Twelve-year-old Amanda seems to have everything any girl could ask for - a nice plantation home just outside of Williamsburg, Virginia, loving parents, even a brand-new grown-up ball gown for the upcoming Twelfth Night ball. It's like a dream - and like a dream, she will all too soon awaken, when the spiteful servant Jane reveals long-hidden secrets of Amanda's past. "Just you wait," Jane predicts gleefully, "this is only the beginning. Next they'll be coming for you, to take you away." Amanda isn't one to sit passive in the face of disaster, though. She resolves to find the truth and to change her fate. Set in colonial Virginia in 1772, Amanda's Secret is the heartwarming story of a young colonial girl who confronts misfortune with resourcefulness, determination, and courage, and her quest to make everything right again.
From beloved indie musician Andrew McMahon comes a searingly honest and beautifully written memoir about the challenges and triumphs of his life and career, as seen through the lens of his personal connection to three pianos. Andrew McMahon grew up in sunny Southern California as a child prodigy, learning to play piano and write songs at a very early age, stunning schoolmates and teachers alike with his gift for performing and his unique ability to emotionally connect with audiences. McMahon would go on to become the lead singer and songwriter for Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin, and to release his debut solo album, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, in 2014. But behind this seemingly optimistic and quintessentially American story of big dreams come true lies a backdrop of overwhelming challenges that McMahon has faced—from a childhood defined by his father's struggle with addiction to his very public battle with leukemia in 2005 at the age of twenty-three, as chronicled in the intensely personal documentary Dear Jack. Overcoming those odds, McMahon has found solace and hope in the things that matter most, including family, the healing power of music and the one instrument he's always turned to: his piano. Three Pianos takes readers on a beautifully rendered and bitter-sweet American journey, one filled with inspiration, heartbreak, and an unwavering commitment to shedding our past in order to create a better future.
THE TIKTOK SENSATION THAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT 'After finishing this book, my heart was pounding and I couldn’t find words big enough to describe how brilliant, beautiful, and powerful it is.' L.E. Flynn, author of All Eyes On Her All Eden wants is to rewind the clock. To live that day again. She would do everything differently. Not laugh at his jokes or ignore the way he was looking at her that night. And she would definitely lock her bedroom door. But Eden can’t turn back time. So she buries the truth, along with the girl she used to be. She pretends she doesn’t need friends, doesn’t need love, doesn’t need justice. But as her world unravels, one thing becomes clear: the only person who can save Eden … is Eden.
No matter how you might try to hide in a war to escape your past, it is always close at hand. Lady Sophia Huntington Villiers is no stranger to intrigue, as her work with Alan Turing’s Bombe Machines at Bletchley Park during the war attests. Now, as part of Simon Barre’s covert team in post-war Vienna, she uses her inimitable charm and code name Starling to infiltrate the world of relics: uncovering vital information that could tilt the stakes of the mounting Cold War. When several influential men charge her with finding the death mask of Mozart, Sophie wonders if there is more than the composer’s legacy at stake and finds herself drawn to potential answers in Prague. Simon Barrington, the illegitimate heir of one of Sussex’s oldest estates, used the previous war to hide his insecurities about his past. Now, he uses his high breeding to gain access to all four allied quarters of the ruined city in an attempt to slow the fall of the Iron Curtain. He has been in love with Sophie Villiers since the moment he met her, and a marriage of convenience to save Simon’s estate has always kept her close. Until now, when Sophie’s mysterious client in Prague forces him to wonder if her allegiance to him—and their cause—is in question. Torn between his loyalty to his cause and his heart, Simon seeks answers about Sophie only to learn that everything he thought he knew about his involvement in both wars is based on a lie. “Murky espionage and burgeoning passion twine beautifully together in The Mozart Code’s superbly evocative prose—an enchanting read!” —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code “Vienna is the new Paris in The Mozart Code, a World War II spy novel with deft, chess-like plotting, and plenty of old-fashioned romance.” —Susan Elia MacNeal, New York Times bestselling author of the Maggie Hope novels and Mother Daughter Traitor Spy “The Mozart Code is a smart, luscious romance, a thrilling suspense, and a thunderously good read. McMillan is a rising star in historical fiction.” —Aimie K. Runyan, bestselling author of The School for German Brides “Rife with secret codes, haunting melodies, betrayal and sacrifice, at its heart this is a story about the courage it takes to love and be loved. Highly recommended!” —Kimberly Brock, author of The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare “Beautifully lush and atmospheric, The Mozart Code is a novel full of nuances and brimming with danger, romance, and intrigue.” —Jenni L. Walsh, author of Becoming Bonnie and The Call of the Wrens “The Mozart Code left me breathless.” —Joy Callaway, international bestselling author of The Fifth Avenue Artists Society and The Greenbrier Resort Post World War II historical romance Stand-alone novel (features characters from The London Restoration) Book length: 95,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs
She may be the wrong girl, but this undercover cop will compromise everything he valuesto make things right for her and her daughter. Amanda Crowe's baby girl has been kidnapped, and in the shadowy world in which she lives, there's no one to trust exceptherself. But she hasn't counted on Jesse McCall getting in her way—a man who is more thanhe seems… Posing as Amanda's driver, undercover cop Jesse McCall is assigned to watch themobster's daughter. But he can't ignore Amanda's heart-wrenching effort to bring her childhome, nor her siren's call luring him ever closer. As a cop, Jesse has a duty to fulfill.But as Amanda's lover, he'll protect her and her baby from all harm—even if it meansbreaking the law. Originally published in 2001
Bestselling author Alice Hoffman tears a page from history and melds it with mysticism to create a spellbinding, highly acclaimed tale about the persecution of Jewish people during the sixteenth century. Estrella is a Marrano: During the time of the Spanish Inquisition, she is one of a community of Spanish Jews living double lives as Catholics. And she is living in a house of secrets, raised by a family who practices underground the ancient and mysterious way of wisdom known as kabbalah. When Estrella discovers her family's true identity--and her family's secrets are made public--she confronts a world she's never imagined, where new love burns and where friendship ends in flame and ash, where trust is all but vanquished and betrayal has tragic and bitter consequences. Winner of numerous "best book" citations and infused with the rich context of history and faith, Incantation is a transcendent journey of discovery and loss, rebirth and remembrance that Newbery Award-winning author Lois Lowry described as "Magical and spellbinding...Painful and exquisitely beautiful."
**INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** In the vein of Mary Beth Keane’s Ask Again, Yes and Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney's The Nest, Tracey Lange’s We Are the Brennans explores the staying power of shame—and the redemptive power of love—in an Irish Catholic family torn apart by secrets. When twenty-nine-year-old Sunday Brennan wakes up in a Los Angeles hospital, bruised and battered after a drunk driving accident she caused, she swallows her pride and goes home to her family in New York. But it’s not easy. She deserted them all—and her high school sweetheart—five years before with little explanation, and they've got questions. Sunday is determined to rebuild her life back on the east coast, even if it does mean tiptoeing around resentful brothers and an ex-fiancé. The longer she stays, however, the more she realizes they need her just as much as she needs them. When a dangerous man from her past brings her family’s pub business to the brink of financial ruin, the only way to protect them is to upend all their secrets—secrets that have damaged the family for generations and will threaten everything they know about their lives. In the aftermath, the Brennan family is forced to confront painful mistakes—and ultimately find a way forward, together.
Amanda's Big Dream is the inspiring adventure of a girl who dreams of a solo in the Spring Ice Skating Show. When Amanda's skating coach makes a comment about her weight, she loses confidence in her ability to make her dream come true. Despite reassurances from her parents, her doctor, and her best friend, Amanda decides to quit skating. Will Amanda return to the ice? Or has she given up forever? Come along with Amanda as she realizes the true secret to following her big dream A healthy body image is essential for kids to feel confident and strong Parents want their children to have a healthy body image, but may be unsure how to respond to their kids' anxiety about weight. Amanda's Big Dreamhelps parents, teachers and other caregivers discuss this topic with children in an entertaining and positive way. You won't want to miss this new resource Amanda's Big Dream is for: Children ages 5 and up who enjoy a fun, friendly story with an inspirational main character. Pre-teens and teens dealing with body image issues/body dissatisfaction. Adults who struggled with body image as a child and want to read a story that's healing. Parents looking for a fun and positive way to help children develop a healthy body image. Therapists, dietitians, pediatricians & other health professionals seeking a helpful resource for their clients/patients. Teachers who need books with a positive, thought-provoking message for their classroom.Athletic Coaches who work with children and teens.
'A masterfully executed enemies-to-lovers wedding romp. I loved this book!' Talia Hibbert, New York Times bestselling author Love is a piece of cake, right? For the first time in forever, lifelong rivals Cherisse and Keiran are back in Trinidad at the same time. And while Keiran may have the most swoonworthy smile, he's also the most annoying man Cherisse has ever met. Unfortunately, avoiding him is impossible. With Keiran's close friend getting ready to marry Cherisse's sister, he's just been made the best man to her maid of honour . . . Keiran doesn't know what to make of Cherisse. She might now be a successful pastry chef but to him she's always been a stuck-up brat who seeks attention, even as he secretly harboured a crush on her. Now it seems he can't escape her. But despite their antagonism towards each other, things turn heated after one rainy night and the pair are forced to figure out if they can survive the countdown to wedding day, without this turning into a recipe for disaster . . . 'A zizzy and charming Trinidad-set contemporary romance that absolutely hits the spot' KJ Charles 'This Caribbean romance is sure to capture your heart' WOC Read
