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A Spectator best book of the year and Kirkus Reviews best nonfiction book of 2024, and a finalist for the ASALH Book Prize!

“Parr has written the definitive story of the youth and early adulthood of one of the most dazzling and controversial civil rights leaders in American history.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

This Spring, we’re so excited to have new biographies, Juniper Prize winners in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, new series titles, and much, much more!

“Salt air and the limits of memory animate this heartrending debut. . . . Readers will be captivated.”—Publishers Weekly

“A stunning book that will make you reassess everything you thought you knew about remembering, forgetting, and storytelling.”—Adrienne Brodeur, author of Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me

“This is a book I will cherish and return to again and again.”—Natasha Trethewey, author of Memorial Drive and House of Being

Read an excerpt on the book’s webpage by clicking “read more.”

​“Democratic Spaces is an excellent account of the land preservation movement in New England from 1850 to the present. The author has made many discoveries through his painstaking research in the archives of land trusts and in local newspapers and journals.”—James Warren, H-Environment

“Judd tells a story of the development of landscape and access policy which. . .portrays a USA that is rather different to the one we might imagine from having watched television throughout the past few years; it is an optimistic book and worth reading for that reason as well.”—Graham Fairclough, Landscapes

We’ve partnered with New Books Network to have our own podcast! Search “UMass Press Podcast” on your favorite podcasting app and subscribe to be notified of new episodes.

The 50+ existing episodes feature Food Margins: Lessons from an Unlikely Grocer, Teaching the History of the Book, Everyday Reading, and much more!