A lyrically intense novel about war and the Mafia, innocence and corruption, and history as an accumulation of the irrevocable.Set mostly in Sicily during the Second World War, In the Wolf's Mouth tells the story of an attempt to reconstruct a country after violent conflict through the eyes of several characters. Will Walker, an English Field Security Officer, attempts mastery of the great game of intelligence and intervention. Ray Marfione, an Italian-American infantryman, experiences the thought-shattering trauma of battle and slowly, in hiding, with the aid of a Sicilian Princess, attempts the long return to life. Cirò Albanese is a Mafioso who has enjoyed a long, productive exile in New York during the years of Italian Fascism. He returns to reclaim his old life, including the wife who had thought him killed long ago. With friends released from prison and the unwitting aid of the Allies, he works to re-establish the Mafia's hold on Sicily.Written in... Views: 62
In this classic crack-up of a book, Dave Barry gives his wacky perspective on sex, childbirth, parenting and other forms of slow, cruel torture. In Babies and Other Hazards of Sex , Dave exposes natural childbirth for what it is: a pop phenomenon of the 1960s that, along with paisley bell-bottoms and creative sideburns, deserves a rest. He examines the new federal law requiring prospective fathers to free themselves from their self-made macho prisons—to laugh, cry, love and just generally behave like certified wimps. Dave also reveals, for the first time in print, the secret chant for painless childbirth. Then learn why no secret chant could possibly take a woman’s mind off the fact that she is in such pain that she wants a gigantic comet to crash into the earth and kill her and her husband and the doctor and the nurses and everyone else in the world. Views: 62
A young girl's life changes forever when she investigates a mystery with the help of writers, artists, and musicians in 1920s HarlemBessie Coulter has no idea why her father spirits her and her brother, Eddie, away from their home in Burlington, North Carolina, in the middle of the night, leaving their sick mother behind. But from the moment she steps off the train at Grand Central Station, she's captivated by this teeming, colorful city that's both scary and exciting. Although Harlem is a thrilling place, Bessie misses her mother and can't get used to living with her two aunts. She's lonely and homesick, especially when her father begins going out with a beautiful, well-dressed woman. Desperate to find out what's going on, Bessie launches an investigation that takes Eddie and her into a world of artists, jazz musicians, and writers, in search of a strange place called the Dark Tower. With the help of their next-door neighbor Lillian Moore and a... Views: 62
From the bestselling author of The Paris Model comes another breathtaking story of glamour, romance and espionage. Success would depend on taking a dangerous risk.When Blaise Hill, a feisty young journalist from one of Sydney's toughest neighbourhoods, is dispatched to London at the dawn of the swinging sixties to report on Princess Margaret's controversial marriage to an unconventional photographer, she is drawn into an elite realm of glamour and intrigue.As the nation faces an explosive upheaval, Blaise must grapple with a series of shocking scandals at the pinnacle of British society. Yet, haunted by a threat from her past and torn between two very different men, who can she trust in a world of hidden motives and shifting alliances? If she makes the wrong choice, she will lose everything.Inspired by real events, The Royal Correspondent is a compelling story of love and betrayal, family secrets and conspiracy that takes you from the... Views: 62
Elizabeth and her brother live on a farm for a summer—and learn a whole new way of living and dreaming Elizabeth likes to invent stories. When she travels to her uncle's farm for a summer, she starts by making up new names for herself and her younger brother: "Geeder" and "Toeboy." As "Geeder" explores the farm on her own and with her brother, she encounters mysteries that capture her imagination, among them a tall, proud woman who looks just like an African queen that Elizabeth has read about in a magazine. Elizabeth spins tales about the people and places around her, but she comes to realize that sometimes the truth is more interesting than make-believe. Views: 62
London 1899. Gertrude Melrose is preparing for a New Year party when her brother enters her room. She knows he wants money from her and refuses at once. She loves her brother but he is in with a disreputable crowd and losing heavily at the gaming tables. He has already gambled away his inheritance and she cannot allow him to do that with hers. A few days later the Melrose family are devastated when demands are made on them to settle Edward's huge debts. It will mean the loss of their house and almost everything they own. Edward is disowned by his father and banished from their lives. Views: 62
Tidal Effects is the sequel to the alternate history Gray Tide in the East which described how Germany and its allies defeated France and Russia in the Great European War of 1914-1915, and emerged as the dominant power in Europe. As a result of this war, Germany acquired the former French colony of Martinique, and this gives rise to the events recounted in the first story in this sequel, High Tide. The year is 1923, and the U.S. has discovered that Germany is secretly building a new naval base on Martinique which threatens American interests in the Western Hemisphere and comes perilously close to violating the Monroe Doctrine. From Washington, Berlin and London, and from the bridges of warships, follows the ensuing Martinique Crisis which threatens to bring about war between Imperial Germany and the United States is played out. In the second story, Rip-Tide, Emperor Charles of Austria-Hungary sees his empire gradually falling under the influence of Germany, and is looking for a way to escape from the Triple Alliance. He and his Prime Minister hatch a scheme to form a new alliance system with France, Great Britain and the U.S. to counter Germany. But the proposed alliance must be kept secret for as long as possible, and he cannot use his spy-riddled diplomatic service to transmit his proposed new treaty. But there still may be a way, if they can enlist a certain American journalist to be the courier of the treaty. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Emperor Charles, Kaiser Wilhelm is secretly fomenting unrest in the Hungarian half of the Empire for his own reasons, threatening the very existence of the already unstable Dual Monarchy. The story unfolds in the halls of power in Paris, Washington, Vienna and Berlin, and on the streets of Budapest, moving from secret diplomacy to mass marches and bloody revolution.All of these events are seen through through the eyes of real people drawn from history, and based on thorough historical research Views: 62
Garnet Havelock was always a bit different from other guys. He never quite fit in and he was okay with that. Now, in his final year of high school, he’s just marking time, waiting to get out into the real world. When a mysterious girl transfers to his school Garnet thinks he might have found the girl of his dreams, if only he could get her to talk to him.As Garnet struggles to win over one girl, another girl is trying to get his attention – unfortunately she lived over 150 years ago. Garnet becomes fascinated by her history and that of the black community she belonged to. As he draws closer to the truth, he uncovers a horrifying chapter in his town’s history, and discovers the ways in which deep-seated prejudices and persecution from the past can still reverberate in the present.From the Trade Paperback edition. Views: 62
This work introduced a major modern author to the reading public. Doig's life was formed among the sheepherders and other denizens of small-town saloons and valley ranches as he wandered beside his restless father. New Preface by the Author. Views: 62
