Other books that might interest you

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  The Short Stories of Stephen...

  Stephen Crane

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  Stephen Crane was born 1st November, 1871 in Newark, New Jersey and was the eighth surviving child out of fourteen.  Incredibly he began writing at the age of four and was published several times by the age of sixteen.   
   
  Crane only began a full-time education when he was nine but quickly mastered the grades needed to catch up and move forward. Although educated at Lafayette and Syracuse he had little interest in completing university and was keener to move on to a career, declaring college to be ‘a waste of time’.  By twenty he was a reporter and two years later had published his debut novel ‘Maggie: A Girl of the Streets’.  In literary circles this was hailed as the first work of American literary Naturalism.  
   
  Two years later, in 1895, he was the subject of worldwide acclaim for his Civil War novel, written without the benefit of any actual war experiences, ‘The Red Badge of Courage’.  It was indeed a masterpiece and his finest hour.  A year later life began its downwards descent when he became embroiled in a scandal which was to doom his career.  In attempting to help a suspected prostitute being falsely charged by a policeman he became the target of the authorities. 
   
  Later the same year en-route to Cuba as a War Correspondent he met the hotel madam Cora Taylor in Jacksonville, Florida.  This was to become the defining relationship of his life.  Continuing his journey, somewhere between Florida and Cuba his ship sank, and he was cast adrift for several days.  Rescued, he returned to cover conflicts wherever they were situated, some as far away as Greece.  For a time he lived in England with Cora, usually beyond their means, befriending fellow writers such as H G Wells and Joseph Conrad.    
   
  In declining health and beset by money problems, Stephen Crane died of tuberculosis, aged a mere 28 on 5th June 1900, at Badenweiler, Germany. He is buried in New Jersey. 
  01 - Stephen Crane - A Short Story Collection - An Introduction 
  02 - The Open Boat by Stephen Crane 
  03 - The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky by Stephen Crane 
  04 - The Veteran by Stephen Crane 
  05 - A Dark Brown Dog by Stephen Crane

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  Crisis of Coscience - Three...

  O. Henry

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  Showcasing three of O. Henry’s sharpest short stories, Crisis of Conscience highlights the choices available for folks whose options are limited and difficult. In the first, An Unfinished Story, O. Henry uses a technique of only half telling two stories, delivering a clear and powerful message.  
   
  The other two tales, A Retrieved Redemption and A Blackjack Bargainer, are more traditional narratives, each examining folks who are trying to get back up on the straight and narrow, and their terrible wrangle with the most evil adversary of all – hope.

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  W F Harvey - Six of the Best -...

  W F Harvey

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  Six has always been a number we group things around – Six of the best, six of one half a dozen of another, six feet under, six pack, six degrees of separation and a sixth sense are but a few of the ways we use this number. 
   
  Such is its popularity that we thought it is also a very good way of challenging and investigating an author’s work to give width, brevity, humour and depth across six of their very best. 
   
  In this series we gather together authors whose short stories both rivet the attention and inspire the imagination to visit their gems in a series of six, to roam across an author’s legacy in a few short hours and gain a greater understanding of their writing and, of course, to be lavishly entertained by their ideas, their narrative and their way with words. 
   
  These stories can be surprising and sometimes at a tangent to what we expected, but each is fully formed and a marvellous adventure into the world and words of a literary master.

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  Awake In the Dark - Stories

  Shira Nayman

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  Bold and deeply affecting, Awake in the Dark is a provocative and haunting work of fiction about who we are and how we are formed by history. These luminous stories portray the contemporary lives of the children of Holocaust victims and perpetrators as they struggle with the legacy of their parents--their questions of identity, family, and faith. 
  In "The House on Kronen-strasse," a woman returns to Germany to find her childhood home; in "The Porcelain Monkey," the shocking origins of an Orthodox Jewish woman's faith are revealed; in "The Lamp," the harrowing experiences of a young woman leave her with the perfect daughter and a strange light; and in "Dark Urgings of the Blood," a patient is convinced that she shares a disturbing history with her psychiatrist. 
  Rendered in powerful, unaffected prose, Awake in the Dark is an illuminating and startling book about the disguises we don, the secrets we keep, and the consequences of our silences.

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  Menehune

  Ernest Spencer

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  In this tale of "Menehune," we are introduced to Melvin, a young orphan with an eccentric appearance – his bald, oddly shaped and oversized head sets him apart and leaves him lonely and alone. Despite his physical differences, Melvin possesses an unyielding spirit and a heart brimming with curiosity. 
  Life takes an unexpected turn when Melvin, while running for his life, finds himself aboard a seedy pirate ship. The captain of the ship, a grizzled seafarer with a hidden softness beneath his tough exterior, takes a liking to him. Their friendship transcends the boundaries of age and circumstance. 
  The captain leaves Melvin at their next stop, on the shores of Tinian. Against a backdrop of turquoise waters and lush landscapes, his arrival in Tinian brings unforeseen challenges, leading him to a mental hospital outside of Honolulu. Within the hospital, Melvin befriends the compassionate case worker, Faith. The hospital staff, including the Tongan people, become his extended family, offering him the acceptance he's always yearned for. But Melody, another patient within the hospital, leaves an indelible mark on Melvin's heart. Despite her blindness, or maybe because of it, their friendship blooms. 
  A theme of love weaves through this story. Love that transcends appearances and defies societal norms, love that embraces differences and celebrates individuality. As Melvin's connections deepen and his relationships flourish, he discovers that true family isn't always defined by blood; it's found in the bonds we create with those who see us for who we truly are. 
  "Menehune" is a poignant exploration of the human experience – a tale of resilience, acceptance, and the transformative power of friendship. Through the eyes of Melvin, you'll look beyond the surface and embrace the beauty of the soul. This heartwarming journey reminds us that in a world often marked by division, the threads of connection and love are what truly bind us together.

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  3 Stories About - Women's...

  Katherine Mansfield, Charlotte...

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  There is something about the number 3.    
   
  The Ancient Greeks believed 3 was the perfect number, and in China 3 has always been a lucky number, and they know a thing or two.   
   
  Most religions also have 3 this and 3 that and, of course, in these more modern times, three’s a crowd may be too many, except when it’s a ménage à trois.  It seems good things usually come in threes. 
   
  Whatever history and culture says WE think 3, a hat-trick of stories, is a great number to explore themes and literary avenues that classic authors were so adept at creating. 
   
  From their pens to your your ears.   
   
  01 - 3 Stories About - Women's Sexuality 
  02 - Bliss by Katherine Mansfield 
  03 - The Giant Wisteria by Charlotte Perkins Gilman 
  04 - The Storm by Kate Chopin

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