Download or read book The Ice Swan written by J'nell Ciesielski and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2021-07-06 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Amid the violent last days of the glittering Russian monarchy, a princess on the run finds her heart where she least expects it. 1917, Petrograd. Fleeing the murderous flames of the Russian Revolution, Princess Svetlana Dalsky hopes to find safety in Paris with her mother and sister. But the city is buckling under the weight of the Great War, and the Bolsheviks will not rest until they have erased every Russian aristocrat from memory. Svetlana and her family are forced into hiding in Paris’s underbelly, with little to their name but the jewels they sewed into their corsets before their terrifying escape. Born the second son of a Scottish duke, the only title Wynn MacCallan cares for is that of surgeon. Putting his talents with a scalpel to good use in the hospitals in Paris, Wynn pushes the boundaries of medical science to give his patients the best care possible. After treating Svetlana for a minor injury, he is pulled into a world of decaying imperial glitter. Intrigued by this mysterious, cold, and beautiful woman, Wynn follows Svetlana to an underground Russian club where drink, dance, and questionable dealings collide on bubbles of vodka. Out of money and options, Svetlana agrees to a marriage of convenience with the handsome and brilliant Wynn, who will protect her and pay off her family’s debts. It’s the right thing for a good man to do, but Wynn cannot help hoping the marriage will turn into one of true affection. When Wynn’s life takes an unexpected turn, so does Svetlana’s—and soon Paris becomes as dangerous as Petrograd. And as the Bolsheviks chase them to Scotland, Wynn and Svetlana begin to wonder if they will ever be able to outrun the love they are beginning to feel for one another. “The Ice Swan is a ray of light in the middle of a Europe that was sinking into darkness. Ciesielski’s talent for storytelling from the heart is a feast for the readers’ eyes.” —Mario Escobar, international bestselling author of Remember Me and Children of the Stars Adventurous World War I historical romance For fans of Kate Quinn, Beatriz Williams, and Aimie K. Runyan Full-length, stand-alone novel (approx. 120,000 words) Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Download or read book The Dark Beneath the Ice written by Amelinda Bérubé and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2018-08-07 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Black Swan meets Paranormal Activity in this compelling ghost story about a former dancer whose grip on reality slips when she begins to think a dark entity is stalking her. Something is wrong with Marianne. It's not just that her parents have finally split up. Or that life hasn't been the same since she quit dancing. Or even that her mother has checked herself into the hospital. She's losing time. Doing things she would never do. And objects around her seem to break whenever she comes close. Something is after her. And the only one who seems to believe her is the daughter of a local psychic. But their first attempt at an exorcism calls down the full force of the thing's rage. It demands Marianne give back what she stole. Whatever is haunting her, it wants everything she has—everything it's convinced she stole. Marianne must uncover the truth that lies beneath it all before the nightmare can take what it thinks it's owed, leaving Marianne trapped in the darkness of the other side.

Download or read book The Ice Shirt written by William T. Vollmann and published by Penguin. This book was released on 1993-08-01 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A majestic fictional evocation of the Norse arrival in the New World, from the National Book Award-winning author of Europe Central The time is the tenth century A.D. The newcomers are a proud and bloody-minded people whose kings once changed themselves into wolves. The Norse have advanced as implacably as a glacier from Iceland to the wastes of Greenland and from there to the place they call "Vinland the Good." The natives are a bronze-skinned race who have not yet discovered iron and still see themselves as part of nature. As William T. Vollmann tells the converging stories of these two peoples--and of the Norsewomen Freydis and Gudrid, whose venomous rivalry brings frost into paradise--he creates a tour-de-force of speculative history, a vivid amalgam of Icelandic saga, Inuit creation myth, and contemporary travel writing that yields a new an utterly original vision of our continent and its past.

Download or read book Sea Swan written by Kathryn Lasky and published by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers. This book was released on 1988 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the age of seventy-five, Elzibah Swan decides to take up swimming, a pastime which enriches her life and one which she shares through letters with her young grandchildren.

Download or read book Sophia the Snow Swan Fairy Magical Animal Fairies 5 written by Daisy Meadows and published by Scholastic Inc.. This book was released on 2013-01-01 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rachel and Kirsty are off on another exciting adventure - with the Magical Animal Fairies!Rachel and Kirsty are heading to outdoor adventure camp -- and another fairy adventure is just around the corner! The Magical Animal Fairies' seven animals are missing. The animals each look after a special kind of magic. If Rachel and Kirsty can't find them fast, nothing will be the same! The campers are going on a special nighttime hike! Will Rachel and Kirsty be able to spot Sophia the Snow Swan Fairy's swan, Belle, out in the dark?Find the missing magical animal in each book and help save the fairy magic!

Download or read book Flight of the Swan written by Rosario Ferré and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2014-04-29 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A renowned Russian ballerina is stranded in Puerto Rico as a revolution tears her homeland apart—and she finds herself in the middle of another uprising In a truly multicultural story and a daring example of global fiction, Rosario Ferré uses her prodigious talents to deliver an unforgettable tale of love, politics, and the power of female expression. Based loosely on a real episode in the life of famous prima ballerina Anna Pavlova, Flight of the Swan follows Niura Federovsky as she flees Russia when revolution breaks out in 1917. Adrift in San Juan, Niura falls in love with a much younger man. Her passion for revolutionary Diamantino Márquez mirrors the turmoil of the strife-torn island, and her dance troupe soon becomes caught up in Puerto Rico’s struggle for independence. Niura’s maid and confidant, Masha, the heart and soul of the novel, is devastated by Madame’s apparent abandonment of her art. Masha tries to save her mistress from heartbreak—only to lose her own heart to a most unexpected arrival.

Download or read book Whistling Wings written by Laura Goering and published by Arbordale Publishing. This book was released on 2008-08-10 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Marcel, a young tundra swan, tires halfway through the winter migration and stays behind while his parents and the flock continue south. He asks for advice from other animals about how to survive the winter, but their ways of living are not right for the swan. "For Creative Minds" section includes fun facts about tundra swans, migration, and an animal adaptation matching activity.

Download or read book Swan Sky written by Keizaburō Tejima and published by . This book was released on 1988 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite the devoted attentions of her family, a young swan is unable to accompany them on the journey to their summer home.

Download or read book Beauty Among Ruins written by J'nell Ciesielski and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2021-01-12 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Ciesielski’s latest sweeping romance, an American heiress finds herself in Scotland amid the fallout of the Great War, and a wounded Scottish laird comes face-to-face with his past and a woman he never could have expected. American socialite Lily Durham is known for enjoying one moment to the next, with little regard for the consequences of her actions. But just as she is banished overseas to England as a “cure” for her frivolous ways, the Great War breaks out and wreaks havoc. She joins her cousin in nursing the wounded at a convalescent home deep in the wilds of Scotland at a crumbling castle where its laird is less than welcoming. Alec MacGregor has given his entire life to preserving his home of Kinclavoch Castle, but mounting debts force him to sell off his family history bit by bit. Labeled a coward for not joining his countrymen in the trenches due to an old injury, he opens his home to the Tommies to make recompense while he keeps to the shadows. But his preference for the shadows is shattered when a new American nurse comes streaming into the castle on a burst of light. Lily and Alec are thrown together when a series of mysterious events threatens to ruin the future of Kinclavoch. Can they put aside their differences to find the culprit before it’s too late, or will their greatest distraction be falling in love? Praise for Beauty Among Ruins “An atmospheric, engrossing romance for fans of Downton Abbey and Somewhere in France. A real gem!” —Aimie K. Runyan, internationally bestselling author “A satisfying and highly enjoyable read that I recommended for readers of historical fiction, mystery, and romance.” —Tea Cooper, author of The Woman in the Green Dress World War I historical romance Full-length stand-alone novel Book length: 113,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Download or read book Leda and the Swan written by Anna Caritj and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2022-05-03 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Affecting narrative about consent, power and loneliness.”—Time “Intoxicatingly ominous.”—Kirkus Reviews In a hothouse of collegiate sex and ambition, one young woman mysteriously disappears after a wild campus party, and another becomes obsessed with finding her. It’s Halloween night on a pastoral East Coast college campus. Scantily costumed students ride the fine line between adolescence and adulthood as they prepare for a night of drinking and debauchery. Expectations are high as Leda flirts with her thrilling new crush, Ian, and he flirts back. But by the end of the night, things will have taken a turn. A mysterious young woman in a swan costume speaks with Leda outside a party—and then vanishes. When Leda later wakes up in Ian’s room the next morning, she is unsure exactly what happened between them. Meanwhile, as the campus rouses itself to respond to the young woman’s disappearance, rumors swirl, suspicious facts pile up, and Leda’s obsession with her missing classmate grows. Is it just a coincidence that Ian used to date Charlotte, the missing woman? Is Leda herself in danger? As Leda becomes more and more dangerously consumed with the mystery of Charlotte and questions about Ian, her motivations begin to blur. Is Leda looking for Charlotte, or trying to find herself? In Leda and the Swan, Anna Caritj’s riveting storytelling brings together a suspenseful plot; an intimate, confessional voice; and invaluable insights into sex, power, and contemporary culture.

Download or read book Swan Sister written by Annie Dalton and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the swans fly over the church during the christening, grieving for their swan child, only sharp-eyed Ellen understands the terrible thing that has happened to her baby sister. But can she put right the harm that has been done? Suggested level: primary.

Download or read book Last Swan in Sacramento written by Stephen Bly and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2020-09-19 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: They were supposed to be living happily ever after. Instead, Martina Swan, daughter of the legendary Wilson and Alena Merced, grapples to find peace in a marriage that is falling apart. Her husband is in Virginia City, Nevada, trying his luck at mining the Comstock Lode. A promise to come home a wealthy man "in three weeks" was given over a year ago. Meanwhile, Martina struggles to keep the family store solvent in Sacramento. And the pressures are mounting as she seeks to raise their child, the bank deviously tries to close the store, and armed outlaws decide she has possession of their stolen treasure. Always living in the shadow of her mother's beauty and her father's valor, Martina finds her one true source of joy is her daughter. But when a stranger shows up with a message from her husband, Martina determines to go and bring her man home. It turns out to be a shocking, toughening experience. In fact, she's about to fight the most difficult battle of her life--learning to forgive and love again. It will prove to be a deep lesson about herself, the nature of love, and God's unwavering concern for her entire family. In a land and a time where reputations were gained ... and lost ... in a matter of weeks, Martina Swan is about to discover whether she has the faith and courage to survive. She's about to fight the most difficult battle of her life as she learns to forgive and love again. Follow the romance and adventure of the years beyond the Gold Rush in the continuing saga of Old California.

Download or read book A Kingdom Far and Clear written by Mark Helprin and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 2010-10-20 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a rare collaboration, bestselling authors Helprin and Van Allsburg worked for nearly a decade on this ambitious, multi-generational trilogy that pits the power of love and devotion against dark forces of greed and suppression. For the first time, this hardcover volume collects all three of Helprin's contemporary fantasies —Swan Lake,The Veil of Snows, andA City in Winter— along with Van Allsburg's sensitively wrought illustrations from the original editions. 39 full-color plates.

Download or read book Black Swan Green written by David Mitchell and published by Random House. This book was released on 2006-04-11 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By the New York Times bestselling author of The Bone Clocks and Cloud Atlas | Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize Selected by Time as One of the Ten Best Books of the Year | A New York Times Notable Book | Named One of the Best Books of the Year by The Washington Post Book World, The Christian Science Monitor, Rocky Mountain News, and Kirkus Reviews | A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist | Winner of the ALA Alex Award | Finalist for the Costa Novel Award From award-winning writer David Mitchell comes a sinewy, meditative novel of boyhood on the cusp of adulthood and the old on the cusp of the new. Black Swan Green tracks a single year in what is, for thirteen-year-old Jason Taylor, the sleepiest village in muddiest Worcestershire in a dying Cold War England, 1982. But the thirteen chapters, each a short story in its own right, create an exquisitely observed world that is anything but sleepy. A world of Kissingeresque realpolitik enacted in boys’ games on a frozen lake; of “nightcreeping” through the summer backyards of strangers; of the tabloid-fueled thrills of the Falklands War and its human toll; of the cruel, luscious Dawn Madden and her power-hungry boyfriend, Ross Wilcox; of a certain Madame Eva van Outryve de Crommelynck, an elderly bohemian emigré who is both more and less than she appears; of Jason’s search to replace his dead grandfather’s irreplaceable smashed watch before the crime is discovered; of first cigarettes, first kisses, first Duran Duran LPs, and first deaths; of Margaret Thatcher’s recession; of Gypsies camping in the woods and the hysteria they inspire; and, even closer to home, of a slow-motion divorce in four seasons. Pointed, funny, profound, left-field, elegiac, and painted with the stuff of life, Black Swan Green is David Mitchell’s subtlest and most effective achievement to date. Praise for Black Swan Green “[David Mitchell has created] one of the most endearing, smart, and funny young narrators ever to rise up from the pages of a novel. . . . The always fresh and brilliant writing will carry readers back to their own childhoods. . . . This enchanting novel makes us remember exactly what it was like.”—The Boston Globe “[David Mitchell is a] prodigiously daring and imaginative young writer. . . . As in the works of Thomas Pynchon and Herman Melville, one feels the roof of the narrative lifted off and oneself in thrall.”—Time

Download or read book Francis Bacon written by Mark Stevens and published by Knopf. This book was released on 2021-03-23 with total page 896 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE TIMES ART BOOK OF THE YEAR Named one of The Irish Times' Books of the Year for 2021 A compelling and comprehensive look at the life and art of Francis Bacon, one of the iconic painters of the twentieth century—from the Pulitzer Prize-winning authors of de Kooning: An American Master. This intimate study of the singularly private, darkly funny, eruptive man and his extraordinary art “is bejeweled with sensuous detail … the iconoclastic charm of the artist keeps the pages turning” (The Washington Post). “A definitive life of Francis Bacon ... Stevens and Swan are vivid scene setters ... Francis Bacon does justice to the contradictions of both the man and the art.” —The Boston Globe Francis Bacon created an indelible image of mankind in modern times, and played an outsized role in both twentieth century art and life—from his public emergence with his legendary Triptych 1944 (its images "so unrelievedly awful" that people fled the gallery), to his death in Madrid in 1992. Bacon was a witty free spirit and unabashed homosexual at a time when many others remained closeted, and his exploits were as unforgettable as his images. He moved among the worlds of London's Soho and East End, the literary salons of London and Paris, and the homosexual life of Tangier. Through hundreds of interviews, and extensive new research, the authors probe Bacon's childhood in Ireland (he earned his father's lasting disdain because his asthma prevented him from hunting); his increasingly open homosexuality; his early design career—never before explored in detail; the formation of his vision; his early failure as an artist; his uneasy relationship with American abstract art; and his improbable late emergence onto the international stage as one of the great visionaries of the twentieth century. In all, Francis Bacon: Revelations gives us a more complete and nuanced--and more international--portrait than ever before of this singularly private, darkly funny, eruptive man and his equally eruptive, extraordinary art. Bacon was not just an influential artist, he helped remake the twentieth-century figure.

Download or read book The Socialite written by J'nell Ciesielski and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2020-04-14 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When her younger sister runs away to Paris to live with a German officer high up in Hitler’s favor, English socialite Kat embarks on a dangerous journey to save her sister from the Nazis. Glamour, romance, and espionage collide in this exciting, high-stakes adventure. As the daughter of Sir Alfred Whitford, Kat has certain responsibilities. Chasing her wayward younger sister, Ellie, to Nazi-occupied Paris was never supposed to be one of them. Unfortunately, Ellie has grown accustomed to the luxurious lifestyle her Nazi lover provides and has no intention of going back to the shackled life their parents dictate—but Kat will stop at nothing to bring her sister home. Barrett Anderson was arrested for defending himself against a drunken bully of high birth. Given the option of jail or training Resistance fighters in Paris, Barrett chooses the latter. He poses as a bar owner, entertaining Nazis at night while his men train right below their jackboots during the day. An assignment to watch over two English debutantes is the last thing he needs, but a payout from their father is too tempting to resist. From the moment Kat and Barrett meet, tempers flare and sparks fly. Despite their differences, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other in order to survive this deadly mission. In the end, their hearts may prove more traitorous than the dangers waiting around the corner. Both a daring journey into Nazi-occupied Paris and a captivating love story, The Socialite will enchant readers with its beautiful prose and unforgettable characters. Praise for The Socialite: “Smart, savvy, and seductive, J’nell Ciesielski’s The Socialite takes the reader on a high-stakes thrill ride through the darkness of WWII–occupied Paris.”—Kristy Cambron, bestselling and award-winning author “In the tradition of Ariel Lawhon and Kate Quinn, The Socialite immerses readers in the glamor and destruction of Nazi-occupied Paris. A picture-perfect portrait of early 1940s Paris, this impeccably researched love story stands out in a sea of WWII-era fiction with its distinctive crystalline voice and unforgettable hero and heroine.”—Rachel McMillan, author of The London Restoration Exciting World War II historical romance Full-length, stand-alone novel Book length: 110,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Download or read book The Swan Book written by Alexis Wright and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2016-06-28 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published: Australia: Giramondo, 2013.