Alice Carey rose from Irish immigrant poverty in Queens to Hollywood glamour (her mother worked as a maid for famed producer Jean Dalrymple). Carey's book "I'll Know It When I See It: A Daughter's Search for Home in Ireland" is schmaltzy at times, but her life is certainly packed with interesting material. Aside from meeting up with the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Carey later became a teacher and performer, and she poignantly explores the impact of AIDS on her circle of New York friends. When Carey and her husband decide to buy and renovate a home in Ireland, the author is able to contemplate themes such as identity, roots and the power of place.

(304 pages / Clarkson Potter / $22)