Download or read book My Mother s Sons written by Kenneth Dale Smith and published by Tate Publishing. This book was released on 2012-07-10 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A long-hidden family secret. Possible infidelity. Death. Encephalitis. Child abuse. These are the hardships assailing Esther Zysset and her four sons against the backdrop of the Great Depression and World War II. Over years of dialogue with his brothers, Kenneth has compiled his family biography; each page is filled with heartache, written with love, and shrouded in mystery. My Mother's Sons weaves stories of growing up on a farm in the '20s and '30s, heading off to war, and growing into manhood. Esther is the central figure in this narrative as the loving but tough matriarch, and as answers come, other questions surface about the nature of the relationship between Esther and the pastor in her small Missouri town. Could it be that the four brothers—Raymond, Leonard, Gerry, and Kenneth—were not true biological brothers? Their mother went to her grave holding a long-hidden family secret. However, the key to unlocking the mystery was not buried with her. My Mother's Sons will take you back to the beginning—1920 Missouri—to highlight the struggles, sacrifices, sins, and ultimately survival of a generation born out of the Great Depression.

Download or read book This Family of Mine written by Victoria Gotti and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2009-09-29 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER* The No-Holds-Barred Truth About Life Inside the Gotti Dynasty—Told by Their Most Famous Daughter Victoria Gotti never intended to reveal the inside story of the Gotti household—the day-to-day life of a family that has sparked scandalous rumors and sensational headlines for decades. But with the pressing need to finally set the record straight came the realization that only she can do so, once and for all. Daughter to the late John Gotti, sister to John A. “Junior” Gotti and three other siblings, single mother to three sons with whom she shared reality television stardom on Growing Up Gotti, an outspoken columnist and bestselling author, Victoria Gotti delivers a candid, colorful, and brutally honest family portrait that reads like a confidential file, filled with deeply personal reflections, bombshell revelations, and stunning insider secrets. The explosive memoir that captures the Gottis as they are—unvarnished, raw, and real—This Family of Mine is the essential chronicle in the ultimate American family saga.

Download or read book Mutt s Promise written by Julie Salamon and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2016-03-08 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fans of The Incredible Journey and Old Yeller will love this endearing, page-turning dog adventure story Luna is a farm puppy who loves to dance, and has only known a happy, serene life surrounded by her mother, Mutt, and her siblings, and cared for by Gilberto, the son of farm workers. But now Gilberto and his parents have moved on, and Mr. Thomas the farmer doesn't feel he can take care of a whole family of dogs. He finds new homes for the puppies, not realizing that the man who took Luna and her brother does not have their best interests at heart. Luna and Chief, hungry and scared, are trapped in the smelly barn of a puppy mill—until they take matters into their own paws and find a way to escape. But can Luna and Chief find their way home? With a lovable cast of animal characters and endearing illustrations, this charming story is a perfect read-aloud for fans of classic children’s novels like Gentle Ben, A Cricket in Times Square, and Shiloh.

Download or read book A Hard Ride written by Dick Dooley and published by Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2023-11-29 with total page 461 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I have always had a fierce independence from my earliest memory. However, I was always shy and uncomfortable in social situations, which always frustrated me to no end. I still struggle with my social shortcomings to this day. My confidence in my solo actions were always strong. I have always marveled at the military's ability to train men and women how to run things who did not have a lot of formal training better than a lot personal who did. During the summer of 2018, I was selected to attend the four-day training seminar at the US War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. I think that I was the lowest-ranking commissioned officer at the class since I was only a Navy lieutenant, and all the others were Army lieutenant colonels and above. I tried to persuade them of the desirability of the need for having senior enlisted soldiers in attendance for their input on how to run things more efficiently than the high-ranking officers did since they were the ones assigned to conduct the operations. I came away with the conclusion that my thoughts were not appreciated for the most part, but I still have this belief. During my preteen years in the Arkansas Ozarks, I read the novel The Yearly by Marjorie Rawlings, and it was later made into a movie starring Gregory Peck. Many of the kids that I knew in the Ozarks were exactly like many of the kids portrayed in the book, which only enhanced the story for me. I also read the books Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, which also brought to life for me what I was living in the Ozarks. Also, while in school in the fourth and seventh grades in the Ozarks, I was well-respected, which also enhanced my experience while in Arkansas. In the Navy, while I had never been in a small airplane in my entire life, I discovered that I had a talent that I did not know that I had. I had mistakenly assumed that many of the other trainees with more abilities than I had were actually washing out of the program while I continued to hang on until getting my wings and commission. This caused a lot of consternations in my mind: why was I succeeding, and they weren't? After being released from the Navy, I couldn't get a job with any airline due to an oversupply of pilots from Vietnam. Eventually, I got a job with East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) and moved back to my home in Angels Camp, California. I worked at EBMUD for twenty years, and during that time, I also served on the elected board of directors for Calaveras County Water District (CCWD), which oversees twenty separate water, wastewater, and hydroelectric systems scattered throughout the county. That's a brief biography of my life. If anybody wishes to communicate with me with questions or observations, please contact me through my e-mail address, [email protected]. Please refer to this book so that I do not mistakenly delete it thinking it is junk mail.

Download or read book The House of Dreams written by Kate Lord Brown and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2016-05-10 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2000, Sophie Cass, an ambitious journalist, may have finally found her big break. Convinced a celebrated painter in the Hamptons is hiding a dark secret, she sets off to unravel the truth about his past. Her research takes her back decades to 1940, as an international group of artists and intellectuals gather at The House of Dreams, a beautiful villa just outside Marseilles where American journalist Varian Fry and his remarkable team are working to help them escape France. Despite the incredible danger they all face, The House of Dreams is a place of true camaraderie and creativity—and the setting of a love affair that changed the course of the painter’s life forever. But as Sophie digs further into his past, she begins to wonder whether some secrets are better left untouched. Inspired by the real-life heroism of Varian Fry and the volunteers who risked their lives to help save legendary figures like Marc Chagall, Hannah Arendt, and Max Ernst, Kate Lord Brown’s The House of Dreamsis a lyrically told novel of great courage, love, and the power of art.

Download or read book The Kristin Hannah Collection Volume 1 written by Kristin Hannah and published by St. Martin's Griffin. This book was released on 2014-11-18 with total page 1532 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Available for the first time in this stunning electronic edition, THE KRISTIN HANNAH COLLECTION: VOLUME 1 is sure to delight the beloved, blockbuster bestselling author's legions of fans. Includes: FIREFLY LANE To the people around them they were known as TullyandKate or the Firefly Lane Girls. A single, inseparable unit. Best friends forever. On the surface they were as opposite as two people could be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret home life that is destroying her. Yet they are best friends who swear they'll be there for each other, and for thirty years that promise holds strong—until events and choices in their lives make that promise impossible. More than a coming-of-age novel, this is the story of a generation of women who were both blessed and cursed by choices. It's about promises and secrets and betrayals. And ultimately, about the one person who really, truly knows you—and knows what has the power to hurt you and heal you. TRUE COLORS The Grey sisters had only each other when their mother died years ago. Their stern, unyielding father gave them almost no attention. Winona, the oldest, needs her father's approval most of all. An overweight dreamer, she never felt at home on the sprawling horse ranch that had been in her family for three generations. Aurora, the middle, is the peacemaker. Vivi Ann, the youngest, is the undisputed star of the family. Everything comes easily to Vivi Ann, her father's love most of all. But when Vivi Ann makes a fateful decision to follow her heart, rather than take the route of a dutiful daughter, events are set in motion that will test the love and loyalties of the Grey sisters. They will be pitted against each other in ways none could have imagined. Secrets will be revealed, and a terrible, shocking crime will shatter both the family and their beloved town. With breathtaking pace and penetrating insight, Kristin Hannah's has written a novel that's about sisters, vengeance, jealousy, betrayal—and ultimately, what it truly means to be a family. FLY AWAY Kristin Hannah returns to the world of the unforgettable characters from FIREFLY LANE and asks the question: How do you hold yourself together when your world has fallen apart? This is the story of three women who have lost their way and need each other—plus a miracle—to transform their lives. An emotionally complex, heartwrenching novel about love, family, motherhood, loss, and redemption, it reminds us that where there is life, there is hope, and where there is love, there is forgiveness. Told with her trademark visceral storytelling and illuminating prose, Kristin Hannah reveals why she is one of the most beloved writers of our day.

Download or read book Mutt and Jack s Extraordinary Adventure written by Jodi Dickey and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2022-11-03 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jack Harold Hanson has an extraterrestrial dog with magical powers that can talk and communicate telepathically. They go on an interstellar adventure that involves space dragons, and a lovely female wormhole that transports them to the parallel universe where Planet Zealon is located. With the help of his two best friends, Heidi and Vance, they solve a fascinating mystery involving the Heart Tree and an extraterrestrial wizard named Mr. Amazing. Jack is the Chosen One and only he and his dog Mutt hold the key to saving Planet Earth from climate change. Fantastical creatures like halligans abound. The twist at the end of the book will leave the reader surprised and filled with joy.

Download or read book Peeridge Kids written by Eva Davis and published by Fulton Books, Inc.. This book was released on 2022-08-01 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book starts at the funeral of her father, Eddie Gravitt. She is talking with his spirit and recalling the days of her youth. You can feel her grief and sadness as she recalls the days of her childhood and that of her siblings growing up in rural Missouri in the forties and fifties. You will feel the trauma of a poor family trying to survive the depression. She describes all the hardships and the love for her family and her parents. She shows immense pride in her father. He never gave up trying to support his family, though his job skills were limited by not being able to read or write. She tells how he became one of the most respected antique dealers in Missouri. This book is the actual story of a family's hardships. It is not fiction.

Download or read book Threads of a Crime written by Charles Huey and published by Fulton Books, Inc.. This book was released on 2023-08-25 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charles Huey is a best-selling author. Dead-End for Dollars was released worldwide, followed by the novel Marked for a Crime. Threads of a Crime is his latest release. Following college, he worked in broadcasting for eight years. He then began a thirty-year path of adventure and curiosity in science, working as an engineer in telecommunications development. He lives in North Carolina near his family.

Download or read book Accidental Bodyguard written by Sharon Hartley and published by Harlequin. This book was released on 2016-10-01 with total page 199 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: She can't make the same mistake again Claudia Goodwin loved and trusted once. Now she's running from the man she thought would never hurt her. Hiding in the breathtaking beauty of a private Florida island until she can testify against her ex-husband, a ruthless terrorist, she has to stay focused on survival. Sexy security expert Jackson Richards is the perfect man to have on her side, but trusting anyone—even him— isn't an option. The one thing she can't keep hidden is the crackling attraction between them. And desire for the man keeping her safe might not be enough to protect her heart…or her life.

Download or read book Unsolicited Submissions written by John David Higham and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2012-02-09 with total page 473 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Writer, Psychologist, and Reiki Master John David Higham shares childhood events from his abusive toilet-training through his last suicide attempt at 19. In between, he makes his way as the eldest son of six children. Born in New Jersey in 1960, he learns at age seven that his abusive father is involved with the Mafia. When the man dies two years later, John's mother moves her family to rural Pennsylvania. She appoints John the man of the house and soon develops manic-depression with psychosis. Being her soldier overwhelms John. He resorts to self-injury and hidden suicide attempts. Ordered not to discuss the home and harassed by their peers after his mother alienates the neighbors, John has fistfights with his older sisters. Forced to rely on himself for nurturance while protecting his decaying family, John finds refuge in the stories that he tells himself. His self-creation evolves through his mother's death and subsequent traumas as he enters adulthood. From those numerous hells, a writer is born.

Download or read book My Family and Other Freaks written by Carol Midgley and published by Quercus. This book was released on 2013-09-03 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A hilarious comedy about family, friends, pets and boyfriends. Perfect for fans of Louise Rennison and Carmen Reid. Danielle is doomed in love and has the parents from hell. Her mum and dad are embarrassingly scruffy and their car bonnet is a different color from the rest of the car. Worst of all, they're still in love, which is totally gross considering how ancient they are. Her best friend is a (nice) nerd, her love-rival is an airhead and her dog Simon is in love with an Ugg boot. Despite all this, she hatches a plan--indeed many plans--to win the gorgeous Damian's affections. But when she brings Simon to the park to show him off in front of Damien, a smelly little accident lands Danielle with the nickname "Dench the Stench." Could things get any worse? When Simon is accused of biting children in the neighborhood and her Dad decides to have him taken away, Danielle's life truly begins to unravel. And then her mother announces she's pregnant--again--which gives Danielle's schoolmates even more ammunition with which to make fun of her. Will Damian ever notice her? Can she save Simon? And will Danielle ever live her family down?

Download or read book Wrapped in Rain written by Charles Martin and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2011-09-05 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two half-brothers try to survive the fallout of their traumatic childhood and their abusive, alcoholic father in this tender and beautiful story about the power of forgiveness. On a sprawling Southern estate, Tucker and his younger brother, Mutt, were raised by their housekeeper, Miss Ella Rain, who loved the motherless boys like her own. Hiring her to take care of Waverly Hall and the boys was the only good thing their abusive and alcoholic father ever did. When his brother escapes from a mental hospital and an old girlfriend appears with her son and a black eye, Tucker is forced to return home and face the agony of his tragic past. Though Miss Ella has been gone for many years, Tucker can still hear her voice—and her prayers. "Life is a battle, but you can’t fight it with your fists. You got to fight it with your heart." But finding peace and starting anew will take a measure of grace that Tucker scarcely believes in. Wrapped in Rain follows Tucker’s journey from brokenness to healing through the everlasting power of love. Standalone contemporary Christian fiction (approx. 85,000 words) Also by Charles Martin: The Record Keeper, The Mountain Between Us, When Crickets Cry, and Chasing Fireflies Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Download or read book I Cried to Dream Again written by Sara Kruzan and published by Pantheon. This book was released on 2022-05-10 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is perhaps no crime more disturbing than the abuse of a child—and no court cases as upsetting as those in which juveniles who have faced abuse are tried for fighting back. In this gripping memoir Sara Kruzan, a survivor of childhood abuse and sex trafficking, tells the honest, disturbing, and ultimately empowering story of her journey from abuse to incarceration without parole for killing her abuser to finally gaining her liberation. "As someone who has worked with trafficking survivors in the developing world, I am struck by how vividly Kruzan’s memoir shows us how easily these same atrocities take place, barely noticed, beneath the sophisticated veneer of life in the U.S. A brilliant and illuminating read."—Leymah Gbowee, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and author of Mighty Be Our Powers Sara is currently an advocate for the rights of incarcerated women and children, and the inspiration behind Sara’s Law, a bill currently in the House of Representative seeking to protect children of abuse from facing life sentences. "I was eleven when I first met GG. I realized later that he had to have been aware of the chaos that was my life because he played me perfectly. I was walking home after school ... I heard a red Mustang purring like a huge lion behind me as I turned onto my block. When it caught up with me, a man leaned out of the window and motioned for me to come closer. 'Hey, excuse me,' he said. I approached the window and politely and cheerfully replied, ‘Yes?’ He said, 'I’ve been noticing you a lot, and I just want to talk to you. I’m gonna go get some ice cream and go to the park. I would love for you to come and join me. We won’t be gone long. Is that okay with you?' Ice cream! I found his offer irresistible. GG leaned over and opened the passenger door, 'What’s your name? People call me GG.' 'Sara,' I said shyly.'"—from I Cried to Dream Again

Download or read book Just Wreck It All written by N. Griffin and published by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books. This book was released on 2019-10-22 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wracked with guilt due to a horrific accident that maimed her best friend two years earlier, sixteen-year-old Bett’s life is a series of pluses and minuses. But when the pluses start to outweigh the minuses, Bett is forced to confront her self-harming behavior in this powerful novel about self-forgiveness. Two years ago, Bett was badass. Fearless, feisty, athletic; the type of person who’d bike down a mountain ledge just for the thrill of it. Give her a dare and she’d get it done, no question. But then she dared a friend, and instead of a thrill came horror and guilt. Now Bett divides her life into Pluses and Minuses. Pluses are anything that make her feel good, things she doesn’t—nope, no way, no how—deserve. Minuses are punishments she doles out to herself—literally, in the form of binge eating—when a Plus can’t be avoided. Now, Bett is extremely overweight, depressed, and the opposite of badass. Which makes her happy. But is that a Plus? Bett’s system is beginning to crack, and revelations of that prank-gone-wrong are threatening to come out. Just Wreck It All is a blaze of a novel about guilt and self-harm that explores how easy it is to punish ourselves, and just how difficult it is to find the power to forgive ourselves.

Download or read book Newsweek written by and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 896 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Rachel Yoder Out of Control written by Wanda E. Brunstetter and published by Barbour Publishing. This book was released on 2013-06-01 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ten-year-old Rachel is driving her Amish friends and family "buggy" with her lack of patience. Her attempts to control every situation bring her trouble at every turn-from sledding into a creek to scorching a yummy shoo-fly pie, to flunking a test in school, to being dragged facedown in the snow. Can Grandpa's wise words regarding patience get through to Rachel? Or will she spend the winter getting into more trouble than her Lancaster County family and schoolmates can handle? What will it take to teach Rachel that there are some things she just can't control? Out of Control is book 3 in the Rachel Yodar series.