Other books that might interest you

• 

  Love - From their pens to your...

  Guy De Maupassant

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was born on August 5th, 1850 near Dieppe in France.  
  Maupassant’s early life was badly torn when at age 11 (his younger brother Hervé was then five) his mother, Laure, a headstrong and independent-minded woman, risked social disgrace in order to obtain a legal separation from her husband. 
  After the separation, Laure kept custody of her two boys. With the father now forcibly absent, Laure became the most influential and important figure in the young boy's life.   
  Maupassant’s education was such that he rebelled against religion and other societal norms but a developing friendship with Gustave Flaubert began to turn his mind towards creativity and writing. 
  After graduation he volunteered for the Franco-Prussian war. With its end he moved to Paris to work as a clerk in the Navy Department.  Gustave Flaubert now took him under his wing.  Acting as a literary guardian to him, he guided the eager Maupassant to debuts in journalism and literature.  For Maupassant these were exciting times and the awakening of his creative talents and ambitions. 
  In 1880 he published what is considered his first great work, ‘Boule de Suif’, (translated as as ‘Dumpling’, ‘Butterball’, ‘Ball of Fat’, or ‘Ball of Lard’) which met with a success that was both instant and overwhelming.  Flaubert at once acknowledged that it was ‘a masterpiece that will endure.’ Maupassant had used his talents and experiences in the war to create something unique.  
  This decade from 1880 to 1891 was to be the most pivotal of his career.  With an audience now made available by the success of ‘Boule de Suif’ Maupassant organised himself to work methodically and relentlessly to produce between two and four volumes of work a year.  The melding of his talents and business sense and the continual hunger of sources for his works made him wealthy. 
  In his later years he developed a desire for solitude, an obsession for self-preservation, and a fear of death as well as a paranoia of persecution caused by the syphilis he had contracted in his youth.  
  On January 2nd, 1892, Maupassant tried to commit suicide by cutting his throat.  Unsuccessful he was committed to the private asylum of Esprit Blanche at Passy, in Paris.  It was here on July 6th, 1893 that Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant died at the age of only 42.

  Show book

• 

  The Archaeology of Loss - Life...

  Sarah Tarlow

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  My whole adult life, I have made a study of death.A stunning blend of the personal and professional, The Archaeology of Loss is Sarah Tarlow’s first memoir. An accomplished archaeologist, much of Sarah’s work is concerned with the ritual and belief behind the practice of grief. In 2012, she was awarded the Chair in Archaeology at the University of Leicester. But in the years that followed this appointment, Sarah’s husband, Mark, would begin to suffer from a progressive but undiagnosed illness, finally resulting in his inability to drive, to walk, to taste or to care for himself. Though Sarah had devoted her professional life to the study of emotion, of how we anticipate and experience grief, nothing could have prepared her for the realities of care-giving, of losing someone you love and the helplessness attached to both.A fiercely honest and unique memoir, The Archaeology of Loss describes a collective experience with an unflinching and singular gaze and will undoubtedly speak to listeners of The Salt Path and H is for Hawk. Told with humour, intelligence and urgency, this is an unforgettable experience.

  Show book

• 

  And Still We March: The touching...

  Marisa Bate

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Retracing my mother’s footsteps in search of women’s freedom 
  1974. A 22-year-old Jacqui French stands for a photograph in Omaha, Nebraska, thousands of miles from home.  
  In 2022, the US Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, restricting access to abortion across America. The decision mirrored a global trend towards a devastating unravelling of women’s freedoms; a reversal of hard-won progress, and a battle that continues to be fought on both sides of the Atlantic. 
  Following in the footsteps of her mother fifty years before her, Marisa Bate is galvanised to journey across America, meeting the women on the ground, and telling the stories behind the headlines. Examining half a century of feminist struggle in the UK and the US, she also finds herself tracing the roots of her own family, seamlessly interweaving the personal with the political. 
  Lyrical, poignant, and bursting with defiant hope, And Still We March is an urgent and perceptive dissection of female autonomy, motherhood, and a woman’s right to choose. 
  A ‘beguiling feminist memoir’ Lindsey Hilsum 
  In this top-rated autobiography, Marisa Bate delves into the history of women's rights, intertwining it with her mother's personal journey. The narrative is a testament to the resilience of women, even in the face of discrimination and social challenges. 
  For fans of Richard Osman (Richard Osman's House of Games), Laura Bates (Fix the System, Not the Women), Lucy Jones (Matrescence), Donna Lancaster (Wise Words for Women), and Bre Graham (Table for Two). 
  HarperCollins 2023

  Show book

• 

  In Search of Mary Seacole - The...

  Helen Rappaport

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  From New York Times bestselling author Helen Rappaport comes a superb and revealing biography of Mary Seacole that is testament to her remarkable achievements and corrective to the myths that have grown around her. 
  Raised in Jamaica, Mary Seacole first came to England in the 1850s after working in Panama. She wanted to volunteer as a nurse and aide during the Crimean War. When her services were rejected, she financed her own expedition to Balaclava, where her reputation for her nursing—and for her compassion—became almost legendary. 
  Popularly known as “Mother Seacole,” she was the most famous Black celebrity of her generation—an extraordinary achievement in Victorian Britain. She regularly mixed with illustrious royal and military patrons, and they, along with grateful war veterans, helped her recover financially when she faced bankruptcy. However, after her death in 1881, she was largely forgotten. 
  More recently, her profile has been revived and her reputation lionized, with a statue of her standing outside St. Thomas’s Hospital in London and her portrait—rediscovered by the author—now on display in the National Portrait Gallery. 
  This book is the fruit of almost twenty years of research and reveals the truth about Seacole’s personal life, her “rivalry” with Florence Nightingale, and other misconceptions. 
  Vivid and moving, In Search of Mary Seacole shows that reality is often more remarkable and more dramatic than the legend.

  Show book

• 

  Succeeding in Life with Bipolar...

  DR. CLARISSE DJEUMO DJUKOM

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  In this deeply personal and profoundly hopeful memoir, Dr. Clarisse Djeumo Djukom invites listeners into her intimate journey of living with bipolar disorder as a Christian woman. With raw honesty and unwavering faith, she chronicles her path from the subtle early warning signs—dismissed as stress or fatigue—through the devastating extremes of manic highs and crushing depressive lows, to finding stability, purpose, and peace. 
  More than just a story of survival, this book is a comprehensive guide for anyone touched by bipolar disorder. Dr. Djukom weaves together her lived experiences with practical strategies for managing the illness, including navigating medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes. She tackles often-overlooked challenges like the financial burden of treatment, the importance of building a strong support network, and the courage required to break through stigma and shame. 
  At the heart of this narrative is the author's Christian faith—an anchor that provides strength, hope, and meaning amidst suffering. Through prayer, scripture, and spiritual reflection, she demonstrates how faith can be integrated with medical treatment to create a holistic approach to healing. 
  Whether you're living with bipolar disorder, supporting a loved one, or seeking to understand this complex condition, this audiobook offers validation, practical wisdom, and a powerful message: recovery is possible, small victories matter, and you are not alone. Dr. Djukom's journey reminds us that our struggles do not define us—they can become the foundation for resilience, self-compassion, and a life filled with purpose.

  Show book

• 

  Marco Polo - The Voyager Who...

  Kelly Mass

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Marco Emilio Polo, born in Venice, was a Venetian merchant, explorer, and writer who became renowned for his extraordinary travels across Asia between 1271 and 1295. His journey, which spanned much of the Silk Road, was chronicled in The Travels of Marco Polo, also known as Book of the Marvels of the World and Il Milione (circa 1300). This book introduced Europeans to the vast and mysterious cultures of the East, revealing the immense wealth and size of the Mongol Empire and the Yuan Dynasty in China. It provided the first detailed European account of countries like Persia, India, Japan, and several other regions in Asia, offering a window into worlds previously unknown to the West. 
  Marco's journey was influenced by his family’s mercantile background. His father and uncles, Niccolò and Maffeo Polo, were established traders who had ventured into Asia, meeting the powerful Mongol leader, Kublai Khan. In 1269, after returning to Venice, they reunited with Marco and set off again for Asia. Along the Silk Road, they encountered various cultures and challenges before reaching Cathay, modern-day China, where they were welcomed by Kublai Khan’s court. The Khan was impressed with Marco’s intelligence and demeanor, appointing him as his foreign emissary. This role allowed Marco to undertake diplomatic missions across the Mongol Empire and beyond, traveling to places such as Burma, India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.

  Show book