"His tact and pacing, in the individual sentence and the overall story, are beautiful: in his best work, the elegiac is bodied forth in perfectly pondered images and rhythms [...] McLaverty's place in our literature is secure." —Seamus HeaneyMichael McLaverty, one of Ireland's most distinguished short story writers, painted with acute precision and intensity the northern landscapes of his homeland—lonely hill farms, rough island terrain and the tight back streets of Belfast. Focusing on moments of passion, wonder or bitter disenchantment in lives that are a continuous struggle towards the light, these stories, in the compassion of the tone and the spare purity of the language, are nothing short of masterly.With an introduction by Seamus Heaney and an afterword by Sophia Hillan, this edition is a fitting celebration of a writer who has been compared to both Joyce and Chekhov. Views: 25
On an overcast September day in 1993, Jim Abbott took the mound at Yankee Stadium and threw one of the most dramatic no-hitters in major-league history. The game was the crowning achievement in an unlikely success story, unseen in the annals of professional sports. In Imperfect, the one-time big league ace retraces his remarkable journey. Born without a right hand, Jim Abbott as a boy dreamed of being a great athlete. Raised in Flint, Michigan, by parents who saw in his condition not a disability but an extraordinary opportunity, Jim became a two-sport standout in high school, then an ace pitcher for the University of Michigan. But his journey was only beginning. As a nineteen-year-old, Jim beat the vaunted Cuban National Team. By twenty-one, he’d won the gold medal game at the 1988 Olympics and—without spending a day in the minor leagues—cracked the starting rotation of the California Angels. In 1991, he would finish third in the voting for the Cy Young Award. Two years later, he would don Yankee pinstripes and deliver a one-of-a-kind no-hitter. It wouldn’t always be so good. After a season full of difficult losses—some of them by football scores—Jim was released, cut off from the game he loved. Unable to say good-bye so soon, Jim tried to come back, pushing himself to the limit—and through one of the loneliest experiences an athlete can have. But always, even then, there were children and their parents waiting for him outside the clubhouse doors, many of them with disabilities like his, seeking consolation and advice. These obligations became Jim’s greatest honor. In this honest and insightful memoir, Jim Abbott reveals the insecurities of a life spent as the different one, how he habitually hid his disability in his right front pocket, and why he chose an occupation in which the uniform provided no front pockets. With a riveting pitch-by-pitch account of his no-hitter providing the ideal frame for his story, this unique athlete offers readers an extraordinary and unforgettable memoir. Views: 25
A Terran Times Tale
Quinn’s own life after death comes as a bit of a shock, and taking
on a new life with the one man she thought forever gone leaves her in need of
some hands-on consoling. His hands.
Quinn went from Enforcer to Balm of Death in a matter of years.
With her life locked into taking the pain of death from those entering the
void, she had no choice in where or when.
As death claims Quinn after a
sudden attack, arms she has dreamed of for the last two years lift her and take
her Home.
Iskanu has been waiting for the
moment that Quinn breathed her last, while mourning the pain she would be in
before she released her energy and ties to her universe. He sweeps her Home to
bring her back to him and then has to explain the hardest thing in his life.
Two of her years ago, Quinn held
his hand and comforted him while he died. He was now holding her hand as she
woke with the power of the Orb inside her. How would she take the reversal of
their positions and would she agree to her post as his partner and Sentinel of
Time?
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This fascinating reassessment of America's most popular and famous poet reveals a more complex and enigmatic man than many readers might expect. Jay Parini spent over twenty years interviewing friends of Frost and working in the poet's archives at Dartmouth, Amherst, and elsewhere to produce this definitive and insightful portrait of both the public and private man. While he depicts the various stages of Frost's colorful life, Parini also sensitively explores the poet's psyche, showing how he dealt with adversity, family tragedy, and depression. By taking the reader into the poetry itself, which he reads closely and brilliantly, Parini offers an insightful road map to Frost's remarkable world. Views: 25
For those who won’t move on, there is a special kind of madness. Simon would do anything to get Frances back. And even though she’s disappeared, he writes letters to her almost every day, making up addresses and sending them all over the world. He realizes they’ll never reach her, but they give him an odd measure of comfort. However, to his absolute astonishment, one day Frances does reply. Yet things aren’t quite what they seem, and Simon’s obsessive behavior is about to take him on a mad ride that will ultimately mean him paying a very painful price. (80,000 words approx.) Views: 25
Wyoming Tough Ranch owner Mallory Kirk has his doubts that Morie Brannt, his new cowgirl, will be able to pull her own weight, even if she does have spirit. As they spar, sparks begin to fly, but is this tough Wyoming man ready to love? Diamond in the Rough When Sassy Peale meets John Callister, she thinks he is a cowboy - rugged and trustworthy. But he's really a millionaire from a powerful family! John needs to convince Sassy that he's still the man she first thought he was. Views: 25
Hey, Friend--Do you know what it's like give to 100 percent and still feel like it's not--and you're not--enough for anybody? To be caught between caring for an aging parent and raising young children? I lived in that place for four years. Ivy Schneider lives in this place, too, and she isn't at all happy about it. Her husband Rusty spends ten months a year on the road singing in a gospel quartet, and her mom gets sicker every day, requiring increasingly more care and time. Ivy's dad took off years ago but still comes around--for free meals. Her brother and sister are more than happy to let responsibility rest on Ivy's shoulders. Maybe she could handle it all if only her darling three-year old terror, Trixie, would just "go" on the potty. Who will take care of Ivy while she takes care of the world? No one, it seems. Then Ivy runs an ad in the paper to find folks like herself: women of the "sandwich generation," squeezed between the demands of... Views: 25
Can he make her fall in love with him… again? When Pagan Moore proved worthy of Death’s devotion, he was given the gift of getting to keep her. But Dank was never promised that Pagan would keep him.When
a soul is created, so is its mate. In every lifetime those souls find
each other. They complete the other’s destiny. It’s time for Pagan’s
soul to choose if she truly wants an eternity at Death’s side or if she
wants the mate created just for her. Dank didn’t think he had to
worry about her choice. He knew where her heart belonged. Until he
realized that every kiss, every touch, every moment of their time
together would be washed from her memories. He would have to win her
heart all over again and prove to her soul that he was where she
belonged. If only her soul’s mate wasn’t right there standing in his way. Views: 25
Change comes to all; the most painful begins within.Leaving home, the burdens of life, and her troubles behind, Sarah Jane is now part of a new family, a new school, and a new way of life.She finds a true friend and an aunt and uncle who love her. Yet at her school, she is treated as an outcast, and the boy she loves hides a dark secret.When the bully from her past repents, should she believe him? And what of her aunt and uncle? Can they be trusted when she learns of what they hide?Sarah Jane must choose to forgive to find another chance at happiness.But when all around is clothed in thunder, forgiveness only comes ...in the shadow of the cedar.In this historical romance, rich in history, a young girl finds the determination to survive, trust, and love. Re-live the past and the first joys of young love. Views: 25
Journey
“I've never agreed with Chime's need to pander to the Crawlers.” Ande leans past me to look out the window. I follow his gaze, the glow from the two bulbs casting some light over the dark and lonely station outside. “It's time we were independent. The Crawlers are spooky and untrustworthy, say one thing, mean another.” He turns his head, face very close to mine. “They steal kids sometimes, never own up to their promises.” Ande takes a step back, smile returning. “We can just hope there aren't any Crawlers out there.” He waves beyond him, up the tracks.
Before I get a chance to agree, Chime reappears, slamming her way through the sliding door.
“Last stop,” she growls at me. “Everybody off.”
Trio and her friends have escaped the remains of Los Angeles and the horrible Crawlers intent on her capture, finally on their way to New York. But the train they ride offers more threats than comfort, both from the uncertain track stretching out before them to the infighting and open dislike from train boss Chime and her crew. Trio has no choice, her heart and soul pushing her across the country, toward a task she can’t remember and a damaged clone who will call her sister.
** Views: 25
