Download or read book I Know This Much Is True written by Wally Lamb and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1998-06-03 with total page 884 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With his stunning debut novel, She's Come Undone, Wally Lamb won the adulation of critics and readers with his mesmerizing tale of one woman's painful yet triumphant journey of self-discovery. Now, this brilliantly talented writer returns with I Know This Much Is True, a heartbreaking and poignant multigenerational saga of the reproductive bonds of destruction and the powerful force of forgiveness. A masterpiece that breathtakingly tells a story of alienation and connection, power and abuse, devastation and renewal--this novel is a contemporary retelling of an ancient Hindu myth. A proud king must confront his demons to achieve salvation. Change yourself, the myth instructs, and you will inhabit a renovated world. When you're the same brother of a schizophrenic identical twin, the tricky thing about saving yourself is the blood it leaves on your bands--the little inconvenience of the look-alike corpse at your feet. And if you're into both survival of the fittest and being your brother's keeper--if you've promised your dying mother--then say so long to sleep and hello to the middle of the night. Grab a book or a beer. Get used to Letterman's gap-toothed smile of the absurd, or the view of the bedroom ceiling, or the influence of random selection. Take it from a godless insomniac. Take it from the uncrazy twin--the guy who beat the biochemical rap. Dominick Birdsey's entire life has been compromised and constricted by anger and fear, by the paranoid schizophrenic twin brother he both deeply loves and resents, and by the past they shared with their adoptive father, Ray, a spit-and-polish ex-Navy man (the five-foot-six-inch sleeping giant who snoozed upstairs weekdays in the spare room and built submarines at night), and their long-suffering mother, Concettina, a timid woman with a harelip that made her shy and self-conscious: She holds a loose fist to her face to cover her defective mouth--her perpetual apology to the world for a birth defect over which she'd had no control. Born in the waning moments of 1949 and the opening minutes of 1950, the twins are physical mirror images who grow into separate yet connected entities: the seemingly strong and protective yet fearful Dominick, his mother's watchful "monkey"; and the seemingly weak and sweet yet noble Thomas, his mother's gentle "bunny." From childhood, Dominick fights for both separation and wholeness--and ultimately self-protection--in a house of fear dominated by Ray, a bully who abuses his power over these stepsons whose biological father is a mystery. I was still afraid of his anger but saw how he punished weakness--pounced on it. Out of self-preservation I hid my fear, Dominick confesses. As for Thomas, he just never knew how to play defense. He just didn't get it. But Dominick's talent for survival comes at an enormous cost, including the breakup of his marriage to the warm, beautiful Dessa, whom he still loves. And it will be put to the ultimate test when Thomas, a Bible-spouting zealot, commits an unthinkable act that threatens the tenuous balance of both his and Dominick's lives. To save himself, Dominick must confront not only the pain of his past but the dark secrets he has locked deep within himself, and the sins of his ancestors--a quest that will lead him beyond the confines of his blue-collar New England town to the volcanic foothills of Sicily 's Mount Etna, where his ambitious and vengefully proud grandfather and a namesake Domenico Tempesta, the sostegno del famiglia, was born. Each of the stories Ma told us about Papa reinforced the message that he was the boss, that he ruled the roost, that what he said went. Searching for answers, Dominick turns to the whispers of the dead, to the pages of his grandfather's handwritten memoir, The History of Domenico Onofrio Tempesta, a Great Man from Humble Beginnings. Rendered with touches of magic realism, Domenico's fablelike tale--in which monkeys enchant and religious statues weep--becomes the old man's confession--an unwitting legacy of contrition that reveals the truth's of Domenico's life, Dominick learns that power, wrongly used, defeats the oppressor as well as the oppressed, and now, picking through the humble shards of his deconstructed life, he will search for the courage and love to forgive, to expiate his and his ancestors' transgressions, and finally to rebuild himself beyond the haunted shadow of his twin. Set against the vivid panoply of twentieth-century America and filled with richly drawn, memorable characters, this deeply moving and thoroughly satisfying novel brings to light humanity's deepest needs and fears, our aloneness, our desire for love and acceptance, our struggle to survive at all costs. Joyous, mystical, and exquisitely written, I Know This Much Is True is an extraordinary reading experience that will leave no reader untouched.

Download or read book The Long Long Afternoon written by Inga Vesper and published by Bonnier Zaffre Ltd.. This book was released on 2021-02-02 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Stylist Best New Fiction of 2021 Selection, this stunning 1950s set debut mystery is a perfect summer read. 'A remarkably assured debut. A tale of inequality, broken dreams and quiet desperation behind a picture-perfect facade' Guardian 'A clever and absorbing debut by Inga Vesper, who bricks Joyce up in her perfect house, then smashes it to pieces with aplomb' The Times ________ Yesterday, I kissed my husband for the last time . . . It's the summer of 1959, and the well-trimmed lawns of Sunnylakes, California, wilt under the sun. At some point during the long, long afternoon, Joyce Haney, wife, mother, vanishes from her home, leaving behind two terrified children and a bloodstain on the kitchen floor. While the Haney's neighbours get busy organising search parties, it is Ruby Wright, the family's 'help', who may hold the key to this unsettling mystery. Ruby knows more about the secrets behind Sunnylakes' starched curtains than anyone, and it isn't long before the detective in charge of the case wants her help. But what might it cost her to get involved? In these long hot summer afternoons, simmering with lies, mistrust and prejudice, it could only take one spark for this whole 'perfect' world to set alight . . . A beguiling, deeply atmospheric debut novel from the cracked heart of the American Dream, The Long, Long Afternoon is at once a page-turning mystery and an intoxicating vision of the ways in which women everywhere are diminished, silenced and ultimately under-estimated. Everyone is talking about The Long, Long Afternoon 'Beguiling and evocative. This vivid and atmospheric pageturner will keep readers guessing all the way to its satisfying finale' Sunday Express 'Beautifully crafted, claustrophobic and compelling. As delicious as a long drink on a hot day' Stacey Halls, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Familiars and The Foundling 'Such a vivid atmosphere of stifling LA heat and stifling 50s domesticity' Clare Chambers, author of Small Pleasures 'Breathtakingly stylish, hypnotic and masterfully gripping' Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin at the End, Waterstones Thriller of the Month 'A triumph. What a pleasure to read something fresh and original. For once the hype is justified and Inga Vesper's gripping page turner must surely now be bound for Netflix' Evening Standard 'A tasty, tense, page-turning combo of James Ellroy and Kate Atkinson with a bit of Mad Men thrown in' Liz Hyder 'For fans of Revolutionary Road and Mad Men, this is an atmospheric tale of repression and style at the heart of the American Dream' Stylist

Download or read book The Fireside annual afterw pictorial annual formerly Our own fireside conducted by C Bullock written by Fireside pictorial annual and published by . This book was released on 1883 with total page 808 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Hard Time written by Cara McKenna and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2014-04-15 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this all-new novel from the author of After Hours and Unbound, a woman with a rocky past finds romance in the last place she’d ever expect... Annie Goodhouse doesn’t need to be warned about bad boys; good sense and an abusive ex have given her plenty of reasons to play it safe. But when she steps into her new role as outreach librarian for Cousins Correctional Facility, no amount of good sense can keep her mind—or eyes—off inmate Eric Collier. Eric doesn’t claim to be innocent of the crime that landed him in prison. In fact, he’d do it again if that’s what it took to keep his family safe. Loyalty and force are what he knows. But meeting Annie makes him want to know more. When Eric begins courting Annie through letters, they embark on a reckless, secret romance—a forbidden fantasy that neither imagines could ever be real…until early parole for Eric changes everything, and forces them both to face a past they can’t forget, and a desire they can’t deny. Praise for Cara McKenna and her novels “Cara McKenna is my go-to author for gritty, hot love stories full of honest emotion.”—Victoria Dahl, USA Today bestselling author “McKenna writes dark, lush, erotic romance.”—Heroes and Heartbreakers “Sweet, smoking hot, standout erotic romance.”—Beth Kery, New York Times bestselling author Before becoming a purveyor of smart erotic romance, Cara McKenna worked as a lousy barista, a decent designer, and an over-enthusiastic penguin handler. She loves writing sexy, character-driven stories about strong-willed men and women who keep each other on their toes…and bring one another to their knees. Cara now writes full-time and lives north of Boston with her bearded husband. When she’s not trapped in her own head, she can usually be found in the kitchen, the coffee shop, or jogging around the nearest duck-filled pond.

Download or read book Punch written by Mark Lemon and published by . This book was released on 1925 with total page 808 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Such a Good Girl written by Amanda K. Morgan and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2018-06-19 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pretty Little Liars meets Luckiest Girl Alive in this riveting novel about a practically perfect girl who is willing to do anything to make sure it stays that way. Absolutely anything. Things to know about Riley Stone: Riley Stone is just about perfect. (Ask anyone.) She has a crush on her French teacher, Alex Belrose. (And she suspects he likes her, too.) Riley has her entire life planned out. (The plan is nonnegotiable.) She’s never had a secret she couldn’t keep. (Not ever.) Riley is sure that her life is on the right track. (And nothing will change that.) She’s nothing like a regular teenager. (But she doesn’t have any problem admitting that.) Riley doesn’t usually play games. (But when she does, she always wins.) She thinks a game is about to start… But Riley always has a plan… And she always wins.

Download or read book For Such a Time as This written by Ginny Aiken and published by FaithWords. This book was released on 2012-08-14 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A marriage of convenience between a widowed banker and the strong woman of faith he hires as a nanny blossoms into more in this historical romance set in small-town Oregon in 1879. Drought has forced farmers around the small town of Bountiful in the Hope region of Oregon to mortgage their property. Then word comes of plans for a spur line to run through the area and join the railroad in nearby Milton. Folks with money see an opportunity to fill their coffers by buying farmland cheap then selling to the railroad for a profit. The Bank of Bountiful, owned by Eli Whitman, appears to be doing that, as well. Widowed two years earlier, Eli, with a son and daughter to raise, sought a hard-working, educated Christian woman to care for them and his home. Olivia Moore filled the bill, and as soon as Eli recognized her as an excellent investment, he offered her first employment then a marriage of convenience. While Olivia is an excellent choice, her large family gives Eli pause. He knows about the problems posed by in-laws, so he will do whatever it takes to avoid a repeat of his earlier experiences.When Papa tells Olivia the Moore family must move according to Eli's terms for the new railroad line, she fears for their safety, since they'll be homeless during winter. Where will they go? How will they survive? It is up to Olivia to convince her husband to renege on his demands, though she swore before their marriage she would stay out of his business. For Such a Time As This cleverly retells the biblical story of Esther against the backdrop of the American West, transporting readers with an engaging Christian story of duty, romance, family, and love.

Download or read book Concerning Isabel Carnaby written by Ellen Thorneycroft Fowler and published by . This book was released on 1898 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Miranda s Daily Dose of Such Fun written by Miranda Hart and published by Hodder & Stoughton. This book was released on 2017-03-09 with total page 183 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *** 365 joy filled tasks to make your life more engaging, fun, caring and jolly *** "There are little things we can all do that can make a huge difference to our lives and to the lives of those around us. Doing something jolly every day that you can look back on with a smile and be grateful for, knowing it has also brought kindness to others, can gently help replace old negative thought patterns with more positive ones. The tasks included in this little book are designed to be universal and free (or as cheap as possible). And all the ideas here, however silly they may seem, offer genuine and healthy ways to change the way we feel for the better.

Download or read book Afternoon Men written by Anthony Powell and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2014-11-06 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A social comedy about "a company of giddyheads" and their wanderings in London's Bohemia.

Download or read book The Cornhill Magazine written by William Makepeace Thackeray and published by . This book was released on 1911 with total page 872 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book An Invitation to Ethnomethodology written by David Francis and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2004-06-02 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers a new and rigorous approach to observational sociology that is grounded in ethnomethodology and conversation analysis. Throughout the authors encourage the reader to explore the social world at first hand, beginning with the immediate family context and then moving out into the public realm and organizational life. Examples of observational analysis are given with reference to topic areas such as family life, education, medicine, crime and deviance, and the reader is shown how to conduct their own inquiries, using methods and materials that are readily and ordinarily available. Drawing on both original material and published studies, Francis and Hester demonstrate how observational sociology can be carried out with an attention to detail typically overlooked by more traditional ethonographic approaches.

Download or read book Ethel Mildmay s Follies written by Katharine King and published by . This book was released on 1872 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book New Peterson Magazine written by and published by . This book was released on 1897 with total page 638 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Tim written by Howard Overing Sturgis and published by Mondial. This book was released on 2009 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Tim" (1891) is a delicate portrayal of a sensitive boy's devoted affection for an older boy-a very touching story of a tender and self-forgetful character. --- Howard Overing Sturgis (1855-1920) was an English writer, the author of only three novels: "All That Was Possible," "Tim," and "Belchamber." He attended Eton College, where some of the scenes in "Tim" take place. He was an intimate friend of Henry James. --- "My dearest of all Howards, I long so for news of you that nothing but this act of aggression will serve, and that even though I know (none better!) what a heavy, not to say intolerable overburdening of illness is the request that those even too afflicted to feed themselves shall feed the post with vivid accounts of themselves. But though I don't in the least imagine that you are not feeding yourself (I hope very regularly and daintily, ) this is all the same an irresistible surrender to sentiments of which you are the loved object-downright crude affection, fond interest, uncontrollable yearning. Look you, it isn't a request for anything, even though I languish in the vague-it's just a renewed "declaration"-of dispositions long, I trust familiar to you and which my uncertainty itself makes me want, for my relief, to reiterate..." (Henry James to Howard Sturgis, Sept. 2nd, 1913)

Download or read book Monthly Packet of Evening Readings for Members of the English Church earlier for Younger Members of the English Church written by and published by . This book was released on 1880 with total page 636 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Little Pilgrim written by Grace Greenwood and published by . This book was released on 1857 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: