Download or read book The Blue Bedspread written by Raj Kamal Jha and published by Random House. This book was released on 2012-06-20 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A midnight phone call awakens a man to inform him that his sister has died in childbirth. He is told he must keep the orphaned baby girl overnight, until her new, adopting parents can collect her. Over the course of that hot night in Calcutta, the man hurriedly writes stories to the baby sleeping on a blue bedspread in the next room: stories of the family she was born into, stories of the mother she will never know. Painting half-remembered scenes, he flits between past and present, recounting tales of the shared childhood of a boy and his sister who muffled their fears in the blueness of that very same bedspread. As the hours pass, the man gradually divulges a layered and transfixing confession of the darkest of family secrets. Described by John Fowles as "remarkable, almost a coming-of-age of the Indian novel," this powerful, penetrating debut by a young New Delhi journalist has already been recognized as an international literary event. In prose that is breathtaking and precise, Raj Kamal Jha discovers the hidden violence and twisted eroticism of an exotic, overcrowded old city. Unlike the India captured in the exotic prose of Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy, Jha writes in a spare, straightforward style that has prompted comparisons to American realists like Raymond Carver and Don DeLillo. The Blue Bedspread is a searingly honest story about the love and hope that can survive in the midst of family violence. It is a first novel of extraordinary power and humanity.

Download or read book The Blue Bedspread written by Raj Kamal Jha and published by Picador. This book was released on 2022-02-24 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Almost a coming of age of the Indian novel' John Fowles

Download or read book Fireproof written by Raj Kamal Jha and published by Pan Macmillan. This book was released on 2008 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A searing testimony to the ordinary nature of collective evil and the extraordinary power of individual conscience.Fireproof ventures where reportage cannot go, granting even those who have perished a voice' Observer February 2002. A helpless nation watches as the city of Ahmedabad in India is rocked by religious violence. Before sunrise the next day, more than a hundred Muslim men, women and children will be killed, most of them burnt alive. Above the smoke and flames, the dead get together and decide to intervene - in the life of a father whose wife has just given birth to their first child. 'The newborn at the centre of the novel, named Ithim by his father, is so helpless, so defenceless, that his presence is commanding, and the sense of foreboding surrounding him is fully realised and sustained throughout . . . Fireproof is a novel about the limits of representation, and the figure of the baby, and all he has endured, is emotionally resonant in the extreme' Irish Times 'The novel focuses on conveying the voices of the dead, while exploring a more universal culpability and the workings of conscience and redemption' Guardian

Download or read book If You Are Afraid of Heights written by Raj Kamal Jha and published by Pan Macmillan. This book was released on 2004 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written in Jha's exquisitely crafted and beautiful, precise prose, If You Are Afraid of Heights offers the reader a glimpse into a looking-glass world where nothing is quite what it seems and yet everything is strangely familiar. A man and a woman meet in a midnight road accident and fall in love. A reporter arrives in a small town to uncover the story of a child's rape and murder. A young girl, shaken by a series of suicides in her neighbourhood, worries for her parents' safety. Three seemingly separate stories, and yet interwoven themes and recurring motifs suggest a connection between the strands: a crow flying overhead, a sky-scraper larger than any built before, a dog missing part of its tail, a news report . . . In a novel that defies categorisation, Jha tackles issues of abuse, neglect, and the power of hope: If You Are Afraid of Heights is about the private journeys that people take in their minds; about imaginations fuelled by the images and narratives of a city. The result is a breathtaking odyssey that draws you deep into the uncharted zone between fantasy and reality, deep into the longings and secrets of human lives.

Download or read book She Will Build Him a City written by Raj Kamal Jha and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2015-03-03 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As night falls in Delhi, a mother spins tales from her past for her sleeping daughter. Now grown up, her child is a puzzle with a million pieces, whom she hopes, through her words and her love, to somehow make whole again. Meanwhile, a young man rides the last train from Rajiv Chowk Station and dreams of murder. In another corner of the city, a newborn wrapped in a blood-red towel lies on the steps of an orphanage as his mother walks away. There are twenty million bodies in this city, but the stories of this woman, man, and child--of a secret love that blossoms in the shadows of grief, of a corrosive guilt that taints the soul, and of a boy who maps his own destiny--weave in and out of the lives of those around them to form a dazzling kaleidoscope of a novel. Beautiful, beguiling, and audacious, this is the story of a city and its people, of love and horror, of belonging and forgiveness: a powerful and unforgettable tale of modern India.

Download or read book Blue White Quilts written by That Patchwork Place and published by Martingale. This book was released on 2019-12-02 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Crisp, calm, and captivating--experience the magic of blue & white! From the editors of the best seller Red & White Quilts comes a fresh take on another timeless color combination. Thirteen dreamy quilts from famed designers and collectors include a mix of exciting new designs and sentimental favorites, and three antique treasures to remake using today's fabrics and techniques. From traditional Nine Patch and Album quilts to the pinnacle of patchwork, Tree of Life, enjoy spectacular blue & white quilts from: Lissa Alexander . Lisa Bongean . Julie Hendricksen . Sherri McConnell . Camille Roskelley . Laurie Simpson . Helen Stubbings . Debbie Roberts . Jill Shaulis . Nancy Mahoney . Paula Barnes and Mary Ellen Robison You'll be captivated by the creations that come from this humble two-color palette, as quilters have been for generations. It's an eternal classic that never goes out of style.

Download or read book The Quilt written by Gary Paulsen and published by Yearling. This book was released on 2008-12-24 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 1944. Wartime. A six-year-old boy goes to spend the summer with his grandmother Alida in a small town near the Canadian border. With the men all gone off to fight, the women are left to run the farms. There’s plenty for the boy to do—trying to help with the chores, getting to know the dog, and the horses, cows, pigs, and chickens. But when his cousin Kristina goes into labor, he can’t do a thing. Instead, the house fills with women come to help and to wait, and to work on a quilt together. This is no common, everyday quilt, but one that contains all the stories of the boy’s family. The quilt tells the truth, past and future: of happiness, courage, and pain; of the greatest joy, and the greatest loss. And as they wait, the women share these memorable stories with the boy.

Download or read book Chenille written by Judith Ann Greason and published by Schiffer Pub Limited. This book was released on 2002 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A rich visual tour of vintage chenille, displaying hundreds of beautiful bedspreads and a few novelty items along with details that highlight manufacturing techniques and styles. A price guide is included in the captions.

Download or read book Shabby Chic written by Rachel Ashwell and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2012-02-21 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Valuable flea market finds... A peeling, antioue vanity in muted sea green... An elegant, cracked chandelier... An enormous, slipcovered sofa with deep, cushions... Comfort, the beauty of imperfections, the allure of time-worn objects, and the appeal of simple practical living: these are the cornerstones of what has come to be known as the Shabby Chic style. Like the cozy familiarity of a well-worn pair of faded jeans, the dilapidated elegance of an Italian viIla, or the worn grandeur of faded velvets and mismatched floral china handed down from your grandmother's attic, the Shabby Chic style is a revived appreciation for what is used, well-loved, and worn. It is a respect for natural evolution and a regard for what is easy and sensible. The hundreds of lavish photographs in this book invite you inside the unique world of Shabby Chic. Rachel Ashwell, founder of theShabby Chic home decor stores, for the first time provides her invaluable and much-sought-after advice on how to re-create Shabby Chic style in your own home. With engaging text and easy-to- follow instructions, Rachel details the Shabby Chic basics in a way that will put even the most apprehensive or novice decorators at ease. From flowers to fabrics to lighting, Rachel illuminates all of the elements essential to this unpretentious yet truly exquisite style. A behind-the-scenes look at a flea market lets readers in on Rachel's personal secrets of how to cull hidden treasures from flea market trash--an old trunk, its paint peeling around the edges, can be given new life as a coffee table, while a chipped white iron salvage piece becomes the perfect frame for a vintage mirror. This book tells you not only how to restore these pieces but how to find the perfect place for them in your home. Gorgeous color photographs and accompanying text reveal how this relaxed look works with a variety of different styles, from Victorian to Mediterranean to contemporary.

Download or read book Wise Craft Quilts written by Blair Stocker and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2017-03-14 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Infuse your quilts with love--how to add your personal story and more meaning to your handmade quilts. In Wise Craft Quilts, celebrated quilt designer and crafter Blair Stocker shares ways to use cherished fabrics to make quilts with more meaning. Each of the twenty-one quilts featured here gathers a special collection of fabric, outlines a new technique, and spins a story. By using special fabrics as the starting point for each project—from a wedding dress to baby’s first clothes, worn denim, Tyvek race numbers, and more—the finished quilt is made even more special. Create quilts that have a story to tell and you’ll find a whole new level of appreciation for what they represent in your life and the lives of the ones you love.

Download or read book Charm School written by Vanessa Goertzen and published by C&T Publishing Inc. This book was released on 2017-02-01 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “These cheery quilts demonstrate the versatility of charm squares and will inspire quilters to make use of these popular precuts.” —Library Journal Mind your Ps and Qs . . . precuts and quilt blocks, that is! Popular designer Vanessa Goertzen puts charm squares to the test with 18 projects using precut 5” x 5” squares. Start with fresh, beginner-friendly patterns and build your skills to sew snowballs, stars, flying geese, and more. Using precuts from your stash or your own charms cut from scraps or yardage, you’ll learn tips to take the guesswork out of piecing. Modern and traditional quilters alike will fall in love with these quick, clever, and clean designs! “This book will certainly appeal to any scrap lover! You can use precuts or ‘shop’ your stash to create your own collection of five inch blocks—it is a revelation to see the variety of patterns than can be made from this starting point . . . It truly is a book you would want to give a beginner, but the quilts are so lovely that even more experienced quilters will want to make them.” —Down Under Quilts “An excellent way to begin quilting or to use charm packs.” —yarnsandfabrics.co.uk “You’ll learn how to transform the simple squares into Snowballs, Stars, Flying Geese, and more. This book, featuring both traditional and modern patterns, is a must-have for precut collectors.” —American Patchwork & Quilting

Download or read book Southern Tufts written by Ashley Callahan and published by University of Georgia Press. This book was released on 2015-12-01 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Southern Tufts is the first book to highlight the garments produced by northwestern Georgia’s tufted textile industry. Though best known now for its production of carpet, in the early twentieth century the region was revered for its handtufted candlewick bedspreads, products that grew out of the Southern Appalachian Craft Revival and appealed to the vogue for Colonial Revival–style household goods. Soon after the bedspreads became popular, enterprising women began creating hand-tufted garments, including candlewick kimonos in the 1920s and candlewick dresses in the early 1930s. By the late 1930s, large companies offered machine-produced chenille beach capes, jackets, and robes. In the 1940s and 1950s, chenille robes became an American fashion staple. At the end of the century, interest in chenille fashion revived, fueled by nostalgia and an interest in recycling vintage materials. Chenille bedspreads, bathrobes, and accessories hung for sale both in roadside souvenir shops, especially along the Dixie Highway, and in department stores all over the nation. Callahan tells the story of chenille fashion and its connections to stylistic trends, automobile tourism, industrial developments, and U.S. history. The well-researched and heavily illustrated text presents a broad history of tufted textiles, as well as sections highlighting individual craftspeople and manufacturers involved with the production of chenille fashion.

Download or read book Catullus Bedspread written by Daisy Dunn and published by William Collins. This book was released on 2017-01-12 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A biography of Gaius Valerius Catullus, Rome's first great poet, a dandy who fell in love with another man's wife and made it known to the world through his verse. This superb book gives a rare portrait of life during one of the most critical moments in world history through the eyes of one of Rome's greatest writers. Living through the debauchery, decadence and spectacle of the crumbling Roman Republic, Catullus remains famous for the sharp, immediate poetry with which he skewered Rome's sparring titans - Pompey, Crassus and his father's friend, Julius Caesar. But it was for his erotic, scandalous but often tender love elegies that he became best known, inspired above all by his own lasting affair with a married woman whom he immortalised in his verse as 'Lesbia'. A monumental figure for poets from Ovid and Virgil onwards, his journey across youth and experience, from Verona to Rome, Bithynia to Lake Garda, is traced in Daisy Dunn's brilliant portrait of life during one of the most critical moments in world history.

Download or read book Seduction and Betrayal written by Elizabeth Hardwick and published by New York Review of Books. This book was released on 2011-07-13 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A vivid and provocative literary criticism of famous women writers from Virginia Woolf to Zelda Fitzgerald by a “gifted miniaturist biographer” (Joyce Carol Oates) The novelist and essayist Elizabeth Hardwick is one of contemporary America’s most brilliant writers, and Seduction and Betrayal, in which she considers the careers of women writers as well as the larger question of the presence of women in literature, is her most passionate and concentrated work of criticism. A gallery of unforgettable portraits—of Virginia Woolf and Zelda Fitzgerald, Dorothy Wordsworth and Jane Carlyle—as well as a provocative reading of such works as Wuthering Heights, Hedda Gabler, and the poems of Sylvia Plath, Seduction and Betrayal is a virtuoso performance, a major writer’s reckoning with the relations between men and women, women and writing, writing and life.

Download or read book The Gospel According to Larry written by Janet Tashjian and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2001-10 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seventeen-year-old Josh, a loner-philosopher who wants to make a difference in the world, tries to maintain his secret identity as the author of a web site that is receiving national attention.

Download or read book School is Cool written by Sowmya Rajendran and published by Tulika Books. This book was released on 2010 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "It's time to get ready for school and the little girl in this book is still in a world of dreams - of tigers, elephants, the sea ... And as she tries to hurry up, her grandmother tells her the secret of what made her father go to school."--Page 4 of cover

Download or read book Shiva Dancing written by Bharti Kirchner and published by Plume Books. This book was released on 1999 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Computer expert Meena Kumari of California returns to India to reacquaint herself with her husband from a forced child marriage before she was saved by an American couple who adopted her. Paradoxically, the trip leads to love with an American. A first novel by the author of The Healthy Cuisine of India.