Where Have We Come - A story of love, loss and family
Where Have We Come - A story of love, loss and family

Author: Saz Vora

Publisher: Saz Vora

Published: 2020-03-08

Total Pages: 406

ISBN-13: 1393850855

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Where Have We Come - A story of love, loss and family Book Two - University - Reena & Nikesh Duet Finalist, The Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2020 A story of a British Asian couple who face a decision no parent should be asked to make, set in England in the early nineties Where Have We Come, from the Reena and Nikesh University Series, is an autobiographical retelling of our experience at the birth of our son nearly thirty years ago, it provides an honest insight on how a couple growing up in multicultural Britain deal with depression, bereavement, child loss and misfortune while straddling both their British and their Indian heritage. Now with Reading Group Guide At the birth of their first child Reena and Nikesh discover their baby has had a severe brain haemorrhage, and family and friends rally around to help. But the family matriarch, Sarladevi, reminds Reena of the predictions of the Guru and Reena struggles to deal with her past. While Nik seeks comfort from Sarladevi with religious rituals and customs, Reena finds alternative medicine and support groups. Truths are revealed, and a wedge develops in their relationship. Will the chasm created by their differences in dealing with the stresses and strains of looking after a sick child pull them apart? Or will their love for each other and the eternal love of their child overcome the prejudices and customs observed by Nik's family? Editorial Reviews ***** 'An honest and insightful look at the impact of a tragedy on a family. A FINALIST and highly recommended!' The Wishing Shelf Book Award 2020 ***** 'Where Have We Come is sincere and raw, a real tear-jerker. Saz Vora provides honest insight into the prejudices and trials that haunt couples from different backgrounds.' Editorial Review, Indies Today What Readers are saying 'An enthusiastic recommendation to anyone who'd connect with a book featuring a blend of British and Gujarati Indian culture.' 'Bollywood movies meet a fierce mother's love for a very special child. Nik and Reena are unforgettable characters' 'An amazing heartfelt story that had me gripped from start to finish and has left a lasting impression' 'shows the struggle of new parents to cope with an unexpected situation ... how it can be difficult to embrace your heritage in multicultural Britain' 'well written and utterly compelling. I recommend it to anybody who is going through a family tragedy' 'story is written beautifully, and truly reflects the collided cultures of the characters. With the inclusion of a glossary of phrases, and recipes...emotional, romantic, yet convincingly heart-breaking ride.' 'This story made me laugh, cry and seethe with anger at the injustices'

Love, Loss, and What We Ate
Love, Loss, and What We Ate

Author: Padma Lakshmi

Publisher: Ecco

Published: 2016-03-08

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780062202611

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A vivid memoir of food and family, survival and triumph, Love, Loss, and What We Ate traces the arc of Padma Lakshmi’s unlikely path from an immigrant childhood to a complicated life in front of the camera—a tantalizing blend of Ruth Reichl’s Tender at the Bone and Nora Ephron’s Heartburn Long before Padma Lakshmi ever stepped onto a television set, she learned that how we eat is an extension of how we love, how we comfort, how we forge a sense of home—and how we taste the world as we navigate our way through it. Shuttling between continents as a child, she lived a life of dislocation that would become habit as an adult, never quite at home in the world. And yet, through all her travels, her favorite food remained the simple rice she first ate sitting on the cool floor of her grandmother’s kitchen in South India. Poignant and surprising, Love, Loss, and What We Ate is Lakshmi’s extraordinary account of her journey from that humble kitchen, ruled by ferocious and unforgettable women, to the judges’ table of Top Chef and beyond. It chronicles the fierce devotion of the remarkable people who shaped her along the way, from her headstrong mother who flouted conservative Indian convention to make a life in New York, to her Brahmin grandfather—a brilliant engineer with an irrepressible sweet tooth—to the man seemingly wrong for her in every way who proved to be her truest ally. A memoir rich with sensual prose and punctuated with evocative recipes, it is alive with the scents, tastes, and textures of a life that spans complex geographies both internal and external. Love, Loss, and What We Ate is an intimate and unexpected story of food and family—both the ones we are born to and the ones we create—and their enduring legacies.

The Adventurer's Son
The Adventurer's Son

Author: Roman Dial

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2020-02-18

Total Pages: 345

ISBN-13: 0062876627

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NATIONAL BESTSELLER "Destined to become an adventure classic." —Anchorage Daily News Hailed as "gripping" (New York Times) and "beautiful" (Washington Post), The Adventurer's Son is Roman Dial’s extraordinary and widely acclaimed account of his two-year quest to unravel the mystery of his son’s disappearance in the jungles of Costa Rica. In the predawn hours of July 10, 2014, the twenty-seven-year-old son of preeminent Alaskan scientist and National Geographic Explorer Roman Dial, walked alone into Corcovado National Park, an untracked rainforest along Costa Rica’s remote Pacific Coast that shelters miners, poachers, and drug smugglers. He carried a light backpack and machete. Before he left, Cody Roman Dial emailed his father: “I am not sure how long it will take me, but I’m planning on doing 4 days in the jungle and a day to walk out. I’ll be bounded by a trail to the west and the coast everywhere else, so it should be difficult to get lost forever.” They were the last words Dial received from his son. As soon as he realized Cody Roman’s return date had passed, Dial set off for Costa Rica. As he trekked through the dense jungle, interviewing locals and searching for clues—the authorities suspected murder—the desperate father was forced to confront the deepest questions about himself and his own role in the events. Roman had raised his son to be fearless, to be at home in earth’s wildest places, travelling together through rugged Alaska to remote Borneo and Bhutan. Was he responsible for his son’s fate? Or, as he hoped, was Cody Roman safe and using his wilderness skills on a solo adventure from which he would emerge at any moment? Part detective story set in the most beautiful yet dangerous reaches of the planet, The Adventurer’s Son emerges as a far deeper tale of discovery—a journey to understand the truth about those we love the most. The Adventurer’s Son includes fifty black-and-white photographs.

A Family Like Mine
A Family Like Mine

Author: Rosalind C Hughes

Publisher:

Published: 2020-04

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 9780835819213

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Families have always been complicated. A Family Like Mine explores the surprising variety of family stories and relationships reflected in the Bible, emphasizing God's grace, reconciliation, and renewal. The book tells the family stories of our spiritual ancestors in ways that resonate with our own family stories. Author Rosalind Hughes weaves accounts of familiar and less well-known biblical characters with stories of family formation, estrangement, adoption, and more. She imaginatively retells biblical stories, inviting the reader to dig deeper into the motivations, disappointments, faith, and fulfillment we hold in common with our biblical ancestors. Story-based and biblically informed, A Family Like Mine combines spiritual autobiography with Bible study to provide a gentle but probing look at the many mansions of God's household, where Jesus has prepared a place for all of God's children.

Crossing the River
Crossing the River

Author: Carol Smith

Publisher: Abrams

Published: 2021-05-04

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 1647000963

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A powerful exploration of grief and resilience following the death of the author's son that combines memoir, reportage, and lessons in how to heal Everyone deals with grief in their own way. Helen Macdonald found solace in training a wild gos­hawk. Cheryl Strayed found strength in hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. For Carol Smith, a Pulitzer Prize­ nominated journalist struggling with the sudden death of her seven-year-old son, Christopher, the way to cross the river of sorrow was through work. In Crossing the River, Smith recounts how she faced down her crippling loss through reporting a series of profiles of people coping with their own intense chal­lenges, whether a life-altering accident, injury, or diag­nosis. These were stories of survival and transformation, of people facing devastating situations that changed them in unexpected ways. Smith deftly mixes the stories of these individuals and their families with her own account of how they helped her heal. General John Shalikashvili, once the most powerful member of the American military, taught Carol how to face fear with discipline and endurance. Seth, a young boy with a rare and incurable illness, shed light on the totality of her son's experiences, and in turn helps readers see that the value of a life is not measured in days. Crossing the River is a beautiful and profoundly moving book, an unforgettable journey through grief toward hope, and a valuable, illuminating read for anyone coping with loss.

I Hope You Have a Good Life
I Hope You Have a Good Life

Author: Campbell Armstrong

Publisher: Three Rivers Press

Published: 2002-02-26

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 9780609807224

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“I Hope You Have a Good Life addresses the most fundamental questions about adoption, families, life, and love. . . . Heartbreaking and beautiful.” —Publishers Weekly “A passionate memoir of love retrieved.” —The Times (London) “Campbell Amstrong understands and communicates the devotion of mother and daughter and the special poignancy of their brief and stress-filled time together.” —Kirkus Reviews The remarkable story of two extraordinary women who had to live a whole lifetime of caring in a few short weeks. When Campbell Armstrong and his first wife became lovers, she shared her most intimate secret with him—as a teenager she had given up her first child for adoption. Years later, at the side of his ex-wife, Armstrong witnessed a mother and daughter unite in the most overwhelming circumstances. With compassion and empathy, Armstrong presents the triumphant reunion of his estranged family with a delicate grace that captivates the joy and despair, sadness and laughter they felt when joined. He paints a beautiful and unforgettable portrait of a mother and daughter brought together out of desperation, but whose lives ultimately provide an uplifting, redemptive story. I Hope You Have a Good Life is an inspirational memoir, a testament to the human spirit and to the ability of families to reunite when it matters most.

After the Lie
After the Lie

Author: Kerry Fisher

Publisher: Bookouture

Published: 2016-04-29

Total Pages: 370

ISBN-13: 1910751804

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‘I just couldn't put it down … It's not very often when reading a book that you find yourself laughing, crying snotty tears, feeling sick with tension … Yes, honestly, it really is that good.’ Being Anne Reading ‘OMG, do I ever like this writer. I don't usually gush … But rarely have I come across a character that I so instantly identified with … The acerbic wit is my style. I want to meet and be friends with Lydia Rushfield.’ All Words Matter ‘An absolutely BRILLIANT read! Oh Gosh I wish I hadn’t finished it so quickly … sheer perfection … gripped me like Velcro from the very start and completely enthralled and entertained me right the way through.’ Beady Jan’s Books Your past will devastate your family. But your lies could destroy them. What would YOU do? Sometimes a lie can split your life in two. There is “before”, and there is “after”. Try as you might – you can never go back. When Lydia was a teenager, she made a decision that ruined her family’s life. They’ve spent the last thirty years living with the consequences and doing their best to pretend it never happened. Lydia’s husband, the gorgeous and reliable Mark, and her two teenage children know nothing about that summer back in 1982. And that’s the way Lydia wants it to stay. The opportunity to come clean is long gone and now it’s not the lie that matters, it’s the betrayal of hiding the truth for so long. When someone from the past turns up as a parent at the school gates, Lydia feels the life she has worked so hard to build slipping through her fingers. The more desperate she becomes to safeguard her family, the more erratic her behaviour becomes. But when the happiness of her own teenage son, Jamie, hangs in the balance, Lydia is forced to make some impossible decisions. Can she protect him and still keep her own secret – and if she doesn’t, will her marriage and family survive? From the author of THE ISLAND ESCAPE comes a powerful and heartbreaking story, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Diane Chamberlain. What people are saying about After the Lie: ‘I absolutely loved it … Kerry Fisher goes straight away to my 'most favourite authors' list … Yes, I was touched by this book as it is one continuous roller-coaster of emotions on a very twisty track.’ Relax and Read Reviews ‘Five out of five stars. Past collides with present in this compelling book.' Portobello Book Blog 'This book was - in a word - addictive.'Voracious Reader's Blog ‘I loved it! A brilliantly woven, emotional, page-turning tale of the damage caused to a family by secrets and lies across the generations’ Rachael Lucas ‘Five out of five stars! This was a real page turner for me, and as the story went on I just couldn't predict how it was going to pan out. ' Dee Cees Reviews 'If you like reading about real women and a compelling family drama then this is the book for you. A terrific read.' Jane Lythell 'This book will make you laugh, frown and cry in equal measure.' Claire Dyer 'Compelling and thought-provoking' Gill Paul 'Believable, relatable and oh so real!' Jo Bartlett 'I absolutely loved it. Her voice is pure gold. I bet her shopping lists are addictive reading.' Iona Grey Read what everyone is saying about Kerry Fisher: ‘Well written and pacey, stuffed full of characters you’ll warm to and a couple you won’t, and a thoroughly enjoyable experience.’ Daily Mail ‘Ms Fisher is a remarkable author with a unique voice, and one I would certainly watch out for.’ This Chick Reads ‘I really found this book compulsive reading, eager to find out what was happening next with Kerry’s writing which was inviting and down to earth.’ Rachel’s Reads

Something Happened
Something Happened

Author: Cathy Blanford

Publisher: Something Happened Handbook

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 40

ISBN-13: 9780980198706

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A simple, clear story which helps children whose baby sibling has died at birth to understand what has happened, to deal with all of the feelings that are arising, and to continue to feel loved and secure.

Late Migrations
Late Migrations

Author: Margaret Renkl

Publisher: Milkweed Editions

Published: 2019-07-09

Total Pages: 187

ISBN-13: 1571319875

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From the New York Times columnist, a portrait of a family and the cycles of joy and grief that mark the natural world: “Has the makings of an American classic.” —Ann Patchett Growing up in Alabama, Margaret Renkl was a devoted reader, an explorer of riverbeds and red-dirt roads, and a fiercely loved daughter. Here, in brief essays, she traces a tender and honest portrait of her complicated parents—her exuberant, creative mother; her steady, supportive father—and of the bittersweet moments that accompany a child’s transition to caregiver. And here, braided into the overall narrative, Renkl offers observations on the world surrounding her suburban Nashville home. Ringing with rapture and heartache, these essays convey the dignity of bluebirds and rat snakes, monarch butterflies and native bees. As these two threads haunt and harmonize with each other, Renkl suggests that there is astonishment to be found in common things: in what seems ordinary, in what we all share. For in both worlds—the natural one and our own—“the shadow side of love is always loss, and grief is only love’s own twin.” Gorgeously illustrated by the author’s brother, Billy Renkl, Late Migrations is an assured and memorable debut. “Magnificent . . . Readers will savor each page and the many gems of wisdom they contain.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Find Me Unafraid
Find Me Unafraid

Author: Kennedy Odede

Publisher: Ecco

Published: 2016-07-26

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780062292865

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Find Me Unafraid tells the uncommon love story between two uncommon people whose collaboration sparked a successful movement to transform the lives of vulnerable girls and the urban poor. With a Foreword by Nicholas Kristof. This is the story of two young people from completely different worlds: Kennedy Odede from Kibera, the largest slum in Africa, and Jessica Posner from Denver, Colorado. Kennedy foraged for food, lived on the street, and taught himself to read with old newspapers. When an American volunteer gave him the work of Mandela, Garvey, and King, teenaged Kennedy decided he was going to change his life and his community. He bought a soccer ball and started a youth empowerment group he called Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO). Then in 2007, Wesleyan undergraduate Jessica Posner spent a semester abroad in Kenya working with SHOFCO. Breaking all convention, she decided to live in Kibera with Kennedy, and they fell in love.Their connection persisted, and Jessica helped Kennedy to escape political violence and fulfill his lifelong dream of an education, at Wesleyan University. The alchemy of their remarkable union has drawn the support of community members and celebrities alike—The Clintons, Mia Farrow, and Nicholas Kristof are among their fans—and their work has changed the lives of many of Kibera’s most vulnerable population: its girls. Jess and Kennedy founded Kibera’s first tuition-free school for girls, a large, bright blue building, which stands as a bastion of hope in what once felt like a hopeless place. But Jessica and Kennedy are just getting started—they have expanded their model to connect essential services like health care, clean water, and economic empowerment programs. They’ve opened an identical project in Mathare, Kenya’s second largest slum, and intend to expand their remarkably successful program for change. Ultimately this is a love story about a fight against poverty and hopelessness, the transformation made possible by a true love, and the power of young people to have a deep impact on the world.