The journey that changes her life. . . A young Australian woman leaves Sydney for a new world . . . Guyana, South America.Captivated by Guyana's wild, unspoilt beauty, Madison Wright Jones joins the native Amerindians struggling to preserve their culture against corporate exploitation. But her new-found commitment soon plunges Madison into a mire of murder, drug smuggling and political corruption. And finally, an unexpected love that pits her heart against her beliefs. From Sydney's sparkling harbour to the lush rainforests of South America, When the Singing Stops is a triumph of storytelling.
Sonya Tidwell is a divorced mother with a young son. She tries desperately to help him through the transition of their new life. She tries to teach him how to forgive the father that gave up on their family so easily. She loves him completely and will never give up on him and the man he will become. When the Music Stops by Levet H. Ray
A young Australian woman leaves Sydney for a new world - Guyana, South America. Captivated by Guyana's wild, unspoilt beauty, Madison Wright Jones joins the native Amerindians struggling to preserve their culture against corporate exploitation. But her new-found commitment soon plunges Madison into a mire of murder, drug smuggling and political corruption. And finally, an unexpected love that pits her heart against her beliefs. From Sydney's sparkling harbour to the lush rainforests of South America, When the Singing Stops is a triumph of storytelling.
The Homeland actress’s “recollections of her unconventional youth in war-torn Beirut are heartbreaking yet humorous . . . in this unique” memoir (Publishers Weekly). Raised in 1970s Lebanon on Charles Baudelaire, A Clockwork Orange, and fine Bordeaux, Darina Al-Joundi was encouraged by her unconventional father to defy all taboos. She spent her adolescence defying death in Beirut nightclubs as bombs fell across the city. The more oppressive the country became, the more drugs and anonymous sex she had, fueling the resentment directed at her daily by the same men who would spend the night with her. As the war dies down, she begins to incur the consequences of her lifestyle. On his deathbed, her father’s last wish is for his favorite song, “Sinnerman” by Nina Simone, to be played at his funeral instead of the traditional suras of the Koran. When she does just that, the final act of defiance elicits a catastrophic response from her surviving family members. In this dramatic true story, Darina Al-Joundi is defiantly passionate about living her life as a liberated woman, even if it means leaving everyone and everything behind in this “beautifully taut and relentlessly unemotional” memoir (Kirkus).
Set in the summer of 1939, this historical novel for readers aged 10-14 tells the story of a young girl who finds the strength to defy the social norms of her community when a dangerous man poses a threat to a friend. Twelve-year-old Angie Wallace and her friends embark on a quest to "love thy neighbor," which includes newcomer Jefferson Clement. But soon the girls begin to suspect that he's a dangerous man, even if the adults refuse to see it. Like Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, the characters in this book must explore the nature of truth and justice as Angie struggles to stand up for what she knows is right. It's the calm before the storm of World War II in 1939 in small-town Messina, California. Angie Wallace and her friends have set out on a mission to "love thy neighbor"--even if that means inviting weird Dodie Crumper to join in their summer plans. But as they move through their neighborly to-do list, the girls can't help but notice that there's something strange about the sudden return of Jefferson Clement. He might be well-dressed and respected, yet with each interaction they become more aware of his dark intentions, especially when it comes to young girls. The adults in town either don't notice or ignore the danger he poses, but when Angie is the only witness to a terrible accident, she must make a choice that calls into question everything she understands about truth and justice. With a setting that blossoms to life from the first page, When the Crickets Stopped Singing is the story of a transformative summer in a young girl's life, when the idylls of childhood collide with the perils of the world beyond.
Arranged in four acts, this collection of poems merrily experiments with voice, performance, and medium, exploring the craft through monologues, dialogues, choruses, songs, scene sets, and storyboards. Filled with experimental and stirring language, this anthology includes a piece confronting global warming as well as dramatic and satiric verse arranged with swagger and aplomb, citing surprising and surreal moments such as a seal reciting the poetry of R. A. K. Mason and a goat tied to a theater door. An array of serious and calm lyric poems balance out this assortment, creating a diverse miscellany that is as playful as it is profound.
Talks about The Jazz Singer, the first feature length film with spoken dialog as part of the dramatic action. This film deals with the conflicts confronting the first-generation Jew in America.