Publisher: Bauer Books
This 1830 novel reads reasonably well today, and in fact, is quite contemporary in its reflection on how civilization is changing the landscape (and not for the better), and how the settlers disrespected and mistreated the original native inhabitants.
February, 1940. In San Francisco's Chinatown, fireworks explode as the city celebrates Chinese New Year with a Rice Bowl Party, a three-day-and-night carnival designed to raise money and support for China war relief. Miranda Corbie is a thirty-three-year-old private investigator who stumbles upon the fatally shot body of Eddie Takahashi. The Chamber of Commerce wants it covered up. The cops acquiesce. All Miranda wants is justice-whatever it costs. From Chinatown tenements, to a tattered tailor's shop in Little Osaka, to a high-class bordello draped in Southern Gothic, she shakes down the city-her city-seeking the truth.Show book
Based on a true story, Rachel Halliburton’s novel The Optickal Illusion is about a female artist seeking renown in patriarchal British high society. It is 1797 and in Georgian London, nothing is certain anymore: the future of the monarchy is in question, the city is aflame with conspiracies, and the French could invade any day. Amidst this feverish atmosphere, the American painter Benjamin West is visited by a dubious duo comprised of a blundering father and vibrant daughter, the Provises, who claim they have a secret that has obsessed painters for centuries: the Venetian techniques of master painter Titian. West was once the most celebrated painter in London, but he hasn’t produced anything of note in years, so against his better judgment he agrees to let the intriguing Ann Jemima Provis visit his studio and demonstrate the techniques from the document. What unravels reveals more than West has ever understood?about himself, the treachery of the art world, and the seductive promise of greatness. Drawn from a genuine scandal that deceived the British Royal Academy, The Optickal Illusion demonstrates the lengths women must go to make their mark on a society that seeks to underplay their abilities. “A remarkable true story of vanity and delusion, which Halliburton turns into a gripping and only partly fictional whodunnit . . . brings the artists and their art to colorful life and brushes in streaks of feminism, via Mary Wollstonecraft, as well as dark shadows of the French Revolution.” —Award–winning Author John Spurling “A vibrant portrait of an age of political and artistic revolution as well as a gripping story.” —Library JournalShow book
Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe, published in 1861, is the third novel by George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Anne Evans. The seemingly simple story of the weaver Silas Marner deals with issues like community, industrialisation and positive transformation, in sophisticated and engaging ways.Silas, a weaver in a city in the north of England, is falsely accused of theft and cast out by his circle of friends. He moves to a city in the Midlands where he lives as a loner for many years. His hoarded wealth is stolen by the renegade son of the town’s wealthiest family but he soon finds a far greater treasure which he nurtures with abiding love. Silas Marner is an inspiring work which demonstrates the excellent fruits of forgiveness, loyalty and love.Show book
National Book Award Finalist: The mesmerizing saga of a Texas family torn apart by passion and pride. Twelve years after Hannah Hunnicutt was committed to a Dallas asylum, her body is brought home to northeast Texas to be buried alongside those of her husband and son. Etched on all three gravestones is the same date of death: May 28, 1939. Home from the Hill is the story of that tragic day and the dramatic events leading up to it. The biggest landowner in the county, Captain Wade Hunnicutt was a charismatic war hero whose legendary hunting skills extended to the wives of his friends and neighbors. Humiliated by her husband’s philandering, Hannah grew to despise Captain Wade but was too proud to ask for a divorce; instead, she devoted herself to her only child. Torn between his mother’s adoration and an overwhelming need to win his father’s approval, Theron tried to become his own man. And he might have succeeded if he hadn’t fallen in love with the beautiful and innocent Libby Halstead. William Humphrey’s dazzling debut novel, the inspiration for a major motion picture starring Robert Mitchum, is a masterpiece of twentieth-century American literature, as intense and thrilling as the Hunnicutts themselves.This ebook features an illustrated biography of William Humphrey including rare photos form the author’s estate.Show book
Best-selling author Sandra Dallas has won rave reviews for this tale set during the Civil War. When Alice Bullock’s husband joins the Union Army, the young quilting enthusiast is left to deal with an Iowa farm and an imposing mother-in-law. And then her life turns upside down when she’s accused of murder. “Alice is a feisty Northern counterpart to Scarlett O’Hara … and her irreverent humor and precise expression will keep readers entertained.”—Publishers WeeklyShow book
A woman must make a match for an eligible American bachelor while trying to resist his charms in this captivating Regency romance. Miss Hester Sheldon believes the American heir to her adopted grandfather’s estate is a rogue and a rebel—with no fortune of his own. Now she has been instructed to teach him the ways of English society, and to find him a suitable wife! But Jared Clinton turns out to be powerful, very wealthy—and extremely handsome! Hester, who has always thought she was destined never to marry, is shocked by her building desire. Soon she is wishing that she could be his chosen bride . . .Show book
