Jesus never fails. I did. My husband and I had been living large for nearly thirty years and were in debt up to our eyeballs when the housing market crashed. As went the economy, so went my husbands job. Crushed with depression, he left for Hollywood to reinvent himself and his career. I was left with a huge home, a huge debt, two college-aged sons, my husbands eighty-nine-year-old mother who had lived in our home for seventeen years, and a badly bruised self-esteem. Within four months, the bank foreclosed on our debt. I sold what I could, shipped the rest to California, and helped my sons and mother-in-law find places to live. From my crisis came deliverance. From my loneliness came a newfound intimacy with the One who loves me unconditionally. He stands beside me drawing me near to Him in prayer, praise and Bible study, constantly reminding me of the Bible verses I memorized as a child. Each day I see His flavor in my life. God has never left my side. When others ride off into the sunset and you are left without a horse, let the dust settle. Lay down the burden of anger, resentment and fear. You were never meant to carry the heavy load. Jesus has said: My yoke is easy and my burden is light! (Matthew 11:30) Jesus Christ restores through forgiveness: His and yours.
An expanded and updated revision of the already comprehensive first edition, The Magazine Writer’sHandbook offers insightful strategies addressing virtually every aspect of writing a magazine article for publication. Designed to be useful for both experienced magazine writers and those seeking to break into the magazine-writing industry, this handbook provides an exhaustive step-by-step approach taking the reader through every stage of the publication process. From targeting the right publication to constructing a professional article, and from dealing with legal considerations to working with editors, the revised edition of The Magazine Writer’s Handbook will be an indispensable addition to any writer’s desk. Extensively published in popular trade magazines, the authors dispense their knowledge in this handbook to help writers of all levels see their work published.
In the mid-19th century, pioneers made their way west along the Oregon Trail to a perilous portion of the path down the Columbia River. Searching for a less dangerous route, Sam Barlow forged the Barlow Trail, and tolls were collected to help build and maintain that trail. Past the final tollgate, there was a wide spot along the trail where pioneers could rest before embarking on the last leg of their journey west into the Willamette Valley. This land eventually became known as Rhododendron, Oregon. In 1905, Henry Rowe, former Portland mayor, built an inn there, and in 1920, the US Postal Service established the Rhododendron Post Office, named for the beautiful native rhododendrons that blossomed in the area. Throughout the 20th century, the town of Rhododendron flourished. It grew to be a recreational vacation destination for nearby Portlanders, and businesses developed as summer homesites were established. Today, Rhododendron is home to over 1,000 permanent residents.
Ob tanzende Grenzbeamte, freundliche Giraffen oder verblüffte Nashörner, Judi King's Buch 'Dark Spots in the Tall Grass' bietet neben persönlichen Beobachtungen vielfältige Einblicke in die Geschichte von Lesotho und Südafrika. Eine unterhaltsame Reisebeschreibung, die das Unerwartete mit historischen Bezügen verbindet. A journey through Lesotho and South Africa experiencing the unexpected from eloquent animals to a vehicle going berserk. With a sense of curiosity and humour, the author blends historic facts and personal reflections. Her travelogue gives you background information while taking you on an entertaining journey.
Through a rhetorical analysis, this book explores how the parties in a coalition government create a united public front while preserving their distinct identities. After proposing an original framework based on the ‘new rhetoric’ of Kenneth Burke, the author charts the path from the inconclusive outcome of the 2010 UK general election and the formation of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition to the dissolution of the partnership in the run-up to May 2015. In doing so, she sheds valuable light on the parties’ use of rhetoric to manage the competing dynamics of unity and distinctiveness in the areas of higher education, constitutional reform, the European Union and foreign policy. This unique and highly-accessible analysis will be of interest to a wide audience, including scholars and students of rhetoric, British politics and coalition studies.
Harvey C. Kett—who everyone called Harve—was a key figure in the development of Southeastern Colorado. In 1886, at age three, he travelled by train with his parents, brother, and sister from Massachusetts to the barren, wide open plains of Colorado, a land that would enchant him and capture his heart. He lived there most of his life as a cowboy, rancher, and politician. He helped shape the landscape both literally and figuratively. As he grew, he captured the stories of his life, the people he knew and the adventures he experienced. The vivid pictures were painted by a young man with little formal education, giving voice to a cowboy and plainsman who lived in a little-known corner of Colorado more than a hundred years ago. Written by his grandaughter and great-granddaughter, this book provides a detailed account of an overlooked plainsman, who along with his family, was among Colorado’s greatest pioneers.
In the unpredictable tangle of British Columbian politics, people and the parties they represent can appear, ascend, and then vanish in notoriety or irrelevance, all before your eyes. The pièce de résistance? Truth doesn’t have to factor into it. A scandalous narrative has the power to control public perception. This is untangled in the story of Rich Coleman and the BC Liberals. Coleman was in the hot seat for twenty-four years. In his time he was called everything from Wyatt Earp to a knuckle-dragger, a criminal to a hero. The truth, of course, is always more complicated than the sound bites, and his story deserves more accuracy than the news stories gave it. Through Coleman’s eyes, you’ll have a close look at the highs and lows of the BC Liberals’ political journey. You’ll also see the painstaking, critical work behind the scenes while the province was distracted by controversies. Coleman’s work restructured institutions and built a new BC industry. Whatever you think of the BC Liberals, you will have to admit it’s quite the story—and Rich Coleman will surprise you, if you give him the chance.
Daggers Unsheathed: The Political Assassination of Glen Clark is the story of the Glen Clark era in British Columbia politics. From the 1995 announcement of his NDP leadership aspirations to the day in 2002 when he was acquitted of criminal charges in a BC court, Glen Clark was the dominant personality in West Coast politics. Clark's style and politics as premier of BC ensured that everyone had a reaction to him. Opinions varied widely and emotions ran high, not only among opposition politicos, but also within his own party, the media, the public, and even, some say, the RCMP. Drawing on a wide range of interviews, access to the former premier's family, and an extensive review of media files, Judi Tyabji Wilson describes the forces that contributed to Clark's demise, including his own role in the process. Tyabji Wilson's political and media experience, combined with her first-hand knowledge of many of the players and the games they play, makes her the ideal person to tell this story. Daggers Unsheathed: The Political Assassination of Glen Clark digs deep and gives no quarter as it takes the reader on a journey through the backrooms of politics and behind the curtains of power. Entertaining and honest, it offers a clear and candid perspective on BC politics.
Provides an applied, experiential approach to listening instruction with special attention to interpersonal, family, professional, educational, and health contexts Market leading text for Listening courses in Communication, with additional application for management, education, and human resources courses Text contains practical features including case studies, exercises, discussion questions, and journal assignments --Online resources include PowerPoint slides and exercises
Projects have always been essentially human endeavours. Large modern projects are generally highly complex, fraught with technical difficulties and supported by diverse, often apparently conflicted stakeholders. The spirituality that originally defined some of the great construction projects of the classical era surely has a role in project management today. The Spirit of Project Management explains the context for spirituality in projects and explores how it can be used to create a larger sense of purpose and achievement; to help encourage an esprit de corps amongst all those involved; to act as a touchstone for ethical and sustainable decision-making. This is a very pragmatic book. The first part includes an explanation and a variety of useful models for understanding the significance and value of spirituality in projects. Judi Neal and Alan Harpham devote the second part of the book to help you integrate these ideas into your day-to-day management of projects. Thus there are chapters on spirituality from the perspective of the individual, the project team, the project organization and even project management within a sustainable world framework. Read this book, use the ideas to help you articulate your projects; engage and sustain your project team and your stakeholders; and frame how you work in terms of your organisation, society and the environment.
A political insider offers a revealing perspective and examines the public and private life of BC's controversial premier. In the blood-sport arena of provincial politics, BC's enigmatic premier, Christy Clark, has defied the pundits to win both party leadership and an upset election victory against all odds. Made deputy premier in 2001 shortly after her first foray into public life, she shunned Gordon Campbell's cabinet solidarity to return to private life in 2004. After a bold run at becoming Vancouver's mayor, she launched a successful media career as a CKNW talk show host. In 2011, she surrendered that security and entered the Liberal leadership race, shocking the party's inner circle as she claimed her spot as Campbell's successor. The campaigner known in her home province simply as Christy has been underestimated by many. Since her surprising usurpation of the BC Liberal Party in 2011 and their stunning re-election in 2013, BC's first elected female premier has ruffled more than a few feathers; she has also won many new supporters while employing her own unique leadership style. In this revealing look at the woman behind the trademark smile, political insider Judi Tyabji traces Clark's journey from middle-class roots to her political awakening and rapid rise to power. Based on meticulous research and extensive interviews with over thirty public figures and the premier herself, Tyabji's Christy Clark: Behind the Smile paints an intimate portrait of one of the most influential women in Canadian politics today.
Six years ago the Preston Creative Living Centre, a small community agency in the diverse northern suburbs of Melbourne embarked upon a risky but exciting venture. It marshalled resources for people to engage in artistic and community processes together and became a performance venue for a series of vital and engaging performances. Over this time the space has become alive, filled with people and activity. Many a dance has been danced, many a song sung, many an object crafted and many a story told. Just as importantly, deep connections have been created between people, careful listening has occurred across deep divides of difference and new, shared understandings have been forged. This book is about creating partnerships between organisations, artists and communities for community artmaking. It is not a theoretical discussion of community cultural development. Instead it is the story of one organisation's experience with community performance-making, from the philosophy that informs the choices, to the nitty-gritty of doing the work. The authors aim to inspire the reader, and give practical support in the development and administration of exciting, viable and fruitful community art.
In this enchantingly out-of-this-world romance, two set-in-their-ways soul mates discover that true love exists. It just sometimes needs a little extra help. Original.
A FINALIST FOR THE HILARY WESTON WRITERS' TRUST PRIZE: A stunning work of investigative reporting by a Canadian journalist who has risked her own life to bring us a deeply disturbing history of the Rwandan genocide that takes the true measure of Rwandan head of state Paul Kagame. Through unparalleled interviews with RPF defectors, former soldiers and atrocity survivors, supported by documents leaked from a UN court, Judi Rever brings us the complete history of the Rwandan genocide. Considered by the international community to be the saviours who ended the Hutu slaughter of innocent Tutsis, Kagame and his rebel forces were also killing, in quiet and in the dark, as ruthlessly as the Hutu genocidaire were killing in daylight. The reason why the larger world community hasn't recognized this truth? Kagame and his top commanders effectively covered their tracks and, post-genocide, rallied world guilt and played the heroes in order to attract funds to rebuild Rwanda and to maintain and extend the Tutsi sphere of influence in the region. Judi Rever, who has followed the story since 1997, has marshalled irrefutable evidence to show that Kagame's own troops shot down the presidential plane on April 6, 1994--the act that put the match to the genocidal flame. And she proves, without a shadow of doubt, that as Kagame and his forces slowly advanced on the capital of Kigali, they were ethnically cleansing the country of Hutu men, women and children in order that returning Tutsi settlers, displaced since the early '60s, would have homes and land. This book is heartbreaking, chilling and necessary.
We’re living longer – let’s live better! Getting older should be something to enjoy and celebrate. And it can be. Research shows that we can make a big difference to how well we age. From staying active to connecting with others, this uplifting book shares the secrets to ageing well in eight steps, to help keep you healthy and happy. Each step has easy-to-follow tips, alongside inspiring words both ancient and modern... and more! Whether you choose to follow some of the advice or all, this is the perfect guide for living a more fulfilled, healthy and joyful life.
Retaining its logical organization, body systems approach, and focus on word parts, word building, and word analysis; this Fourth Edition of A Short Course in Medical Terminology reflects current medical usage and is now even more concise, student-friendly, and accessible. This edition features an enhanced art and design program, a more standardized chapter structure, and a vast array of in-text and online learning resources that help students master the language of medicine as they prepare for practice in today’s rapidly changing healthcare environment.
The book goes beyond theory to offer tools and suggestions for developing emerging leaders. Inspired by the pioneering work of leadership scholar Andre Delbecq, this book points towards an expanded model of leadership that incorporates an active inner life, and posits that such fully human models of leadership will be essential to meet the profound challenges of the 21st Century. Without presuming to provide definitive answers, the text explores central questions such as: What is the added value of spiritual maturity to leadership? Would the integration of mature spirituality with well-developed intellectual and emotional capacities produce more beneficial leadership outcomes for organizations and individuals? What would a spiritually and developmentally mature emerging leader look like in 10 to 20 years? How do we prepare emerging leaders for the challenges they may face; and how do we model spiritually and developmentally mature leadership in ways that resonate with them? Professor Andre Delbecq (1936-2016) of the University of Santa Clara created the heuristic of “spiritually and developmentally mature leaders” to encapsulate his observation that outstanding leaders often seemed to draw strength and wisdom from sources that are not typically studied or taught in leadership courses. Thirty scholars and practitioners accepted Delbecq’s heuristic as the starting point to explore spiritual components of leadership that do not easily lend themselves to quantification or clear causal links. The analysis of their disciplined engagement with the heuristic forms the foundation of an exploratory, fully human understanding of leadership. This analysis is supported by literature reviews, including an overview of Andre Delbecq’s relevant work. Ultimately, the authors call for further collaboration across disciplines and between research and practice to build on the conceptual constructs offered here, and, especially, to create pedagogies for the training of spiritually and developmentally mature leaders
Change processes in organizations are time consuming, expensive, and often don’t create the intended results. This book creates a new way for leaders to relate to change from a place of deeper understanding. Based on years of research, consulting, and teaching, the models and frameworks described in this book have been applied successfully in organizations such as Johnson & Johnson, AT&T, IBM, Facebook, Charles Schwab & Company, and Accenture. The book provides breakthrough thinking to leaders who find themselves in the chaos of multiple, high amplitude changes that cannot be managed from an autocratic or even a participative mindset. The successful transformation of a human system does not require that people change who they are so much as it requires they become more of who they are—more like themselves. Change does not require new step-by-step models offered by an outside expert. It requires teaching people how to become model builders. As a result of this deeper transformation of mindset, not only will people in the organization be able to manage the particular change crisis facing them in the moment, they will develop a new relationship to change so that strategic thinking and breakthrough business outcomes become part of the organizational norm. This book will primarily appeal to experienced leaders, senior managers, and change agents who have learned that the textbook recipes for initiating or responding to change don’t work. It is also useful supplementary reading for students of organizational studies and leadership.
I can hardly believe that it is more than half a century since I first stepped on to the stage of the Old Vic Theatre and into a way of life that has brought me the most rewarding professional relationships and friendships. I cannot imagine now ever doing anything else with my life except acting..." – Judi Dench From London's glittering West End to Broadway's bright lights, from her Academy Award-winning role as Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love to "M" in the James Bond films, Judi Dench has treated audiences to some of the greatest performances of our time. She made her professional acting debut in 1957 with England's Old Vic theatre company playing Ophelia in Hamlet , Katherine in Henry V (her New York debut), and then, Juliet. In 1961, she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company playing Anya in The Cherry Orchard with John Gielgud and Peggy Ashcroft. In 1968, she went beyond the classical stage to become a sensation as Sally Bowles in Cabaret, adding musical comedy to her repertoire. Over the years, Dench has given indelible performances in the classics as well as some of the greatest plays and musicals of the twentieth century including Noël Coward's Hay Fever, Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, Kaufman and Hart's The Royal Family and David Hare's Amy's View (for which she won the Tony Award). Recently, she made a triumphant return to A Midsummer Night's Dream as Titania, a role she first played in 1962, now played as a theatre-besotted Queen Elizabeth I. Her film career has been filled with unforgettable performances of some unforgettable women: Queen Victoria in Mrs. Brown, the terrifying schoolteacher Barbara Covett in Notes on a Scandal and the writer Iris Murdoch in Iris. And, for the BBC, Dench created another unforgettable woman when she brought her great comic timing and deeply felt emotions to the role of Jean Pargetter in the long-running BBC series As Time Goes By. And Furthermore is, however, more than the story of a great actress's career. It is also the story of Judi Dench's life: her early days as a child in a family that was in love with the theatre; her marriage to actor Michael Williams; the joy she takes in her daughter, the actress Finty Williams, and her grandson, Sammy. Filled with Dench's impish sense of humor, diamond-sharp intelligence and photos from her personal archives, And Furthermore is the book every fan of the great Judi Dench will cherish.
This book is designed to be an easy-to-use guide to understanding the ethical and biosecurity implications of life science research. It provides a framework that will enable scientists, lab managers, researchers, students and teachers to anticipate how research may be used to cause harm, and to identify the steps that can be taken to minimise this risk.Life science research is covered by two international weapons treaties and the tools presented in this book will help scientists and researchers to meet their responsibilities under these conventions. This book will help you: If you've never been sure of how ethics relates to your work this toolkit will help you understand the challenges you do indeed face. Real-world case studies of biosecurity risks and failures will help scientists and all those who work to support science at all levels come to a new understanding of the widespread potential for misuse of research in the life sciences. By asking the questions set out in this book, scientists will be better able to recognise and reduce these risks. This framework is designed to be useful for senior scientists as well as students, and all researchers in between.
The Wisdom Keys journey is eternally repeated, yet individually taken. It is your journey into your true self. Benefits to reading The Wisdom Keys: ~ Master emotions, and appreciate the role of suffering or dissatisfaction ~ Realize that, as the creator of your reality, you have the power to shift rapidly to better it ~ Understand how the workings of karma in yours and everyone's lives is a self-chosen design ~ See through illusion to discover your true self (not your personality) ~ Learn how to quiet the thought process, develop an illuminated mind, and lose the fear of death ~ Gain protection and assistance from the Universe by understanding the role of compassion and serenity ~ Activate your psychic abilities The Wisdom Keys explains how to: ~ Recognize your karmic pattern ~ Move upward and inward through four new perspectives ~ Reach the special understanding that age-old wisdom talks about, and spiritual paths promise The Wisdom Keys reveals the truth about: ~ Who you really are! ~ What the Great Cosmic Plan for the earth truly is ~ How to create a happier life and good karma What you will discover:~ The Four Keys and their gates to higher paradigms ~ The Holographic Universe as created by thought projection ~ The M Field of energetic oneness ~ The Observer who directs your lower self ~ The Quantum Shift for mastering the Art of Manifestation ~ The Continuum of Awareness (Rainbow Bridge) between lower and higher consciousness ~ Your deepest true Self -- simultaneously yourself, the entire world, and a spark of godlike energy ~ The prophecies of this design in The Age of Aquarius "This visionary book will give you joy and sacred guidance." - Andrew Harvey, author of over 30 books, including The Direct Path.
Channelling new ways of perceiving and responding to everyday challenges, this book acts as a unique guide for professionals who are ready to elevate their internal leadership journey and assume the presence and self-awareness that will enable them to make a positive impact wherever they work.
How to make more of less--the book that shows you how to simplify your life, control clutter, and pare down your possessions for a move into smaller living quarters. There are plenty of anti-clutter experts around ready to exhort us to sort, store, and trash our belongings, but this book addresses the specific needs of people moving from a larger to a smaller space, or merging two (or more) people's possessions into a single abode. If you and your mate are about to swap your large, single-family house for a condo, or move your parents out of the family home of 40 years into an assisted-living center, where do you start? How do you decide what to take, what to leave behind, and what to do with your discards? What can you do to keep the move from seeming tinged with loss? Scaling Down not only offers terrific nuts-and-bolts strategies for paring down one's belongings to only the best and most meaningful items, but it also addresses the emotional aspects of streamlining--the complicated relationship we have with our "stuff." Countering the pervasive American prejudice that having less is a step down, the authors advance their concept of "living large wherever you are!
Sometimes a student’s best teacher is another student If ever there were a book to respond to the pressure to increase students’ test scores, this is it. You see, Gretchen Bernabei and Judi Reimer have had amazing success using mentor texts by students to teach writing well in any genre. Now, they “hand over their file drawers” and pair 101 student essays with one-page lessons on topics such as how to: Choose a structure across genres Extract thesis statement and main points Support points with details Use rhetorical devices and grammatical constructions Write from the point of view of a fictional character
NEW information on relevant cultural issues, such as: Pros and cons of popular high-protein diets Vitamin D deficiency in the United States Vitamin/mineral supplements Information on bottled water, energy drinks, and sports drinks UPDATED content addresses the newly released MyPyramid dietary guidelines! FULL-COLOR design better illustrates concepts, especially the effects vitamin deficiency can have on the oral cavity.
In ancient cultures, each village had a shaman or medicine man who would visit the invisible world to obtain vital information, guidance, and healing for members of the tribe. These edgewalkers have contemporary counterparts in today's organizations—those individuals who don't fit squarely into any one box; in their metaphorical travels they interpret trends from the marketplace, translate messages across departments, and envision the future impact of today's decisions and actions. Edgewalking doesn't come without its own risks and challenges; these unconventional people often clash with more traditional, rule-bound colleagues, and they are often frustrated by organizational systems that emphasize quantitative results over creative impulses. And yet in today's fast-changing, diverse, and globalized business environment, organizations must recruit and support these people in order to stay competitive. Featuring colorful interviews and practical tools to gauge and manage your own edgewalking skills, Edgewalkers explores the opportunities that are created by defying formal boundaries and fostering creativity at every level of the organization. They're the first people to volunteer to head up a new business unit, lead a cross-company initiative, or take on an overseas assignment. They're the glass half-full folks, who are constantly thinking out of the box, forging alliances with colleagues in other departments, seeking out new solutions to old problems, and anticipating challenges on the horizon. And in today's increasingly diverse workplaces, they are often people who have pursued unusual educational and career paths, traveled widely, and speak more than one language. Judi Neal has a term for these people: Edgewalkers. Literally, an edgewalker is someone who walks between two worlds. In ancient cultures, each village had a shaman or medicine man who would visit the invisible world to obtain vital information, guidance, and healing for members of the tribe. Today's corporate edgewalkers serve a similar function, interpreting trends from the marketplace, translating messages across departments, and envisioning the future impact of today's decisions and actions. Edgewalking doesn't come without its own risks and challenges; these unconventional people often clash with more traditional, rule-bound colleagues, and they are often frustrated by organizational systems that emphasize quantitative results over creative impulses. And yet in today's fast-changing, globalized business environment, organizations must recruit and support these people in order to stay competitive. Featuring colorful interviews with edgewalkers from a variety of fields and practical tools to gauge and manage your own edgewalking skills, Edgewalkers explores the opportunities that are created by defying formal boundaries and fostering creativity at every level of the organization.
Sally and her sister Bridget are New Yorkers now – they've settled in and feel at home in the bustling city. Life in New York is exciting enough that the girls can rise above life with Catherine, their mean cousin. At work one day, Bridget finds a photograph of a young man between the pages of a book. She shows it to her employer Miss Cameron who dismisses it, but her blush and flustered manner intrigue Bridget; she soon discovers he was a suitor, but not allowed by Miss Cameron's family as he came from a poor background. Meanwhile, the girls' friend Betty is sick. When she visited a free clinic the doctor suggested she move to a warmer part of the country, a prospect unimaginable to Betty, who can barely afford to feed and clothe herself. When poor Betty commits a crime out of poverty and desperation the girls don't know how to help. But can both stories have a happy ending?
Dreamscape in A minor is about the short life of a musically gifted and misunderstood young man. Jeff could make you double over with laughter with his comic timing or play a beautiful and complex piece of music simply by hearing it. Author Judi Loren Grace, Jeff’s mother, skillfully breathes life back into her son. Judi is a natural born storyteller. She carefully and painfully reconstructs Jeff’s life, cut short by suicide. You will cry, smile, and laugh, but more importantly, you will come to understand how dangerous misinformation can be. A mother speaking directly to her son, explains the repercussions of his action. She tells of her journey to heal and understand, delving into the spirit world and turning back to herself to tap the stark reality and consequences of her own denial.
Misinformation has had dramatic and dangerous effects, as evidenced by numerous events of the late 2010s and early 2020s. Reading a steady stream of misinformation leads to distrust, potentially leading to conflict in one's family and workplace, and even to civil unrest. At the heart of many such matters is scientific illiteracy. Many people enjoy a life of ease and convenience because of science--and since science also crosses courtrooms, classrooms and cultures, it has great potential to debunk misinformation and untangle the confusion on such issues as vaccines, sexual identity, race and evolution, alternative medicine, and human reproduction. This book addresses those issues and the popular stories, conspiracies, and misleading headlines that circulate across media platforms. Bringing accurate knowledge into people's agendas is challenging, and this book uses science and facts as a basis of every deliberation over laws and policies. The chapters weave together history, politics, human biology, and law, and demonstrate how our lives are dependent on understanding the nature of things.
A BRIEF SYNOPSIS Looking for Love in All the Wrong and Right Places is a novel that takes a spirited look at the lives of four young women who live and love in New York City. How they manage a multitude of character-testing experiences and sail through some rather risque antics, and how two of them cope with a case of sibling rivalry are major elements in the story. From seeking out the right man to marry, to having married the wrong one, and even to having a same-sex partner, the women live unpredictable lives. Because all of the women in the book, mothers, as well as daughters, have been looking for love and don't always find what they want, (or sometimes lose what they have, ) the book also suggests the dark "Miss Lonelyhearts" side of life. But in the end, there is a happy conclusion -- with the main heroine, Tessa McMullan, walking down the aisle a smarter, more evolved young woman. The story takes place in 2012; three of the women are now in their mid-twenties, while Katy, the CSU Detective, has just turned 32. All of them want to achieve their goals and a successful quality of life. For some this encompasses good relationships and, yes, happy marriages; for others a good career is the best recompense. Why not all of it, why not happy endings? THE BACKGROUND The women were reared in Larchmont, N.Y., a toney upper middle-class Westchester suburb; three of them were high school friends. Two, Katy and Tessa McMullan, are sisters. Tessa graduates from NYU, having majored in drama, while her older sister attends one year and then drops out to pursue a career in law enforcement. Vera Stern, the only one of the women who comes from poor circumstances, is very bright, sails through Barnard College, graduating cum laude, while Angel Manelli, the shyest of the group, remains at home, attending a local community college, and works in her father's boating business. By 2007, all four have relocated to Manhattan. The main group of women, Tessa, Vera and Angel, meet for bimonthly brunches and share at other times by cell phone. They call themselves "The Bod Squad." Some of the sub-plots include Tessa learning the hard way that she must be more cautious in whom she dates after she encounters a sociopath - a disturbed young man who was so maltreated by his mother that he really detests women and so when Tessa rejects him (and also accidentally breaks his nose) he is in a demonic rage. He begins to stalk her and eventually hires someone to throw acid in her face so no one can say she's pretty any longer. After hang-ups and anonymous threats in the mail, Tessa reaches out to her friends. One of them shares Tessa's concerns with Katy, her very own sister, who is a New York City detective. Katy gets background information on the man and his brother, obtains permission to have a plainclothes detail follow and protect her sister. In the end, the careful surveillance saves Tessa, and of course helps diminish any vestiges of rivalry between the sisters. Another subplot involves Angel Manelli, who is conflicted about family loyalties. She feels guilty when she realizes that her mother, a stay-at-home traditional Italian wife, knows nothing of her husband's deceitful affairs. Angel finally confronts her father about his extra marital relationships. Her taking a stand eventually leads to her rejecting the overly conservative customs within her traditional Italian family and she begins to deal with her life-long addiction to food. Meanwhile, her mother Lorraine confronts her own uncertainties and faces her long-time unfaithful husband and her future with newfound courage. What Lorraine does provides a fascinating story on its own.
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