"ThisBeautiful Life is a gripping, potent and blisteringly well-written story offamily, dilemma, and consequence. . . . I read this book with white-knuckledurgency, and I finished it in tears. Helen Schulman is an absolutely brilliantnovelist." —Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love Theevents of a single night shatter one family’s sense of security and identity inthis provocative and deeply affecting domestic drama from Helen Schulman, theacclaimed author of A Day at the Beach and Out of Time. In thetradition of Lionel Shriver, Sue Miller, and Laura Moriarty, Schulman crafts abrilliantly observed portrait of parenting and modern life, cunningly exploringour most deeply-held convictions and revealing the enduring strengths thatemerge in the face of crisis.
'An emotional rollercoaster of a read... profoundly touching and moving'- Daily Express. Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes and Jodi Picoult. Abi has been given the second chance she never expected: she's in remission. Now she's trying to get her life - and her family - back on track after facing the worst. But it's hard to trust in happiness again, and reconnecting with her husband John proves more challenging than she thought. Can you really go back to 'normal' after thinking you're going to lose one another? With Abi's son Seb struggling with a secret of his own, the three of them are in danger of falling apart just when they need each other most. But how do you pick up the pieces of a family still suffering emotional shockwaves? And can Abi bring the people she loves most in the world back together again... before it's too late? *** **What readers are saying about This Beautiful Life** 'Stunning, filled with emotion...one of my favourite books of 2017!' - Off the Shelf Books 'A breathtaking read that will break your heart' 'A beautiful, soaring story...highly, HIGHLY recommended!' 'I loved every word... a wonderful, wonderful book' 'Heartbreaking, real and unforgettable - the characters feel like friends or close family' 'Honest and powerful' 'Will stay in my mind for a long time to come. This author has really touched my heart' 'I devoured every page; an utter delight'
Eating. Sleeping. Bathing. Chores. These are the things we do every day, yet few of us stop to consider how we perform the routines that occupy 95 percent of our lives: in chaos or serenity, with irritation or with joy. Here, in one elegant, copious and forever rereadable book, Alexandra Stoddard shows how to live a more beautiful, more ordered life, every single day. Drawing on the wisdom of Emerson, Samuel Johnson, Rilke and many others and warmed by Alexandra Stoddard's personal anecdotes, this book deals with life both philosophically and practically -- from discovering the sources of your well-being to buying the right stationery or sheets; from using solitude to replenish your spirit to using fabrics, ribbon, paper and your own five senses to transform your daily life. Living a Beautiful Life demonstrates how to use the ordinary in extraordinary ways, suggesting hundreds of techniques for turning dull, irritating routines into life-enhancing rituals; hundreds of simple ways to transform your days -- or your bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and desk -- into delights of beauty and efficiency. There's a marvelous trick for locating the perfect psychological spot for your bed, a quick way to use "remembrance of things past" to choose color schemes that suit you, suggestions for how to turn a fifteen-minute lunch break into a restorative experience. And throughout, Alexandra Stoddard shows how taking care of "the little things" can ultimately add up to a change in the big things. Most of all, Living a Beautiful Life reveals how a beautiful life can be achieved; how daily motions become truly satisfying patterns of pleasure; and how these patterns of pleasure can add up to a lifelived deeply and well, transforming even the most cluttered and hectic existence.
In This Beautiful Book, Steve Green - founder of The Museum of the Bible - highlights life-changing themes woven through the mosaic of the Bible's various stories, reveals a new way to engage Scripture as a whole, and inspires deep appreciation for the Bible's connection to your life. The most popular and culture-shaping text in the world, the Bible is still the least understood book of all time. The Bible's collection of history, poetry, genealogy lists, and mystifying prophecies often prove puzzling to readers. And when this text is read in pieces, we're left with only a half-impression of the vibrant mosaic. This Beautiful Book highlights the thematic threads woven throughout the ancient writings and shows us a new way to engage with Scripture as a whole. Through insights gained from firsthand experiences in leading and developing the first world class Bible museum, Green invites readers to step back from the individual stories of the Bible and consider the Bible as a whole. He reveals the completeness, connection, and transformative power of Scripture. Along with stunning retellings of biblical stories, Green helps readers see the story within the story, and draws the careful connections that help us appreciate the richness of the Bible story as a single story. Each page will spark or embolden your faith in a God who speaks to us across the centuries. A truly captivating experience, this book will instill in you a deep appreciation for Scripture and its profound connection to your own life story.
A gripping story of grace, faith, and triumph for a woman whose world shattered hours after her husband's suicide. Becky Powell faced the unthinkable on May 16, 2013. Her husband Mark called and said, "I've done something terrible." Within hours, she learned that he had taken his own life and, over a period of several years, millions of dollars from friends and colleagues. Everything she believed to be true, the very fiber of her marriage, was called into question. Within a week, rather than planning carpool runs and volunteer fundraisers, she owed almost one hundred creditors millions of dollars and had her own team of ten lawyers. She was also the subject of open FBI, SEC and DOJ investigations--and faced potential criminal charges. And, although she instantly denounced every cent of Mark's $15M in life insurance and promised to repay every penny taken, her lawyers knew that in reality she faced years of court battles and lawsuits, and possible jail time. Yet from that first horrific moment, God was there. He showed up in His Word, in Becky's friends, in her lawyers and in the generosity of those around her. He worked miracles. CNBC, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and others covered the first moment, but what about the last? What about the story in which God gives your next breath because you can't find it on your own? What about the story of a mom and three kids trying to make sense of their pasts, present and future while living under a microscope? Awful Beautiful Life is Becky's journey through the two years surrounding Mark's death and how she overcame. It came down to a loving God who surrounded her, a present and dedicated family, and friends, who made her life, offered her sanctuary and showed up for her and her kids in tangible ways. This is a story of remarkable grit, strength, and what the Body of Christ in action looks like.
The book, A Beautiful Life, is meant for people of all ages and across all stages or roles of one's life, whether one is a man or woman, son or daughter, brother or sister, husband or wife, grandfather or grandmother, maternal grandfather or grandmother, among others. As its name suggests, this book teaches the art of living. True to its title, this book will inspire people to live life to the fullest. This book is important for all people, be it a child learning the nuances of life and living or a person entering their twilight years.
James Bryan Smith believes we have bought into false notions of happiness and success. In this Good and Beautiful Series book, Smith traces through the Sermon on the Mount and helps us replace our false beliefs with Jesus' narratives about life in the kingdom of God.
Discovering yourself is never easy, especially for Brighton Anderson. He thought he had everything planned out until his mother suddenly uprooted his life and moved him and his brother from Los Angeles to Guilford, Connecticut. Between wrestling with his sexuality, learning how to survive in a small town, and figuring out his place in the world, this story chronicles the struggles of the Beautiful Life of Boys.
Max Wendt has a family . . . but it's sliding sideways, and he has been complicit in its faltering. His wife and his daughter have pulled away from him amid his frequent absences, leaving him to bridge the distance between what he remembers and the way things are now. Max Wendt has a job . . . but it carries him away from home most of the time, and its dynamics are quickly changing. There's a surprising new hire on his pipeline crew, strife among coworkers, and a boss whose proclivities put everything in peril. Max Wendt has a friend . . . but this odd man Max meets during his travels perplexes him, prods him, pushes him, and annoys him. He sees something in Max that Max can't see in himself, and he's holding tight to his own pain. Max Wendt has a problem . . . More than one, in fact, and those problems are flying at him with increasing velocity. Can someone who has spent his life going with the flow arrest his own destructive inertia, rebuild his relationships, and find a better way?
