During the depression of the 1890s, a young Iowa newspaperman, indignant over the excesses of the Gilded Age, led a group of midwesterners to the eastern shore of Mobile Bay, where they established a model community based on the utopian ideals of Henry George. In Women of Fair Hope, Paul M. Gaston follows the dreams and achievements of three extraordinary women—an early feminist reformer, an educator, and a freed slave—whose individual desires to create a fairer, more equitable society led them to play important roles in the life of that community.
Second Prize Winner in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Best friends Cam Greene and Margot Parissi are completely opposite in looks, personality, and taste, but they have been as close as sisters since they were kids. About the only things the two friends do share are an affection for art, a deep appreciation for home and family, and a fierce wariness of men. But when fate sends a devastating hurricane their way, more than just the town is threatened; Cam and Margot must contend with two handsome newcomers as well. Chase Jackson is handsome, successful, and thoughtful, and totally smitten with Cam. He is determined to give her the love and support her heart longs to reclaim, but Cam is uncertain. Will Chase's devotion be enough for Cam to find her faith and believe again in happily ever after? Jim Shepard is sexy, bold, and confident; a winning combination that has served him well. But that is before he meets Margot and realizes that she is his most appealing challenge yet. Jim refuses to play Margot's games, but what will it take for Margot to realize that he is the one man she didn't know she was looking to find? On this hopeful, whirlwind journey, Cam and Margot rely on the strength of their friendship as they recover from heartbreak, restore their faith in love, and rebuild their lives...even better than before.
It began as a tribute to his father. Every weekend for an entire season, Ed Tonore set out to attend the highest-rated college football game in the country. Not only did his national quest remind him of the history and traditions of American football, but it taught Ed how great the people in America are and how important it is to cross things off of your bucket list.Having documented his journey on his blog, Ed pulls from those posts in this compilation of sights, sounds, tailgates, traditions, and the history of each university he visited during the season. The icing on the cake is a bonus section of recipes from the most popular restaurants in these college towns. Many of these "must-visit" restaraunts shared their signature recipes with Ed.Entertaining, informative, and witty, you don't have to be a football fan to enjoy the ride!
"This is a book I'll be recommending for years to come." -- Lysa TerKeurst, New York Times bestselling author Do you believe God is just not fair? If you're like Jennifer Rothschild, you wrestle with questions when you experience painful circumstances. Does God care? Does he hear my prayers? Is he even there? Blinded as a teenager, Jennifer overcame daunting obstacles, found strength in God, and launched a successful speaking and writing ministry. Then in her 40s, everything changed. Jennifer hit a wall of depression and discontent that shook her to her core, undermining many of her past assumptions about her faith. She wondered who God was and why he continued to allow her to struggle and doubt. Where, she pleaded, is his hand of healing and hope in my life now? This is a book about finding more than just answers. It's for anyone who needs hope when life doesn't make sense--for all who reach for a God who feels distant. As Jennifer tackles the six big questions of faith, she will help you: Trust God more than your feelings. Strengthen your faith when you feel beat up by life. Embrace your obstacles and start experiencing their purpose. Face your disappointment and grow stronger from your loss.
The World Fantasy Award-winning thriller about a girl no one can remember, from the acclaimed author of The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August and 84K. My name is Hope Arden, and you won't know who I am. But we've met before -- a thousand times. It started when I was sixteen years old. A father forgetting to drive me to school. A mother setting the table for three, not four. A friend who looks at me and sees a stranger. No matter what I do, the words I say, the crimes I commit, you will never remember who I am. That makes my life difficult. It also makes me dangerous. The Sudden Appearance of Hope is a riveting and heartbreaking exploration of identity and existence, about a forgotten girl whose story will stay with you forever.
"A tour de force." LOS ANGELES TIMES Ivy Rowe may not have much education, but her thoughts are classic, and her experiences are fascinating. Born near the turn of the century in the Virginia Mountains, Ivy's story is told completely through letters she is forever writing, and that you will forever want to read.... "Few readers will be dry-eyed as they watch this extraordinary woman disappear around that last bend in the road." CHICAGO TRIBUNE
In this exquisitely wrought memoir of a committed life, historian, and civil rights activist, Paul Gaston reveals his deep roots in Fairhope---the unique Utopian community founded in 1894 by his grandfather on the shores of Mobile Bay, Alabama. Fairhope grew into a unique political, economic, and educational experiment and a center of radical economic and educational ideals. As time passed, however, Fairhope's radical nature went into decline. By the early 1950s, the author began to look outward for ways to take part in the coming struggle---the civil rights movement. Gaston's career at the University of Virginia, where he taught from 1957-97, forms the core of Coming of Age in Utopia.
The first in an epic two-book saga, this sweeping story explores the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters as each woman is forced to confront her faulty but well-meaning desire to help her daughter find her God-given place in the world. "Ambitious, strong-willed Marta Schneider leaves her home in rural Switzerland at the beginning of the 20th century. She's determined to flee her abusive father, loving but weak mother, and the constraints placed on women. Meeting interesting characters all along her journey, she works her way to Canada. There she buys a boardinghouse and meets her match in Niclas Waltert, a German engineer with a farmer's heart. Through Marta's sharp elbows and the sweat of Niclas's brow, the family eventually arrives at an increasingly comfortable life in California's Central Valley. The second half of the story is told from the point of view of constitutionally timid daughter Hildemara Rose."--Publishers Weekly.
The USA Today–bestselling author of The Dragon and the Pearl “combines wit, seduction, skill, and intelligence in a tantalizing take on ‘My Fair Lady’” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Yan Ling tries hard to be servile—it’s what’s expected of a girl of her class. Being intelligent and strong-minded, she finds it a constant battle. Proud Fei Long is unimpressed by her spirit—until he realizes she’s the answer to his problems. He has to deliver the emperor a “princess.” In two months can he train a tea girl to pass as a noblewoman? Yet it’s hard to teach good etiquette when all Fei Long wants to do is break it, by taking this tea girl for his own . . . “Lin has a gift for bringing the wondrous and colorful world of ancient China to readers. The history and culture of the era are beautifully bound together with a classic romance theme. Those yearning for new worlds and age-old adventures will savor Lin’s novel.” —Romantic Times
