From one of the bestselling memoirists of all time comes a stunning and heartbreaking novel about an intrepid girl who challenges the injustice of the adult world in a triumph of imagination and storytelling.
For readers who loved The Glass Castle comes a stunning, heartbreaking novel about an intrepid girl who challenges the injustice of the adult world. It is 1970. 'Bean' Holladay is twelve and her sister Liz fifteen when their mother, a woman who 'flees every place she's ever lived at the first sign of trouble', takes off to find herself. She leaves the girls enough money for food to last a month or two, but it's not long before Bean and Liz board a bus from California to Virginia, where their widowed Uncle Tinsley lives in the decaying mansion that has been in the family for generations. Once they've arrived, money is tight, so Liz and Bean start working for Jerry Madox, foreman of the mill in town, a big man who bullies workers, tenants and his wife. Bean adores her whip-smart older sister, inventor of wordgames, reader of Edgar Allan Poe, non-conformist. But when school starts in the autumn, it is Bean who easily adjusts and makes friends, and Liz who becomes increasingly withdrawn. And then something happens between Liz and Maddox... 'Tragic and comic at the same time... an outrageous story, one that will break your heart' Sunday Independent 'There isn't a shred of self-pity in this deeply compassionate book' Marie Claire 'Has immense power and readibility... What it does with aplomb is to track the birth of a nation: the conjuring of modern America from a scorched, dusty wasteland' The Times on Half Broke Horses
In The Story of Oklahoma, Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves appears as the "most feared U.S. marshal in the Indian country." That Reeves was also an African American who had spent his early life enslaved in Arkansas and Texas made his accomplishments all the more remarkable. Black Gun, Silver Star sifts through fact and legend to discover the truth about one of the most outstanding peace officers in late nineteenth-century America--and perhaps the greatest lawman of the Wild West era. Bucking the odds ("I'm sorry, we didn't keep Black people's history," a clerk at one of Oklahoma's local historical societies answered one query), Art T. Burton traces Reeves from his days of slavery to his Civil War soldiering to his career as a deputy U.S. marshal out of Fort Smith, Arkansas, when he worked under "Hanging Judge" Isaac C. Parker. Fluent in Creek and other regional Native languages, physically powerful, skilled with firearms, and a master of disguise, Reeves was exceptionally adept at apprehending fugitives and outlaws and his exploits were legendary in Oklahoma and Arkansas. In this new edition Burton traces Reeves's presence in the national media of his day as well as his growing modern presence in popular media such as television, movies, comics, and video games.
A product of East Los Angeles during the 1950's and early 1960's, Danny Hernandez has to navigate a seething cauldron of poverty, gang violence, and racist cops. The charismatic eldest son of a hardworking single mother, eleven-year-old Danny is responsible for his two younger siblings and his younger cousins, in addition to having to care for his wheelchair-bound uncle Tin Tan. His male role models are his uncle Pelon, a hardened gang member, and his uncle Joe, a responsible husband and father and Korean War veteran. By the time Danny graduates high school in 1965, he must choose between the two futures represented by his two uncles: Street Warrior or Military Man. Danny chooses the Marine Corps.Danny graduates from boot camp the same year President Lyndon B. Johnson commits ground troops to Vietnam. While his cousins back home express interest in the civil rights movement, Danny loses good friends in jungle raids and skirmishes with the Viet Cong.This is a gripping, true life story, told in Danny's own words. From his training at Camp Pendleton, to his heroic actions saving the lives of his fellow marines during Operation Utah, through his honorable discharge during one of the most tumultuous years of the Civil Rights Movement, Danny's endearing, honest and sometimes heart wrenching story honors the lives of those who risked everything for their country and their fellow marines
A triumphant tale of a young woman and her difficult childhood, The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience, redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and wonderfully vibrant. Jeannette Walls was the second of four children raised by anti-institutional parents in a household of extremes.
Andrew Winslow relocates to Los Angeles as a successful young pastor. New and exciting, the Hollywood movie business draws Priscilla. Can they handle the challenges of this new world?
It's nearly Christmas, and Old Bear and the toys are putting the finishing touches on the tree. But something's missing: the silver star that goes on top. When Little Bear climbs into the attic to find it, an open window and a gust of wind send him on a wintry adventure . . . and he drops the star. It looks as if they won't have the most important decoration after all--until someone special saves the day.
For the readers of The Nightingale and Lilac Girls, inspired by the true story of the author's great-grandmother's journey during World War II, The Girl with the Silver Star is the extraordinary story of a mother's love and will to survive during one of history's darkest time periods.As a hailstorm of bombs begins to shatter the city of Minsk in Belarus, Raisa and her family run through the darkness of night to take cover. When Raisa, Abraham, and their daughters, Luba and Sofia, emerge from the bomb shelter, they find an unfamiliar city before them; chaos and terror burn in every direction. Fearing for their lives, they must leave at once to find the rest of their family. But before they are able to escape, Abraham is conscripted into the Russian Army and the family is forced to part ways. Raisa's love and strength are put to the ultimate test as she finds herself on her own with her two young daughters in tow. How will she manage alone without her soulmate by her side?Relying on hope, resourcefulness and courage, they walk, hitch hike and take trains heading for Uzbekistan, over 2,500 miles from home. Along the way they run from bombs, endure starvation, and face death.Raisa finds solace in the women around her. Her mother, sisters, old friends and new help carry her through the difficult war years, but Raisa's longing to reunite with Abraham still rages inside her heart. Will they ever see each other again? Will Raisa and her family find their way back to their homeland?The Girl with the Silver Star is a captivating journey through war-torn Soviet Union as it illuminates a unique part of WWII history, the female heroes. Raisa's journey is a tribute to the nameless women, their determination, bravery, grief and unwavering love during impossible times. Their stories shouldn't be forgotten.What readers are saying about The Girl with the Silver Star⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads ReviewerThe Girl with the Silver Star is a heartfelt, tense, and moving story of one family's journey through Russia during WWII. It recounts the author's great-grandmother's struggle to keep her children and parents safe while her husband is fighting on the front lines.The author's admiration for her great-grandmother comes through on every page, as well as the power of family ties and the strength that carries through generations.While I've certainly never gone through anything like them, I could completely relate to Raisa and the hardships she endured. I felt her struggles and heartbreaks. Her strength and that of the women around her poured through the pages. I loved this book! And I highly recommend it.⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads ReviewerA story of love, loss, family and lasting friendships. This story is beautifully written and it will make you laugh, cry, get angry and want to love and be loved; hallmarks of a great story. The main character Raisa and her necklace are symbols of purity and reflect the themes of: good vs. evil, love and heroism...⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads ReviewerThe Girl with the Silver Star follows the story of an innocent family who are thrust into terror during WWII. Its a fight for survival when mother Raisa and father Abraham are forced to fight for the safety and lives of their two young children, when the family are forced to flee from their home from the bombs, chaos and destruction.[...]This book had me in tears with the heartbreaking trials the family were made to overcome and the atrocities they witnessed in order to stay alive. It is a stark reminder that humanity is equal despite our different races and religions and that we should always treat each other with kindness and love.With real handwritten letters between husband and wife interwoven throughout the book, The Girl with the Silver Star is a story that will stand the test of time. I absolutely loved this book and I highly recommend it!
Saylor Silver has a magic touch when it comes to healing abused horses. But when a disabled soldier reaches out to her, will she allow him to rein in her heart? Veterinarian Saylor Silver can sense an animal's illness with just a look or a touch. Too bad she's not known for taking as good of care of herself, and neither is her wayward boyfriend who is known as the town flirt. But if Saylor learned anything from her parents' multiple remarriages, it’s to never give up on your first love. No matter how much love hurts. Jefferson Moore’s arm is still numb after an injury on his last military mission. But he’s filled with feeling the first time Saylor touches him. He’s on the Silver Star Ranch to keep a promise to his general, Saylor’s late father. In order to save the ranch, each of the six Silver sisters must marry. Jeff would leap at the chance to marry Saylor, if only she’d drop her deceitful boyfriend. When Saylor catches her boyfriend cheating—yet again—her dreams of a future together wither. She agrees to a marriage of convenience with the kindhearted soldier Jeff in order to save her family's ranch. But after years of neglect and mistreatment, she’s not sure what to do with a man who treats her with care and kindness. Jeff pretends he’s just honoring the terms of their deal, but the truth is he's fallen hard for Saylor. When the conniving boyfriend returns begging for another chance, will Jeff admit to his true feelings or risk losing the woman he wants to cherish? Find out if love can truly heal all wounds in this light-hearted, sweet romance of convenient arrangements that unfold into lasting love. His Pledge to Cherish is the second in a series of marriage of convenience tales featuring Wounded Warriors who are healed with the power of love.