A fifteenth-century portrait painter, grieving the untimely death of his unrequited love, takes refuge at the monastery at Mont Saint-Michel, an island off the coast of France. He haunts the halls until the monks assign him the task of copying manuscripts – though he is illiterate. His work heals him and grows the monastery's library into a beautiful city of books, all under the shadow of the invention of the printing press. Dominique Fortier is an editor and translator living in Montreal. She is the author of five books, including On the Proper Use of Stars and Wonder. Rhonda Mullins is an award-winning translator and writer living in Montreal, Quebec.
Join a very brave girl and her furry friends on an adventure to Read Island! Through the power of imagination and the pleasure of reading, this curious trio set sail for a magical island made of books. On their way they discover a joyful collection of animals converging by sea and land, just in time for an unforgettable story hour. A rhyming celebration of nature, books and the importance of stories, Read Island invites you to experience the diversity and wonder of a hidden and wild place. In the company of sea wolves, humpback whales and spirit bears, readers will discover simple meditations that summon a magical destination - one filled with beloved friends, safe spaces and stories to be revisited again and again. For make-believe though it may look, There is an island made of books. This world of stories, safe and true, Is always here to welcome you.
While shipwrecked on the island of Pala, Will Farnaby, a disenchanted journalist, discovers a utopian society that has flourished for the past 120 years. Although he at first disregards the possibility of an ideal society, as Farnaby spends time with the people of Pala his ideas about humanity change. HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.
Far off the coast of California looms a harsh rock known as the island of San Nicholas. Dolphins flash in the blue waters around it, sea otter play in the vast kep beds, and sea elephants loll on the stony beaches. Here, in the early 1800s, according to history, an Indian girl spent eighteen years alone, and this beautifully written novel is her story. It is a romantic adventure filled with drama and heartache, for not only was mere subsistence on so desolate a spot a near miracle, but Karana had to contend with the ferocious pack of wild dogs that had killed her younger brother, constantly guard against the Aleutian sea otter hunters, and maintain a precarious food supply. More than this, it is an adventure of the spirit that will haunt the reader long after the book has been put down. Karana's quiet courage, her Indian self-reliance and acceptance of fate, transform what to many would have been a devastating ordeal into an uplifting experience. From loneliness and terror come strength and serenity in this Newbery Medal-winning classic.
NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE • A “beautifully and sparingly constructed” (The New York Times) novel about a lighthouse keeper with a mysterious past, and the stranger who washes up on his shores—An Island is the American debut of a major voice in world literature. “An Island by Karen Jennings is quite simply a revelation—a ferocious, swift chess game of a novel.”—Paul Yoon, author of Run Me to Earth Samuel has lived alone on an island off the coast of an unnamed African country for more than two decades. He tends to his garden, his lighthouse, and his chickens, content with a solitary life. Routinely, the nameless bodies of refugees wash ashore, but Samuel—who understands that the government only values certain lives, certain deaths—always buries them himself. One day, though, he finds that one of these bodies is still breathing. As he nurses the stranger back to life, Samuel—feeling strangely threatened—is soon swept up in memories of his former life as a political prisoner on the mainland. This was a life that saw his country exploited under colonial rule, followed by a period of revolution and a brief, hard-won independence—only for the cycle of suffering to continue under a cruel dictator. And he can’t help but recall his own shameful role in that history. In this stranger’s presence, he begins to consider, as he did in his youth: What does it mean to own land, or to belong to it? And what does it cost to have, and lose, a home? A timeless and gripping portrait of regret, terror, and the extraordinary stakes of companionship, An Island is a story as page-turning as it is profound.
"After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter. A working vacation overseas seems like the perfect way to bring the new family together, but once they're deep in the Australian outback, the jet-lagged and exhausted kids are so over their new mom. When they discover remote Dutch Island, off-limits to outside visitors, the family talks their way onto the ferry, taking a chance on an adventure far from the reach of iPhones and Instagram. But as soon as they set foot on the island, which is run by a tightly knit clan of locals, everything feels wrong. Then a shocking accident propels the Baxters from an unsettling situation into an absolute nightmare"--Provided by publisher.
When Jenny and her mice friends journey to an island in hopes of finding it a peaceful place to live, they discover that they must battle the monstrous Skog
Pentecost Island...where romance entices and secrets unfold. Pentecost Island series : Books 4-6 in a boxed set From best selling author, Annie Seaton, three beautiful stories of female friendships, and the unbreakable bond that sees friends stay together through the ups and downs of life. TAMSIN Tamsin Jones has invested a lot of time and energy catering at the new eco-resort developed by her friend, Pippa, on Pentecost Island. The dynamics of the work team—and their lifelong friendship has changed with the return of Eliza Pengelly and Phillipe. Tensions are running high and the official opening is imminent, so Tamsin takes a few days off and meets sexy Gabe Brown. But despite succumbing to his charm, Tamsin knows that Gabe is holding a secret. She is determined to discover why he is so interested in her. Gabe has a task to fulfil, but Tamsin is not what he expected; the closer he gets to completing the task he has been entrusted with, the more he falls for her. It should be easy to ignore this woman and complete the task he’s been set . . . but Gabe has never been so attracted to a woman before. When he loses Tamsin’s trust, can Gabe redeem himself and save his heart in the process? EVIE Evie sailed into life at Pentecost Island excited to have a place to belong after ten years of living alone on her boat. She uses her skills to landscape Ma Carmichael’s Resort and cements her friendship with the girls on the island. When Jed Stephenson, her brother’s best friend— who also happens to be her ex-husband— turns up on Pentecost island to convince Evie it is time to go back home to her family, she is faced with a choice that may mean the difference between life and death for someone she once loved. Can Jed break though the defences of the woman he has never stopped loving?
Pentecost Island...where romance entices and secrets unfold. Pentecost Island series : Books 1-3 in a boxed set>From best selling author, Annie Seaton, three beautiful stories of female friendships, and the unbreakable bond that sees friends stay together through the ups and downs of life. Book 1: Pippa When Pippa Carmichael inherits a house on a deserted tropical island, it couldn’t have come at a better time for her. Life’s been tough lately; she’s lost her job, given her boyfriend the flick, and now it’s time for her to make a new start. With her two best friends, Pippa heads off to Pentecost Island to investigate her inheritance and is surprised to find there is another resident on the island. Reclusive author, Rafe Rendell, is not impressed when a boatload of women turns up on his island, interrupting his peaceful existence. He is less impressed when he meets Pippa, the sassy new owner of Ma Carmichael’s sprawling house. Can these two live in harmony on the same small island, or is Pippa's dream destined to fail? Boook 2: Eliza The final choice–and the biggest mistake of her life—sees her fleeing to Pentecost Island. Desperate to make a fresh start, Eliza is happy to work—and hide— on the island for as long Pippa needs a carpenter to achieve her dream. Having friends around to support her through tough times is a bonus. But Eliza quickly learns you can’t outrun your demons. The arrival of charismatic sailor, Phillipe Renton threatens the safety of the new life Eliza is creating. Living his life on the oceans and travelling the world, Phillipe doesn’t do relationships, but the attraction to vulnerable Eliza is impossible to resist. Will her dark secret be revealed—a secret that could destroy any chance of happiness for her new life? Book 3 : Nell Nell O'Leary sees the world in a logical way, and she's content managing her friend, Pippa's eco-resort. She holds a secret from her past and is painfully insecure around the opposite sex. When Nell runs into a technical problem at the resort, she contacts a computer company, and is dismayed to find the owner is her former friend, Nat Dwyer. Nat was at university with her but that's the only thing he and Nell have in common. Even though they had once been good friends, Nat was a womaniser—with no intention of ever settling down.When Nell asks Nat to help onsite, the help he offers takes a personal turn. But the last thing Nat expects is to fall in love with this quiet woman. Nell fights her growing feelings; there is no way she would ever trust Nat. Can Nell overcome her lack of trust or is her past destined to cause them heartache?
