Download or read book Woman of the Ashes written by Mia Couto and published by . This book was released on 2018-04-10 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first in a trilogy about the last emperor of southern Mozambique by one of Africa’s most important writers Southern Mozambique, 1894. Sergeant Germano de Melo is posted to the village of Nkokolani to oversee the Portuguese conquest of territory claimed by Ngungunyane, the last of the leaders of the state of Gaza, the second-largest empire led by an African. Ngungunyane has raised an army to resist colonial rule and with his warriors is slowly approaching the border village. Desperate for help, Germano enlists Imani, a fifteen-year-old girl, to act as his interpreter. She belongs to the VaChopi tribe, one of the few who dared side with the Portuguese. But while one of her brothers fights for the Crown of Portugal, the other has chosen the African emperor. Standing astride two kingdoms, Imani is drawn to Germano, just as he is drawn to her. But she knows that in a country haunted by violence, the only way out for a woman is to go unnoticed, as if made of shadows or ashes. Alternating between the voices of Imani and Germano, Mia Couto’s Woman of the Ashes combines vivid folkloric prose with extensive historical research to give a spellbinding and unsettling account of war-torn Mozambique at the end of the nineteenth century.

Download or read book Lady of Ashes written by Christine Trent and published by Kensington Books. This book was released on 2012-03-01 with total page 560 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A female undertaker in Victorian London suspects death by unnatural causes in a mystery “rich with historical incidents and details” (Publishers Weekly). Only a woman with an iron backbone could succeed as an undertaker in Victorian England, but Violet Morgan takes great pride in her trade. While her husband, Graham, is preoccupied with elevating their station in society, Violet is cultivating a sterling reputation for Morgan Undertaking. She is empathetic, well-versed in funeral fashions, and comfortable with death’s role in life—until its chilling rattle comes knocking on her own front door. Violet’s peculiar but happy life soon begins to unravel as Graham becomes obsessed with his own demons and all but abandons her as he plans a vengeful scheme. And the solace she's always found in her work evaporates like a departing soul when she suspects that some of the deceased she's dressed have been murdered. When Graham disappears, Violet takes full control of the business and is commissioned for an undertaking of royal proportions. But she's certain there's a killer lurking in the London fog, and the next funeral may be her own. With equal parts courage, compassion, and intrigue, Christine Trent tells an unrestrained tale of love and loss in the rigidly decorous world of Victorian society. Praise for the novels of Christine Trent “Genuinely engrossing.”—Publishers Weekly “Exuberant, sparkling, beguiling. . .brims with Dickensian gusto!”—Barbara Kyle, author of The Queen's Lady “Winningly original…glittering with atmospheric detail!”—Leslie Carroll, author of Royal Affairs

Download or read book The Girl who Sat by the Ashes written by Padraic Colum and published by . This book was released on 1919 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A variation of the Cinderella story.

Download or read book The Girl Who Talks to Ashes written by Rachel Rener and published by T⚡c. This book was released on 2020-10-18 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fifteen-year-old Willow is terrified of her new baby, Lilah, who has a peculiar form of epilepsy. Every time Lilah's eyes glaze over, terrible things happen: flowers shrivel, food goes to rot - even Willow's long, auburn hair turns stark white. But it's the death of the family cat that becomes the last straw; in the middle of the night, Willow and her mother dump the infant at the fire station two towns over - and are never heard from again. The next morning, Chief Stanley Quinn takes Lilah home and cares for the toddler as best as he can. With medication, her epilepsy remains under control... For the most part. But as a teenager, Lilah isn't always keen on taking her pills, and when she sneaks away to a rock concert with the cutest boy in school, something terrible happens, landing both of them in the hospital. After Stanley breaks down and confesses everything to his adopted daughter, she decides to track down the young girl who gave her up sixteen years ago; the young girl who never made it home that night... The young girl who is now presumed to be dead. Soon, Lilah's quest to find her birth mother becomes a quest to solve a sixteen-year-old missing persons case. She has everything she needs to find her - she just needs to learn how to control her peculiar 'gift' before she kills someone. Again.

Download or read book Annie Freeman s Fabulous Traveling Funeral written by Kris Radish and published by Listening Library. This book was released on 2006 with total page 570 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Annie Freeman, left one final request, a traveling funeral, and she wants the most important women in her life as pallbearers. From Sonoma to Manhattan, Katherine, Laura, Rebecca, Jill, and Marie will carry Annie's ashes to the special places in her life. At every stop there's a surprise encounter and a small miracle waiting, and as they whoop it up across the country, attracting interest wherever they go, they share their deepest secrets--tales of broken hearts and second chances, missed opportunities and new beginnings. And as they grieve over what they've lost, they discover how much is still possible if only they can unravel the secret Annie left them.

Download or read book Beautiful Ashes A True Story of Murder Betrayal and One Woman s Search for Peace written by Shelly Edwards Jorgensen and published by Edgeworth Group LLC. This book was released on 2022-04-06 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: She watched as her mother's body was removed from the ashes of her home . . . Unbearable loss, dangerous secrets, and a life-threatening illness endangered her only hope for a future . . . . . . But through it all, she found her faith. When fifteen-year-old Shelly Edwards's mother is murdered by her alcoholic father, she loses her home, her family, and the only life she's ever known. Abandoned, broken from abuse and assault, facing poverty, and gripped with fear for her life, Shelly struggles to dismantle decades of lies. But into the deepening darkness that follows, God sends heavenly gifts, leading Shelly to a newfound faith. There she finds a peace she's never thought possible. When Shelly eventually meets the man she will marry, she thinks her life will finally be everything she's ever dreamed of, but the lingering wounds of her past-and new, devastating medical complications-shake her faith. After all she's endured, can she rise from the ashes and trust God once more? You'll be transformed by Shelly's riveting memoir about how love, forgiveness, courage, determination-and the guidance of angels-can overcome even the greatest anguish.

Download or read book The Sword and the Spear written by Mia Couto and published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. This book was released on 2020-09-08 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The second novel in the exhilarating Sands of the Emperor trilogy, following the Man Booker International Prize finalist Woman of the Ashes Mozambique, 1895. After an attack on his quarters, the defeated Portuguese sergeant Germano de Melo needs to be taken to the hospital. The only one within reach is along the river Inhambane, so his lover Imani undertakes an arduous rescue mission, accompanied by her father and brother. Meanwhile, war rages between the Portuguese occupiers and Ngungunyane’s warriors—battles waged with sword and spear, until the arrival of a devastating new weapon destined to secure European domination. Germano wants to start a new life with Imani, but the Portuguese military has other plans for the injured soldier. And Imani's father has his own plan for his daughter’s future: as one of Ngungunyane's wives, she would be close enough to the tyrant to avenge the destruction of their village. With elegance and compassion, Mia Couto's The Sword and the Spear illustrates the futility of war and the porous boundaries between apparently foreign cultures—boundaries of which entire societies, but also friends and lovers, conceive as simultaneously insuperable and in decline.

Download or read book Land of Snow and Ashes written by Petra Rautiainen and published by Pushkin Press. This book was released on 2023-10-10 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The haunting, gripping story of Lapland's buried history of Nazi crimes during World War II, perfect for fans of Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius “A beautifully written novel and a thriller that will keep readers turning the page to find out the truth about this disgraceful chapter of Finnish history” – Harvard Review Finnish Lapland, 1944: a young soldier is called to work as an interpreter at a Nazi prison camp. Surrounded by cruelty and death, he struggles to hold onto his humanity. When peace comes, the crimes are buried beneath the snow and ice. A few years later, journalist Inkeri is assigned to investigate the rapid development of remote Western Lapland. Her real motivation is more personal: she is following a lead on her husband, who disappeared during the war. Finding a small community riven with tension and suspicious of outsiders, Inkeri slowly begins to uncover traces of disturbing facts that were never supposed to come to light. From this starkly beautiful polar landscape emerges a story of silenced histories and ongoing oppression, of human brutality and survival.

Download or read book A Torch Against the Night written by Sabaa Tahir and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2016-08-30 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER One of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time Book two in the New York Times bestselling series A USA Today bestseller A Wall Street Journal bestseller “Spectacular.”—Entertainment Weekly “Fresh and exciting...Tahir has shown a remarkable talent for penning complex villains.”—A.V. Club "Even higher stakes than its predecessor… thrilling." —Publishers Weekly, starred review “[An] action-packed, breathlessly paced story.” —Booklist, starred review Set in a rich, high-fantasy world inspired by ancient Rome, Sabaa Tahir's AN EMBER IN THE ASHES told the story of Laia, a slave fighting for her family, and Elias, a young soldier fighting for his freedom. Now, in A TORCH AGAINST THE NIGHT, Elias and Laia are running for their lives. After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire. Laia is determined to break into Kauf—the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison—to save her brother, who is the key to the Scholars' survival. And Elias is determined to help Laia succeed, even if it means giving up his last chance at freedom. But dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against Laia and Elias. The pair must fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene—Elias’s former friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike. Bound to Marcus's will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own—one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape...and kill them both.

Download or read book Sea Loves Me written by Mia Couto and published by Biblioasis. This book was released on 2021-02-23 with total page 455 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An NPR Best Book of 2021 New and selected fiction, over half in English for the first time, from the winner of the 2014 Neustadt Prize. Known internationally for his novels, Neustadt Prize-winner Mia Couto first became famous for his short stories. Sea Loves Me includes sixty-four of his best, thirty-six of which appear in English for the first time. Covering the entire arc of Couto's career, this collection displays the Mozambican author's inventiveness, sensitivity, and social range with greater richness than any previous collection—from early stories that reflect the harshness of life under Portuguese colonialism; to magical tales of rural Africa; to contemporary fables of the fluidity of race and gender, environmental disaster, and the clash between the countryside and the city. The title novella, long acclaimed as one of Couto's best works but never before available in English, caps this collection with the lyrical story of a search for a lost father that leads unexpectedly to love.

Download or read book We Are the Ashes We Are the Fire written by Joy McCullough and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2022-02-08 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the author of the acclaimed Blood Water Paint, a new contemporary YA novel in prose and verse about a girl struggling with guilt and a desire for revenge after her sister's rapist escapes with no prison time. Em Morales's older sister was raped by another student after a frat party. A jury eventually found the rapist guilty on all counts--a remarkable verdict that Em felt more than a little responsible for, since she was her sister's strongest advocate on social media during the trial. Her passion and outspokenness helped dissuade the DA from settling for a plea deal. Em's family would have real justice. But the victory is short-lived. In a matter of minutes, justice vanishes as the judge turns the Morales family's world upside down again by sentencing the rapist to no prison time. While her family is stunned, Em is literally sick with rage and guilt. To make matters worse, a news clip of her saying that the sentence makes her want to learn "how to use a sword" goes viral. From this low point, Em must find a new reason to go on and help her family heal, and she finds it in the unlikely form of the story of a fifteenth-century French noblewoman, Marguerite de Bressieux, who is legendary as an avenging knight for rape victims. We Are the Ashes, We Are the Fire is a searing and nuanced portrait of a young woman torn between a persistent desire for revenge and a burning need for hope.

Download or read book Lady Smoke written by Laura Sebastian and published by Delacorte Press. This book was released on 2019-02-05 with total page 514 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The second installment in the New York Times bestselling series "made for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Sabaa Tahir" (Bustle), Lady Smoke is an epic new fantasy about a throne cruelly stolen and a girl who must fight to take it back for her people. The Kaiser murdered Theodosia's mother, the Fire Queen, when Theo was only six. He took Theo's country and kept her prisoner, crowning her Ash Princess--a pet to toy with and humiliate for ten long years. That era has ended. The Kaiser thought his prisoner weak and defenseless. He didn't realize that a sharp mind is the deadliest weapon. Theo no longer wears a crown of ashes. She has taken back her rightful title, and a hostage--Prinz Soren. But her people remain enslaved under the Kaiser's rule, and now she is thousands of miles away from them and her throne. To get them back, she will need an army. Only, securing an army means she must trust her aunt, the dreaded pirate Dragonsbane. And according to Dragonsbane, an army can only be produced if Theo takes a husband. Something an Astrean Queen has never done. Theo knows that freedom comes at a price, but she is determined to find a way to save her country without losing herself. Praise for the Ash Princess Series: "A darkly enchanting page-turner you won't be able to put down."--Bustle "A smart, feminist twist on a traditional tale of a fallen heroine, with plenty of court intrigue, love, and lies to sweeten the deal. Good luck putting this one down." --Virginia Boecker, author of The Witch Hunter series "This searing page-turner is a compelling examination of the complexities of both evil and resistance."--Sarah Porter, author of Vassa in the Night "A dark and spellbinding epic." --Sara Holland, New York Times bestselling author of Everless "A rebel queen fans the sparks of revolution...[and] Theo's first-person narration remains enthralling with emotional immediacy...[while] packed to the brim with intrigue and the promise."-Kirkus Reviews

Download or read book The Path to the Sea written by Liz Fenwick and published by HarperCollins UK. This book was released on 2019-06-06 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sometimes going home is just the beginning... ‘Vivid and beautifully written, Liz Fenwick is a gifted storyteller’ Sarah Morgan, Sunday Times bestselling author 'Atmospheric, emotional and full of mystery – an absolute pleasure from page one' Veronica Henry, Sunday Times bestselling author

Download or read book Ashes of Fiery Weather written by Kathleen Donohoe and published by HMH. This book was released on 2016-08-30 with total page 421 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This “stunning and intimate portrayal of four generations of New York City firefighters somehow manages to be part Alice McDermott, part Denis Leary” (Irish America). One of Book Riot’s 100 Must-Read New York City Novels Firefighters walk boldly into battle against the most capricious of elements. Their daughters, mothers, sisters, and wives walk through the world with another kind of strength and another kind of sorrow, and no one knows that better than the women of the Keegan-O’Reilly clan. Ashes of Fiery Weather takes us from famine-era Ireland to New York City a decade after 9/11, illuminating the passionate loves and tragic losses of generations of women in a firefighting family—with “characters that come so vividly to life one forgets one is reading a novel . . . Anyone Irish will face an uncanny recognition in these pages; everyone else will be enthralled meeting such captivating figures” (Matthew Thomas, New York Times–bestselling author of We Are Not Ourselves).

Download or read book Love Amid the Ashes Treasures of His Love Book 1 written by Mesu Andrews and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2011-03-01 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Readers often think of Job sitting on the ash heap, his life in shambles. But how did he get there? What was Job's life like before tragedy struck? What did he think as his world came crashing down around him? And what was life like after God restored his wealth, health, and family? Through painstaking research and a writer's creative mind, Mesu Andrews weaves an emotional and stirring account of this well-known story told through the eyes of the women who loved him. Drawing together the account of Job with those of Esau's tribe and Jacob's daughter Dinah, Love Amid the Ashes breathes life, romance, and passion into the classic biblical story of suffering and steadfast faith.

Download or read book CinderGirl written by Christina Meredith and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2019-03-05 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How is it possible for a young, homeless woman to overcome abuse, endure the foster care system, and rise to prominence to help others? CinderGirl tells Christina Meredith's incredible story of how she overcame these hardships to earn the title of Miss California and become an advocate for the vulnerable. Born into a large, working-class family in upstate New York, Christina endured years of abuse before entering the foster care system as a teenager. With nowhere to turn after she graduated from high school, Christina lived in her car for almost a year, working three jobs to survive. As she prayed in her car every day, Christina had no idea that in just a few years, her suffering would help others find healing. But she did know that she was destined for more, and she refused to give up hope, no matter the circumstance. In CinderGirl, Christina tells her piercing and poignant story of leaving behind homelessness to become Miss California and the founder of a nonprofit organization that provides advocacy for foster care children. With stunning vulnerability, Christina invites us into her childhood home and the heart of a child longing to be loved, challenging us to dig deeper into our own personal courage, even in the most difficult conditions. And in return, you'll learn how to: Dream big, even when you're at rock bottom Embrace the inherent worth that is yours in Christ Jesus Deepen your faith and your relationship with God Praise for CinderGirl: "Christina Meredith's life experience and real-life Cinderella story are beyond inspirational to me, and I'm so proud of her. She is an overcomer like few I've ever read about. But what impresses me the most is her desire to transform the foster care system and use her challenges to better the next generation." --Kristen Dalton-Wolfe, bestselling author and former Miss USA "Christina Meredith's story, which she tells with unique courage, follows a young woman's rise out of vulnerability, homelessness, and abuse to become a soldier, leader, and pillar in her community. Christina's spirited and empathetic soul shines through every page." --Jason Jones, author, activist, film producer

Download or read book Born of Ashes written by Caris Roane and published by St. Martin's Paperbacks. This book was released on 2012-01-03 with total page 445 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Enter a hidden world of winged vampire warriors—and the women they are sworn protect. Born of Ashes is the fourth breathtaking novel in paranormal romance author Caris Roane's Guardians of Ascension series... For years, she was kept as a human slave—one of seven unwilling "blood donors" for the death vampires who thirst for absolute power. Now, Fiona is a free woman, haunted by her memories of being strapped to a gurney, drained of blood, then revived at the last moment. She lives to avenge her captors—but only one warrior can help her... Jean-Pierre has lived and fought for over two-hundred years. He knows the triumph of slaying a death vampire, but has never known anything like the feelings that arise when he becomes Fiona's guardian. Her beauty, her pain, her passion—and her growing power—consume his senses. Now the warrior must draw his sword once more—and fight the gates of hell itself—for love.