Some of the most wondrous gifts cost nothing. This is a story of such gifts. On a silent and magical Christmas Eve night, three children and their grandparents bear gifts down the starlit path to a stable. They take this peaceful, wintry journey to thank the visitors of centuries ago for their historic and holy visit. The children deliver simple gifts and sincere gratitude to the visitors in tribute for that long-ago night honoring a newborn babe.
From the highly acclaimed author of The Photographer of the Lost, a BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick, comes a tale of a young war widow and one life-changing, sun-drenched visit to Cornwall in the summer of 1923... Esme Nicholls is to spend the summer in Cornwall. Her late husband Alec, who died fighting in the war, grew up in Penzance, and she’s hoping to learn more about the man she loved and lost. While there, she will stay with Gilbert, in his rambling seaside house, where he lives with his former brothers in arms. Esme is fascinated by this community of eccentric artists and former soldiers, and as she gets to know the men and their stories, she begins to feel this summer might be exactly what she needs. But everything is not as idyllic as it seems – a mysterious new arrival later in the summer will turn Esme’s world upside down, and make her question everything she thought she knew about her life, and the people in it. Full of light, laughter and larger-than-life characters, The Visitors is a novel of one woman finally finding her voice and choosing her own path forwards. Praise for Caroline Scott: ‘A page-turning literary gem’ The Times, Best Books of 2020 'A touching novel of love and loss' Sunday Times 'A beautifully written must-read' heat 'A gripping, devastating novel' Sarra Manning, RED ‘A powerful novel’ Good Housekeeping ‘A heartbreaking read’ Anita Frank 'Breathtaking exploration of loss, love and precious memories’ My Weekly, Pick of the Month ‘Achingly moving and most beautifully written’ Rachel Hore ‘This beautiful book packs a huge emotional punch’ Fabulous ‘Drew me in from the first line and held me enthralled until the very end' Fiona Valpy ‘Quietly devastating' Daily Mail 'A compulsive, heart-wrenching read' Liz Trenow ‘Powerful’ Woman & Home 'Page turning, mysterious, engrossing and compelling' Lorna Cook ‘A carefully nuanced, complex story’ Woman’s Weekly ‘Caroline Scott evokes the damage and desolation of the Great War with aching authenticity' Iona Grey ‘Poignant’ Best 'Momentous, revelatory and astonishing historical fiction!' Historical Novel Society ‘Wonderful and evocative’ Suzanne Goldring ‘Based on true events, this is a powerful story’ Bella ‘Immersive, poignant, intricately woven’ Judith Kinghorn ‘An evocative read’ heat ‘The story left me breathless’ Kate Furnivall ‘A poignant hymn to those who gave up their lives for their country and to those who were left behind’ Fanny Blake 'I was utterly captivated by this novel' Isabelle Broom
The Personalization of the Museum Visit examines a fundamental shift in institutional behavior in museums located in the United States and the United Kingdom. Contending that art museums have moved toward a new paradigm of public engagement, it posits that modern museum visitors are treated as self-directed "clients", with the agency to make meaning for themselves. The book then considers how this change has come about, examining factors such as the onset of a new museology, an experience economy, and a marketing revolution. Drawing on extensive research undertaken at Britain’s Tate Modern, the book examines a range of issues, including visitor engagement, curatorial practice, and museum management. A visit experience that is customizable to the individual visitor, in which curators and marketers work together with visitor-clients to create an experience of personalized meaning, is, Rodney argues, rising in prevalence in the art museum field, but it is also being stymied by certain structural impediments. This book examines such obstacles, including institutional division of labor, long-standing conceptions, or misconceptions, of the museum’s mission, and the orientation of museums toward a certain conceptual model of their visitors. The Personalization of the Museum Visit is essential reading for scholars and students engaging with issues of visitor engagement, curatorial practice, and museum management. With a particular focus on the role of business interests and public policy, the book should also be of interest to those undertaking research in fields outside of museum and visitor studies.
From the New York Times bestselling author Sally Beauman comes an intensely atmospheric, spellbinding re-creation of Lord Carnarvon's hunt for Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. Sent abroad to Egypt in 1922 to recover from the typhoid that has killed her mother, eleven-year-old Lucy becomes swept up in the feverish excitement surrounding the search for Tutankhamun's tomb. Through her friendship with Frances, the daughter of an American archaeologist, Lucy witnesses first-hand the intrigue, politics, and passions surrounding this quest. Raised in a world in which adults are often cold and unpredictable, Lucy forms an immediate bond with Frances. Their friendship sustains them throughout childhood, guides them through the class-ridden colonial society in which they grow up, and takes them into an adult life that promises fulfilment—until it veers toward heartbreak. Deftly constructed and transportive, peopled by powerful characters, moving from the 1920s to the present day, The Visitors is a timeless coming-of-age narrative set against the backdrop of profound historical change. But how is such change documented? Whose testimony is reliable? Which witness should we believe? Looking back on her past much later in life, viewing it from the perspective of age, Lucy tells a deeply moving story of love and loss, of mistakes made and incendiary secrets concealed. She reveals the circumstances that lie behind the most celebrated discovery ever made in the Valley of the Kings, a discovery clouded by deception, in which triumph swiftly turned to tragedy; it is a story, as she comes to see, whose truths are both elusive and occluded, one that mirrors her own. As Lord Carnarvon and the archaeologist Howard Carter force the desert to yield its treasures, Lucy reveals the extremes to which people are driven by desire—even when these extremes involve building a life around a lie.
An alien invasion which begins with the landing on Jerry Conklin's car of what looks like a huge black box changes life in Lone Pine, Minnesota, and threatens to destroy Earth's civilization
Packed with practical strategies - based on research and the author's continuing field work - the second edition of this guidebook shows therapists, early interventionists, social workers, educators, nurses, and other home visitors how to build trust, communicate respect, and maintain boundaries with families make home visits successful by developing specific communication and interpersonal skills understand the stages of typical child development - and use that knowledge to help families promote the child's sense of self, provide guidance and discipline, develop communication and language, promote learning through play, and more gain fresh perspective, create a support network, and learn new strategies through professional development opportunities Throughout the book, readers follow two home visitors into the homes of diverse families - sharing their triumphs and challenges and learning lessons to use in their own daily work. The mix of personal stories, research, and strategies make this hands-on guide a must-have for any home visitor. New to this edition: Chapters on working with psychologically vulnerable and culturally diverse and bilingual families Information on neurophysiology, emotional regulation, the father's involvement, peer mentoring, SIDS, prematurity, and preventable childhood diseases Updated appendix with a wide variety of resources
A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK ‘This excellent debut is a melancholic reminder of the rippling after-effects of war’ The Times 'A touching novel of love and loss' Sunday Times For fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Where The Crawdads Sing comes a moving story, inspired by real events, about how hope and love will prevail against all odds. 1921 In the aftermath of war, everyone is searching for answers. Edie’s husband Francis never came home and was declared ‘missing, believed killed’. But when she receives a mysterious photograph of him in the post, hope flares and she begins to search. Harry photographs gravesites on the Western Front, hired by grieving families. Plagued by memories of his last conversation with Francis, he has never stopped searching for his brother. After years apart, their search brings them together. As they uncover the truth they are haunted by the past and their own complex feelings – towards Francis, and towards each other. Are some questions better left unanswered? Perfect for fans of Maggie O'Farrell and Helen Dunmore, The Photographer of the Lost is a beautiful novel, inspired by real events in the wake of the First World War, about love and loss, grief and guilt, and the fleeting, fragile moments of life. Praise for The Photographer of the Lost: 'Epic… A beautifully written must-read' heat 'A gripping, devastating novel about the lost and the ones they left behind' Sarra Manning, RED ‘Terrific first novel’ Daily Mail ‘Scott has done an amazing job of drawing on real stories to craft a powerful novel’ Good Housekeeping ‘A deeply poignant and immersive novel . . . told in beautiful, elevated prose. I was completely caught up in these characters’ stories’ Rachel Hore 'What a wonderful debut novel . . . With a mystery at its heart and a moving, but page turning hook, I couldn’t stop reading' Lorna Cook 'A sublimely rendered portrait of the search for answers amidst the chaos and devastation left behind in the aftermath of World War 1' Fiona Valpy ‘A poignant hymn to those who gave up their lives for their country and to those who were left behind’ Fanny Blake 'I was utterly captivated by this novel, which swept me away, broke my heart, then shone wonderful light through all the pieces' Isabelle Broom ‘Beautiful, unflinching: The Photographer of the Lost is going to be on an awful lot of Best Books of the Year lists, mine included… unforgettable’ Iona Grey 'Momentous, revelatory and astonishing historical fiction!' Historical Novel Society
Meet Opa and Opa, grandparents who have shared a long life together on their farm. Once they nurtured seven children, a variety of farm animals, and rolling fields with their love and hard work. Now they teach their grandchildren about the wonderful ways you can grow, not only on the farm, but anywhere you live. After fifty years on the same farm, in the same home, Opa and Oma are still growing in life...together.
From the author of The Whispers comes a heartrending tale of friendship, hard-won truths, and the healing power of forgiveness. A lonely twelve-year-old boy spends his days “stuck” at the deserted Hollow Pines Plantation in Georgetown, South Carolina with no recollection of his name, how long he’s been there, and no idea how to leave. Things never change much for the lost souls at Hollow Pines and time is strange when you’re dead. But when visitors from the living world arrive for the first time in a long while, the boy feels a spark of hope. These visitors are around his age, and they seem to understand more than others that the plantation is not just spooky or eerie, it’s a sad place where the unspeakable happened again and again. And if these kids could understand the truth about Hollow Pines, maybe they could help him uncover the dark secrets of his past and help him find a way to finally move on. But Hollow Pines doesn’t like visitors. And with a malevolent spirit lurking in the shadows and painful memories buried deep, and for good reason, the boy wonders if he’ll ever find his way home or be stuck at Hollow Pines forever.
**Pre-order your copy of the brand new novel from highly acclaimed, BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick author Caroline Scott, The Visitors, a tale of a young war window and one life-changing, sun-drenched visit to Cornwall in the summer of 1923, now!' ‘A page-turning literary gem’ THE TIMES, BEST BOOKS OF 2020 From the highly acclaimed author of The Photographer of the Lost, a BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick, comes a beautiful and compelling story based on true events, perfect for fans of Maggie O'Farrell and Helen Dunmore. One Great War soldier with no memory. Three women who claim him as their own. 1918. A soldier is arrested in Durham Cathedral in the last week of the First World War, but he has no memory of who he is or how he came to be there. He is given the name Adam and transferred to a rehabilitation institution in the Lake District where Doctor James Haworth is determined to uncover his identity. But, unwilling to relive the trauma of war, Adam has locked his memory away, seemingly for good. Then a newspaper publishes a feature about Adam, and three women come forward, each claiming that he is someone she lost in the war. But without memory, how do you know who to believe? Based on true events, When I Come Home Again is a beautiful and compelling story about love, loss and longing in the aftermath of war, perfect for fans of Maggie O'Farrell and Helen Dunmore. Praise for When I Come Home Again: ‘A superb and quietly devastating novel’ The Times, Book of the Month 'Scott unravels her haunting tale in unpretentious but persuasive prose' Sunday Times ‘A heartbreaking read… I highly recommend it’ Anita Frank 'Breathtaking exploration of loss, love and precious memories’ My Weekly, Pick of the Month ‘Achingly moving and most beautifully written’ Rachel Hore ‘This beautiful book packs a huge emotional punch’ Fabulous ‘Drew me in from the first line and held me enthralled until the very end' Fiona Valpy ‘Quietly devastating' Daily Mail 'A compulsive, heart-wrenching read' Liz Trenow ‘Powerful’ Woman & Home 'Page turning, mysterious, engrossing and compelling' Lorna Cook ‘A carefully nuanced, complex story’ Woman’s Weekly ‘Caroline Scott evokes the damage and desolation of the Great War with aching authenticity' Iona Grey ‘Poignant’ Best ‘Wonderful and evocative’ Suzanne Goldring ‘Based on true events, this is a powerful story’ Bella ‘Immersive, poignant, intricately woven’ Judith Kinghorn ‘An evocative read’ heat ‘The story left me breathless. Powerful, heartrending, and oh so tender’ Kate Furnivall ‘Tense and compelling’ Lancashire Post ‘Scott litters her tale with clues and red herrings in the best mystery-writer way so we are kept guessing as to where the truth really lies’ The BookBag
