- Table View
- List View
Haunted Greenville, South Carolina (Haunted America)
by Jason ProfitA psychic and paranormalist takes readers on a ghostly tour of the historic city filled with southern charm—and southern spirits. Rumor has it that water—still or flowing—is a medium for paranormal activity. Residents of Greenville, South Carolina, have gathered at Falls Park on the river for generations, so it is no coincidence that this upstate city is teeming with spirits whose stories have yet to be told. From the aggressive spirits trapped in the 1920s grandeur of the Westin Poinsett Hotel to the moans of the wrongly accused Willie Earle, these ghosts have unfinished business. Watch as phantoms of children drift through the rows of Springwood Cemetery and discover what lurks behind the Tiffany stained-glass hallways of the Gassaway Mansion, as paranormalist and owner of Greenville Ghost Tours, Jason Profit, guides readers through the chilling past of this historic city with an entertaining collection of tales.
Fatal Serum: The Truth Will Prevail (Fatal Serum Ser.)
by Sam BlackFrom the author of Avengement comes a gripping thriller of big pharma, government corruption, and a defiant doctor&’s struggle for survival. Ten years ago, doctorate student Sam Abbot created two astounding serums. One could prevent contagious diseases while the other was capable of blocking the harmful effects of air pollution on human lungs. Both could change the world. Shocked to have his miraculous work turned down by big pharma, Sam gets help from a wealthy rogue benefactor to start his own company. But when the drug companies see their profits dropping, they use their influence with a shady US senator to take out the competition. Now, just as Sam is about to go on a well-earned vacation, his wife mysteriously disappears—and Sam is named the prime suspect. Desperate and on the run, Sam must finally confront the powers that have haunted his life if he or his wife are to survive.
The Circle of Fire: In the Midst of the Ashes an Ember of Hope Flickered
by Justina PageA woman&’s true story of rebuilding her faith in the aftermath of harrowing tragedy. In the early hours of March 7, 1999, Justina Page&’s life changed forever when a four alarm house fire ravaged and destroyed her family&’s home. In the aftermath, in addition to the heartbreaking loss of one of her 22-month-old twin boys, Justina and her husband had to cope with the physical injuries to both her and their surviving son. The Circle of Fire chronicles her struggle to overcome the devastating consequences of this catastrophic event. Justina&’s is a journey of discovery—that personal tragedy is not a life sentence to despair, anger, and continual pain and suffering, and that something positive can be salvaged from every agonizing experience, even when your faith has truly been tried by fire.
The Storm That Shook the World: A Novel
by Walter SoellnerThe author of Kalvarianhof: The Perilous Journey continues his sweeping family saga with a novel of adventure and romance in Germany and war-torn Africa. Family friends for generations, Catholic Markus and Jewish Levi—young men newly home from adventures in China—find themselves and their ladies living the last wonderfully romantic days of the Belle Epoch, the Beautiful Era, before the beginning of the first World War in 1914. The two men are soon swept up by the Great War, and find themselves far from the trenches of France, but no less safe in the wilds and on the battlefields as soldiers in Kaiser Wilhelm&’s African colonies. While Markus and Levi risk their lives in the face of betrayal and terror, a new normal exists back at Kalvarianhof, the grand Levi estate deep in the forests of Bavaria. The loved ones left behind struggle with hardships and dangers unforeseen, as the shadow of war threatens their friendships, their families, and their fate.
The Speech: The Story Behind Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream
by Gary YoungeIn this &“slim but powerful book,&” the award-winning journalist shares the dramatic story surrounding MLK&’s most famous speech and its importance today (Boston Globe).On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where he delivered the most iconic speech of the civil rights movement. In The Speech, Gary Younge explains why King&’s &“I Have a Dream&” speech maintains its powerful social relevance by sharing the dramatic story surrounding it. Today, that speech endures as a guiding light in the ongoing struggle for racial equality.Younge roots his work in personal interviews with Clarence Jones, a close friend of Martin Luther King Jr. and his draft speechwriter; with Joan Baez, a singer at the march; and with Angela Davis and other leading civil rights leaders. Younge skillfully captures the spirit of that historic day in Washington and offers a new generation of readers a critical modern analysis of why &“I Have a Dream&” remains America&’s favorite speech. &“Younge&’s meditative retrospection on [the speech&’s] significance reminds us of all the micro-moments of transformation behind the scenes—the thought and preparation, vision and revision—whose currency fed that magnificent lightning bolt in history.&” —Patricia J. Williams, legal scholar and theorist
The Chinese Secrets for Success: Five Inspiring Confucian Values
by YuKong ZhaoGo beyond the tiger mom philosophy with &“a more balanced—and more useful—elaboration of how to apply each [Confucian] value&” (Kirkus Reviews). Today, many American families are facing the economic fallout of global competition, a decline in education quality, the potential reduction of Social Security and Medicare benefits, and high oil prices. The answer to these problems can be found in five inspiring Confucian values regarding career aspiration, education, money management, family, and friendship—the untold secrets behind the rise of China and the success of Asian Americans, whom the Pew Research Center calls the highest-income and best-educated racial group in the US. Based on his bicultural living experience and deep understanding of Confucianism, YuKong Zhao connects ancient Chinese wisdom to today&’s real-life challenges and shares an &“inside view&” of how Chinese Americans apply these values to their lives and make themselves successful in their careers and as parents. Using an insightful cross-cultural perspective, he advocates a balanced approach that combines the strengths of Confucian values and American culture. He challenges many prevailing pop-culture values and offers sensible solutions that are refreshing, distinctive, and effective. &“Will we be able to learn from other countries? Can we take the best practices and apply them to our own culture? I believe we have no choice in the matter if we are to be among the global leaders in the future. The Chinese Secrets for Success is a good start to at least getting us thinking in a productive way.&” —Executive Leader Coach (execleadercoach.com)
Haunted Reno (Haunted America)
by Janice OberdingA historian offers a ghoulish and ghostly tour of this legendary Nevada city—includes photos. The flashing neon lights of Reno harbor a ghastly past. With its wide-open gambling, divorce laws, and around-the-clock casinos and bars, the Biggest Little City in the World was a rough and wild town with a turbulent history. Victims of Priscilla Ford&’s Thanksgiving Day massacre haunt a downtown street. After a disappearance and death shrouded in mystery, the spirit of Roy Frisch still lingers near the location of George Wingfield's home. Lynched by a mob for a death that never happened, the angry ghost of Luis Ortiz still walks the bridge at night. In this book, Janice Oberding unearths the haunting history that put the &“sin&” in Nevada&’s original Sin City.
Haunted Alabama Battlefields (Haunted America)
by Dale LangellaDiscover Civil War history—and supernatural mystery—in this paranormal tour. Includes photos. Alabama is no stranger to the battles and blood of the Civil War, and nearly every eligible person in the state participated in some fashion. Some of those citizen soldiers may linger still on hallowed ground throughout the state. War-torn locations such as Fort Blakely National Park, Crooked Creek, Bridgeport, and Old State Bank have chilling stories of hauntings never before published. In Cahawba, Colonel C.C. Pegue&’s ghost has been heard holding conversations near his fireplace. At Fort Gaines, sentries have been seen walking their posts, securing the grounds years after their deaths. Sixteen different ghosts have been known to take up residence in a historic house in Athens. Join author Dale Langella as she recounts the mysterious history of Alabama&’s most famous battlefields and the specters that still call those grounds home.
Gilded Age Murder & Mayhem in the Berkshires (Murder And Mayhem Ser.)
by Andrew K. AmelinckxThis criminal history of the Berkshires is brimming with unforgettable stories of greed, jealousy, and madness from the turn of the twentieth century. The Berkshires of Western Massachusetts are known for their picturesque beauty, but this history offers a fascinating look at the region&’s dark side. This chronicle includes true tales of greed, betrayal and violence in The Bay State. In the summer of 1893, a tall and well-dressed burglar plundered the massive summer mansions of the upper crust . . . A visit from President Teddy Roosevelt in 1902 ended in tragedy when a trolley car smashed into the presidential carriage, killing a Secret Service agent . . . A psychotic millworker opened fire on a packed streetcar, leaving three dead and five wounded, shocking the nation . . . These and many more stories—from axe murders to botched bank jobs—paint a stark portrait of the inequities that shadowed the extravagance of the Gilded Age.
Haunted Martinsburg (Haunted America)
by Justin StevensCivil War spirits and Appalachian &“haints&”—both benevolent and bloodcurdling—add to the spooky appeal of historic Martinsburg, West Virginia. The quaint streets and mountain vistas of historic Martinsburg conceal specters lurking in its deepest shadows. Situated in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, the city is home to a wide variety of ghostly characters, from the famous spirit &“George&” of the Apollo Theater to a lantern-toting spectral soldier at Boydville Manor. The Lady in Black haunts St. Joseph&’s Catholic Cemetery, while the ghost of a lost girl tries faithfully to hitchhike her way to the former King&’s Daughter&’s Hospital. Many people believe that Confederate spy Belle Boyd continues to surveil the living who visit her former childhood home. Author and tour guide Justin Stevens spins dark tales of otherworldly Appalachian apparitions. Includes photos! &“For many in the Eastern Panhandle, the concept of embracing history and ghost stories is engrained in the culture . . . The historical relevance of Martinsburg has generated a plethora of stories to be told, some of which Stevens hopes to tell on his ghost tour and through his book.&” —The Journal (West Virginia)
Tirpitz: And the Imperial German Navy
by Patrick J. Kelly&“A first-rate biography of this grand admiral who is better known for his political skills than his naval ones.&” —US Naval Insitute Proceedings Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz (1849–1930) was the principal force behind the rise of the German Imperial Navy prior to World War I, challenging Great Britain&’s command of the seas. As State Secretary of the Imperial Naval Office from 1897 to 1916, Tirpitz wielded great power and influence over the national agenda during that crucial period. By the time he had risen to high office, Tirpitz was well equipped to use his position as a platform from which to dominate German defense policy. Though he was cool to the potential of the U-boat, he enthusiastically supported a torpedo boat branch of the navy and began an ambitious building program for battleships and battle cruisers. Based on exhaustive archival research, including new material from family papers, Tirpitz and the Imperial German Navy is the first extended study in English of this germinal figure in the growth of the modern navy. &“Well written and based on new sources . . . allows the reader deep insights into the life of a man who played a very important role at the turn of the last century and who, like almost nobody else, shaped German policy.&” —International Journal of Maritime History &“An invaluable reference work on Tirpitz, the Imperial German Navy, and on politics in Wilhelmine Germany.&” —The Northern Mariner
Provenance
by Robert MoellerA lost da Vinci painting draws a historian into the &“dark underbelly of the art business . . . one heck of a story&” (Tim Sandlin, author of The GroVont Trilogy). What happens when a Leonardo da Vinci masterwork, vanished for centuries, mysteriously appears in a New York City gallery and becomes the center of controversy among New York&’s elite? Sam Driscoll, art expert, buyer, and advisor to the massively wealthy and powerful, is going to find out. Now he&’s navigating a world where huge egos clash, where everyone is looking for the next big deal, and where greed, deceit, and crime are all part of the business. His labyrinthine journey takes Sam behind the scenes of the most exclusive auction houses and elegant parties of Manhattan to the Italian countryside, doggedly pursuing the answers to increasing dangerous questions: who are the original owners? Why has it suddenly surfaced? It is even an authentic da Vinci? And how far will collectors go to find out?
The Radical American Judaism of Mordecai M. Kaplan (The Modern Jewish Experience)
by Mel Scult&“An important and powerful work that speaks to Mordecai M. Kaplan&’s position as perhaps the most significant Jewish thinker of the twentieth century.&” (Deborah Dash Moore coeditor of Gender and Jewish History) Mordecai M. Kaplan, founder of the Jewish Reconstructionist movement, is the only rabbi to have been excommunicated by the Orthodox rabbinical establishment in America. Kaplan was indeed a radical, rejecting such fundamental Jewish beliefs as the concept of the chosen people and a supernatural God. Although he valued the Jewish community and was a committed Zionist, his primary concern was the spiritual fulfillment of the individual. Drawing on Kaplan&’s 27-volume diary, Mel Scult describes the development of Kaplan&’s radical theology in dialogue with the thinkers and writers who mattered to him most, from Spinoza to Emerson and from Ahad Ha-Am and Matthew Arnold to Felix Adler, John Dewey, and Abraham Joshua Heschel. This gracefully argued book, with its sensitive insights into the beliefs of a revolutionary Jewish thinker, makes a powerful contribution to modern Judaism and to contemporary American religious thought. &“An interesting, stimulating, and well-done analysis of Kaplan&’s life and thought. All students of contemporary Jewish life will benefit from reading this excellent study.&” —Jewish Media Review &“The book is highly readable―at times almost colloquial in its language and style―and is recommended for anybody with a familiarity with Kaplan but who wants to understand his thought within a broader context.&” —AJL Reviews
We Were Witches: A Novel
by Ariel GoreThis inspirational &“magic-infused narrative . . . is a moving account of a young writer and mother striving to claim her own agency and find her voice&” (Publishers Weekly). Buying into the dream that education is the road out of poverty, a teen mom takes a chance on bettering herself and talks her way into college. But once she&’s there, phallocratic narratives permeate every subject. Wryly riffing on feminist literary tropes, We Were Witches documents the survival of a demonized single lesbian mother as she&’s beset by custody disputes, homophobia, and America&’s ever-present obsession with shaming unconventional women into passive citizenship. But even as the narrator struggles to graduate, a question uncomfortably lingers: If you&’re dealing with precarious parenthood, queer identity, and debt, what is the true narrative shape of your experience?
Hold the Rope: Having a Heart for the Lost (Faith Ser.)
by Jeff J. Neal Shonn KeelsA pair of evangelical leaders offer sensible, easy-to-follow strategies for sharing the message of God&’s love and forgiveness. What if we were truly desperate to get our friends close to Jesus? Called to inspire others toward personal evangelism, Jeff Neal, a former professional football player, world powerlifting champion, and co-founder of Team Impact Ministries, joins forces with senior pastor and motivational speaker Shonn Keels to create this concise, Bible-based guidebook. Its teachings will empower both young and old to &“hold the rope&” in their daily lives, finding opportunities to guide their friends and loved ones closer to Jesus. With a foreword by Dr. David Uth, Sr. Pastor of First Baptist Church of Orlando, and acclaimed by ministers across the nation, Hold the Rope is a must-read for those seeking to put God first in their lives. &“Shonn and Jeff have hit a home run with Hold the Rope. This book is practical, easy to understand, and easy to implement . . . A must-read for all Christians.&” —Clay NeSmith, Lead Pastor, Barefoot Church, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
The Silent Duchess (Fp Classics Ser.)
by Dacia MarainiThe stunning English translation of the International Man Booker Prize Finalist novel hailed as &“a story of grace and endurance, not mere survival&” (The New York Times Book Review). Winner of the Premio Campiello, short-listed for the Independent Foreign Fiction Award, and published to critical acclaim in fourteen languages, this &“spellbinding&” historical novel by one of Italy&’s premier authors is now available in this luminous new translation (Booklist). In early 18th century Sicily, noblewoman Marianna Ucrìa is trapped in a world of silence after a terrible childhood trauma left her deaf and mute. Married off to a lecherous uncle, she struggles to educate and elevate herself against all convention—and find her true place in a world that sees her as little more than property. In language that conveys the keen vision and deep human insight possessed by her protagonist, Dacia Maraini captures the splendor and the corruption of Marianna&’s world, as well as the strength of her unbreakable spirit, in &“one of those rare, rich, deep, strange novels that create a world so fantastic and so real you want to start reading it again as soon as you come to the last page&” (Newsday).
Hopes and Prospects
by Noam Chomsky&“Chomsky&’s gritty, politically charged essays redefine the nature and practice of democracy in an increasingly unsteady world climate&” (Foreword Reviews). In this urgent book, Noam Chomsky surveys the dangers and prospects of our early twenty-first century. Exploring challenges such as the growing gap between North and South, American exceptionalism (including under Pres. Barack Obama), the fiascos of Iraq and Afghanistan, the US-Israeli assault on Gaza, and the recent financial bailouts, he also sees hope for the future and a way to move forward—in the revival of indigenous cultures and languages and in the global solidarity movements that suggest &“real progress toward freedom and justice.&” Hopes and Prospects is essential reading for anyone who is concerned about the primary challenges still facing the human race. &“A dazzling, informative, arresting piece of work . . . incredibly timely and incredibly thorough, reserving safe ground for no-one and exploring the challenges and problems facing us in today&’s changing world.&” —Seattle PI &“This is a classic Chomsky work: a bonfire of myths and lies, sophistries and delusions. Noam Chomsky is an enduring inspiration all over the world—to millions, I suspect—for the simple reason that he is a truth-teller on an epic scale. I salute him.&” —John Pilger, journalist, writer, and filmmaker &“In dissecting the rhetoric and logic of American empire and class domination, at home and abroad, Chomsky continues a longstanding and crucial work of elucidation and activism . . . the writing remains unswervingly rational and principled throughout, and lends bracing impetus to the real alternatives before us.&” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Empress Orchid: A Novel
by Anchee Min&“A fascinating novel, similar to Arthur Golden&’s Memoirs of a Geisha . . . A revisionist portrait of a beautiful and strong-willed woman&” (Houston Chronicle). A San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year From Anchee Min, a master of the historical novel, Empress Orchid sweeps readers into the heart of the Forbidden City to tell the fascinating story of a young concubine who becomes China&’s last empress. Min introduces the beautiful Tzu Hsi, known as Orchid, and weaves an epic of the country girl who seized power through seduction, murder, and endless intrigue. When China is threatened by enemies, she alone seems capable of holding the country together. In this &“absorbing companion piece to her novel Becoming Madame Mao,&” readers and reading groups will once again be transported by Min&’s lavish evocation of the Forbidden City in its last days of imperial glory and by her brilliant portrait of a flawed yet utterly compelling woman who survived, and ultimately dominated, a male world (The New York Times). &“Superb . . . [An] unforgettable heroine.&” —People &“A sexually charged, eye-opening portrayal of the Chinese empire . . . with heart-wrenching scenes of desperate failure and a sensuality that rises off its heated pages.&” —Elle
Capitalism: A Ghost Story
by Arundhati RoyThe &“courageous and clarion&” Booker Prize–winner &“continues her analysis and documentation of the disastrous consequences of unchecked global capitalism&” (Booklist). From the poisoned rivers, barren wells, and clear-cut forests, to the hundreds of thousands of farmers who have committed suicide to escape punishing debt, to the hundreds of millions of people who live on less than two dollars a day, there are ghosts nearly everywhere you look in India. India is a nation of 1.2 billion, but the country&’s one hundred richest people own assets equivalent to one-fourth of India&’s gross domestic product.Capitalism: A Ghost Story examines the dark side of democracy in contemporary India and shows how the demands of globalized capitalism have subjugated billions of people to the highest and most intense forms of racism and exploitation. &“A highly readable and characteristically trenchant mapping of early-twenty-first-century India&’s impassioned love affair with money, technology, weaponry and the &‘privatization of everything,&’ and—because these must not be impeded no matter what—generous doses of state violence.&” —The Nation &“A vehement broadside against capitalism in general and American cultural imperialism in particular . . . an impassioned manifesto.&” —Kirkus Reviews &“Roy&’s central concern is the effect on her own country, and she shows how Indian politics have taken on the same model, leading to the ghosts of her book&’s title: 250,000 farmers have committed suicide, 800 million impoverished and dispossessed Indians, environmental destruction, colonial-like rule in Kashmir, and brutal treatment of activists and journalists. In this dark tale, Roy gives rays of hope that illuminate cracks in the nightmare she evokes.&” —Publishers Weekly
Defiled: A Novel
by Mike NemethNemeth &“knows how to build suspense&” is this legal thriller about a bitter divorce that takes a frightening twist (Publishers Weekly). Florida entrepreneur Randle Marks has just been served with divorce papers by his wife Carrie. It&’s not a shock. Conniving, loveless, and adulterous, she&’s more of a threat. Randall&’s new startup is about to go global, and the millions he&’ll rack up will be fair game. He needs a master manipulator on his side—someone like attorney Tony Zambrana who&’s already devising a cunning strategy to outwit the voracious soon-to-be divorcée. But Carrie has more on her side than Randle can imagine: outdated laws, shady judges, a dogged detective, and a cutthroat publicity-hungry prosecutor. Not to mention Carrie&’s capricious twin sister, and the greedy officers of the court who are more than willing to pit one bull against the other. To win at this increasingly brutal contest, Randle agrees to become the bait in an elaborate and dangerous trap. But for both Carrie and Randle, the cost of losing could be their very lives.
The United States of Fear (TomDispatch Books)
by Tom EngelhardtThe creator of TomDispatch.com &“focuses on the specific absurdities of American wars . . . strident, passionate, and problem-solving&” (Mother Jones). In 2008, when the US National Intelligence Council issued its latest report meant for the administration of newly elected president Barack Obama, it predicted that the planet&’s &“sole superpower&” would suffer a modest decline and a soft landing fifteen years hence. In his new book, The United States of Fear, Tom Engelhardt makes clear that Americans should don their crash helmets and buckle their seat belts, because the United States is on the path to a major decline at a startling speed. Engelhardt offers a savage anatomy of how successive administrations in Washington took the &“Soviet path&”—pouring American treasure into the military, war, and national security—and so helped drive their country off the nearest cliff. This is the startling tale of how fear was profitably shot into the national bloodstream, how the country—gripped by terror fantasies—was locked down, and how a brain-dead Washington elite fiddled (and profited) while America quietly burned. Praise for Tom Engelhardt and The United States of Fear &“Engelhardt is absorbing and provocative. Everything he writes is of a satisfyingly congruent piece.&” —The New York Times &“A politician&’s worst nightmare.&” —Mother Jones &“Tom Engelhardt is the I. F. Stone of the post-9/11 age.&” —Andrew J. Bacevich, New York Times–bestselling author &“Tom Engelhardt, as always, focuses his laser-like intelligence on a core problem that the media avoid . . . A stunning polemic.&” —Mike Davis, author of Ecology of Fear and The Monster at Our Door
Lessons from My Grandmother: Every Life is a Guided Journey
by Martha MutombaA successful woman leaves California and returns to her native Zimbabwe, in a spiritual tale that reads &“like crystal clear water in an ancient river&” (Robert C. Jameson, PhD, author of The Keys to Joy-Filled Living). After completing her graduate studies in England, Yeukai returns home to rural Zimbabwe to a jubilant celebration rich in the cultural traditions of the Shona-speaking people. There, she receives life lessons from her beloved grandmother—a wise elder holding sacred knowledge passed down through generations. Though impressed by her grandmother's lessons, Yeukai sets them aside to pursue a corporate career in the biotech industry in California. For years, Yeukai embraces a consumer lifestyle, pretending to live the American dream. However, the busy activities of her life—focused on chasing material delusions—hide the emotional turmoil within, until things come to a head. In search for meaning in her life, Yeukai returns home to Zimbabwe only to be heartbroken by the devastation inflicted by AIDS, rampant corruption, and a near-collapsed economy. In despair, Yeukai turns within in search for answers in her life. And the answers start to be revealed—in the deep meaning of her grandmother's teachings and the rediscovering of her own true nature. And she begins to redefine her relationship with the world. With poems interspersed throughout, this novel poignantly captures Yeukai's triumphant journey to the realization that a life of purpose is truly possible if we allow ourselves to be guided by mystic powers.
The Bad Lands: A Novel
by Oakley HallFrom the acclaimed author of Warlock comes &“an elegiac, incandescent 1880s Dakota badlands Western that bears comparison to the greats&” (Kirkus). It&’s 1883 in Johnson County, in the old Dakota Territory—a rugged, wide-open landscape of rolling red earth, prairie, and cattle as far as the eye can see. But the land is closing, the &“Beef Bonanza&” is ending, and the free-range cattlemen are stuck watching their way of life disappear in a blaze of drought and gunfire. An action-packed western from one of the masters of the genre, Oakley Hall&’s The Bad Lands blends roundups and rustlers, whorehouses and land grabs, shoot-outs and the threat of hangings in a tale of the war between the cowboys and the cattle barons. But more than this, it is an elegy to the wild beauty of the badlands before the ranchers moved in, chased off the free-rangers, the trappers, and the tribes, and fenced it all in. &“Readers unable to suppress an unfashionable yearning for a good story will be delighted with The Bad Lands.&”—Larry McMurtry, The New York Times
Rajmahal
by Kamalini SenguptaAn exploration of post-colonial Indian life through &“engagingly embroidered stories that leave us replete and delighted&” (The Sunday Tribune, India). Marriages, affairs, death, madness, and second chances all live within the walls of Rajmahal, an unusual Bengali house that has stood through a century of turbulent changes. Within the walls of this stately home, now divided into six apartments, the melting pot of tenants include Sikhs, Muslims, Brits, Russian-Bengalis, zamindari Bengalis, and Roman Catholics. As different as they are, all face the same struggle to come to grips with the social, economic, and intellectual forces working in India as it moves from the British Raj to independence. In this beautifully crafted tale, the intertwined fortunes and personal battles of these characters become a mirror of the country&’s struggle for possession of its future. &“The encompassing achievement of the novel is its penetration . . . of the life of the post-colonialist and post-colonized living on, somehow together&” (Nadine Gordimer, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature).
Diary of Bergen-Belsen, 1944–1945: 1944-1945
by Hanna Lévy-HassA resistance fighter&’s &“remarkable&” memoir of her imprisonment at the infamous Nazi concentration camp (The New Yorker). Hanna Lévy-Hass, a Yugoslavian Jew, emerged a defiant survivor of the Holocaust. Her observations shed new light on the lived experience of Nazi internment during World War II, and she stands alone as the only resistance fighter to report on her own experience inside the camps—doing so with unflinching clarity in dealing with the political and social divisions inside Bergen-Belsen. In this volume, her insightful diary is accompanied by an introduction from her daughter, Amira Hass, an Israeli journalist renowned for her reporting from the West Bank and Gaza. &“A poignant testimonial . . . Hanna Lévy-Hass was clearly a quite extraordinary woman.&”—Tony Judt, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945