In My Valley, Claude Ponti leads us on a journey through an enchanted world inhabited by "Touims" (tiny, adorable, monkey-like creatures), secret tree dwellings, flying buildings, and sad giants. Clever language and beautifully detailed maps of imaginary landscapes will delight children and adults alike. Ponti himself has said, "My stories are like fairytales, always situated in the marvelous, speaking to the interior life and emotions of children. That way each child can get what they want out of the images: the characters and dreams are their own."
In the Valley (1890) is a historical novel by Anglo-American novelist Harold Frederic. A Mohawk Valley Dutchman finds himself pitted against a brilliant villain, a British officer, who for a time wins the affections of the heroine. She has been thrown among "Tories" and British but remains steadfastly loyal to her native colony. Excerpt: "An almost splendid animation glowed in the young man's eyes as he spoke, and for the nonce lit up the dogged hardness of his face..."
The Home You Left Behind by Dorothy B. Murray Fifty years ago, Jim MacLeary left his small village to find a new life in the UK. After the death of his parents, Jim needed a fresh start away from the quiet village life and bad memories. His children have grown and his beloved wife passed; Jim’s thoughts reflected on the homeland he left behind. A sudden decision has him returning again to his quiet village in Cavers Island. During his journey he remembers both the beauty of growing up in his small village, the games he played with his siblings and friends, the village fairs and Christmas traditions. He also remembers the tragedies that forever changed him: the death of his young brother and the too early passing of his parents. But village life has changed drastically since Jim left. His sleepy village no longer beams with life. As Jim traces his family roots, he learns why others have stayed and left – and then returned again. Jim begins to see the beauty and the fragility of the life he had left behind. But can he ever really return home? Or does home only exist in his memories? The Home You Left Behind is a gentle meditation on home and belonging.
This narrative documentary portrays the life of a thirteen-year-old girl who breaks out of an abusive environment by escaping the grasp of a tyrannical stepmother who had victimized her and seven of her siblings for many years. Except for the people who made her escape possible, she was essentially on her own as she worked her way through high school. After working for a year as a private secretary in a civil service position, she was encouraged to apply for a scholarship to the University of Illinois. A second scholarship and a secretarial position at the university made it possible for her to acquire a bachelors degree in speech pathology and to graduate debt free in four years. She continued her education during a busy career and earned a masters degree in speech and language pathology from Northwestern University. By rising above what she considered to be a lost childhood, she manages to have a successful career along with marriage and a family. It appears that this author never looked down after leaving a childhood of abuse, compounded by the problems of the Great Depression. Those who encouraged her along the way are acknowledged as the angels in her life. Through these special mentors she meets movie stars and Hollywood moguls in the west and through her marriage to a naval officer she meets military and foreign dignitaries in Washington, D.C. Throughout this story, success and happiness in this family are often eclipsed by poignant periods of sadness, but only to rise again as their upbeat spirits prevail. Although the author is the central figure in this memoir, her eight siblings contribute immensely to the central theme of this story the will to survive and succeed. They beat the odds against the oft-quoted premise that growing up in violence will perpetuate violence. This story was written to provide insight into the problem of child abuse. Along with this moving commentary and narration, helpful information is provided for everyone working with children and young adults laymen and professionals alike.
The author "brings to life the courage, recklessness, heartbreak, and deprivation of the (Shenandoah) Valley Campaign and the battles to the east of the Blue Ridge" ("The Commercial Appeal"). 60 photos.
The title is from the song 'Danny Boy' which runs throughout the book. It is an autobiographical novel depicting life in an Orphanage as a child, leaving at eight years, and growing up in the 50s to 60s eras. It involves explicit sex, violence, abuse, attempted murder, and adultery resulting in falling in love. My violent husband caused us to hide our feelings for each other, until Ken unable to hold back his emotions any longer courageously stood up and sang 'Danny Boy' in public, using the words, to declare his love openly for me. (My husband Kevin was a few feet away).
Explores the natural and social history of California's agricultural heartland. This book celebrates the tenacious people of the Valley, where hard work and ingenuity are the means to both survival and success.
Where the Mesquite Tree Grows is a poignant and riveting journey through the thoughts and recollections of a Mexican American young man who, like others of his generation, searched for purpose, meaning, and self-discovery. The journey begins in the cotton fields along the Rio Grande and follows the author through the 1960s cultural revolution, into the jungles of Vietnam, and finally to his return to his roots and his legacy along the Rio Grande. It is a compilation of memories, thoughts, and even nightmares blended into a kaleidoscopic work that will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you think. The author examines and reveals in passionate writing his emotions and his sentiments about the past and current culture of his heritage and the social evolution within that culture, revealing his life experiences in words that define not only him but his generation.
