Introduced by Donald Smith.Set in Rome during Nero's reign of terror, The Blood of the Martyrs is a disciplined historical novel tracing the destruction of one cell of the early church. With a cast of slaves, ordinary Roman people, exiles and entertainers, it is thorough in its historical interpretation and in its determination to make the past accessible and readable.Written in 1938-9, the novel contains many symbolic parallels to the rise of European fascism in the 1930s and the desperate plight of persecuted minorities such as the Jews and the left-wing activists with whom Naomi Mitchison personally campaigned at the time. With the invasion of Britain a real possibility, she felt compelled to write a testament to the power of human solidarity which, even faced with death, can overcome the worst that human evil can achieve.The Blood of the Martyrs is the least autobiographical of Mitchison's major works of fiction, yet, with its implicit credo, is her most... Views: 66
A modern-day single mother creates a to-do list to fix the mess she's made of her life. Will she realize the only way to truly grow is to let go of her own plans and listen to God? Views: 66
A gorgeous, piercing memoir of two families linked through betrayal - and of the fierce childhood will to survive in them.'(Alison's) haunting story is one that truly compels telling ... Pointed and poignant, sprinkled with breathtaking intuitions ... an act of bravery.' - ElleWhen Jane Alison was a child, her family met another that seemed like its mirror: a father in the Foreign Service, a beautiful mother, and two little girls, the younger two - one of them Jane - sharing a birthday.With so much in common, the two families became almost instantly inseparable. Within months, affairs had ignited between the adults, and before long the pairs had exchanged partners - divorced, remarried, and moved on. As if in a cataclysm of nature, two families were ripped asunder, and two new ones were formed. Two pairs of girls were left in shock, a 'silent, numb shock, like a crack inside stone, not enough to split it but inside, quietly fissuring'. And Jane and her... Views: 66
Reissue of the classic tale of adventure and death on a mysterious Arctic island, from the acclaimed master of action and suspense.A converted fishing trawler, Morning Rose carries a movie-making crew across the Barents Sea to isolated Bear Island, well above the Arctic Circle, for some on-location filming, but the script is a secret known only to the producer and screenwriter. En route, members of the movie crew and ship's company begin to die under mysterious circumstances. The crew's doctor, Marlowe, finds himself enmeshed in a violent, multi-layered plot in which very few of the persons aboard are whom they claim to be. Marlowe's efforts to unravel the plot become even more complicated once the movie crew is deposited ashore on Bear Island, beyond the reach of the law or outside help. The murders continue ashore, and Marlowe, who is not what he seems to be either, discovers they may be related to some forgotten events of the Second World War. Views: 66
An exciting collection of poems by Wislawa Szymborska. When Here was published in Poland, reviewers marveled, “How is it that she keeps getting better?” These twenty-seven poems, as rendered by prize-winning translators Clare Cavanagh and Stanislaw Baranczak, are among her greatest ever. Whether writing about her teenage self, microscopic creatures, or the upsides to living on Earth, she remains a virtuoso of form, line, and thought.From the title poem:I can’t speak for elsewhere,but here on Earth we’ve got a fair supply of everything.Here we manufacture chairs and sorrows,scissors, tenderness, transistors, violins, teacups, dams, and quips . . .Like nowhere else, or almost nowhere,you’re given your own torso here,equipped with the accessories requiredfor adding your own children to the rest.Not to mention arms, legs, and astonished head.From BooklistNo reader, not even poetry-phobes, should miss the bright revelations of Nobel laureate Szymborska. A Polish poet influenced by Czeslaw Milosz and annealed in her country’s suffering during WWII and Stalinsim, Szymborska writes pithy, mischievous, and wise poems that disarm, delight, and enlighten in a flash even as they illuminate hidden dimensions of existence. The poet marvels over the intricacy, immensity, secrecy, and vigor of life. In Microcosmos, she considers the miniscule entities a microscope reveals and wonders if they even know they are––or aren’t. In Thoughts That Visit Me on Busy Streets, Szymborska ponders nature’s recycling of faces, so that a passerby might be . . . some pharaoh with briefcase and glasses. She writes of her teenage self, the earth’s astounding bounty, accidents, nature’s innocence, and time. Szymborska is sharply ironic and lithely philosophical, pondering the phenomenal precision of dreams and the elusiveness of meaning. The neat, prancing lyrics collected in this slender, piercing book are delectable and profound. --Donna Seaman Review"No reader, not even poetry-phobes, should miss the bright revelations of Nobel laureate Szymborska. [...] Syzmborska is sharply ironic and lithely philosophical, pondering the phenomenal precision of dreams and the elusiveness of meaning. The neat, prancing lyrics collected in this slender, piercing book are delectable and profound." --Booklist Views: 66
