"Once upon a Time" Is Timeless Wielding a sword as deftly as an embroidery needle, Mulan is unlike any other girl in China. When the emperor summons a great army, each family must send a male to fight. Tomboyish Mulan is determined to spare her aging father and bring her family honor, so she disguises herself and answers the call. But Mulan never expects to find a friend, let alone a soul mate, in the commander of her division, Prince Jian. For all of Mulan's courage with a bow and arrow, is she brave enough to share her true identity and feelings with Prince Jian?
Have you ever lost someone who meant more to you than your own soul? Ford Newcombe has. For years he loved his wife, Pat, more than anyone -- and anything -- in the world. She came into his life when he was just an inexperienced college student with big dreams of becoming a published author. With love and humour, she guided him down the path that would eventually lead him to more success than he ever dreamed possible. Since Pat's death six years ago, Ford has lived a life of solitude, barely able to put pen to paper, and rumours are flying that it was Pat who actually created the books the world so loved. If there's one thing that Ford needs it's inspiration, and it finally comes in the guise of Jackie Maxwell -- a smart, sassy university researcher with just enough attitude to match Ford's sharp intellect. But it's her intimate knowledge of the story of a young woman's friendship with the devil -- and what the townspeople did to her -- that persuades Ford to hire Jackie as his assistant and to move to Cole Creek, North Carolina, where the story is said to have taken place. They soon learn that even though the inhabitants of Cole Creek try to deny it, they are still plagued by the consequences of the otherworldly tale of passion and death. As Ford and Jackie work to unravel the truth, they discover a connection between their lives and the past, a connection that not only helps them solve a long-ago crime but offers the promise of new love.
Taylor Jane Simon, a teenager with an autistic condition, spends the summer with her mother in Prince Albert National Park, and learns how to make her own path in life.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK A modern classic of personal journalism, The Orchid Thief is Susan Orlean’s wickedly funny, elegant, and captivating tale of an amazing obsession. Determined to clone an endangered flower—the rare ghost orchid Polyrrhiza lindenii—a deeply eccentric and oddly attractive man named John Laroche leads Orlean on an unforgettable tour of America’s strange flower-selling subculture, through Florida’s swamps and beyond, along with the Seminoles who help him and the forces of justice who fight him. In the end, Orlean—and the reader—will have more respect for underdog determination and a powerful new definition of passion. In this new edition, coming fifteen years after its initial publication and twenty years after she first met the “orchid thief,” Orlean revisits this unforgettable world, and the route by which it was brought to the screen in the film Adaptation, in a new retrospective essay. Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more. Praise for The Orchid Thief “Stylishly written, whimsical yet sophisticated, quirkily detailed and full of empathy . . . The Orchid Thief shows [Orlean’s] gifts in full bloom.”—The New York Times Book Review “Fascinating . . . an engrossing journey [full] of theft, hatred, greed, jealousy, madness, and backstabbing.”—Los Angeles Times “Orlean’s snapshot-vivid, pitch-perfect prose . . . is fast becoming one of our national treasures.”—The Washington Post Book World “Orlean’s gifts [are] her ear for the self-skewing dialogue, her eye for the incongruous, convincing detail, and her Didion-like deftness in description.”—Boston Sunday Globe “A swashbuckling piece of reporting that celebrates some virtues that made America great.”—The Wall Street Journal
The author has driven more than 100,000 miles and walked several hundred more in pursuit of orchids in their native habits. This is an account of his trips in Canada and throughout the U.S.
First published in 2002, Wild Orchids of Florida was the very first field guide for this orchid-rich state, and it inspired many to try their hand at orchid hunting. Because of its overwhelming popularity and in an attempt to provide the latest developments in orchid research, native orchid expert Paul Martin Brown follows up with this newly revised and expanded edition. The guide contains 200 new points of fact, including: · more than 100 new county records established since 2002 · three recently rediscovered species that have not been seen in 100 years · two previously undocumented species, six new hybrids, and several new color forms described and illustrated for the first time · the resurrection and revalidation of the little-used genus of Gymnadeniopsis · 34 revised county distribution maps, 37 new color photos, and three new watercolors by Stan Folsom With its comprehensive yet easy-to-follow treatment, Wild Orchids of Florida remains the essential field companion for professional botanists, native plant enthusiasts, nature lovers, or anyone who wants to learn more about what's growing out in the wilds of Florida.
Coleman (U. of Arizona) discusses all 35 species of wild orchids currently found in or historically occurring in Arizona and New Mexico. Each species is discussed in terms of flowering season, habitat, elevation range, companion plants, current and historical distribution, and conservation issues. Genus and species keys are included. Each species is illustrated with a line drawing and multiple color photographs all located in the front of the volume. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.
This profusely illustrated field guide covers the 31 species of orchids that grow wild in California. The first book on California's native orchids, it will be a valuable resource for professionals and hobbyists alike. The Wild Orchids of California is an impressive extension of Ronald A. Coleman's wide fieldwork, literature review, and herbarium research. Written in a clear narrative style, Coleman's species accounts describe the plants and flowers, their habitats, distribution, pollinators, and blooming season.
Read “happily ever after” with this magical eBook collection that includes three enchanting, retold fairy tales. Journey to faraway fairy tale lands with atmospheric retellings of three beloved tales. Before Midnight revisits Cinderella’s story in France, Golden puts a new spin on Rapunzel’s romance, and Wild Orchid reimagines the Chinese tale of Mulan. With so much real-life drama in today’s busy world, Once allows readers to escape into whimsical realms where every story has a happily ever after.
