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Joss and Gold: A Novel
by Shirley Geok-lin LimA piercing tale of a Malaysian woman&’s quest for independence that combines &“the nuance of a poet with the ear of a born storyteller&” (Julia Watson, coeditor of Women, Autobiography, Theory: A Reader). Li An, a young Malaysian woman of Chinese descent, seeks to understand herself as the country around her struggles to determine its own identity. And much like the politically charged atmosphere of 1969 Kuala Lumpur, Li An must confront the contradictions within. While she supports her nation&’s fight to break free from the influence of British colonial rule, she cannot deny her love for the English poetry that she teaches. While she aspires to be an independent woman, she still finds herself married to the dependable Henry—until she meets an American Peace Corps volunteer named Chester Brookfield. Their encounter propels Li An on a quest of self-discovery, one that spans the divide between East and West, women and men, freedom and responsibility. Told with insight and wit, Lim&’s sweeping debut novel demonstrates that while the journey is never easy, all roads lead, ultimately, to our true selves. &“This elegantly crafted tale places Lim among the most imaginative and dexterous storytellers writing in the English language today.&” —Rey Chow, author of Primitive Passions &“A gripping novel centered around a strong, language-struck, culture-crossing Asian woman&’s quest for independence.&” —Rob Wilson, author of Reimagining the American Pacific &“This felicitous novel is several books in one—Madame Butterfly transplanted to Malaysia, a feminist manifesto, and a commentary on the new Southeast Asia that has been emerging in recent years. Lim has woven these strands together in a colorful batik that is dazzling.&” —Hisaye Yamamoto, author of Seventeen Syllables and Other Stories
The Dance of the Demons: A Novel (The\helen Rose Scheuer Jewish Women's Ser.)
by Esther Singer KreitmanA semi-autobiographical portrait of the original Yentl and &“an important contribution to the vastly neglected genre of feminist Yiddish literature&” (Booklist). In this autobiographical novel—originally published in Yiddish as Der Sheydim Tanz in 1936—Esther Kreitman lovingly depicts a world replete with rabbis, yeshiva students, beggars, farmers, gangsters, seamstresses, and socialists as seen through the eyes of the girl who served as Isaac Bashevis Singer&’s inspiration for the story &“Yentl, the Yeshiva Boy.&” Barred from the studies at which her idealistic rabbi father and precocious brother excel, Deborah revels in the books she hides behind the kitchen stove, her brief forays outside the household, and her clandestine attraction to a young Warsaw rebel. But her family confines and blunts her dreams, as they navigate the constraints of Jewish life in a world that tolerates, but does not approve, their presence. Forced into an arranged marriage, Deborah runs away on the eve of World War into a world that would offer more than she ever dreamed . . . This edition includes memorial pieces by Kreitman&’s son and granddaughter.
Praying with the Senses: Contemporary Orthodox Christian Spirituality in Practice (Encounters: Explorations in Folklore and Ethnomusicology)
by Tom Boylston Angie Heo Jeffers Engelhardt Vlad Naumescu Jeanne Kormina Daria Dubovka Simion Pop&“These essays advance the understanding of Eastern Orthodox spiritual practices from a religious studies perspective.&”—Reading Religion How do people experience spirituality through what they see, hear, touch, and smell? In this book, Sonja Luehrmann and an international group of scholars assess how sensory experience shapes prayer and ritual practice among Eastern Orthodox Christians. Prayer, even when performed privately, is considered as a shared experience and act that links individuals and personal beliefs with a broader, institutional, or imagined faith community. It engages with material, visual, and aural culture including icons, relics, candles, pilgrimage, bells, and architectural spaces. Whether touching upon the use of icons in the age of digital and electronic media, the impact of Facebook on prayer in Ethiopia, or the implications of praying using recordings, amplifiers, and loudspeakers, these timely essays present a sophisticated overview of the history of Eastern Orthodox Christianities. Taken as a whole they reveal prayer as a dynamic phenomenon in the devotional and ritual lives of Eastern Orthodox believers across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. &“Precisely by looking at so varied a group of locations home to Orthodox practice, this book conveys the fragility―and durability―of traditional religion in a postmodern, secular age.&”—Nadieszda Kizenko, author of A Prodigal Saint: Father John of Kronstadt and the Russian People
Mourning Headband for Hue: An Account of the Battle for Hue, Vietnam 1968
by Nha Ca&“An intimate―and disturbing―account of war at its most brutal, told from the point of view of civilians trying to survive the maelstrom.&” —Publishers Weekly Vietnam, January, 1968. As the citizens of Hue are preparing to celebrate Tet, the start of the Lunar New Year, Nha Ca arrives in the city to attend her father&’s funeral. Without warning, war erupts all around them, drastically changing or cutting short their lives. After a month of fighting, their beautiful city lies in ruins and thousands of people are dead. Mourning Headband for Hue tells the story of what happened during the fierce North Vietnamese offensive and is an unvarnished and riveting account of war as experienced by ordinary people caught up in the violence. &“A visceral reminder of war&’s intimate slaughter.&” —Kirkus Reviews &“[A] searing eyewitness account . . . It makes for an intimate―and disturbing―account of war at its most brutal told from the point of view of civilians trying to survive the maelstrom.&” —VVA Veteran
Hoosiers: A New History of Indiana
by James H. MadisonThe story of this Midwestern state and its people, past and present: &“An entertaining and fast read.&” ―Indianapolis Star Who are the people called Hoosiers? What are their stories? Two centuries ago, on the Indiana frontier, they were settlers who created a way of life they passed to later generations. They came to value individual freedom and distrusted government, even as they demanded that government remove Indians, sell them land, and bring democracy. Down to the present, Hoosiers have remained wary of government power and have taken care to guard their tax dollars and their personal independence. Yet the people of Indiana have always accommodated change, exchanging log cabins and spinning wheels for railroads, cities, and factories in the nineteenth century, automobiles, suburbs, and foreign investment in the twentieth. The present has brought new issues and challenges, as Indiana&’s citizens respond to a rapidly changing world. James H. Madison&’s sparkling new history tells the stories of these Hoosiers, offering an invigorating view of one of America&’s distinctive states and the long and fascinating journey of its people.
Identity, Citizenship, and Political Conflict in Africa (Encounters: Explorations in Folklore and Ethnomusicology)
by Edmond J. Keller&“Engaging…detailed with current information about the situation in many African countries.&” —African Studies Quarterly Reflecting on the processes of nation-building and citizenship formation in Africa, Edmond J. Keller believes that although some deep parochial identities have eroded, they have not disappeared—and may be more assertive than previously thought, especially in instances of political conflict. Keller reconsiders how national identity has been understood in Africa and presents new approaches to identity politics, intergroup relations, state-society relations, and notions of national citizenship and citizenship rights. Focusing on Nigeria, Ethiopia, Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, and Rwanda, he lays the foundation for a new understanding of political transition in contemporary Africa. &“This book would certainly be useful in graduate seminars on African politics, African history or ethnic politics. It is written in a clear, straightforward style that also makes it appropriate for use in advanced undergraduate classes. Keller also offers insights for policymakers and development practitioners who continue to grapple with the real-world consequences of citizenship conflicts.&”—Journal of Modern African Studies
Single Jewish Male Seeking Soul Mate: A Novel
by Letty Cottin PogrebinThis novel &“unflinchingly confronts the issue of Jewish continuity in a diverse and changing America&” (Anne Roiphe, author and journalist). Feminist icon Letty Cottin Pogrebin&’s second novel is the story of Zach Levy, the left-leaning son of Holocaust survivors who promises his mother on her deathbed that he will marry within the tribe and raise Jewish children. When he falls for Cleo Scott, an African American activist grappling with her own inherited trauma, he must reconcile his old vow to the family he loves with the present reality of the woman who may be his soul mate. A New York love story complicated by the legacies and modern tensions of Jewish American and African American history, Single Jewish Male Seeking Soul Mate explores what happens when the heart runs counter to politics, history, and the compelling weight of tradition. &“A beautifully written and heartwarming masterpiece.&” —Menachem Z. Rosensaft, founding chair of the International Network of Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors &“Cleareyed, courageous.&” —Kirkus Reviews
Harem Years: The Memoirs of an Egyptian Feminist
by Huda ShaarawiA firsthand account of the private world of a harem in colonial Cairo—by a groundbreaking Egyptian feminist who helped liberate countless women. In this compelling memoir, Shaarawi recalls her childhood and early adult life in the seclusion of an upper-class Egyptian household, including her marriage at age thirteen. Her subsequent separation from her husband gave her time for an extended formal education, as well as an unexpected taste of independence. Shaarawi&’s feminist activism grew, along with her involvement in Egypt&’s nationalist struggle, culminating in 1923 when she publicly removed her veil in a Cairo railroad station, a daring act of defiance. In this fascinating account of a true original feminist, readers are offered a glimpse into a world rarely seen by westerners, and insight into a woman who would not be kept as property or a second-class citizen.
Lion Woman's Legacy: An Armenian-American Memoir (The\cross-cultural Memoir Ser.)
by Arlene Voski AvakianA &“vivid and engrossing&” narrative of one woman&’s journey from shame and internal conflict to becoming a liberated, confident, and proud lesbian (Kirkus Reviews). The descendant of survivors of the Armenian genocide, Arlene Avakian was raised in America where she could live free. But even with that freedom, she found herself a prisoner of both her family and society, denying her heritage along with her true sexuality. After marriage and motherhood, Arlene found herself exploring the growing women&’s lib movement of the 1970s, coming to embrace the strength of her grandmother—known as the Lion Woman—and realizing her full potential and personhood. Inspired by her passionate feminism and strengthened by a loving lesbian relationship, Avakian recollects and re-examines her personal history and the story of her courageous grandmother, revealing a legacy of radical politics, fierce independence, and a powerful affirmation of ethnic identity in this &“extremely readable and often painfully honest book&” (Library Journal).
The Eagles Gather: A Novel (The Barbours and Bouchards Series #2)
by Taylor CaldwellNew York Times Bestseller: In the &“undeniably powerful&” sequel to Dynasty of Death, a new generation of Bouchards battles over the family empire (The New York Times Book Review). In the decade after World War I, Jules Bouchard prepares to leave controlling interest in his global munitions enterprise to his son Armand. But the inheritance comes with a warning: Armand&’s ruthless brothers, Emile and Christopher, will be gunning for him. It&’s not long before Christopher commits financial treachery in an effort to unseat his brother. Worse, he hatches a plot involving his sister, Celeste, whose innocence he had vowed to always protect. While Christopher&’s machinations and Armand&’s countermoves threaten to tear the family apart, hope emerges from a distant relative who seems to possess the noble character of his ancestors. But are his intentions as honorable as they seem?
The Collected Novels Volume Two: The Missing Person, The Magician's Girl, and The Book of Knowledge
by Doris GrumbachThree brilliant works of fiction from a feminist and lesbian literary icon who was &“acutely sensitive to the quiet hum of everyday living&” (Ms.).The Missing Person: Legendary movie star Franny Fuller captured the imaginations of audiences, men, and her biographer, Mary Maguire. But what does the glamour hide? This is the story of how a girl from Utica, New York, transformed into a Hollywood sensation—and the secret she had to keep if she wanted to hold onto her fairytale life . . . The Magician&’s Girl: Minna Grant, Maud Noon, and Liz Becker met as roommates at Barnard College. After graduation, each woman pursues her own dreams, living out her own passions, tragedies, and destiny—all while maintaining their enduring friendship acros s decades. Grumbach tells a courageous, nuanced, and &“engrossing&” tale of female friendship, coming of age, and an ever-changing New York (Publishers Weekly). The Book of Knowledge: In the summer of 1929, four children forge a bond that will change their lives. Caleb and Kate Flowers live an isolated existence until Lionel Schwartz and Roslyn Hellman arrive in Far Rockaway. Over the years, their friendship brings profound realizations and undeniable passions for all four in this &“grimly compelling,&” truthful, and tragic tale of self-discovery (Booklist).
The Collected Novels Volume Four: Travels with My Aunt, The Confidential Agent, and The Ministry of Fear
by Graham GreeneFrom exuberant comedy to edge-of-your-seat intrigue, a trio of novels from &“a superb storyteller&” (The New York Times). These three novels—ranging from a journey of transformation with a larger-than-life aunt to dark tales of international intrigue—beautifully illustrate the myriad ways in which the acclaimed British author &“had wit and grace and character and story and a transcendent universal compassion that places him for all time in the ranks of world literature&” (John le Carré). Travels with my Aunt: Now that dullish London bank manager Henry Pulling has retired with an agreeable pension, he plans to spend more time weeding his dahlias. Then, for the first time in fifty years, he sees his aunt Augusta at his mother&’s funeral. Charging into her seventies with florid abandon, Augusta insists that Henry abandon his garden, follow her, and hold on tight. She whisks her nephew out of Brighton and onto the Orient Express bound for Paris and Istanbul, then on to Paraguay, and down the rabbit hole of her past, which swarms with swindlers, smugglers, war criminals, and rather unconventional lovers. With each new stop, Henry discovers not only more about his aunt and her secrets but also about himself. &“Cheerfully irreverent.&” —The Guardian The Confidential Agent: In prewar England, D., a professor of Romance literature, has arrived in Dover on an important mission to buy coal for his country, one torn by civil war. With it, there&’s a chance to defeat fascist influences. Without it, the loyalists will fail. When D. strikes up a romance with the estranged but solicitous daughter of a powerful coal-mining magnate, everything appears to be in his favor—if not for a counteragent who has come to England with the intent of sabotaging every move he makes. Accused of forgery and theft, and roped into a charge of murder, D. becomes a hunted man, hemmed in at every turn by an ever-tightening net of intrigue and double cross. &“[A] magnificent tour-de-force among tales of international intrigue.&” —The New York Times The Ministry of Fear: On a peaceful Sunday afternoon, Arthur Rowe comes upon a charity fete where he wins a game of chance. If only this were an ordinary day. Britain is under threat by Germany, and the air raid sirens that bring the bazaar to a halt expose Rowe as no ordinary man. Recently released from a psychiatric prison for the mercy killing of his wife, he is burdened by guilt, and now, in possession of a seemingly innocuous prize, on the run from Nazi spies who want him dead. Pursued on a dark odyssey through the bombed-out streets of London, there isn&’t a soul he can trust, not even himself. Because amnesiac Arthur Rowe doesn&’t even know who he really is. &“[A] master thriller.&” —Time
Never Victorious, Never Defeated: A Novel
by Taylor CaldwellNew York Times Bestseller: A sprawling epic of an American railroad dynasty&’s &“sensational intrigues and stormy struggles for power&” (The New York Times Book Review). Founded in Portersville, Pennsylvania, in the latter days of Andrew Jackson&’s presidency, the Interstate is a small regional railroad with vast potential. Also, it is the birthright of Aaron deWitt&’s sons: ruthless yet charming Rufus and stubborn, idealistic Stephen. When Stephen wins control of the Interstate, his victory starts a series of events that will roil the deWitt family for generations. Over decades, the Interstate grows into an enterprise capable of shaping the future of the nation. Yet, both its triumphs and defeats sow the seeds of the deWitt family&’s downfall. Brothers plot against brothers, sons demean fathers, wives betray husbands—all in pursuit of monumental power. Not even Cornelia, Rufus&’s beautiful and cunning daughter, can ensure that the deWitt family name won&’t disappear. Spanning nearly a century, Never Victorious, Never Defeated is a brilliant dramatization of the lives of America&’s robber barons and further proof that Taylor Caldwell &“never falters when it comes to storytelling&” (Publishers Weekly).
The Nazi Hunters: The Ultra-Secret SAS Unit and the Hunt for Hitler's War Criminals
by Damien LewisThe gripping &“untold story&” of the Secret Hunters, deep-cover British special forces who pursued Nazi fugitives from justice after World War II (Daily Mail). In the late summer of 1944, eighty British Special Air Service (SAS) soldiers undertook a covert commando raid, parachuting behind enemy lines into the Vosges Mountains in occupied France to sabotage Nazi-held roads, railways, and ammo dumps, and assassinate high-ranking German officers, undermining the final stand of Hitler&’s Third Reich. Despite their successes, more than half the men were captured, tortured, and executed. Although the SAS was officially dissolved when the war ended, a top-secret black ops unit was formed, under Churchill&’s personal command, to hunt down the SS commanders who had murdered their special forces comrades, as well as war criminals from concentration camps who had eluded the Nuremberg trials. Under the cover of full deniability, &“The Secret Hunters&” waged a covert war of justice and retribution—uncovering the full horror of Hitler&’s regime as well as dark secrets of Stalin&’s Russia and the growing threat of what would become the Cold War. Finally revealing the fascinating details of the secret postwar mission that became a central part of the SAS&’s founding legend, Damien Lewis &“delves into some of the darkest days of the regiment&’s history to tell a story of tragedy, valor and revenge . . . [a] remarkable story&” (War History Online).
Positive Thinking Volume Two: The Power of Positive Living, Why Some Positive Thinkers Get Powerful Results, and The True Joy of Positive Living
by Norman Vincent PealeAn inspiring collection of wisdom and guidance from the minister and million-selling author of The Power of Positive Thinking—including his autobiography. Norman Vincent Peale&’s self-help phenomenon, The Power of Positive Thinking, continues to transform countless lives. The volumes collected here—including his autobiography, The True Joy of Positive Living—serve to expand and deepen Dr. Peale&’s life-changing philosophy of positivity. The Power of Positive Living: Offering powerful real-life examples and providing effective techniques from his groundbreaking program of affirmation and positive visualization, Dr. Peale helps you overcome obstacles and turn your life in a positive direction. With the &“get-it-done twins&” patience and perseverance, any believer can be an achiever. Why Some Positive Thinkers Get Powerful Results: Positive thinking leads to tangible, real-world results. In this book, Dr. Peale lays out the specific tools you need to turn self-doubt into unshakable confidence and optimistic dreams into reality. Includes: ten powerful techniques for setting and realizing your goals; a three-point plan for eliminating depression; six positive thoughts that will quash destructive habits and impulses; a three-point guide to a healthy body, mind, and spirit; and much more. The True Joy of Positive Living: The inspiring autobiography of the world-renowned minister whose mega-bestseller, The Power of Positive Thinking, has touched the lives of millions. The son of a minister in Lynchburg, Ohio, Dr. Peale went on to preach the gospel at Manhattan&’s now-famous Marble Collegiate Church, where he served as pastor for fifty-two years. With his wife, Ruth, he founded the Peale Center for Christian Living and Guideposts magazine to ensure that his messages of self-confidence and the power of faith would continue to guide millions around the world. In his own uplifting words, Dr. Peale shares the story of a remarkable life lived with dignity and purpose.
To Look and Pass: A Novel
by Taylor CaldwellFrom the bestselling author of Captains and the Kings: The story of a blacksmith&’s son, a small town, and a secret dark enough to seal a man&’s fate. Raised in a two-room shack behind his father&’s smithy shop, Dan Hendricks was marked as an outcast from earliest childhood. The people of South Kenton assumed the poor, gangly boy would become as shiftless and dissolute as his drunkard father. Despite the withering judgment and abuse, Dan manages to remain honest and open-hearted into adulthood. He founders in his attempt to find the tenderness and support a man needs. He cannot be with the woman he truly loves, and the one he marries takes a perverse pleasure in seeing him suffer. At the limits of his endurance, when Dan finally breaks we are left to wonder whether this is a destiny foretold or a senseless tragedy. Full of the force and passion of Taylor Caldwell&’s best-known novels, To Look and Pass is a revealing portrait of the dark side of small-town America from an author who &“never falters when it comes to storytelling&” (Publishers Weekly).
This Side of Innocence: A Novel
by Taylor Caldwell#1 New York Times Bestseller: A saga of power, greed, and illicit love set in the Gilded Age of upstate New York. Jerome Lindsey and his foster brother, Alfred, couldn&’t be more different. The son of a wealthy banker in upstate New York, Jerome leaves home for a life of extravagance and adventure, seducing countless women along the way. Meanwhile, Alfred becomes an executive at the family bank and his adoptive father&’s heir apparent. After his wife dies, Alfred shows little interest in remarrying—until he meets Amalie Maxwell, the ravishing and headstrong daughter of a tenant farmer. Fearing that his inheritance is at stake, Jerome returns home to expose Amalie as a shameless gold digger. But the more he schemes against her, the closer he&’s drawn to her. Now, Jerome and Amalie will discover the thin line between love and hate—and that a moment of passion can have a lifetime&’s worth of consequences. A mesmerizing tale of forbidden desire and a brilliant portrait of small-town America during the Reconstruction Era, This Side of Innocence is &“a masterful piece of storytelling&” from one of the twentieth century&’s most beloved authors (The Philadelphia Inquirer).
Andy Warhol's Factory People: Welcome to the Silver Factory, Speeding into the Future, and Your Fifteen Minutes Are Up (Andy Warhol's Factory People #2)
by Catherine O'Sullivan ShorrBased on the television documentary: A three-part oral history of the Pop Art sensation&’s inner circle and their dazzling world of art, drugs, and drama. Featuring a new introduction by the author, special to this collection, this three-part companion volume to Emmy Award–winning Catherine O&’Sullivan Shorr&’s documentary Andy Warhol&’s Factory People is an unprecedented exposé of an exhilarating and tumultuous time in the 1960s New York City art world—told by the artists, actors, writers, musicians, and hangers-on who populated and defined the Factory. &“Different [in] its avowed bottom-up approach: Warhol as a function of his followers is the idea. This time . . . it&’s the interviews that tell the tale&” (Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times). Welcome to the Silver Factory: In 1962, frustrated with advertising work, Warhol sets up his legendary studio in an abandoned hat factory on Manhattan&’s 47th Street. The &“Silver Factory&” quickly becomes the hub of Warhol&’s creative endeavors—the space where he constantly works while an ever-changing cast of characters and muses passes through with their own contributions. Speeding into the Future: In a peak period from 1965 through 1966, Warhol creates the notion of the &“It Girl&” with ingenuous debutante Edie Sedgwick; discovers Lou Reed, the Velvet Underground, and Nico, the gorgeous chanteuse who becomes his next &“It Girl&”; and directs—with Paul Morrissey—his most commercially successful film, the art house classic, Chelsea Girls. Your Fifteen Minutes Are Up: By 1967, it seems that the Factory has outlived its fifteen minutes of fame. Superstars like Edie Sedgwick fall victim to drugs. Factory denizens have falling-outs with Warhol, as do the Velvet Underground, who are also caught up in disputes of their own. Into the chaos comes radical feminist Valerie Solanas, who shoots Warhol and seriously injures him. He survives—barely—but the artist, and his art, are forever changed.
The Benny Kramer Novels: Fourth Street East, Last Respects, and Tiffany Street (The Benny Kramer Novels #3)
by Jerome WeidmanA New York native looks back on his Lower East Side youth in a trilogy from the New York Times–bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright. After making a splash with his first novel, I Can Get It for You Wholesale—published in 1937 and praised by the likes of Hemingway and Fitzgerald—Jerome Weidman had a long and prolific career as a fiction writer and playwright. In the 1970s he published three wise, funny, and nostalgic novels about the Lower East Side roots of a colorful character named Benny Kramer. For the first time, the trilogy is available in a single volume, with a foreword by Alistair Cooke. Fourth Street East: When Benny Kramer&’s father came to the United States, he was hungry, broke, and ignorant. Handed a banana and told it was &“American food,&” he scarfed it down, peel and all. By the time he died, he was no richer, but much wiser, and everything he learned he imparted to his son. Growing up on New York&’s Lower East Side between the wars, Benny&’s life was just as chaotic as his neighborhood. How many young boys have seen a man decapitated by a horse? How many know blacksmiths who got tangled up in a multiple homicide? How many win an elocution contest, only to find out it was rigged by the mob? For Benny, these are everyday events, remembered with biting wit and fond affection. &“This is all much more than noodle soup nostalgia—there&’s humor, and stamina, and if middle age has rubbed off here and there, it has also lent a certain wisdom.&” —Kirkus Reviews Last Respects: For most of his life, Benny Kramer&’s mother was an inescapable presence in his life. But on the day of her death, her body disappears on its way from hospital to morgue. While scouring New York in search of her body, Benny remembers the first adventure his mother sent him on, fifty years before. At the height of Prohibition, his mother gives him a simple task: deliver eighteen bottles of bootlegged hooch to a wedding. Along the way, the would-be rumrunner encounters sinister slumlords, a sadistic rabbi, and enough slapstick obstacles to give the Marx Brothers fits. Reliving each moment as he searches for his mother, Benny comes to understand that this is just another day in the life of a boy desperate to find his mother&’s love. &“The last respects are paid with comic tumult and an acute compassion. Weidman at the apex.&” —Kirkus Reviews Tiffany Street: Though his trip from New York to Philadelphia is for business, Benny Kramer has also planned a rendezvous—not with a mistress, but with one of the city&’s finest doctors. Kramer plans to enlist him in a noble purpose: keeping his son out of Vietnam. The doctor won&’t provide this service to just anyone, but he and Benny have a mutual friend in the incomparable Sebastian Roon. Benny and Seb have been friends since the Depression, when they shared countless adventures across New York&’s Lower East Side. Now Benny&’s counting on that friendship to ensure the same life of endless possibilities for his son. &“Highly readable.&” —Chicago Tribune
The Post-War Trilogy: After Midnight, The Last Sunrise, and Dying Day (The Post-War Trilogy #2)
by Robert RyanThree post–World War II adventure novels inspired by real events—from an acclaimed British author who &“skillfully blends fact with fiction&” (Time Out London). After Midnight: Ryan&’s novel, based on a true story, begins with a letter from Australian bomber pilot Bill Carr to his daughter on her first birthday in 1944. That same day, he takes off on a mission over the mountains of Northern Italy and is never heard from again. Twenty years later, Lindy Carr arrives in Italy to find out what happened to her father. Her guide is Jack Kirby, a daredevil motorcycle racer and pilot who flew Mosquito fighters in the war and spent time among the Italian partisans. What Jack and Lindy uncover in the Italian Alps will change both their lives forever. &“Ryan&’s mastery of 1940s detail and his ability to discover intriguing but unvisited byways of the war can be taken for granted; but the more recent storyline shows him equally adept at handling a 1960s setting.&” —The Sunday Times The Last Sunrise: The real history of World War II&’s most daring fighter squadron is the inspiration for this riveting novel of adventure and romance in the Far East. In 1941, Lee Crane was a Flying Tiger, one of dozens of American pilots recruited to join the Chinese Air Force in the fight against the Japanese. Wild in the air and on the ground, the Tigers broke hearts all over Burma, and Crane was no different—until he fell in love with a stunning Anglo-Indian widow. But in the chaos of war, Crane lost track of the woman of his dreams, and spent the next seven years convincing himself it wasn&’t meant to be. Now a chance encounter with another long-lost beauty has him ready to plunge back into the past, praying he will come up with a different answer this time. &“The flying scenes are brilliantly handled. Ryan&’s research is impressive. . . . Bold and successful.&” —The Sunday Times Dying Day: In this Cold War spy thriller based on actual case files, a woman is willing to do whatever it takes to bring her sister home. In the darkest days of World War II, Laura McGill and her sister, Diana, ventured behind enemy lines on behalf of Britain&’s Special Operations Executive. Now it is 1948, four years since Diana disappeared inside occupied France, and Laura has reached a point of desperation that leads her to kidnap the head clerk of the SOE at gunpoint to learn the name of the spy who ran her sister&’s last mission. That spy, James Hadley Webb, will take Laura to the divided city of Berlin, where he is waging a shadow war of influence and intrigue—and losing. Laura&’s arrival may be just what Webb needs to stop his agents from dying. &“Thrilling post war espionage action.&” —Tatler
The Novels of Iris Murdoch Volume Three: A Word Child, An Unofficial Rose, and Bruno's Dream
by Iris MurdochFrom the Man Booker Prize–winning author of The Sea, the Sea and &“one of the most significant novelists of her generation&” (The Guardian). A &“consummate storyteller,&” British author Iris Murdoch grappled with questions of morality as well as the nature of love in novels that are every bit as entertaining as they are thought provoking (The Independent). Over the span of her career, the &“prodigiously inventive&” Murdoch was the recipient of the Man Booker Prize, the Whitbread Literary Award, and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize (The New York Times). A Word Child: Twenty years ago, Hilary Burde was one of the most promising scholars at Oxford, a student with a rare talent for linguistics and an unquenchable drive—until the accident. Now, forty-one and a decidedly ordinary failure, Hilary finds his quietly angry routine shattered when his old professor reappears—a man whose own demons are tied to Hilary&’s and the tragedy from years ago. As the two men begin to circle each other again, digging up old wrongs and seeking forgiveness for long-buried ills, they find themselves on a path that will either grant them both redemption or end in their mutual destruction. &“Marvelous . . . riveting . . . fine and elegant.&” —Los Angeles Times An Unofficial Rose: Hugh Peronett&’s life is tinged with regret: Twenty-five years ago, he ended an affair with Emma Sands, a detective novelist who had stolen his heart, to be with his wife, Fanny. Now Fanny is gone, and both Hugh and his grown son, Randall, find themselves at a crossroads of passion and righteousness. As Hugh, Emma, Randall, Randall&’s wife, Randall&’s mistress, and several others are caught in a dance of romance and rejection in bucolic rural England, they search for the true meanings of love, companionship, and desire. &“[A] Shakespearean comedy of misaligned lovers, minus the spirits and potions. Here the characters are responsible for their own actions, and Murdoch delights in painting these young, middle-aged and elderly adventurers and the psychological processes that direct their actions.&” —Publishers Weekly Bruno&’s Dream: With not much time left to live, Bruno makes a final request to those who care for him: He wishes to see his estranged son, Miles, once more. After decades of broken contact due to Miles marrying a woman Bruno once found unsuitable, the prodigal son returns home—and finds himself confronting much more than a dying man&’s last demand. As Miles; his wife and his sister-in-law; Bruno&’s son-in-law, Danby; and Bruno&’s nurses and aides gather at this deathbed vigil, they become entangled in a web of affairs. Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, Bruno&’s Dream explores the turbulent passions and bitter grudges that will change them all—even long after Bruno is gone. &“Murdoch is in command of her talents . . . above all there are the transcending elements of passion and profundity on the subjects of death and love beautifully articulated in dramatic action.&” —The New York Times
Tender Victory: A Novel
by Taylor CaldwellNew York Times Bestseller: The &“touching and effective&” story of an American minister who returns home from WWII with five orphaned Holocaust survivors (The New York Times). Rev. Johnny Fletcher serves wounded soldiers from the battlefield as a military chaplain during World War II. His forté is spiritual solace in the darkest of times, but his life changes when he performs a public heroic act: facing down an angry mob intent on attacking five young Holocaust survivors. Upon learning they have no homes or families to return to, Fletcher decides to bring them to America. To his dismay, his coal-mining community of Barryfield, Pennsylvania, greets this makeshift family with prejudice and distrust. Beneath the town&’s placid surface run buried religious divisions. Fletcher&’s commitment to raising the children according to their individual faiths—two Protestant, two Catholic, and one Jewish—meets with horrific levels of intolerance. Dealing with such prejudice turns more sinister still when a local newspaper publisher cynically uses the story for his own purposes. Together with Lorry Summerfield, the beautiful, disillusioned daughter of Barryfield&’s most powerful figure, Fletcher must try to awaken the townspeople to the better angels of their nature before it&’s too late.
SAS Ghost Patrol: The Ultra-Secret Unit That Posed as Nazi Stormtroopers
by Damien LewisAn &“amazing&” account of Britain&’s most audacious act of subterfuge in WWII: an undercover raid of Rommel&’s stronghold in Tobruk (The Daily Mirror). On a scorching September day in 1942, the Special Air Service (SAS), a special forces unit of the British Army, pulled off one of the most daring, top-secret ruses of the Second World War. The plan (sanctioned by Churchill): cover a grueling two thousand miles of the Sahara desert to attack German general Erwin Rommel&’s seemingly impregnable port fortress in North Africa from the rear to break free and arm more than thirty thousand Allied POWs. Led by Capt. Herbert Buck and posing as Afrika Korps soldiers complete with German uniforms and weaponry, the crew broke into the enemy stronghold Trojan Horse–style as part of the coordinated attack on Tobruk. &“Intensively researched . . . powerfully written,&” and culled from the private diaries of the do-or-die maverick heroes, this extraordinary story of the sneak attack on the notorious Desert Fox is more thrilling than any fiction. A bold, outrageous, and rule-shattering mission impossible, SAS Ghost Patrol is &“one of the great untold stories of WWII&” (Bear Grylls).
The Barbara Pym Collection Volume Two: Less Than Angels and No Fond Return of Love
by Barbara PymTwo literary romantic novels from the New York Times–bestselling author of Excellent Women. Less Than Angels: In a story that explores the mating habits of humans, magazine writer Catherine Oliphant lives comfortably with anthropologist Tom Mallow—until he announces he&’s leaving her for a nineteen-year-old student. Though stunned by the betrayal, Catherine becomes fascinated by another anthropologist: a reclusive eccentric recently returned from Africa. Now Catherine must weigh her options and decide who she is and what she really wants. No Fond Return of Love: The course of true love does not run smoothly in this delightful comedy of manners set in 1960s London. Jilted by her fiancé, Dulcie Mainwaring gives up on ever finding true love. Of course, that doesn&’t stop her from meddling in the romantic lives of others. Her friend Viola is enamored with a handsome editor, who in turn has eyes for Dulcie&’s young niece. Dulcie, meanwhile, for all her struggles may be falling back into love again.
The Novels of Jimmy Breslin: World Without End, Amen; The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight; Table Money; and Forsaking All Others
by Jimmy BreslinTough, funny, moving fiction from the New York Times–bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist. Jimmy Breslin was not only &“the biggest, the baddest, the brashest, the best columnist in New York City,&” he was also an outstanding New York Times–bestselling novelist, equally comfortable with comedy and tragedy, often intermixing the two (New YorkDaily News). Collected here are four of his best-loved novels, including three New York Times bestsellers. World Without End, Amen: Hoping to find redemption, disgraced, alcoholic NYPD cop Dermot Davey travels to Ulster—the heart of the increasingly bloody Irish Troubles—to find the father who abandoned him as a child, in this New York Times bestseller. &“Excellent . . . Breslin writes prose in a New York idiom with a shrewdness all his own.&” —The New York Times The Gang That Couldn&’t Shoot Straight: Breslin&’s New York Times–bestselling, madcap novel of the sloppiest turf war ever launched by the Brooklyn mob was the basis for the hilarious movie starring Jerry Orbach as the witless Kid Sally Palumbo and a young pre–Godfather II Robert De Niro. &“A very funny novel . . . and a good one.&” —The Village Voice Table Money: This New York Times bestseller &“about flesh-and-blood working people&” is the story of Owney Morrison, a Vietnam vet who returns home to Queens with a Congressional Medal of Honor and few prospects (Studs Terkel). Owney takes up the family legacy as a sandhog—a tunnel worker. But when his drinking gets out of control, his wife Dolores considers leaving with their baby daughter rather than being dragged down by a man who feels safest one hundred feet below the street. &“[A] serious literary novel, a superior work of fiction.&” —The New York Times Forsaking All Others: Puerto Rican drug dealer Teenager will stop at nothing to dominate the South Bronx narcotics trade—but a scorching affair between a crime boss&’s daughter who&’s literally married to the mob and Teenager&’s childhood friend, legal aid lawyer Maximo Escobar, threatens to ruin the entire operation. Before it&’s all over, the South Bronx is going to burn. &“A novel of considerable complexity and richness.&” —Chicago Tribune