Lemonade or port? That this delicious dilemma is of such importance in Angela Thirkell's NEVER TOO LATE - it is the subject of a spirited exchange among the guests when Lord Stoke convenes a luncheon at Rising Castle - is just one indication of how right things are with the world in this installment of the author's beloved Barsetshire chronicles.The foment of the 1940's - the terrors of the war and the immediate political and economical stresses of its aftermath - have passed, a new Queen has settled down upon her throne, and the inhabitants of Thirkell's fictional stretch of the countryside are content to concentrate on the conversation of their community.A whirl of teas and tete-a-tetes, social calls and dinner parties, cricket games and chance meetings provide the narrative energy for the progress of friendship and gossip that Thirkell always charts, and devoted readers of her earlier books will be delighted to discover that the more things change, the more they stay the same.** Views: 27
In 1802, as peace spreads in Europe, two young women seek their fortune, Martha, an American and Cristabel, the unwanted daughter of a duke. Views: 27
The secrets of Elm Medona thicken . . . with Harry Houdini!When Great-Uncle Thorne arrives at Elm Medona, Maisie and Felix's lives get shaken up again. Uncle Thorne moves the family into the mansion proper. One night, Great-Aunt Maisie arranges for Thorne, Maisie, and Felix to rendezvous with her in The Treasure Chest. Minutes later, Maisie and Felix find themselves at a magic show on Coney Island in 1893 starring Harry Houdini. As they follow him and his brother Dash to Pennsylvania and Rhode Island and back to New York City, they wonder what has become of Great-Aunt Maisie and Great-Uncle Thorne. Then one evening at Tom Pastor's Famous 14th Street Theater, the curtain opens and all is revealed. Views: 27
FIDEL CASTROAugust 13, 1926 – November 26, 2016.A revolution is a struggle between the future and the past."—Fidel CastroFrom revolutionary and symbol of strength to Cold War adversary, Fidel Castro was one of the world's most controversial leaders, and perhaps its most enduring. As Cuba's towering and charismatic president for nearly fifty years, Castro's influential leadership captivated allies and enemies alike. By virtue of passionate oration and committed sense of purpose—good or bad—Castro kept the Cuban people devoted and the world enthralled.From his earliest years as a student rebel to his role in Cuba's social reform to The Cuban Missile Crisis, his life is covered in extensive detail within this book. The transfer of power to Raul Castro is explored as well as the changes to Cuban/American diplomatic relations, including Obama's view of America's relationship with Cuba. Castro's death is covered as well... Views: 27
In this latest installment of the beloved and best-selling series, Mma Ramotswe must contend with her greatest challenge yet--a vacation! Business is slow at the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, so slow in fact that for the first time in her estimable career Precious Ramotswe has reluctantly agreed to take a holiday. The promise of a week of uninterrupted peace is short-lived, however, when she meets a young boy named Samuel, a troublemaker who is himself in some trouble. Once she learns more about Samuel's sad story, Mma Ramotswe feels compelled to step in and help him find his way out of a bad situation. Despite this unexpected diversion, Mma Ramotswe still finds herself concerned about how the agency is faring in her absence. Her worries grow when she hears that Mma Makutsi is handling a new and rather complicated case. A well-respected Botswanan politician is up for a major public honor, and his reputation is now being called into question by his rivals. The... Views: 27
"Bone Gap marks Laura Ruby as one of fiction's most original voices. She is capable of moving you to tears, terrifying you on deep and dreamlike levels, and making your heart shout with happiness. This book is magic realism at its most magical."—E. Lockhart, author of We Were LiarsBone Gap is the story of Roza, a beautiful girl who is taken from a quiet midwestern town and imprisoned by a mysterious man, and Finn, the only witness, who cannot forgive himself for being unable to identify her kidnapper. As we follow them through their melancholy pasts, their terrifying presents, their uncertain futures, acclaimed author Laura Ruby weaves a heartbreaking tale of love and loss, magic and mystery, regret and forgiveness—a story about how the face the world sees is never the sum of who we are. Views: 27
The crimes and betrayals of the Second World War leave a corrosive legacy for the next generation, which never quite comes to terms with a past they were not part of. Allan Massie fully exploits his craft as a novelist to explore all the complexities of this situation. Views: 27
