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The Lost Queen
by Carol McGrath'Well researched, elegantly written, with a deft touch for both romance and historical detail. The Lost Queen is a gripping historical drama to be savoured' ANNE O'BRIEN'An excellent read, meticulously researched, beautifully told. Berengaria is a delicious heroine, thoroughly engaging, a refreshingly unusual viewpoint for this epic tale' JANE JOHNSON1191 and the Third Crusade is underway . . .It is 1191 and King Richard the Lionheart is on crusade to pitch battle against Saladin and liberate the city of Jerusalem and her lands. His mother, the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine and his promised bride, Princess Berengaria of Navarre, make a perilous journey over the Alps in midwinter. They are to rendezvous with Richard in the Sicilian port of Messina. There are hazards along the way - vicious assassins, marauding pirates, violent storms and a shipwreck. Berengaria is as feisty as her foes and, surviving it all, she and Richard marry in Cyprus and continue to the Holy Land. England needs an heir. But first, Richard and his Queen must return home . . . The Lost Queen is a thrilling medieval story of high adventure, survival, friendship and the enduring love of a Queen for her King.Acclaim for Carol McGrath's ROSE trilogy:'Powerful, gripping and beautifully told' KATE FURNIVALL on The Silken Rose'A tour de force of gripping writing, rich historical detail and complex, fascinating characters' NICOLA CORNICK on The Stone Rose'A beautifully narrated novel' K J MAITLAND on The Damask RoseWhat readers love about Carol McGrath's novels:'Brilliant historical fiction brought to life' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Brilliant. You feel you are lost in a bygone time' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Wonderfully enjoyable' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Page-turning and gripping' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'A feast for the senses' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
The Lost Queen: The Life and Tragedy of the Prince Regent's Daughter
by Anne M. StottA look at the tragically short life of the only daughter of Britain’s King George IV who won the heart of a nation.As the only child of the Prince Regent and Caroline of Brunswick, Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796-1817) was the heiress presumptive to the throne. Her parents’ marriage had already broken up by the time she was born. She had a difficult childhood and a turbulent adolescence, but she was popular with the public, who looked to her to restore the good name of the monarchy. When she broke off her engagement to a Dutch prince, her father put her under virtual imprisonment, and she endured a period of profound unhappiness. But she held out for the freedom to choose her husband, and when she married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, she finally achieved contentment. Her happiness was cruelly cut short when she died in childbirth at the age of twenty-one, only eighteen months later. A shocked nation went into mourning for its “people’s princess,” the queen who never was.“This perspicacious study of Charlotte’s short life is superb. Anne Stott is an accomplished and highly readable biographer whose earlier subjects have included William Wilberforce and Hannah More. She wears her research lightly—which is not to say that the book is anything less than scholastic (quite the opposite). Highly recommended.” —Naomi Clifford, author of The Murder of Mary Ashford
The Lost Queen: The Surprising Life of Catherine of Braganza—the Forgotten Queen Who Bridged Two Worlds
by Sophie ShorlandAn enthralling and vivid portrait of Queen Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II, that reveals her forgotten place in history.A long-overlooked figure in history, Catherine has a crucial place in the history of the British Empire: she may have failed to produce an heir to the throne, but her marriage to Charles in 1662 marked a key turning point in Britain&’s imperial ascendancy, for part of her dowry was Bombay, Britain&’s first territory of the Indian subcontinent. Catherine also was highly influential in the worlds of fashion, Baroque art and music, and food and culture. She popularized tea drinking, bringing England&’s national drink into fashion for the first time. Her life was at the nexus of Old and New worlds, war and exploration, frivolity and scientific enquiry. Noteworthy in its scope and approach to sources, The Lost Queen combines personal and political accounts, offering a lively portrait of Catherine&’s life, and the wider politics and explorations of her time.
The Lost Season of Love and Snow: A Novel
by Jennifer Laam"A captivating tale in which Natalya Pushkin is vividly imagined. [A] sensitive and skillfully written novel... sure to enchant." - Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Came HomeThe unforgettable story of Alexander Pushkin’s beautiful wife, Natalya, a woman much admired at Court, and how she became reviled as the villain of St. Petersburg.At the beguiling age of sixteen, Natalya Goncharova is stunningly beautiful and intellectually curious. At her first public ball during the Christmas of 1828, she attracts the romantic attention of Russia’s most lauded rebel poet: Alexander Pushkin. Finding herself deeply attracted to Alexander’s intensity and joie de vivre, Natalya is swept up in a courtship and then a marriage full of passion but also destructive jealousies. When vicious court gossip leads Alexander to defend his honor as well as Natalya’s in a duel, he tragically succumbs to his injuries. Natalya finds herself reviled for her perceived role in his death. In her striking new novel, The Lost Season of Love and Snow, Jennifer Laam helps bring Natalya’s side of the story to life with vivid imagination—the compelling tale of her inner struggle to create a fulfilling life despite the dangerous intrigues of a glamorous imperial Court and that of her greatest love.
The Lost Sons of Omaha: Two Young Men in an American Tragedy
by Joe SextonFrom the award–winning journalist Bob Woodward calls "one of the truly great reporters working today," a searing, no-holds-barred account of two linked and tragic deaths stemming from the 2020 George Floyd protests that explores the complex political and racial mistrust and division of today&’s America.&“A monumental study of violence and grief...one of the most superb testaments about the confusion, despair, and—hopefully—humility that frames our century that one could ever hope to read." —Hilton AlsOn May 30, 2020, in Omaha, Nebraska, amid the protests that rocked our nation after George Floyd&’s death at the hands of police, thirty-eight-year-old white bar owner and Marine veteran Jake Gardner fatally shot James Scurlock, a twenty-two-year-old Black protestor and young father. What followed were two investigations of Scurlock&’s death, one conducted by the white district attorney Don Kleine, who concluded that Gardner had legally acted in self-defense and released him without a trial, and a second grand jury inquiry conducted by African American special prosecutor Fred Franklin that indicted Gardner for manslaughter and demanded he face trial. Days after the indictment, Gardner killed himself with a single bullet to the head. The deaths of both Scurlock and Gardner gave rise to a toxic brew of misinformation, false claims, and competing political agendas. The two men, each with their own complicated backgrounds, were turned into grotesque caricatures. The twin tragedies amounted to an ugly and heartbreaking reflection of a painfully divided country. Here, Joe Sexton masterfully unpacks the whole twisting, nearly unbelievable chronicle into a meticulously reported and nuanced account of the two deaths, explaining which claims were true and which distorted or simply false. The Lost Sons of Omaha involves some of the most pressing issues facing America today, including our country&’s dire need for gun control and mental health reform; the dangerous spread of fake news, particularly on social media; and the urgent call to band together in the collective pursuit of truth, fairness, and healing. &“A bracing, rigorously reported story—told with grace and nuance—that takes readers deep into the fault lines of today&’s America.&” —Andrea Elliott, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Invisible Child
The Lost Supreme: The Life of Dreamgirl Florence Ballard
by Peter BenjaminsonIn the months before she died, Florence Ballard, the spunky teenager who founded the most successful female vocal group in history--the Supremes--told her own side of the story. Recorded on tape, Flo shed light on all areas of her life, including the surprising identity of the man by whom she was raped prior to her entering the music business, the details of her love-hate relationship with Motown Records czar Berry Gordy, her drinking problem and pleas for help, a never-ending desire to be the Supremes' lead singer, and her attempts to get her life back on track after being brutally expelled from the group. This is a tumultuous and heartbreaking story of a world-famous performer whose life ended at the age of 32 as a lonely mother of three who had only recently recovered from years of poverty and despair.
The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue: A Story of Climate and Hope on One American Street
by Mike TidwellA riveting and elegant story of climate change on one city street, full of surprises and true stories of human struggle and dying local trees – all against the national backdrop of 2023's record heat domes and raging wildfires and, simultaneously, rising hopes for clean energy.In 2023, author and activist Mike Tidwell decided to keep a record for a full year of the growing impacts of climate change on his one urban block right on the border with Washington, DC. A love letter to the magnificent oaks and other trees dying from record heat waves and bizarre rain, Tidwell's story depicts the neighborhood's battle to save the trees and combat climate change: The midwife who builds a geothermal energy system on the block, the Congressman who battles cancer and climate change at the same time, and the Chinese-American climate scientist who wants to bury billions of the world's dying trees to store their carbon and help stabilize the atmosphere.The story goes beyond ailing trees as Tidwell chronicles people on his block coping with Lyme disease, a church with solar panels on its roof and floodwater in its basement, and young people anguishing over whether to have kids –all in the same neighborhood and all against the backdrop of 2023’s record global temperatures and raging wildfires and hurricanes. Then there’s Tidwell himself who explores the ethical and scientific questions surrounding the idea of “geoengineering” as a last-ditch way to save the world’s trees – and human communities everywhere – by reflecting sunlight away from the planet. No book has told the story of climate change this way: hyper-local, full of surprises, full of true stories of life and death in one neighborhood. The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue is a harrowing and hopeful proxy for every street in America and every place on Earth.
The Lost Tudor Princess: The Life of Lady Margaret Douglas
by Alison WeirFrom New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir comes the first biography of Margaret Douglas, the beautiful, cunning niece of Henry VIII of England who used her sharp intelligence and covert power to influence the succession after the death of Elizabeth I. Royal Tudor blood ran in her veins. Her mother was a queen, her father an earl, and she herself was the granddaughter, niece, cousin, and grandmother of monarchs. Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox, was an important figure in Tudor England, yet today, while her contemporaries--Anne Boleyn, Mary, Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I--have achieved celebrity status, she is largely forgotten. <P>Margaret's life was steeped in intrigue, drama, and tragedy--from her auspicious birth in 1530 to her parents' bitter divorce, from her ill-fated love affairs to her appointment as lady-in-waiting for four of Henry's six wives. In an age when women were expected to stay out of the political arena, alluring and tempestuous Margaret helped orchestrate one of the most notorious marriages of the sixteenth century: that of her son Lord Darnley to Mary, Queen of Scots. Margaret defiantly warred with two queens--Mary, and Elizabeth of England--and was instrumental in securing the Stuart ascension to the throne of England for her grandson, James VI. The life of Margaret Douglas spans five reigns and provides many missing links between the Tudor and Stuart dynasties. Drawing on decades of research and myriad original sources--including many of Margaret's surviving letters--Alison Weir brings this captivating character out of the shadows and presents a strong, capable woman who operated effectively and fearlessly at the very highest levels of power. <br> <b> NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE INDEPENDENT </b>
The Lost Voice: A Memoir
by Greta MorganA poignant, tenacious memoir by musician Greta Morgan chronicling how she rediscovered her artistic voice after losing her ability to sing.In 2019, Greta Morgan was on the rise. She was a touring member of Vampire Weekend, performed with Jenny Lewis, and garnered critical acclaim with her own musical projects. But in March 2020, after contracting Covid-19, she was diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia, a neurological disorder with no known cure that left her unable to sing. Her once crystalline voice now reduced to a hush, she saw her career come to an abrupt standstill.Beyond the physical ramifications, what does it mean to cultivate a true voice? Morgan’s loss launches her into a journey of grief and self-discovery, forcing her to broaden her artistic horizons and reconstruct her sense of self. Her narrative takes us on a whirlwind tour of music studios, band buses, and celebrity-filled backstage parties, but it also takes us to the red canyons of Utah and the spacious wilderness of the American Southwest. In these vast landscapes, Morgan finds unexpected community. In the silence, she learns how to listen to parts of herself she has neglected.Questioning the purpose of creativity and what defines artistic passion, The Lost Voice is a raw and intimate portrait of grief, self-discovery, and the choice to keep living and creating.
The Lost Weekend
by Charles JacksonOne weekend in the life of a gifted, brilliant, doomed alcoholic. This novel became a famous film.
The Lost World of DeMille (Hollywood Legends Series)
by John KobalLonglisted for the 2020 Moving Image Book Award by the Kraszna-Krausz FoundationAs only an accomplished author, consummate collector, and savvy insider can, John Kobal tells the story of the man who invented Hollywood, Cecil Blount DeMille (1881–1959). Kobal narrates the story of DeMille’s life and follows the director’s career from his first film, The Squaw Man, in 1914, through the seventy films he directed culminating with The Ten Commandments in 1956 before his death in 1959. Even that first film received an enthusiastic response from the public, and that popular enthusiasm would follow DeMille throughout his career. DeMille got his start by observing a film being shot—once standing for hours on a box looking through a window, watching every move made by the director, players, and cameraman. From that humble beginning, he soon mastered the craft of directing and created one of show business’s greatest careers. Autocrat and artist, DeMille immersed himself totally in each picture he directed and demanded complete fealty from his casts and crews. DeMille was said to know more about what the American public wanted than anyone else in Hollywood. He pushed the boundaries of censorship, and audiences responded by forming long lines at the box office. From the American West to ancient Egypt, he created such magical films as The Crusades and The Greatest Show on Earth that brought vividly to life fantasies perfectly suited to post–World War I and mid-century America. Kobal describes DeMille’s impact on Hollywood as a director and showman. He argues that this master filmmaker stands for something largely lost in American filmmaking, a sort of naïve, generous, big-thinking self-confidence—a belief that all things are possible. John Kobal wrote over thirty books on film and photography. His final manuscript, The Lost World of DeMille, was completed shortly before his death in 1991. It is published at last by University Press of Mississippi.
The Lost World of James Smithson: Science, Revolution, and the Birth of the Smithsonian
by Heather EwingIn 1836 the United States government received a strange and unprecedented gift―a half-million dollar bequest to establish a foundation in Washington "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men." The Smithsonian Institution, as it would be called, eventually grew into the largest museum and research complex in the world. Yet the man behind what became "America's attic," James Smithson, has remained a shadowy figure for more than 150 years. <p><p> Drawing on unpublished diaries and letters from across Europe and the United States, historian Heather Ewing tells his compelling story in full. The illegitimate son of the Duke of Northumberland, Smithson was the youngest member of Britain's Royal Society and a talented chemist admired by the greatest scientists of his age. At the same time, however, he was also a suspected spy, an inveterate gambler, and a radical revolutionary during the turbulent years of the Napoleonic Wars. But at the heart of Smithson's story is his bequest―worth $9 million in today in today's currency―which sparked an international lawsuit and a decade-long congressional battle, featuring a dizzying cast of historical figures, including John Quincy Adams, and Alexander Graham Bell, both of whom grappled with how―and even whether―to put Smithson's endowment to use. <p><p> Fascinating and magisterial, Ewing's biography presents a sweeping portrait of a remarkable man at the center of the English Enlightenment and the creation of America's greatest museum.
The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million
by Daniel MendelsohnIn this rich and riveting narrative, a writer's search for the truth behind his family's tragic past in World War II becomes a remarkably original epic--part memoir, part reportage, part mystery, and part scholarly detective work--that brilliantly explores the nature of time and memory, family and history.
The Lotus Years: Political Life in India in the Time of Rajiv Gandhi
by Ashwini Bhatnagar‘He was their Next Big Hope, after the first one had been dashed to the ground…’ When Rajiv Gandhi became prime minister in 1984 it was for him a baptism of fire. The tumultuous years that followed witnessed the beginnings of economic reform and the stemming of regional insurgency on the one hand, and the drama of the Shah Bano case and the Bofors scandal on the other – events that sent tremors through the country and its political establishment.As a journalist covering politics from the time of Indira Gandhi’s reign, Ashwini Bhatnagar observed at close quarters the consequences of the transition from iron-handed rule to one of earnest naivety, the calculations of the country’s foremost political players, dramatic election campaigns and the unwieldy workings of dynastic politics.In The Lotus Years, Ashwini draws from his field notes to weave a remarkable chronicle that brings together the life of a reluctant prime minister, the inner dynamics of his powerful family and the story of a maturing democratic nation, laying bare the intricacies and dissonances of political life in India.
The Lotus and the Storm
by Lan CaoAn epic tale of love, loyalty, and war from the acclaimed author of Monkey Bridge Half a century after it began, the Vietnam War still has a hold on our national psyche. Lan Cao's now-classic debut, Monkey Bridge, won her wide renown for "connecting . . . the opposite realities of Vietnam and America" (Isabel Allende). In her triumphant new novel, Cao transports readers back to the war, illuminating events central to twentieth-century history through the lives of one Vietnamese American family. Minh is a former South Vietnamese commander of the airborne brigade who left his homeland with his daughter, Mai. During the war, their lives became entwined with those of two Americans: James, a soldier, and Cliff, a military adviser. Forty years later, Minh and his daughter Mai live in a close-knit Vietnamese immigrant community in suburban Virginia. As Mai discovers a series of devastating truths about what really happened to her family during those years, Minh reflects upon his life and the story of love and betrayal that has remained locked in his heart since the fall of Saigon.
The Lotus and the Storm
by Lan CaoA lyrical novel of love and betrayal in the aftermath of the fall of Saigon--from the author of Monkey BridgeA singular work of witness, inspiration, and courage, The Lotus and the Storm marks the welcome return of Lan Cao's pitch-perfect voice, telling the story only she can tell.Four decades after the war, Vietnam's flavors of clove and cinnamon have been re-created by a close-knit refugee community in a Virginia suburb. But the lives of Minh and Mai, father and daughter, are haunted by ghosts, secrets, and the loss of their country. During the disastrous last days in Saigon, in a whirl of military signals and helicopter evacuations, Mai never had a chance to say goodbye to so many people who meant so much to her. What happened to them? How will Mai cope with the trauma of war--and will the thay phap, a Vietnamese spirit exorcist, be able to heal her? that has remained locked in his heart since the fall of Saigon.
The Louder I Will Sing: A story of racism, riots and redemption: Winner of the 2020 Costa Biography Award
by Lee LawrenceWINNER OF THE COSTA BIOGRAPHY PRIZE 2020 'This is the story of arguably one of the most important, yet least known, events in modern British history. Lee's journey and fight for justice are both inspiring and enraging' AKALA What would you do if the people you trusted to uphold the law committed a crime against you? Who would you turn to? And how long would you fight them for? On 28th September 1985, Lee Lawrence's mother Cherry Groce was wrongly shot by police during a raid on her Brixton home. The bullet shattered her spine and she never walked again. In the chaos that followed, 11-year-old Lee watched in horror as the News falsely pronounced his mother dead. In Brixton, already a powder keg because of the deep racism that the community was experiencing, it was the spark needed to trigger two days of rioting that saw buildings brought down by petrol bombs, cars torched and shops looted. But for Lee, it was a spark that lit a flame that would burn for the next 30 years as he fought to get the police to recognise their wrongdoing. His life had changed forever: he was now his mother's carer, he had seen first-hand the prejudice that existed in his country, and he was at the mercy of a society that was working against him. And yet that flame - for justice, for peace, for change - kept him going. The Louder I Will Sing is a powerful, compelling and uplifting memoir about growing up in modern Britain as a young Black man. It's a story both of people and politics, of the underlying racism beneath many of our most important institutions, but also the positive power that hope, faith and love can bring in response.
The Louder I Will Sing: A story of racism, riots and redemption: Winner of the 2020 Costa Biography Award
by Lee LawrenceWINNER OF THE COSTA BIOGRAPHY PRIZE 2020 'This is the story of arguably one of the most important, yet least known, events in modern British history. Lee's journey and fight for justice are both inspiring and enraging' AKALA What would you do if the people you trusted to uphold the law committed a crime against you? Who would you turn to? And how long would you fight them for? On 28th September 1985, Lee Lawrence's mother Cherry Groce was wrongly shot by police during a raid on her Brixton home. The bullet shattered her spine and she never walked again. In the chaos that followed, 11-year-old Lee watched in horror as the News falsely pronounced his mother dead. In Brixton, already a powder keg because of the deep racism that the community was experiencing, it was the spark needed to trigger two days of rioting that saw buildings brought down by petrol bombs, cars torched and shops looted. But for Lee, it was a spark that lit a flame that would burn for the next 30 years as he fought to get the police to recognise their wrongdoing. His life had changed forever: he was now his mother's carer, he had seen first-hand the prejudice that existed in his country, and he was at the mercy of a society that was working against him. And yet that flame - for justice, for peace, for change - kept him going.The Louder I Will Sing is a powerful, compelling and uplifting memoir about growing up in modern Britain as a young Black man. It's a story both of people and politics, of the underlying racism beneath many of our most important institutions, but also the positive power that hope, faith and love can bring in response.
The Louder I Will Sing: A story of racism, riots and redemption: Winner of the 2020 Costa Biography Award
by Lee LawrenceWINNER OF THE COSTA BIOGRAPHY PRIZE 2020 This audiobook includes an exclusive interview with Candice Brathwaite and Lee Lawrence'This is the story of arguably one of the most important, yet least known, events in modern British history. Lee's journey and fight for justice are both inspiring and enraging. That it has taken this long for the story of the shooting of Cherry Groce to become properly publicly retold is in itself another tragedy. We can only hope that Britain learns from the valuable lessons contained in these pages' - AkalaWhat would you do if the people you trusted to uphold the law committed a crime against you? Who would you turn to? And how long would you fight them for? On 28th September 1985, Lee Lawrence's mother Cherry Groce was wrongly shot by police during a raid on her Brixton home. The bullet shattered her spine and she never walked again. In the chaos that followed, 11-year-old Lee watched in horror as the News falsely pronounced his mother dead. In Brixton, already a powder keg because of the deep racism that the community was experiencing, it was the spark needed to trigger two days of rioting that saw buildings brought down by petrol bombs, cars torched and shops looted. But for Lee, it was a spark that lit a flame that would burn for the next 30 years as he fought to get the police to recognise their wrongdoing. His life had changed forever: he was now his mother's carer, he had seen first-hand the prejudice that existed in his country, and he was at the mercy of a society that was working against him. And yet that flame - for justice, for peace, for change - kept him going.The Louder I Will Sing is a powerful, compelling and uplifting memoir about growing up in modern Britain as a young Black man. It's a story both of people and politics, of the underlying racism beneath many of our most important institutions, but also the positive power that hope, faith and love can bring in response.
The Louis Armstrong You Never Knew
by James Lincoln CollierExplores the childhood, character, and influential events that shaped the life of Louis Armstrong, the famous African American jazz musician. Includes bibliographical references and index.
The Louise Parker Method: Lean for Life
by Louise Parker'Louise Parker, AKA the figure magician, has worked her magic on actors, athletes, pop stars, politicians and princesses and believes absolutely anyone can have a sensational body.'Glamour'Louise Parker is one of the very few weight-loss experts worth the title. A genius method, an unbelievable client list and years of experience.'Good Housekeeping'Clever, kind and committed to getting you the best body possible. Louise Parker really does think of everything.'Tatler'Quite simply the most intelligent weight-loss programme out there.'IndependentIt is not a diet - it is an inspiring, easy-to-follow programme for life, consisting of two phases:TRANSFORM - taking the direct route to your best bodyLIFESTYLE - protecting your results for lifeThe method is the best-kept secret of A-list celebrities, royals, global CEOs, entrepreneurs and London society - the quickest, most do-able approach of total body and lifestyle transformation. It contains over 80 effortless recipes to help you 'Eat Beautifully' and avoid being 'Organically Overweight'. Many of the recipes call for fewer than 8 ingredients and take just 8 minutes to prepare.For the first time, Louise shares her unique four-pronged approach to lasting success that has made her method the mecca for worldwide clients demanding the most intelligent, focused and practical solution to permanent weight loss and habit change. The book details four simple pillars that promise you can drop two dress sizes in six weeks without a chia seed in sight. Think Successfully - positivity, keeping inspiring company and making time for simple pleasures every single dayLive Well - de-cluttering your surroundings, a Digital Detox after 9pm every night, sleeping 7-8 hours a night and taking 20 minutes a day to 'brain nap'Eat Beautifully - eating 3 meals and 2 snacks daily from any of the 80 delicious recipes in the book Exercise Intelligently - achievable goals of walk a minimum of 10,000 steps, exercise for 30 minutes, following Louise's workouts or other exercises you enjoy
The Louisiana Purchase: Would You Close The Deal?
by Elaine LandauAt the dawn of the nineteenth century, President Thomas Jefferson dispatched Robert Livingston and James Monroe to negotiate with the temperamental French dictator Napoleon Bonaparte. <P><P>Originally charged with only securing the Port of New Orleans and access to the Mississippi River, they soon were presented with the deal of a lifetime—the purchase of the whole Louisiana Territory. With no time to contact the president, they had to make the decision themselves. What would you do if faced with the same decision?
The Love Lives of the Artists: Five Stories of Creative Intimacy
by Daniel BullenAs the oldest of institutions, marriage seems outdated in modern times, when each individual is encouraged to break with tradition in order to fulfill him- or herself. And so artists like Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo seem to be paving the way toward a brave, new kind of marriage, where spouses would be allowed-even encouraged-to fulfill different aspects of themselves in outside relationships. Shared creativity, they believed, would transcend their jealousies and compensate their sufferings: through art, they would rise above conventional marital fidelity, and prove a higher fidelity to art and to themselves.The Love Lives of the Artists tells the stories of Rainer Maria Rilke and Lou Andreas-Salomé, Alfred Stieglitz and Georgia O'Keeffe, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, Diego and Frida, and Henry Miller and Anaïs Nin-five couples who approached their relationships with the same rebellious creativity as they practiced in their art. From their early artistic development and their first experiences in love, to their artistic marriages and their affairs-and then to their fights and reconciliations, addictions, nervous breakdowns and continued creativity-The Love Lives of the Artists describes the promise and the price of freedom and creativity in love.
The Love Prison Made and Unmade: My Story
by Ebony RobertsWith echoes of Just Mercy and An American Marriage, a remarkable memoir of a woman who falls in love with an incarcerated man—a poignant story of hope and disappointment that lays bare the toll prison takes not only on those behind bars, but on their families and relationships.Ebony’s parents were high school sweethearts and married young. By the time Ebony was born, the marriage was disintegrating. As a little girl she witnessed her parents’ brutal verbal and physical fights, fueled by her father’s alcoholism. Then her father tried to kill her mother. Those experiences drastically affected the way Ebony viewed love and set the pattern for her future romantic relationships. Despite being an educated and strong-minded woman determined not to repeat the mistakes of her parents—she would have a fairytale love—Ebony found herself drawn to bad-boys: men who cheated; men who verbally abused her; men who disappointed her. Fed up, she swore to wait for the partner God chose for her.Then she met Shaka Senghor. Though she felt an intense spiritual connection, Ebony struggled with the idea that this man behind bars for murder could be the good love God had for her. Through letters and visits, she and Shaka fell deeply in love. Once Shaka came home, Ebony thought the worst was behind them. But Shaka’s release was the beginning of the end. The Love Prison Made and Unmade is heartfelt. It reveals powerful lessons about love, sacrifice, courage, and forgiveness; of living your highest principles and learning not to judge someone by their worst acts. Ultimately, it is a stark reminder of the emotional cost of American justice on human lives—the partners, wives, children, and friends—beyond the prison walls.
The Love Queen of Malabar
by Merrily WeisbordKamala Das (1934-2009) is one of India's most beloved and controversial literary figures. She was hailed and reviled as the first Indian woman to write an autobiographical cult classic about love and desire. Admirers dubbed her, "The First Feminist Emotional Revolutionary of Our Time." The tabloid press called her "The Love Queen of Malabar."