Don Pinnock, a well-known travel writer, has drawn on his passion for Africa and his experience as a journalist for Getaway magazine to write yet another entertaining and engrossing book of short essays on natural history, full of humor, interest and speculation. Each of his essays reveals something of natures many quirks and offers startlingly large questions from little things that ordinary folk pass over with hardly a glance. The pieces are short and easily digestible, with a bit of philosophy and an interest in the human story. And include ruminations on the following questions: · Are clouds alive? · Where is Africa's most dangerous river? · Why do female hyenas sometimes grow a penis? · Why did Zulu warriors never ride into battle mounted on zebras?
Written to her family, these letters recount the failure of Dinesen's marriage, the financial collapse of her husband's coffee plantation, and her experiences in Kenya
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A worthy heir to Isak Dinesen and Beryl Markham, Alexandra Fuller shares visceral memories of her childhood in Africa, and of her headstrong, unforgettable mother. “This is not a book you read just once, but a tale of terrible beauty to get lost in over and over.”—Newsweek “By turns mischievous and openhearted, earthy and soaring . . . hair-raising, horrific, and thrilling.”—The New Yorker Though it is a diary of an unruly life in an often inhospitable place, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight is suffused with Fuller’s endearing ability to find laughter, even when there is little to celebrate. Fuller’s debut is unsentimental and unflinching but always captivating. In wry and sometimes hilarious prose, she stares down disaster and looks back with rage and love at the life of an extraordinary family in an extraordinary time. From 1972 to 1990, Alexandra Fuller—known to friends and family as Bobo—grew up on several farms in southern and central Africa. Her father joined up on the side of the white government in the Rhodesian civil war, and was often away fighting against the powerful black guerilla factions. Her mother, in turn, flung herself at their African life and its rugged farm work with the same passion and maniacal energy she brought to everything else. Though she loved her children, she was no hand-holder and had little tolerance for neediness. She nurtured her daughters in other ways: She taught them, by example, to be resilient and self-sufficient, to have strong wills and strong opinions, and to embrace life wholeheartedly, despite and because of difficult circumstances. And she instilled in Bobo, particularly, a love of reading and of storytelling that proved to be her salvation. Alexandra Fuller writes poignantly about a girl becoming a woman and a writer against a backdrop of unrest, not just in her country but in her home. But Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight is more than a survivor’s story. It is the story of one woman’s unbreakable bond with a continent and the people who inhabit it, a portrait lovingly realized and deeply felt. Praise for Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight “Riveting . . . [full of] humor and compassion.”—O: The Oprah Magazine “The incredible story of an incredible childhood.”—The Providence Journal
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY LIBRARY JOURNAL In this enchanting novel set at Cedar Cove’s cozy Rose Harbor Inn, Debbie Macomber celebrates the power of love—and a well-timed love letter—to inspire hope and mend a broken heart. Summer is a busy season at the inn, so proprietor Jo Marie Rose and handyman Mark Taylor have spent a lot of time together keeping the property running. Despite some folks’ good-natured claims to the contrary, Jo Marie insists that Mark is only a friend. However, she seems to be thinking about this particular friend a great deal lately. Jo Marie knows surprisingly little about Mark’s life, due in no small part to his refusal to discuss it. She’s determined to learn more about his past, but first she must face her own—and welcome three visitors who, like her, are setting out on new paths. Twenty-three-year-old Ellie Reynolds is taking a leap of faith. She’s come to Cedar Cove to meet Tom, a man she’s been corresponding with for months, and with whom she might even be falling in love. Ellie’s overprotective mother disapproves of her trip, but Ellie is determined to spread her wings. Maggie and Roy Porter are next to arrive at the inn. They are taking their first vacation alone since their children were born. In the wake of past mistakes, they hope to rekindle the spark in their marriage—and to win back each other’s trust. But Maggie must make one last confession that could forever tear them apart. For each of these characters, it will ultimately be a moment when someone wore their heart on their sleeve—and took pen to paper—that makes all the difference. Debbie Macomber’s moving novel reveals the courage it takes to be vulnerable, accepting, and open to love. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Debbie Macomber's Silver Linings. Praise for Love Letters “Romance and a little mystery abound in this third installment of Macomber’s series set at Cedar Cove’s Rose Harbor Inn. . . . Readers of Robyn Carr and Sherryl Woods will enjoy Macomber’s latest, which will have them flipping pages until the end and eagerly anticipating the next installment.”—Library Journal (starred review) “Mending a broken heart is not always easy to do, but Macomber succeeds at this beautifully inLove Letters. . . . Quite simply, this is a refreshing take on most love stories—there are twists and turns in the plot that keep readers on their toes—and the author shares up slices of realism, allowing her audience to feel right at home.”—Bookreporter “Macomber’s mastery of women’s fiction is evident in her latest. . . . [She] breathes life into each plotline, carefully intertwining her characters’ stories to ensure that none of them overshadow the others. Yet it is her ability to capture different facets of emotion which will entrance fans and newcomers alike.”—Publishers Weekly “Love Letters is another wonderful story in the Rose Harbor series. Genuine life struggles with heartwarming endings for the three couples in this book make it special. Readers won’t be able to get enough of Macomber’s gentle storytelling. Fans already know what a charming place Rose Harbor is and new readers will love discovering it as well.”—RT Book Reviews (4-1/2 stars)
Love Letters from Golok chronicles the courtship between two Buddhist tantric masters, Tāre Lhamo (1938–2002) and Namtrul Rinpoche (1944–2011), and their passion for reinvigorating Buddhism in eastern Tibet during the post-Mao era. In fifty-six letters exchanged from 1978 to 1980, Tāre Lhamo and Namtrul Rinpoche envisioned a shared destiny to "heal the damage" done to Buddhism during the years leading up to and including the Cultural Revolution. Holly Gayley retrieves the personal and prophetic dimensions of their courtship and its consummation in a twenty-year religious career that informs issues of gender and agency in Buddhism, cultural preservation among Tibetan communities, and alternative histories for minorities in China. The correspondence between Tare Lhamo and Namtrul Rinpoche is the first collection of "love letters" to come to light in Tibetan literature. Blending tantric imagery with poetic and folk song styles, their letters have a fresh vernacular tone comparable to the love songs of the Sixth Dalai Lama, but with an eastern Tibetan flavor. Gayley reads these letters against hagiographic writings about the couple, supplemented by field research, to illuminate representational strategies that serve to narrate cultural trauma in a redemptive key, quite unlike Chinese scar literature or the testimonials of exile Tibetans. With special attention to Tare Lhamo's role as a tantric heroine and her hagiographic fusion with Namtrul Rinpoche, Gayley vividly shows how Buddhist masters have adapted Tibetan literary genres to share private intimacies and address contemporary social concerns.
Voices of Love Letters from Africa is a collection of writings from young writers from Africa. The 2021 winners and finalists of the 2021 Chima Ugokwe Prize for Essay contributed to this volume. They are voices of Hope. Voices of patriotism. Voices of common sense. They are innocent voices from Africa. Beautiful souls who wrote from their hearts. They have given us hope, a future, and love. I was touched as I read thoughtful lines that proffers solutions to many contemporary challenges that the pandemic came with. The Ubuntu. I am because weare. They were part of a history that will never die. They witnessed a time when humanity listened to the same whistle and we all got home. For the first time, we were worried about ourselves, our neighbors, our children, and distant persons. For the first time, generosity thrived more than it does in festivities. For the first time, we live consciously, watching and paying attention to headlines and breaking news. For the first time we cried for people we do not know and had never seen. We became human and to some, more religious. Well, for the same time still, we had to socially distance ourselves from our friends and loved ones. In their believe, they are sure that common sense can no longer prevail, but a sense of common purpose, a sense of deep thinking that targets our living beyond fears, beyond doubts and worries, beyond insensibility and irresponsibility, a sense that can generate widespread new understanding of reality and collective action. We must live for others. That is the spirit.
"This is an exercise in love, an attempt at developing taste, a test of how sweet a word can be, an ode to moments. This is a manifestation of slowness and quiet and sunshine, early mornings and late evenings, glad memories and slender times. This is yearning and giving, an extended meditation on letters, what they can and cannot do for one's being." Meia Geddes' LOVE LETTERS TO THE WORLD - a series of 120 lyrical missives - addresses the world as body, concept, and stranger. This edition -- new and handwritten -- is a quiet celebration and exploration of life, love, language, and one's place in the world.
World-renowned Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh champions a more mindful, spiritual approach to protecting nature and limiting climate change—one that recognizes people and planet as one and the same. While many experts point to the enormous complexity in addressing issues ranging from the destruction of ecosystems to the loss of millions of species, Thich Nhat Hanh identifies one key issue as having the potential to create a tipping point. He believes that we need to move beyond the concept of the “environment,” as it leads people to experience themselves and Earth as two separate entities and to see the planet only in terms of what it can do for them. Here, Thich Nhat Hanh points to the lack of meaning and connection in peoples’ lives as being the cause of our addiction to consumerism. He deems it vital that we recognize and respond to the stress we are putting on the Earth if civilization is to survive. Rejecting the conventional economic approach, Thich Nhat Hanh shows that mindfulness and a spiritual revolution are needed to protect nature and limit climate change. Love Letter to the Earth is a hopeful book that gives us a path to follow by showing that change is possible only with the recognition that people and the planet are ultimately one and the same.
A Love Letter to Africville compiles personal stories and photos from former residents of Africville. Much has been written about the struggles of the Africville community, who have been hurt and discriminated against for so long -- but Africville is so much more than the pain. This book corrects the historical narrative and helps former residents heal by emphasizing the beautiful and positive aspects of Africville. Amanda Carvery-Taylor organizes captivating stories and stunning photography that express the love and importance of Africville.
Covering the years 1934 to 1966, this revealing self-portrait by one of the most remarkable women of our time recounts, through her letters to friends and family, Goodall's enduring love affair with the "dark continent." 16-page photo insert.
