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The Penguin Book of First World War Stories
By Anne-Marie Einhaus. 2007
An anthology of Great War short stories by British writers, both famous and lesser-known authors, men and women, during the…
war and after its end. These stories are able to illustrate the impact of the Great War on British society and culture and the many modes in which short fiction contributed to the war's literature. The selection covers different periods: the war years themselves, the famous boom years of the late 1920s to the more recent past in which the First World War has received new cultural interest.Salonika burning
By Gail Jones. 2022
Macedonia,1917. The great city of Salonika is engulfed by fire as all of Europe is ravaged by war. Amid the…
destruction are those who have come to the frontlines to heal: surgeons, ambulance drivers, nurses, orderlies and other volunteers. Four of them – Stella, Olive, Grace and Stanley – are at the centre of Gail Jones’s new novel, which takes its inspiration from the wartime experiences of Australians Miles Franklin and Olive King, and British painters Grace Pailthorpe and Stanley Spencer. In Jones’s imagination these four lives intertwine and change, each compelled by the desire to create something meaningful in the ruins of a broken world.Small Pleasures: A Novel
By Clare Chambers. 2021
In the best tradition of Tessa Hadley, Kazuo Ishiguro, and Ann Patchett—an astonishing, keenly observed period piece about an ordinary…
British woman in the 1950s whose dutiful life takes a sudden turn into a pitched battle between propriety and unexpected passion."With wit and dry humor...quietly affecting in unexpected ways. Chambers' language is beautiful, achieving what only the most skilled writers can: big pleasure wrought from small details."--The New York TimesLONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION1957: Jean Swinney is a feature writer on a local paper in the southeast suburbs of London. Clever but with limited career opportunities and on the brink of forty, Jean lives a dreary existence that includes caring for her demanding widowed mother, who rarely leaves the house. It’s a small life with little joy and no likelihood of escape.That all changes when a young woman, Gretchen Tilbury, contacts the paper to claim that her daughter is the result of a virgin birth. Jean seizes onto the bizarre story and sets out to discover whether Gretchen is a miracle or a fraud. But the more Jean investigates, the more her life becomes strangely (and not unpleasantly) intertwined with that of the Tilburys, including Gretchen’s gentle and thoughtful husband Howard, who mostly believes his wife, and their quirky and charming daughter Margaret, who becomes a sort of surrogate child for Jean. Gretchen, too, becomes a much-needed friend in an otherwise empty social life.Jean cannot bring herself to discard what seems like her one chance at happiness, even as the story that she is researching starts to send dark ripples across all their lives…with unimaginable consequences.Both a mystery and a love story, Small Pleasures is a literary tour-de-force in the style of The Remains of the Day, about conflict between personal fulfillment and duty; a novel that celebrates the beauty and potential for joy in all things plain and unfashionable.Small Pleasures: Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction
By Clare Chambers. 2020
LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2021'A WORD-OF-MOUTH HIT' Evening Standard 'A very fine book... It's witty and sharp…
and reads like something by Barbara Pym or Anita Brookner, without ever feeling like a pastiche'David Nicholls'Perfect'India Knight 'Beautiful' Jessie Burton'Wonderful'Richard Osman 'Miraculous'Tracy Chevalier 'A wonderful novel. I loved it'Nina Stibbe 'Effortless to read, but every sentence lingers in the mind' Lissa Evans 'This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. I honestly don't want you to be without it'Lucy Mangan'Gorgeous... If you're looking for something escapist and bittersweet, I could not recommend more' Pandora Sykes'Remarkable... Small Pleasures is no small pleasure'The Times'An irresistible novel - wry, perceptive and quietly devastating'Mail on Sunday'Chambers' eye for undemonstrative details achieves a Larkin-esque lucidity' Guardian'An almost flawlessly written tale of genuine, grown-up romantic anguish' The Sunday Times 1957, the suburbs of South East London. Jean Swinney is a journalist on a local paper, trapped in a life of duty and disappointment from which there is no likelihood of escape. When a young woman, Gretchen Tilbury, contacts the paper to claim that her daughter is the result of a virgin birth, it is down to Jean to discover whether she is a miracle or a fraud. As the investigation turns her quiet life inside out, Jean is suddenly given an unexpected chance at friendship, love and - possibly - happiness. But there will, inevitably, be a price to pay.Book of the Year for: The Times, Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard, Daily Express, Metro, Spectator, Red Magazine and Good HousekeepingThe Castle Keepers: A Novel
By Aimie Runyan, Rachel McMillan, J'Nell Ciesielski. 2023
&“A fascinating story of love&’s ability to overcome family curses, scandals, and even war. Told in three parts, this multi-generational…
tale is wonderfully heartwarming!&” —Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in LondonLeedswick Castle has housed the Alnwick family in the English countryside for generations, despite a family curse determined to destroy their legacy and erase them from history.1870. After a disastrous dinner at the Astor mansion forces her to flee New York in disgrace, socialite Beatrice Holbrook knows her performance in London must be a triumph. When she catches the eye of Charles Alnwick, one of the town&’s most enviably titled bachelors, she prepares to attempt a social coup and become the future Marchioness of Northridge. Then tragedy and scandal strike the Alnwick family, and Beatrice must assume the role of a lifetime: that of her true, brave self.1917. Artist Elena Hamilton arrives in Northumberland determined to transform a soldier&’s wounds into something beautiful. Tobias Alnwick&’s parents have commissioned a lifelike mask to help their son return to his former self after battle wounds partially destroyed his face. But Elena doesn&’t see a man who needs fixing—she sees a man who needn&’t hide. Yet secrets from their past threaten to chase away the peace they&’ve found in each other and destroy the future they&’re creating.1945. Alec Alnwick returns home from the war haunted but determined to leave death and destruction behind. With the help of Brigitta Mayr, the brilliant young psychoanalyst whose correspondence was a lifeline during his time on the Western Front, he reconstructs his family&’s large estate into a rehabilitation center for similarly wounded soldiers. Alec&’s efforts may be the only chance to redeem his family legacy—and break the curse on the Alnwick name—once and for all.Three beloved authors share stories of the Alnwick family through the generations, revealing how love and war can change a place—but only its people can unshackle it from the misdeeds of the past.Multiple historical timelines following generations of one familyStand-alone collection of connected storiesIncludes discussion questions for book clubsVoices of war: stories of service from the home front and the front lines (The library Of Congress Veterans History Project)
By Veterans History Project. 2004
Personal accounts of American soldiers and medical personnel active in World War I, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam…
wars, and the Persian Gulf conflicts. Extracts from interviews, letters, and diary entries collected by the Library of Congress Veterans History Project are grouped by themes: Answering the Call, Under Fire, Coming Home. 2004Summer of the war
By Gloria Whelan. 2006
Michigan, 1942. With their parents working for the war effort, Mirabelle and her siblings travel to live with their grandparents…
on Turtle Island. Fourteen-year-old Belle is resentful when her more sophisticated fifteen-year-old cousin Caroline joins them, but during the summer they become real family. For grades 6-9. 2006The Wednesday wars: A Newbery Honor Award Winner
By Gary D. Schmidt. 2007
Long Island, 1967. Seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood knows that Mrs. Baker "hates his guts" because she would have Wednesday afternoons free…
if he went to catechism or Hebrew school like his classmates. Mrs. Baker worries about her husband in Vietnam and introduces a reluctant Holling to Shakespeare. For grades 5-8. Newbery Honor. 2007A troubled peace (Under A War-Torn Sky #2)
By Laura Elliott. 2009
1945. World War II pilot Henry Forester from Under a War-Torn Sky (DB 68311), returns home to Virginia and struggles…
with nightmares. Henry ventures to France to find a boy who saved his life and is shocked at the lingering devastation. Some violence. For senior high readers. 2009Eagles Cry Blood
By Donald E. Zlotnik. 1986
While too many soldiers are fighting for the brass in the midst of the bloody Vietnam battles, Lt. Paul Bourne…
is compelled to fight the enemy for his country&’s freedom. But when he comes up against his captain--a man driven by selfishness and a desire for recognition and glory, Bourne is even more determined to destroy the enemy--even if this means sacrificing his life.Dash (Dogs Of World War Ii Ser.)
By Kirby Larson. 2014
When her family is forced into a Japanese internment camp, Mitsi Kashino is separated from her home, her classmates, and…
her beloved dog, Dash. Heartbroken, Mitsi clings to her one connection to Dash: the letters from the kindly neighbor who is caring for him. For grades 3-6. 2014Liberty (Dogs Of World War Ii Ser.)
By Kirby Larson. 2016
New Orleans, 1940s. Polio-survivor Fish Elliot and his neighbor Olympia team up in order to save a starving stray dog…
they call Liberty, and they find other unlikely allies willing to help. For grades 3-6. 2016Farewell to The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul
By Deborah Rodriguez. 2023
THE LONG-AWAITED SEQUEL TO THE LITTLE COFFEE SHOP OF KABUL, THE BESTSELLER THAT CAPTURED THE HEARTS OF MILLIONS WORLDWIDE Kabul,…
August 2021 Sunny Tedder is back in her beloved coffee shop. After eight years away, she's thrilled to reunite with her Kabul 'family': Yazmina now runs a pair of women's shelters from the old cafe, and dreams of a bright future for her two young daughters. Her sister Layla has become an outspoken women's rights activist and, thanks to social media, is quite the celebrity. Kat, Sunny's friend from America, is wrapping up her year-long stay in the land of her birth, but is facing some unfinished business. And finally there's elderly den mother Halajan, whose secret new hobby is itself an act of rebellion. Then the US troops begin to withdraw - and the women watch in horror as the Taliban advance on the capital at ferocious speed...Set against the terrifying fall of Kabul in 2021, Deborah Rodriguez concludes her bestselling Little Coffee Shop trilogy with a heart-stopping story of resilience, courage and, most importantly, hope.Praise for Deborah Rodriguez'Eye-opening and uplifting' - Grazia 'Restores belief in humanity' - Daily Telegraph 'Heart-warming' - Cosmopolitan'Beguiling' - Woman 'Captivating and addictive' - Take a Break'Full of heart and intelligence' - Look MagazineThe Ronald J. Glasser Collection: 365 Days; Another War, Another Peace; and Ward 402
By Ronald J. Glasser. 1980
An army doctor’s classic Vietnam War memoir—a National Book Award Finalist and “a book of great emotional impact”—plus two powerful…
novels (The New York Times). Published in 1971 with the Vietnam War still raging, Ronald Glasser’s unflinching memoir of one doctor’s experience with the human cost of the devastating conflict was hailed by William Styron as “a moving account about tremendous courage and often immeasurable suffering . . . [A] valuable and redemptive work.” 365 Days quickly became a powerful anti-war statement of the time that still resonates today, selling over two hundred thousand copies. Turning to fiction, Glasser continued to draw on his own experience as a doctor in the Vietnam War and as an intern in a pediatric ward to craft novels of gripping drama and heartfelt poignancy. 365 Days: In 1968, as a serviceman in the Vietnam War, Ronald Glasser, a pediatrician, was sent to Japan to work at the US Army hospital tending to children of officers and government officials. But he was soon caught up in the waves of casualties that poured in from every Vietnam front. In 365 Days, Glasser reveals a candid and shocking account of that harrowing experience, giving voice to the wounded, the maimed, the dead, with unflinching candor and compassionate humanity. “The most convincing, most moving account I have yet to read about what it was like to be an American soldier in Vietnam.” —Newsweek Another War, Another Peace: Assigned to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, an idealistic young doctor forms an unlikely bond with his driver, a battle-hardened soldier, as they struggle to bring medical aid to Vietnamese villagers. “The author of the remarkable classic 365 Days has in this small novel written with such power about a young American doctor in the war zone that surely he has added another memorable book to the literature of those ghastly years.” —Gloria Emerson, author of Winners & Losers Ward 402: In this gripping, authentic, and impassioned novel, an intern on pediatric Ward 402 fights to save an eleven-year-old girl with advanced leukemia, which her parents believe to be terminal. “[Dr. Glasser] can describe a medical emergency in a way that makes the entire scene spring to life. . . . This is good and exciting writing.” —The New York Times Book ReviewFarewell to The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul
By Deborah Rodriguez. 2023
THE LONG-AWAITED SEQUEL TO THE LITTLE COFFEE SHOP OF KABUL, THE BESTSELLER THAT CAPTURED THE HEARTS OF MILLIONS WORLDWIDE Kabul,…
August 2021 Sunny Tedder is back in her beloved coffee shop. After eight years away, she's thrilled to reunite with her Kabul 'family': Yazmina now runs a pair of women's shelters from the old cafe, and dreams of a bright future for her two young daughters. Her sister Layla has become an outspoken women's rights activist and, thanks to social media, is quite the celebrity. Kat, Sunny's friend from America, is wrapping up her year-long stay in the land of her birth, but is facing some unfinished business. And finally there's elderly den mother Halajan, whose secret new hobby is itself an act of rebellion. Then the US troops begin to withdraw - and the women watch in horror as the Taliban advance on the capital at ferocious speed...Set against the terrifying fall of Kabul in 2021, Deborah Rodriguez concludes her bestselling Little Coffee Shop trilogy with a heart-stopping story of resilience, courage and, most importantly, hope.Praise for Deborah Rodriguez'Eye-opening and uplifting' - Grazia 'Restores belief in humanity' - Daily Telegraph 'Heart-warming' - Cosmopolitan'Beguiling' - Woman 'Captivating and addictive' - Take a Break'Full of heart and intelligence' - Look MagazineApricots: A War Novel
By John E. Holloway. 2019
Apricots is a novel that tells the story of Marines in combat?the comradery, humor, and sacrifice of the men on…
the ground thousands of miles from home. We generally experience overseas military operations in real time through the media of newspaper and television news accounts. These reports are generally superficial sketches of the action and rarely reveal the depth of the drama unfolding on the ground. This novel tells the story of Marines in combat?the comradery, humor, and sacrifice of the men on the ground thousands of miles from home. You go with the Marines out on the ship, ashore for the invasion of Grenada (the last combat of the Cold War), and then on to Beirut where the Marines fight Muslim militia (the first combat of the War on Terror). Throughout, newspaper excerpts track events that provide the setting of this fictional story. But this fictional story is framed by real events, including true accounts of the terrorist attack on the marine headquarters in Beirut and the coup in Grenada that triggered the invasion. In all, this story shows the reader what it was like to be there.Lord of the Sea Castle: The Invader Series (The Invader Series #2)
By Edward Ruadh Butler. 2017
It is 1170 – a tumultuous time for the people of Wales, England and Ireland. Raymond de Carew is in love,…
but the woman he desires is an earl's daughter and so far above his station that he has no hope of ever winning her.However, Raymond’s lord has a mission for him: one that if it succeeds will put an Irish king back on his throne and prove Raymond worthy – for in Norman society, a man can rise as high as his skill with a sword can take him.With only a hundred men at his side, Raymond must cross the ocean to Ireland ahead of his mercenary lord's invasion. There he will face the full might of the Viking city of Waterford... and either his deeds will become legend or he will be trampled into dust.A day for rememberin': inspired by the true events of the first Memorial Day
By Leah Henderson, Floyd Cooper. 2021
Today is a special day. Eli knows it's important if he's allowed to miss one second of school, his "hard-earned…
right." Inspired by true events and told through the eyes of a young boy, this is the deeply moving story about what is regarded as the first Memorial Day on May 1, 1865. Eli dresses up in his best clothes, Mama gathers the mayflowers, Papa straightens his hat, and together they join the crowds filling the streets of Charleston, South Carolina, with bouquets, crosses, and wreaths. Abolitionists, missionaries, teachers, military officers, and a sea of faces Black, Brown, and White, they march as one and sing for all those who gave their lives fighting for freedom during the Civil War. With poignant prose and celebratory, powerful illustrations, A Day for Rememberin' shines light on the little-known history of this important holiday and reminds us never to forget the people who put their lives on the line for their country. For grades K-3Last Flag Flying: A Novel
By Darryl Ponicsán. 2017
Now a major movie starring Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne, directed by Richard Linklater!Darryl Ponicsan's debut novel The…
Last Detail was named one of the best of the year and widely acclaimed, catapulting him to fame when it was first published. The story of two career sailors assigned to escort a young seaman from Norfolk to the naval prison in Portsmouth, New Hampshire—and of the mayhem that ensues—was made into an award-winning movie starring Jack Nicholson. Last Flag Flying, set thirty-four years after the events of The Last Detail, brings together the same beloved characters—Billy Bad-Ass Buddusky, Mule Mulhall, and Meadows—to reprise the same journey but under very different circumstances. Now middle-aged, Meadows seeks out his former captors in their civilian lives to help him bury his son, a Marine killed in Iraq, in Arlington National Cemetery. When he learns that the authorities have told him a lie about the circumstances of his son's death, he decides, with the help of the two others, to transport him home to Portsmouth. And so begins the journey, centered around a solemn mission but, as in the first book, a protest against injustice and celebration of life too, at once irreverent, funny, profane, and deeply moving.Last Flag Flying is now a major movie from Amazon Studios, directed by Richard Linklater and starring Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell, and Laurence Fishburne.The Length of Days: An Urban Ballad (Harvard Library of Ukrainian Literature #6)
By Volodymyr Rafeyenko. 2022
The Length of Days features a wild cast of characters—Lithuanian, Russian, and Ukrainian—and cameo appearances by Rosa Luxemburg, Amy Winehouse,…
and others. Embedded narratives attributed to one character, an alcoholic chemist-turned-massage-therapist, broaden the reader’s view of the funny, ironic, or tragic lives of people who remained in the ill-fated Donbas after Russia’s initial aggression in 2014. Unexpected allies emerge to try to stop the war, as characters criticize Ukraine’s government at the time, its self-interest, and failures to support its citizens in the east.With elements of magical realism, the work combines poetry and a wicked sense of humor with depth of political analysis, philosophy, and moral interrogation. Witty references to popular culture—Ukrainian and European—underline the international and transnational aspects of Ukrainian literature. The novel ends on a hopeful note even though by then the main characters have already died twice: they return with greater power each time. As the author’s last novel written originally in the Russian language, The Length of Days is a deeply Ukrainian work, set mostly in the composite Donbas city of Z—an uncanny foretelling of what this letter has come to symbolize since February 24, 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.