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Corregidora (Virago Modern Classics #785)
by Gayl Jones'No novel about any black woman could ever be the same after this' TONI MORRISON'Corregidora is the most brutally honest and painful revelation of what has occurred, and is occurring, in the souls of Black men and women' JAMES BALDWINUpon publication in 1975, Corregidora was hailed as a masterpiece, winning acclaim from writers including James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison and John Updike. Exploring themes such as race, sexuality and the long repercussions of slavery, this powerful novel paved the way for Beloved and The Colour Purple. Now, this lost classic is published for a new generation of readers.Blues singer Ursa is consumed by her hatred of Corregidora, the nineteenth-century slave master who fathered both her mother and grandmother. Charged with 'making generations' to bear witness to the abuse embodied in the family name, Ursa Corregidora finds herself unable to keep alive this legacy when she is made sterile in a violent fight with her husband. Haunted by the ghosts of a Brazilian plantation, pained by a present of lovelessness and despair, Ursa slowly and firmly strikes her own terms with womanhood.AS HEARD ON THE BACKLISTED PODCAST'A literary giant, and one of my absolute favourite writers' TAYARI JONES, author of AN AMERICAN MARRIAGEAlso new to the VMC list: Eva's Man and The Healing by Gayl Jones.'An American writer with a powerful sense of vital inheritance, of history in the blood' JOHN UPDIKE'Gayl Jones's first novel, Corregidora (1975), was both shocking and ground-breaking in its probing of the psychological legacy of slavery and sexual ownership through the life of a Kentucky blues singer ... it predated Alice Walker's The Color Purple and Toni Morrison's Beloved, revealing an unfinished emancipation and the power of historical memory to shape lives. It also marked a shift in African-American literature that made women, and relationships between black people, central' MAYA JAGGI, Guardian'Corregidora's survey of trauma and overcoming has become even better and more relevant with the passage of time. It remains an indispensable point of entry into the tradition of African American writing that Gayl Jones reshaped and enriched' PAUL GILROY
Correspondents: A Novel
by Tim Murphy“A sprawling tale of love, family, duty, war, and displacement. It is above all a stinging indictment of the ill-fated war in Iraq.” —Khaled Hosseini, #1 New York Times–bestselling authorThe bright and driven daughter of a Boston-area Irish-Arab family, Rita Khoury charts herself an ambitious path through Harvard to one of the best newspapers in the country. She is posted in cosmopolitan Beirut and dates a handsome Palestinian would-be activist. But when she is assigned to cover the America-led invasion of Baghdad in 2003, she finds herself unprepared for the warzone. Her lifeline is her interpreter and fixer Nabil al-Jumaili, an equally restless young man whose dreams have been restricted by life in a deteriorating dictatorship, not to mention his own seemingly impossible desires. As the war tears Iraq apart, personal betrayal and the horrors of conflict force Rita and Nabil out of the country and into twisting, uncertain fates. What lies in wait will upend their lives forever, shattering their own notions of what they’re entitled to in a grossly unjust world.Epic in scope, by turns satirical and heartbreaking, and speaking sharply to America’s current moment, Correspondents is a whirlwind story about displacement from one’s own roots, the violence America promotes both abroad and at home, and the resilience that allows families to remake themselves and endure even the most shocking upheavals.“[An] emotionally resonant, time-hopping page turner . . . Explores immigration, the effects of U.S. intervention, and the long arc of war.” —Huffington Post“An exploration of family, identity, and the price of war.” —Newsday“A surprisingly moving war novel alert to global violence and politics but thriving on the character level.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Cosmic Commandos
by Christopher EliopoulosIn this graphic novel adventure for readers of Monster Mayhem and Roller Girl, a pair of twin brothers accidentally bring their favorite video game to life—and now they have to find a way to work together to defeat it. Jeremy and Justin are twins, but they couldn&’t be any more different from each other. Jeremy is a risk taker who likes to get his hands dirty; Justin prefers to read, focus, and get all his facts straight before jumping in. But they do have one important thing in common: They both love video games. When Jeremy wins a cereal-box charm that brings his favorite video game to life, villains and all, he finds that he&’s in way over his head. Justin knows everything there is to know about the rules of the game—he read the handbook, of course—and Jeremy isn&’t afraid to try new things. Can these two mismatched brothers work together to beat the video game that has become their life?
A Cosmology of Monsters: A Novel
by Shaun Hamill"If John Irving ever wrote a horror novel, it would be something like this. I loved it.&” —Stephen KingNoah Turner sees monsters.His father saw them—and built a shrine to them with The Wandering Dark, an immersive horror experience that the whole family operates.His practical mother has caught glimpses of terrors but refuses to believe—too focused on keeping the family from falling apart.And his eldest sister, the dramatic and vulnerable Sydney, won't admit to seeing anything but the beckoning glow of the spotlight . . . until it swallows her up.Noah Turner sees monsters. But, unlike his family, Noah chooses to let them in . . .
Cost
by Roxana RobinsonJulia Lambert is a New York art professor spending the summer in Maine with her elderly father, a domineering neurosurgeon, and mother, a gentle soul succumbing to Alzheimer's. Julia's oldest son, Steven, joins the clan as tragic news surfaces: her second son, Jack, is addicted to heroin. Ex-husband Wendell, Julia's distant sister Harriet and Jack himself soon arrive, and intervention is on the agenda. Jack refuses to go quietly.
The Cost of Knowing
by Brittney MorrisFrom the acclaimed author of SLAY, comes a gripping novel, about brothers, grief, and what it means to be a young Black man in America. For fans of Dear Martin and They Both Die at the End. Sixteen year old Alex Rufus lives with his younger brother, Isaiah, in a quiet neighbourhood in Chicago. But recently their neighbours have started calling the cops on anyone who doesn't look like their version of safe. Alex starts avoiding his neighbourhood by taking on more shifts at the local ice-cream shop, Scoops, and spending time with his girlfriend, Talia. But when Alex picks up an old family photo, everything changes: he has an intense vision that Isaiah might die.Alex wants to save Isaiah, but he knows the dangers of the future. How will he protect his brother when the street they grew up on doesn't feel like home anymore? A story that speaks to hard truths about race, prejudice, and the inherent injustice that permeates the world we live in.
The Cost of Knowing (Black Stories Matter)
by Brittney MorrisFrom the acclaimed author of SLAY, comes a gripping novel, about brothers, grief, and what it means to be a young Black man in America. For fans of Dear Martin and They Both Die at the End. Sixteen year old Alex Rufus lives with his younger brother, Isaiah, in a quiet neighbourhood in Chicago. But recently, the neighbours are on high-alert - whenever they see someone they don't think looks safe, they take matters into their own hands, often calling the cops without reason. Alex starts taking on more shifts at the local ice-cream shop, Scoops, and spending time with his girlfriend, Talia. But then, Alex starts experiencing visions of the future whenever he touches objects or the people around him. And when he picks up a family photo, he has a vision that his younger brother, Isaiah, is going to die - he can't tell how, but he knows it will be soon. All Alex wants is to protect Isiah, but how can he protect him in the present, when he knows the dangers of the future? And how will he ensure Isaiah's place in it, when the one place he felt protected, his neigbourhood, doesn't feel like home anymore? A story that speaks to hard truths about race, prejudice, and the inherent injustice that permeates the world we live in.(P)2021 Simon & Schuster Audio
The Cost of Knowing
by Brittney MorrisDear Martin meets They Both Die at the End in this gripping, evocative novel about a Black teen who has the power to see into the future, whose life turns upside down when he foresees his younger brother’s imminent death, from the acclaimed author of SLAY. <P><P>Sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus is trying his best. He tries to be the best employee he can be at the local ice cream shop; the best boyfriend he can be to his amazing girlfriend, Talia; the best protector he can be over his little brother, Isaiah. <P><P>But as much as Alex tries, he often comes up short. It’s hard to for him to be present when every time he touches an object or person, Alex sees into its future. When he touches a scoop, he has a vision of him using it to scoop ice cream. When he touches his car, he sees it years from now, totaled and underwater. When he touches Talia, he sees them at the precipice of breaking up, and that terrifies him. Alex feels these visions are a curse, distracting him, making him anxious and unable to live an ordinary life. And when Alex touches a photo that gives him a vision of his brother’s imminent death, everything changes. <P><P>With Alex now in a race against time, death, and circumstances, he and Isaiah must grapple with their past, their future, and what it means to be a young Black man in America in the present.
Costalegre
by Courtney MaumIt is 1937, and Europe is on the brink of war. In the haute-bohemian circles of Austria, Germany, and Paris, Hitler is circulating a most-wanted list of “cultural degenerates”—artists, writers, and thinkers whose work is deemed antithetical to the new regime. <P><P>To prevent the destruction of her favorite art (and artists), the impetuous American heiress and modern art collector, Leonora Calaway, begins chartering boats and planes for an elite group of surrealists to Costalegre, a mysterious resort in the Mexican jungle, where she has a home. <P><P>The story of what happens to these artists when they reach their destination is told from the point of view of Lara, Leonora’s neglected 15-year-old daughter, who has been pulled out of school to follow her mother to Mexico. Forced from a young age to cohabit with her mother’s eccentric whims, tortured lovers, and entourage of gold-diggers, Lara suffers from emotional, educational, and geographical instability that a Mexican sojourn with surrealists isn’t going to help. But when she meets the outcast Dadaist sculptor Jack Klinger, a much older man who has already been living in Costalegre for some time, Lara thinks she might have found the love and understanding she so badly craves. <P><P>Sinuous and striking, heartbreaking and strange, Costalegre is heavily inspired by the real-life relationship between the heiress Peggy Guggenheim and her daughter, Pegeen. Acclaimed author Courtney Maum triumphs with this wildly imaginative and curiously touching story of a privileged teenager who has everything a girl could wish for—except for a mother who loves her back.
The Costs of Caring: Families with Disabled Children (Routledge Library Editions: Children and Disability #4)
by Sally BaldwinFirst published in 1985, this book considers the financial consequences of parents and other relatives caring for severely disabled children at home. At the time of publication little reliable information was available on the costs incurred by ‘informal carers’, which this book set to rectify. The volume interweaves hard statistical material about money with the detailed personal responses of parents. It examines the claim that disablement in a child reduces parents’ earnings while simultaneously creating an extra expense. The author compares the incomes and expenditure patterns of more than 500 families with disabled children and 700 control families of the time showing that the financial effects of disablement in a child can be far-reaching and pervasive. This book discusses contemporary policy implications of these findings in a chapter dealing with the rational for compensating families with disabled children, and in the final chapter. Although the book was original published in 1985, it references issues that are still important today and, whilst its main concern is families with disabled children, it will also be useful to anyone caring for other kinds of dependent people, such as the elderly.
The Costs Of Courage: Combat Stress, Warriors, And Family Survival
by Josephine G. Pryce David H. Pryce Kimberly K. ShackelfordThe Costs of Courage is one of the very few comprehensive volumes that shed a light on the needs of US military personnel and their families. The authors introduce social workers and other helping professionals to the dynamic warrior culture of the US military and their families and provides practitioners with the cultural competence necessary to successfully interact with members of this culture. This book includes best practices and eclectic approaches that encourage social workers and other mental health professionals to better consider the needs of our military and their families. The text contains the most up-to-date subject matter on social work with military personnel and their families, including thorough descriptions of major conditions suffered by members of the warrior culture in the past and present. Relevant topics such as suicide, sexual assault, veteran issues, and Don t Ask, Don t Tell, Don t Pursue, are discussed. The content is accented with a glossary of commonly used military terms and acronyms.
A Cotswold Family Life: heart-warming stories of the countryside from the bestselling author
by Clare MackintoshDon't miss the powerful and page-turning new novel from Clare Mackintosh - AFTER THE END is out now___________From bestselling author Clare Mackintosh, A Cotswold Family Life is a humorous, warm memoir of family life in the countryside'Insightful, funny, absorbing' Prue Leith'Original yet totally recognisable' Katie Fforde'Sheer bliss!' Jill Mansell'Heartfelt and poignant' Sunday ExpressI have always loved the Cotswolds. I think I loved them even before I found them, in that half-formed ideal one has of where to put down roots. Somewhere peaceful, green, where the road meanders between drystone walls and from town to town, and a strip of blue bursts from brook to river and back again. For 8 years, Clare Mackintosh wrote for Cotswold Life about the ups and downs of life with a young family in the countryside. In this memoir she brings together all of those stories - and more - for the first time. From keeping chickens to getting the WI drunk, longing for an Aga to dealing with nits, Clare opens the door to family life with warmth and humour and heart.
A Cotswold Family Life: heart-warming stories of the countryside from the bestselling author
by Clare MackintoshDon't miss the powerful and page-turning new novel from Clare Mackintosh - AFTER THE END is out now___________From bestselling author Clare Mackintosh, A Cotswold Family Life is a humorous, warm memoir of family life in the countryside'Insightful, funny, absorbing' Prue Leith'Original yet totally recognisable' Katie Fforde'Sheer bliss!' Jill Mansell'Heartfelt and poignant' Sunday ExpressI have always loved the Cotswolds. I think I loved them even before I found them, in that half-formed ideal one has of where to put down roots. Somewhere peaceful, green, where the road meanders between drystone walls and from town to town, and a strip of blue bursts from brook to river and back again. For 8 years, Clare Mackintosh wrote for Cotswold Life about the ups and downs of life with a young family in the countryside. In this memoir she brings together all of those stories - and more - for the first time. From keeping chickens to getting the WI drunk, longing for an Aga to dealing with nits, Clare opens the door to family life with warmth and humour and heart.
The Cottage at Firefly Lake (Firefly Lake #1)
by Jen GilroySome mistakes can never be fixed and some secrets never forgiven . . . but some loves can never be forgotten.Charlotte Gibbs wants nothing more than to put the past behind her, once and for all. But now that she's back at Firefly Lake to sell her mother's cottage, the overwhelming flood of memories reminds her of what she's been missing. Sun-drenched days. Late-night kisses that still shake her to the core. The gentle breeze off the lake, the scent of pine in the air, and the promise of Sean's touch on her skin . . . True, she got her dream job traveling the world. But at what cost? Sean Carmichael still doesn't know why Charlie disappeared that summer, but after eighteen years, a divorce, and a teenage son he loves more than anything in the world, he's still not over her. All this time and her body still fits against his like a glove. She walked away once when he needed her the most. How can he convince her to stay now?
The Cottage at Glass Beach: A Novel
by Heather Barbieri“The Cottage at Glass Beach, an enchanting novel about mothers and daughters on an isolated island, is a romantic, delicious read. Barbieri’s beautiful writing and beguiling world view revel in the realities and the mysteries of the sea and of life itself.” — Nancy Thayer, New York Times bestselling author of Heat WaveHeather Barbieri follows her acclaimed Gaelic-tinged drama The Lace Makers of Glenmara with the resonant tale of a woman who, in the wake of scandal, flees to a remote Maine island to reconnect with her past—and to come to terms with the childhood tragedy that has haunted her for a lifetime.Married to the youngest attorney general in Massachusetts history, Nora Cunningham is a picture-perfect political wife and mother. But her life falls to pieces when she, along with the rest of the world, learns of the infidelity of her husband, Malcolm.Humiliated and hounded by the press, Nora packs up her young daughters and takes refuge on Burke's Island, a craggy spit of land off the coast of Maine. Settled by Irish immigrants, the island is a place where superstition and magic are carried on the ocean winds, and wishes and dreams wash ashore with the changing tides.Nora has not been back to the remote community for decades—not since the summer her mother disappeared at sea. One night while sitting alone on Glass Beach below the cottage where she spent her childhood, Nora succumbs to grief, her tears flowing into the ocean. Days later she finds an enigmatic fisherman named Owen Kavanagh shipwrecked on the rocks nearby. Is he, as her friend Polly suggests, a selkie—a mythical being of island legend—summoned by her heartbreak, or simply someone else trying to find his way in the wake of his own personal struggles?Just as she begins to regain her balance, her daughters embark on a reckless odyssey of their own—a journey that will force Nora to find the courage to chart her own course and finally face the truth about her marriage, her mother, and her long-buried past.
The Cottage on Glass Lake
by Amy PineIn this perfect beach read, a recent divorcee and a woman independent to a fault form a spectacular bond as they move forward and help each other through love, loss, and big life changes—perfect for fans of Jill Shalvis and Susan Mallery. Dr. Becca Weiland had the perfect life—or so she thought, until she learned her husband cheated on her after a decade of marriage. With divorce papers signed, Becca throws her trademark caution to the wind and agrees to an impromptu monthlong vacation at a beach house with Sadie, a woman she's known all her life but really doesn't know at all. Free-spirit Sadie Bloom is Becca&’s opposite in every way, living in the moment and wasting zero energy on what comes next. But the pastry chef&’s nothing-bothers-me exterior hides a fear she&’s not ready to face—one that may jeopardize a future she never realized she wanted. At first, Sadie&’s go-big-or-go-home style bumps up against Becca&’s perfectionism, but soon they&’re bonding over too much Schnapps, a leaky roof, a bikini wax gone awry, and awkward meet-cutes with two of the hottest men in town. Best of all, in getting to know each other, they&’ve gotten to know themselves, and together they find the courage to discover what it really means to live.
The Cottingley Secret: A Novel
by Hazel Gaynor“The Cottingley Secret tells the tale of two girls who somehow convince the world that magic exists. An artful weaving of old legends with new realities, this tale invites the reader to wonder: could it be true?” — Kate Alcott, New York Times bestselling author of The DressmakerOne of BookBub's Most-Anticipated Books of Summer 2017! The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Came Home turns the clock back one hundred years to a time when two young girls from Cottingley, Yorkshire, convinced the world that they had done the impossible and photographed fairies in their garden. Now, in her newest novel, international bestseller Hazel Gaynor reimagines their story.1917… It was inexplicable, impossible, but it had to be true—didn’t it? When two young cousins, Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright from Cottingley, England, claim to have photographed fairies at the bottom of the garden, their parents are astonished. But when one of the great novelists of the time, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, becomes convinced of the photographs’ authenticity, the girls become a national sensation, their discovery offering hope to those longing for something to believe in amid a world ravaged by war. Frances and Elsie will hide their secret for many decades. But Frances longs for the truth to be told.One hundred years later… When Olivia Kavanagh finds an old manuscript in her late grandfather’s bookshop she becomes fascinated by the story it tells of two young girls who mystified the world. But it is the discovery of an old photograph that leads her to realize how the fairy girls’ lives intertwine with hers, connecting past to present, and blurring her understanding of what is real and what is imagined. As she begins to understand why a nation once believed in fairies, can Olivia find a way to believe in herself?
The Cotton Spinner: An absolutely gripping historical saga (The Mill Town Lasses #1)
by Libby AshworthThe rise of the mills is about to change everything . . .If you love Catherine Cookson and Val Wood, you will love this brand new series set in the mill town of Blackburn, Lancashire. ______________________ 'Brimming with drama, heartbreak, love, friendship and the powerful bonds of family' Lancashire Post'Engrossing tale of hardship, struggles, love and family' Kitty Neale'Vividly drawn characters . . . gritty and heartfelt . . . a must-read' Evie Grace______________________Lancashire, 1826When Jennet and Titus Eastwood are forced to move from their idyllic cottage into the centre of Blackburn to find work in the cotton mills, their lives are changed in ways they could never have imagined and their new home on Paradise Lane is anything but . . .Then Titus is arrested and sent to prison for attending a Reform meeting. Jennet is left to fend for herself and things go from bad to worse as she finds herself pregnant and alone - with another man's child . . ._________________________**Pre-order the brand new novel in this heart-warming and uplifiting saga series, A FAMILY SECRET**
The Cottonwood Tree
by Serena MangusCottonwood trees grow throughout North America and play a critical role in their ecosystems, yet little has been written about them. In this “autobiography,” a cottonwood tree tells its life story beginning when it is only a seed in a bed of fluff, floating over a river somewhere in the American heartland, and ending more than 80 years later when it is toppled by a fierce storm. Along the way the seed grows into a majestic tree, spreading its life-giving branches to birds, insects, and animals. The tree recounts its visits over the years by a special human who was born in the same year. As a boy, this human climbs the cottonwood’s branches to watch the river and dream. As a father, he brings his daughter to visit. As an old man he grieves to see the tree knocked down but rejoices when he sees new sprouts emerging from the stump. He knows the tree is not done yet! Captions throughout the book relate the natural histories of animals in and around the tree, and the backmatter offers further resources.
Couch Fiction: A Graphic Tale of Psychotherapy
by Philippa Perry'A gem' - The Evening Standard'Pure book joy. Deep thinking made digestible & doled up with lashings of wit' Bernardine Evaristo on Twitter 'So smart and interesting!' Fearne Cotton on Instagram____________________________________________________________________________Ever wanted to know what really happens in a therapist's consultation room? Bestselling author Philippa Perry (The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read) turns her keen insights to the power of therapy. This compelling study of psychotherapy in the form of a graphic novel vividly explores a year's therapy sessions as a search for understanding and truth.Beautifully illustrated by Flo Perry, author of How to Have Feminist Sex, and accompanied by succinct and illuminating footnotes, this book offers a witty and thought-provoking exploration of the therapeutic journey, considering a range of skills, insights and techniques along the way.______________________________________________________________________________'I loved it. I smiled and laughed. And nodded. One to read' Susie Orbach, author of In Therapy'(Full of) wit and good sense (...) Philippa is a tonic' Rachel Cooke, Observer
Could It Be Autism?
by Nancy WisemanIf you have questions or concerns about your child's social, emotional, or behavioral development, you're not alone. The number of children affected by autism--an umbrella term for a wide spectrum of disorders that includes "classic" autism, Asperger's syndrome, and Rett syndrome--is growing every year. Most children are not diagnosed until they start school. But developmental problems can be recognized in infants as young as four months old. Early intervention can vastly improve a child's chances for a successful outcome and recovery. Could It Be Autism? provides vital information so you can recognize the red flags of developmental delays and begin treatment based on those first signs. Nancy Wiseman is the founder and president of First Signs, the organization dedicated to educating parents, clinicians, and physicians on the early identification of and intervention for developmental delays. She is also the mother of a child who was diagnosed with autism at the age of two, and she draws on her own experiences as well as the latest research to present real strategies. Emphasizing warning signs, she describes the most important milestones at each stage of a child's growth, including things parents and pediatricians often overlook. She also empowers parents to act on their instincts and initial concern, rather than to "wait and see," which is often encouraged. The book explains the steps parents can take to confirm or rule out a developmental delay or disorder. It details various diagnoses and show how sometimes multiple diagnoses may apply. But even more valuable is the information on how to design and implement the best intervention plan based on a child's unique developmental profile. Different treatments and therapies are outlined so parents can explore and understand what may work best for their child, based on his or her particular strengths and weaknesses.Ultimately, Could It Be Autism? is about giving parents hope--hope that they can know one way or the other where their child is developmentally and hope that they can give their child what he or she needs to have the best life possible.
Could You Be With Her Now
by Jen MichalskiThe title novella is a first-person account of a mentally challenged fourteen-year-old boy who accidentally kills a neighborhood girl and winds up running away and hitching a ride with a trucker who is not as trustworthy a companion as Jimmy believes him to be. Jen Michalski examines the dangers of living in a world while having a compromised reality in this beautiful and engaging story.Combined with a Press 53 award-winning novella, this duo shows Michalski's varying skills as a writer. Michalski also edits the online journal jmww, and runs a reading series in Baltimore, Maryland."In tandem, [the novellas] inform one another, their threads entangling, ultimately affording a more complete reading of the collection as a whole." - Nik Korpin, Electric Literature"The two very different styles in Could You Be With Her Now, not only make the case for the novellas as form, but also for Michalski as a wise writer and master stylist." - Baynard Woods, Baltimore City Paper"Jen is an astonishingly sensitive writer." - Adam Robinson, HTML Giant"Stewart O'Nan has written understandingly and movingly about the life of an older woman in Emily, Alone: A Novel. 'May-September' adds to the admittedly limited oeuvre with the inspiring story of a woman who can still come alive through love." - Celeste Sollod, Style Magazine"At the center of it all is Michalski's masterful hand, at once compassionate and unflinching, possessed of extraordinary, aesthetic restraint. What she has given us are two lean bodies of incredible depth and ambition."- Sara Lippmann, [Pank]"This is an admirable and original book. Michalski is a skilled storywriter." - Roman Gladstone, Chamber Four"Michalski is just a damned good writer, and her subject matter is, at the same time, the most common story there is: love. She handles it beautifully, revealing herself as one of the finest writers working today." - Cort Bledsoe, Ampersand Review"Could You Be With Her Now, a book of two novellsa, is one of the most writerly books I've come across in awhile. What I mean is, Michalski gave a lot of thought to how she wanted to write these stories and then executed them so beautifully that the result is a piece of art to be admired as it is absorbed." - Lindsey Silken, Hello Giggles"In both stories, Michalski explores what it means to be vulnerable in modern society, what it means to be invisible, powerless, voiceless-either from mental or physical fraility-but struggling to matter in the world just the same. How carelessness and resentments on part of the family members can inadvertently thrust their vulnerable loved ones into situations that bring unexpected, unwanted, painful consequences." - Rosalia Scalia, The Little Patuxent Review'While "Dinner" feels like a celebration of its form's nervous charms, "May-September" expands on its "state of grace" strengths, lending Now a certain comprehensive sweep; taken as a whole, the book feels like a tour de force statement on how - and why - novellas continue to be written." - Joseph Martin, Baltimore Fishbowl"Together, these works illustrate how so often, we fail to go any deeper than the surface of those around us. Both in Jimmy and Sandra's interactions with the world around them, there is a breakdown of communication, and a failing of those who are close." - Jennifer Ray Morell, Sundog Lit"Kudos to Michalski for giving me ALL THE EMOTIONS. Whether you fall into these two stories willingly, or struggle to catalog and exercise all of the demons you are dealing with as you make your way through, one thing is certain. Michalski will make you feel. And feeling... well, feeling anything feels good." - Lori Hettler, The Next Best
Couldn't Keep It to Myself: Testimonies from Our Imprisoned Sisters
by Wally LambAny book that can give voice to the voiceless should be celebrated. No one feels this more strongly than Wally Lamb, editor of Couldn't Keep It to Myself, a collection of stories by 11 women imprisoned in the York Correctional Institution in Connecticut. Teacher and novelist Lamb was invited to head a writing workshop at York Correctional Institution in 1999. His somewhat reluctant acceptance soon turned into steadfast advocacy once the women in his charge began to tell their stories. Lamb maintains that there are things we need to know about prison and prisoners: "There are misconceptions to be abandoned, biases to be dropped." However, as heartfelt as his appeal is, nothing speaks more convincingly in this book than the stories themselves. Those collected here are disturbing and horrific. They reveal, often in graphic detail, the worst kind of abuse: incest, drug addiction, spousal violence, parental neglect, or incompetence. They're also testimony to what social workers and health care professionals have confirmed for years--that those who populate our prisons are often victims first themselves. Thus, the telling of these stories serves as a form of therapy. They are also sad accounts of the brutalities many suffer, yet few discuss...
The Council of Dads: A Story of Family, Friendship, and Learning How to Live
by Bruce FeilerBestselling author Bruce Feiler was a young father when he was diagnosed with cancer. He instantly worried what his daughters' lives would be like without him. "Would they wonder who I was? Would they wonder what I thought? Would they yearn for my approval, my love, my voice?" Three days later he came up with a stirring idea of how he might give them that voice. He would reach out to six men from all the passages in his life, and ask them to be present in the passages in his daughters' lives. And he would call this group "The Council of Dads." "I believe my daughters will have plenty of opportunities in their lives," he wrote to these men. "They'll have loving families. They'll have each other. But they may not have me. They may not have their dad. Will you help be their dad?" The Council of Dads is the inspiring story of what happened next. Feiler introduces the men in his Council and captures the life lesson he wants each to convey to his daughters-how to see, how to travel, how to question, how to dream. He mixes these with an intimate, highly personal chronicle of his experience battling cancer while raising young children, along with vivid portraits of his father, his two grandfathers, and various father figures in his life that explore the changing role of fathers in America. This is the work of a master storyteller confronting the most difficult experience of his life and emerging with wisdom and hope. The Council of Dads is a touching, funny, and ultimately deeply moving book on how to live life, how the human spirit can respond to adversity, and how to deepen and cherish the friendships that enrich our lives.
The Council of Mirrors (The Sisters Grimm Book #9)
by Michael BuckleyIn the final volume in the Sisters Grimm series, Sabrina, Daphne, and the rest of the Grimms and their friends must face off against the Master to decide the fate of Ferryport Landing--and the world. When Mirror fails to escape the barrier using Granny Relda's body, he turns to his plan B: killing all the Grimms so that the magical barrier collapses. In the meantime, Sabrina has gathered the other magic mirrors as advisors on how to deal with their mortal enemy. They tell her to join forces with the Scarlet Hand against Mirror, in exchange for offering all the citizens of Ferryport Landing their freedom. This final chapter is the end of the road for several beloved characters, but the conclusion is sure to satisfy devoted fans of the series.