Amazon.com ReviewWith his actor's ear for dialogue, his dead-on pacing, and his talent for social comedy, British playwright Alan Bennett (The Madness of King George) is hardly lacking in literary gifts. The three stories in The Laying On of Hands, two of which have been filmed by the BBC, are funny in different ways. The title piece is a slow-to-ripen satire set at the Anglican funeral service of a handsome young masseur, whose clients turn out to include cabinet ministers, soap opera stars, and the presiding clergyman. The second story, "Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet," describes the odd relationship a pure-minded middle-aged woman develops with her charming chiropodist (podiatrist). And the final story, "Father! Father! Burning Bright," follows a mousy schoolteacher named Midgley through the self-searching and nurse-hunting days preceding his father's death in Intensive Care. The range and subtle coloration of Bennett's humor will appeal, especially, to readers of Robertson Davies and Muriel Spark. --Regina MarlerFrom Publishers WeeklyBennett hits the mark in the title novella of this brief collection, which also features a second, shorter novella as well as a single short story. The funeral of a masseur who serviced British celebrities in a variety of ways becomes the setting for a cheeky comedy of manners in the title yarn, as a young gay priest fails his first big test when he lets the final testimonials turn into an outrageous debate over whether the masseur died of AIDS or contracted an obscure disease while traveling in South America. The punch line falls flat in the second effort, "Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet," when a woman finds a mutual outlet for her unusual sexual fetish in her ongoing appointments with her podiatrist. The final novella, "Father! Father! Burning Bright," gets off to a murky start as a married, middle-aged schoolteacher struggles to sort through his mixed emotions when a stroke leaves his father at death's door, but the ending, involving the teacher's strange attraction to his father's comely nurse, closes the narrative with a nice satiric twist. Bennett's multileveled approach makes the title story work, as he slowly layers his conceit with observations on the celebrity scene in Britain and the priest's recollections of his romantic interaction with the deceased. Unfortunately, the quality of craft drops significantly in the other two efforts, with the second novella in particular focusing more on manners than comedy.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Views: 146
'I have never looked into my sister's eyes. I have never bathed alone. I have never stood in the grass at night and raised my arms to a beguiling moon. I've never used an aeroplane bathroom. Or worn a hat. Or been kissed like that...So many things I've never done, but oh, how I've been loved. And, if such things were to be, I'd live a thousand times as me, to be loved so exponentially' The girls, Rose and Ruby Darlen, were both joined at the head (craniopagus twins) in a rural farming community in 1974. Abandoned by their frightened teenage mother, they are adopted by the eccentric nurse who attended their birth, and her husband, a gentle immigrant butcher. The sisters attempt to lead a normal life, but can't help being extraordinary. Now almost thirty, Rose and Ruby are on the verge of becoming the oldest living craniopagus twins in history. Rose has a passion for writing, and The Girls is her version of life as a conjoined twin. Rose and Ruby are attached at the head, but their struggles and triumphs remind us that connection is central to us all. Views: 146
Set in 1969 on the shores of the Albemarle Sound, April Harrington has fond memories of summers at her family home, Bliss. After her fairytale wedding disintegrates, it becomes her refuge—the one place where she can attempt to pull the unraveling threads of her life back together. Unbeknownst to April, the stately house has been neglected in recent years. The once-sturdy roof is leaking in a few dozen places, and the wharf is rotting. Nothing is the same as she remembers. Nothing except for Hale, a Viet Nam pilot who is haunted by a dreadful secret, and who is also her brother's best friend, a brother killed in the conflict that is tearing the country apart.In Hale's presence, April finds familiarity and solace. They share grief for a lost loved one, and from the comfort of Hale's arms, passion blooms. Yet, April's future is unresolved. Her wealthy, arrogant almost-bridegroom wants her back and the ghosts of Viet Nam are whispering to Hale. Can they find new love in an old... Views: 146
In the history of New York City's underworld, there have been a host of criminal figures whose exploits have gone on to inspire. Their stories are told on street corners and in back alleys. One of them is Jonas Rafferty, known among friends and enemies alike as Wrath.Jonas, the only boy in a family of four children, came into the world under less than favorable conditions, and he has always been a fighter. From the neighborhood bullies to the stepfather who uses him and his siblings as punching bags, his life has always been one battle after another. At night, he would lay awake and dream of rising above his circumstances, and when he crosses paths with rogue homicide detective Louis "Lou" Ceavers, he's offered a bargain that will change the course of his life.Detective Ceavers becomes like a guardian angel and surrogate father to Jonas, teaching him the game and guiding him in his quest for power. In a short time, Jonas goes from errand boy and street muscle to one of the... Views: 146
This special anthology features the very best stories about cats and dogs from the world of children's literature, chosen by bestselling author and Battersea Cats and Dogs Home patron Jacqueline Wilson. Includes a brand new story by Jacqueline herself, Leonie's Pet Cat, as well as extracts from treasured classics such as The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith and Gobbolino the Witch's Cat by Ursula Moray Williams, and from modern favourite writers such as Anne Fine and Patrick Ness. The book also features personal new pieces from many authors about their own treasured pets, with contributions from Michael Morpurgo, Philip Pullman, Malorie Blackman and more. This is a collection to enjoy and share for many years. For every copy sold, a significant donation will be made to Battersea Cats and Dogs Home.;This special anthology features the very best stories about cats and dogs from the world of... Views: 146
He has chosen a chaste life, but he's never been tempted like this...Callum has two childhood memories: a stone cross, and the wanton behaviour of his mother, memories that drive him to a take a vow of celibacy at the age of fourteen. Now twenty-four, Callum takes leave from his laird for a year to find the source of these memories and, hopefully, his origins. Weary of finding nothing but disappointment and sorrow at every Kirk and Spital he visits, and with his allotted time fast running out, Cal is compelled to escort a dying man's daughter south to Restenneth Priory. But he never expects the dark-haired woman's hope and determination to tempt him to recant his oath or to make him question everything he believes in.At the tender age of six, Isla Beaton learned a hard lesson about never giving up despite the challenges and grief that might come her way. Now orphaned and alone at nineteen, she has discarded her girlhood dreams of a love-match in marriage, but... Views: 146
SUMMARY:
The Convalescent is the story of a small, bearded man selling meat out of a bus parked next to a stream in suburban Virginia . . . and also, somehow, the story of 10,000 years of Hungarian history. Jessica Anthony, the inaugural winner of the Amanda Davis Highwire Fiction Award, makes an unforgettable debut with an unforgettable hero: Rovar Ákos Pfliegman — unlikely bandit, unloved lover, and historian of the unimportant. Views: 146
When victims of a new serial killer are found in backyards, the FBI knows they will need the assistance of a K9 to unravel the mystery. FBI Special Agent Faith Bold, haunted by her encounter with a serial killer, is ready to retire—until Turk, a K9 German Shepherd comes into her life, ready to walk into the depths of darkness beside her to protect Faith—and to help save the next victim—before it is too late."A masterpiece of thriller and mystery."—Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐SO COLD is Book #2 in a long-anticipated new series by #1 bestseller and USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose bestseller Once Gone (a free download) has received over 7,000 five star ratings and reviews.FBI Special Agent Faith Bold doesn't believe she can ever return to the force after the trauma she's been through. Suffering from past demons, she feels unfit for duty and content to retire—until Turk walks into her life.Turk, a former... Views: 146
The reader favorite story of a boss's big surprise from #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Maya Banks, originally published as The Tycoon's Secret Affair in 2009.It was only supposed to be a vacation romance: passionate, exciting—and short-lived. But when Jewel Henley arrived for her first day of work at a new job, she realized her exotic lover was in fact Piers Anetakis, her boss. A boss who had a strict rule about not getting involved with his employees. Before she knew it, Jewel found herself without a job...and pregnant.Now, five months later, Piers finally tracks down his one-night lover. Determined to explain the mistakes he made, he is confronted with an undeniable truth: Jewel is carrying his child. The only honorable solution is to marry. Yet is there more between them than lust? Because attentive as he is, Jewel knows he still doesn't trust her. And until he does, all they have...is an affair."Top Pick!...An extraordinarily moving... Views: 146
