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Mary's Wedding
by Stephen MassicotteOn the night before her wedding, Mary dreams of a thunderstorm, during which she unexpectedly meets Charlie sheltering in a barn beside his horse. With innocence and humour, the two discover a charming first love. But the year is 1914, and the world is collapsing into a brutal war. Together, they attempt to hide their love, galloping through the fields for a place and time where the tumultuous uncertainties of battle can’t find them. A play with a heart as big as the skies that serve as its stage, Mary’s Wedding is an epic, unforgettable story of love, hope, and survival.
lady in the red dress
by David YeeThe turmoil in Max's life was set in motion by Sylvia, an elusive figure who enters his life and charges Max with the task of finding Tommy Jade, a Chinese immigrant from the 1920s. Dragged further into the history of the Chinese-Canadian struggle for redress and into the lives of those involved, Max discovers that not only is his life in danger, but also his son's. A modern-day noir that draws from both Haruki Murakami and Frank Miller, lady in the red dress is a darkly comic story about the skeletons in our closets and the consequences of our inactions told by one of Canada's most-promising young playwrights.
It Starts with Us
by Colleen HooverBefore It Ends with Us, it started with Atlas. Colleen Hoover tells fan favorite Atlas&’s side of the story and shares what comes next in this long-anticipated sequel to the &“glorious and touching&” (USA TODAY) #1 New York Times bestseller and major motion picture It Ends with Us.Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil coparenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date. But her excitement is quickly hampered by the knowledge that, though they are no longer married, Ryle is still very much a part of her life—and Atlas Corrigan is the one man he will hate being in his ex-wife and daughter&’s life. Switching between the perspectives of Lily and Atlas, It Starts with Us picks up right where the epilogue for the &“gripping, pulse-pounding&” (Sarah Pekkanen, author of Perfect Neighbors) bestselling phenomenon It Ends with Us left off. Revealing more about Atlas&’s past and following Lily as she embraces a second chance at true love while navigating a jealous ex-husband, it proves that &“no one delivers an emotional read like Colleen Hoover&” (Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author).
Out of Range
by Heidi LangHatchet meets Raina Telgemeier&’s Sisters in this &“realistic, riveting&” (Kirkus Reviews) middle grade tale of three warring sisters who find themselves lost in the wilderness and must learn to trust each other if they want to survive.Sisters Abby, Emma, and Ollie have gone from being best friends forever to mortal enemies. Thanks to their months-long feud, they are sent to Camp Unplugged, a girls&’ camp deep in the heart of the Idaho mountains where they will go &“back to nature&”—which means no cell phones, no internet, and no communicating with the outside world. For two whole weeks. During that time, they had better learn to get along again, their parents tell them. Or else. The sisters don&’t see any way they can ever forgive each other for what they&’ve done, no matter how many hikes and campfire songs they&’re forced to participate in. But then disaster strikes, and they find themselves lost and alone in the wilderness. They will have to outrun a raging wildfire, make it through a turbulent river, escape bears and mountain lions and ticks. They don&’t have training, or food, or enough supplies. All they have is each other. And maybe, just maybe, it will be enough to survive.
All the Right Reasons
by Bethany Mangle&“Made my Bachelor-loving heart very happy.&” —Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of Today Tonight Tomorrow The Bachelor meets Gilmore Girls in this laugh-out-loud young adult romance about a girl who joins her mother on a reality dating show for single parents—only to fall for a contestant&’s son.Cara Hawn&’s life fell apart after her father cheated on her mother and got remarried to a woman Cara can&’t stand. When Cara accidentally posts a rant about her father online, it goes viral—and catches the attention of the TV producers behind a new reality dating show for single parent families. The next thing Cara and her mother know, they&’ve been cast as leads on the show and are whisked away to sunny Key West where they&’re asked to narrow a field of suitors and their kids down to one winning pair. All of this is outside of Cara&’s comfort zone, from the meddling producers to the camera-hungry contestants, especially as Cara and her mother begin to clash on which suitors are worth keeping around. And then comes Connor. As the son of a contestant, Connor is decidedly off-limits. Except that he doesn&’t fit in with the cutthroat atmosphere in all the same ways as Cara, and she can&’t get him out of her head. Now Cara must juggle her growing feelings while dodging the cameras and helping her mom pick a bachelor they both love, or else risk fracturing their family even more for the sake of ratings. Maybe there&’s a reason most people don&’t date on TV.
Campamento de espías
by Stuart GibbsEn el segundo libro de la serie bestseller del New York Times Escuela de espías, el aspirante a espía, Ben Ripley, continúa su entrenamiento ultra secreto durante el verano sin dejar de enfrentarse a increíbles peligros.¡La Academia de Espionaje tiene campamento de verano! Cuando Ben Ripley termina su primer año en la Academia de Espionaje, tiene unas ganas tremendas de pasar el verano en el mundo real, donde los asesinos no acechan al doblar de cada esquina y los niños pueden comportarse como niños. Así que resulta una verdadera sorpresa cuando le dicen que tiene que asistir a una escuela de verano ubicada en un rústico campamento en medio de la naturaleza, donde debe participar en un riguroso entrenamiento de supervivencia. Pero ARAÑA, la organización enemiga, sigue empeñada en perseguir a Ben, y ha infiltrado un topo en el campamento. ¿Podrán Ben y sus amigos aniquilar al enemigo antes de que este aniquile a Ben?
Blaine for the Win
by Robbie CouchAfter being dumped so his boyfriend can pursue more &“serious&” guys, a teen boy decides to prove he can be serious, too, by running for senior class president in this &“clever, fun, original&” (BCCB) romp from the author of The Sky Blues.High school junior Blaine Bowers has it all—the perfect boyfriend, a pretty sweet gig as a muralist for local Windy City businesses, a loving family, and awesome, talented friends. And he is absolutely, 100% positive that aforementioned perfect boyfriend—senior student council president and Mr. Popular of Wicker West High School, Joey—is going to invite Blaine to spend spring break with his family in beautiful, sunny Cabo San Lucas. Except Joey breaks up with him instead. In public. On their one-year anniversary. Because, according to Joey, Blaine is too goofy, too flighty, too…unserious. And if Joey wants to go far in life, he needs to start dating more serious guys. Guys like Zach Chesterton. Determined to prove that Blaine can be what Joey wants, Blaine decides to enter the running to become his successor (and beat out Joey&’s new boyfriend, Zach) as senior student council president. But is he willing to sacrifice everything he loves about himself to do it?
A Glasshouse of Stars
by Shirley Marr&“Heart-twisting and hopeful, bursting with big feelings and gentle magic…destined to be read and loved for generations and held close in many hearts (including mine).&” —Jessica Townsend, New York Times bestselling author of the Nevermoor series &“Gorgeous.&” —Booklist (starred review) A moving coming-of-age story about one girl&’s bravery and imagination in the face of the unknown. Perfect for fans of Front Desk and Mañanaland.Meixing Lim and her family have arrived at the New House in the New Land. Her parents inherited the home from First Uncle who died tragically and unexpectedly while picking oranges in the backyard. Her Ma Ma likes to remind Meixing the family never could have afforded to move here otherwise, so she should be thankful for this opportunity. Everything is vast and unknown to Meixing in this supposedly wonderful place. She is embarrassed by her second-hand clothing, has trouble understanding her peers, and is finding it hard to make new friends. Meixing&’s only solace is a rundown greenhouse, that her Uncle called his glasshouse, at the far end of her backyard that inexplicably holds the sun and the moon and the secrets of her memory and imagination. When her fragile universe is rocked by tragedy, it will take all of Meixing&’s resilience and bravery to finally find her place of belonging in this new world.
Charlie Hernández & the Golden Dooms
by Ryan CalejoInspired by Latinx folklore, legends, and myths from the Iberian Peninsula and Central and South America, this &“clever, funny, and entertaining&” (Kirkus Reviews) third book in the Charlie Hernández series follows Charlie as he faces off against an army of the dead.After hitchhiking across Central and South America to rescue the Witch Queen and face off against La Mano Peluda, Charlie Hernández is pretty much grounded for life. But after all he&’s been through, some quiet time at home with his parents might be nice. Though it would be better if he didn&’t have to share his room with his obnoxiously perfect cousin Raúl, who&’s staying with them. But quiet is hard to come by when you&’re the fifth and final morphling, and it&’s not long before death walks back into Charlie&’s life. Or at least, the dead do, starting with a mysterious young calaca who corners him at school, dropping cryptic hints about trouble brewing in the 305. With the League of Shadows focused on repairing fractured alliances and tracking gathering armies, this one&’s up to Charlie to solve. Following the clues only leads to more questions, and not even teenage investigative journalist extraordinaire Violet Rey can figure out how a sudden rooster infestation, earthquakes, missing persons, and a pet-napping gang of lizard-men—whom Charlie doesn&’t recognize from any legend—are all connected. Most concerning of all is when they learn a map has been stolen that reveals the locations of the Golden Dooms, the twelve ancient calaca watchmen who form the magical barrier between the realms. To stop the impending invasion, Charlie and Violet must outwit an ancient evil and unravel the most sinister of schemes. That is, unless they&’d rather watch the Land of the Living get overrun by the dead.
The Secrets of the Stormforest
by L. D. LapinskiFlick journeys to a dangerous new world in this magical third book in the Strangeworlds Travel Agency series.Flick and Jonathan have faced countless dangers as members of the Strangeworlds Society and come out alive on the other side. But what do they really know about the society they are risking their lives for? Why does it exist? Who is Strangeworlds there to protect? And what in the worlds is happening to the multiverse now? With worlds everywhere under threat of collapse and mysteries abounding, it&’s up to Flick and Jonathan to discover the answers to these questions. And only if they can uncover the secrets of Strangeworlds, and the secrets of a mysterious new world called The Stormforest, will they have any hope of defending their world—and others—from the threat that is facing them all.
Talk Santa to Me
by Linda UrbanA teen girl gets the perfect second try at a first kiss in this hilarious, romp-filled young adult romantic comedy perfect for fans of Jenna Evans Welch and Hallmark Christmas movies.Francie was born in a stable. Really. Granted, it was the deluxe model with the light-up star on the roof, one of the many Christmas items for sale at her family&’s Hollydale Holiday Shop. Their holiday gift empire also includes the Santa School, which was founded by Francie&’s beloved grandpa, who recently passed away. Francie&’s always loved working in the shop, but lately Aunt Carole has been changing everything with her ideas for too-slick, Hollywood-inspired Santas and horrible holiday-themed employee uniforms. Aunt Carole&’s vision will ruin all the charm and nostalgia Francie loves about her family&’s business…unless she does something about it. But this winter is about more than preserving the magic of Christmas. Francie is saving up for a car and angling to kiss the cute boy who works at the tree lot next door—hopefully it will be good enough to wipe her fiasco of a first kiss from her memory. As the weather outside gets more and more frightful, can Francie pull off the holiday of her dreams?
Ashes of Gold
by J. ElleIn the heart-pounding conclusion to the Wings of Ebony duology, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicole Yoon calls &“bold, inventive, big-hearted and deeply perceptive,&” Rue makes her final stand to reclaim her people&’s stolen magic.Rue has no memory of how she ended up locked in a basement prison without her magic or her allies. But she&’s a girl from the East Row. And girls from the East Row don&’t give up. Girls from the East Row pick themselves back up when they fall. Girls from the East Row break themselves out. But reuniting with her friends is only half the battle. When she finds them again, Rue makes a vow: she will find a way to return the magic that the Chancellor has stolen from her father&’s people. Yet even on Yiyo Peak, Rue is a misfit—with half a foot back in Houston and half a heart that is human as well as god, she&’s not sure she&’s the right person to lead the fight to reclaim a glorious past. When a betrayal sends her into a tailspin, Rue must decide who to trust and how to be the leader that her people deserve…because if she doesn&’t, it isn&’t just Yiyo that will be destroyed—it will be Rue herself.
Blood Like Fate
by Liselle SamburyIn the spellbinding sequel to &“breath of fresh air for the genre&” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) Blood Like Magic, Voya fights to save her witch community from a terrible future, perfect for fans of Legendborn and Cemetery Boys.Voya Thomas may have passed her Calling to become a full-fledged witch, but the cost was higher than she&’d ever imagined. Her grandmother is gone. Her cousin hates her. And her family doesn&’t believe that she has what it takes to lead them. What&’s more, Voya can&’t let go of her feelings for Luc, sponsor son of the genius billionaire Justin Tremblay—the man that Luc believes Voya killed. Consequently, Luc wants nothing to do with her. Even her own ancestors seem to have lost faith in her. Every day Voya begs for their guidance, but her calls go unanswered. As Voya struggles to convince everyone—herself included—that she can be a good Matriarch, she has a vision of a terrifying, deadly future. A vision that would spell the end of the Toronto witches. With a newfound sense of purpose, Voya must do whatever it takes to bring her shattered community together and stop what's coming for them before it&’s too late. Even if it means taking down the boy she loves—who might be the mastermind behind the coming devastation.
Spells for Lost Things
by Jenna Evans WelchFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Love & Gelato comes a poignant and romantic novel about two teens trying to find their place in the world after being unceremoniously dragged to Salem, Massachusetts, for the summer.Willow has never felt like she belonged anywhere and is convinced that the only way to find a true home is to travel the world. But her plans to act on her dream are put on hold when her aloof and often absent mother drags Willow to Salem, Massachusetts, to wrap up the affairs of an aunt Willow didn&’t even know she had. An aunt who may or may not have been a witch. There, she meets Mason, a loner who&’s always felt out of place and has been in and out of foster homes his entire life. He&’s been classified as one of the runaways, constantly searching for ways to make it back to his mom; even if she can&’t take care of him, it&’s his job to try and take care of her. Isn&’t it? Naturally pulled to one another, Willow and Mason set out across Salem to discover the secret past of Willow&’s mother, her aunt, and the ambiguous history of her family. During all of this, the two can&’t help but act on their natural connection. But with the amount of baggage between them—and Willow&’s growing conviction her family might be cursed—can they manage to hold onto each other?
The Arabian Nights
by Padraic ColumGenies, wishes, thieves, and treasure abound in these classic stories of magic and adventure from master storyteller Padraic Colum.
Every night for a thousand and one nights, Shahrazad begins to tell her husband the king a new tale but each night she stops before finishing. Why? Because the king has promised to kill her when the last one is over. However, her nightly stories—of Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba, and many other heroes and villains—are so enthralling that King Shahryar has to postpone her execution again and again...
Padraic Colum brings together a selection of the most amazing of the over 600 stories which Shahrazad told. Full of genies, flying carpets, and daring adventures, The Arabian Nights will captive a new audience and leave readers asking for one more story.
SLAY
by Brittney MorrisA Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2019! &“Gripping and timely.&” —People &“The YA debut we&’re most excited for this year.&” —Entertainment Weekly &“A book that knocks you off your feet while dropping the kind of knowledge that&’ll keep you down for the count. Prepare to BE slain.&” —Nic Stone, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin and Odd One Out Ready Player One meets The Hate U Give in this dynamite debut novel that follows a fierce teen game developer as she battles a real-life troll intent on ruining the Black Panther–inspired video game she created and the safe community it represents for Black gamers.By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the only Black kids at Jefferson Academy. But at home, she joins hundreds of thousands of Black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. No one knows Kiera is the game developer, not her friends, her family, not even her boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are partially responsible for the &“downfall of the Black man.&” But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, news of the game reaches mainstream media, and SLAY is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. Even worse, an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, threatening to sue Kiera for &“anti-white discrimination.&” Driven to save the only world in which she can be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically Black in a world intimidated by Blackness. But can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?
Lawless Spaces
by Corey Ann HayduPerfect for fans of Deb Caletti, this poignant coming-of-age novel in verse follows a teen girl who connects with the women of her maternal line through their journals and comes to better understand her fraught relationship with her mother.Mimi&’s relationship with her mother has always been difficult. But lately, her mother has been acting more withdrawn than usual, leaving Mimi to navigate the tricky world of turning sixteen alone. What she doesn&’t expect is her mother&’s advice to start journaling—just like all the woman in her family before her. It&’s a tradition, she says. Expected. But Mimi takes to poetry and with it, a way to write down the realities of growing into a woman, the pains of online bullying, and the new experiences of having a boyfriend. And all in the shadows of a sexual assault case that is everywhere on the news—a case that seems to specifically rattle her mother. Trying to understand her place in the world, Mimi dives into the uncovered journals of her grandmother, great-grandmother, and beyond. She immerses herself in each of their lives, learns of their painful stories and their beautiful sprits. And as Mimi grows closer to each of these women, she starts to forge her own path. But it isn&’t until her mother&’s story comes to light that Mimi learns about the unyielding bonds of family and the relentless spirit of womanhood.
Self-Care for Nurses
by Xiomely FamighettiTake care of your patients by taking care of yourself with these 100 self-care activities specifically designed to help nurses reduce stress, feel their best—and ready to make a difference!There&’s no doubt about it: today&’s healthcare workers have a lot on their plates. Between balancing the needs of your patients and giving your all to support your coworkers, getting burnt out and overwhelmed is a real risk. So how do you make sure you take time for yourself to recharge? With Self-Care for Nurses, you&’ll find 100 activities specifically designed to help you relax, take a break, and feel reenergized. Whether you need a quick pick-me-up in the middle of your shift or are looking for some new ways to unwind after the workday is over, you&’ll find helpful solutions like: -Writing a list of your accomplishments -Practicing yoga -Learning how to ask for help -And much more! Whether you&’re a new nurse or a seasoned veteran, self-care is important for all. Start your nursing self-care practice—today!
Featherhood
by Charlie GilmourIn this &“vivid…lovely and inviting&” (The New York Times) coming-of-age memoir—the &“best piece of nature writing since H Is for Hawk&” (Neil Gaiman)—a young man saves a baby magpie as his estranged father is dying, only to find that caring for the bird saves him.This is a story of two men who could talk to birds—but were completely incapable of talking to each other. A father who fled from his family in the dead of night, and the jackdaw he raised like a child. A son obsessed with his absence—and the young magpie that fell into his path and refused to fly away. This is a story about the crow family and human family; about repetition across generations and birds that run in the blood; about a terror of repeating the sins of the father and a desire to build a nest of one&’s own.
Queenie
by Candice Carty-Williams*NOW A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES* *ONE of NPR&’s and TIME&’s BEST BOOKS of the YEAR * NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK of the YEAR by WOMAN&’S DAY, NEWSDAY, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, BUSTLE, and BOOK RIOT!* &“A book that sneaks up on you...I am hooked.&” —Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author This acclaimed and &“welcome debut from a seriously talented author&” (New York Post) is a disarmingly honest, unapologetically black, and undeniably witty novel that will speak to those who have gone looking for love and found something very different in its place. Queenie Jenkins is a twenty-five-year-old Jamaican British woman living in London, straddling two cultures and slotting neatly into neither. She works at a national newspaper, where she&’s constantly forced to compare herself to her white middle class peers. After a messy break up from her long-term white boyfriend, Queenie seeks comfort in all the wrong places…including several hazardous men who do a good job of occupying brain space and a bad job of affirming self-worth. As Queenie careens from one questionable decision to another, she finds herself wondering, &“What are you doing? Why are you doing it? Who do you want to be?&”—all of the questions today&’s woman must face in a world trying to answer them for her. &“A must-read novel about sex, selfhood, and the best friendships that get us through it all&” (Candace Bushnell, New York Times bestselling author), Queenie is a remarkably relatable exploration of what it means to be a modern woman searching for meaning in today&’s world.
Lover Unveiled
by J.R. WardThe #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series returns featuring a powerful MMA fighter with a buried secret that can change the world of Caldwell forever. Sahvage has been living under the radar for centuries—and he has every intention of staying &“dead and buried.&” But when a civilian female sucks him into her dangerous battle with an evil as ancient as time, his protective side overrides his common sense. Mae has lost everything, and desperation sets her on a collision course with fate. Determined to reverse a tragedy, she goes where mortals should fear to tread—and comes face-to-face with the Brotherhood&’s new enemy. She also discovers a love she never expected to find with Sahvage, but there can be no future for them. Knowing they will part, the two band together to fight against what Mae unknowingly unleashed—as the Brotherhood closes in to reclaim one of their damned, and the evil vows to destroy them all….
The Jackal
by J.R. WardThe #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sinner brings another hot adventure of true love and ultimate sacrifice in the Black Dagger Brotherhood world.The location of the glymera&’s notorious prison camp was lost after the raids. When a freak accident provides Nyx clues to where her sister may still be doing time, she becomes determined to find the secret subterranean labyrinth. Embarking on a journey under the earth, she learns a terrible truth—and meets a male who changes everything, forever. The Jackal has been in the camp for so long he cannot recall anything of the freedom he once knew. Trapped by circumstances out of his control, he helps Nyx because he cannot help himself. After she discovers what happened to her sister, getting her back out becomes a deadly mission for them both. United by a passion they can&’t deny, they work together on an escape plan for Nyx—even though their destiny is to be forever apart. And as the Black Dagger Brotherhood is called upon for help, and Rhage discovers he has a half-brother who&’s falsely imprisoned, a devious warden plots the deaths of them all…even the Brothers.
The Summer Guests
by Mary Alice MonroeThis &“authentic, generous, and heartfelt&” (Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author) novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Beach House series is about the bonds and new beginnings that are born from disasters and how, even during the worst of circumstances—or perhaps because of them—we discover what is most important in life. Late August is a beautiful time on the Southern coast—the peach trees are ripe, the ocean is warm, and the sweet tea is icy. It&’s the perfect time to enjoy the rocking chairs on the porch. But beneath the calm surface bubbles a threat: it&’s also peak hurricane season. When a hurricane threatens the coasts of Florida and South Carolina, an eclectic group of evacuees flees for the farm of their friends Grace and Charles Phillips in North Carolina: the Phillips&’s daughter Moira and her rescue dogs, famed equestrian Javier Angel de la Cruz, makeup artist Hannah McLain, horse breeder Gerda Klug and her daughter Elise, and island resident Cara Rutledge. Strangers to all but the Phillips, they must ride out the storm together. During the course of one of the most challenging weeks of their lives, relationships are put to the test as the evacuees are forced to confront the unresolved issues they have with themselves and with each other. But as the storm passes, they realize that what really matters isn&’t what they brought with them to the mountains. Rather, it&’s what they&’ll take with them once they leave. &“Fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Wendy Wax will enjoy the picturesque setting and heartwarmingly intertwined character arcs&” (Booklist) and &“Monroe writes gorgeously, with authority and tenderness, about the natural world and its power to inspire, transport, and to heal&” (Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author).
The Outsider
by Stephen KingNow an HBO limited series starring Ben Mendelsohn! Evil has many faces…maybe even yours in this #1 New York Times bestseller from master storyteller Stephen King. An eleven-year-old boy&’s violated corpse is discovered in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City&’s most popular citizens—Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon have DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad. As the investigation expands and horrifying details begin to emerge, King&’s story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer comes, it will shock you as only Stephen King can.
Us Against You
by Fredrik BackmanThe #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove and Beartown returns with an unforgettable novel &“about people—about strength and tribal loyalty and what we unwittingly do when trying to show our boys how to be men&” (Jojo Moyes).Have you ever seen a town fall? Ours did. Have you ever seen a town rise? Ours did that, too. A small community tucked deep in the forest, Beartown is home to tough, hardworking people who don&’t expect life to be easy or fair. No matter how difficult times get, they&’ve always been able to take pride in their local ice hockey team. So it&’s a cruel blow when they hear that Beartown ice hockey might soon be disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that all the former Beartown players, who now play for a rival team in the neighboring town of Hed, take in that fact. As the tension mounts between the two adversaries, a newcomer arrives who gives Beartown hockey a surprising new coach and a chance at a comeback. Soon a team starts to take shape around Amat, the fastest player you&’ll ever see; Benji, the intense lone wolf; always dutiful and eager-to-please Bobo; and Vidar, a born-to-be-bad troublemaker. But bringing this team together proves to be a challenge as old bonds are broken, new ones are formed, and the town&’s enmity with Hed grows more and more acute. As the big game approaches, the not-so-innocent pranks and incidents between the communities pile up and their mutual contempt intensifies. By the time the last goal is scored, a resident of Beartown will be dead, and the people of both towns will be forced to wonder if, after everything, the game they love can ever return to something as simple and innocent as a field of ice, two nets, and two teams. Us against you. Here is a declaration of love for all the big and small, bright and dark stories that give form and color to our communities. With immense compassion and insight, Fredrik Backman—&“the Dickens of our age&” (Green Valley News)—reveals how loyalty, friendship, and kindness can carry a town through its most challenging days.