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  The Happy Valley

  Benjamin Harnett

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  In this kaleidoscopic voyage through the past, present, and future of the United States, a young girl uncovers a secret society, a middle-aged man searches for his lost first love, a group of teens invent a role-playing game, protests threaten to topple the government, and an eccentric lawyer and his young Vietnamese protégée re-open a dormant case. 
  This atmospheric tale, at turns gothic, poetic, cerebral, and funny, ranges from rural Upstate New York to the far reaches of the Zebulon Galaxy; from the 1700s to the 4th decade of the 21st century. Includes 66 full-page b&w illustrations by the author, maps, an Appendix with a Timeline, and a Reading Group Guide. 
  “One of the most intriguing, beguiling, and thought-provoking books I read this year.” 
  —Diana Spencer, author of Varro’ s Guide to Being Roman 
  “Fabulous and engaging ... richly creative!”   
  —Glenda Burgess, award-winning author of So Long As We ’ re Together 
  In a near-future America, on the eve of revolution, a message pops up on a screen, “Can you help me?”­—then it, and its sender, June, disappear. 
  June’s disappearance prompts a visit back to the narrator’s rural, Upstate New York hometown, and a reconstruction of their shared past in the early 90s, when he and his group of friends created their own roleplaying adventure in a clubhouse on a dilapidating farm. 
  It was June’s entry into their group that made all their game-playing real, and embroiled the teens in a great mystery, starting with the strange, serpent-headed key that flashed gold on custodian Clyde Duane’s copious key ring, and spiraled outward—connecting their town’s hidden past to a movement that could change everything about the way we live. 
  Populated by a fantastic cast of characters, this captivating book stands at the intersection of philosophy and adventure.

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  The Autobiography of an...

  James Weldon Johnson

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  "I buried my past... but at what cost to my soul?"
  
  Our narrator is a man of dual heritage—gifted, light-skinned, and acutely observant. Born into a world defined by the "color line," he possesses the unique and dangerous ability to move between the Black and White worlds. From the smoking rooms of high-society New York to the gambling dens of the South, and from the birth of Ragtime to the horrific reality of a public lynching, his journey is a panoramic view of the American racial landscape at the turn of the century. Ultimately, he chooses to "pass" as a white man for the sake of safety and success, but he finds that his "great secret" is a burden that leaves him feeling like an unfaithful witness to his own life.
  
  A Masterclass in Irony and Ambiguity: James Weldon Johnson's narrator is not a typical hero. He is a "flâneur"—a detached observer who often prioritizes self-preservation over solidarity. This narrative choice allows the reader to see the subtle, insidious ways that systemic racism forces individuals to fragment their own identities just to survive.
  
  The Soundtrack of a Changing Nation: The novel is famous for its early and insightful treatment of Ragtime. The narrator, a talented pianist, views the music as a profound contribution to world culture, yet he eventually abandons his dream of elevating Black folk music into classical forms, choosing instead a life of quiet, white-collar invisibility.
  
  Why It Is a Revolutionary Classic: Published before the height of the Harlem Renaissance, this novel shattered the sentimental stereotypes of its time. It is a cold-eyed look at the "privilege" of whiteness and the profound sense of loss that comes with abandoning one's heritage. It remains a vital text for understanding the "double consciousness" of the American experience.
  
  Step behind the mask. Purchase "The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man" today.

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  Pride and Prejudice - Performed...

  Jane Austen

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  As one of Jane Austen’s most beloved works, Pride and Prejudice has delighted listeners since its first publication in the early 19th Century. 
  Here, all 61 chapters are masterfully brought to life by seasoned actor and vocal artist Stephanie Poppins. Her bright and energetic performance expertly captures Austen’s signature wit and tone. And her attention to detail, her literary background, and her commitment to auditory excellence, makes this a captivating listen. 
  Pride and Prejudice is a historical romance, which delves into themes of love, social class, and individual agency. 
  It revolves around the life of Elizabeth Bennet, the second of five sisters from a modest but genteel family, who is doing her best to navigate the pitfalls of societal expectation, whilst supporting her siblings who have not set the best example by their irresponsible parents. 
  This is the first audiobook in the Neworld Classics Collection. 
  Published by Neworld Books Limited. 
  Soundtrack written and produced by Jean Miles Carter

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  Hide Away

  Dermot Bolger

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  Hidden behind the walls of Grangegorman Mental Hospital in 1941, four lives collide, all afflicted by the human cost of wars, betrayals and trauma.
  Gus, a shrewd attendant, is the keeper of everyone's secrets, especially his own. Two War of Independence veterans are reunited. One, Jimmy Nolan, has spent twenty years as a psychiatric patient, unable to recover from his involvement in youthful killings. In contrast, Francis Dillon has prospered as a businessman, until rumours of Civil War atrocities cause his collapse, suffering delusions of enemies seeking to kill him.
  Doctor Fairfax has fled London after his gay lover's death. Desperate to rekindle a sense of purpose, Fairfax tries to help Dillon recover by getting him to talk about his past. But a code of silence surrounds the traumatic violence Ireland has endured. Is Dillon willing to break his silence to find a way back to his family?
  In this superb evocation of hidden worlds, master storyteller Dermot Bolger explores the aftershock within people who participate in violence and the fault-lines in all post-conflict societies only held together by collective amnesia.

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  The Knight's Tale

  Griff Hosker

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  Sir Michael of Weedon might think that his service to the crown ended when the Queen died and he was no longer required as her knight. He is wrong, for his qualities as a true and loyal warrior mean that he can be trusted. 
   
  King Henry and the Earl of Suffolk send him to France to recover a pyx. 
   
  Before he can complete his task, he is conscripted back into the army and finds himself, once more, fighting alongside Sir John Talbot.

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  Connective Tissue

  Eleanor Thom

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  South-West Scotland, 2010. Air-traffic controller Helena's baby is born with unexplained paralysis. Faced with an unforgiving medical establishment, she turns to the Jewish grandmother she never knew, unfolding the past in search of answers. Berlin, 1937. Single mother and kitchen hand Dora struggles in a city growing increasingly hostile, with questions being asked of bloodlines and identity. Will she always be alone? And how long will she and her daughter be able to call this home? Based on extensive research into Eleanor Thom's lost family history, Connective Tissue is a story of migration, motherhood, and our need to know the people and places that make us.

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