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Miss Clare Remembers and Emily Davis: A Novel (The Beloved Fairacre Series #4)
by Miss ReadTwo novels in the beloved Fairacre series, full of &“delicious wit, quirky characters . . . and certainly love and laughter&” (Jan Karon). In the English village of Fairacre, retired schoolteachers Dolly Clare and Emily Davis enjoyed a remarkable friendship. Childhood playmates in Beech Green, they would remain close throughout their long lives, eventually sharing a cottage in their retirement. They felt grief when a village family was lost on the Titanic and each experienced young love and then heartbreak when the First World War interrupted both of their romances. In this two-in-one volume, the triumphs and tragedies of their days are depicted with all the humor, humble tenacity, and human warmth for which Miss Read is known. &“Miss Read&’s Books . . . have deservedly received the highest praise from both English and American reviewers.&” —The New York Times Book Review &“Miss Read reminds us of what is really important. And if we can&’t live in her world, it&’s certainly a comforting place to visit.&” —USA Today &“[Read&’s] heroes are the good, the uncomplicated, and those who do the unsung work of the world. It&’s a warm, comfortable, part of the picture.&” —Kirkus Reviews
Forest of the Hanged: A Novel (Casemate Classic War Fiction #11)
by Liviu RebreanuA World War I soldier is torn between his duty, his country, and his conscience in this work of &“classic war fiction&” (Books Monthly). When the First World War broke out, Apostol Bologa left his home in Romania and joined the Austro-Hungarian army with grand visions of battle, glory, and honor. Instead, the young officer finds himself serving on a near-perfunctory tribunal that sentences deserters and other reprobates to hanging in a small dark forest just behind the Eastern Front. At first Bologa performs his duties with staunch military bearing, but the weight of the dead slowly begins to toll on his mind and spirit. For as his fellow soldiers are being cut down by the thousands on the battlefields, his only contribution to the effort is killing men one by one for reasons that grow ever more foreign and dubious—until he finds himself lost in the very forest of the dead he helped grow . . . with little hope for his own salvation.
Like My Mother Always Said . . .: Wise Words, Witty Warnings, and Odd Advice We Never Forget
by Erin McHughFrom the caring to the crazy, a collection of wit and wisdom from real-life moms. Their words can bring love and laughter and make us feel warm and safe . . . or, occasionally, completely confused. Now, the author of Like My Father Always Said . . . has crowd-sourced quotable quotes from countless moms—and gathers them in this hilarious, heartwarming volume. &“Every woman should have a nice gay man looking after her.&” &“You&’re not hungry. Your mouth is bored.&” &“You like what you&’re wearing?&” &“Have a drink, you&’ll perk right up.&” &“Don&’t be impressed by a man&’s car—he may be living in it.&” Covering a variety of subjects including &“Questionable Wisdom,&” &“Unconditional Love,&” and &“Good Manners & Bad Behavior,&” Like My Mother Always Said . . . is the perfect book for anyone whose mom never gave up on them.
Gone to Soldiers: A Novel
by Marge PiercyThis sweeping New York Times bestseller is &“the most thorough and most captivating, most engrossing novel ever written about World War II&” (Los Angeles Times). Epic in scope, Marge Piercy&’s sweeping novel encompasses the wide range of people and places marked by the Second World War. Each of her ten narrators has a unique and compelling story that powerfully depicts his or her personality, desires, and fears. Special attention is given to the women of the war effort, like Bernice, who rebels against her domineering father to become a fighter pilot, and Naomi, a Parisian Jew sent to live with relatives in Detroit, whose twin sister, Jacqueline—still in France—joins the resistance against Nazi rule. The horrors of the concentration camps; the heroism of soldiers on the beaches of Okinawa, the skies above London, and the seas of the Mediterranean; the brilliance of code breakers; and the resilience of families waiting for the return of sons, brothers, and fathers are all conveyed through powerful, poignant prose that resonates beyond the page. Gone to Soldiers is a testament to the ordinary people, with their flaws and inner strife, who rose to defend liberty during the most extraordinary times.
Obsolete: An Encyclopedia of Once-Common Things Passing Us By
by Anna Jane GrossmanA cultural catalog of everyday things rapidly turning into rarities—from landlines to laugh tracks. So many things have disappeared from our day-to-day world, or are on the verge of vanishing. Some we may already think of as ancient relics, like typewriters (and their accompanying bottles of correction fluid). Others seem like they were here just yesterday, like boom boxes and CDs. We may feel fond nostalgia for certain items of yore: encyclopedias, newspapers, lighthouses. Other items, like MSG, not so much. But as the pace of change keeps accelerating, it&’s worth taking a moment to mark the passing of the objects of our lives, from passbooks and pay phones to secretaries and skate keys. And to reflect on certain endangered phenomena that may be worth trying to hold on to—like privacy, or cash. This thoughtful alphabetized compendium invites us to take a look at the many things, ideas, and behaviors that have gone the way of the subway token—and to reflect on what is ephemeral, and what is truly timeless.
The Longest Road: A Novel
by Jeanne Williams&“An evocative and darkly beautiful story&” of a young woman&’s trek across America in the Dust Bowl years by a New York Times–bestselling &“master novelist&” (The Denver Post). After a violent dust storm leaves their mother dead and the family farm in ruins, twelve-year-old Laurie Field and her younger brother, Buddy, believe their world has ended when their grieving, debt-ridden father brings them to live with their reprobate grandfather in the Oklahoma Panhandle, promising to send for them when he finds one of those fabled jobs luring thousands to California. Abandoned and afraid, the children find hope in the songs taught them by Johnny Morrigan, an itinerant oil field worker who hitched a ride with the family on his way to Texas. Desperate to escape their brutal grandfather, Laurie and Buddy hop a train clanging west and become fall in with a hobo named Way after he saves them from a sinister tramp. In California, the children find only heartbreak, so they and Way set out for Texas in the hopes of reuniting with Johnny Morrigan. Like the fellow travelers they encounter on the roads and rails crisscrossing America, Laurie, Buddy, and Way take joy in simple pleasures such as a campfire meal, a starry night, and a song. They learn firsthand the kindness ordinary folk can show to those even poorer. At last, in lusty Texas oil field towns, they find work, Morrigan, and a deadly menace as Laurie grows from innocent girl to vibrant woman. A riveting story of hardship, adventure, and romance, The Longest Road pays glorious tribute to the men and women who kept the American dream alive during the Great Depression.
Lay It on My Heart: A Novel
by Angela PneumanFor a Kentucky girl, coming of age takes a leap of faith in a novel that &“will knock you sideways with its Southern charm&” (O, The Oprah Magazine). It&’s summer in Kentucky. The low ceiling of August is pressing down on the religious town of East Winder, and on thirteen-year-old Charmaine Peake who can&’t shake the feeling that she&’s being tested. She and her mother get along better with a room between them, but circumstances have forced them to relocate to a tiny trailer by the river. The last in a line of local holy men, Charmaine&’s father has turned from prophet to patient, his revelation lost in the clarifying haze of medication. Her sure-minded grandmother has suffered a stroke. And at church, where she has always felt most certain, Charmaine discovers that her archrival, a sanctimonious missionary kid, carries a dark, confusing secret. Suddenly Charmaine&’s life can be sorted into what she wishes she knew and what she wishes she didn&’t. In a moving, hilarious portrait of mothers and daughters, &“one of the most astonishingly talented writers today,&” brings us into the heart of a family weathering the toughest patch of their lives. But most of all, Angela Pneuman marks out the seemingly unbearable realities of growing up, the strength that comes from finding real friendship, and the power of discovering—and accepting—who you are (Julie Orringer). &“Pneuman captures the voice of adolescence and the uncertainty of faith in this endearing novel.&” —Minneapolis Star-Tribune &“Pneuman is a master of dark comedy, and the grimmer the material, the funnier it becomes in her twisted but capable hands. Like her literary ancestor, Flannery O&’Connor, she shows how myopic allegedly religious people can be, but she doesn&’t take cheap shots at religion either.&” —San Francisco Chronicle
The Foretelling: A Novel
by Alice HoffmanNew York Times Bestseller: A lyrical, suspenseful coming-of-age story based on Greek myths of the Amazons, woman warriors living near the Black Sea. Born out of sorrow in an ancient time of blood and war, Rain is a girl marked by destiny. Her mother, Alina, is the proud queen of a tribe of female warriors, yet she refuses to touch or even look at her only daughter. So Rain draws on the strength and knowledge of her Amazon sisters to learn the ways of her people: how to carve spoons out of bones, ride her white horse as fiercely as a demon, and shoot an arrow straight into the heart of an enemy. Determined to win her mother&’s love and take her rightful place as the next queen, Rain becomes a brave and determined fighter. But the dream of a black horse clouds her future, portending death. As one devastating battle follows the next, Rain hopes for a different life for her tribe beyond never-ending bloodshed. Peace, mercy, and love, however, are forbidden words in her language—can Rain teach her sisters to speak in a new tongue before it&’s too late? Inspired by Greek legends and recent archaeological discoveries in Russia and Ukraine, The Foretelling is a breathtaking achievement from the bestselling author of The Dovekeepers.
Ease: A Novel
by Patrick GaleA world-weary playwright takes on a fake name and a sleazy apartment—and learns to live again—in this charming novel from bestselling author Patrick Gale. Success came quick to Domina Tey. An award-winning playwright, Domina was famous before she finished university, and life has been easy ever since. Twenty years later, she churns out plays in the beautiful house she shares with her longtime lover, a novelist whose books are unreadable and whose sense of romance died long ago. Worst of all, Domina&’s muse has deserted her, and so she decides to go slumming for as long as it takes to get her life back on track. She takes a bedsit in Bayswater, one of London&’s seedier districts, with the hope that privacy will finally allow her to get some real work done. But she&’s barely written a page before she finds herself getting involved with her fellow tenants: a wannabe actress, a gay French lothario, and a devout member of the local Greek Orthodox Church. They show Domina a side of life she&’s never seen before, and she quickly learns that before she can start writing again, she will have to live. This sparkling second novel from Patrick Gale shows the wit, good humor, and deep understanding of human emotions that made him a rising star of literary London. As insightful as it is funny, Ease will make you want to pack a suitcase and find a bedsit of your very own.
murder@maggody.com (The Arly Hanks Mysteries #12)
by Joan HessWhen the uproarious town of Maggody, Arkansas, plugs into the Internet, the digital age turns deadly. Aside from the odd stolen dog or vandalized lawn ornament, there&’s been no recent crime in Maggody, Arkansas, population 755, and that&’s how Chief of Police Arly Hanks likes it. Things have been so quiet she&’s taken to sitting in on school-board meetings, and she&’s doing just this when the high school announces the new computer lab, which will be open to everybody in town. To Arly—who doesn&’t trust her neighbors to handle a toaster, much less a computer—it seems like an invitation to disaster. Little does she know that when Maggody logs on, the results will be murderous. As soon as the first modem is plugged in, Maggody&’s computers are flooded with hackers, pornography, libel, and worse. And when a newcomer is brutally murdered, Arly must use low-tech resourcefulness to catch a digital killer—and save Maggody from the information age. Fans of Ellen Byron&’s Cajun Country mysteries will find themselves right at home in Maggody, where everyone knows everyone—and everyone is related. This is unquestionably one of the funniest mystery series of all time. Murder@maggody.com is the 12th book in the Arly Hanks Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
The Protégé
by Charlotte ArmstrongA young drifter charms his way into the confidence of an older woman in this twisting novel by &“a pioneer in domestic suspense&” (Lisa Unger). Seventy-four-year-old widow Mrs. Moffat lives in a quiet and idyllic California town, accustomed to routine and solitude in her country home. But everything changes when she runs into a charismatic young transient in church one Sunday morning. He claims to be Simon Warren, the son of a former neighbor and the best friend of Mrs. Moffat&’s own grandson, who mysteriously vanished years ago. Longing to repair the emotional wounds of the past, the enchanted Mrs. Moffat welcomes Simon into her home. But he&’s not received nearly as well by her friends or her granddaughter, Zen, whose suspicions about Simon, and the potential threat he poses, are willfully ignored by her grandmother. Now, as the young man calmly insinuates himself into a comfortable new life, a test of wills between the stubborn old woman and her increasingly apprehensive granddaughter begins. What no one understands is that Mrs. Moffat isn&’t a silly woman: She knows precisely what she wants from her unlikely &“friendship&” with the untrustworthy Simon. But as a dawning fear arises, Mrs. Moffat, Zen, and perhaps even Simon will find themselves in an inescapable trap of their own making.
The Broken Chariot: A Novel (Charnwood Large Print Ser.)
by Alan SillitoeThis postwar British coming-of-age novel questions the foundations of society and self. Class and identity are lifelong struggles for Herbert Thurgarton-Strang, who was born in India but sent away at age seven to a boarding school in England. As an adolescent, Herbert loathes British weather and boxing—despite his penchant for camping and his brutality in the ring—and his only solace is imagining a violent revenge on his parents for &“abandoning&” him. As Herbert grows into an angry teen and World War II breaks out, he channels his rage into a passion for the Army Cadet Force. Then a book about escaped prisoners of war falls into his lap, and Herbert begins to daydream about running away. At the age of seventeen, the rebellious young man finally breaks free from school and heads straight into the industrial slums of Nottingham. There, Herbert discards his upper-class accent and reinvents himself as &“Bert Gedling&”—a working-class lathe man, a drinker, a womanizer, and eventually a soldier. During his tour of duty, Bert continues to adapt his character to the world around him, and when he returns to England he transforms once again—but this time the fictions he constructs will follow the truth of his heart. From the bestselling author of The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner, The Broken Chariot explores work, class, life, and love in postwar England.
When the Cheering Stopped: The Last Years of Woodrow Wilson
by Gene SmithThe poignant true story of an American president struck by tragedy at the height of his glory. This New York Times bestseller vividly chronicles the stunning decline in Woodrow Wilson&’s fortunes after World War I and draws back the curtain on one of the strangest episodes in the history of the American presidency. Author Gene Smith brilliantly captures the drama and excitement of Wilson&’s efforts at the Paris Peace Conference to forge a lasting concord between enemies, and his remarkable coast-to-coast tour to sway national opinion in favor of the League of Nations. During this grueling jaunt across 8,000 miles in less than a month, Wilson suffered a debilitating stroke that left him an invalid and a recluse, shrouding his final years in office in shadow and mystery. In graceful and dramatic prose, Smith portrays a White House mired in secrets, with a commander in chief kept behind closed doors, unseen by anyone except his doctor and his devoted second wife, Edith Galt Wilson, a woman of strong will with less than an elementary school education who, for all intents and purposes, led the government of the most powerful nation in the world for two years. When the Cheering Stopped is a gripping true story of duty, courage, and deceit, and an unforgettable portrait of a visionary leader whose valiant struggle and tragic fall changed the course of world history.
Menagerie Manor: A Zoo In My Luggage, The Whispering Land, And Menagerie Manor (The Zoo Memoirs #3)
by Gerald DurrellThe beloved naturist and author of My Family and Other Animals shares the pleasures and pitfalls of opening a zoo on the English Channel Island of Jersey. Spurred by his passion for animals and a lifelong dream, in the spring of 1959 Gerald Durrell opened the Jersey Zoo—now known as the Durrell Wildlife Park—on the grounds of an old manor house. The menagerie provided a safe habitat for rare and endangered species and exposed its human visitors to the wonders of nature. Dealing with escapee animals and overdrawn bank accounts, Durrell soon discovered that owning and operating a fledgling zoo was no easy task. But despite the setbacks, these charming, often hilarious stories make clear that, for Durrell, ensuring the park&’s success and helping the creatures he loved so dearly was worth any obstacle. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author&’s estate.
Silverhill
by Phyllis A. WhitneyFrom a New York Times–bestselling author: A woman risks her life to piece together the puzzling past of her estranged New England family. After decades away, Malinda Rice returns to the New Hampshire estate of Silverhill to make sure her departed mother is buried in her rightful place in the family plot. Still carrying the scars of her past, she&’s determined to solve the mysteries behind the bad blood that has divided her family. But, like old memories, Malinda is not welcome at Silverhill. She faces her embittered grandmother, a manipulative tyrant to be feared and never crossed. And her disturbed aunt is lost in a fantasy world, desperate to be rescued. Malinda finds solace with the handsome family doctor, whom she discovers is the only person she can trust, however guarded. The secrets in this deceptive hall of mirrors run deeper and darker than she imagined. Now, while seeking the truth in a mansion haunted by lies, twisted memories, and ruined lives, she must also fight for her sanity—and her life. Hailed by Mary Higgins Clark as &“a superb and gifted story teller, and a master of suspense,&” Phyllis A. Whitney is a recipient of the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award for Lifetime Achievement. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Phyllis A. Whitney including rare images from the author&’s estate.
I Like 'Em Tough
by Ed McBainLegendary author of the 87th Precinct series Ed McBain presents six hardboiled detective stories starring Curt Cannon, one of the toughest sleuths ever created. Private detective Curt Cannon has lost his wife, his license, and his will to live, and now all he wants is to crawl into the bottom of a bottle and wait to die. He&’s in the middle of a bender when Peter D&’Allessio finds him and begs him to help get his addict son off the needle. Unwilling to be distracted from his own self-loathing, Curt tells Peter off. Dejected, the little old man is stepping out the doorway when two bullets tear through the air, leaving him dead on the floor of a fetid dive. Curt wants nothing to do with this rotten case, but the mystery has him by the throat and won&’t let go. To bring the dead man justice, he&’ll have to climb out of the gutter and remember what it means to be a detective. The story that introduced Curt Cannon, &“Die Hard&” is as gritty as mysteries come. Along with the five other stories in this remarkable collection, it&’s a testament to the limitless talent of Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Ed McBain.
Dawn's California Diaries: Diary One, Diary Two, and Diary Three (California Diaries)
by Ann M. MartinTeenager Dawn Schafer struggles with big changes on the West Coast in this spin-off from the Newbery Award–winning author&’s Baby-sitters Club series. Thirteen-year-old Dawn is thrilled to be back in California again after living in Connecticut, but her life and friends on the West Coast aren&’t exactly like she remembers. As Dawn adjusts to having a new baby sister in her house and attempts to rekindle her relationship with her friend Sunny, the crunchy, health-conscious member of the Baby-sitters Club will have to figure out how she fits in and where she belongs . . . The next chapter following Ann M. Martin&’s bestselling Baby-sitters Club series, the California Diaries are the first-person journals of Dawn, Sunny, Maggie, Amalia, and Ducky—five teenagers dealing with the ups and downs of growing up. This collection includes the complete set of Dawn&’s three California Diaries.
Mayday: Eisenhower, Khrushchev, and the U-2 Affair
by Michael BeschlossThe &“definitive&” book on the U-2 episode and its disastrous impact on the future of the Cold War (Kirkus Reviews). On May Day 1960, Soviet forces downed a CIA spy plane flown deep into Soviet territory by Francis Gary Powers two weeks before a crucial summit. This forced President Dwight Eisenhower to decide whether, in an effort to save the meeting, to admit to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev—and the world—that he had secretly ordered Powers&’s flight, or to claim that the CIA could take such a significant step without his approval. In rich and fascinating detail, Mayday explores the years of U-2 flights, which Eisenhower deemed &“an act of war,&” the US government&’s misconceived attempt to cover up the true purpose of the flight, Khrushchev&’s dramatic revelation that Powers was alive and in Soviet custody, and the show trial that sentenced the pilot to prison and hard labor. From a U-2&’s cramped cockpit to tense meetings in the Oval Office, the Kremlin, Camp David, CIA headquarters, the Élysée Palace, and Number Ten Downing Street, historian Michael Beschloss draws on previously unavailable CIA documents, diaries, and letters, as well as the recollections of Eisenhower&’s aides, to reveal the full high-stakes drama and bring to life its key figures, which also include Richard Nixon, Allen Dulles, and Charles de Gaulle. An impressive work of scholarship with the dramatic pacing a spy thriller, Mayday &“may be one of the best stories yet written about just how those grand men of diplomacy and intrigue conducted our business&” (Time).
The Jim Hollister Trilogy: Three Novels of Vietnam (The Jim Hollister Trilogy #3)
by Dennis FoleyFrom the author of A Requiem for Crows: A searing trilogy of the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of a gutsy Long Range Patrol platoon leader. Enriched with a memorable cast of characters and details that only a Vietnam veteran could capture, the Jim Hollister Trilogy is a thrilling tribute to the courage and selfless dedication of the Army Rangers in Vietnam—and the profound costs of war. Long Range Patrol: Young and eager to prove himself, Ranger Lt. Jim Hollister leads his six-man reconnaissance team on risky missions, deep into enemy territory. The special volunteers who make up Long Range Patrols are tasked with setting up ambushes and conducting perilous night patrols, helicopter insertions, and fire support in the hottest of fights. No matter the danger, Hollister&’s band of heroes will do anything to keep their brothers alive. &“There are few novels about Vietnam, or any other war for that matter, that you can hand to someone and say, this is the way it was, this is what we were. Dennis Foley has written such a book&” (Chris Bunch and Allan Cole, authors of A Reckoning for Kings). Night Work: Back home in America, Capt. Jim Hollister often wakes up in the middle of the night in the grip of terrifying nightmares. But nothing—not even his long-suffering fiancée, Susan—can stop him from going back to Vietnam to serve his country. This time around, Hollister serves as operations officer for Juliet Company, a Ranger squad tasked with finding and eliminating Viet Cong forces slipping across the Cambodian border. Take Back the Night: In the increasingly divided Juliet Company, racial tensions are running high and morale is at an all-time low. New commander Captain Hollister&’s first order of business is to bring his company back to fighting shape. To survive hot LZs, sleepless nights, and a tireless enemy, the Rangers have to train hard and fight harder. As the US begins its withdrawal, Juliet Company is entrusted with gathering critical intelligence needed to save American lives. But the biggest threat to Hollister&’s men might just be from the chain of command.
The Best Sports Writing of Pat Jordan
by Pat JordanThe acclaimed author of A False Spring profiles athletes famous and obscure in this captivating and incisive anthology Once a young pitching prospect with the Milwaukee Braves, Pat Jordan went on to become one of America&’s most revered sports journalists, writing for Sports Illustrated, Esquire, the New York Times Magazine, and a host of other major league publications. The Best Sports Writing of Pat Jordan showcases his finest journalism, with twenty-six extraordinary articles covering virtually the entire range of professional sports in America—from baseball, football, and basketball to boxing, tennis, and Formula One racing. Jordan offers indelible portraits of some of the most legendary sports figures of our time, exposing the imperfections often obscured by the bright lights of fame. He explores the miracle of the Williams sisters and their brash, charismatic father, Richard, and turns his unflinching gaze on such controversial sports personalities as Roger Clemens and O. J. Simpson. Other highlights include a poignant account of Duke basketball legend Bobby Hurley&’s rehabilitation after a devastating car accident, a profile of transsexual tennis star Renée Richards, and fascinating side-trips to the Professional Poker Tour, the child beauty pageant circuit, and a depressed, blue collar town in Pennsylvania where high school football offers the only solace.
A Radiant Life: The Selected Journalism of Nuala O'Faolain
by Nuala O'FaolainWritings from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Are You Somebody?, on topics from Catholicism to feminism to Irish American culture, and more. Curious and funny, tender and scathing, Nuala O&’Faolain&’s columns in the Irish Times were never less than trenchant and always passionate. Through the prism of casual, everyday encounters, O&’Faolain digs into her subjects in ways that transcend topicality. Taken together, her years of commentary form a historical narrative, a chronicle of Ireland&’s transformation by one of its sharpest observers and canniest critics. Covering a vast array of subjects, A Radiant Life includes more than seventy entries, showcasing the unequivocal voice of Nuala O&’Faolain, hailed by Irish Times literary editor Fintan O&’Toole as &“one of the greatest columnists to ever inhabit the English language.&” &“O&’Faolain . . . writes with such precision and individuality that she could make the copy on the back of a cornflakes packet compelling.&” —The Guardian on Almost There
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner: With An Afterword; Revealing Secrets Of The Curse (Wordsworth Classics Series)
by James HoggThe haunting story of two brothers: one happy, the other tormented by demons George and Robert are brothers, but their upbringings couldn&’t have been more different. George was raised by his fun-loving father, while Robert was brought up in the stern Calvinist faith, taught to see Satan lurking around every corner. The siblings were always enemies, and when George is found with a sword buried in his back, Robert is named the culprit, beginning a strange and terrible journey that will take him out of his mind—and into the arms of the devil himself. This unique novel, first published in 1824, is one of the most remarkable explorations of supernatural evil in Western literature. A gothic masterpiece told from multiple perspectives, its influence can be felt in the works of authors from Robert Louis Stevenson to Stephen King. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
Wreckers Must Breathe: The Wreck Of The Mary Deare, Wreckers Must Breathe, And The Land God Gave To Cain
by Hammond InnesA reporter discovers a German U-boat—and a plot to seize the English coast—in this thrilling World War II adventure novel. The Cornish coast is wrecker&’s country. Mile after mile of jagged rock means certain death for passing ships—and untold riches for the locals brave enough to swim out and take whatever they can find. For journalist Walter Craig, it&’s a pleasant destination for a seaside vacation . . . until reports come in of German mobilization and England finds herself on the brink of war. At first, life continues as usual for the natives of Cornwall. But the conflict is much closer than they think. Craig is cruising along the coast in a small fishing vessel when it nearly collides with a shadowy black shape. At first, the crew mistakes it for a shark, but it&’s something far more dangerous: a German U-boat that has made its home in the heart of England to engage in a wrecking expedition the likes of which Cornwall has never seen. Written in the thick of World War II, Wreckers Must Breathe is a thrilling novel of espionage and adventure in a country on the brink of destruction. For Craig and the wreckers of Cornwall, the war will be won or lost on this rocky stretch of the English Channel.
The Nutmeg Tree: A Novel
by Margery SharpIn 1930s France, a free-spirited mother undertakes to derail her very proper daughter&’s engagement Julia Packett has barely laid eyes on her daughter, Susan, since leaving her with her well-heeled in-laws following the loss of her husband in World War I. Now thirty-seven, Julia&’s lack of prospects hasn&’t dimmed her spirit or her appetite for life. But when Susan asks her to come to France for the summer to persuade her grandmother to allow her to marry, she sets sail with the noblest intentions of acting the paragon of motherhood. At her mother-in-law&’s vacation villa in Haute Savoie, however, Julia sees that her priggish but lovely daughter is completely mismatched with a man much more suited to herself: a charming, clever playboy. The arrival of Susan&’s legal guardian, the distinguished Sir William Waring, further complicates the situation. Soon Julia&’s efforts to pass herself off as a lady and secure her daughter&’s happiness spin out of control, leading to romantic entanglements and madcap adventures that will challenge preconceived notions about the ultimate compatibility of any two people who fall in love.
Friendly Fire
by C. D. BryanThe true story of Michael Mullen, a soldier killed in Vietnam, and his parents&’ quest for the truth from the US government: &“Brilliantly done&” (The Boston Globe). Drafted into the US Army, Michael Mullen left his family&’s Iowa farm in September 1969 to fight for his country in Vietnam. Six months later, he returned home in a casket. Michael wasn&’t killed by the North Vietnamese, but by artillery fire from friendly forces. With the government failing to provide the precise circumstances of his death, Mullen&’s devastated parents, Peg and Gene, demanded to know the truth. A year later, Peg Mullen was under FBI surveillance. In a riveting narrative that moves from the American heartland to the jungles of Vietnam to the Vietnam Veterans Against the War march in Washington, DC, to an interview with Mullen&’s battalion commander, Lt. Col. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, author C. D. B. Bryan brings to life with brilliant clarity a military mission gone horrifically wrong, a patriotic family&’s explosive confrontation with their government, and the tragedy of a nation at war with itself. Originally intended to be an interview for the New Yorker, the story Bryan uncovered proved to be bigger than he expected, and it was serialized in three consecutive issues during February and March 1976, and was eventually published as a book that May. In 1979, Friendly Fire was made into an Emmy Award–winning TV movie, starring Carol Burnett, Ned Beatty, and Sam Waterston. This ebook features an illustrated biography of C. D. B. Bryan, including rare images from the author&’s estate.