Grace is a happily married mother of five-year-old Mary, whose loving and angelic demeanor charms everyone around her. But in one tragic moment at a local shopping mall, Grace looks down to discover that Mary is no longer at her side…and can't be found anywhere. She and her husband wait by the phone for a ransom demand that never comes. For months Grace keeps up hope that Mary is somewhere, alive and safe, waiting to come home to her -- but as her family and friends give up hope, Grace's marriage begins to crumble. Only one detective, Sam Abraham, shares her determination to find Mary…but could his motives be less than altruistic? As Sam and Mary work together to track Mary's disappearance, they discover clues that this was more than a random kidnapping and that Mary may have been special to more than just her mother…
"Marvelous . . . A vital book about how to make political art that offers lasting solace in times of great trouble, and wisdom to audiences in the years that follow."- Washington Post NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR A STONEWALL BOOK AWARDS HONOR BOOK The oral history of Angels in America, as told by the artists who created it and the audiences forever changed by it--a moving account of the AIDS era, essential queer history, and an exuberant backstage tale. When Tony Kushner's Angels in America hit Broadway in 1993, it won the Pulitzer Prize, swept the Tonys, launched a score of major careers, and changed the way gay lives were represented in popular culture. Mike Nichols's 2003 HBO adaptation starring Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, and Mary-Louise Parker was itself a tour de force, winning Golden Globes and eleven Emmys, and introducing the play to an even wider public. This generation-defining classic continues to shock, move, and inspire viewers worldwide. Now, on the 25th anniversary of that Broadway premiere, Isaac Butler and Dan Kois offer the definitive account of Angels in America in the most fitting way possible: through oral history, the vibrant conversation and debate of actors (including Streep, Parker, Nathan Lane, and Jeffrey Wright), directors, producers, crew, and Kushner himself. Their intimate storytelling reveals the on- and offstage turmoil of the play's birth--a hard-won miracle beset by artistic roadblocks, technical disasters, and disputes both legal and creative. And historians and critics help to situate the play in the arc of American culture, from the staunch activism of the AIDS crisis through civil rights triumphs to our current era, whose politics are a dark echo of the Reagan '80s. Expanded from a popular Slate cover story and built from nearly 250 interviews, The World Only Spins Forward is both a rollicking theater saga and an uplifting testament to one of the great works of American art of the past century, from its gritty San Francisco premiere to its starry, much-anticipated Broadway revival in 2018.
Many of the details of the main character’s life parallel’s actual life events of the author. The author earned an MBA in finance, served four years in the military, and 14 years with the Department of Homeland Security. The motivation for the book arose when a Jewish friend asked him to describe his feelings about the afterlife. After that, he wrote the book with inspiration for the story being the Two Great Commandments from the Bible as well as thoughts from The Inescapable Love of God by Thomas Talbott and finally a lifetime of experiences. The author was highly inspired by a quote from the movie Gladiator, “what we do in life echoes in eternity.” The book was intended to be more action/romance than spiritual but as he experienced a spiritual awakening of his own, the author’s point of view of the world changed. People would ask, “how are you doing?’ and he would answer, “better than I deserve.” The author was dazzled at the extent of religious fervor in many communities but was all too keenly aware of the sadness and desperation brought about by generational poverty on the part of many and generational greed on the part of others. He was also deeply saddened at the spread of godlessness in the secular world. The author earnestly wants to produce an allegory showing a broken special ops soldier, representing every broken man or woman within the reach of this book, nevertheless making his way to heaven to experience the love of God. How can such a man, or any of us, achieve eternity in heaven with the Holy Father when faced with all that we have done? Joe, the special ops man, was told by the archangels that ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden there had been a vicious struggle in the Universe between God and the Devil for the souls of the living. The angels in heaven are tasked to assist the Heavenly Father in this struggle. Joe and other warriors were masters of the skills needed to help the Heavenly Father in this effort.
This is the second book of The Angelic Chronicles trilogy. It tells of the celestial exploits and continuing rivalry between the archangelic brothers, Samael and Seriel, as they begin their exile in Abbadon. This is a dark, hellish place where essence-drinking demons and energy-sapping plant life abound. The story has something for everyone, being a tale of adventure with a sprinkling of romance and some dastardly deeds by Samael, a.k.a. the Devil. Both siblings are separated from their beloved Malkura in this angelic saga and the reader learns how the brothers handle this misfortune. Seriel is resigned to never having won her affection while Samael plots to regain what he has lost. Abbadon is classed in the Fantasy genre, but it possesses a subtle, spiritual undertone. The trilogy books emphasize how free will can easily lead to unwise and even unholy choices. They also document the eternal battle of goodness versus evil, while portraying the celestial hierarchy in a somewhat more controversial manner than religion has previously given to us.
Angels: The Creatures of Light The faith of Muslims is related to the unseen. In Islam, it is obligatory to believe in angels. All the heavenly religions agree that apart from the realm of us humans, there is another realm of angels hidden from our eyes. Angels are also mentioned in the Bible and Vedic scripts. But the detailed information available in Islamic literature about angels is impossible to find in other religious scriptures. Angels are one of the mightiest and most powerful creatures created by Allah Almighty. This book covers all the incredible information about angels in the Holy Quran, the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the companions of the Prophet. The prowess and vast realm of angels are explained in vivid and meticulous detail, which will blow the reader’s mind.
A young woman struggles with her past and a future thrust upon her with threats coming from the past and now the present. Does she have the strength to withstand and grow? From #1 New York Times bestselling author and literary phenomenon V.C. Andrews (Flowers in the Attic, My Sweet Audrina). In her grandmother’s fine, labyrinthine Boston house, Heaven Leigh Casteel dreams of a wonderful new life of new friends, the best schools, beautiful clothes, and most important, love. She is determined to make the Casteel name respectable, find her long-lost brothers and sisters, and have a family again. But even in the world of the wealthy, there are strange forebodings, secrets best forgotten. And as Heaven reaches out for love, she is slowly ensnared in a sinister web of cruel deceits and hidden passions.
This story concerns Joe, a special ops man who dies and goes to Heaven. The book is an adventure story highlighting angel Joe's struggles against the forces of the devil. He and his friends travel throughout the universe freeing other angels who have been captured by the devils. The main emphasis of the book is to describe Heaven and to promote acceptance of being in Heaven as the result of a life lived according to God's laws. It is designed to make people think about life after death. Keywords: Salvation, Optimism, Special Forces, God, Joy, Happiness, Camaraderie, Selflessness, Love, Friendship, Peace, Family.
Renowned for her singing across the English countryside, Emma is determined to leave her misty hometown for the dazzling streets of New York City. She'll become a Broadway star, or die trying. Her father disowns her on the spot; Emma walks out of the door and into a new life. But when she arrives, her fate is not what she imagined. Just when it seems like Emma might have to admit defeat, she is introduced to a peculiar couple: a wife that cannot bear children of her own, and a husband who would pay Emma to solve that problem. When Emma moves into the couple's remote estate to participate in an elaborate ruse, there's no telling what kind of life she'll have once she's taken the money. -- adapted from publisher info
