Hurdles in the Dark
Hurdles in the Dark

Author: Elvira K. Gonzalez

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Published: 2024-05-28

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13: 1250847842

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A Mexican-American teen girl dreams of winning an athletic scholarship against all odds in a Texas border town. This true story of survival, strength, and triumph is perfect for fans of Educated and Athlete A. Twenty-four hours: that's how long fourteen-year-old Elvira Gonzalez is given to come up with the $40,000 she needs to save her kidnapped mother from a drug cartel. It's 2006 and Elvira's hometown of Laredo, Texas, has become engulfed by the Mexican Drug War. Elvira's life is unraveling around her—setting her on a harrowing path that leads her to being locked up in one of South Texas's worst juvenile detention centers. After Elvira's released from juvie, she's resolved to never go back. That's when her unexpected salvation arrives in the form of 33-inch-high plastic hurdles. Determined to win a track scholarship out of Laredo, Elvira begins breaking into the school, alone, at 5:30 in the morning to practice hurdling. Soon, she catches the attention of a renowned high school coach, an adult man in his 30s. As they train, their coach-student relationship begins to change, becoming sexual. At just seventeen years old, Elvira experiences the dangers many young athletes face, especially those who are marginalized. In spite of these towering obstacles, Elvira eventually propels herself to become one of the top ranked hurdlers in the USA and the first in her family to go to college. This inspiring true story of grit, tenacity, and hope traces Elvira's path as she overcomes impossible hurdles in her race to freedom.

Hurdles
Hurdles

Author: Nancy Leake Woodson

Publisher: Author House

Published: 2010-10-20

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13: 1449048838

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A sudden cancer diagnosis finds a wife, mother of three and full time employee of the local university with an unexpected life changing decision. The reconstruction of her current job position forces her to choose to travel three weeks out of each month or return to the college classroom to complete her undergraduate degree. The many HURDLES all the way will pull at your heart strings, cry with laughter, challenging your spirit and fill your soul with joy. This memoir will take you on a journey to the core of author’s true self, while understanding the importance of her family and friends. On her five year cancer anniversary, this runner in her own race will hopefully encourage you to become a better spouse, parent, child, friend and leader to all. Some of the names have been changed to protect the innocent and the few guilty.

Pitch Dark
Pitch Dark

Author: Renata Adler

Publisher: New York Review of Books

Published: 2013-03-19

Total Pages: 169

ISBN-13: 1590176340

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A strange, thrilling novel about desperate love, paranoia, and heartbreak by one of America's most singular writers. “What’s new. What else. What next. What’s happened here.” Pitch Dark is a book about love. Kate Ennis is poised at a critical moment in an affair with a married man. The complications and contradictions pursue her from a house in rural Connecticut to a brownstone apartment in New York City, to a small island off the coast of Washington, to a pitch black night in backcountry Ireland. Composed in the style of Renata Adler’s celebrated novel Speedboat and displaying her keen journalist’s eye and mastery of language, both simple and sublime, Pitch Dark is a bold and astonishing work of art.

Dark Needs at Night's Edge
Dark Needs at Night's Edge

Author: Kresley Cole

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2015-09-29

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 1501120646

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Conrad Wroth, a half-mad vampire imprisoned in a haunted manor to prevent him from harming others, finds himself tormented by the ghost of the once-famous ballerina Neomi Laress and decides to set her free in order to take her as his own.

Helen Keller
Helen Keller

Author: Johanna Hurwitz

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Published: 2010-05-26

Total Pages: 49

ISBN-13: 0307556689

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When a childhood illness leaves her blind and deaf, Helen Keller's life seems hopeless indeed. But her indomitable will and the help of a devoted teacher empower Helen to triumph over incredible adversity. This amazing true story is finally brought to the beginner reader level.

A Matter of Dark
A Matter of Dark

Author: Gareth Wiles

Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 201

ISBN-13: 1780884877

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The government has legalised assisted dying, and one man is staging the ultimate reality TV show – where the audience get to help him on his way. As the clock ticks down, and those for and against the impending broadcast argue their case, we travel back in time to discover what lead Peter to this terrible point in his life. A list of unsolved murders, suicides and destroyed friendships have been left scattered wherever Peter has set foot. As we discover a family torn apart by his brief presence in their lives so many years ago, we also see the effect he’s had on one impressionable young man who sticks by him the whole time: Neville. Peter’s biggest fan, and wholehearted believer in the book Peter wrote, Neville treats his idol as a messianic figure. The two are their own worst enemies, finding themselves embarking on a murderous journey to the depths of depravity together with a host of other damaged souls. That one of them, OAP getaway driver Gerty, might finally redeem herself after a lifetime of crime, leaves hope for Peter himself...This gripping sequel to I Am Dead and Icon’s Request has been inspired by Joseph Conrad, Franz Kafka and Albert Kamus. Gareth also takes inspiration from TV shows like Doctor Who, The Saint and Danger Man. A Matter of Dark will appeal to fans of sci-fi/fantasy fiction who consider how fast the world is moving, both technologically and morally. We’re all naturally fearful of change – but need we be?

Dark Heart of Magic
Dark Heart of Magic

Author: Jennifer Estep

Publisher: Black Blade

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 1617738263

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Appointed by the Sinclairs to compete in the Tournament of Blades, a young contender struggles with growing feelings for Devon Sinclair while outmaneuvering a dangerous adversary and protecting her loved ones from a mobster.

The Dark Side of Family Communication
The Dark Side of Family Communication

Author: Loreen N. Olson

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2014-01-22

Total Pages: 243

ISBN-13: 0745680860

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This text provides for the first time in book form an exploration of the communicative aspects of the darker side of family life, ranging from, for example, severe acts of violence to more subtle forms of conflict. In addition to offering a working definition of the concept of the "dark side" in the family context, the authors propose the Darkness Model of Family Communication that integrates relevant literature in new and significant ways. Researchers, teachers and advanced students alike will benefit from the holistic and theoretical approach to the topic advanced through this volume. Readers are also encouraged to process the material by reviewing discussion questions and the case study of the Moore family at the end of each chapter. Chapter topics include: an overview of the "dark side" of family communication individual influences on the darkness of family communication the dark side of dyadic family life familial interaction structure and the dark side dark family communication in a context of darkness - socio-cultural influences on family life concluding reflections on the study of dark family communication The Dark Side of Family Communication offers an integrative understanding of the dark side of family communication and a theoretical mechanism for understanding related scholarship. It will be essential reading for all students and scholars of family communication.

How to Find a Black Cat in a Dark Room
How to Find a Black Cat in a Dark Room

Author: Jacob Burak

Publisher: Watkins Media Limited

Published: 2017-10-17

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13: 1786780976

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An inquiry into what it is about our experiences and cultures that brings out the differences and reveals the similarities in us as humans beings, in the vein of Malcolm Gladwell and Daniel Kahneman. Jacob Burak is on a quest to answer the question “are we as human beings, who are separated by different cultures and experiences, similar or different?” Through the lens of behavioural studies, we see how, while our approaches differ and often conflict, we all strive for similar things: love, acceptance, power and understanding. How to Find a Black Cat in a Dark Room offers the latest scientific studies of human behaviour alongside accessible anecdotes to examine the universal human experiences of comparing ourselves to others, the need to belong, the urge to achieve and the anxiety and uncertainty of life itself. More importantly, Burak shows us how, in understanding these behavioural patterns, we learn that we are actually more alike than we are different; that our rivals often make us stronger; and that being trusting can help us live longer. With his inquisitive nature, logical thinking and engaging style, Burak examines whether it is destiny or personality that controls our lives, through intriguing subjects such as: • What are the ten rules for happiness that are entirely under our control? • Why do smart people make stupid mistakes? • What distinguishes bureaucrats and entrepreneurs? • What are the psychological differences between liberals and conservatives? • In what circumstances is it right to surrender our privacy? • Does it pay to trust people?