My Mother Was an Upright Piano builds on the strengths of Tania Hershman's first collection of short stories The White Road which was commended by the judges of the 2009 Orange Award for New Writers. Hershman's fiction is inspiring, thought-provoking and witty. Her economy with words cloaks her subtlety and power, and she is able to create characters with distinct voices and explore deep and sometimes disturbing relationships is just a few paragraphs of prose. Her writing style has a lyrical quality and often the meter of her work brings added resonance to her themes.
From her humble roots in the Bronx to Laverne and Shirley and her unlikely ascent in Hollywood, the beloved actor and director tells the story of her incredible life.
The second book in the New York Times bestselling series that began with If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don't! is another uproarious cautionary tale about things that DON'T belong together! If your mom says to get ready to play at the beach, she means with a boat, or a Frisbee, or a shovel. She is NOT talking about the piano. But Magnolia is a little girl with a big idea, determination, and one very heavy upright piano that, she insists, she needs to take with her. What's the worst that can happen? In a riotous series of mishaps, Magnolia quickly learns that--not surprisingly--a piano doesn't mix well with sand, sun, and seagulls!
USA TODAY BESTSELLER In 1962, in the Soviet Union, eight-year-old Katya is bequeathed what will become the love of her life: a Blüthner piano, on which she discovers an enrichening passion for music. Yet after she marries, her husband insists the family emigrate to America—and loses her piano in the process. In 2012, in Bakersfield, California, twenty-six-year-old Clara Lundy is burdened by the last gift her father gave her before he and her mother died in a terrible house fire: a Blüthner upright she has never learned to play. Now a talented and independent auto mechanic, Clara’s career is put on hold when she breaks her hand trying to move the piano, and in sudden frustration she decides to sell it. Only in discovering the identity of the buyer—and the secret history of her piano—will Clara be set free to live the life of her choosing.
A new collection of very short stories selected by Flash Fiction editor James Thomas and Robert Scotellaro. All of the stories in this book are exceptionally short, revealing themselves in no more than 300 words. With a foreword by Robert Shapard and an afterword by Christopher Merrill, this book brings you fresh approaches to an exacting form that demands precision, a species of brevity that is surprisingly expansive. Writers say the pieces are hard to compose, but readers say they are easy to appreciate, a pleasure to envision, a wonder to watch life spun out and painted in small places. Real and surreal, lyrical and prosaic, here are 135 stories by 89 authors, certain to make you think.
“As soon as she was gone from this earth, I felt an overwhelming need for more of her. I had to find her again. But how do you find someone after they’re gone for good?” After her mother succumbed to a rare form of dementia, Myrl Coulter turned the eulogy she had written for the funeral into a series of meditations on absence. The result is fifteen personal narrative essays that move through the vacations, holidays, special occasions, and ordinary days each year brings. Coulter reaches for the mother who is gone, yet ever-present, no matter where she is or what she is doing. In every captivating detail of Coulter’s world, A Year of Days offers readers an intimate odyssey of experience and catharsis.
Choosing Joy, a deftly-woven mosaic of memories, tells John Dempster’s story, with particular focus on his life-long quest to find a way of being which is at once joyful, life-affirming and true to his own experience. There are honest descriptions of spiritual trauma and the anxiety and depression which complicate the author’s quest for an inner homecoming. He describes with forgiveness and at times wry humour the effects of the Christian formation he received in childhood; he charts his engagement with evangelicalism, Reformed Theology, the charismatic movement, post-modernism, and most recently faith ‘deconstruction’ and ‘reconstruction’. And he recalls moments of joy, grace and inner wholeness when a Great Love beckons. John Dempster resolves to ‘choose joy’ – to live, regardless of his emotions, in the light of a fundamental love and joy lying at the heart of all things. But will this vision be strong enough to sustain him? This vivid, unforgettable book is for people who have been wounded by their traumatic experiences of church; for those with mental health issues and their families; for those undergoing ‘deconstruction’ of their previous Christian belief; for those struggling to free themselves from the burden of other people’s expectations and find their authentic selves. ‘Choosing Joy is a work of integrity and courage, soul-stirring and faith-enhancing.’ Steve Aisthorpe, Author of The Invisible Church and Rewilding the Church
Jerry was told that this would be a great book for baby boomers: It is a story of its timelate in the Great Depression, World War II, postwar America, how Jerry and his brothers grew their fathers business as well as Jerrys philosophy of life and its impact on his family and career. His midlife adventures included becoming an athlete at the age of 51 without ever participating in sports prior to that time. This story of ambition and unwavering determination to succeed against all odds is evident from the beginning to the end of this inspiring account of an average young man who was determined to make something of himself, come hell or high water. With his dogged determination and drive, Jerry completed the NY City Marathon, at the age of 53; the first of 14 marathons that included eight NYC marathons, four Boston Marathons, one Marine Corps Marathon and one London Marathon. According to Jerry, one doesnt attain their adulthood until age 65. At the age of 84, Jerry recovered from a broken pelvis and hip to walk without a cane within five months. In fact, with the blessing of his orthopedic surgeon, he is gradually getting back into running. He relinquished his position as president and CEO of the family business to his eldest daughter, Janet, in 2006. Jerry currently works full time as Chairman of the Board. He is also the companys Senior Negotiator and Chief Strategist at the age of 85.
The author first conceived the title of this book about 30 years ago, when she became convinced that her obesity had a purpose, and that understanding the emotional issues driving her tendency towards fatness would be necessary for healing. To that end, she studied her own behavior for many years, keeping notes of the factors involved in her overeating and obesity as she discovered them. At age 60, when 370 pounds threatened her life, she received the medical intervention called Gastric Bypass Surgery. She believed that as she lost weight she would relive her original childhood suffering, during which she began to use images of food and fat to defend against feelings of isolation. Therefore, she would need to find new strategies for dealing effectively with old challenges. To accomplish this goal, she kept a journal during the weight loss, recording her experiences, including the resurgent memories of unresolved grief. The author hopes that her story might help other people similarly identify their own faulty learning, including the tendency to addiction, especially emotionally based over-eating. Readers can use the authors method of discovery for their own growth and recovery. It includes defining what she believed to be her problem, proceeding with a workable program for weight loss, remembering the traumatic events alongside the gifts of her childhood, recording her emotional reactions to change and progress, finding new responses to old deprivations, searching for important truths about herself, and making new decisions for her future. Additionally, the book follows a format that includes questions for groups of people who wish to share their own emotional struggles with defensive fatness. As such, it will be a valuable resource for people using surgery to assist them in the weight loss process.
