When people knocked on wood for good luck, Arthur Koehler actually knew why. He could explain the superstition dating back to ancient times when trees were held to be deities of the forest and simply tapping on them would invoke the aid of those higher powers to ward off evils
Koehler knew every tree in the world was distinct, just like every person. As he liked to say, "A tree never lies."And so the revelation came.He
began to write to his best contact, his superior at the New Jersey State Police, Capt. J.J. Lamb, the man leading the Lindbergh baby kidnapping investigation. He wanted to remind him of the original report he'd conducted on the ladder a year and a half earlier.Before there was CSI and NCIS, there was a mild-mannered forensic scientist whose diligence would help solve the twentieth century's greatest crime. Arthur Koehler was called the Sherlock Holmes of his era for his work tracing... Views: 11
"Marian couldn't see the woman's eyes behind her glasses, and was filled with panic. That bosom was not for comfort. Not for Marian. She, Marian, was here so that this woman, this psychologist, could expose her failure to be a proper mother." Her son's actions shatter Marian's life. As the days pass she is haunted by layers of grief rising like the salt of the degraded earth. Marian's everyday heroism, her earthy humour and innate honesty, sustain her as she confronts her own tragedy and sees beyond it to other moral dilemmas of white Australian life - racism, environmental damage. This novel has its roots in an ancient landscape - the dry farming country around Koikyennuruff (Stirling Ranges) in the south of Western Australia. It is the story of a journey from the country to the city and back again, a journey that will change Marian forever. "The First Week" won the Wakefield Press Unpublished Manuscript Award at Adelaide Writers' Week. Views: 11
Sara McKenna longs for a career in television--far away from the violence of her Fire witch heritage. But when her father is struck down through a typically savage stroke of fate, Sara is summoned home by her father's second-in-command--her childhood rival, Fire witch Brent Conley.
Brent failed to protect the only man he's ever respected. He refuses to fail his former priest's haughty daughter. Sara must produce a pure-blooded child to continue their coven's line, and Brent intends to personally see to that duty.
Although Sara will fulfill her duty, she has every intention of returning to her media career, without letting Brent steal her heart. But when Brent sees Sara again, he realizes just how much he's missed her--and how much he wants her to stay. Will Brent be forced to free the one thing he's always wanted to possess? Views: 11
'Napoleon's legend is so persistent that it confounds the historical reality in the popular imagination. He himself contributed much towards the construction of his own myth, from his youth even until after he fell from power, when, while in exile, he dictated his memoirs to a group of disciples who took down his every word in the hope that his version of history would prevail. Such were Napoleon's skills as a chronicler that much of the legend is still unquestioningly accepted...'This second volume of Philip Dwyer's outstanding biography sheds further fresh light on one of the great figures of modern history. After a meteoric rise, a military-political coup in 1799 established Napoleon Bonaparte in government, aged just thirty. This meticulously researched study examines the man in power, from his brooding obsessions and capacity for violence, to his ability to inspire others and realise his visionary ideas. One of the first truly modern politicians, Napoleon ... Views: 11
From a widely admired author, a poignant novel about homecoming, friendship, growing up, and growing old for fans of Richard Ford and Richard Russo In this finely wrought portrait of western American life, Ron Carlson takes us to the small town of Oakpine, Wyoming, and into the lives of four men trying to make peace with who they are in the world. In high school, these men were in a band. One of them, Jimmy, left Oakpine for New York City after the tragic death of his brother. A successful novelist, he has returned thirty years later, in 1999—because he is dying.With Carlson’s characteristic grace, we learn what has become of these friends and the different directions of their lives. Craig and Frank never left; Mason, a top lawyer in Denver, is back in town to fix up and sell his parents’ house. Now that they are reunited, getting the band back together might be the most important thing they can do.Return to Oakpine is a generous, tender look at friendship, family, and the roads not taken, by a writer at the peak of his craft. ** Views: 11
