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The Man Within My Head
by Pico IyerWe all carry people inside our heads--actors, leaders, writers, people out of history or fiction, met or unmet, who sometimes seem closer to us than people we know. In The Man Within My Head, Pico Iyer sets out to unravel the mysterious closeness he has always felt with the English writer Graham Greene; he examines Greene's obsessions, his elusiveness, his penchant for mystery. Iyer follows Greene's trail from his first novel, The Man Within, to such later classics as The Quiet American and begins to unpack all he has in common with Greene: an English public school education, a lifelong restlessness and refusal to make a home anywhere, a fascination with the complications of faith. The deeper Iyer plunges into their haunted kinship, the more he begins to wonder whether the man within his head is not Greene but his own father, or perhaps some more shadowy aspect of himself. Drawing upon experiences across the globe, from Cuba to Bhutan, and moving, as Greene would, from Sri Lanka in war to intimate moments of introspection; trying to make sense of his own past, commuting between the cloisters of a fifteenth-century boarding school and California in the 1960s, one of our most resourceful explorers of crossing cultures gives us his most personal and revelatory book.
The Man in the Wooden Hat (Old Filth Trilogy #2)
by Jane GardamSecond in the Old Filth trilogy. “An astute, subtle depiction of marriage . . . absolutely wonderful” (The Washington Post).Acclaimed as Jane Gardam’s masterpiece, Old Filth is a lyrical novel that recalls the fully lived life of Sir Edward Feathers. The Man in the Wooden Hat is the history of his marriage told from the perspective of his wife, Betty, a character as vivid and enchanting as Filth himself.They met in Hong Kong after the war. Betty had spent the duration in a Japanese internment camp. Filth was already a successful barrister, handsome, fast becoming rich, in need of a wife but unaccustomed to romance. A perfect English couple of the late 1940s.As a portrait of a marriage, with all the bittersweet secrets and surprising fulfillment of the fifty-year union of two remarkable people, The Man in the Wooden Hat is a triumph. Fiction of a very high order from a great novelist working at the pinnacle of her considerable power, it will be read and loved and recommended by all the many thousands of readers who found its predecessor, Old Filth, so compelling and thoroughly satisfying.“Funny and affecting . . . It’s remarkable.” —The New York Times Book Review“The latest occasion to celebrate Gardam . . . [a] superb novel.” —Maureen Corrigan, NPR“Told with quintessentially British humor . . . Gardam’s prose is witty and precise.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)“It’s magnificent. . . . Funny, intelligent and immensely moving.” —Kirkus Reviews
The Manager Mom Epidemic: How Moms Got Stuck Doing Everything for Their Families and What They Can Do About It
by Thomas PhelanAre you a mom who does it all? This is the book for you.It's impossible to deny—most moms continue to do way more household work and childcare than most dads. Working full time, raising kids, cooking dinner, making sure every appointment and activity is lined up and that everyone gets there on time... no wonder you're tired! But despite all the books and articles lamenting the crushing mental load and emotional labor women bear for their families, no one has come up with a plan to actually make things change. Until now.The Manager Mom Epidemic is the first book that not only acknowledges the fact that moms are burning out, but shows you how to transfer responsibility for daily tasks from yourself to your partner and also (gasp!) your kids. Clinical psychologist and child discipline expert Thomas W. Phelan, PhD explains how we got into this mess in the first place, and how we can get out of it through a calm, systematic approach to teaching our families how to take initiative and contribute in meaningful ways. Dr. Phelan walks you through real-life situations and shows you how to step back from the things that are dragging you down. For example: Your Maternal Identity—the things you tell yourself you have to do in order to be a "good" mom The oppressive trap of chronic supervision Our society's curious underestimation of children's capabilities How to eliminate primary childcare with tweens and teens How to manager resistant or traditionalist dadsRealistic and simple enough to implement in your home right away, The Manager Mom Epidemic provides a roadmap for you to take your life back and proves that the happiest families share the work and the fun equally.
The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047
by Lionel ShriverWith dry wit and psychological acuity, this near-future novel explores the aftershocks of an economically devastating U.S. sovereign debt default on four generations of a once-prosperous American family. Down-to-earth and perfectly realistic in scale, this is not an over-the-top Blade Runner tale. It is not science fiction.In 2029, the United States is engaged in a bloodless world war that will wipe out the savings of millions of American families. Overnight, on the international currency exchange, the "almighty dollar" plummets in value, to be replaced by a new global currency, the "bancor." In retaliation, the president declares that America will default on its loans. "Deadbeat Nation" being unable to borrow, the government prints money to cover its bills. What little remains to savers is rapidly eaten away by runaway inflation.The Mandibles have been counting on a sizable fortune filtering down when their ninety-seven-year-old patriarch dies. Once the inheritance turns to ash, each family member must contend with disappointment, but also--as the U.S. economy spirals into dysfunction--the challenge of sheer survival.Recently affluent, Avery is petulant that she can't buy olive oil, while her sister, Florence, absorbs strays into her cramped household. An expat author, their aunt, Nollie, returns from abroad at seventy-three to a country that's unrecognizable. Her brother, Carter, fumes at caring for their demented stepmother, now that an assisted living facility isn't affordable. Only Florence's oddball teenage son, Willing, an economics autodidact, will save this formerly august American family from the streets.The Mandibles is about money. Thus it is necessarily about bitterness, rivalry, and selfishness--but also about surreal generosity, sacrifice, and transformative adaptation to changing circumstances.
The Mandrill
by Alan F. DixsonLiving in the remote forests of western central Africa, the mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) is notoriously elusive and has evaded scientific scrutiny for decades. Yet, it is the largest and most sexually dimorphic of all the Old World monkeys, and perhaps the most colourful of all the mammals. Synthesising the results of more than twenty-five years of research, this is the first extensive treatment of the mandrill's reproductive and behavioural biology. Dixson explores in detail the role that sexual selection has played in shaping the mandrill's evolution, covering mechanisms of mate choice, intra-sexual competition, sperm competition and cryptic female choice. Bringing to life, through detailed descriptions and rich illustrations, the mandrill's communicatory biology and the functions of its brightly coloured adornments, this book sheds new light on the evolutionary biology of this fascinating primate.
The Mango Bride
by Marivi SolivenTwo women, two cultures, and the fight to find a new life in America, despite the secrets of the past… Banished by her wealthy Filipino family in Manila, Amparo Guerrero travels to Oakland, California, to forge a new life. Although her mother labels her life in exile a diminished one, Amparo believes her struggles are a small price to pay for freedom. Like Amparo, Beverly Obejas—an impoverished Filipina waitress—forsakes Manila and comes to Oakland as a mail-order bride in search of a better life. Yet even in the land of plenty, Beverly fails to find the happiness and prosperity she envisioned. As Amparo works to build the immigrant’s dream, she becomes entangled in the chaos of Beverly’s immigrant nightmare. Their unexpected collision forces them both to make terrible choices and confront a life-changing secret, but through it all they hold fast to family, in all its enduring and surprising transformations. .
The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony
by Annabelle TometichEater's Best Food Books to Read This Spring This &“witty, humorous, and heartfelt&“ (Cinelle Barnes) memoir navigates the tangled branches of Annabelle Tometich&’s life, from growing up in Florida as the child of a Filipino mother and a deceased white father to her adult life as a med-school-reject-turned-food-critic. When journalist Annabelle Tometich picks up the phone one June morning, she isn&’t expecting a collect call from an inmate at the Lee County Jail. And when she accepts, she certainly isn&’t prepared to hear her mother&’s voice on the other end of the line. However, explaining the situation to her younger siblings afterwards was easy; all she had to say was, &“Mom shot at some guy. He was messing with her mangoes.&” They immediately understood. Answering the questions of the breaking-news reporter—at the same newspaper where Annabelle worked as a restaurant critic––proved more difficult. Annabelle decided to go with a variation of the truth: it was complicated. So begins The Mango Tree, a poignant and deceptively entertaining memoir of growing up as a mixed-race Filipina &“nobody&” in suburban Florida as Annabelle traces the roots of her upbringing—all the while reckoning with her erratic father&’s untimely death in a Fort Myers motel, her fiery mother&’s bitter yearning for the country she left behind, and her own journey in the pursuit of belonging. With clear-eyed compassion and piercing honesty, The Mango Tree is a family saga that navigates the tangled branches of Annabelle&’s life, from her childhood days in an overflowing house flooded by balikbayan boxes, vegetation, and juicy mangoes, to her winding path from medical school hopeful to restaurant critic. It is a love letter to her fellow Filipino Americans, her lost younger self, and the beloved fruit tree at the heart of her family. But above all, it is an ode to Annabelle&’s hot-blooded, whip-smart mother Josefina, a woman who made a life and a home of her own, and without whom Annabelle would not have herself.
The Manhattan Secret: An absolutely heartbreaking and gripping historical novel
by Marie-Bernadette DupuyAn absolutely heartbreaking and gripping historical novel based on a true story, for fans of Suzanne Goldring, Bridgerton and The Girl Behind the Gates.***FROM THE 4-MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR******RATED 5 STARS BY REAL READERS***"A wonderfully romantic novel that will capitvate you instantly" -Hart, 5* Amazon reviewer"A fantastic story - I can't wait to read the next volume!" -Michele, 5* Amazon reviewerOctober 1886. Catherine and Guillaume Duquesne set off to New York with their six-year-old daughter Elisabeth. But the young couple's dreams of freedom and independence soon turn into a nightmare when Catherine dies during the journey and Guillaume is assaulted and left for dead soon after their arrival on American soil. A wealthy family adopts Elisabeth, who grows up spoiled and happy. But when she turns 16, she learns the truth about her origins and decides to return to France to meet her real family. Upon her arrival she realises that her grandfather's house, too, is seething with secrets...What readers think"The author is hugely talented." -Julie, 5* Amazon reviewer"Very attaching characters ... I'm impatient to read the next installment!" -5* Babelio reviewer"I just have to read the rest of the series." -Jean-Pierre, 5* fnac.com reviewer"Reads very well - wait until you read the ending!" -Françoise, 5* Amazon reviewer"An extraordinary author. I strongly recommend!" -Nathalie, 5* Amazon reviewer"I didn't know the author - it's an excellent novel. -Mimi, 5* Amazon reviewer
The Manhattan Secret: An absolutely heartbreaking and gripping historical novel
by Marie-Bernadette DupuyAn absolutely heartbreaking and gripping historical novel based on a true story, for fans of Suzanne Goldring, Bridgerton and The Girl Behind the Gates.***FROM THE 4-MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR******RATED 5 STARS BY REAL READERS***"A wonderfully romantic novel that will capitvate you instantly" -Hart, 5* Amazon reviewer"A fantastic story - I can't wait to read the next volume!" -Michele, 5* Amazon reviewerOctober 1886. Catherine and Guillaume Duquesne set off to New York with their six-year-old daughter Elisabeth. But the young couple's dreams of freedomand independence soon turn into a nightmare when Catherine dies during the journey and Guillaume is assaulted and left for dead soon after their arrival on American soil. A wealthy family adopts Elisabeth, who grows up spoiled and happy. But when she turns 16, she learns the truth about her origins and decides to return to France to meet her real family. Upon her arrival she realises that her grandfather's house, too, is seething with secrets...What readers think"The author is hugely talented." -Julie, 5* Amazon reviewer"Very attaching characters ... I'm impatient to read the next installment!" -5* Babelio reviewer"I just have to read the rest of the series." -Jean-Pierre, 5* fnac.com reviewer"Reads very well - wait until you read the ending!" -Françoise, 5* Amazon reviewer"An extraordinary author. I strongly recommend!" -Nathalie, 5* Amazon reviewer"I didn't know the author - it's an excellent novel. -Mimi, 5* Amazon reviewer
The Manic Mum's Guide To Magnificent Parenting: A 7-Week Plan
by Allison MitchellEver felt like you're banging your head against a brick wall?Do you sometimes wish your children would take you more seriously and that you had more time, patience and energy to be the mother you want to be?If you'd love a calm house, you're not alone, and this book is packed full of jargon-free, common-sense techniques, tools and ideas that'll turn you from manic to magnificent in just 7 weeks. Allison shows you how to: • be the mother you want your children to have • increase your patience and lower agitation • make you and your children feel magnificent about themselves • get children to listen and do what they're told (yes, it's possible!) • create a calm, happy household find time to enjoy your little darlings! With only seven chapters to read over seven weeks, this book is easily digestible and full of tasty little nuggets of wisdom.
The Manly Masquerade: Masculinity, Paternity, and Castration in the Italian Renaissance
by Valeria FinucciThe Manly Masquerade unravels the complex ways men were defined as men in Renaissance Italy through readings of a vast array of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century evidence: medical and travel literature; theology; law; myth; conduct books; and plays, chivalric romances, and novellas by authors including Machiavelli, Tasso, and Ariosto. Valeria Finucci shows how ideas of masculinity were formed in the midst of acute anxiety about paternity by highlighting the beliefs--widely held at the time--that conception could occur without a paternal imprimatur or through a woman's encounter with an animal, or even that a pregnant woman's imagination could erase the father's "signature" from the fetus. Against these visions of reproduction gone awry, Finucci looks at how concepts of masculinity were tied to issues of paternity through social standing, legal matters, and inheritance practices. Highlighting the fissures running through Italian Renaissance ideas of manliness, Finucci describes how, alongside pervasive images of the virile, sexually active man, early modern Italian culture recognized the existence of hermaphrodites and started to experiment with a new kind of sexuality by manufacturing a non-man: the castrato. Following the creation of castrati, the Church forbade the marriage of all non-procreative men, and, in this move, Finucci identifies a powerful legitimation of the view that what makes men is not the possession of male organs or the ability to have sex, but the capability to father. Through analysis, anecdote, and rich cultural description, The Manly Masquerade exposes the "real" early modern man: the paterfamilias.
The Manny
by Holly PetersonPark Avenue mom and news producer Jamie Whitfield has a big new apartment, full-time help with her three children, and a high-powered attorney husband. What she doesn't have, however, is a full-time father figure for their struggling nine-year-old son, Dylan. But the rich haven't yet encountered a problem they can't hire someone else to solve, so Peter Bailey is hired to be the role model Jamie's husband doesn't have time for.
The Manny Files
by Christian BurchManny /ma·ne/ n A male nanny or babysitter, known to be handsome, fabulous, and a lover of eighties music "Be interesting." That's what the manny tells Keats Dalinger the first time he packs Keats's school lunch, but for Keats that's not always the easiest thing to do. Even though he's the only boy at home, it always feels like no one ever remembers him. His sisters are everywhere! Lulu is the smart one, India is the creative one, and Belly . . . well, Belly is the naked one. And the baby. School isn't much better. There, he's the shortest kid in the entire class. But now the manny is the Dalinger's new babysitter, and things are starting to look up. It seems as though the manny always knows the right thing to do. Not everyone likes the manny as much as Keats does, however. Lulu finds the manny embarrassing, and she's started to make a list of all the crazy things that he does, such as serenading the kids with "La Cucaracha" from the front yard or wearing underwear on his head or meeting the school bus with Belly, dressed as limo drivers. Keats is worried. What if Lulu's "Manny Files" makes his parents fire the manny? Who will teach him how to be interesting then?
The Manor of Dreams
by Christina Li&“A true modern classic. The Manor of Dreams is beautiful, eerie, and woven with enough intrigue to hold all who enter captive. Christina Li remains unmatched in breathing characters to life—and the hauntings thereafter.&” —Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of Immortal Longings Mexican Gothic meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in Christina Li&’s haunting novel about the secrets that lie in wait in the crumbling mansion of a former Hollywood starlet, and the intertwined fates of the two Chinese American families fighting to inherit it.Vivian Yin is dead. The first Chinese actress to win an Oscar, the trailblazing ingénue rose to fame in the eighties, only to disappear from the spotlight at the height of her career to live out the rest of her life as a recluse. Now her remaining family members are gathered for the reading of her will, and her daughters expect to inherit their childhood home: Vivian&’s grand, sprawling, Southern California garden estate. But due to a last-minute change to the will, the house is passed on to another family instead—one that has suddenly returned after decades of estrangement. In hopes of staking their claim, both families move into the mansion. As Vivian&’s daughters race to piece together what happened in the last weeks of their mother&’s life, disturbing visions and bizarre behaviors start to take hold of everyone in the house, forcing them to realize they are being haunted by something far more sinister and vengeful than their regrets. After so many years of silence, will the families finally confront the painful truth behind the house&’s origins and the last, tragic summer they spent there—or will they cling to their secrets until it&’s too late? Told in dual timelines, spanning three generations, and brimming with romance, betrayal, ambition, and sacrifice, The Manor of Dreams is a thrilling family gothic that examines the true cost of the American Dream—and what happens when the roots we set down in this country turn to rot.
The Manor of Dreams: A totally addictive gothic page-turner
by Christina LiAt night, the garden comes alive... Mexican Gothic meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in Christina Li's completely addictive and beautifully haunting gothic page-turner.Vivian Yin is dead. The trailblazing starlet was the first Chinese actress to win an Oscar - but at what should have been the peak of her career, she became a recluse. The rest of her life was shrouded in mystery...Now, her daughters gather for the reading of her will. They expect to inherit their childhood home: a grand Southern California manor house with a sprawling, labyrinthine garden. But due to a last-minute change to the will, the house is passed on to another family instead. The two families haven't seen each other for decades - not since the tragedy that fractured all of their lives.Vying for the estate, both families move into the crumbling, vine-covered manor. As Vivian's daughters race to piece together what happened in the last weeks of their mother's life, they soon discover they are being haunted by something far more sinister and vengeful than just their memories. After so many years of silence, will the families finally confront the truth behind the house's origins and the last, tragic summer they spent there? Or will the manor of dreams - and its deadly secrets - finally lay claim to its owners?Praise for The Manor of Dreams:'A true modern classic. The Manor of Dreams is beautiful, eerie, and woven with enough intrigue to hold all who enter captive. Christina Li remains unmatched in breathing characters to life - and the hauntings thereafter' Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of Immortal Longings'The Manor of Dreams peels back the promises of the American Dream to reveal something more painful, more heartbreaking, and ultimately, more true. An ambitious, evocative meditation on the hurts passed down across generations - and how we heal' Grace D. Li, New York Times bestselling author of Portrait of a Thief 'Richly imagined... Fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic ought to take note of this beautiful and haunting novel' Publishers Weekly'Packed with gothic plot, gushing blood, choking clods of dirt, and angry ghosts - a smorgasbord for devotees' Kirkus'A bejewelled puzzle box to unlock' Shelf Awareness'A lushly crafted haunted house gothic, full of family secrets and forbidden romance and grounded in Hollywood's long history of racism and patriarchy' CrimeReads'A clever, unexpected, and lush ghost story. I curled up with The Manor of Dreams and read it over a single weekend' Lisa See, author of Lady Tan's Circle of Women'Haunting, tender, and intoxicating. Written with gorgeous prose and unforgettable characters, Li's gothic adult debut will leave you devastated until the very end, and then long after you've put the book down' Carolyn Huynh, author of The Fortunes of Jaded Women'Deliciously eerie, culturally vibrant, and historically profound, The Manor of Dreams is a dark pleasure' Jamie Ford, author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
The Manor of Dreams: A totally addictive gothic page-turner
by Christina LiAt night, the garden comes alive... Mexican Gothic meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in Christina Li's completely addictive and beautifully haunting gothic page-turner.Vivian Yin is dead. The trailblazing starlet was the first Chinese actress to win an Oscar - but at what should have been the peak of her career, she became a recluse. The rest of her life was shrouded in mystery...Now, her daughters gather for the reading of her will. They expect to inherit their childhood home: a grand Southern California manor house with a sprawling, labyrinthine garden. But due to a last-minute change to the will, the house is passed on to another family instead. The two families haven't seen each other for decades - not since the tragedy that fractured all of their lives.Vying for the estate, both families move into the crumbling, vine-covered manor. As Vivian's daughters race to piece together what happened in the last weeks of their mother's life, they soon discover they are being haunted by something far more sinister and vengeful than just their memories. After so many years of silence, will the families finally confront the truth behind the house's origins and the last, tragic summer they spent there? Or will the manor of dreams - and its deadly secrets - finally lay claim to its owners?Praise for The Manor of Dreams:'A true modern classic. The Manor of Dreams is beautiful, eerie, and woven with enough intrigue to hold all who enter captive. Christina Li remains unmatched in breathing characters to life - and the hauntings thereafter' Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of Immortal Longings'The Manor of Dreams peels back the promises of the American Dream to reveal something more painful, more heartbreaking, and ultimately, more true. An ambitious, evocative meditation on the hurts passed down across generations - and how we heal' Grace D. Li, New York Times bestselling author of Portrait of a Thief 'Richly imagined... Fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic ought to take note of this beautiful and haunting novel' Publishers Weekly'Packed with gothic plot, gushing blood, choking clods of dirt, and angry ghosts - a smorgasbord for devotees' Kirkus'A bejewelled puzzle box to unlock' Shelf Awareness'A lushly crafted haunted house gothic, full of family secrets and forbidden romance and grounded in Hollywood's long history of racism and patriarchy' CrimeReads'A clever, unexpected, and lush ghost story. I curled up with The Manor of Dreams and read it over a single weekend' Lisa See, author of Lady Tan's Circle of Women'Haunting, tender, and intoxicating. Written with gorgeous prose and unforgettable characters, Li's gothic adult debut will leave you devastated until the very end, and then long after you've put the book down' Carolyn Huynh, author of The Fortunes of Jaded Women'Deliciously eerie, culturally vibrant, and historically profound, The Manor of Dreams is a dark pleasure' Jamie Ford, author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
The Many Faces of Home Birth: 25 Honest, Firsthand Accounts from Parents around the World
by Shantel SilbernagelWith limited resources for hopeful home birth parents, the unknowns can feel overwhelming. The Many Faces of Home Birth fills that void for knowledge by providing a rare glimpse into the private moments of twenty-five unique and modern home births from around the world. With honesty, humor, and confidence, these personal narratives and shared experiences leave readers with the understanding that home birth isn’t just for one type of woman.Through this exciting collection of personal narratives, The Many Faces of Home Birth sheds light on the varied and fascinating experiences of women choosing home birth. Anyone even remotely interested in home birth will want to pull up a chair and witness one of the most intimate moments in each family’s life. From the Redwoods of California to a converted cowshed in Ireland, readers will be not only entertained but also exposed to how home birth really looks, feels, and sounds. Expectant parents will come away with a deep understanding and sense of security that if others have done this, they can too.
The Many Fortunes of Maya
by Nicole D. CollierIn this lyrical novel that will appeal to fans of Meg Medina, Maya turns to her trusty "wheel of fortunes" for guidance on the toughest questions—like why her best friend suddenly feels far away, or when her Daddy will move back home. But can Maya find the courage to write her own fortune? Maya J. Jenkins is bursting with questions:Will she get the MVP award at this year’s soccer banquet?Who will win the big grill off between Daddy and Uncle J?When will she pass the swim test and get a green bracelet?For answers and a dose of good luck, 12-year-old Maya turns to her Wheel of Fortunes, a cardboard circle covered with the small slips of wisdom she’s collected from fortune cookies.But can the fortunes answer her deep-down questions? The ones she’s too scared to ask out loud? Like, where did Mama’s smile go, the real one that lit up everything around her? When will Daddy move back home? And most of all, does she have enough courage to truly listen to the voice in her heart?
The Many Lives of Mama Love (Oprah's Book Club): A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing
by Lara Love Hardin&“Once you start reading, be prepared, because you won&’t want to stop.&” —Oprah Winfrey OPRAH&’S BOOK CLUB PICK • New York Times bestselling author Lara Love Hardin recounts her slide from soccer mom to opioid addict to jailhouse shot caller and her unlikely comeback as a highly successful ghostwriter in this harrowing, hilarious, no-holds-barred memoir.No one expects the police to knock on the door of the million-dollar two-story home of the perfect cul-de-sac housewife. But soccer mom Lara Love Hardin has been hiding a shady secret: she is funding her heroin addiction by stealing her neighbors&’ credit cards. Lara is convicted of thirty-two felonies and becomes inmate S32179. She finds that jail is a class system with a power structure that is somewhere between an adolescent sleepover party and Lord of the Flies. Furniture is made from tampon boxes, and Snickers bars are currency. But Lara quickly learns the rules and brings love and healing to her fellow inmates as she climbs the social ladder and acquires the nickname &“Mama Love,&” showing that jailhouse politics aren&’t that different from the PTA meetings she used to attend. When she&’s released, she reinvents herself as a ghostwriter. Now, she&’s legally co-opting other people&’s identities and getting to meet Oprah, meditate with the Dalai Lama, and have dinner with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. But the shadow of her past follows her. Shame is a poison worse than heroin—there is no way to detox. Lara must learn how to forgive herself and others, navigate life as a felon on probation, and prove to herself that she is more good than bad, among other essential lessons. The Many Lives of Mama Love is a heartbreaking and tender journey from shame to redemption, despite a system that makes it almost impossible for us to move beyond the worst thing we have ever done.
The Many Masks of Andy Zhou
by Jack ChengCreative and brave sixth grader Andy Zhou faces big changes at school and at home in this new novel by the award-winning author of See You in the Cosmos, for fans of When You Trap a Tiger and The Stars Beneath Our Feet. <P><P> Andy Zhou is used to being what people need him to be: the good kid for his parents and, now, his grandparents in from Shanghai, or the helpful sidekick for his best friend Cindy’s plans and schemes. So when Cindy decides they should try out for Movement on the first day of sixth grade, how can Andy say no? But between feeling out of place with the dancers after school, being hassled by his new science partner Jameel in class, and sensing tension between his dad and grandfather at home, Andy feels all kinds of weird. Then over anime, Hi-Chews, and art, things start to shift between Andy and Jameel, opening up new doors—and new problems. Because no matter how much Andy cares about his friends and family, it’s hard not to feel pulled between all the ways he’s meant to be, all the different faces he wears, and harder still to figure out if any of these masks is the real him.
The Many Meanings of Meilan
by Andrea WangA family feud before the start of seventh grade propels Meilan from Boston's Chinatown to rural Ohio, where she must tap into her inner strength and sense of justice to make a new place for herself in this resonant debut. <p><p> Meilan Hua's world is made up of a few key ingredients: her family's beloved matriarch, Nai Nai; the bakery her parents, aunts, and uncles own and run in Boston's Chinatown; and her favorite Chinese fairy tales. After Nai Nai passes, the family has a falling-out that sends Meilan, her parents, and her grieving grandfather on the road in search of a new home. They take a winding path across the country before landing in Redbud, Ohio. <p><p> Everything in Redbud is the opposite of Chinatown, and Meilan's not quite sure who she is--being renamed at school only makes it worse. She decides she is many Meilans, each inspired by a different Chinese character with the same pronunciation as her name. Sometimes she is Mist, cooling and invisible; other times, she's Basket, carrying her parents' hopes and dreams and her guilt of not living up to them; and occasionally she is bright Blue, the way she feels around her new friend Logan. <p><p> Meilan keeps her facets separate until an injustice at school shows her the power of bringing her many selves together. The Many Meanings of Meilan, written in stunning prose by Andrea Wang, is an exploration of all the things it's possible to grieve, the injustices large and small that make us rage, and the peace that's unlocked when we learn to find home within ourselves.
The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family
by Sarah KapitFans of the Penderwicks and the Vanderbeekers, meet the Finkel family in this middle grade novel about two autistic sisters, their detective agency, and life's most consequential mysteries. <p><p> When twelve-year-old Lara Finkel starts her very own detective agency, FIASCCO (Finkel Investigation Agency Solving Consequential Crimes Only), she does not want her sister, Caroline, involved. She and Caroline don't have to do everything together. But Caroline won't give up, and when she brings Lara the firm's first mystery, Lara relents, and the questions start piling up. <p><p>But Lara and Caroline’s truce doesn&’t last for long. Caroline normally uses her tablet to talk, but now she's busily texting a new friend. Lara can't figure out what the two of them are up to, but it can't be good. And Caroline doesn't like Lara's snooping—she's supposed to be solving other people's crimes, not spying on Caroline! <p><p>As FIASCCO and the Finkel family mysteries spin out of control, can Caroline and Lara find a way to be friends again?
The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming
by J. Anderson CoatsHigh-spirited young Jane is excited to be part of Mr. Mercer&’s plan to bring Civil War widows and orphans to Washington Territory—but life out west isn&’t at all what she expects in this novel that&’s perfect for fans of Avi and Little House on the Prairie.Washington Territory is just the place for men of broad mind and sturdy constitution—and girls too, Jane figures, or Mr. Mercer wouldn&’t have allowed her to come on his expedition to bring unmarried girls and Civil War widows out west. Jane&’s constitution is sturdy enough. She&’s been taking care of her baby brother ever since Papa was killed in the war and her young stepmother had to start working long days at the mill. The problem, she fears, is her mind. It might not be suitably broad because she had to leave school to take care of little Jer. Still, a new life awaits in Washington Territory, and Jane plans to make the best of it. Except Seattle doesn&’t turn out to be quite as advertised. In this rough-and-tumble frontier town, Jane is going to need every bit of that broad mind and sturdy constitution—not to mention a good sense of humor and a stubborn streak a mile wide.
The Many Sins of Cris de Feaux
by Louise AllenSecrets, sins and a scandalous affair Crispin de Feaux, Marquess of Avenmore, has always done his duty and knows the time has come to find a suitable wife. But when the intrepid Tamsyn Perowne saves his life off the Devonshire coast, Cris is unable to tear himself away... The widow of a notorious smuggler, Tamsyn would never make an appropriate bride. And Cris has secrets that could tear them apart before they've even begun! Yet, for the first time, Cris is tempted to ignore his duty and claim Tamsyn as his own!
The Many Worlds of Albie Bright
by Christopher EdgeFun science meets humor and heart in this adventure about a boy who is searching for his mother . . . in a parallel universe. Stephen Albie Bright leads a happy, normal life. Well, as normal as it gets with two astrophysicist parents who named their son after their favorite scientists, Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein. But then Albie’s mother dies of cancer, and his world is shattered. When his father explains that she might be alive in a parallel universe, Albie knows he has to find her. So, armed with a box, a laptop, and a banana, Albie sets out to do just that. Of course, when you’re universe-hopping for the very first time, it’s difficult to find the one you want. As Albie searches, he discovers some pretty big surprises about himself and our universe(s), and stumbles upon the answers to life’s most challenging questions. A poignant, funny, and heartwarming adventure, this extraordinary novel is for anyone who has ever been curious.Praise for The Many Worlds of Albie Bright:“A big book with a big brain, big laughs, and a big, big heart.” —FRANK COTTRELL BOYCE, New York Times bestselling author of Millions and Cosmic “Hilarious and full of heart.” —PIERS TORDAY, author of The Last Wild “I’d love this book in all the worlds. Heartbreaking, heartwarming, heartstopping. Amazing.” —HOLLY SMALE, author of the award-winning Geek Girl series “Heartwarming.” —The Guardian “Proves the theory that novels about science can be enormous fun.” —The Times Children’s Book of the Week (UK) “Moving, and exploding with scientific ideas and wonder.” —The Herald (UK)