A young American in Mexico discovers his family’s past—and a present-day danger—in this “elegant, exquisite” novel of suspense (Elle). Eric is a newly minted historian just out of graduate school, plagued by self-doubt over both his past choices and his future options. With no clear direction, he follows his lover, Em, when she travels to the Yucatan for her scientific research, but ends up alone in this foreign place. And so he pursues his own private quest, tracing his family’s history to a Mexican ghost town, where, a hundred years earlier, young Cornish miners—among them Eric’s grandparents—toiled to the death. Now, in place of the Cornish workers, the native Huichol Indians suffer the cruelty of the mines. When he inquires into their lives, Eric provokes the ire of their self-appointed savior, Dona Vera. Known as the “Queen of the Sierra,” Dona Vera is the widow of a mining baron who has dedicated her fortune to preserving the Huichol culture. But her formidable presence belies a dubious past. The zigzag paths of these characters converge on the Day of the Dead, bringing together past and present in a moment of powerful epiphany. Haunting and atmospheric, with splashes of exuberant color and darker violence, The Zigzag Way is “a beautifully rendered combination of history, folklore, and modern fiction” (Entertainment Weekly), from a Booker Prize finalist. “Long before Jhumpa Lahiri . . . long before Monica Ali . . . another novelist was offering us exquisitely detailed portraits of bodies in transit [and] classes in the art of sly and sensuous fiction . . . Anita Desai was a global, migrant writer before such a thing was fashionable.” —Time “Almost unbearably suspenseful.” —The Boston Globe “A hypnotic journey.” —San Jose Mercury News
A stunning post–Civil War romance from the writer of the Fire series, “an amazingly talented author who has few rivals” (RT Book Reviews). Everything changed for Laura Taylor when the South lost the Civil War. The Yankees’ arrival in South Carolina drove Laura and her soldier husband, Jesse, westward to seek a new beginning. But Laura’s hopes crumble when Jesse dies, and she finds herself pregnant and alone in a wild railroad camp with winter coming in fast. The only one she can turn to is Dr. Spencer Hardin. Spencer returned from the war to discover his wife had run off with another man, taking his young son with them. Vowing to get his child back, he started the long journey to San Francisco, and not even the revelation of his wife’s death could stop his vengeful journey. But when a blizzard rages, Spencer finds himself stranded, fighting for the lives of Laura Taylor and her baby, and the first steps on the path to redemption. “A well-written story of two people who find love in recovering from the past and the war that tore apart a nation.” —Historical Romance Review with Regan Walker
Anita Brookner is justly famous for her elegant, almost Jamesian character studies of women poised on the threshold of life. But in Lewis Percy, she performs a remarkable leap of imaginative empathy in her portrayal of a man torn between the reassuring cloister of the library and the alluring but terrifying world of the senses, a world populated by women who persist in bewildering him.
Set against the legendary background of the lush California vineyards, Vintage is a vibrant family saga with strong characters and swiftly moving action. In this drama of American growth from the late 1800's to 1970, filled with racial strife, political intrigue, social drama and a great love story, the Napa Valley takes on mythic significance. This special land becomes to the men and women who work here either a generous mother or a bitch goddess, and functions as a microcosm of the tensions, frustrations and ambitions of a growing America.
The Lilac House" reveals how a cookbook writer and a cyclone expert cross paths in a small beachside village to uniquely help each other uncover the truth about the secrets of their pasts and the promise of the future.
Can time become stuck at NOW or does it just seem that way? Can the past be changed without creating a paradox? Does history repeat or is that something we tell ourselves to cover our poor choices? When Alexander 'Ramses' Smith is assigned to decipher the odd hieroglyphs of the Temple of Khnum-all heka (magic) breaks loose. As a teen, his interest was in metaphysical and sharing psychic experiences with a beloved grandmother. When she died, things turned dark when an Ouija Board freed a terrifying entity with red eyes. He thought he was free of it when he shut his psychic gifts down and began a study of Egyptology-But Shezmu was waiting for him in Esna. Lex found others trapped by the time loop: afret (djinni), the ghost of a former archeologist, Dr. Broderick S. Gillwood, the Neteru (Egyptian gods/goddesses) all conspiring against his scientific training and logical mind. Lex soon realizes there is no choice but to obey the voices in his head and the mysterious ones of an outer sort. He must rely on the intuitive gifts he fought so hard to quash. Realizing he can see and sense what others cannot, Lex runs headlong into a past life that puts him dangerously susceptible to the hidden secrets infused in the stone ruins. He must quickly re-define his understanding of the lines between imagination and reality or lose the battle for his mind with the darkness created by blood sorcery and a destiny (shay) he never expected.
A dying wish alters the course of a young woman’s life. Life hadn’t been easy for Summer Snow. In acts of selflessness—caring for her ailing parents and running her grandmother’s bookstore—she had forfeited her youth and dreams for the needs of others. And the only tries she had at love… didn’t turn out. She had the bookstore, she had her beloved granny, but she was missing something—or someone. Opportunity strikes when Granny sends Summer on an unexpected adventure with one Martin Langtree, a kind but gangly young man from Summer’s past. A childhood friendship is rekindled, a romance is sparked, and mysteries are solved in one magical Texas summer. Will Summer strike out on love again, or will things finally go her way? With lovable characters and surprising twists, Summer’s List is a simple delight.
In this novel, set in the 15th century during the Hundred Years War between France and England, Hella Haasse brilliantly captures all the drama of one of the great ages of history.
This magnificent novel transports readers to the world of a prominent Boston family summering on the New Hampshire coast, and to the social orbit of a spirited young woman who falls into a passionate, illicit affair with an older man, with cataclysmic results. The Fortune Rock's Quartet collects four of Anita Shreve's most beloved novels-Fortune's Rocks, The Pilot's Wife, Sea Glass, and Body Surfing-for the first time. The novels highlight Shreve's ability to illuminate women's lives across different eras and share a delightful detail: they are all set in the same coastal New England home, one that has inspired Shreve for over a decade. Any house with age to it can tell a million stories about the families who have lived there, and Shreve has been quoted as saying, ''You could base an entire life's work on the people who come in and out of a house.'' Fortune's Rocks depicts a spirited young woman at the turn of the 20th century who falls into a passionate, illicit affair with an older man. In Sea Glass, a young couple's new marriage is rocked to the core by the 1929 stock market crash. The Pilot's Wife brings us to the present day, where Kathryn is unprepared her for the late-night knock that lets her know her husband has been killed in a plane crash. Sydney, the heroine of Body Surfing has already been once divorced and once widowed by the age of 29, and finds the fragile existence she has rebuilt for herself threatened when two brothers vie for her affections. "There's something addictive about Shreve's tales," according to USA Today, and this quality is on full display in the critically acclaimed novels of The Fortune Rock's Quartet. No one writes more compellingly than Anita Shreve about marriage, family, the depths of our strength and resolve, and the supreme courage that it takes to love.
Inspired by an incredible true story of two Jewish friends who survived the Holocaust, this “heartfelt and memorable tale of family, love, resilience, and the triumph of human spirit” (Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author) spans World War II from Budapest to Austria and the postwar years from Naples to Caracas, perfect for fans of The German Girl and We Were the Lucky Ones. Spring 1946: Best friends Vera Frankel and Edith Ban arrive in Naples. Refugees from Hungary, they managed to escape from a train headed for Auschwitz and spent the rest of the war hiding on an Austrian farm. Now, the two young women are starting new lives abroad. Armed with a letter of recommendation from an American officer, Vera finds work at the United States embassy where she falls in love with Captain Anton Wight. But as Vera and Edith grapple with the aftermath of the war, so too does Anton, and when he suddenly disappears, Vera is forced to change course. Their quest for a better life takes Vera and Edith from Naples to Ellis Island to Caracas as they start careers, reunite with old friends, and rebuild their lives after terrible loss. Moving, evocative, and compelling, The Light After the War is a timely and “unforgettable story of strength, love, and survival” (Jillian Cantor, USA TODAY bestselling author).
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 1999 BOOKER PRIZE Uma, the plain, spinster daughter of a close-knit Indian family, is trapped at home, smothered by her overbearing parents and their traditions, unlike her ambitious younger sister Aruna, who brings off a 'good' marriage, and brother Arun, the disappointing son and heir who is studying in America. Across the world in Massachusetts, life with the Patton family is bewildering for Arun in the alien culture of freedom, freezers and paradoxically self-denying self-indulgence.
1905 London is a heady mix of unimaginable wealth and simmering political tensions, and with war looming, all Flora Maguire wants is to keep her family safe. But when a body is found on a train bound for Paddington and her beloved charge Viscount Edward Trent is accused of murder, she's determined not to leave the investigation to the police. Flora has trodden the path of amateur sleuth before, but with so much at stake, this time it’s personal. Slowly the body of the victim starts giving up its secrets, and Flora and her husband Bunny become mired in a murky world of spies, communists and fraudsters. And with the police more sure than ever that Edward is their murderer, Flora must work fast, if she’s going to save him, and ensure a murderer doesn’t remain on the loose! An absolutely gripping cozy crime novel, perfect for fans of T.E. Kinsey, Verity Bright, and Helena Dixon. Previously published as The Bloomsbury Affair. Readers love the Flora Maguire series: ‘I thought it really evoked the era. And the atmosphere of an ocean-going cruise lent itself well to a murder scene. And you can quote me on that!’ FAITH MARTIN. ‘Wow! I was kept guessing right to the end. A great read and I will be looking out for more of this author’s work!!!’ ‘I’m a big fan of this author’s work, so I was excited to read the first instalment in her new mystery series. It did not disappoint. Along with the sparkling dialogue and likeable characters I have come to expect, I found an intriguing, page-turning whodunnit.’ ‘With intrigue heaped upon intrigue [this] is certainly a great whodunnit that kept my attention from start to finish.’ ‘This is definitely a 5 star! Highly recommended!’ ‘Pulls you in and won’t let go!!!’
In this modern classic interpretation of the biblical story of Dinah, Anita Diamant imagines the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood--the world of The Red Tent, a New York Times bestseller and the basis of the A&E/Lifetime mini-series. Twentieth Anniversary Edition In the Bible, Dinah's life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that tell of her father, Jacob, and his twelve sons. The Red Tent begins with the story of the mothers--Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah--the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that sustain her through childhood, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah's story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past. Deeply affecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling and the valuable achievement of presenting a new view of biblical women's lives.
When Hannah volunteers at a domestic abuse hotline and tries to help the women and children whose lives become entwined with her own, she's caught in the town’s secrets, lies, and double dealing. Raised in the Sixties on picket lines and peace marches, activist Hannah Fox can't turn her back when a friend's land is targeted by an eminent domain scam that threatens her small town in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. When the developer behind the fraudulent scheme is murdered and her young friend becomes a suspect, Hannah probes the dead man's shameful past. She faces hard choices, convinced the murder was a heroic act even when it's clear she may be the killer's next victim. Trouble invades Hannah's private life as she tries to curb the mounting attraction between herself and Jack Grundy, Senior Investigator for the New York State Police, while watching her own marriage crumble. Damned If You Don’t, which skillfully exposes the entrenched corruption in a rough-edged mountain town, is moving and disturbing, atmospheric and authentic. This dark traditional mystery with its strong protagonist keeps readers guessing until the very end.
In a new novel about love and forgiveness by the bestselling author of "The Pilot's Wife" and "Fortune's Rocks", a man and a woman sustain a lifelong passionate relationship even though they have been together only three times.
Anita Harris creates a realistic portrait of the "new girl" that has appeared in the twenty-first century--she may still play with Barbie, but she is also likely to play soccer or basketball, be assertive and may even be sexually aware, if not active. Building on this new definition, Harris explores the many key areas central to the lives of girls from a global perspective, such as girlspace, schools, work, aggression, sexuality and power.
A Five-Part Romance. Part I, takes place in 1454, were Elle is born as Annabelle Savoie. She finds a body washed up on the Chateau de Savoie, France, beach. She revives and finds him to be the Sovereign of a large coven, Lucien Vallianto a very powerful vampire. They fall in love, marry and he takes her and her brother, Marcus Savoie back to his villa on the Island of Sardegna, Italy. There Ella is murdered before the Sovereign could turn her. Part II, Elle, in 1690 is reborn as Isabella Savoie. Part III takes place in 1921, Ella is born as Jezebel Savage a descendent of the Savoie family. Part IV Present Day, Ellouise Conway works with the coven and together they succeed in turning Ellouise as their queen, but she looses her trust in the Sovereign and his love for her. Part V Conclusion, Elle has to trust the sovereign again, identify the murderer and accept her future as a vampire without the one she loves more than life itself. Does she finally succeed?
This book is a frank and revealing personal story of the development of spiritual life in Christ. It is told with warmth, integrity, a quiet humor and a pervasive underlying sense of awe to illustrate how God is able to apply the principles found in the Bible, in the life of the believer. The diversity of life experiences Anita shares with husband Don contributes to the rich tapestry of her spiritual growth from which she is able to inspire others, from all walks of life, to press on in their own journey with Jesus. Regardless of faith level, this book is sure to open up the readers understanding of what God intends him or her to be, and how He makes this possible in the receptive soul. Grounded in Scripture and seen through the lens of personal experience, there are rich and helpful insights, spiritual principles and memorable analogies to encourage fellow travelers. Coriander is one of Asia's most essential flavors. Anita's attempts to grow it parallels her spiritual experience. The seed must be bruised and buried for a thrust of living shoots to appear. Only chopped leave release their essence to infuse the food on which they are sprinkled. Set in India, these memoirs present principles that are universal for spiritual growth.
Not just another film guide–this is a visual road map to the best cinema has to offer. A comprehensive, fun to browse, and easy-to-use source for everything you need to know about movies and the people behind them. From Hollywood to Bollywood, the unique approach will explore every aspect of film and provide pointers on how to watch and understand films of different types, styles, and periods.Covers the history of film, from celluloid to the virtual world of digital FXProfiles the most important historical and contemporary directors, actors, producers, studios, and moreHighlights the top 100 “cornerstone movies” and contains an extensive trivia sectionDetails the principles behind film making styles, from sci-fi to romantic comedy
Based on the life of the middle class intellectuals of Calcutta, it is an unforgettable story of a Bohemian brother and his two sisters caught in the cross-currents of changing social values. In many ways the story reflects a vivid picture of India's social transition - a phase in which the older elements are not altogether dead, and the emergent ones not fully evolved.
In an ambitious departure from her usual form, Anita Brookner expands her canvas in Family and Friends to create a richly textured novel about the life of a wealthy Jewish family in London, focusing on the generation that came to maturity between the two World Wars. Presiding over the Dorn household is the formidable Sofka, an elegant and circumspect widow who watches as her four children find their way into adulthood. Frederick, the sybaritic eldest son, escapes to the comforts of the Riviera while stern, dutiful Alfred runs the family business and burns with unrealized longings; Betty—pleasure-loving, vain, and selfish—makes her ambitious way from Paris to Hollywood, leaving her dreamy, passive sister Mimi to languish at home. A brilliant social novel of lost innocence and the complex nature of family bonds, Family and Friends meticulously portrays the emotional cost of everyday life.
1905 London is a heady mix of unimaginable wealth and simmering political tensions, and with war looming Flora Maguire wants to keep her family safe. So when her beloved charge Viscount Edward Trent is accused of murder, she's determined not to leave the investigation to the police. Flora has trodden the path of amateur sleuth before, but with so much at stake, this time it's personal. Slowly the body of the victim found stabbed on a train bound for Paddington starts giving up its secrets, and Flora and her husband Bunny become mired in a murky world of spies, communists and fraudsters. And with the police more sure than ever that Edward is their murderer, Flora must work fast to keep him safe. Anita Davison's compulsive story-telling, combined with the irresistible mix of historical drama and gripping mystery, make this unputdownable.
The Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard is the world's oldest surviving royal bodyguard, having been founded by Henry VII in 1485. Today it is purely a ceremonial body, but in the past it was a true bodyguard and the nucleus of a fighting force at a time when England had no standing army. Nevertheless, even in its early years, its ceremonial role was also of great importance, supplying a richly arrayed retinue to enhance the King's status. Anita Hewerdine here provides the first comprehensive study of the early years of the Yeomen of the Guard during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII, examining the variety of roles performed by the Guard, both within and outside the Court, as well as detailing the apparel worn by the yeomen and the weaponry with which they were equipped. Hewerdine's book is the result of intensive research, using numerous unpublished documents, as well as a variety of printed sources not readily accessible to the general public. It will be essential reading for researchers of Early Modern Military History and sheds light on a previously overlooked aspect of the Tudor Court.
At the heart of Anita Brookner's new novel lies a double mystery: What has happened to Anna Durrant, a solitary woman of a certain age who has disappeared from her London flat? And why has it taken four months for anyone to notice? As Brookner reconstructs Anna's life and character through the eyes of her acquaintances, she gives us a witty yet ultimately devastating study of self-annihilating virtue while exposing the social, fiscal, and moral frauds that are the underpinnings of terrifying rectitude.
When Dr. Joshua Mtolo witnesses a horrendous crime against innocent children, he determines to help the youngsters overcome the mental and physical stresses their traumatic experiences provoked. Money, or the lack of it, proves his greatest hindrance to offering the help he thinks they require. While seeking the necessary funds, he steps outside the legal limits, with devastating results for everyone connected to him.
Sophie and Matteo are young and in love, sharing a dissatisfaction with their bourgeois Italian upbringing. Naturally, like so many other young Westerners in the sixties and seventies, they go to India. But the realities of life in an ashram ignite their differences; Sophie wants to be a tourist and go to Goa and eat shrimp, which Matteo scorns, seeking the ‘real’ India. Pragmatic Sophie is disillusioned by the hardships they encounter, while her husband, who yearns for spiritual fulfillment, sees only the purity of ascetic life, leading him to Mother, a charismatic guru. Trying to reclaim an ailing Matteo, Sophie embarks on a new journey in search for a different truth; that of Mother’s mysterious past. Soon, she finds that the immortal has a history of her own; born in Cairo, she was once Laila, a dancer who toured the world before coming to Bombay to search for ‘divine love’. What each of the three people discover, on their individual quests, is at its heart that ancient truth: that wisdom is found in the journey itself. A stirring, profound exploration of emotional exile, of sacred and profane loves, Journey to Ithaca is a masterful novel.
The murder of best friends sparks a sinister chain of events in this thriller from the internationally bestselling author of the Kat and Mouse mysteries. Would you risk everything to protect your family? Carla Andrews and Lorraine West are work colleagues and best friends. They socialise together, they work in the same bookmakers and they support each other as only best friends can. Then they are murdered together. When DI Tom Fowler is handed the case, he discovers a journal that Carla has left and must unpick the secrets Lorraine has kept hidden. Soon Carla’s and Lorraine’s husbands become the main suspects. It’s usually the spouse who is responsible, isn’t it? The investigation progresses until Lorraine’s sixteen-year-old son disappears. Will the truth ever emerge? And is knowing the truth always worth the sacrifice? Praise for the thrillers of Anita Waller “Once again Anita Waller brings the reader a masterfully written, first class mystery thriller with a jaw dropping twist that will leave you speechless.” —Once Upon a Time Book Reviews “I always anticipate getting my hands on the latest Anita Waller thriller because I know I will not be able to put it down and I will be thoroughly surprised and entertained.” —Avonna Loves Genres “A must-read for crime thriller readers.” —Bookstormer “A really well written, gripping book with plenty of twists for me!” —Donna’s Book Blog “A tense, drama-packed read. I was literally biting my nails by the end.” —On the Shelf Reviews
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