She was never a violent person, never abused her children. She never committed an act of any kind that those close to her could point to later as an omen of the killing of her children. She loved them dearly. They were her life. But she sent three-year-old Michael and fourteen-month-old Alex to their deaths in John D. Long Lake on a dark October night more than five years ago.
She was never a violent person, never abused her children. She never committed an act of any kind that those close to her could point to later as an omen of the killing of her children. She loved them dearly. They were her life. But she sent three-year-old Michael and fourteen-month-old Alex to their deaths in John D. Long Lake on a dark October night more than five years ago.
* Newbery Honor Book * #1 New York Times Bestseller * Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award * Forbes 25 Top Historical Fiction Books Of All Time selection * Wall Street Journal Best Children's Books of the Year selection * New York Public Library's 100 Books for Reading and Sharing selection An exceptionally moving story of triumph against all odds set during World War II, from the acclaimed author of Fighting Words, and for fans of Fish in a Tree and Number the Stars. Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him. So begins a new adventure for Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother? This masterful work of historical fiction is equal parts adventure and a moving tale of family and identity—a classic in the making. "Achingly lovely...Nuanced and emotionally acute."—The Wall Street Journal "Unforgettable...unflinching."—Common Sense Media "Touching...Emotionally charged." —Forbes ★ “Brisk and honest...Cause for celebration.” —Kirkus, starred review ★ "Poignant."—Publishers Weekly, starred review ★ "Powerful."—The Horn Book, starred review "Affecting."—Booklist "Emotionally satisfying...[A] page-turner."—BCCB “Exquisitely written...Heart-lifting.” —SLJ "Astounding...This book is remarkable."—Karen Cushman, author The Midwife's Apprentice "Beautifully told."—Patricia MacLachlan, author of Sarah, Plain and Tall "I read this novel in two big gulps."—Gary D. Schmidt, author of Okay for Now "I love Ada's bold heart...Her story's riveting."—Sheila Turnage, author of Three Times Lucky
A pregnancy pact between three teenaged girls puts their mothers' love to the ultimate test in this explosive new novel from Barbara Delinsky, “a first-rate storyteller who creates characters as familiar as your neighbors.” (Boston Globe) When Susan Tate's seventeen-year-old daughter, Lily, announces she is pregnant, Susan is stunned. A single mother, she has struggled to do everything right. She sees the pregnancy as an unimaginable tragedy for both Lily and herself. Then comes word of two more pregnancies among high school juniors who happen to be Lily's best friends-and the town turns to talk of a pact. As fingers start pointing, the most ardent criticism is directed at Susan. As principal of the high school, she has always been held up as a role model of hard work and core values. Now her detractors accuse her of being a lax mother, perhaps not worthy of the job of shepherding impressionable students. As Susan struggles with the implications of her daughter's pregnancy, her job, financial independence, and long-fought-for dreams are all at risk. The emotional ties between mothers and daughters are stretched to breaking in this emotionally wrenching story of love and forgiveness. Once again, Barbara Delinsky has given us a powerful novel, one that asks a central question: What does it take to be a good mother?
Fiction. Winner of the Fairfield Book Prize, THE GENUINE STORIES is a collection of linked short stories centered around Genevieve "Genuine" Eriksson, who at the tender age of eight years old, discovers her uncanny ability to heal the sick and mend the injured. Though she grows up under the watchful eyes of her parents and the jealous protection of the Catholic Church, she strikes out on her own when she falls in love with Kevin Saunders, fifteen years her senior, after she heals him of testicular cancer. In her own voice, and those of family, friends, and the healed, Genuine's experiences peel back and expose the gritty aspects of power and privilege, the far-reaching limit of parental love, the perpetually oscillating balance in relationships, and the ineffable nature of grief. "Each of these stories is a gem. Susan Daniels manages to pull the rug out from under even the smallest of gestures and the interactions of couples, families, and strangers, revealing over and over the human touch in all its guises as miraculous. In showing the act of healing, she uncovers human beings at their most vulnerable. These are wise stories, and the feeling of the miraculous and of grace is palpable in each of them. In this world, anything, she seems to tell us, is possible."--Karen Osborn
A touching tale of a grandmother and her granddaughter exploring and cherishing the natural world. Words, the woods, and the world illuminate this quest to save the most important pieces of our language—by saving the very things they stand for. When Mimi finds out her favorite words—simple words, like apricot, blackberry, buttercup—are disappearing from the English language, she elects her granddaughter Brook as their Keeper. And did you know? The only way to save words is to know them. • With its focus on the power of language and social change, The Keeper of Wild Words is ideal for educators and librarians as well as young readers. • For any child who longs to get outside and learn more about nature and the environment • A loving portrait of the special relationship that grandparents have with their grandchildren For children who love such books as Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature, And Then It's Spring, and Finding Wild. Brooke Smith is a poet and children's book author. She lives in Bend, Oregon, at the end of a long cinder lane. Brooke writes daily from her studio, looking at the meadow and many of the wild words she cherishes. Madeline Kloepper is a Canadian artist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Major in Illustration from Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Her work is influenced by childhood, nostalgia, and the relationships we forge with nature. She lives in Prince George, British Columbia.
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK “Extremely powerful…Me and My Baby View the Eclipse is about striving and the secret nobility of people who live in a small-town American South. In these stories—thank heaven—not everything fits: they are loose, they are sometimes awkward, but just about every one shines with revelation and awe in the face of momentary greatness and tragedy.…Nearly every one of these stories could move a reader to tears, for in almost every one of them there is a moment of vision, or love, or unclothed wonder that transforms something plain into something transcendent.”—The New York Times Book Review “Remarkable…Lee Smith is a Southern storyteller in the very best tradition, combining an unmistakable voice with an infallible sense of story.… Her craft is so strong it becomes transparent, and, like the best storytellers, she knows how to get out of the way so the story can tell itself.”—San Francisco Chronicle “From its wonderful title to its final sentence, this book brims with the poetry of the South.”—Los Angeles Times Book Review “Marvelously entertaining…These are stories you want to read again to catch all the things you missed the first time around."—The Boston Globe
What could possibly incite parents to kill their own children? This collection of "Filicidal Killers" provides a gripping overview of how things can go horribly wrong in once-loving families. Parents Who Killed their Children depicts ten of the most notorious and horrific cases of homicidal parental units out of control. People like--Andrea Yates, Diane Downs, Susan Smith, and Jeffrey MacDonald--who received a great deal of media attention. The author explores the reasons; from addiction to postpartum psychosis, insanity to altruism, revenge and jealousy. Each story is detailed with background information on the parents, the murder scenes, trials, sentencing and aftermath. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - "{A} valuable resource and reference book for Criminologists and Psychologists on the fraught subject of maternal filicide, supported with ten case studies. A clear-eyed view on the most heartbreaking of crimes." SUSPENSE MAGAZINE - "Parents Who Kill Their Children is a great read for aficionados of true crime. The way the author laid the cases out made the hair on the back of my neck stand up." INSIDE THE BOOK Andrea Yates Darlie Routier Susan Eubanks Lianne Smith Alan Bristol Jeffrey MacDonald Deanna Laney Susan Smith Tonya Thomas Diane Downs "Acclaimed true crime author, RJ Parker, has a knack for collecting high-profile cases under specific themes. This collection about parents who kill their children provides a fast-paced, gripping overview of how things can go horribly wrong in once-loving families. From Andrea Yates to Jeffrey MacDonald to Susan Smith, Parker reports on the stunning case details and suggests reasons why the parental bond can get so twisted. The updates at the end of each chapter add a lot, since popular media rarely follows up. An important reference for true crime readers." -- (Dr. Katherine Ramsland, Ph.D.), bestselling author of "The Mind of a Murderer" and "The Ivy League Killer." "Is there anything more reprehensible than filicide--that is, the intended act of a parent killing his or her own child? In "Parents Who Killed Their Children," the award-winning true crime author RJ Parker shines a powerful light on this dark and sordid phenomenon. First, Parker offers a number of possible psychological and environmental causes (or at least correlates) of filicide. Then he presents ten shocking, real life case histories of parents who murdered their children. The result is a book that is bound to make you rethink the absolute sanctity of motherhood and reflect on why some mothers do indeed "eat their young." This is a powerful read and another hard-hitting, compelling entry by RJ Parker." -- (Dr. Scott Bonn, Ph.D), criminologist, professor and author of the forthcoming "Why We Love Serial Killers" NOTEWORTHY This book has been selected by several Universities in their upcoming courses in Criminology, Sociology and Forensic Psychology, including, the University of Utah and Penn State University. Keywords: Andrea Yates Killer Book Darlie Routier Killer Book Susan Eubanks Killer Book Lianne Smith Killer Book Alan Bristol Killer Book Jeffrey MacDonald Killer Book Deanna Laney Killer Book Susan Smith Killer Book Tonya Thomas Killer Book Diane Downs Killer Book
After years of moving from place to place with her fortune-teller mother, Sabine Heartwood finally has a home in Moose River Junction, a quiet New England town. But her peaceful life has suddenly turned itself upside-down. Sabine has fallen in love with Dan Smith who has returned to his hometown to deal with family affairs -- and plans to leave as soon as his business is concluded. Then Sabine’s mother appears, ready to discuss the family’s mysterious past. The last straw comes when the psychic gift Sabine has so vehemently rejected, revisits her in a vision she has about a painful family secret from which Dan is unable to free himself. Abounding in generosity and insight, The Fortune Teller’s Daughter is a powerful and moving exploration of the complexities of love.
