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The Reading Group: A festive FREE short story (1)
By Della Parker. 2016
'Brims with laughs, love, family and friendship. You will love this heartwarming read!' Trisha Ashley. Meet the Reading Group: six…
women in the seaside village of Little Sanderton come together every month to share their love of reading. No topic is off-limits: books, family, love and loss . . . and don't forget the glass of red!Grace knows that the holiday season is going to be different this year. No turkey, no tinsel, no gorgeously wrapped gifts under the tree . . . how on earth is she going to break it to her little boys that Christmas is effectively cancelled? And can she bear to tell anyone her embarrassing secret? Enter the Reading Group: Grace's life might have turned upside down but there's no problem they can't solve.Call of the Heather
By Gwen Kirkwood. 2014
1812: With her guardian planning to remarry, 20-year-old Phoebe Dymond finds she is no longer welcome in his Falmouth home…
and is soon hustled aboard the packet ship Providence bound for Jamaica and an arranged marriage. A skilled herbalist and midwife, Phoebe clashes with ship's surgeon, Jowan Crossley. But their professional antagonism evolves into mutual respect and a deepening attraction neither dare acknowledge. Following a skirmish with a French privateer, Providence is robbed of crew by a Royal Navy frigate and arrives to find the island facing a slave revolt and Kingston flooded with French refugees. Escorted by Jowan to the plantation of which she will be mistress, terrifying events force Phoebe to relinquish all hope of the happiness she has glimpsed. But her journey is not yet over...A Seaman's Book of Sea Stories
By Desmond Fforde. 2009
An attraction that can't be ignored. A spoilt little rich girl. A rough ex-soldier. When Callie Frobisher and Paul Mason…
are stranded after their plane crashes, the mismatched couple are forced into battling each other and their feelings... Callie has it all - rich parents, a private education, and a great job, whilst Paul is harbouring a dark and destructive secret.The trauma of the crash and the harsh media spotlight proves to be challenging for them both. Can their attraction survive when they return to reality?Marion Jones
By Bill Gutman. 2000
Race for the record! At the Sydney Games, Marion Jones strove to become the first person ever to win five…
gold medals in track and field at a single Olympics, making headlines for simply believeing she could do it. Driven to succeed at a very early age, Marion won multiple titiles at the Junior National Championships and set a junior record in the 200 meters. A multisport athlete, she helped lead the University of North Carolina women's basketball team to a national championship during her freshman year and also competed in track and field, until an injury forced her to reevaluate her priorities. Refocused on her track career, Marion quickly became the woman to beat, racking up an impressive thirty-five wims of the thiry-six events she entred in 1998. And after another injury sidelined her hopes of winning four gold medal at the 1999 World Championships, marion fought back in the 2000 season and is once again dominating the field. Get the full story of this amazing runner's race for the record, from her childhood dreams of gold medals to her tough choice between two sports and her determined drive to become the fastest woman in the world.A Viagem de Recrutamento
By Lexy Timms, João Rossi Parreiras. 2017
A pretendente a atleta universit ria Aileen Nessa acredita que o processo de recrutamento est sendo mais…
do que intimidante Como a top 10 mundial nos 100 metros com barreiras aos 18 anos n o foi por acaso mesmo achando que uma corrida onde tudo se encaixa perfeitamente pode sim s -lo As universidades americanas parecem n o acreditar nisso As cartas chegam de todo o pa s Enquanto ela enfrenta o desafio de diferenciar entre o genu no comprometimento para com ela e promessas vazias de treinadores ca adores de talento Aileen parte rumo Universidade Estadual de G tica uma institui o da Divis o Um para uma viagem de recrutamento Sua melhor amiga a desafia para ir somente para ver os bonitos rapazes que aparecem no panfleto da universidade O programa atl tico da universidade possui um dos melhores corredores com barreiras do pa s Tyler Jensen o campe o da NCAA em barreiras e Jim Thorpe o reconhecido top defensive back do futebol americano Seus incr veis olhos azuis como o oceano e seu sorriso confiante fazem Aileen gaguejar e esquecer porque ela est visitando a UEG Seu convite de acolh -la caso ela decida estudar em G tica uma proposta tentadora que a faz se perguntar se ela est fazendo um pacto com um anjo ou com o pr prio diabo Associa o Atl tica de Faculdades Nacional N do TTributary
By Barbara K. Richardson. 2012
"Tributary is a novel whose characters and time are so well inhabited, whose landscapes are so lovingly evoked, we wonder…
if Richardson is not speaking to us directly from the late 19th century, from a high bench above the Great Salt Lake. The language and writing are surefooted and fresh and often startling the way the best poetry can be startling. Richardson is a new American voice worth listening to."-Peter Heller, author of The Painter and The Dog StarsWinner of the 2013 WILLA Literary Finalist AwardWilla Cather and Sandra Dallas resonate in Barbara K. Richardson's fearless portrait of 1870s Mormon Utah. This smart and lively novel tracks the extraordinary life of one woman who dares resist communal salvation in order to find her own."Richardson takes readers back to 1870 Utah for this tale of strength and survival. Raised as a Mormon, our hero Clair Martin travels to the American South, through Shoshone country, and back to Utah."-The Denver Post"Richardson, whose Mormon ancestors settled in the northern Salt Lake Valley, offers a complete portrait of life in the American West by exploring the struggles of a woman living outside the centers of power. Engaging and beautifully written, Tributary is a welcome addition to the current conversation."-5280 Magazine"As wild and isolating as the determined, defiant Clair, the prairies and mountain ranges seduce both narrator and reader. Richardson has created rich, memorable characters."-High Country News"A quest to belong is the theme of this novel from Richardson, whose lyrical prose and heartfelt characters shine through. This novel has much to offer, including a balanced perspective on a controversial time in Mormon history, but its greatest gift is its wisdom about finding one's own path."-Publishers Weekly"This is a gorgeous novel. This book does what art should do, which is to show us our lives with renewed clarity and better insight. Tributary takes the incomplete history and mythos of the West to task, and instead shows us some of the far more interesting and unexplored stories of the American West-Mormonism, racism, women who don't need marriage or men. Beautifully written and engaging, this is a story of one woman and her refusal to cave into societal norms in order to seek her own difficult and inspired path."-Laura Pritchett, author of Stars Go Blue"You'll love resolute Clair Martin, the equal of any man-or religion. Clair's strength and survival are the heritage of western women."-Sandra Dallas, author of True Sisters."Tributary is a remarkable odyssey of the American West, told in one of the most clear-sighted, unjudging, and original voices I've come across in years."-Molly Gloss, author of The Jump-Off Creek"Seldom does a novel come along that is as beautifully written and emotionally honest as Tributary. Barbara K. Richardson captures the grandeur and harshness of the Old West in a young woman's struggle to find a home and a family without losing herself. A lyrical and haunting story not to be missed."-Margaret Coel, author of Buffalo Bill's Dead Now"From polygamist Mormon desert settlements to the yellow fever-plagued Gulf to an Idaho sheep ranch, Richardson evokes the 19th Century West and the human heart in all their complexity."-Barbara Wright, author of the Spur Award-winning novel Plain LanguageA Jew Must Die
By Jacques Chessex, Donald Wilson. 1973
Praise for A Jew Must Die:"Chessex, our new Flaubert, has no equal when describing horror without flinching, screaming sotto voce…
and exploring guilt in taut prose."--Le Nouvel Observateur"A masterpiece. Beauty of the world, ubiquity of evil, God's silence, it's all there, delivered like a slap to the face."--Le Point"A great author explores a nightmare not as anachronistic as it might appear."--L'HebdoA novel based on a true story.On April 16, 1942, a handful of Swiss Nazis in Payerne lure Arthur Bloch, a Jewish cattle merchant, into an empty stable and kill him with a crowbar. Europe is in flames, but this is Switzerland, and Payerne, a rural market town of butchers and bankers, is more worried about unemployment and local bankruptcies than the fate of nations across the border. Fernand Ischi, leader of the local Nazi cell, blames it all on the town's Jewish population and wants to set an example, thinking the German embassy would be grateful. Ischi's dream of becoming the local gauleiter is shattered, however, when the milk containers used to dissimulate Bloch's body parts is discovered floating in a lake nearby, leading to his arrest.Jacques Chessex, winner of the prestigious Prix Goncourt, is one of Switzerland's greatest authors. He knew the murderers, went to school with their children, and has written a terse, implacable story that has awakened memories in a country that seems to endlessly rediscover dark areas of its past.The Life of a Racehorse
By John Mills. 1865
The Life of a Racehorse is a fictional biography detailing the life of a British racehorse from the horse's point…
of view. This book was republished by Cosimo in 2015 in honor of American race horsing, which got a shot in the arms when American Pharaoh became the first horse to win the "Grand Slam" of American horse racing (the Triple Crown, for the first time since 1978, and the Breeders' Cup Classic.) In this book, the horse, Sheet Anchor, narrates his life, from his time as a colt, through his training and racing days, to his sale as a stud from Tattersall's and his retirement. The story is revealed through Sheet Anchor's experiences and the dialogue of the humans he interacts with, including trainers, grooms, jockeys, and his master, Sir Digby. The Life of a Racehorse was highlighted in a 2015 New York Times article bringing attention to the use of the riding crop; it was cited as one of the only references to how horses might feel about its use. As such, horse lovers and race enthusiasts alike can look to this book for better insight into how horse racing has developed over the ages.Liar Moon
By Ben Pastor. 2001
Praise for Ben Pastor's Lumen: "Pastor's plot is well crafted, her prose sharp. . . . A disturbing mix of…
detection and reflection."--Publishers Weekly "Rivets the reader with its twist of historical realities. A historical piece, it faithfully reproduces the grim canvas of war. A character study, it captures the thoughts and actions of real people, not stereotypes."--The Free Lance-Star "And don't miss Lumen by Ben Pastor. . . . An interesting, original, and melancholy tale."--Literary Review Italy, September 1943. The Italian government switches sides and declares war on Germany. The north of Italy is controlled by the fascist puppets of Germany; the south liberated by Allied forces fighting their way up the peninsula. Having survived hell on the Russian front, Wehrmacht major and aristocrat Baron Martin von Bora is sent to Verona. He is ordered to investigate the murder of a prominent local fascist: a bizarre death threatening to discredit the regime's public image. The prime suspect is the victim's twenty-eight-year-old widow Clara. Haunted by his record of opposition to SS policies in Russia, Bora must watch his step. Against the backdrop of relentless anti-partisan warfare and the tragedy of the Holocaust, a breathless chase begins. Ben Pastor, born and now back in Italy, lived for thirty years in the United States, working as a university professor in Vermont. The first in the Martin Bora series, Lumen, was published by Bitter Lemon Press in May 2011.The Vampire of Ropraz
By Jacques Chessex, Donald Wilson. 1973
"Silky prose in this harrowing account of crime and punishment."--Kirkus Reviews "Using spare, effective prose, Chessex brilliantly renders both the…
inhospitable winter landscape of the mountains and the harshness of a society that makes monsters of its victims.'--London Review of Books"A superb novel, hard as a winter in these landscapes of dark forests, where an atmosphere of prejudice and violence envelops the reader."--L'Express"It's beautiful; it's pure, like a blue sky over a black forest. Giono without garlic and olives."--Le Point"Far from just telling us a simple story Chessex has had the intelligence to integrate a dose of poetry, of the aesthetics of sin, and of the metaphysics of the monster."--LireJacques Chessex, winner of the prestigious Goncourt prize, takes a true story and weaves it into a lyrical tale of fear and cruelty.1903, Ropraz, a small village near the Jura Mountains of Switzerland. On a howling December day, a lone walker discovers a recently opened tomb, the body of a young woman violated, her left hand cut off, genitals mutilated, and heart carved out. There is horror in the nearby villages: the return of atavistic superstitions and mutual suspicions. Then two more bodies are violated. A suspect must be found. Favez, a stableboy with bloodshot eyes, is arrested and placed in psychiatric care. He escapes, enlists in the Foreign Legion as the First World War begins, and is sent into battle in the trenches of the Somme.Jacques Chessex, born in 1934, won the Prix Goncourt, France's most prestigious literary prize for his novel A Father's Love. He is considered one of Switzerland's greatest living authors. He lives in Ropraz.A Story of Easter and All of Us
By Roma Downey, Mark Burnett. 2014
From the Last Supper in the upper room to the celebration of finding an empty tomb, this beautiful full color…
book chronicles the journey of Christ's death and resurrection in a way the Easter story has never before been "told." Containing extraordinary images from the Emmy-nominated TV series watched by over 100 million people, The Bible, A STORY OF EASTER AND ALL OF US is a book that will take a deserved place among the finest celebrations of Easter.Lumen
By Ben Pastor. 1999
Equal parts wartime political intrigue, detective story, psychological thriller and religious mystery, Pastor's debut follows a German army captain and…
a Chicago priest as they investigate the death of a nun in Nazi-occupied Poland. Stunned by the violence of the occupation and by the ideology of his colleagues, Bora's sense of Prussian duty is tested to the breaking point.Cuando irrumpe lo extraordinario
By Erin Lange. 2015
Una conmovedora y luminosa novela sobre la poco probable y, aun así, inquebrantable amistad entre un matón de instituto y…
un chico con síndrome de Down Una adivinanza no tiene sentido la primera vez que la oyes. La amistad entre Dane y Billy D. tampoco: ¿qué tienen en común el matón del instituto y un chico con síndrome de Down? En el caso de Billy y Dane, tienen un mismo problema: Dane no sabe quién es su padre, y Billy está decidido a reencontrarse con el suyo. Su amistad puede llevarlos a descubrir la verdad... ¿pero qué descubrirán sobre sí mismos? Enternecedora y lúcida, Cuando irrumpe lo extraordinario es una inolvidable historia sobre las segundas oportunidades, la amistad y el amor: una celebración de las personas y sucesos impensados que dan un vuelco a nuestras vidas. La crítica ha dicho... «La historia de dos personajes imperfectos y memorables.» Booklist «Dane no es unhéroe ni Billy D. una víctima inocente: Lange es demasiado buena como para eso. Ambos chicos son personas de carne y hueso con la capacidad de divertir, encandilar y enfurecer al lector, cuyas emociones oscilan deliciosamente entre la adoración y las ganas de chocarles la cabeza de uno contra la del otro de pura exasperación.» The GuardianThe Department of Missing Persons: A Novel
By Ruth Zylberman. 2017
A startling debut novel about the burden of Holocaust memory and the implacable zest for life. Thirty-six years after her…
mother was liberated from Bergen-Belsen, the unnamed narrator lives a comfortable life in Paris. Her mother sees ghosts at every turn, longing to find the family that disappeared behind the miasma of the Holocaust, but she cannot reconcile her mother’s trauma to the cheery bustle of daily life that surrounds them. The pain of memories that are not hers haunt her, weighing all too heavily until she is incapacitated by them, unable forge her own future. As our narrator becomes further entrenched in the past, a letter is sent by the Department of Missing Persons suggesting that her grandfather is not dead, though details of his survival and current situation are unknown. Along with her mother, the narrator begins a desperate hunt, fighting through the past and present, love and loss, and her own vulnerabilities to find the truth and rid them both of their lingering ghosts.The Great Outdoors: 8 Romances for Nature Lovers
By Peggy Bird, Nicole Flockton, Kathryn Brocato, Holley Trent, Cj Petterson, T. F. Walsh, Ana Krista Johnson, Shelley K Wall. 2015
A value-priced romance collection featuring popular weekend outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, and rafting for nature and fitness fans.Lace…
up your hiking boots and head out for adventure! Happy trails lead to happy endings for eight star-crossed couples in this digital collection of romances by bestselling and up-and-coming authors. The Cougar’s Pawn: Ellery Colvard agrees to a camping trip with her friends, hoping for a tiny thrill. Instead, she gets carried away—literally—by alpha were-cougar Mason Foye, who needs a mate to avoid his fate. But Ellery has some witchy ways, too, and she isn’t buying into his life story. The clock is ticking as Mason struggles to hold onto his son, his family, and this enchanting woman. Cloaked in Secrecy: Enre Ulf, a former member of the ruling wulfkin clan, plans to infiltrate Alena Novac’s circus clan and take out its alpha to save his home in Transylvania. Except he never expected his wolf claiming Alena as his mate or feeling compelled to save her brother, who was jailed for a murder he didn’t commit. With the police closing in and the blood feud threatening them, Alena and Enre must overcome their pasts to save their packs’ futures. The Look-Alike Bride: Leonie Daniel often stands in for her glamorous older sister, who works as a government agent. All Leonie has to do this time is spend a few weeks at Zara’s lakeside cabin, behave like Zara, and avoid Adam Silverthorne, the man her sister is interested in. But now Adam is falling for Leonie under false pretenses…or is he? Choosing Carter: When Bryn McKay’s brother escapes from prison bent on revenge, she invites her best friend, naturalist and outdoor guide Carter Danielson, on a weekend rafting trip to help her de-stress—and she wouldn’t mind if things turned romantic. But Carter is a recovering alcoholic who shies away from commitment. Then her brother shows up and they must flee for their lives. Will imminent danger prompt Carter to finally figure out where his heart lies? Jade’s Treasure: Booked at a mountain resort under an alias, world-famous author Matthew Riley McLaughlin expects to be left alone to write. Until he meets the charming Jade Sawyer—surely, a bit of pleasure with his business is exactly what he needs. But this plot doesn’t suit Jade’s idea of a good story, especially when she learns their attraction was built on a lie. Matt knows he messed up—but can he create a happier ending to their story? Tangled Vines: Kyle Davis arrives at his Australian ranch for some peace and quiet only to find caretaker Jordan Hastings in his shower. Jordan is trying to get her career as a winemaker back on track by bringing the property’s neglected grapes to life. Falling for a man who controls her employment is not in her plans. Yet the more time they spend together, the more open they become to taking another risk on living and loving. Find Me: Amanda Gillespie never bargained on seeing Jackson Holstenar after their complicated relationship ended with her being asked to leave the law firm where they worked. Now he’s in the weird position of trying to help her become his best pal’s ideal girl. With a little help from fate, these two confused hearts might just find a way back to each other for good. Falling Again: When Fiona McCarthy’s investigative piece and Nick St. Claire’s photography assignment intersect at a mysterious cabin at Mt. Hood National Forest, can their feelings for each other survive her need to get the story and his to frame the perfect shot? Sensuality Level: SensualPara acabar con Eddy Bellegueule
By Édouard Louis. 2015
Una rebelión contra el mundo, contra su familia y contra la sociedad. «Excepcional.»Livres Hebdo Salí corriendo de repente. Sólo me…
dio tiempo a oír a mi madre, que decía Pero ¿qué hace ese idiota? No quería estar con ellos, me negaba a compartir con ellos ese momento. Yo estaba ya lejos, había dejado de pertenecer a su mundo, la carta lo decía. Salí al campo y estuve andando gran parte de la noche: el ambiente fresco del norte, los caminos de tierra, el olor de la colza, muy intenso en esa época del año. Dediqué toda la noche a elaborar mi nueva vida, lejos de allí. «La verdad es que la rebelión contra mis padres, contra la pobreza, contra mi clase social, su racismo, su violencia, sus atavismos, fue algo secundario. Porque, antes de que me alzara contra el mundo de mi infancia, el mundo de mi infancia se había alzado contra mí. Para mi familia y los demás, me había convertido en una fuente de vergüenza, incluso de repulsión. No tuve otra opción que la huida. Este libro es un intento de comprenderla.»Édouard Louis La crítica ha dicho...«Un lenguaje contenido y a la vez brutal, sin victimismos ni exaltaciones líricas [...]. A su escritura clásica, el autor opone la lengua de su entorno, que mezcla jerga local y sintaxis rota. Efectivamente, la violencia social se ejerce con el lenguaje.»Les Inrockuptibles «Magnífico [...]. Es el anuncio de una liberación y de un renacimiento a través de las palabras para escapar de la fatalidad del determinismo social.»Le Point «Tejer un texto uniendo dos registros lingüísticos tan opuestos es más que una proeza. El éxito literario es innegable.»Le Nouvel Observateur «Una narración asombrosa, a causa de la historia personal del autor, pero también de su talento.»Madame Figaro «Excepcional. Un cóctel de Zola y Dickens. Dura, a veces casi insoportable, pero también tragicómica, en cierta medida distante, pero en absoluto maniquea.»Livres Hebdo «Es el grito de cólera de un joven que expresa su asco frente al mito tenaz que convierte al proletariado en una bestia valiente, de buen corazón y amante de la vida.»Catherine Simon, Le Monde des Livres «La escritura de Édouard Louis, con su obstinación en hablar de la vergüenza, demuestra que su libro, que cae como un mazo sobre personas concretas, revela un escándalo universal de primera magnitud.»Jean Birnbaum, Le Monde des LivresIn the Trenches: A Russian Woman Soldier's Story of World War I
By Tatiana L. Dubinskaya. 1916
Tatiana L. Dubinskaya&’s autobiographical novel of life in the Russian army marked the first major work published by a female…
World War I soldier in the Soviet Union. Often compared to All Quiet on the Western Front, Dubinskaya&’s stark and unsparing story presents a rare look at women in combat and one of the few works of fiction set on the eastern front. Zinaida, a Russian schoolgirl, runs away from home to join the army. Sent to the front, she endures the horrors of trench warfare and the hardships of military life. Undercurrents of revolutionary thinking filter into the ranks as morale begins to crumble. Zinaida must come to grips with the havoc unleashed by the czar&’s overthrow and the new socialist government&’s attempts to impose revolutionary reforms on the army. Destabilization and desertion follow, and her regiment joins the chaotic mass retreat of the Russian army in the summer of 1917. In addition to Dubinskaya&’s original novel, this edition includes selections from her 1936 autobiographical work, Machine Gunner, which she rewrote to satisfy Stalinist censors.Una lista peligrosa: El día que mi vida cambió
By Siobhan Vivian. 2014
Una mirada intensa sobre el juego de la atracción en los institutos. Sobre las normas de la popularidad y el…
precio que se paga por cumplirlas. Ocurre todos los años: una lista se expone por toda la escuela, se pega en todos los periódicos murales y casilleros, y es, simplemente, imposible de ignorar. Todo el mundo conoce el juego. En la lista figuran los nombres de las chicas que han sido elegidas como las más bonitas y las más feas de cada año. ¿Elegidas por quién? Nadie sabe. ¿Con qué propósito? A nadie le importa. Lo único crucial es saber quién figura en la lista y si tu nombre aparece en ella. Ésta es la historia de ocho chicas, pues todas ellas han aparecido en la lista de ese año. Cada una de ellas tiene una historia detrás absolutamente diferente, cada quien con una personalidad distinta, una voz propia y miedos, sueños y deseos diferentes, por lo tanto todas tienen su particular reacción a esta experiencia, que lasconfronta con su identidad, autoestima y el juicio de los demás. Las más bonitas o las más feas, da igual, una vez que apareces en la lista, nada vuelve a ser lo mismo. Lo que han dicho otros autores: "Me quedé despierta toda la noche leyendo Una lista peligrosa, una novela del todo absorbente sobre el sistema de castas del bachillerato, sobre la belleza, la juventud, la amistad y las etiquetas. Todos los personajes son divertidos, agudos, románticos, conmovedores y veraces, sin importar qué tan 'lindos' o 'feos' sean". - Melissa de la Cruz, autora de Blue Bloods http://www.megustaleer.com.mx/The Cat of Yule Cottage: A Magical Tale of Romance, Christmas and Cats
By Lili Hayward. 2016
A magical tale of Christmas and cats, perfect for everyone who loves A Street Cat Named Bob and Alfie the…
Doorstep Cat.It's nearly Christmas, and Jessamine Pike needs a serious life overhaul.Jess moves into Enysyule, a centuries-old cottage in Cornwall, and begins the process of renovating the rundown house by day and finishing her novel by night, planning to have both finished in time for the holidays. She's got good company: a beautiful, arrogant tomcat stalks around like he owns the place, and seems very skeptical of Jess' tenancy. But there's magic in the air... Local legends tell of a spirit that inhabits the area, and an ancient standing stone that keeps watch over the valley. As Christmas comes closer and closer, Jess uncovers treasures from Enysyule's past, and becomes involved in a fight for its future. For Jess has stumbled into a story that's been going on for five hundred years. A story about land, love, friendship, the Yuletide... and one remarkable cat.Amelia
By Siobhán Parkinson. 1995
The year is 1914 and Amelia Pim will soon be thirteen. There are rumours of war and rebellion, and Dublin…
is holding its breath for major, dramatic events. But all that matters to Amelia is what she will wear to her birthday party and how she can be the envy of her friends. But where are Amelia's friends when disaster strikes her family? Now that the Pims have come down in the world, what use will Amelia have for a shimmering emerald-green dress? When Mama's political activities bring the final disgrace, it is Amelia who must hold the family together. Only the friendship of the servant girl Mary Ann seems to promise any hope.