- Table View
- List View
The Last Day of Term
by Francis GilbertTruant. Drunk. Sexually deviant. And that's just the English teacher...It's the last day of term at the Gilda Ball Academy, and time is running out. Running out for Martin, the English teacher, who hasn't noticed his marriage crumbling and his health deteriorating. And for Béla, who's been plotting revenge since Martin had him expelled, after an incident that left the school's Deputy Head dead.When Martin is confronted with an anonymous note accusing him of abuse, he naturally assumes it came from Béla.The truth, as he will discover, is never quite that simple.
The Last Days of Café Leila: A Novel
by Donia Bijan“A glorious treat awaits you at the literary table of Donia Bijan.” —Adriana Trigiani Set against the backdrop of Iran’s rich, turbulent history, this exquisite debut novel is a powerful story of food, family, and a bittersweet homecoming. When we first meet Noor, she is living in San Francisco, missing her beloved father, Zod, in Iran. Now, dragging her stubborn teenage daughter, Lily, with her, she returns to Tehran and to Café Leila, the restaurant her family has been running for three generations. Iran may have changed, but Café Leila, still run by Zod, has stayed blessedly the same—it is a refuge of laughter and solace for its makeshift family of staff and regulars. As Noor revisits her Persian childhood, she must rethink who she is—a mother, a daughter, a woman estranged from her marriage and from her life in California. And together, she and Lily get swept up in the beauty and brutality of Tehran. Bijan’s vivid, layered story, at once tender and elegant, funny and sad, weaves together the complexities of history, domesticity, and loyalty and, best of all, transports readers to another culture, another time, and another emotional landscape.
The Last Days of Joy
by Anne TiernanMeet the Tobin family ...Joy - the motherUnconscious in a hospital bed, Joy's latest act has thrown the family into turmoilFrances - the middle childSeemingly perfect wife and mother, Frances is having inappropriate dreams about an ex, and might be about to derail her whole lifeConor - the protectorSuccessful and famous, high-flyer Conor is walking a fine line between self-promotion and self-detonationSinead - the baby of the familyBohemian rebel, trying to write the story she needs to tell, but despising herself for failing to do itAs Joy hovers between life and death, the siblings must come together to face their past. It's the only chance they have of unlocking the future.A stunning novel about complex family dynamics, the intricacies of motherhood, marriage, and infidelity, and the lingering power of past trauma, which echoes down generations.
The Last Days of Joy
by Anne TiernanA family brought together by the person they said goodbye to long ago . . .MEET THE TOBIN FAMILY ... Joy, the complicated, troubled mother She's spent her life running from her past while trying to raise her children as best she can. Conor, the high-achieving eldest child A high-profile media figure and CEO, he's walking a fine line between self-promotion and self-detonation. Frances, the 'perfect' middle child Now a wife and mother, she's about to make a mistake that could destroy her marriage. Youngest daughter, Sinead, the acclaimed writer Wrestling with writer's block, she resorts to desperate measures to deliver her next bestselling book to her publishers.When Joy's children receive the news that she has only days to live, they rush to her side, bringing with them all of the dysfunction and hurt they have been carrying since their childhoods. Each of them is at a crossroads in their lives - but there's one more secret about their mother they need to learn. Will they finally be able to forgive their mother and, in doing so, face their futures together?(P)2023 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
The Last Days of Joy
by Anne Tiernan'A page-turner portraying the madness and messiness of family life - I loved it' Elaine Feeney'Moving, funny, sharp and beautifully written ... stunning' Andrea Mara'A powerful and thought-provoking read' Irish Independent'You will fall in love with every one of the Tobin family' Edel CoffeyStrait-laced Frances Tobin is the 'perfect' middle child, wife and mother. But when an old flame contacts her out of the blue, she's tempted to risk everything.Her older brother Conor, a high-achieving CEO, enjoys the perks of his media-darling status. Little does he know the reputation he has spent years building is about to come crashing down.Ten years ago, youngest sibling Sinead was the next big thing in the literary world. Now she's considering desperate measures to revive her once-promising career.When they receive the news that their complicated, unknowable mother only has days to live, Frances, Sinead and Conor rush to her side. But as they prepare to say goodbye to Joy, they discover she has one last devastating secret to share, one that will finally help them to understand her - and each other.'Authentic, deeply moving and full of hope' Jacqueline Bublitz'A really engaging, raw, page-turner' Sinead Moriarty
The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck
by Kylie Scott&“Be quiet and listen: He is cheating on you. The name of your soulmate is Alistair George Arthur Lennox. You will be passed over for the promotion. The winning numbers are 5-8-12-24-39-43. And I&’m very sorry to tell you this, but you will die next Sunday.&” When Lilah Goodluck saves the life of Good Witch Willow as they&’re crossing a busy L.A. street, the last thing she expects is five unwanted predictions as a reward. Who gives someone the winning lotto numbers then tells them they&’ve only got a week to live? And who believes in that nonsense anyway? But when the first three predictions come true within twenty-four hours, Lilah&’s disbelief turns to mild panic. She&’s further horrified when she nearly runs a car off the road that belongs to Alistair Lennox, who just happens to be the illegitimate son of the British king. While Alistair is intrigued by her preposterous story, Lilah is adamant about resisting the heat between her and the playboy prince. If she denies he&’s her soulmate, then the last prediction can&’t come true, right? As the days count down, they become maybe friends…and then maybe more. But between the relentless paparazzi and some disapproving royals, finding time for love isn&’t easy, especially when her days may be numbered.Red White and Royal Blue meets The Last Holiday in this delightfully quirky novel from the New York Times bestselling author of End of Story, about a woman who unexpectedly finds "fall in love with a prince" at the top of her bucket list.
The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes: A Novel
by Anna McPartlinInternational BestsellerMia-"Rabbit"-Hayes knows that life is hard for everyone. And she knows that she's one of the lucky ones. She loves her life, ordinary as it is. And she loves the extraordinary people in it: her spirited daughter, Juliet; her colorful, unruly family; the only man in her big heart, Johnny Faye. Rabbit has big ideas, full of music and love and so much life. She has plans for the world. But the world, it turns out, has other plans for Rabbit: a devastating diagnosis.Rabbit is feisty. And with every ounce of love and strength in her, she promises that she will overcome. She will fight fight fight. She will be with those who love her for as long as she can, and she will live as long as she can with music and love and so much life. And as her friends and family rally round to celebrate Rabbit's last days, they look to her for strength, support, and her unyielding zest for life. Because she is Rabbit Hayes and she will live until she dies.
The Last Debutante
by Lesley LokkoA captivating family drama about sisters and long-held secrets spanning from the 1930s to the present day, perfect for fans of Downton Abbey. 1936, Chalfont Hall, Dorset. As the dressmaker puts the last pins in her dress, thirteen-year-old Kit is wondering why she has to go through the charade of seeing her sister Lily presented at Court. With her waves of auburn hair and her piercing green eyes, Kit knows that her sister's place on the social scene is guaranteed regardless of her dress, and as the door to a life of parties and eligible young men opens for Lily, Kit must make do with tiptoeing around the gallery of Chalfont, eavesdropping on the conversations of the grown-ups. But the arrival of a German visitor one evening soon sets in motion a chain of events that none of the family could have anticipated. Years later, the aftershock of events will be felt by a new generation . . .
The Last Debutante
by Lesley LokkoA captivating family drama about sisters and long-held secrets spanning from the 1930s to the present day, perfect for fans of Downton Abbey. 1936, Chalfont Hall, Dorset, and as the dressmaker puts the last pins in her dress, thirteen-year-old Kit is wondering why she has to go through the charade of seeing her sister Lily presented at Court. With her waves of auburn hair and her piercing green eyes, Kit knows that her sister's place on the social scene is guaranteed regardless of her dress, and as the door to a life of parties and eligible young men opens for Lily, Kit must make do with tiptoeing around the gallery of Chalfont, eavesdropping on the conversations of the grown-ups. But the arrival one evening of a distinctly German visitor soon sets in motion a chain of events that none of the family could have anticipated. Years later, the aftershock of events will be felt by a new generation . . .Read by Julia Barrie(p) 2016 Orion Publishing Group
The Last Dress from Paris: A heartbreaking and sweeping historical novel
by Jade Beer'Kept me spellbound...You can practically feel the heaviness and sumptuousness of the velvet and other lush materials of the vintage gowns in your hands. Secrets and heartbreak come alive in this book I was unable to put down!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Each Dior dress tells a story... London, 2017: When her beloved grandmother, Sylvie, sends her to Paris to retrieve a dress she wore decades before, Lucille sees the perfect opportunity to briefly escape the pressures of her own life. But not everything is as it seems, and the long-buried secrets she discovers, hidden in a collection of priceless Dior gowns, could change everything. Paris, 1952: Postwar France is full of glamour and privilege, and Alice Ainsley is in the middle of it all. As the wife to the British ambassador to France, her life is a whirlwind of jewels, banquets and couture dresses, but beneath the glittering facade, Alice is suffocating in a loveless marriage. So when a new face appears in her drawing room, Alice finds herself yearning to follow her heart . . . no matter the consequences. Deliciously evocative and achingly romantic, sweeping from Fifties Paris to the V&A museum in London, The Last Dress from Paris is the perfect read for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, Natasha Lester, Fiona Valpy and Gill Paul.Don't miss the new novel from Jade Beer, The Palace Dressmaker, another sweeping tale of love, friendship and the power of fashion to shape our lives... Everyone is falling in love with The Last Dress from Paris:'I'm sipping on a calming cup of tea and dabbing my eyes with a tissue after finishing this book... An excellent read! I love the description of the dresses. Paris in the 1950's... Loved this book!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'I couldn't put it down. What a great story. Loved, laughed and cried while reading it' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'A delightful story of unrequited love, haute couture fashion, friendship, and secrets!... I read this one late into the night... I enjoyed the descriptions of the dresses, as well as the scenic locations in Paris. Secrets were gradually revealed, right up to the satisfying conclusion' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'I loved this book!!... Bittersweet and with a mystery at its heart... A great read!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Some books stick with you throughout reading and after finishing it. This is one of those books!... When I tell you that I loved this book, I mean it!!... Fashion, forbidden love, heartbreak... I HIGHLY recommend this book' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'A brilliant book that will stay with me for a long time... A thoroughly engrossing novel of strong love' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A delightful fashion treasure hunt involving some of my favourite Dior gowns... The dresses dance from the pages, and Paris is resplendently depicted' Natasha Lester 'A whirlwind tour through Paris, both past and present, the novel is a rich exploration of the power of female friendships and the true meaning of family. Moving and utterly enjoyable' Fiona Davis 'An absolute delight!... As original, elegant, and romantic as the Dior dresses the novel's mystery is woven around' Hazel Gaynor 'As beautifully stitched together as a couture gown... I loved it' Jessica Fellowes 'Sumptuous, evocative and dripping in Parisian elegance. A beautifully written page-turner' Kate Thompson 'My kind of read, with vintage couture gowns, Parisian elegance, and romance across the ages' Gill Paul
The Last Equation of Isaac Severy: A Novel in Clues
by Nova Jacobs*Wall Street Journal&’s &“Mysteries: Best of 2018&” *Book of the Month Club Selection *Edgar Award Nominee: Best First Novel by an American Author A &“hugely entertaining&” (Wall Street Journal) mystery starring &“a Royal Tenenbaums-esque clan of geniuses&” (Martha Stewart Living)—perfect for fans of Mr. Penumbra&’s 24-Hour Bookstore.In this &“riveting…brilliant&” (Booklist) debut, Hazel Severy, the owner of a struggling Seattle bookstore, receives a letter from her adoptive grandfather—mathematician Isaac Severy—days after he dies in a suspected suicide. In his puzzling letter, Isaac alludes to a secretive organization that is after his final bombshell equation, and he charges Hazel with safely delivering it to a trusted colleague. But first, she must find where the equation is hidden. While in Los Angeles for Isaac&’s funeral, Hazel realizes she&’s not the only one searching for his life&’s work, and that the equation&’s implications have potentially disastrous consequences for the extended Severy family, a group of dysfunctional geniuses unmoored by the sudden death of their patriarch. As agents of an enigmatic company shadow Isaac&’s favorite son—a theoretical physicist—and a long-lost cousin mysteriously reappears in Los Angeles, the equation slips further from Hazel&’s grasp. She must unravel a series of confounding clues hidden inside one of her favorite novels, drawing her ever closer to his mathematical treasure. But when her efforts fall short, she is forced to enlist the help of those with questionable motives. &“A novel that is anything but clueless, filled with consideration and compassion&” (The Washington Post), The Last Equation of Isaac Severy proves that, like Hazel, you don&’t have to love math to fall under the Severy spell.
The Last Exit to Normal
by Michael HarmonIt's true: After 17-year-old Ben's father announces he's gay and the family splits apart, Ben does everything he can to tick him off: skip school, smoke pot, skateboard nonstop, get arrested. But he never thinks he'll end up yanked out of his city life and plunked down into a small Montana town with his dad and Edward, The Boyfriend. As if it's not painful enough living in a hick town with spiked hair, a skateboard habit, and two dads, he soon realizes something's not quite right with Billy, the boy next door. He's hiding a secret about his family, and Ben is determined to uncover it and set things right. In an authentic, unaffected, and mordantly funny voice, Michael Harmon tells the wrenching story of an uprooted and uncomfortable teenaged guy trying to fix the lives around him-while figuring out his own.
The Last Fair Deal Going Down
by David RhodesThis novel from the acclaimed author of Driftless is “an arresting work about the salvation of a disintegrating Iowa family” (The New York Times).Survival has been the Sledge way since Reuben Sledge’s father first moved to Des Moines. Yet the family seems cursed, and one by one the Sledges are slipping away. Reuben’s oldest brother is hanged for the murder of his wife. Then another brother is committed to an asylum for spying on the woman he loves. But it’s the rape and disgrace of his beloved sister Nellie that drives Reuben into a deep despair. Into the depths of this depression wanders vulnerable, delightful Tabor, who sets Reuben alive with the promise of her love. When Reuben learns that Tabor has descended into the City, he determines, in a moment of panic, to enter and bring her out. Thus begins the novel’s second act, a harrowing journey through the horrors of the City and among a ghastly assemblage of dwellers who’ve crafted new lives for themselves in the underworld.“David Rhodes proves that there is still vigorous life in the dark Gothic roots of great American novels.” —The Tennessean
The Last Fashion House in Paris
by Renee RyanIn the heart of occupied WWII Paris, an elegant fashion house is the unlikely headquarters of a daring resistance network. Behind closed doors, courageous women vie to save loved ones and strangers alike from the Nazis in this powerful story of survival, friendship and second chances.France, 1942 Once, Paulette Leblanc spent her days flirting, shopping and drawing elegant dresses in her sketch pad. Then German tanks rolled into France, and a reckless romance turned into deep betrayal. Blaming herself for her mother&’s arrest by the Gestapo, Paulette is sent away to begin a new life in Paris, working as apprentice to fashion designer Sabine Ballard. But Maison de Ballard is no ordinary fashion house. While seamstresses create the perfect couture gowns, clandestine deals and secrets take place out of sight. Mademoiselle Ballard is head of a vast network of resistance fighters—including Paulette&’s coworker and friend Nicolle Cadieux—who help escort downed military men and Jewish families to safety. Soon Paulette is recruited as a spy. Working as a seamstress by day, gathering information at glamorous parties by night, Paulette at last has a chance to earn the redemption she craves. But as the SS closes in, and Nicolle goes missing, Paulette must make life-and-death decisions about who to trust, who to love and who to leave behind…
The Last Firefox (The Last Firefox #1)
by Lee NewberyWinner of the Wales Book of the Year People's Choice Award! A heartwarming story about family, friendship and finding your inner fire.Between bullies at school and changes at home, Charlie Challinor finds life a bit scary. And when he's made guardian of a furry fox cub called Cadno, things get a whole lot scarier.Because Cadno isn't just any fox: he's a firefox - the only one of his kind - and a sinister hunter from another world is on his trail.Swept up into an unexpected adventure to protect his flammable friend, Charlie's going to need to find the bravery he never thought he had, if he's going to save the last firefox . . .'Comic, adventurous and charming' - Guardian'Magical' - Sunday Express'Funny, sweet and charming - a real delight!' Sam Copeland, author of Charlie Changes Into a Chicken'Utterly gorgeous storytelling, adorable characters and a blazing adventure - The Last Firefox will long burn bright in your heart.' Jenny Pearson, author of The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates'Crackles with adventure and love.' Maria Kuzniar, author of The Ship of Shadows.'Lee Newbery gives us an enchanting fantasy adventure as warm as a firefox's tail. Heart and humour abound in this fun, fast-paced story of how a boy finds inner strength by helping a magical creature. A joyous gem!' Lesley Parr, author of The Valley of Lost Secrets'A heart (and tail!) warming adventure about family, friendship and one flamin' cute fox cub' Thomas Taylor, author of Malamander
The Last First Day
by Carrie BrownFrom the author of The Rope Walk, the story of a woman's life in its twilight, as she looks back on both a harrowing childhood and the unaccountable love and happiness that emerged from it.Ruth has always stood firmly beside her upstanding, brilliant husband, Peter, the legendary chief of the Derry School for boys. The childless couple has a unique, passionate bond which grew out of Ruth's arrival on his family doorstep as a young girl orphaned by tragedy. And though sometimes frustrated by her role as lifelong helpmeet, Ruth is awed by her good fortune in Peter. As the novel opens we see the Derry School in all its glorious New England fall colors and witness the loosening of the aging Peter's grasp--he will soon have to retire, and Ruth is wondering what they will do in their old age, separated from the school into which they have poured everything, including their savings. As the novel unfurls, it takes us back through their days and years, revealing the explosive spark and joy of their love--undiminished now in their seventies--and giving us a deeply felt portrait of a woman from the generation that quietly put individual dreams aside for the good of a partnership, twinned with the revelation of the surprising gift of the right man's love, which keeps giving to the end.This ebook edition includes a Reading Group Guide.
The Last First Kiss (Matchmaking Mamas #11)
by Marie FerrarellaIt's been eighteen years since Kara Calhoun laid eyes on David Scarlatti, the one man who'd always gotten under her skin-the wrong way! That doesn't stop a pair of matchmaking moms from believing their son and daughter are made for each other. So Kara cooks up her own scheme to prove them wrong. Even if it means temporarily dating the super-geek-turned-dedicated-surgeon...who's much too good-looking for this video game tester's good!The bubbly blonde dynamo is the skinny tomboy who used to drive Dave crazy? Impossible! And agreeing to her plan is even crazier...especially when Kara awakens irresistible desire in the reserved physician. With their pretend romance flaring into something neither expected, Dave devises a backup plan: convincing Kara that that incredible first kiss won't be their last....
The Last Forever
by Deb CalettiBeginnings and endings overlap in this soaring novel of love and loss from bestselling author and National Book Award finalist Deb Caletti.Nothing lasts forever, and no one gets that more than Tessa. After her mother died, it's all she can do to keep her friends, her boyfriend, her happiness from slipping away. And then there's her dad. He's stuck in his own daze, and it's hard to feel like a family when their house no longer seems like a home. Her father's solution? An impromptu road trip that lands them in a small coastal town. Despite all the beauty there, Tessa can't help but feel even more lost. Her most cherished possession--a rare plant of her mother's--is starting to wither, and with it, Tessa's heart and her hope. Enter Henry Lark. He understands the relationships that matter. And more important, he understands her. Though secrets stand between them, each has a chance at healing...if first, Tessa can find the courage to believe in forever.n forever.
Last Friends: From the Orange Prize shortlisted author
by Jane Gardam'It's a cliche to compare novelists to Jane Austen, but in the case of Jane Gardam it happens to be true. Her diamond-like prose, her understanding of the human heart, her formal inventiveness and her sense of what it is to be alive - young, old, lonely, in love - never fades' Amanda Craig'Her work, like Sylvia Townsend Warner's, has that appealing combination of elegance, erudition and flinty wit' Patrick Gale'Sharp, humane, generous and wonderfully funny, she is one of our very finest writers' Hilary MantelShortlisted for the 2014 Folio Prize.Old Filth and The Man in the Wooden Hat told with bristling tenderness and black humour the stories of that Titan of the Hong Kong law courts, Old Filth QC, and his clever, misunderstood wife Betty. Last Friends, the final volume of this trilogy, picks up with Terence Veneering, Filth's great rival in work and - though it was never spoken of - in love. Veneering's were not the usual beginnings of an establishment silk: the son of a Russian acrobat marooned in northeast England and a devoted local girl, he escapes the war to emerge in the Far East as a man of panache, success and fame. But, always, at the stuffy English Bar he is treated with suspicion: where did this blond, louche, brilliant Slav come from? Veneering, Filth and their friends tell a tale of love, friendship, grace, the bittersweet experiences of a now-forgotten Empire and the disappointments and consolations of age.
Last Friends: From the Orange Prize shortlisted author (Old Filth Trilogy Ser. #3)
by Jane Gardam'It's a cliche to compare novelists to Jane Austen, but in the case of Jane Gardam it happens to be true. Her diamond-like prose, her understanding of the human heart, her formal inventiveness and her sense of what it is to be alive - young, old, lonely, in love - never fades' Amanda Craig'Her work, like Sylvia Townsend Warner's, has that appealing combination of elegance, erudition and flinty wit' Patrick Gale'Sharp, humane, generous and wonderfully funny, she is one of our very finest writers' Hilary MantelShortlisted for the 2014 Folio Prize.Old Filth and The Man in the Wooden Hat told with bristling tenderness and black humour the stories of that Titan of the Hong Kong law courts, Old Filth QC, and his clever, misunderstood wife Betty. Last Friends, the final volume of this trilogy, picks up with Terence Veneering, Filth's great rival in work and - though it was never spoken of - in love. Veneering's were not the usual beginnings of an establishment silk: the son of a Russian acrobat marooned in northeast England and a devoted local girl, he escapes the war to emerge in the Far East as a man of panache, success and fame. But, always, at the stuffy English Bar he is treated with suspicion: where did this blond, louche, brilliant Slav come from? Veneering, Filth and their friends tell a tale of love, friendship, grace, the bittersweet experiences of a now-forgotten Empire and the disappointments and consolations of age.
Last Friends: From the Orange Prize shortlisted author
by Jane Gardam'It's a cliche to compare novelists to Jane Austen, but in the case of Jane Gardam it happens to be true. Her diamond-like prose, her understanding of the human heart, her formal inventiveness and her sense of what it is to be alive - young, old, lonely, in love - never fades' Amanda Craig'Her work, like Sylvia Townsend Warner's, has that appealing combination of elegance, erudition and flinty wit' Patrick Gale'Sharp, humane, generous and wonderfully funny, she is one of our very finest writers' Hilary MantelShortlisted for the 2014 Folio Prize.Old Filth and The Man in the Wooden Hat told with bristling tenderness and black humour the stories of that Titan of the Hong Kong law courts, Old Filth QC, and his clever, misunderstood wife Betty. Last Friends, the final volume of this trilogy, picks up with Terence Veneering, Filth's great rival in work and - though it was never spoken of - in love. Veneering's were not the usual beginnings of an establishment silk: the son of a Russian acrobat marooned in northeast England and a devoted local girl, he escapes the war to emerge in the Far East as a man of panache, success and fame. But, always, at the stuffy English Bar he is treated with suspicion: where did this blond, louche, brilliant Slav come from? Veneering, Filth and their friends tell a tale of love, friendship, grace, the bittersweet experiences of a now-forgotten Empire and the disappointments and consolations of age.
The Last Full Measure
by Ann RinaldiAs Confederate and Union soldiers take over their town, the local residents can do little more than hunker down in their homes while cannon and gunfire explode around them. But the battles are not only fought between soldiers. At home, fourteen-year-old Tacy and her disabled brother lock horns as David struggles with his desire to go to war. He has strong principles, and it tortures him to allow others to fight while he does nothing.In the aftermath of this great and terrible battle, in which so many soldiers sacrifice their lives for their beliefs, David gives his last full measure...and leaves Tacy struggling to make sense out of it all.
The Last Gentleman: A Novel
by Walker PercyNational Book Award Finalist: A lonely Southerner forges a surprising bond with a New York family in this &“brilliant&” novel by the author of The Moviegoer (Time). Will Barrett has never felt at peace. After moving from his native South to New York City, Will&’s most meaningful human connections come through the lens of a telescope in Central Park, from which he views the comings and goings of the eccentric Vaught family. But Will&’s days as a spectator end when he meets the Vaught patriarch and accepts a job in the Mississippi Delta as caretaker for the family&’s ailing son, Jamie. Once there, he is confronted not only by his personal demons, but also his growing love for Jamie&’s sister, Kitty, and a deepening relationship with the Vaught family that will teach him the true meaning of home.
The Last Gentleman and The Second Coming: In One Volume
by Walker PercyNow in one volume, two novels from the National Book Award winner that follow the life of a Southern man searching for love and connection. In The Last Gentleman, Will Barrett has never felt at peace. After moving from his native South to New York City, Will&’s most meaningful human connections come through the lens of a telescope in Central Park, from which he views the comings and goings of the eccentric Vaught family. But Will&’s days as a spectator end when he meets the Vaught patriarch and accepts a job in the Mississippi Delta as caretaker for the family&’s ailing son, Jamie. Once there, he is confronted not only by his personal demons, but also his growing love for Jamie&’s sister, Kitty, and a deepening relationship with the Vaught family that will teach him the true meaning of home. And in The Second Coming, now in his late forties, Will Barrett lives a life other men only dream of. Wealthy from a successful career on Wall Street and from the inheritance of his deceased wife&’s estate, Will is universally admired at the club where he spends his days golfing in the North Carolina sun. But everything begins to unravel when, without warning, Will&’s golf shots begin landing in the rough, and he is struck with bouts of losing his balance and falling over. Just when Will appears doomed to share the fate of his father—whose suicide has haunted him his whole life—a mental hospital escapee named Allison might prove to be the only one who can save him. From the New York Times–bestselling author of The Moviegoer, these novels have been acclaimed by Time magazine for &“irony, understatement, and compassion&” and praised by the New York Times as &“wonderfully good reading.&”
Last Girl Breathing
by Court StevensEight years ago, tragedy struck. Eight years ago, Lucy Michaels&’ life changed forever. But under the surface of her small town lies a secret that could pull her under.No one expected it to rain that much. But the rain kept coming, the dam broke, and lives were lost. Including five-year-old Clay Michaels, who was swept away in the floodwaters. Clay&’s sister, Lucy, has never forgiven herself for her little brother&’s death. She was supposed to hold on to him, to keep him from harm during that terrible night. She was supposed to protect him.Now eight years later, seventeen-year-old Lucy is focused on two things: making the US Olympic air rifle team and protecting everyone in her life from any type of trauma. However, with graduation and the Olympics on the horizon, her world is once again shaken when tragedy strikes Grand Junction, and Lucy is right back in the middle of it.Two of her closest friends have been hunted down in the nature preserve adjoining the town—the same plot of land where her younger brother died—and the fingers of suspicion are pointing everywhere in the community. The prime suspect? Lucy&’s ex-boyfriend. The more Lucy uncovers about the secrets of those around her, the more she realizes that she, too, is a target—and that now is the time to face her past if she wants to have a future.Last Girl Breathing is a page-turning hunt for the truth as Court Stevens once again creates nonstop suspense with characters who will break your heart.A stand-alone young adult thrillerPerfect for fans of We Were Liars and The Good Girl&’s Guide to MurderBook length: 76,000 wordsIncludes discussion questions