A down on her luck pregnant teen finds herself living in a shopping center in this Oprah's Book Club selection that inspired the film starring Ashley Judd and Natalie Portman. Talk about unlucky sevens. An hour ago, seventeen-year-old, seven months pregnant Novalee Nation was heading for California with her boyfriend. Now she finds herself stranded at a Wal-Mart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma, with just $7.77 in change. But Novalee is about to discover hidden treasures in this small Southwest town–a group of down-to-earth, deeply caring people willing to help a homeless, jobless girl. From Bible-thumping blue-haired Sister Thelma Husband to eccentric librarian Forney Hull, they are about to take her–and you, too–on a moving, funny, and unforgettable journey.
Every time someone mentions nursing homes or related stories about the aged residing in them, a sense of pity or horrible thoughts are conjured up in our minds that they are depressing and smell of urine, and seem dark and unwelcoming. So many people today do not visit them. Instead of being a joyful experience, it becomes a nightmare-if only in the mind of the visitors because nursing homes are exploited in the media-that all seniors in a Home are abused and neglected, which is not true. There are quality facilities out there, and we should feel good, instead, about the care now available for a relative with Dementia, or those unable to care for themselves. The truth is we are the ones who refuse to feel, or try to understand what residents, aides, and those involved with the care of the elderly experience. A Home Is Not Always Where The Heart Is is not a serious look at the aged, nor a journal filled with information on why a person develops Alzheimer's disease. Rather it is an honest look-through humor and the day-to-day living of the aged in a home.
If home is where the heart is, what would happen if you lost it? Compassion and humor infuse the story of a family caught in financial crisis and a girl struggling to form her own identity. It’s the first day of summer and Rachel's thirteenth birthday. She can't wait to head to the lake with her best friend, Micah. But as summer unfolds, every day seems to get more complicated. Her “fun” new job taking care of the neighbors’ farm animals quickly becomes a challenge, whether she’s being pecked by chickens or having to dodge a charging pig at feeding time. At home, her parents are more worried about money than usual, and their arguments over bills intensify. Fortunately, Rachel can count on Micah to help her cope with all the stress. But Micah seems to want their relationship to go beyond friendship, and though Rachel almost wishes for that, too, she can’t force herself to feel “that way” about him. In fact, she isn’t sure she can feel that way about any boy — or what that means. With all the heart of her award-winning novel See You At Harry's, Jo Knowles brings us the story of a girl who must discover where her heart is and what that means for her future.
Meet the loveable and rambunctious puppy, Bo Davis, in this first book of the Good Dog series! When Bo loses something important, his search takes him all over the farm. Springtime has arrived at the Davis Family Farm! Spring showers lead to muddy hijinks for a young pup named Bo. But when Bo loses his dog tag, he gets serious and enlists all of his barnyard pals to help him find it. From horse stalls to chicken coops to grazing fields and beyond, Bo’s adventure takes him all over the farm, introducing a cast of friends and frenemies. With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Good Dog chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.
Reprint of the Daughters edition of 1972 with a new 57 p. introduction in which Harris blasts the original publishers. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Just what IS it that makes home such a special place to be? Home's an extra special space you hold within your heart to keep you very close to me when we must be apart. A charming celebration of what home means to all of us, featuring a wise cat and an adorable little kitten who discover that there really is no place like home.
Join Amish writer Linda Byler on a trip into a world few are allowed to visit—the world of Amish romance. Hannah, feisty and independent as ever, has put everything into building up her family’s homestead in North Dakota. Despite tragedy and almost unimaginable hardship due to the Great Depression, unpredictable weather, and unforgiving landscape, she and her new husband Jerry are leading their Amish friends and family in their homesteading venture. When the winter storms and the untimely death of a child become too much for the rest of the community to bear, they move back east. But Hannah and Jerry stay on, doggedly pursuing Hannah’s dreams of a successful ranch. But even Jerry’s spirits begin to fail and when a flag of grasshoppers destroys every last morsel of vegetation after yet another drought, Hannah finally relents and they too return to the fertile soil of Pennsylvania, where life will be safe and predictable. Or so they think, but when tragedy strikes again, Hannah is suddenly a widow, in a place that no longer feels like home and with family who cannot grasp the depth of the losses she has experienced. Hannah grapples with her faith, struggling to understand who she is and where she belongs. Always before, a flash of anger or defiance had fueled her strong will in the face of adversity and allowed her to push on toward her goals. But what did she have left to fight for now? Slowly, painfully, her heart begins to change. As she begins to reclaim her faith and her strong sense of self, she also starts to notice a handsome, burly man who is unlike anyone she’s known before. Is it possible she could find love again in Lancaster? What will it take for her to feel like she’s home, like she finally belongs somewhere?
Where the Heart Is artfully follows the return of Jenna Davis-Wilson and her two lively children to the nostalgic home of her childhood in Madison County, Nebraska. A spontaneous decision to take up permanent residency at the old Victorian manor following her father's sudden death ushers in a myriad of unexpected twists and turns. Jenna’s husband Marcus, a well-respected obstetrician in New York, also relocates to smalltown Tilden where tensions mount with a longtime family friend and her opinionated, prejudicial tirades. The discovery of a dark family secret locked away for decades in an old attic trunk threatens to overshadow a highly esteemed ancestral image and brings into question everything that Jenna believes about her cherished legacy. Her well-intentioned efforts to reconcile the sins of the past soothe the soul of a local grieving widower—while at the same time jeopardize a treasured family relationship. In a gentle twist of fate, common ground is unearthed, relationships are mended, and a lasting legacy of love without conditions is revealed along the way. Where the Heart Is is a charming, captivating story about life—friendship, loss, reconciliation, and love.
“Powerful and haunting . . . an intimate and unforgettable tale that transports the reader to the heart of Imperial Russia.” —Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author of The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba This sweeping novel takes readers behind palace walls to see the end of Imperial Russia through the eyes of Olga Nikolaevna Romanov, the first daughter of the last tsar Grand Duchess Olga Romanov comes of age amid a shifting tide for the great dynasties of Europe. But even as unrest simmers in the capital, Olga is content to live within the confines of the sheltered life her parents have built for her and her three sisters: hiding from the world on account of their mother’s ill health, their brother Alexei’s secret affliction, and rising controversy over Father Grigori Rasputin, the priest on whom the tsarina has come to rely. Olga’s only escape from the seclusion of Alexander Palace comes from the grand tea parties her aunt hosts amid the shadow court of Saint Petersburg—a world of opulent ballrooms, scandalous flirtation, and whispered conversation. But as war approaches, the palaces of Russia are transformed. Olga and her sisters trade their gowns for nursing habits, assisting in surgeries and tending to the wounded bodies and minds of Russia’s military officers. As troubling rumors about her parents trickle in from the front, Olga dares to hope that a budding romance might survive whatever the future may hold. But when tensions run high and supplies run low, the controversy over Rasputin grows into fiery protest, and calls for revolution threaten to end three hundred years of Romanov rule. At turns glittering and harrowing, The Last Grand Duchess is a story about dynasty, duty, and love, but above all, it’s the story of a family who would choose devotion to each other over everything—including their lives. Looking for more historical fiction from Bryn Turnbull? Don't miss The Woman Before Wallis. For fans of The Paris Wife and The Crown, this stunning novel tells the true story of the American divorcée who captured Prince Edward’s heart before he abdicated his throne for Wallis Simpson.
Celebrate feelings in all their shapes and sizes in this New York Times bestselling picture book from the Growing Hearts series! Happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness . . . our hearts can feel so many feelings! Some make us feel as light as a balloon, others as heavy as an elephant. In My Heart explores a full range of emotions, describing how they feel physically, inside, with language that is lyrical but also direct to empower readers to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions. With whimsical illustrations and an irresistible die-cut heart that extends through each spread, this gorgeously packaged and unique feelings book is sure to become a storytime favorite.
