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Dealing with Difficult Parents
by Todd WhitakerCommunicating with parents is one of the most challenging and potentially stressful tasks that teachers face on a daily basis. Whether trying to resolve a heated argument or delivering bad news, it is essential to know how to handle difficult situations and establish positive relationships with your students’ parents. In this updated second edition of the bestselling Dealing with Difficult Parents, award-winning educators Todd Whitaker and Douglas J. Fiore help you develop a repertoire of tools and skills for comfortable and effective interaction with parents. The book’s features include: Tools to help you understand parents’ motivations and how to work with them rather than against them; Detailed scripts for dealing with even the most stubborn and volatile parents; New strategies for increasing parent involvement to foster student success; An all-new chapter on the role that social media can play in interacting with parents; and A new chapter on initiating contact with parents to build positive credibility. This must-read book will equip you with the skills you need to expertly navigate even the most challenging encounters with parents, and walk away feeling that you have made a positive and meaningful impact.
Dealing with Difficult Teachers
by Todd WhitakerThis book provides tips and strategies to help school leaders improve, neutralize, or eliminate resistant and negative teachers. Learn how to handle staff members who gossip in the teacher's lounge, consistently say "it won't work" when any new idea is suggested, send an excessive number of student to your office for disciplinary reasons, undermine your efforts toward school improvement, or negatively influence other staff members. Don’t miss the revised and expanded third edition of this best-seller!
Dealing with Disputes and Conflict: A Self-Help Tool-Kit for Resolving Arguments in Everyday Life
by Tony WhatlingDealing with Disputes and Conflict: A Self-Help Tool-Kit for Resolving Arguments in Everyday Life offers accessible and practical strategies and solutions to guide untrained mediators and readers on effective ways to resolve disputes and conflict, across a wide range of dispute contexts. Drawing together psychological and social scientific theories, the author offers clear guidance for managing conflict in everyday life, ranging from experiences at work, with the community or at home. This book defines mediation practice, its key principles, and how it is structured and implemented, and offers practical strategies based on key theories, including Transactional Analysis. Tony Whatling draws on his extensive experience as a professional mediator, consultant, trainer and author, to create this valuable practical guide. Including a toolbox outlining core skills and strategies applied by trained practitioners, the book covers important elements in conflict resolution, such as apology, reconciliation, the importance of listening and concentration, and what to try when disputants do not respond. Case studies from various contexts are featured, giving readers the tools they need when faced with disputes relating to situations such as divorce and workplace disagreements. Exploring the building blocks of dispute management through an engaging and clear tone, this text is ideal for mediators, dispute resolution specialists, volunteers, community leaders, medical staff and anyone embarking on a career in mediation, as well as individuals hoping to resolve conflict in their own lives.
Dealing with Divorce (The Kids' Guide)
by Scott GarrettThis helpful guide will help children to understand more about divorce and why couples split up. Understand how to deal with arguments and stress, or find out how to give advice and support to someone else whose parents might be separating.Topics covered will include step-families; how to deal with arguments; having two homes; sibling issues; emotions and feelings; asking for help.Other titles in The Kids' Guide series:Anti-BullyingAnti-RacismDealing with AnxietyDealing with DeathUnderstanding Autism
Dear Alfonso: An Italian Feast of Love and Laughter
by Mary Contini&“A heart-warming celebration of the Italian family and its cuisine&” from the bestselling author of Valvona & Crolla: A Year at an Italian Table (Alexander McCall Smith). Following the successful publication of Dear Francesca and Dear Olivia, bestselling author Mary Contini picks up the thread of her family story from 1934 in Pozzuoli, Naples, following the commercial success of the family business—Edinburgh&’s acclaimed delicatessen, Valvona & Crolla—and the Dolce Vita of her parent&’s generation. With her inimitable style she shares stories of exuberant family relationships, mouthwatering food and hilarious laughter, painting a vivid picture of life in wartime Italy and Scotland and the decades immediately after. &“Food is everywhere in the book, and it will be a stoic reader who doesn&’t fall upon the recipes at the back from Carlo&’s mother&’s kitchen.&” —The Scotsman &“Food is never far from Mary Contini&’s heart and storytelling . . . may be the perfect holiday read—upbeat, sunny, and easy reading . . . as an evocation of a time long past it&’s deftly written, tender, and true.&” —The Wee Review Praise for Dear Francesca and Dear Olivia &“Touching and inspiring . . . The book bursts with flavor.&” —Financial Times &“A remarkable book . . . a pleasure to read as well as to cook from.&” —Homes & Gardens &“Uplifts and inspires . . . Contini has augmented the family legends with historical research and imagination.&” —Sunday Times &“An enchanting, delectable read.&” —Sainsbury&’s Magazine &“Don&’t miss it: there won&’t be a better cookbook published this decade.&” —Elisabeth Luard, author of The Old World Kitchen
Dear Alyne: My Years as a Married Virgin
by Alyne TamirFrom world traveler, entrepreneur, and content creator @DearAlyne, a vulnerable and hilarious memoir of how she escaped the restrictive expectations of her family and faith and found herself in the process.Alyne Tamir was raised to live her life for others: for her husband, her family, and the Mormon church. For twenty-five years, she put them ahead of herself, repressing things that didn’t fit the neat, traditional story that had been written for her. On the surface, her life seemed picture-perfect. But in reality, Alyne was miserable, struggling to reconcile her flawless image with the pain and humiliation of abuse, an eating disorder, infidelity, and depression.Until Alyne reached a breaking point: the day her husband asked for a divorce—over email. Thank God! Or, not God. Finally free from the expectations of her family and faith, Alyne had to start a new life, which meant rediscovering herself and what she secretly wanted all along: the liberating life of a digital nomad.In a singular voice brimming with honesty and humor, Alyne invites us on a journey of strength and self-discovery—with a little bit of irreverence along the way. Dear Alyne is a one-of-a-kind, coming-of-age story and a testament to the limitless possibilities that await those brave enough to defy convention.
Dear American Airlines: A Novel
by Jonathan Miles“A heartfelt exploration of one man’s psychic deterioration and the slim reed of hope to which, miraculously, he still clings” from the author of Want Not (Los Angeles Times).Sometimes the planes don’t fly on time.Bennie Ford, a fifty-three-year-old failed poet turned translator, is traveling to his estranged daughter’s wedding when his flight is canceled. Stuck with thousands of fuming passengers in the purgatory of O’Hare airport, he watches the clock tick and realizes that he will miss the ceremony. Frustrated, irate, and helpless, Bennie does the only thing he can: he starts to write a letter. But what begins as a hilariously excoriating demand for a refund soon becomes a lament for a life gone awry, for years misspent, talent wasted, and happiness lost. A man both sinned against and sinning, Bennie writes in a voice that is a marvel of lacerating wit, heart-on-sleeve emotion, and wide-ranging erudition, underlined by a consistent groundnote of regret for the actions of a lifetime—and made all the more urgent by the fading hope that if he can just make it to the wedding, he might have a chance to do something right.A margarita blend of outrage, wicked humor, vulnerability, intelligence, and regret, Dear American Airlines gives new meaning to the term “airport novel” and announces the emergence of major new talent in American fiction.“Begins as a scathing letter of complaint from a stranded traveler en route to his estranged daughter’s wedding but quickly evolves in to a personal and surprisingly astute rant about life’s challenges.” —Parade Magazine“Refreshingly snappy and sassy.” —The Washington Post
Dear Ashley: A Father's Reflections and Letters to His Daughter on Life, Love and Hope
by Don BlackwellIn this soul-stirring book, a parent offers support, advice, and honest self-examination as his child recovers from a life-threatening eating disorder. Events wholly beyond our control can sometimes abruptly and profoundly interrupt our life journeys and the journeys of those we love. Often, in the face of great physical or emotional trauma, we become paralyzed by fear and uncertainty. Several years ago, one of those events drove Don Blackwell&’s daughter to death&’s doorstep. Thanks to her courage in the midst of suffering, Don realized that such events can also serve as opportunities for reflection and growth. Taking a step back from the heartbreak of the moment and reflecting on the matters of the heart that surround those events, they can lead to a deeper understanding of ourselves, of those we love and of the human condition. Dear Ashley is a collection of personal reflections like these, and the intimate father/daughter letters used to convey them—shared in the hope that the unique perspective they offer will provide guidance, understanding, and healing when life&’s challenges inevitably come knocking on your door.
Dear Baby Sitter Handbook
by Vicki LanskyThis helpful book will give you peace-of-mind when you are babysitting. From vital phone numbers and a caretaker medical release form to play ideas, bedtime tips, first aid info and more, the Dear Babysitter Handbook provides you important information while you're on the job.
Dear Baby: A Love Letter to Little Ones
by Paris RosenthalFrom #1 New York Times bestselling team Paris Rosenthal and Holly Hatam comes a sweet and inspiring love letter written to the special baby in your life! A perfect gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparents Day, birthdays, baby showers, and more. Filled with loving advice and encouragement, Dear Baby, reminds little ones that the world is big, bright, and ready just for them. There’s no limit to what they can be, where they can go, or what they can do! With the same tenderness as Dear Girl, and Dear Boy, Paris’s charming text and Holly Hatam’s stunning illustrations beautifully come together to reassure babies everywhere that no matter how far they go, they are loved.Perfect for fans of I Wish You More by Amy Krouse Rosenthal; The Wonderful Things You’ll Be by Emily Winfield Martin; Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss; and Be Brave Little One by Marianne Richmond.Don't miss out on these other books from Paris Rosenthal and Holly Hatam:Dear Girl, written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Paris Rosenthal, illustrated by Holly HatamDear Boy, written by Paris Rosenthal and Jason Rosenthal, illustrated by Holly Hatam
Dear Beast (Dear Beast #1)
by Dori Hillestad ButlerA jealous cat really, really, REALLY wants to drive away his young owner's new dog in this playful illustrated chapter book from a two-time Geisel Honor winner.Simon has taken care of his owner, Andy, for many years. He's a good cat. Clean, responsible, and loyal. What more could a boy want? Even when Andy's dad moves out, Simon is certain that Andy doesn't need another pet. So why would Andy's dad adopt a DOG?! To make matters worse, the animal is a rude, rowdy troublemaker.Simon's job is clear: the beast has got to go. He decides to write him a letter. Strongly worded, of course. But when the dog's response sets off an unexpected correspondence, Simon realizes the beast may be here to stay. Can he make room for another pet in Andy's life?This funny and heartwarming collaboration between Geisel Honor and Edgar Award-winning author Dori Hillestad Butler and bestselling illustrator Kevan Atteberry is a tribute to the love of a good pet - and the joy found in new friendship. With nine chapters and adorable full-color illustrations on every spread, the series is perfect for kids transitioning from picture books to chapter books.A Junior Library Guild Selection
Dear Beast: The Pet Parade (Dear Beast #2)
by Dori Hillestad ButlerA snobby cat and a good-natured dog fight over the chance to dress up with their owner in this playful illustrated chapter book series told in letters.It's time for the annual city pet parade! Only one pet can win first place . . . Simon the cat has always hated wearing costumes, so he decides it's okay for Andy's new dog, Baxter, to march with Andy instead. This way, Simon gets to avoid a costume and keep his dignity.But when Baxter keeps the costume plans a secret, Simon changes his mind. His boy Andy needs him! Who knows what trouble Baxter is up to? That beast can't be trusted--and it's Simon's job to save the day. This funny and heartwarming collaboration between Geisel Honor and Edgar Award-winning author Dori Hillestad Butler and bestselling illustrator Kevan Atteberry is a tribute to the love of a good pet. With eight chapters and adorable full-color illustrations on every spread, the series is purr-fect for parents to share with their beginning readers.A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Dear Blue Sky
by Mary SullivanA timely, eye-opening novel showing how war affects families on both sidesEver since her brother Sef left for Iraq, Cassie has felt like her life is falling apart. Her parents are fighting over her brother having gone to war. Her smart, beautiful sister is messing up. Her little brother, who has Down syndrome, is pretending he's a Marine. And her best friend no longer has time for her. In her loneliness Cassie turns to a surprising source of comfort: Blue Sky, an Iraqi girl she meets through her blog. The girls begin a correspondence and Cassie learns that when Blue Sky says "I want my life back," she means something profound, as she can no longer venture out in her destroyed city. Cassie takes strength from Blue Sky's courage and is inspired to stop running away from the pain, and to reclaim her life. .
Dear Boy: A Celebration of Cool, Clever, Compassionate You!
by Paris Rosenthal Jason B. RosenthalCelebrate the good guys in your life with Dear Boy, a #1 New York Times bestseller. A gift to share for Father's Day, graduation, birthdays, or any day you want to honor your dear boy.The heartwarming and inspirational Dear Boy, is the follow-up to Amy Krouse Rosenthal's beloved Dear Girl. Amy's daughter, Paris, and husband, Jason, the author of My Wife Said You May Want to Marry Me: A Memoir, teamed up to create this love letter.With the same tenderness as Dear Girl, Paris and Jason’s charming text and Holly Hatam’s stunning illustrations will make any boy reading this book feel that he's amazing just the way he is—whether he’s offering a helping hand, singing in a choir, or reaching for the stars.…be kind…always trust magic…and pursue your dreams.
Dear Brother
by Frank Asch Vladimir VaginJoey and Marvin (two brother mice) stay up all night reading a collection of funny letters that they found in the attic, which were written by their great-great-granduncles about living in the city, and the country.
Dear Carolina
by Kristy Woodson Harvey"DEAR CAROLINA is Southern fiction at its best....Beautifully written."—New York Times bestselling author Eileen Goudge A moving debut novel about two mothers—one biological and one adoptive—from a compelling new voice in Southern women’s fiction.One baby girl.Two strong Southern women.And the most difficult decision they’ll ever make.Frances “Khaki” Mason has it all: a thriving interior design career, a loving husband and son, homes in North Carolina and Manhattan—everything except the second child she has always wanted. Jodi, her husband’s nineteen-year-old cousin, is fresh out of rehab, pregnant, and alone. Although the two women couldn’t seem more different, they forge a lifelong connection as Khaki reaches out to Jodi, encouraging her to have her baby. But as Jodi struggles to be the mother she knows her daughter deserves, she will ask Khaki the ultimate favor…Written to baby Carolina, by both her birth mother and her adoptive one, this is a story that proves that life circumstances shape us but don’t define us—and that families aren’t born, they’re made…
Dear Cisgender People: A Guide to Trans Allyship and Empathy
by Kenny Ethan JonesA powerful call to arms to empower cisgender people to be better allies, blending memoir, detailed research, and interviews.The trans experience is all too often the subject of fierce debate in the media and online. While we're having more and more conversations about the trans experience, the stark reality is that hate crimes against the trans community have quadrupled over the past five years and that two in five trans young people have attempted suicide. But behind the shock headlines and the distressing statistics, what does it really mean to be trans?In this powerful, extensively researched, and deeply personal book, Kenny Ethan Jones, a trans activist and writer, offers an authentic and in-depth insight into the trans experience. From gender dysphoria to surgery, from being outed to finding love and considering parenthood, Kenny Ethan Jones draws on his own life and the stories of others from the trans and nonbinary communities to create discussion around the complexities and reality of the trans experiences in today's society.Dear Cis(Gender) People is a powerful call to arms, equipping people of every gender with the tools to step forward as allies in order to bring about meaningful change. Through acting and speaking out, we can create a safer, fairer world for trans people-a world in which all of us can exist as our most authentic selves and celebrate who we are without fear.
Dear Dad, Love Laurie
by Susan Beth PfefferAfter her father moves away, Laurie sends her love by mail The scariest thing Laurie has ever seen is a half-empty house, which she discovered the day her dad moved away. The divorce was a long time coming, but that didn't make it hurt any less. To stay in touch with her father, Laurie's mom forces her to write him a letter each week, keeping him updated on everything from quizzes and tests to parties and boys. At first, the letters are a chore, a painful reminder that Dad isn't around anymore, but with every stamp she licks, Laurie finds herself growing up just a little bit more. This remarkable novel, told entirely through Laurie's letters to her father, is a powerful story of divorce and renewal that proves it's not impossible to love someone from afar.
Dear Daughter
by Heather ArmstrongA mother's love is unconditional: There are quiet snuggles, off-key sing-alongs, un-controllable belly laughs, and daily miracles that only a parent can understand. Heather Armstrong first wrote to her daughter when Leta was just eight weeks old. For the next five years, Heather wrote a letter every month, capturing the ups and downs of motherhood and chronicling the milestones and surprises of their lives together. These are letters that we wish we had written for our own children: disarmingly honest, self-deprecating, heartwarming, and irreverently funny. From the first time Leta holds a rattle; to her first steps; to her first curse word; to her excitement over becoming a big sister, Dear Daughter is a heart-felt and hilarious ode to the wonders of parent-hood that will have mothers everywhere nodding, laughing, and wiping away tears. *** Dear Leta, You have changed so much since that first morning you spent with us, a morning that altered my life so drastically that sometimes it still feels like I'm catching my breath. I imagine that I won't ever stop feeling this way, won't ever stop having a portion of my brain dedicated to the thought of where you are and what you're doing, won't ever be able to escape the constant, nagging hope that you are happy and fulfilled. My pulse is forever close to the surface because of you, because of my responsibility toward you, and I can't thank you enough for the dimension that this has added to what it means to be alive. Love, Mama
Dear Diary Boy: An Exacting Mother, her Free-spirited Son, and Their Bittersweet Adventures in an Elite Japanese School
by Kumiko MakiharaWhen her five-year-old son passed the rigorous entrance exams to one of Japan's top private elementary schools, Makihara, a single mother, thought they were on their way. Taro would wear the historic dark blue uniform and learn alongside other little Einsteins while she basked in the glory of his high achievements with the other perfect moms. Together they would climb the rungs into the country's successful elite. But it didn't turn out that way. Taro had other things in mind.While set in Japan, their struggles in the school's hyper-competitive environment mirror those faced by parents here in the US and raise the same questions about the best way to educate a child—especially one that doesn’t quite fit the mold. Public or private? Competitive or nurturing? Standardized or individualized. Helicopter parenting or free-range? Amid this frenzied debate, how does one find balance and maintain a healthy parent-child relationship? Dear Diary Boy is an intensely personal, heartwarming, and heartbreaking chronicle of one mother and child's experience in a prestigious private Tokyo school. It's a tale that will resonate with all parents as we try to answer the age-old questions of how best to educate our children and what, truly, is in their best interests versus what is in our own.
Dear Dotty: A Novel
by Jaclyn WestlakeRosie Benson does not have it all together. Like most twenty-somethings, she struggles to figure out life and soon finds herself following the advice of her late great-aunt through a series of revelatory emails about pursuing long-buried dreams rather than society’s idea of perfect in this fun, highly relatable debut. Perfect for fans of Beth O’Leary, Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, and Sophie Kinsella.“Compelling characters, a page-turning plot, and laugh-out-loud humor…A remarkable debut!” —Stacey Swann, author of GMA Book Club Pick Olympus, TexasWhat’s a twenty-something gal to do when her parents announce a divorce after thirty years of marriage, she finds out her best friend has cozied up to her archnemesis, and she accidentally sleeps with the Wrong Guy? Turn to her great-aunt for advice, of course.Rosie Benson has always struggled to fit in with her over-accomplished family, type-A roommate/best friend, and workaholic boss. But she’s nearly losing herself as she strives to become everyone else’s idea of perfect. When Rosie is abruptly fired from her job at a tech start-up where her boss was way too enthusiastic about synergy and company swag, the illusion that she has life figured out is shattered. Knowing she needs a push, her great-aunt Dotty—a globe-trotting, martini-swilling occasional nudist, and the only person Rosie has ever truly felt herself around—challenges her to pursue a long-buried dream, others’ expectations be damned.But then Dotty dies.And Rosie spirals.As new details of Dotty’s past emerge through revelatory emails from her many friends, Rosie realizes that maybe her aunt’s life wasn’t as charmed as she thought. With her career, friendships, and family unraveling, Rosie must drown out the noise of the world telling her what she should pursue—boyfriend, babies, boss-babe role at a corporate job—and finally focus on what she actually wants.
Dear Edward: A Novel
by Ann Napolitano<P><P>What does it mean not just to survive, but to truly live? <P><P>One summer morning, twelve-year-old Edward Adler, his beloved older brother, his parents, and 183 other passengers board a flight in Newark headed for Los Angeles. Among them are a Wall Street wunderkind, a young woman coming to terms with an unexpected pregnancy, an injured veteran returning from Afghanistan, a business tycoon, and a free-spirited woman running away from her controlling husband. Halfway across the country, the plane crashes. Edward is the sole survivor. <P><P>Edward’s story captures the attention of the nation, but he struggles to find a place in a world without his family. He continues to feel that a part of himself has been left in the sky, forever tied to the plane and all of his fellow passengers. But then he makes an unexpected discovery—one that will lead him to the answers of some of life’s most profound questions: When you’ve lost everything, how do you find the strength to put one foot in front of the other? How do you learn to feel safe again? How do you find meaning in your life? <P><P>Dear Edward is at once a transcendent coming-of-age story, a multidimensional portrait of an unforgettable cast of characters, and a breathtaking illustration of all the ways a broken heart learns to love again. <P><P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
Dear Emmie Blue: The gorgeously funny and romantic love story everyone’s talking about!
by Lia Louis'Sweet, sparkling and heartwarming' LINDSEY KELK'The British Marian Keyes' LAURA PEARSON'A delightful story... You will love Dear Emmie Blue!' JODI PICOULT'A sweet, poignant tale of love and friendship. I loved it' BETH O'LEARY'The new Eleanor Oliphant. I loved every moment' BELLA OSBORNE'Funny, clever and romantic' STACEY HALLS'My heart felt too big for my chest the entire time' LOUISE O'NEILL'Beautifully captures the heartache. Loved it' ANSTEY HARRISEmmie Blue has a secret...A long time ago, Emmie Blue released a red balloon with a secret message hidden inside - and against all odds, across hundreds of miles of ocean, it was found on a beach in France by a boy called Lucas.Fourteen years later, on the eve of her thirtieth birthday, Emmie hopes that Lucas is finally about to kiss her. She never expected him to announce that he was marrying someone else!Suddenly Emmie's dreams are shattered and the one person in her life she can rely on is slipping through her fingers. But what if Lucas isn't her forever? What if her love story is only just beginning...Don't miss the love story that everyone is talking about this summer! Perfect for fans of Beth O'Leary, Josie Silver and Cecelia Ahern.
Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel
by Val Emmich Steven Levenson Benj Pasek Justin PaulFrom the show's creators comes the groundbreaking novel inspired by the hit Broadway show Dear Evan Hansen. Dear Evan Hansen, Today's going to be an amazing day and here's why...When a letter that was never meant to be seen by anyone draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family's grief over the loss of their son, he is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie he never meant to tell, that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend. <p><p> Suddenly, Evan isn't invisible anymore--even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy's parents, with their beautiful home on the other side of town, have taken him in like he was their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his closest friend. As Evan gets pulled deeper into their swirl of anger, regret, and confusion, he knows that what he's doing can't be right, but if he's helping people, how wrong can it be? No longer tangled in his once-incapacitating anxiety, this new Evan has a purpose. And a website. He's confident. He's a viral phenomenon. Every day is amazing. Until everything is in danger of unraveling and he comes face to face with his greatest obstacle: himself. <p> A simple lie leads to complicated truths in this big-hearted coming-of-age story of grief, authenticity and the struggle to belong in an age of instant connectivity and profound isolation.
Dear Fang, With Love: A novel (Vintage Contemporaries)
by Rufi ThorpeA bold, spellbinding novel featuring one of the most fascinating protagonists in recent memory, Dear Fang, With Love tells the story of seventeen-year-old Vera--ravishing, troubled, wildly intelligent--who travels to Europe with her estranged father, hoping that an immersion in history might help them forget his past mistakes and her uncertain future.Lucas and Katya were boarding school seniors when, blindingly in love, they decided to have a baby. Seventeen years later, after a decade of absence, Lucas is a weekend dad, newly involved in his daughter Vera's life. But after Vera suffers a terrifying psychotic break at a high school party, Lucas takes her to Lithuania, his grandmother's homeland, for the summer. Here, in the city of Vilnius, Lucas hopes to save Vera from the sorrow of her diagnosis. As he uncovers a secret about his grandmother, a Home Army rebel who escaped Stutthof, Vera searches for answers of her own. Why did Lucas abandon her as a baby? What really happened the night of her breakdown? And who can she trust with the truth? Skillfully weaving family mythology and Lithuanian history with a story of mental illness, inheritance, young love, and adventure, Rufi Thorpe has written a breathtakingly intelligent, emotionally enthralling book.From the Hardcover edition.