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Showing 41 - 60 of 10758 items
By Ann Ingle. 2021
SHORTLISTED FOR TWO IRISH BOOK AWARDS'Something they don't tell you about getting older is that you fall. Oh, you hear…
about it in passing, of course, "She had a fall, poor thing". Falling is not something you ever think about as a younger woman. You think about falling in love . . .'At 20 Londoner Ann Ingle fell madly in love with an Irish fellow she met on holiday in Cornwall. At the church to arrange their shotgun wedding she discovered that he hadn't even told her his real name.Sixty-odd years later Ann looks back on that first glorious fall and in a series of essays considers what she has learned from the life that followed - bringing eight children into the world, their father's years of mental illness and tragic death at 40, being a cash-strapped single mother in 1980s Dublin, coming into her own in her middle years - going to college, working and writing, and continuing to evolve and learn into her ninth decade, even as she accepts the realities of being 'old'.Candid about everything that matters - love, sex, heartbreak, money, class, religion, mental health, rearing children (and letting them go), reading and writing, ageing - Open-Hearted is a compelling story about living life in a spirit of curiosity and delight and with a willingness to look for good in others._________________________________'By some distance the most courageous, most poignant, most life-affirming memoir I've read in the last twenty years and more' Paul Howard'Genuinely inspirational. I LOVE ANN INGLE' Marian Keyes'What a beautiful openhearted, at times broken-hearted memoir ... honest, funny, searingly direct, a wonderful voice ... remarkable' Joe Duffy'Really beautiful. Searingly honest, astonishingly frank and very, very funny' Maia DunphyBy Kay Gilderdale. 2011
Watching her child die is the hardest thing a mother can ever do. But for Kay Gilderdale, saying a final…
goodbye to her only daughter Lynn was exceptionally painful: she'd played a part in her death.Lynn was just 14 when she was struck down by the crippling disease ME, leaving her paralysed and in constant agony. Over the next 17 years, she became desperate to escape her miserable existence, even begging her mum to help her die. So, one night, when Kay found Lynn attempting suicide, she was forced to make an impossible decision. Continue watching her child suffer or help her end the pain?Eventually, fighting her every instinct, Kay helped her precious daughter take a fatal overdose. But while Lynn was finally free, her mother faced a fresh agony - a possible lifetime behind bars. The highly controversial trial that followed opened a fierce public debate on assisted suicide. Is it murder or mercy?Here, in her heartbreaking story, Kay reveals the harrowing truth behind the headlines and the desperate lengths a mother will go to for the love of a child.By Susan Lewis. 2011
She was only nine when her world fell apart. The struggle to understand took a lifetime.In 1960s Bristol, Susan's family…
was like any other with its joys and frustrations, and fierce loyalties. Then tragedy struck and left a legacy that was to last a lifetime.Susan was only nine when her mother died. A year later she was sent away to school. She didn't want to go, and didn't understand why she had to. In her struggle to cope with an uncertain world - a world where nothing seemed to make sense any more - she pushed away the one person she loved best, her father. It wasn't until adulthood beckoned that she realised that, in order to turn their relationship around, she had to learn to love - and trust - again.By Will Millard. 2018
'A wonderfully fluent account of how the strange magic of water and the beings that inhabit it can enchant and…
intoxicate' Chris YatesGrowing up on the Cambridgeshire Fens, Will Millard never felt more at home than when he was out with his granddad on the riverbank, whiling away the day catching fish. As he grew older his competitive urge to catch more and bigger fish led him away from that natural connection between him, his grandfather and the rivers of his home. That is, until the fateful day he let a record-breaking sand eel slip through his fingers and he knew that he had lost the magic of those days down by the river, and that something had to change. The Old Man and the Sand Eel is at its heart the story of three generations of men trying to figure out what it is to be a man, a father and a fisherman. It plots Will's scaly stepping stones back to his childhood innocence, when anything was possible and the wild was everywhere.***'[Will Millard] is a master wordsmith and his first book is a joyful testament to that' Isabelle Broom, Heat'[Will Millard] writes with a genuine sense of humility (...) humour and reflection' Kevin Parr, Countryfile 'Delightful and informative (...) beautifully drawn (...)The Old Man and The Sand Eel will be enjoyed by anyone who loves the challenge and mystery of baiting a hook and plopping it into the water' Spectator'This is post-modern nature writing that embraces beauty where it finds it and marvels at nature's tenacity (...) But there's more here than just fish. This is also a book about growing up, about how to retain a connection with those who raised you while forging your own identity - what to keep and what to discard. And it's about men. The strong surges of emotion that both draw them together and keep them apart, and the shared pastimes which recognise that intimacy and meaning aren't always accompanied by words' Olivia Edward, GeographicalBy Suzanne Portnoy. 2008
Middle-aged single mother and entertainment publicist Suzanne Portnoy leads a double life. Monday to Friday, she's a professional executive devoted…
to her two adolescent boys. But at weekends she spends her kid-free hours having sex, with a different man each time. Or multiple men.Picking up where her first book, The Butcher, the Baker, the Candlestick Maker: An Erotic Memoir, left off, this memoir finds Suzanne both confronting the consequences, and enjoying the fruits, of her notoriety as the bestselling author of an erotic memoir. From a coked-up rock star to an uptight millionaire, to a hunky stripper, Suzanne attracts plenty of men wherever she goes, particularly once they learn her identity. But just when Suzanne grows reconciled to the possibility of never settling down, she meets a man who wants to be more than one of her 'friends.' While debating whether to unload her 'portfolio' of men for the potential one true lover, this most unconventional woman ponders the most conventional question: has she found the fabled Mr Right or will he prove to be just another in a long string of Mr Wrongs?By Marian Hughes. 2014
No Cake, No Jam is the heart-warming true story of a little girl’s London childhood during the Blitz, and of…
how she rose above adversity through sheer guts and strength of character.Marian Hughes was born in the same year as her father committed suicide. She spent most of her early childhood with her elder sisters and brother in Spurgeon’s Orphanage in South London. There she learned to love extravagant hymns and to receive regular beatings.Suddenly, when Marian was ten, her mother appeared. All four children were swept up by their mother to live in a damp and filthy flat off Baker Street. There began a life of moonlight flits, camping and squats. Marian’s mother forgot to feed her children, and paid no attention to school or the bombing. Marian soon turned to begging and stealing to help the family get by.Marian’s brother and elder sisters left home as soon as they could, but Marian remained to support her deranged and frequently violent mother, evading Care and Protection Orders and often running away. Then the day finally came when Marian had to sign the papers to have her mother committed. From that moment, 14-year-old Marian had to find out if she was strong enough to live for herself ...Throughout all the twists and turns of her childhood, Marian never lost her spirit and never faltered in her loyalty. Full of vigour, truth, humour and curiosity, No Cake, No Jam is a passionate celebration of a life and love.By Dr John Hunter, Elizabeth Workman, Jenny Woolner. 2012
Many people are unaware that they suffer from food allergies or intolerance. Inexplicable rashes, a persistent runny nose, bloatedness, headaches…
or pronounced weight gain for no apparent reason, are just some of the symptoms that may indicate a sensitivity to certain types of food. Now fully revised and updated, The New Allergy Diet is a practical dietary programme devised by one of the country's leading allergy specialists. It has been highly successful in combating a wide range of health problems including:- Irritable Bowel Syndrome- Migraine- Asthma and rhinitis- Eczema- UrticariaEach food type is systematically excluded from the diet for a period of time, and then gradually reintroduced, with guidelines for monitoring the body's responses. Easy, tried and tested recipes are included which have been carefully designed with taste in mind - but excluding common trigger foods such as wheat, dairy products, yeast and coffee.By Douglas Galbraith. 2012
What do you do when your wife abducts your children? This was the question facing Douglas Galbraith when, in 2003,…
he returned home to Scotland from a few days' work in London. The house was silent, empty and locked; his four and six-year-old sons' pyjamas lay on the bedroom floor. And on the doormat, confirmation from the Post Office of a forwarding address - in Japan. He has not seen them since.This book goes to the very heart of relations between parents and children, men and women, and between races and nations - to the heart of what it is to be alive.By Melissa Tennant. 2016
‘Just like that, I wasn’t a twin anymore… It broke my heart that I hadn’t been able to save her,…
but I could keep a part of her alive by finishing what she’d started’ The bond between twins is so strong it can never be broken – even in death. When Melissa lost her twin sister Nicole at just 21, she wondered how she would carry on without her soul mate. Her other half. The fun-loving, courageous girl who had always been by her side. Determined not to let Nicole’s illness destroy them both, Melissa vowed to complete the bucket list her sister had written but never completed. From 'do a bungee jump' and 'fart loudly in a lift', to 'go dancing in rain' and 'get married', the list includes items that are at times deeply touching, challenging, or downright ridiculous. My Sister's Wishes is the moving story of an extraordinary love between two extraordinary sisters.By Gemma Dowler. 2017
You've seen Manhunt, now read this powerful and personal account from Milly Dowler's sister Gemma . . . 'My name…
is Gemma Dowler. On 21 March 2002, a serial killer named Levi Bellfield stole my sister and sent our family to hell . . .'In My Sister Milly, Gemma Dowler recounts the terrible day of Milly's disappearance, the suspicions that fell on the family, the torture of encountering the murderer in court, the fatal errors made by the police, how it very nearly destroyed her family and how love and hope helped the family survive.Everyone thinks they know the story of Milly Dowler, but only one person knows the true pain of having lost her sister, and how a family can rediscover hope to survive.________________'Compelling. An amazing book'Jeremy Vine, BBC Radio 2'Heartbreaking' Daily Mail'Tragic, poignant, full of emotional memories'Daily MirrorBy Yvonne Collinson Heath. 2013
Yvonne Collinson Heath will never forget the telephone call that changed her life for ever. On 23 March 2002, her…
eldest son, James – a private with the Royal Logistic Corps – was found dead in mysterious circumstances at the notorious Deepcut barracks. He had a single gunshot wound to the head. It was a tragedy that to this day raises questions.A Mother’s War recounts Yvonne’s anguish at losing her son, a boy who dreamed of serving his country but died before he had even reached his 18th birthday. It is also the powerful story of an extraordinary woman who overcame adversity – including the hurt of being abandoned by her father, bullied as a child and abused by a trusted uncle – to find love and raise a son, only to see him cruelly taken from her within weeks of his joining the Army. It reveals how her decade-long quest for answers uncovered sinister secrets and a series of cover-ups that went right to the heart of Whitehall.Above all else, A Mother’s War is the story of how Yvonne’s grief triggered a search for the truth that took her to Downing Street and captured the hearts of the nation.Help Mum to destress with this beautiful collection of exercises for maintaining a happy mind'Delightful. Provides simple, easy and fun…
activities for both parents and children of all ages to restore calm and peace' MAIL ON SUNDAY ______ Being a mum is often anything but mindful.Having suffered from anxiety for much of her life, Izzy Judd has brought together a brilliant and inspiring collection of simple activities and exercises to help parents find their own piece of calm. Included are exercises both for you to do alone and with your children of all ages, giving them their own tools to help remain happy and peaceful too. Inside you'll discover: · Ways of bringing mindfulness to your day · Your own self-care routine · Breathing exercises to do with children · How to prepare for a good night's sleep · One-minute mindfulness Izzy Judd's beautiful and practical book will hold your hand through the challenging and exhausting days as well as the exciting and happy days.Most importantly, it will help you to create special memories for you to share with your children.By Sue Elliott. 2005
Adoption is one of the great, untold stories of our recent past. It is a truly epic tale of loss,…
guilt, identity, family feuds, reunion and redemption. It is a subject, until very recently, surrounded by secrecy and taboos. This is the heart-warming true story of a little girl's adoption in the 1950s and her search, nearly forty years later, for her birth mother. When mother and daughter meet, Sue thinks she has finally reached the end of her journey. Then Sue discovers she wasn't the only baby her mother gave away ...Weaved throughout is the vivid, emotional history of adoption in the UK. Drawing on a wide range of intimate personal experiences, it outlines the forces that shaped 20th century adoption practice, from baby-farming, the stigma of illegitimacy, incest and the bastardy laws, to children taken by force, the Magdalene laundries, mass emigration schemes without parental consent, to modern day adoption practices, buying babies from abroad, sperm donor fathers and tearful reunions on Trisha.By Lya Fett Luft. 2011
In her bestselling book Losses and Gains, Lya Luft draws on her own experiences of loss and gain in marriage…
and family to address the universal themes of childhood, love and maturity. She portrays love as the common thread through all phases of life. As children, the unconditional love we receive from our parents determines our expectations for all the other forms of love we experience later. And as adults, she argues, the complex task of loving another depends, initially, on self-love and self-esteem. Luft's ardent reflections on existence and the human spirit are a powerful reminder to us all: we have lost everything only when we believe we deserve less than everything still to be gained.By Carren Clem, Ron Clem. 2008
The Clems were a family living the American dream until their fifteen-year-old daughter Carren became addicted to Meth. Within two…
months of first taking the highly addictive drug, Carren had moved out of the family home, spent her entire savings on Meth and resorted to stealing, dealing and prostitution to pay for her habit. Told from both Carren's perspective and from the perspective of her father Ron, Loss of Innocence shares the shocking story of how a middle-class girl growing up in a stable home could get so lost. A former LA police officer, Ron describes how he went back to being a cop to try to rescue his daughter and how he suffered a heart attack in the street when he witnessed Carren selling herself to a drug dealer; Carren shares the events leading up to her first taste of drugs, and her descent into addiction with moving candour and dignity.Carren is now clean and sober, and in this frank, compelling book she and her family prove that there can be life after drug addiction.By Giovanna Fletcher. 2020
The heartwarming letters from Giovanna to her husband Tom Fletcher, their three sons, and mothers everywhere - from the bestselling…
author and host of the No. 1 Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast'Inspiring, beautiful and eye opening. Thank you Giovanna. You've made many mothers feel like they're not alone' 5***** Reader Review'As heartwarming as it is moving' Hello!NOW WITH FOUR EXCLUSIVE NEW LETTERS_______With stories parents everywhere can relate to, Giovanna writes beautiful, poignant and deeply heartfelt letters to everyone who has helped her to become the mother she is today. To her young sons: Buzz, Buddy and Max. To Tom, and her mum and dad. But also, to herself, her body, and more. And finally, to all of the mums, dads and mums-to-be out there doing the work too. These letters cover everything from her fears and hopes to the love and uncertainty of being a mother today. Honest, heartwarming and hilarious, Giovanna's relatable musings on motherhood are both a joy and a comfort, paying testament to the power of family._______'Fantastically honest, witty and real . . . I laughed and cried!' 5***** Reader Review'Giovanna is a real one' Candice Brathwaite, bestselling author of I Am Not Your Baby Mother'Cried, laughed and could relate to nearly every word' 5***** Reader Review'Giovanna is a one of a kind sort of person. She's genuine, talented, and well honestly? I just really like her' Rosie Ramsay, bestselling author of Sh**ged. Married. Annoyed.By John Selby. 2006
You are looking for love, but never seem to meet the person of your dreams. Where are you going wrong?…
How can you invite true love and sexual satisfaction into your life? John Selby has the answers to these and any other questions you may have about improving your love life and creating relationships that work. With tried-and-tested techniques, expert guidance and inspiring examples, he explains how you can overcome the barriers that lie between you and the love of your life.You will discover how to heal past hurts; boost your sex appeal; give out all the right signals; make the most of each encounter and find the partner who is right for you. Your perfect lover is out there, somewhere - Let Love Find You will show you how to bring that special person into your life.By Rona B. Subotnik, Gloria G. Harris. 2005
What Now?Nothing your marriage has sustained in the past compares to the pain of discovering that your spouse has been…
unfaithful. The betrayal, rage, sadness, and jealousy is unlike anything you've experienced before. And yet it is possible to move forward, decide what to do in your marriage, and most important, heal.For more than 10 years, Surviving Infidelity has been offering sage advice and compassionate, nonjudgmental analysis. Based on the private practices of licensed marriage and family therapist Rona B. Subotnik and clinical psychologist Gloria G. Harris, Ph.D., this third edition has been completely updated and gives you strategies to:Understand the different kinds of affairs and why they happen, including Internet and emotional affairsCope with your emotions, from grief to rageRepair the marriage if you choose toLearn what it takes to be a survivorSurviving Infidelity, 3rd Edition brings you the new hope and the empathy you need in this difficult time.By Terry Helwig. 2011
A memoir of a girl’s chaotic childhood as she attends twelve schools in eleven years and is forced by her…
mother’s instability to care for her siblings.“I left your dad,” Mama told me more than once, “because I didn’t want to kill him.”She wasn’t kidding.Mama said she stood at the kitchen counter, her hand touching the smooth wooden handle of a butcher knife. In an argument that grew more heated, Mama felt her fist close around the handle. For a brief moment, she deliberated between slashing our father with the knife or releasing it harmlessly back onto the counter and walking away.My sister Vicki was ten months old; I was two. Mama was seventeen.Terry’s stepfather Davy, a good-hearted, loving man, proudly purchased a mobile home so his family could move more easily from one town to another as he eked out a living in the oil fields.Terry’s mother, Carola Jean, a wild rose whose love often pierced those who tried to claim her, had little interest in the confines of home and motherhood. She’d already walked out on Terry’s father, and in her new husband Davy’s work-related absences, she sought companionship in local bars. She repeatedly left Terry in charge of the household and her five younger sisters.Despite Carola Jean’s genuine attempts to “better herself,” her life spiraled ever downward as Terry struggled to keep the family whole. Amid transience, upheaval, and their mother’s alcoholism and deteriorating mental state, Terry and her sisters forged an uncommon bond that withstood the long, bumpy erosion of Davy and Carola Jean’s marriage. But ultimately, to keep her own dreams alive, Terry had to decide when to hold on to what she loved and when to let go. Unflinching in its portrayal yet rich with humor and compassion, this memoir reminds us that even if others abandon you, you must never abandon yourself.“Interesting and eye-opening . . . no matter what these girls were exposed to, they conquered any obstacle.” —Chicago Tribune“Helwig nimbly conveys her confusion . . . the author’s depiction of her life and her mother’s downward spiral toward parental fatigue is frank.” —Kirkus Reviews“The world needs Moonlight on Linoleum because. . . . it is what redemption looks like.” —Sue Monk Kidd, from the forewordBy Maria Shriver. 2010
The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Takes on Alzheimer’s will be the first comprehensive multi-disciplinary look at these questions at…
this transformational moment. The Report will digest the current trends in thinking about Alzheimer’s, examine cutting-edge medical research, look at societal impacts, and include a groundbreaking and comprehensive national poll. It will feature original photography and personal essays by men and women – some from the public arena with names you know, some from everyday America – sharing their personal struggles with the disease as patients, caregivers and family members.