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Dispatches from Parts Unknown
by Bryan Bliss“The feel-good novel of the year.” —ALA Booklist (starred review)Julie knows it’s unusual that a professional wrestler runs a constant commentary on her life that only she can hear. But grief can be awfully funny sometimes. National Book Award nominee Bryan Bliss delivers a thought-provoking, one-of-a-kind novel about how to tread the line between moving on and holding on. Dispatches from Parts Unknown is for fans of David Arnold, Nina LaCour, and You’ve Reached Sam. Ever since her dad died three years ago, Julie has been surviving more than thriving. And surviving is sneaking into her parents’ closet when her mom is out, since it’s the only place that still sometimes smells like her dad. It’s roaming around the Mall of America. It’s pulling out the box of her dad’s VHS tapes, recordings of his favorite vintage professional wrestling matches.And it’s hearing the voice of the Masked Man in her head, running a commentary of her life.It’s embarrassing, really. Sure, he was her dad’s favorite wrestler, but that doesn’t mean she wants him in her head.As Julie finally starts to come out of the haze of grief, maybe she’ll finally figure out why that voice is there, and how to let it go.
Displacement
by Kiku HughesA teenager is pulled back in time to witness her grandmother's experiences in World War II-era Japanese internment camps in Displacement, a historical graphic novel from Kiku Hughes.Kiku is on vacation in San Francisco when suddenly she finds herself displaced to the 1940s Japanese-American internment camp that her late grandmother, Ernestina, was forcibly relocated to during World War II.These displacements keep occurring until Kiku finds herself "stuck" back in time. Living alongside her young grandmother and other Japanese-American citizens in internment camps, Kiku gets the education she never received in history class. She witnesses the lives of Japanese-Americans who were denied their civil liberties and suffered greatly, but managed to cultivate community and commit acts of resistance in order to survive. Kiku Hughes weaves a riveting, bittersweet tale that highlights the intergenerational impact and power of memory.
The Displacements
by Bruce Holsinger'Tense, claustrophobic, and all too imaginable' Diane Chamberlain, author of The Last House on the Street'A gripping, full-throttle page-turner' Miranda Cowley Heller, author of The Paper Palace_________________________________________An adrenaline-fuelled story of lives upended and privilege lost in a swiftly changing world.Daphne Larsen-Hall has every reason to believe that her life as an artist in a luxury Miami house with her surgeon husband, Brantley, and their family, will carry on forever.But Luna - the world's first Category 6 hurricane - changes everything. With Brantley missing in the aftermath of the massive storm, Daphne and their children find themselves in a vast shelter for the displaced a thousand miles from home, their finances abruptly cut off.As days turn into weeks, the family confronts losses and circumstances they never imagined, and a world that has changed beneath their feet. When tensions in the shelter reach a breaking point, Daphne's resilience is put to the ultimate test as she realises 'normal' will never return - and faces the shocking truths that threaten to tear her family apart once more._________________________________________Praise for Bruce Holsinger's The Gifted School:'More than a touch of Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies' Observer 'An incisive inspective of privilege, race and class' New York Times 'Snapping with tension, this is a book for our times' Shari Lapena 'Exposes how easily a mix of good intentions, self-delusions and minor sins can escalate' The New Yorker
The Displacements: When a storm threatens to destroy everything, where do you run?
by Bruce Holsinger'A gripping, full-throttle page-turner... puts the reader right in the eye of the emotional storm' Miranda Cowley Heller, author of THE PAPER PALACE_________________________________________An adrenaline-fueled story of lives upended and privilege lost in a swiftly changing world.Daphne Larsen-Hall has every reason to believe that her life as an artist in a luxury Miami house with her surgeon husband, Brantley, and their family, will carry on forever.But Luna - the world's first Category 6 hurricane - changes everything. With Brantley missing in the aftermath of the massive storm, Daphne and their children find themselves in a vast shelter for the displaced a thousand miles from home, their finances abruptly cut off.As days turn into weeks, the family confronts losses and circumstances they never imagined, and a world that has changed beneath their feet. When tensions in the shelter reach a breaking point, Daphne's resilience is put to the ultimate test as she realises 'normal' will never return - and faces the shocking truths that threaten to tear her family apart once more._________________________________________Praise for Bruce Holsinger's The Gifted School:'More than a touch of Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies' Observer 'An incisive inspective of privilege, race and class' New York Times 'Snapping with tension, this is a book for our times' Shari Lapena 'Exposes how easily a mix of good intentions, self-delusions and minor sins can escalate' The New Yorker(P) 2022 Penguin Audio
The Displacements: A Novel
by Bruce Holsinger"A gripping, full-throttle page turner."– Miranda Cowley Heller, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Paper PalaceAn adrenaline-fueled story of lives upended and transformed by an unprecedented catastrophe To all appearances, the Larsen-Hall family has everything: healthy children, a stable marriage, a lucrative career for Brantley, and the means for Daphne to pursue her art full-time. Their deluxe new Miami life has just clicked into place when Luna—the world&’s first category 6 hurricane—upends everything they have taken for granted. When the storm makes landfall, it triggers a descent of another sort. Their home destroyed, two of its members missing, and finances abruptly cut off, the family finds everything they assumed about their lives now up for grabs. Swept into a mass rush of evacuees from across the American South, they are transported hundreds of miles to a FEMA megashelter where their new community includes an insurance-agent-turned-drug dealer, a group of vulnerable children, and a dedicated relief worker trying to keep the peace. Will &“normal&” ever return? A suspenseful read plotted on a vast national tapestry, The Displacements thrillingly explores what happens when privilege is lost and resilience is tested in a swiftly changing world.
Disrupting and Design Thinking Education: New Technology, Designs, and Business Models (Routledge-Solaris Focus on Strategy, Wisdom and Skill)
by CJ MeadowsMeadows proposes an approach to the education business that begins with needs, and proposes educational and business models, supported by new technologies. This book takes a design-thinking and disruption perspective on the future of education. Beginning with shocking statistics on cost, time, and lengthy debt repayment, it presents a clear case for disruption in the education sector. It continues by examining future skills in the age of AI, machine learning, and robotics. In this new age, businesses need a new kind of workforce, and workers need to equip themselves to survive and thrive. Drawing upon tools and techniques from disruption and design-thinking, Meadows puts forward new frameworks of education, business, and technology -- all with examples of educators (and learners) already doing it today.This book provides rigorous thinking and practical guidance for professionals in the education industry and budding education entrepreneurs, as well as homeschooling parents.
Disrupting Kinship: Transnational Politics of Korean Adoption in the United States (Asian American Experience)
by Kimberly D. McKeeSince the Korean War began, Western families have adopted more than 200,000 Korean children. Two-thirds of these adoptees found homes in the United States. The majority joined white families and in the process forged a new kind of transnational and transracial kinship.Kimberly D. McKee examines the growth of the neo-colonial, multi-million dollar global industry that shaped these families--a system she identifies as the transnational adoption industrial complex. As she shows, an alliance of the South Korean welfare state, orphanages, adoption agencies, and American immigration laws powered transnational adoption between the two countries. Adoption became a tool to supplement an inadequate social safety net for South Korea's unwed mothers and low-income families. At the same time, it commodified children, building a market that allowed Americans to create families at the expense of loving, biological ties between Koreans. McKee also looks at how Christian Americanism, South Korean welfare policy, and other facets of adoption interact with and disrupt American perceptions of nation, citizenship, belonging, family, and ethnic identity.
Disruptions: Stories
by Steven MillhauserAn exquisite new collection from a Pulitzer Prize–winning master of the short story, the culmination of a five-decade career: work that takes us beneath the placid surface of suburban life into the elusive strangeness of the everydayHere are eighteen stories of astonishing range and precision. A housewife drinks alone in her Connecticut living room. A guillotine glimmers above a sleepy town green. A pre-recorded customer service message sends a caller into a reverie of unspeakable yearning. With the deft touch and funhouse-mirror perspectives for which he has won countless admirers, Steven Millhauser gives us the towns, marriages, and families of a quintessential American lifestyle that is at once instantly recognizable and profoundly unsettling. Disruptions is a collection of provocative, bracingly original new work from a writer at the peak of his form.
The Dissident: A Novel
by Nell FreudenbergerFrom the PEN/Malamud Award-winning author of Lucky Girls comes an intricately woven novel about secrets, love, art, identity, and the shining chaos of every day American life.Yuan Zhao, a celebrated Chinese performance artist and political dissident, has accepted a one-year artist's residency in Los Angeles. He is to be a Visiting Scholar at the St. Anselm's School for Girls, teaching advanced art, and hosted by one of the school's most devoted families: the wealthy if dysfunctional Traverses. The Traverses are too preoccupied with their own problems to pay their foreign guest too much attention, and the dissident is delighted to be left alone—his past links with radical movements give him good reason to avoid careful scrutiny. The trouble starts when he and his American hosts begin to view one another with clearer eyes.
The Distance Home: A Novel
by Orly KonigSixteen years ago, a tragic accident cost Emma Metz her two best friends—one human and one equine. Now, following her father’s death, Emma has reluctantly returned to the Maryland hometown she’d left under a cloud of guilt.Sorting through her father’s affairs, Emma uncovers a history of lies tying her broken family to the one place she thought she could never return—her girlhood sanctuary, Jumping Frog Farm. Emma finds herself drawn back to the stable after all these years. It’s easy to win forgiveness from a horse, but less so from her former friend Jillian, their once strong bond destroyed by secrets and betrayals. But despite Jillian’s cold reception, for the first time in years, Emma feels at home. To exorcise the past, Emma will have to release her guilt, embrace an uncertain future, and trust again in the healing power of horses.Orly Konig's The Distance Home is a powerful and sparkling women's fiction debut novel of second chances, friendship, and healing.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
The Distance Learning Playbook for Parents: How to Support Your Child′s Academic, Social, and Emotional Development in Any Setting
by Rosalind Wiseman Douglas Fisher Nancy Frey John HattieWe are in this together and will get through this together Parent involvement has always been a vital part of any child’s education, but the pandemic and resulting remote instruction require that parents and educators partner at a deeper level. Following the tremendous success of The Distance Learning Playbook, K-12, education authorities Doug Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie have teamed up with New York Times bestselling author and parenting expert Rosalind Wiseman to bring you the consummate guide to support your child′s academic, social, and emotional development in any learning environment – while not overwhelming you in the process. This essential guide will arm you with the tools and insight to Create an environment conducive to learning, establish routines, and most importantly, take care of yourself and your child Maximize the time you spend supporting learning by focusing on what is proven to work best in education Help your child develop the cognitive attitudes and habits that foster creativity, critical thinking, and increased responsibility for their learning Support the development of your child’s social and emotional learning skills, including the ability to navigate social interactions, build friendships, and regulate emotions at a time when they have never been more important to have, and more challenging to maintain The Distance Learning Playbook for Parents outlines supportive strategies for navigating virtual environments to ensure effective and impactful learning that aligns the needs and expectations of teachers, parents, and students alike.
The Distance Learning Playbook for Parents: How to Support Your Child′s Academic, Social, and Emotional Development in Any Setting
by Rosalind Wiseman Douglas Fisher Nancy Frey John HattieWe are in this together and will get through this together Parent involvement has always been a vital part of any child’s education, but the pandemic and resulting remote instruction require that parents and educators partner at a deeper level. Following the tremendous success of The Distance Learning Playbook, K-12, education authorities Doug Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie have teamed up with New York Times bestselling author and parenting expert Rosalind Wiseman to bring you the consummate guide to support your child′s academic, social, and emotional development in any learning environment – while not overwhelming you in the process. This essential guide will arm you with the tools and insight to Create an environment conducive to learning, establish routines, and most importantly, take care of yourself and your child Maximize the time you spend supporting learning by focusing on what is proven to work best in education Help your child develop the cognitive attitudes and habits that foster creativity, critical thinking, and increased responsibility for their learning Support the development of your child’s social and emotional learning skills, including the ability to navigate social interactions, build friendships, and regulate emotions at a time when they have never been more important to have, and more challenging to maintain The Distance Learning Playbook for Parents outlines supportive strategies for navigating virtual environments to ensure effective and impactful learning that aligns the needs and expectations of teachers, parents, and students alike.
The Distance to Home (Penworthy Picks Middle School Ser.)
by Jenn BishopFor fans of Lynda Mullaly Hunt and Rita Williams-Garcia, Jenn Bishop's heartwarming debut is a celebration of sisterhood and summertime, and of finding the courage to get back in the game. Last summer, Quinnen was the star pitcher of her baseball team, the Panthers. They were headed for the championship, and her loudest supporter at every game was her best friend and older sister, Haley. This summer, everything is different. Haley's death, at the end of last summer, has left Quinnen and her parents reeling. Without Haley in the stands, Quinnen doesn't want to play baseball. It seems like nothing can fill the Haley-sized hole in her world. The one glimmer of happiness comes from the Bandits, the local minor-league baseball team. For the first time, Quinnen and her family are hosting one of the players for the season. Without Haley, Quinnen's not sure it will be any fun, but soon she befriends a few players. With their help, can she make peace with the past and return to the pitcher's mound?"Recommend this poignant novel to fans of Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park and The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin."--School Library Journal "A piercing first novel...Bishop insightfully examines the tested relationships among grieving family members and friends in a story of resilience, forgiveness, and hope."--Publishers Weekly"With appeal to both sports- and drama-minded girls, this will make a good book club selection and pass-it-among-your-friends read."--The Bulletin"The life-and-death themes are thought-provoking, but readers may love the book even more for its many digressions."--Kirkus From the Hardcover edition.
Distant Cousin: Reincarnation
by Al PastWho is trying to kill an ordinary New Mexican housewife? It's true that Ana Darcy Méndez has secrets even her husband and adorable twins don't know. One is that her countrymen have accidentally given terrorists a deadly new weapon which they are about to use. As she risks her life to prevent a massacre, the Russian Mafia, the American Mafia, the U.S. Special Forces, the F.B.I., and the C.I.A. learn one more of her secrets: she is no ordinary housewife! "The sense of wonder we all had the first time we watched Close Encounters of the Third Kind is magically reincarnated. Reading all the Distant Cousin books is like playing a movie in your head. This is the way we want life to be. This is the way we want Americans to respond to aliens if they ever arrive on Earth. Reincarnation rekindles amazement. Life should always be like this." From http://iuniversebookreviews.blogspot.com/2007/07/distant-cousin-reincarnation_31.ht
A Distant Dream: It takes courage and forgiveness to survive sickness and war
by Pamela EvansA loving family. A deadly illness. A country on the brink of war. Pam Evans, much-loved author of In the Dark Streets Shining, brings us an enthralling and heart-wrenching saga about the enduring power of love, courage and friendship during the dark days of war. Perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Cathy Sharp. 'A superb and heartwarming read' - Irish IndependentIt's 1936 in West London, and fifteen-year-old May Stubbs and her family have endured the worst of The Depression. Looking forward to a more prosperous future, they take on a derelict cricket pavilion, convert it into a café and general store, and find it quickly becomes the hub of the community. Then May contracts tuberculosis, and the way ahead looks less certain. Leaving her best friend, Betty Lane, and lifelong soul mate, George Bailey, behind, she is sent away to fight off the illness. But on her return to London, she finds things have changed. And when war is declared, it is clear that serious complications and heartache lie in store for them all. What readers are saying about A Distant Dream: 'Where would the book world be without Pamela Evans books to brighten our day! I can't praise this book enough and am eagerly awaiting the next one from this author' 'Not just a wonderful story, but wonderful characters... you feel as though you have made new friends. I always thoroughly enjoy Pamela Evans books and think this one has to be one of her best'
A Distant Father
by John Cullen Antonio SkarmetaFrom the prize-winning Chilean novelist Antonio Skármeta, author of Il Postino, comes this soulful novella about a son and his estranged fatherJacques is a schoolteacher in a small Chilean village, and a French translator for the local paper. He owes his passion for the French language to his Parisian father, Pierre, who, one year before, abruptly returned to France without a word of explanation. Jacques and his mother's sense of abandonment is made more acute by their isolation in this small community where few read or think. While Jacques finds distraction in a crush on his student's older sister, his preoccupation with his father's disappearance continues to haunt him. But there is often more to a story than the torment it causes. This one is about forgiveness and second chances.
The Distant Hours: A Novel
by Kate MortonFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Homecoming comes a haunting tale of long-buried secrets and the twists of fate that can alter lives forever.This enthralling romantic thriller pays homage to the classics of gothic fiction, spinning a rich and intricate web of mystery, suspense, and lost love. It starts with a letter, lost for half a century and unexpectedly delivered to Edie&’s mother on a Sunday afternoon. The letter leads Edie to Milderhurst Castle, where the eccentric Blythe spinsters live and where, she discovers, her mother was billeted during World War II. The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives caring for their younger sister, Juniper, who hasn&’t been the same since her fiancé jilted her in 1941. Inside the decaying castle, Edie searches for her mother&’s past but soon learns there are other secrets hidden in its walls. The truth of what happened in &“the distant hours&” has been waiting a long time for someone to find it.
The Distant Land of My Father: A Novel
by Bo CaldwellAn ambitious man and his adoring daughter are separated and estranged by an ocean and by the tides of history in this “marvelous” novel (Los Angeles Times).For Anna Schoene, growing up in the magical world of Shanghai in the 1930s creates a special bond between her and her father. He is the son of missionaries, a smuggler, and a millionaire who leads a charmed but secretive life. When the family flees to Los Angeles in the face of the Japanese occupation, he chooses to stay, believing his connections and luck will keep him safe.He’s wrong—but he survives, only to again choose Shanghai over his family during the Second World War. Anna and her father reconnect late in his life, when she finally has a family of her own, but it is only when she discovers his extensive journals that she is able to fully understand him and the reasons for his absences. The Distant Land of My Father is a “beautiful” novel “for everyone who has ever felt himself in exile from any beloved place, or a time that can never return” (The Washington Post Book World).“Seamlessly weaves together Anna’s own memories with those of her father, gleaned from the journals . . . An elegant, refined story of families, wartime, and the mystique of memory.” —Kirkus Reviews“Vivid with details of prewar Shanghai and Los Angeles.” —Publishers Weekly“Lush and epic.” —San Jose Mercury News“Remarkable . . . A moving tale of love and the possibility of forgiveness.” —Library Journal
A Distant Memory (Mystery and the Minister’s Wife #24)
by Traci DepreeMISSING IN ACTION WHILE HIKING IN COPPER MILL PARK, taking nature photographs for a stained-glass project, Kate thinks she hears yelling in the distance. She can't clearly make out the noise, so she dismisses it. Soon enough, however, news broadcasts report that Sonja Weaver, a new member of Faith Briar Church, has gone missing from the park. Kate is sure it's connected to the yelling, but the only proof she has is her intuition and clues found in the background of her pictures. Perplexed, Kate sets out to find her new friend with the little information that she has. Meanwhile, Paul notices that Bobby Evans, one of the ministers in town, has grown distant not only from his pastor friends, but also from his parish and his family. Can Paul help Bobby de-stress even when. Kate's stress levels are skyrocketing?
Distant Music: an unputdownable saga set in the glamorous world of the theatre from bestselling author Charlotte Bingham
by Charlotte BinghamFans of Louise Douglas, Dinah Jeffries and Kristin Hannah will love this heart-warming, captivating and compelling post-war saga by the million copy and Sunday Times bestselling author Charlotte Bingham. 'As comforting as a hot milky drink on a stormy night. Her legions of fans will not be disappointed.' -- DAILY EXPRESS 'Outstanding' -- ***** Reader review'Another excellent read by Charlotte Bingham' -- ***** Reader review'These are characters you will really care about' -- ***** Reader review'Very enjoyable and hard to put down' -- ***** Reader review'Incredibly well written and engrossing' -- ***** Reader review*******************************************************************************************WHAT CAN OFFER THE ESCAPE THEY SEEK?The 1950s, post-War Britain: the only people in society who can be said to have a glamorous lifestyle are the very wealthy, the aristocracy, and people who worked in the theatre.Elsie Lancaster is the granddaughter of a hardened old professional actress who runs a seaside boarding house.Oliver is the third son of a Catholic aristocratic Yorkshire family whose mother has run off, so the theatre-mad butler has brought him up like a son to be a Great Actor.Coco Hampton, Oliver's best friend, has been raised in Sloane Street by Gladys, her profligate guardian, who is always borrowing money from Coco to buy more clothes.Gladys and Oliver have been fans of the theatre since they were knee-high, but Coco has only ever wanted to be a designer. When Coco joins Oliver at his drama school in London, to his chagrin she promptly gets cast in films because of her photogenic looks.Meanwhile, Elsie is 'discovered' in the provinces by Portly Cosgrove; shortly before meeting Oliver who promptly falls in love with her. And elsewhere, on location, Coco has her first affair with a handsome actor, which doesn't end well...A colourful cast of characters and a script you just couldn't make up...!
The Distant Shores: The escapist summer read of 2021 from the Sunday Times Number One bestselling author (The Deverill Chronicles #5)
by Santa MontefioreTHE BRAND NEW NOVEL FROM THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR 'Nobody does epic romance like Santa Montefiore' JOJO MOYESPure escapism on every page, The Distant Shores tells the story of a family torn apart, and the woman who will bring them back together. Margot Hart travels to Ireland to write a biography of the famous Deverill family. She knows she must speak to the current Lord Deverill – JP – if she is to uncover the secrets of the past. A notorious recluse, JP won&’t be an easy man to crack. But Margot is determined – and she is not a woman who is easily put off. What she never expected was to form a close bond with JP and be drawn into his family disputes. Shouldering the blame for running up debts that forced him to sell the family castle, JP is isolated and vulnerable. With help from his handsome son Colm, it seems as though Margot might be the only one who can restore JP&’s fortunes. Will the family ever succeed in healing rifts that have been centuries in the making? Praise for Santa Montefiore: 'An enchanting read, overflowing with deliciously poignant moments' DINAH JEFFERIES 'Santa Montefiore hits the spot for me like few other writers' SARRA MANNING 'One of our personal favourites' The Times &‘Funny, sad, poignant and heart-warming&’ Choice Magazine
A Distant View of Everything (Isabel Dalhousie Novels #11)
by Alexander McCall SmithRecently distracted by the arrival of her and Jamie's second son, Magnus, Isabel Dalhousie - philanthropic editor of the Review of Applied Ethics - is anxious. The next issue of the Review is far from ready, her eldest, Charlie, is jealous, and their housekeeper, Grace, has an officious approach to childcare. With some relief, Isabel returns to helping out at her niece Cat's delicatessen, where surely the most taxing duty is the preparation of sandwiches.It's not long before Isabel's helpful, philosophical nature draws her into customers' problems, specifically that of ambitious, self-proclaimed matchmaker, Bea Shandon. Bea has staged a potentially dangerous liaison involving enigmatic plastic surgeon, Tony MacUspaig, who may not be quite who he claims to be - and Isabel's help is required in getting to the truth of the matter. Good-hearted Isabel proceeds with her usual thorough attention to task, and on Bea's advice talks to her friend Rob, a trustworthy regular on Bea's dinner party circuit, and known to have deep suspicions about MacUspaig. It becomes clear, however, that Rob has an agenda of his own and Isabel is now contending with that, along with a mysterious medical condition of Jamie's and some frustrating dead ends when it comes to Bea's predicament. When the truth finally reveals itself, Isabel must conclude that along with MacUspaig, Bea, Jamie - and even Cat - she herself is not immune to misunderstandings, or the neurotic fantasies that arise from keeping secrets . . .
Disturbances in the Field: A Novel
by Lynne Sharon Schwartz&“A more-than-welcome return to a classic idea of the novel . . . A wonder to read&” (Los Angeles Times Book Review). The field is all around us. It&’s our needs and our wants. This is what George tells Lydia. A disturbance, however, is something that keeps us from grasping and attaining the things we need. Usually, we can adapt to these disturbances and move forward. But, what happens if a disturbance becomes too great to move past? In this entrancing tale of loss and understanding, acclaimed author Lynne Sharon Schwartz plots the course of a woman&’s life, through the cycles of love, loss, and acceptance. Lydia&’s early life is marked by calm constants: a house in Cape Cod, a philosophy group in college. These remain her touchstones as she becomes a busy wife, mother, and music teacher. But when her family&’s world is suddenly shattered, she struggles to regain her equilibrium. Will she be able to find her way in such a radically altered field?
Disturbing the Nest: Family Change and Decline in Modern Societies
by David PopenoeDisturbing the Nest assesses the future of the family as an institution through an historical and comparative analysis of the nature, causes, and social implications of family change in advanced western societies such as the United States, New Zealand, and Switzerland by focusing on the one society in which family decline is found to be the greatest, Sweden. The founding of the modern Swedish welfare state was based in large part on the belief that it was necessary for the state to intervene in society in order to improve the situation of the family. Of great concern was the low birthrate, which was seen as a threat to the very survival of Swedes as a national population group. The Social Democrats pioneered welfare measures that aimed to strengthen the family, to alleviate its worst trials and tribulations, and to make possible harmonious living. With the Social Democrats remaining in power continuously until 1976, a period of almost forty-five years, Sweden went on to implement governmental "family policies" that are among the most comprehensive (and expensive) in the world. In view of this major policy goal of family improvement, the actual situation of the Swedish family today presents a genuine irony; some have claimed that Swedish welfare state policies have had consequences that are the opposite of those originally intended. Comparing contemporary Swedish family patterns with those of other advanced nations, one finds a very high family dissolution rate, probably the highest in the Western world, and a high percentage of single-parent, female headed families. Even marriage seems to have fallen increasingly out of favor, with Sweden having the lowest marriage rate and latest age of first marriage, and the highest rate of children born out-of-wedlock. The early pronatalist aspirations of the Swedish government have been spectacularly unsuccessful, as Sweden continues to have one of the world's lowest birthrates and smallest average family sizes.
Disturbing the Peace
by Richard YatesHailed as "America's finest realistic novelist" by the Boston Globe, Richard Yates, author of Revolutionary Road, garnered rare critical acclaim for his bracing, unsentimental portraits of middle-class American life. Disturbing the Peace is no exception. Haunting, troubling, and mesmerizing, it shines a brilliant, unwavering light into the darkest recesses of a man's psyche.To all appearances, John Wilder has all the trappings of success, circa 1960: a promising career in advertising, a loving family, a beautiful apartment, even a country home. John's evenings are spent with associates at quiet Manhattan lounges and his weekends with friends at glittering cocktail parties. But something deep within this seemingly perfect life has long since gone wrong. Something has disturbed John's fragile peace, and he can no longer find solace in fleeting affairs or alcohol. The anger, the drinking, and the recklessness are building to a crescendo--and they're about to take down John's career and his family. What happens next will send John on a long, strange journey--at once tragic and inevitable.From the Trade Paperback edition.