth and coincides with the release of the biopic, Mr Burton, starring Toby Jones. – Paul Clements
Yankeeland by Lacy Fewer (Köehlerbooks, £23.95)
In 19th-century Wexford, Brigid Kelly and her cousin Molly dream of a new life in America. They call it “Yankeeland”– a place featured in the fashion magazines they smuggle past Brigid’s pious stepmother and in the stories of their aristocratic neighbour. Soon, Brigid and her husband emigrate; Molly is left behind. Drawn to the unfamiliar, Brigid lands in Lily Dale, New York, where she’s captivated by the radical ideas of Spiritualism and women’s suffrage. Yankeeland is historical fiction based on Fewer’s family, beginning when Brigid’s grandniece (Fewer’s surrogate) uncovers her letters. As a result, Yankeeland‘s characters feel idealised, and they often shapeshift to meet the demands of the plot. In the end, the novel’s careful handling of its real subject – shame – is well-rendered and timeless. – Kristen Malone Poli
Soft Tissue Damage by Anna Whitwham (Rough Trade Books, £14.99)
“You’re concussed”, the author is told, in the final line of the opening chapter of this powerful memoir. She has just emerged from the boxing ring. “Mum’s cancer…” are the two words that proceed. It is through boxing and the actualisation of pain, that the journalist and author of award-winning novel, Boxer Handsome, learns to process grief and recover her long-held instinct to hurt herself. “I needed to be hurt to know how not to be hurt” she writes. The author presents an almost addictive discipline in her writing that is clean and taut; Whitham knows how to stun, without knocking her reader out. The result is a unique and enthralling memoir of vulnerability, resilience and learning to protect oneself. – Brigid O’Dea
