From Marie Phillips, author of the #1 national and international bestseller Gods Behaving Badly, comes a charming, funny story about a down-on-his-luck knight of Camelot, his eccentric band of misfits and their madcap quest to restore order to their lives, and the realm. Sir Humphrey du Val has had enough. Relegated to the Table of Less Valued Knights--Camelot's least prestigious spot, boringly rectangular in shape and with one leg shorter than the other so that it has to be propped up with a folded napkin to stop it from rocking--he has been banned by King Arthur from going on quests, and hasn't left the castle in 15 years. After a chance meeting with Elaine, a young maiden in search of her kidnapped fiancé, Sir Humphrey, along with his squire Conrad (an undersized giant) and Jemima (Conrad's elephant), sets off on a journey to find the distressed damsel's betrothed, hoping to restore himself to a place of honour at the Round Table. Meanwhile, Martha, an errant queen on the run from her new power-hungry husband, is in disguise and on a quest of her own to find her long-lost brother, the true ruler of her realm. Martha soon runs--literally--into Humphrey's eccentric group, who take the incognito queen captive, believing her to be a boy. As they journey through countryside, castles and villages, they gather unlikely friends and enemies along the way. While each member of the party secretly harbours their own ambitions for the quest, their collective success, and the fate of the realm, rests on their grudging cooperation and unexpectedly interconnected lives. The Princess Bride meets Monty Python and the Holy Grail in this funny, charming, and delightful tale about lesser-known heroes in Arthurian England.
Shakespeare clone and would-be playwright Billy has just arrived in an English seaside town with his sister Sally, who was cloned from a hair found on the back of a bus seat. All Billy wants is a cheap B&B, an ice cream and a huge hit in the West End. Little does he know that their fellow clones Bill and Sal are also residents of this town. Things are about to get confusing – cue professional rivalry, marital discord and a family reunion like no other. This modern update of The Comedy of Errors is what you get when Gods Behaving Badly author Marie Phillips decides to write an important, scholarly work about the life of William Shakespeare, reads the complete works, including the long poems nobody likes, and then decides to turn it into a witty, delightful romp that you can probably finish reading in an afternoon with two tea breaks.
One night in August 1991 I noticed two tom cats rummaging in a dumpster at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst where I worked. That observation led to the discovery there were feral cats secretly living on campus in a community governed by the illustrious Dadcat. The Dadcat's wife, Ashes, who allowed me to join their private world, and I immersed myself in their culture - the Jane Goodall of feral cats - determined to find out if they could ever trust a human. Dadcat University is a true story about my incredible friends and the journey we embarked on in forming lifelong, trusting relationships that exceeded any of our expectations.
Because I am a girl I am less likely to go to school Because I am a girl I am more likely to suffer from malnutrition Because I am a girl I am more likely to suffer violence in the home Because I am a girl I am more likely to marry and start a family before I reach my twenties. Eight authors have visited eight different countries and spoken to young women and girls about their lives, struggles and hopes. The result is an extraordinary collection of writings about prejudice, abuse, and neglect, but also about courage, resilience and changing attitudes. Proceeds from sales of this book will go to PLAN, one of the world's largest child-centered community development organisations.
The world's first gay, equine, military, epistolary romance. Newly discovered letters written from Wellington's warhorse (Marengo) to Napoleon's warhorse (Copenhagen) and vice versa. Includes extra material not featured in the Radio 4 series, both elements of the letters cut from the final scripts and additional material not featured in the shows at all, including the letters from Marengo to his hygienist and the horse he plays chess with, and the notes between Copenhagen and the annoying dog he has to share a stall with. Initially written as a series of letters between the authors (each choosing a stretch of the Napoleonic wars between them to examine and write into the most recent letter). They were then performed with great success at the Tall Tales evenings in Kilburn until the letters were picked up by the BBC for broadcast in autumn 2011.
I’d like to be Queen of people’s hearts, in people’s hearts’ —Princess Diana. This narrative is a biography of the late Princess Diana in six chapters. It highlights her popular personality from a girl to a Princess, the motherhood of her sons and royal life, her charity work among the sick and poor and her ability to be a good friend. The story ends with an appraisal by the late mother Theresa, Carmelite nun, the famous prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi - and there is a bonus - 77 of Diana’s own quotations! And speeches made on her behalf. This book encourages great contemplation and emotion in the reader. There are times where you want to feel proud of this Princess, to marvel at her fashionable beauty, to laugh, or cry, or just feel happy, or simply understand the Princess’s activities in the world, emphasized by her comments, particularly appropriate for a world yearning for peace. Captioned illustrations demonstrate her physical beauty and highlight jewelry and hats worn at different stages of her life. The book is appropriate for adults, teens, and older children. This book rewards our memory of the time when she wanted to be “Queen of people’s hearts”.
Semi-fictional biography of Khan, a real Maine Coon. Abandoned and left at a local shelter, a Maine Coon kitten awaits an uncertain fate. During his stay, Khan befriends a wise old tomcat. Four days later, to Khan's horror, the shelter workers take his friend away to the Big Sleep, leaving Khan scared and alone. Just before Khan's time is up, a man enters the shelter and adopts Khan. Though he feels loved, he misses his mother, his litter mates, and his tomcat friend. Weeks later, when another young kitten joins the household, Khan befriends him, and they form a tight bond. Khan deals with life's challenges and surprises, always finding strength in feline friendships, old and new, and in love from his humans -- until a monster from within suddenly strikes him down in the prime of life. Down, but not out, Khan struggles against his internal foe, wanting only to stay beside the humans and cats he adores.
Sprouting in an old abandoned field around 1895, Old Gent, a Norway Spruce, grew into a majestic towering specimen of his species, protective of the old home he saw built on his lands as a stout sapling. Human activity amused, startled, frightened and sometimes hurt him, thus he never found trust in the beaverlike species, until the fifth owner in nine decades moved into the old house he sheltered. The woman and her spouse proved reverent, changing his attitudes towards humans. The old tree experienced a new emotions, and gained the name of Old Gent. When terror from the skies threatened the lands, he stood strong, determined to shield the home and owners he now loved, and paid a price. As decades weakened his ancient body with internal decay from injuries, he fought to regrow lost limbs, racing to once again tower into the skies. He spiraled a few seeds against the foundation of the old house, where his offspring sprouted. On his fateful felling day, one stood poised to continue his sire's legacy
In these novella length short tales from THE FURLTES OF ARORIEL world, discover details about Commander Geupetus' childhood, and his fight with Cerus and feud with Clan Enilura. Find out the origin of Geupetus' pet Monius Terpus, and of his importance to the three children who rescued him. Read more about the childhood separation and subsequent bonding of Elara and Tesuris. In the last story, learn how the Felakoon Fantia saves Nera from the despair of her bondbreak. A fine complimentary volume to the main series, these tales reveal details omitted from the main story lines.
Writing the Empire is a collective biography of the McIlwraiths, a family of politicians, entrepreneurs, businesspeople, scientists, and scholars. Known for their contributions to literature, politics, and anthropology, the McIlwraiths originated in Ayrshire, Scotland, and spread across the British Empire, specifically North America and Australia, from the mid-nineteenth century onwards. Focusing on imperial networking, Writing the Empire reflects on three generations of the McIlwraiths’ life writing, including correspondence, diaries, memoirs, and estate papers, along with published works by members of the family. By moving from generation to generation, but also from one stage of a person’s life to the next, the author investigates how various McIlwraiths, both men and women, articulated their identity as subjects of the British Empire over time. Eva-Marie Kröller identifies parallel and competing forms of communication that involved major public figures beyond the family’s immediate circle, and explores the challenges issued by Indigenous people to imperial ideologies. Drawing from private papers and public archives, Writing the Empire is an illuminating biography that will appeal to readers interested in the links between life writing and imperial history.
A free sampler containing the fabulous first chapters from HarperImpulse’s Christmas and seasonal books! Perfect for snuggling up with on those long, cold winter nights...
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