By turns hilarious and poignant, the lives of three vibrant and unique Southern women -- a proper Atlanta matron, her rebellious teenage daughter, and their housekeeper's young daughter -- intersect in unexpected and extraordinary ways in this richly compelling debut novel of family,...  more

By turns hilarious and poignant, the lives of three vibrant and unique Southern women -- a proper Atlanta matron, her rebellious teenage daughter, and their housekeeper's young daughter -- intersect in unexpected and extraordinary ways in this richly compelling debut novel of family, friendship, and folly.

How far would you go for the best friend who broke your heart? This internationally bestselling novel tells an enchanting tale of life’s most unpredictable loves and heartaches, and the unforgettable bond between a single woman and an extraordinary five-year-old girl. From the moment they...  more

How far would you go for the best friend who broke your heart? This internationally bestselling novel tells an enchanting tale of life’s most unpredictable loves and heartaches, and the unforgettable bond between a single woman and an extraordinary five-year-old girl. From the moment they met in college, best friends Adele Brannon and Kamryn Matika thought nothing could come between them—until Adele did the unthinkable and slept with Kamryn’s fiancé, Nate. Now, after years of silence, the two women are reuniting, and Adele has a stunning request for her old friend: she wants Kamryn to adopt her five-year-old daughter, Tegan.Besides the difference in skin color—many will assume that headstrong, impulsive Kamryn is Tegan’s nanny—there’s the inconvenient truth that Kamryn is wholly unprepared to take care of anyone, especially someone who reminds her so much of Nate. With crises brewing at work and her love life in shambles, can Kamryn somehow become the mother a little girl needs her to be? In My Best Friend’s Girl, Dorothy Koomson takes us on a warm and wondrous journey through laughter and tears, forgiveness and hope—and the enduring love forged by the unlikeliest of families.From the Trade Paperback edition.

For 10 years Arlene has kept her promises, and God has kept His end of the bargain. Until now. When an old schoolmate from Possett turns up at Arlene's door in Chicago asking questions about Jim Beverly, former quarterback and god of Possett High, Arlene's break with her former hometown is...  more

For 10 years Arlene has kept her promises, and God has kept His end of the bargain. Until now. When an old schoolmate from Possett turns up at Arlene's door in Chicago asking questions about Jim Beverly, former quarterback and god of Possett High, Arlene's break with her former hometown is forced to an end. At the same time, Burr, her long-time boyfriend, has raised an ultimatum: introduce him to her family or consider him gone. Arlene loves him dearly but knows her lily white (not to mention deeply racist)Southern Baptist family will not understand her relationship with an African American boyfriend.Reluctantly, Arlene bows to the pressure, and she and Burr embark on the long-avoided road trip back home. As Arlene digs through guilt and deception, her patched-together alibi begins to unravel, and she discovers how far she will go for love and a chance at redemption.

Author Kristin Hannah's most provocative, compelling, and heart-wrenching story yet. With the luminous writing and unforgettable characters that are her trademarks, she tells the story of three sisters whose once-solid world is broken apart by jealousy, betrayal, and the kind of passion that...  more

Author Kristin Hannah's most provocative, compelling, and heart-wrenching story yet. With the luminous writing and unforgettable characters that are her trademarks, she tells the story of three sisters whose once-solid world is broken apart by jealousy, betrayal, and the kind of passion that rarely comes along. The Grey sisters have always been close. After their mother's death, the girls banded together, becoming best friends. Their stern, disapproving father cares less about his children than about his reputation. To Henry Grey, appearances are everything, and years later, he still demands that his daughters reflect his standing in the community. Winona, the oldest, needs her father's approval most of all. An overweight bookworm who never felt at home on the sprawling horse ranch that has been in her family for three generations, she knows that she doesn't have the qualities her father values. But as the best lawyer in town, she's determined to someday find a way to prove her worth to him. Aurora, the middle sister, is the family peacemaker. She brokers every dispute and tries to keep them all happy, even as she hides her own secret pain. Vivi Ann is the undisputed star of the family. A stunningly beautiful dreamer with a heart as big as the ocean in front of her house, she is adored by all who know her. Everything comes easily for Vivi Ann, until a stranger comes to town. . . . In a matter of moments, everything will change. The Grey sisters will be pitted against one another in ways that none could have imagined. Loyalties will be tested and secrets revealed, and a terrible, shocking crime will shatter both their family and their beloved town.

Deep in the Pacific Northwest lies the Olympic National Forest, nearly one million acres of impenetrable darkness and impossible beauty. Even in this modern age, much of it remains undiscovered and uncharted. From the heart of this old forest, a six-year-old girl appears. Speechless and alone,...  more

Deep in the Pacific Northwest lies the Olympic National Forest, nearly one million acres of impenetrable darkness and impossible beauty. Even in this modern age, much of it remains undiscovered and uncharted. From the heart of this old forest, a six-year-old girl appears. Speechless and alone, she can give no clue as to her identity, no hint of her past ...  Until recently, Dr. Julia Cates was one of the preeminent child psychiatrists in the country, but a scandal shattered her confidence, ruined her career, and made her a media target. When she gets a desperate call from her estranged sister, Ellie, a police chief in their small western Washington hometown, she jumps at the chance to escape. In Rain Valley, nothing much ever happens -- until a girl emerges from the deep woods and walks into town. She is a victim unlike any Julia has ever seen: a child locked in a world of unimaginable fear and isolation. When word spreads of the "wild child" and the infamous doctor who is treating her, the media descend on Julia and once again her competence is challenged. State and federal authorities want to lock the girl away in an institution until an identification can be made. But to Julia, who has come to doubt her own ability, nothing is more important than saving the girl she now calls Alice. To heal this child, Julia will have to understand that she cannot work alone and must look to others: the people in the town she left long ago, the sister she barely knows, and Dr. Max Cerrasin, a handsome, private man with secrets of his own. Then a shocking revelation forces Julia to risk everything to discover the truth about Alice. The ordeal that follows will test the limits of Julia's faith, forgiveness, and love, as she struggles to ascertain where Alice ultimately belongs. In her most ambitious novel to date, Kristin Hannah delivers an incandescent story about the resilience of the human spirit, the triumph of hope, and the mysterious places in the heart where love lies waiting.

Joy Candellaro once loved Christmas more than any other time of the year. Now, as the holiday approaches, she is at a crossroads in her life; recently divorced and alone, she can’t summon the old enthusiasm for celebrating. So without telling anyone, she buys a ticket and boards a plane...  more

Joy Candellaro once loved Christmas more than any other time of the year. Now, as the holiday approaches, she is at a crossroads in her life; recently divorced and alone, she can’t summon the old enthusiasm for celebrating. So without telling anyone, she buys a ticket and boards a plane bound for the beautiful Pacific Northwest. When an unexpected detour takes her deep into the woods of the Olympic rainforest, Joy makes a bold decision to leave her ordinary life behind -- to just walk away -- and thus begins an adventure unlike any she could have imagined. In the small town of Rain Valley, six-year-old Bobby O’Shea is facing his first Christmas without a mother. Unable to handle the loss, Bobby has closed himself off from the world, talking only to his invisible best friend. His father Daniel is beside himself, desperate to help his son cope. Yet when the little boy meets Joy, these two unlikely souls form a deep and powerful bond. In helping Bobby and Daniel heal, Joy finds herself again. But not everything is as it seems in quiet Rain Valley, and in an instant, Joy’s world is ripped apart, and her heart is broken. On a magical Christmas Eve, a night of impossible dreams and unexpected chances, Joy must find the courage to believe in a love -- and a family -- that can’t possibly exist, and go in search of what she wants . . . and the new life only she can find.

In her remarkable New York Times bestseller, Summer Island, Kristin Hannah struck a chord in readers and critics alike with her portrayal of the bittersweet reunion between an errant mother and her unforgiving daughter. Now Hannah once again reveals the fragile ties that bind a family in...  more

In her remarkable New York Times bestseller, Summer Island, Kristin Hannah struck a chord in readers and critics alike with her portrayal of the bittersweet reunion between an errant mother and her unforgiving daughter. Now Hannah once again reveals the fragile ties that bind a family in transition, as two people choose to escape the limits of their ordinary lives and reach for the extraordinary promise that lies on Distant Shores.Elizabeth and Jackson Shore married young, raised two daughters, and weathered the storms of youth as they built a future together. But after the children leave home, they quietly drift apart. When Jack accepts a wonderful new job offer, Elizabeth puts her needs aside to follow him across the country. Until the sudden death of her father changes everything.Grieving and alone, she retreats to an isolated beach house where she packs away the last remnants of her parents’ lives. There, the pieces of a past she never knew unfold to reveal a tender story of lasting devotion, the kind of steadfast commitment that Elizabeth admits is missing from her own marriage. Faced with her own disillusionment, she makes a terrifying decision, risking everything she has for a second chance at happiness. Enriched by soul-stirring emotion and an appreciation for the simple joy of everyday miracles, Distant Shores is an exquisite reminder of the most precious gifts in life: friends and family, children and lovers, the strength to change, and the courage to forgive–all flawlessly captured by the graceful hands of Kristin Hannah.

The author of the cherished bestseller On Mystic Lake returns with a poignant, funny, luminous novel about a mother and daughter--the complex ties that bind them, the past that separates them, and the healing that comes with forgiveness.Years ago, Nora Bridge walked out on her marriage and left...  more

The author of the cherished bestseller On Mystic Lake returns with a poignant, funny, luminous novel about a mother and daughter--the complex ties that bind them, the past that separates them, and the healing that comes with forgiveness.Years ago, Nora Bridge walked out on her marriage and left her daughters behind. She has since become a famous radio talk-show host and newspaper columnist beloved for her moral advice. Her youngest daughter, Ruby, is a struggling comedienne who uses her famous mother as fuel for her bitter, cynical humor. When the tabloids unearth a scandalous secret from Nora's past, their estrangement suddenly becomes dramatic: Nora is injured in an accident and a glossy magazine offers Ruby a fortune to write a tell-all about her mother. Under false pretenses, Ruby returns home to take care of the woman she hasn't spoken to for almost a decade. Nora insists they retreat to Summer Island in the San Juans, to the lovely old house on the water where Ruby grew up, a place filled with childhood memories of love and joy and belonging. There Ruby is also reunited with her first love and his brother. Once, the three of them had been best friends, inseparable. Until the summer that Nora had left and everyone's hearts had been broken. . . . What began as an expose evolves, as Ruby writes, into an exploration of her family's past. Nora is not the woman Ruby has hated all these years. Witty, wise, and vulnerable, she is desperate to reconcile with her daughter. As the magazine deadline draws near and Ruby finishes what has begun to seem to her an act of brutal betrayal, she is forced to grow up and at last to look at her mother--and herself--through the eyes of a woman. And she must, finally, allow herself to love.Summer Island is a beautiful novel, funny, tender, sad, and ultimately triumphant.From the Hardcover edition.

"Kristin Hannah is a superb storyteller."--Kathe Robin Romantic TimesAward-winning author Kristin Hannah creates her most spellbinding and compelling novel yet...a passionate tale of obsession, redemption, and the magic of true love.WAITING FOR THE MOONShe doesn't remember who she is or how she...  more

"Kristin Hannah is a superb storyteller."--Kathe Robin Romantic TimesAward-winning author Kristin Hannah creates her most spellbinding and compelling novel yet...a passionate tale of obsession, redemption, and the magic of true love.WAITING FOR THE MOONShe doesn't remember who she is or how she came to the mansion on the isolated Maine coast. Lost in a strange world filled with even stranger faces, Selena finds comfort in a man whose eyes reflect her own aloneness.He is Ian Carrick, a brilliant physician turned recluse, hiding from life in the anonymity of this small sanctuary, haunted by a telepathic gift that has destroyed his desire to heal.Selena comes to him, the only person he's ever met who is immune to his psychic powers. A mesmerizing innocent, she turns his life upside down, bringing light into the darkness and laughter into the silence. For her, he begins to believe in life again, to believe in himself. And then a mysterious figure from the past arrives, threatening to destroy their glorious love and the fantasy world they have created together....

When reporter Ellen Gleeson gets a “Have You Seen This Child?” flyer in the mail, she almost throws it away. But something about it makes her look again, and her heart stops -- the child in the photo is identical to her adopted son, Will. Her every instinct tells her to deny the...  more

When reporter Ellen Gleeson gets a “Have You Seen This Child?” flyer in the mail, she almost throws it away. But something about it makes her look again, and her heart stops -- the child in the photo is identical to her adopted son, Will. Her every instinct tells her to deny the similarity between the boys, because she knows her adoption was lawful. But she’s a journalist and won’t be able to stop thinking about the photo until she figures out the truth. And she can’t shake the question: if Will rightfully belongs to someone else, should she keep him or give him up? She investigates, uncovering clues no one was meant to discover, and when she digs too deep, she risks losing her own life -- and that of the son she loves. Lisa Scottoline breaks new ground in Look Again, a thriller that’s both heart-stopping and heart-breaking, and sure to have new fans and book clubs buzzing.

Publisher Comments (before the controversy): Intense, unpredictable, and instantly engaging, A Million Little Pieces is a story of drug and alcohol abuse and rehabilitation as it has never been told before. Recounted in visceral, kinetic prose, and crafted with a forthrightness that rejects...  more

Publisher Comments (before the controversy): Intense, unpredictable, and instantly engaging, A Million Little Pieces is a story of drug and alcohol abuse and rehabilitation as it has never been told before. Recounted in visceral, kinetic prose, and crafted with a forthrightness that rejects piety, cynicism, and self-pity, it brings us face-to-face with a provocative new understanding of the nature of addiction and the meaning of recovery. By the time he entered a drug and alcohol treatment facility, James Frey had taken his addictions to near-deadly extremes. He had so thoroughly ravaged his body that the facility's doctors were shocked he was still alive. The ensuing torments of detoxification and withdrawal, and the never-ending urge to use chemicals, are captured with a vitality and directness that recalls the seminal eye-opening power of William Burroughs's Junky. But A Million Little Pieces refuses to fit any mold of drug literature. Inside the clinic, James is surrounded by patients as troubled as he is--including a judge, a mobster, a one-time world-champion boxer, and a fragile former prostitute to whom he is not allowed to speak about their friendship and [whose] advice strikes James as stronger and truer than the clinic's droning dogma of How to Recover. James refuses to consider himself a victim of anything but his own bad decisions, and insists on accepting sole accountability for the person he has been and the person he may become--which runs directly counter to his counselors' recipes for recovery. James has to fight to find his own way to confront the consequences of the life he has lived so far, and to determine what future, if any, he holds. It is this fight, told with the charismatic energy and power of One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, that is at the heart of A Million Little Pieces: the fight between one young man's will and the ever-tempting chemical trip to oblivion, the fight to survive on his own terms, for reasons close to his own heart. A Million Little Pieces is an uncommonly genuine account of a life destroyed and a life reconstructed. It is also the introduction of a bold and talented literary voice. Publisher Comments (after the controversy): The controversy over James Frey's A Million Little Pieces has caused serious concern at Doubleday and Anchor Books. Recent interpretations of our previous statement notwithstanding, it is not the policy or stance of this company that it doesn't matter whether a book sold as nonfiction is true. A nonfiction book should adhere to the facts as the author knows them. It is, however, Doubleday and Anchor's policy to stand with our authors when accusations are initially leveled against their work, and we continue to believe this is right and proper. A publisher's relationship with an author is based to an extent on trust. Mr. Frey's repeated representations of the book's accuracy, throughout publication and promotion, assured us that everything in it was true to his recollections. When the Smoking Gun report appeared, our first response, given that we were still learning the facts of the matter, was to support our author. Since then, we have questioned him about the allegations and have sadly come to the realization that a number of facts have been altered and incidents embellished. We bear a responsibility for what we publish, and apologize to the reading public for any unintentional confusion surrounding the publication of A Million Little Pieces. We are immediately taking the following actions: *We are issuing a publisher's note to be included in all future printings of the book. *James Frey has written an author's note that will appear in all future printings of the book. *The jacket for all future editions will carry the line "With new notes from the publisher and from the author." The author's note begins: A Million Little Pieces is about my memories of my time in a drug and alcohol treatment center. As has been accurately revealed by two journalists at an Internet Web site, and subsequently acknowledged by me, during the process of writing the book, I embellished many details about my past experiences, and altered others in order to serve what I felt was the greater purpose of the book. I sincerely apologize to those readers who have been disappointed by my actions....

When Martin Grace enters the hip Philadelphia coffee shop Cornelia Brown manages, her life changes forever. But little does she know that her newfound love is only the harbinger of greater changes to come. Meanwhile, across town, Clare Hobbs -- eleven years old and abandoned by her erratic...  more

When Martin Grace enters the hip Philadelphia coffee shop Cornelia Brown manages, her life changes forever. But little does she know that her newfound love is only the harbinger of greater changes to come. Meanwhile, across town, Clare Hobbs -- eleven years old and abandoned by her erratic mother -- goes looking for her lost father. She crosses paths with Cornelia while meeting with him at the café, and the two women form an improbable friendship that carries them through the unpredictable currents of love and life.

Claire Danner Crispin, mother of four young children and nationally renowned glassblower, bites off more than she can chew when she agrees to co-chair the Nantucket's Children Summer Gala. Claire is asked to chair the benefit, in part, because she is the former high school sweetheart of rock...  more

Claire Danner Crispin, mother of four young children and nationally renowned glassblower, bites off more than she can chew when she agrees to co-chair the Nantucket's Children Summer Gala. Claire is asked to chair the benefit, in part, because she is the former high school sweetheart of rock star Max West. Max agrees to play the gala and it looks like smooth sailing for Claire -- until she promises a "museum-quality" piece of glass for the auction, offers her best friend the catering job, goes nose-to-nose with her Manhattan socialite co-chair, and begins a "good-hearted" affair with the charity's Executive Director, Lockhart Dixon. Hearts break and emotions are pushed to the limit in this riveting story of one woman's attempt to deal with loves past and present, family, business, and high-powered social pressures. Elin Hilderbrand's unique understanding of the joys and longings that animate women's lives will make this her newest summer bestseller.

Three women arrive at the local airport, observed by Josh, a Nantucket native home from college for the summer. Burdened with small children, unwieldy straw hats, and some obvious emotional issues, the women -- two sisters and one friend -- make their way to the sisters' tiny cottage, inherited...  more

Three women arrive at the local airport, observed by Josh, a Nantucket native home from college for the summer. Burdened with small children, unwieldy straw hats, and some obvious emotional issues, the women -- two sisters and one friend -- make their way to the sisters' tiny cottage, inherited from an aunt. They're all trying to escape from something: Melanie, after seven failed in-vitro attempts, learned her husband was having an affair, and then discovered she's pregnant; Brenda embarked on a passionate affair with an older student that got her fired from her prestigious job as a professor in New York; and her sister Vicki, mother to two small boys, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Soon Josh is part of the chaotic household, acting as babysitter, confidant, and, eventually, lover.

In Sterling, New Hampshire, 17-year-old high school student Peter Houghton has endured years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of classmates. His best friend, Josie Cormier, succumbed to peer pressure and now hangs out with the popular crowd that often instigates the harassment. One...  more

In Sterling, New Hampshire, 17-year-old high school student Peter Houghton has endured years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of classmates. His best friend, Josie Cormier, succumbed to peer pressure and now hangs out with the popular crowd that often instigates the harassment. One final incident of bullying sends Peter over the edge and leads him to commit an act of violence that forever changes the lives of Sterling's residents. Even those who were not inside the school that morning find their lives in an upheaval, including Alex Cormier. The superior court judge assigned to the Houghton case, Alex -- whose daughter, Josie, witnessed the events that unfolded -- must decide whether or not to step down. She's torn between presiding over the biggest case of her career and knowing that doing so will cause an even wider chasm in her relationship with her emotionally fragile daughter. Josie, meanwhile, claims she can't remember what happened in the last fatal minutes of Peter's rampage. Or can she? And Peter's parents, Lacy and Lewis Houghton, ceaselessly examine the past to see what they might have said or done to compel their son to such extremes. Nineteen Minutes also features the return of two of Jodi Picoult's characters' defense attorney Jordan McAfee from The Pact and Salem Falls, and Patrick DuCharme, the intrepid detective introduced in Perfect Match.

When we first meet 14-year-old Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven. This was before milk carton photos and public service announcements, she tells us; back in 1973, when Susie mysteriously disappeared, people still believed these things didn't happen. In the sweet, untroubled voice...  more

When we first meet 14-year-old Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven. This was before milk carton photos and public service announcements, she tells us; back in 1973, when Susie mysteriously disappeared, people still believed these things didn't happen. In the sweet, untroubled voice of a precocious teenage girl, Susie relates the awful events of her death, and her own adjustment to the strange new place she finds herself. (It looks a lot like her school playground, with the good kind of swingset.) With love, longing, and a growing understanding, Susie watches her family as they cope with their grief--her father embarks on a search for the killer, her sister undertakes a feat of amazing daring, her little brother builds a fort in her honor--and begin the difficult process of healing. In the hands of a brilliant new novelist, and through the eyes of her winning young heroine, this story of seemingly unbearable tragedy is transformed into a suspenseful, touching, even funny novel about family, memory, love, heaven, and living.

How do you cope in a world without your mother? When Barbara realizes time is running out, she writes letters to her four daughters, aware that they'll be facing the trials and triumphs of life without her at their side. But how can she leave them when they still have so much growing up...  more

How do you cope in a world without your mother? When Barbara realizes time is running out, she writes letters to her four daughters, aware that they'll be facing the trials and triumphs of life without her at their side. But how can she leave them when they still have so much growing up to do? Take Lisa, in her mid-thirties but incapable of making a commitment; or Jennifer, trapped in a stale marriage and buttoned up so tight she could burst. Twenty-something Amanda, the traveler, has always distanced herself from the rest of the family; and then there's Hannah, a teenage girl on the verge of womanhood about to be parted from the mother she adores. But by drawing on the wisdom in Barbara's letters, the girls might just find a way to cope with their loss. And in coming to terms with their bereavement, can they also set themselves free to enjoy their lives with all the passion and love each deserves? This heartfelt novel by bestselling author Elizabeth Noble celebrates family, friends . . . and the glorious, endless possibilities of life.

Natalie and Tom have been best friends forever, but Tom wants them to be much more. When Natalie's longtime boyfriend walks out on her just when she thinks he's going to propose, Tom offers her a different and wildly romantic proposition. He suggests that they spend twenty-six weekends together,...  more

Natalie and Tom have been best friends forever, but Tom wants them to be much more. When Natalie's longtime boyfriend walks out on her just when she thinks he's going to propose, Tom offers her a different and wildly romantic proposition. He suggests that they spend twenty-six weekends together, indulging in twenty-six different activities from A to Z, and at the end of that time Tom's convinced they'll be madly in love. Natalie, however, is not so sure. As Natalie's touring the alphabet with Tom, her mother's going through her own romantic crisis?while Tom's unhappily married sister-in-law, Lucy, struggles with temptation. And over the course of six amazing months, three generations of passionate dreamers are going to discover that, no matter how clever they are, love?and life?is never as easy as A, B, C . . .

Elinor Mackey has always done the right things in the right order -- college, law school, career, marriage -- but now everything's going wrong. After two painful years of trying, Elinor has learned that she can't have children. All the doctors can tell her is that it's probably because of her...  more

Elinor Mackey has always done the right things in the right order -- college, law school, career, marriage -- but now everything's going wrong. After two painful years of trying, Elinor has learned that she can't have children. All the doctors can tell her is that it's probably because of her age. As she turns forty, she withdraws into an interior world of heartbreak. Elinor's loving husband, Ted, a successful podiatrist, has always done the right thing, too. Then he meets the wrong woman at the wrong time, and does the wrong thing. Ted's lover, Gina -- a beautiful and kindhearted nutritionist -- always eats the right thing, but is unlucky in love and always falls for the wrong men. Soon Ted has to fight to make everything right again. Can Elinor and Ted's marriage be saved? The answer is alarmingly fresh and unexpected as New York Times bestselling author Lolly Winston introduces us to characters as memorable as those of Anne Tyler and Nick Hornby, but who are indelibly all her own.

Life changes in an instant. On a foggy beach. In the seconds when Abby Mason -- photographer, fiancee soon-to-be-stepmother -- looks into her camera and commits her greatest error. Heartbreaking, uplifting, and beautifully told, here is the riveting tale of a family torn apart, of the search for...  more

Life changes in an instant. On a foggy beach. In the seconds when Abby Mason -- photographer, fiancee soon-to-be-stepmother -- looks into her camera and commits her greatest error. Heartbreaking, uplifting, and beautifully told, here is the riveting tale of a family torn apart, of the search for the truth behind a child’s disappearance, and of one woman’s unwavering faith in the redemptive power of love -- all made startlingly fresh through Michelle Richmond’s incandescent sensitivity and extraordinary insight. Six-year-old Emma vanished into the thick San Francisco fog. Or into the heaving Pacific. Or somewhere just beyond: to a parking lot, a stranger’s van, or a road with traffic flashing by. Devastated by guilt, haunted by her fears about becoming a stepmother, Abby refuses to believe that Emma is dead. And so she searches for clues about what happened that morning -- and cannot stop the flood of memories reaching from her own childhood to illuminate that irreversible moment on the beach. Now, as the days drag into weeks, as the police lose interest and fliers fade on telephone poles, Emma’s father finds solace in religion and scientific probability -- but Abby can only wander the beaches and city streets, attempting to recover the past and the little girl she lost. With her life at a crossroads, she will leave San Francisco for a country thousands of miles away. And there, by the side of another sea, on a journey that has led her to another man and into a strange subculture of wanderers and surfers, Abby will make the most astounding discovery of all -- as the truth of Emma’s disappearance unravels with stunning force. A profoundly original novel of family, loss, and hope -- of the choices we make and the choices made for us -- The Year of Fog beguiles with the mysteries of time and memory even as it lays bare the deep and wondrous workings of the human heart. The result is a mesmerizing tour de force that will touch anyone who knows what it means to love a child.

This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games--games that left...  more

This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games--games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it." Dave's bed was an old army cot in the basement, and his clothes were torn and raunchy. When his mother allowed him the luxury of food, it was nothing more than spoiled scraps that even the dogs refused to eat. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He had nothing or no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive--dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son.

Imagine a young boy who has never had a loving home. His only possesions are the old, torn clothes he carries in a paper bag. The only world he knows is one of isolation and fear. Although others had rescued this boy from his abusive alcoholic mother, his real hurt is just begining -- he has no...  more

Imagine a young boy who has never had a loving home. His only possesions are the old, torn clothes he carries in a paper bag. The only world he knows is one of isolation and fear. Although others had rescued this boy from his abusive alcoholic mother, his real hurt is just begining -- he has no place to call home. This is Dave Pelzer's long-awaited sequel to A Child Called "It". In The Lost Boy, he answers questions and reveals new adventures through the compelling story of his life as an adolescent. Now considered an F-Child (Foster Child), Dave is moved in and out of five different homes. He suffers shame and experiences resentment from those who feel that all foster kids are trouble and unworthy of being loved just because they are not part of a "real" family. Tears, laughter, devastation and hope create the journey of this little lost boy who searches desperately for just one thing -- the love of a family.

The inspiring conclusion to A Child Called "It" and The Lost Boy"All those years you tried your best to break me, and I'm still here. One day you'll see, I'm going to make something of myself."--Dave Pelzer, from A Man Named DaveThese words were Dave Pelzer's declaration of independence to his...  more

The inspiring conclusion to A Child Called "It" and The Lost Boy"All those years you tried your best to break me, and I'm still here. One day you'll see, I'm going to make something of myself."--Dave Pelzer, from A Man Named DaveThese words were Dave Pelzer's declaration of independence to his mother, and they represented the ultimate act of self-reliance. Dave's father never intervened as his mother abused him with shocking brutality, denying him food and clothing, torturing him in any way she could imagine. This was the woman who told her son she could kill him any time she wanted to-and nearly did. The more than two million readers of Pelzer's previous international bestsellers, A Child Called "It" and The Lost Boy, know that he lived to tell his courageous story. A Man Named Dave is the gripping conclusion to his inspirational trilogy. With stunning generosity of spirit, Dave Pelzer invites readers on his journey to discover how he turned shame into pride and rejection into acceptance.

In 1995, Dave Pelzer published his horrifying memoir, A CHILD CALLED "IT" about his excruciating abuse by his mother. Now his younger brother, Richard, tells the story of what happened when Dave was removed from the household by social services and Richard was cast into a similar role...  more

In 1995, Dave Pelzer published his horrifying memoir, A CHILD CALLED "IT" about his excruciating abuse by his mother. Now his younger brother, Richard, tells the story of what happened when Dave was removed from the household by social services and Richard was cast into a similar role as slave, object, and victim. With a surprising absence of rancor, Richard Pelzer writes graphically not only about the things that were done to him but about the outrageous failure of his father, brothers, neighbors, and "the system" to do anything about it.

"Running with Scissors" is the true story of a boy whose mother... gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus.... At the age of twelve, Burroughs found himself amidst Victorian squalor living with the doctor's bizarre family, and...  more

"Running with Scissors" is the true story of a boy whose mother... gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus.... At the age of twelve, Burroughs found himself amidst Victorian squalor living with the doctor's bizarre family, and befriending a pedophile who resided in the backyard shed. The story of an outlaw childhood where rules were unheard of, and the Christmas tree stayed up all year round, where Valium was consumed like candy, and if things got dull an electroshock-therapy machine could provide entertainment.

Sheila was wild, unreachable, abused -- and a genius. She was a child lost in a tortured world until a brilliant young teacher reached out. Six-year-old Sheila had been abandoned by her mother on a highway when she was four. A survivor of horrific abuse, she never spoke, never cried, and was...  more

Sheila was wild, unreachable, abused -- and a genius. She was a child lost in a tortured world until a brilliant young teacher reached out. Six-year-old Sheila had been abandoned by her mother on a highway when she was four. A survivor of horrific abuse, she never spoke, never cried, and was placed in a class for severely retarded children after committing an atrocious act of violence against another child. Everyone thought Sheila was beyond salvation -- except her teacher, Torey Hayden. With patience, skill, and abiding love, she fought long and hard to release a haunted little girl from her secret nightmare -- and nurture the spark of genius she recognized trapped within Sheila's silence. This is the remarkable story of their journey together -- an odyssey of hope, courage, and inspiring devotion that opened the heart and mind of one lost child to a new world of discovery and joy.

At the tender age of 17, Tina was frightened and pregnant. Feeling abandoned and desperate, she stepped into the clinic to have an abortion. But in the midst of it, something unexpected happened . . . something wonderful. Instead of snuffing out the growing life within, the procedure failed. And...  more

At the tender age of 17, Tina was frightened and pregnant. Feeling abandoned and desperate, she stepped into the clinic to have an abortion. But in the midst of it, something unexpected happened . . . something wonderful. Instead of snuffing out the growing life within, the procedure failed. And with defiance and courage, a baby girl made her way into the world. Gianna is the incredible true story of one girl's remarkable journey from abortion survivor to steadfast defender and lover of life. This book isn't about issues --it's about a young woman's determination to make the most of her God-given opportunities.

When Charlotte and Sean O'Keefe's daughter, Willow, is born with severe osteogenesis imperfecta, they are devastated -- she will suffer hundreds of broken bones as she grows, a lifetime of pain. As the family struggles to make ends meet to cover Willow's medical expenses, Charlotte thinks she...  more

When Charlotte and Sean O'Keefe's daughter, Willow, is born with severe osteogenesis imperfecta, they are devastated -- she will suffer hundreds of broken bones as she grows, a lifetime of pain. As the family struggles to make ends meet to cover Willow's medical expenses, Charlotte thinks she has found an answer. If she files a wrongful birth lawsuit against her ob/gyn for not telling her in advance that her child would be born severely disabled, the monetary payouts might ensure a lifetime of care for Willow. But it means that Charlotte has to get up in a court of law and say in public that she would have terminated the pregnancy if she'd known about the disability in advance -- words that her husband can't abide, that Willow will hear, and that Charlotte cannot reconcile. And the ob/gyn she's suing isn't just her physician - it's her best friend. Handle With Care explores the knotty tangle of medical ethics and personal morality. When faced with the reality of a fetus who will be disabled, at which point should an OB counsel termination? Should a parent have the right to make that choice? How disabled is TOO disabled? And as a parent, how far would you go to take care of someone you love? Would you alienate the rest of your family? Would you be willing to lie to your friends, to your spouse, to a court? And perhaps most difficult of all -- would you admit to yourself that you might not actually be lying?

He Proposed. She has her doubts. She said yes. Now what? Everyone tells Sarah Giles how lucky she is to be engaged to Paul O'Brian -- a handsome hotshot who's financially secure, knows how to throw the perfect dinner party . . . And taught Sarah how to, uh, take care of herself. Everyone thinks...  more

He Proposed. She has her doubts. She said yes. Now what? Everyone tells Sarah Giles how lucky she is to be engaged to Paul O'Brian -- a handsome hotshot who's financially secure, knows how to throw the perfect dinner party . . . And taught Sarah how to, uh, take care of herself. Everyone thinks he's great. Except for Sarah. But she has too much on her plate trying to become career woman of the year and hiding the fact that her seemingly blissful relationship is all but celibate (those lessons he gave her should come in handy) to figure out what's wrong with Mr. Right, let alone qualify for the role of perfect fiancee. Meanwhile, what started as an innocent office flirtation with a man named John Wayne (really), has now moved beyond illicit lunches and harmless text messaging, and is fast turning into erotic obsession. Sarah can't get John out of her head and she's plunging deeper into a double life. But which life is the lie? Torn between two men, and trying not to lose sight of her own dreams, Sarah writes a scandalously honest diary of one life-changing year, and faces the challenge of writing her own happy ending . . .

Breaking up is hard to do A tipsy confession of infidelity during their engagement hasn't been the best start to Sarah's marriage. Blurting it out on their honeymoon wasn't exactly the best timing, either. Still, how could he complain? It had taken Paul O'Brian five years to propose, and even...  more

Breaking up is hard to do A tipsy confession of infidelity during their engagement hasn't been the best start to Sarah's marriage. Blurting it out on their honeymoon wasn't exactly the best timing, either. Still, how could he complain? It had taken Paul O'Brian five years to propose, and even then he'd made only occasional guest appearances in Sarah's bed! Briefly aroused by a luxury holiday, he'd since managed to father their adorable son, now three years old; otherwise the ring on Sarah's finger signified little more than a shrewd purchase. But now Paul had decided it was time to cut their losses. With a divorce. What had happened to them? Weren't they once the perfect couple? Surely her savvy city-guy husband hadn't fallen prey to that humiliating cliché, the seven-year itch. . . Thrown into a state of denial, then self-doubt, followed by determination not to go under without a fight, Sarah is catapulted into an unforgettable last year of being married. Outrageously sexy, bitingly witty, uncompromisingly truthful. . .Sarah pulls no punches as she explodes the myth of happily ever after once and for all.

"Don't get me wrong. There was -- there is -- much love between my husband and me. We aren't miserable, we just aren't happy. And we aren't really together that much -- it didn't used to seem to matter. But it's starting to matter. It's starting to matter very much indeed." With her marriage...  more

"Don't get me wrong. There was -- there is -- much love between my husband and me. We aren't miserable, we just aren't happy. And we aren't really together that much -- it didn't used to seem to matter. But it's starting to matter. It's starting to matter very much indeed." With her marriage spiraling toward divorce, sexually confident and unapologetically sized-24 Sidney Stein finds herself drawn into an illicit affair with Geoffrey Fahl -- not only married and twenty years her senior, but also her father's business partner. Perilously close to falling in love with this man who is so very wrong for her and knowing there's no future in the relationship, Sidney decides it's time to turn her life around. Newly separated from her husband, Sidney dives into the dating pool. And after more than a dozen dates, a disastrous transitional guy and reconnecting with a high school crush, she can't help but wonder if it might not just be easier to let herself drown. But just as she stops looking for the ideal man, someone else arrives . . .and he might just be everything she never knew she always wanted. Experience the love, joy and heartbreak of Sidney Stein in Stacey Ballis's debut novel. Neither pat nor predictable, Inappropriate Men is laugh-out-loud funny without compromising intelligence.

Is it possible to find that perfect once-in-a-lifetime love twice? Gert Healy thought she was finished with dating. She thought she'd never again have to worry about what to wear and what to say and whether she was pretty enough. She thought that she'd be picking out strollers and booties for...  more

Is it possible to find that perfect once-in-a-lifetime love twice? Gert Healy thought she was finished with dating. She thought she'd never again have to worry about what to wear and what to say and whether she was pretty enough. She thought that she'd be picking out strollers and booties for the children she and her husband were planning to have. Instead, she's mourning his loss and coming to terms with being a widow at twenty-nine. It's been over a year now, and her friends -- with the best of intentions, really -- have convinced her it's time to get back into the swing of things (even though looking for love is the last thing she wants to do). Although they've developed many a dating rule between them, now that Gert's a part of their single-girl crew, she's beginning to realize they don't know the first thing about men. Of course, Gert doesn't know the first thing about dating, since she married her college sweetheart, so maybe joining forces will work out after all. But does Gert have it in her to fight her way through the leather-jacketed and miniskirted crowds in search of a second miracle? It's back to square one on everything. Well, actually she's done it all before. Square two, then. From the author of Carrie Pilby comes this charming and bittersweet tale of love, loss and starting over.

Between the reality of being six weeks pregnant by a guy she's dated for two months and the fantasy of pushing a baby stroller down Columbus Avenue with a wedding ring on her finger were a lot of possibilities for twenty-nine-year old Manhattan publishing peon Sarah Solomon. Will the baby's...  more

Between the reality of being six weeks pregnant by a guy she's dated for two months and the fantasy of pushing a baby stroller down Columbus Avenue with a wedding ring on her finger were a lot of possibilities for twenty-nine-year old Manhattan publishing peon Sarah Solomon. Will the baby's father run screaming for the nearest subway . . . or pop the question? "He's going to deny they ever had sex!" bets cynical sister Ally, an uptown lawyer who catches her "perfect" husband cheating . . . and happily retaliates on FindAMate.com. "He might surprise everyone and propose," offers half sister Zoe, a celebrated relationship guru who critiques dates for a living but would have to rate her own love life a big fat zero. "Huh?" asks their clueless father, too busy planning his society wedding to trophy wife #3 to notice what's up with his daughters. Until Sarah, Ally and Zoe find themselves suddenly sharing a bedroom in his Park Avenue penthouse . . . . " And thanks to a little help from each other and some unexpected allies, the Solomon sisters are about to wise up in this heartwarming and hilarious novel by Melissa Senate, author of See Jane Date

A Fancy Affair Bridal Salon, Forest Hills, Queens "Did you know that one of your hips is higher than the other?" the seamstress asked me in a totally conversational tone. The bridesmaid to my left eyed me in the mirror, then her gaze dropped to my hips. "I didn't," I said. "I never knew...  more

A Fancy Affair Bridal Salon, Forest Hills, Queens "Did you know that one of your hips is higher than the other?" the seamstress asked me in a totally conversational tone. The bridesmaid to my left eyed me in the mirror, then her gaze dropped to my hips. "I didn't," I said. "I never knew that. But I'm glad you told me." The seamstress had the decency to look embarrassed. She ducked her head back down and continued pinning. Perhaps that had been the reason why Blind Dates One, Two and Three hadn't been interested. It wasn't the smoking, after all. It was my Hip Issue. And just my luck that Blind Date Four was with a doctor, whose business it was to notice such deformities. See Jane Date will speak to singles everywhere. At once warm and witty, this look into the life of twenty-eight-year-old assistant editor Jane Gregg, screams, "You are not alone!" Case in point: See Jane... --Endure two months of bridesmaid hell for her younger cousin's wedding --Brilliantly dodge being fixed up with Grammy's next door neighbor by fibbing that she, um, already has a boyfriend --Date... like crazy to find one suitable guy to bring to said wedding. Okay, find one suitable guy to love. Was that so much to ask?

Ex-Girlfriend Emma Carter has a lot on her mind. Her boyfriend got a life -- in L.A. Her hairdresser found God. And that extra ten pounds of "relationship flab" she acquired while falling in love with a commitment-phobe has just put her out of the running for new romance -- or so she thinks. But...  more

Ex-Girlfriend Emma Carter has a lot on her mind. Her boyfriend got a life -- in L.A. Her hairdresser found God. And that extra ten pounds of "relationship flab" she acquired while falling in love with a commitment-phobe has just put her out of the running for new romance -- or so she thinks. But before Emma can get on with her life, she's got to face a few startling truths about being single in New York City . . . Confession #5: Marriage suddenly seems like a social disease. Even the latest bride in my family -- my mother -- has put me to work in the service of her wedding day. What about us non-bride's-to-be? I wonder now. Working in the warped little world of wedding planning has only led me to one conclusion: If you don't get married in this world, you get nothing. Once, in an editorial meeting, I jokingly suggested that a woman should get a bridal shower when she turns thirty, wedding or not. Everyone looked at me as if I were some kind of nut. I am 31 years old; am I not entitled to free Calphalon yet? Whoever thought that baring your soul could be this good?

She's heard all the lines. Now it's time for the truth! Charlie has to keep pinching herself to believe she's leaving Australia for a trip to Europe -- a generous gift from her family, who know how tough her life has been lately. But the last person Charlie expects to bump into on the plane...  more

She's heard all the lines. Now it's time for the truth! Charlie has to keep pinching herself to believe she's leaving Australia for a trip to Europe -- a generous gift from her family, who know how tough her life has been lately. But the last person Charlie expects to bump into on the plane is Jasper Ash, international celebrity, rock-star sex-god -- and Charlie's former best friend, flatmate and... almost-lover! It's been three years since Charlie impulsively jumped into bed with Jas, then a struggling student. But their nearly-one-night stand had just been warming up when Jas began the male "backing off" ritual, practically sprinting out the door with the classic excuse, "It's not you, it's me." Yeah, right. Everyone knows what that means: It is you! Not pretty enough, not successful enough -- just not enough. Charlie has dealt with it -- and a whole lot more -- but the unanswered questions still niggle. Acting on impulse once again, she invites Jas to join her own European tour! And as they share hotel rooms, play at being tourists and dodge Jas's determined groupies, it becomes clear they're both at a crossroads in life. Before they can move on, they finally have to deal with the unfinished business between them -- starting with a serious conversation about that night.

A novel about losing a diary -- and finding a soul mate. Her diary had never let her down, never told her it was too busy, never not been there for her. Unlike men! Now the unthinkable had happened . . . For high-flying London lawyer (and self-confessed control freak) Sam Washington,...  more

A novel about losing a diary -- and finding a soul mate. Her diary had never let her down, never told her it was too busy, never not been there for her. Unlike men! Now the unthinkable had happened . . . For high-flying London lawyer (and self-confessed control freak) Sam Washington, accidentally leaving her diary in a New York hotel room is a fate worse than death! Tormented by the idea of a stranger reading her innermost thoughts, she knows there's also a secret in her little black book that, in the wrong hands, would devastate her best friend and cause a tabloid sensation . . . Alarm bells start ringing when TV producer Ben Fisher turns up on her doorstep -- fresh off the plane from New York . . . and desperately seeking Sam. They're complete strangers, yet he seems to know more than a little about her. Has he found her diary? Has he read it? Sam resolves to find out by getting closer to Ben -- who seems happy to oblige! Only, is his mind on kissing . . . or just telling?

Unmarried, thirty-year-old Sophy Metcalfe told a little white he to soothe her nagging mother. The white lies name was "Dominic," the ideal boyfriend: charming, successful, the kind of prospective son-in-law that would make any mother proud. But now that Sophy's thin and beautiful sister,...  more

Unmarried, thirty-year-old Sophy Metcalfe told a little white he to soothe her nagging mother. The white lies name was "Dominic," the ideal boyfriend: charming, successful, the kind of prospective son-in-law that would make any mother proud. But now that Sophy's thin and beautiful sister, Belinda, is getting married, Dominic is going to have to make an appearance in the flesh -- which should be a pretty neat trick ... since the genuine article vanished from Sophy's life after a single, singularly unmemorable evening. So she resorts to a very drastic measure -- aka Josh Carmichael, the escort she hires at the very last minute, sight unseen.But the trouble with white lies is that they tend to multiply. The trouble with rugged, too-sexy, and independent Josh is ... well, that Sophy's actually beginning to like him! Even if they make it through the Wedding Day from Hell together -- with its new intrigues, old flames, and all-too-familiar faces -- there's the night that follows... and, of course, the morning after. And that could end up being the biggest trouble of all!A hip, witty, and freshly fantastic delight, Asking for Trouble is the most hilarious and knowing novel to make the scene since Bridget Jones first set pen to paper to record her most intimate innermost thoughts.

After the massacre on April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, Cassie Bernall's story has fascinated the media as people dub her a martyr and struggle to forge meaning out of a""senseless" tragedy. Cassie's mother tells the tale of Cassie's...  more

After the massacre on April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, Cassie Bernall's story has fascinated the media as people dub her a martyr and struggle to forge meaning out of a""senseless" tragedy. Cassie's mother tells the tale of Cassie's complex life up to that decisive moment. It's the story of a young woman who at one point had started down a troubled path similar to that of her killers, a story of tough choices and the war between goodness and evil in every person.

It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn's shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night. Seven-year-old Calli Clark is sweet, gentle, a dreamer who suffers from selective mutism brought on by a tragedy...  more

It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn's shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night. Seven-year-old Calli Clark is sweet, gentle, a dreamer who suffers from selective mutism brought on by a tragedy that pulled her deep into silence as a toddler. Calli's mother, Antonia, tried to be the best mother she could within the confines of marriage to a mostly absent, often angry husband. Now, though she denies that her husband could be involved in the possible abductions, she fears her decision to stay in her marriage has cost her more than her daughter's voice. Petra Gregory is Calli's best friend, her soul mate and her voice. But neither Petra nor Calli has been heard from since their disappearance was discovered. Desperate to find his child, Martin Gregory is forced to confront a side of himself he did not know existed beneath his intellectual, professorial demeanor. Now these families are tied by the question of what happened to their children. And the answer is trapped in the silence of unspoken family secrets.

In "Two Rivers", Vermont, Harper Montgomery is living a life overshadowed by grief and guilt. Since the death of his wife twelve years earlier, Harper has narrowed his world to working at the local railroad and raising his daughter, Shelly. Still wracked with sorrow over his loss and...  more

In "Two Rivers", Vermont, Harper Montgomery is living a life overshadowed by grief and guilt. Since the death of his wife twelve years earlier, Harper has narrowed his world to working at the local railroad and raising his daughter, Shelly. Still wracked with sorrow over his loss and plagued by his role in a brutal, long-ago crime, he wants only to make amends for his past mistakes. Then one day, a train derails in Two Rivers and Harper finds a chance at atonement. One of the survivors, a pregnant fifteen-year-old girl, needs a place to stay, and Harper offers to take her in. But soon he suspects that Maggie's appearance is not the simple case of happenstance it first appeared to be.

Annie Colewater's life fell apart the day her eighteen-year-old daughter left home and her husband of twenty years abandoned her for a younger woman. Shattered, she returns home to the small Washington town of Mystic, seeking solace to the haunting emptiness of her own soul. Here, a broken woman...  more

Annie Colewater's life fell apart the day her eighteen-year-old daughter left home and her husband of twenty years abandoned her for a younger woman. Shattered, she returns home to the small Washington town of Mystic, seeking solace to the haunting emptiness of her own soul. Here, a broken woman will open her heart to a shattered little girl and her father, Nick Delacroix, an embittered, grieving widower. These three lost hearts find the courage to trust in love again--never expecting the turn of events that will force Annie to make a harrowing choice between what is . . . and what could be.

Emmaline Hatter was a beautiful, brilliant, and rich Wall Street financier in the nineteenth century until the crash of 1893 wiped her out completely. Desperate to recoup her losses, she joins Dr. Larence Digby in his search for the legendary lost city of Cibola, rumored to be rich in gold....  more

Emmaline Hatter was a beautiful, brilliant, and rich Wall Street financier in the nineteenth century until the crash of 1893 wiped her out completely. Desperate to recoup her losses, she joins Dr. Larence Digby in his search for the legendary lost city of Cibola, rumored to be rich in gold. Emmaline was used to getting her own way, but Larence was not about to give up control of his expedition to a woman. Somehow, in a world of enchantment, each would have to learn to believe -- to trust the other with their lives, their secrets, and their hearts . . .

In a dazzling career spanning a dozen acclaimed novels, Kristin Hannah has distinguished herself as an amazingly sensitive writer who can tap into the deepest, most precious mysteries of the heart. If You Believe is one of her finest books—a timeless tale of two lonely people who witness...  more

In a dazzling career spanning a dozen acclaimed novels, Kristin Hannah has distinguished herself as an amazingly sensitive writer who can tap into the deepest, most precious mysteries of the heart. If You Believe is one of her finest books—a timeless tale of two lonely people who witness the miracle of second chances.Mariah Throckmorton was hiding from a past filled with scandal. Mad Dog Stone was a drifter looking for a few days’ work. He walked into her life, threatening Mariah’s peace of mind and stirring emotions she tried to hide. Their love was born against all odds, difficult to count on, impossible to hold. Together they would learn the bittersweet truth—that love exists only if you believe. . . .

Tess Gregory's brilliant career as a research scientist hides her longings for husband and child. Though deaf, she is a free spirit -- a woman full of life and love. She is struck down all too soon.But for Tess, a new life begins at her death, in post-Civil War America. She is now Amarylis...  more

Tess Gregory's brilliant career as a research scientist hides her longings for husband and child. Though deaf, she is a free spirit -- a woman full of life and love. She is struck down all too soon.But for Tess, a new life begins at her death, in post-Civil War America. She is now Amarylis Rafferty, wife and mother of three -- and she can hear. Shocked and disoriented by her new surroundings, she is drawn into the savage heartache burdening the family, especially her husband, Jack, a man who fears himself capable of anything.

During a magical storm, romance writer Alaina Costanza is hurled back in time, into the Western world of her latest novel. There she is kidnapped by her own character, a ruthless outlaw known only as Killian. Thrown together by fate, Alaina and Killian will discover a love too magnificent to...  more

During a magical storm, romance writer Alaina Costanza is hurled back in time, into the Western world of her latest novel. There she is kidnapped by her own character, a ruthless outlaw known only as Killian. Thrown together by fate, Alaina and Killian will discover a love too magnificent to last a single lifetime. But even magic has a price, and time is running out. For the sake of Alaina's child, they must risk it all and fight for a future than depends on lightning striking . . . twice.

Devon O'Shea comes to the Yukon Territory in search of gold, but instead she finds Stone Man McKenna, a mountainous slab of animosity who believes the Yukon is no place for a lady. When he attempts to convince her of this with a savage kiss, she finds herself feeling, for the first time in her...  more

Devon O'Shea comes to the Yukon Territory in search of gold, but instead she finds Stone Man McKenna, a mountainous slab of animosity who believes the Yukon is no place for a lady. When he attempts to convince her of this with a savage kiss, she finds herself feeling, for the first time in her life, feminine and alive. And Devon begins to wonder if she may have struck gold after all . . .

A sparkling, sophisticated, witty story about what happens when he finally leaves his wife for you... and you realize you don't want him after all. For once this isn't a novel about the heroine getting the guy. It's about getting rid of the guy, and in the process, finding...  more

A sparkling, sophisticated, witty story about what happens when he finally leaves his wife for you... and you realize you don't want him after all. For once this isn't a novel about the heroine getting the guy. It's about getting rid of the guy, and in the process, finding herself. Helen is nearly forty, and has, for far too long, had an affair with Matthew, a high-powered, much older, attractive, married man who was once, of course, her boss. After years of being disappointed by missed dates, out-of-the-way restaurants where there's no chance of them being caught, broken promises, and hushed phone calls, at last Helen realizes enough is enough -- it's time to dump Matthew and get on with her life. This, of course, is the exact moment when Matthew decides to leave his wife for her. He appears on her doorstep, announcing, "I've done it! I've left her! I'm yours!" and proceeds to move in. Helen then discovers how much she can't bear him. But she can't just throw him out -- after all, she's been begging him to do exactly this for years. The only thing to do, she decides, is to convince his wife, Sophie, to take him back. So after a "chance" meeting in the park, Helen befriends Sophie and hears all about her lying, cheating husband. But then, the unexpected happens -- Helen really starts to like Sophie, and thinks she's way too good for a selfish bore like Matthew. And then there's the other small problem of Matthew's handsome, charming son... Jane Fallon turns the conventional love story on its head in this irresistibly delicious, ironic debut for every woman who has ever realized, "Be careful what you wish for."

A taut, complex psychological thriller from the author of The Doctor's Wife Like The Doctor's Wife, which The Boston Globe called "a compelling read," Somebody Else's Daughter is a literary page-turner peopled with fascinating and disturbing characters. In the idyllic Berkshires, at the...  more

A taut, complex psychological thriller from the author of The Doctor's Wife Like The Doctor's Wife, which The Boston Globe called "a compelling read," Somebody Else's Daughter is a literary page-turner peopled with fascinating and disturbing characters. In the idyllic Berkshires, at the prestigious Pioneer School, there are dark secrets that threaten to come to light. Willa Golding, a student, has been brought up by her adoptive parents in elegant prosperity, but they have fled a mysterious and shameful past. Her biological father, a failing writer and former drug addict, needs to see the daughter he abandoned, and so he gains a teaching position at the school. A feminist sculptor initiates a reckless affair, the Pioneer students live in a world to which adults turn a blind eye, and the headmaster's wife is busy keeping her husband's current indiscretions well hidden. Building to a breathtaking collision between two fathers -- biological and adoptive, past and present -- Somebody Else's Daughter is both a suspenseful thriller and a probing study of richly conflicted characters in emotional turmoil.

In Memphis, where the heat clings heavy like a second skin, it has been a summer of murders. Olivia Dale's job as a novice crime reporter is at once surreal-stepping in and out of strangers' lives with her notebook-and all too real. As she looks down on the twisted body of a young woman who has...  more

In Memphis, where the heat clings heavy like a second skin, it has been a summer of murders. Olivia Dale's job as a novice crime reporter is at once surreal-stepping in and out of strangers' lives with her notebook-and all too real. As she looks down on the twisted body of a young woman who has been kidnapped and gruesomely killed, she wonders if she could have been that girl. After all, as she chases the story, she discovers that Allison Avery-so all-American, so like Olivia in age and looks-was just like her except wilder. Drawn deep into the shadows and secrets of Allison's life, Olivia becomes caught up in exploring her own wild side and finds herself seduced by a perilous world where her life may be in danger. Hypnotic, compelling, and gorgeously written, Body of a Girl is a summer must-read.

A young widow raising two boys, Sarah Laden is struggling to keep her family together. But when a shocking revelation rips apart the family of her closest friend, Sarah finds herself welcoming yet another troubled young boy into her already tumultuous life. Jordan, a quiet, reclusive...  more

A young widow raising two boys, Sarah Laden is struggling to keep her family together. But when a shocking revelation rips apart the family of her closest friend, Sarah finds herself welcoming yet another troubled young boy into her already tumultuous life. Jordan, a quiet, reclusive elementary school classmate of Sarah's son Danny, has survived a terrible ordeal. By agreeing to become Jordan's foster mother, Sarah will be forced to question the things she has long believed. And as the delicate threads that bind their family begin to unravel, all the Ladens will have to face difficult truths about themselves and one another -- and discover the power of love necessary to forgive and to heal.

Nonny Frett understands the meaning of the phrase in between a rock and a hard place better than any woman alive. Shes got two mothers, one deaf-blind and the other four baby steps from flat crazy. Shes got two men: a husband whos easing out the back door; and a best friend, whos laying siege to...  more

Nonny Frett understands the meaning of the phrase in between a rock and a hard place better than any woman alive. Shes got two mothers, one deaf-blind and the other four baby steps from flat crazy. Shes got two men: a husband whos easing out the back door; and a best friend, whos laying siege to her heart in her front yard. And she has two families: the Fretts, who stole her and raised her right; and the Crabtrees, who lost her and wont forget how they were done wrong. Now, in Between, Georgia, population 90, a feud that began the night Nonny was born is escalating, and a random act of violence is about to ignite a stash of family secrets. Ironically, it might be just what the town needs....if only Nonny werent stuck in between.

New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice made her triumphant debut with this delicately drawn but emotionally powerful portrait of a woman’s extraordinary journey of the heart and soul–a timeless story of love, sisterhood, and the hope that emerges even out of heartbreak....Una...  more

New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice made her triumphant debut with this delicately drawn but emotionally powerful portrait of a woman’s extraordinary journey of the heart and soul–a timeless story of love, sisterhood, and the hope that emerges even out of heartbreak....Una Cavan doesn’t believe in ghosts. But ghosts seem to believe in her. At least, her father’s ghost does, walking into and out of her life as casually as if he were entering and exiting a room. Una has always believed the Cavan women had the power of witches, and from the beaches of Connecticut to the bustle of New York City they’ve shared the special unbreakable bond of sisters. No man has been able to come between them…until Lily marries the “perfect” man and begins to drift away and Margo gets engaged. With another failed relationship behind her, and a thriving career as an actress ahead of her, Una wonders if she’s destined to be alone–or if there isn’t something more, something magical that life has in store for her. Then an unexpected encounter gives her the answer she’s been seeking….From the Trade Paperback edition.

The moving novel of a family that discovers the everyday magic of life and the extraordinary power of love.“You don’t have to be a sucker for happy endings to love this book, but it helps.”–New York Times Book Review“Eloquent…A moving and complete tale of the...  more

The moving novel of a family that discovers the everyday magic of life and the extraordinary power of love.“You don’t have to be a sucker for happy endings to love this book, but it helps.”–New York Times Book Review“Eloquent…A moving and complete tale of the complicated phenomenon we call family.” –People “At the forefront of this well-crafted story stands Cass, youngest and feistiest of the Keating sisters, a mother of three who enjoys hot sex in semipublic locations with husband Billy Medieros, her sweetheart since high school. During a season of emotional and financial upheavals within the Keating clan, the Medieroses’ marriage becomes strained in ways that make Billy wonder whether Cass is more devoted to her family than to him. Then Billy adds to the stress by leaving his father-in-law’s fleet and buying his own boat. His rebellion sets up the book’s unexpected final episode, an electrifying disaster at sea that puts all of the characters back in touch with their deepest loyalties and passions.” –Glamour“Rice has an elegant style, a sharp eye and a real warmth. In her hands families–and their values–seem worth cherishing.” –San Francisco Chronicle“Brilliant.” –Entertainment Weekly

What would you do with a second chance at life?Sarah Talbot thought she?d never see another birthday. But against all odds, she beat the illness that could have killed her, reopened her bedding shop, Cloud Nine, and vowed to make the most of a fresh start that few are given. With Thanksgiving...  more

What would you do with a second chance at life?Sarah Talbot thought she?d never see another birthday. But against all odds, she beat the illness that could have killed her, reopened her bedding shop, Cloud Nine, and vowed to make the most of a fresh start that few are given. With Thanksgiving approaching, Sarah charters a small plane to take her to Elk Island, a remote spot off the rugged Maine coast where she spent some of her happiest days and where she hopes to reunite with the two most important people in her life. She arrives on the island with pilot Will Burke, a kindred spirit with whom Sarah forges a bond that will give them the courage to confront the past and have faith in the future?no matter how uncertain.Once Sarah thought happy endings occurred only in books; now she believes they can happen for anyone. And as she and Will grow closer, and something unexpectedly real blossoms between them, she has him believing it, too. But is believing it enough? Is even love enough? Can real life be lived on cloud nine? In this stunning novel, New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice tells a story you will cherish, peopled with indelible characters whose challenges are your own.

From New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice comes a long-awaited opportunity for readers to discover an acclaimed early novel–one of this cherished storyteller’s most powerful and complex portraits of the fragile bonds of family and home.STONE HEARTNomadic archaeologist Maria...  more

From New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice comes a long-awaited opportunity for readers to discover an acclaimed early novel–one of this cherished storyteller’s most powerful and complex portraits of the fragile bonds of family and home.STONE HEARTNomadic archaeologist Maria Dark is returning home again to the Connecticut shore–a magical place where she, her sister Sophie, and their brother Peter spent their childhood on the banks of Bell Stream. After fifteen years away, Maria hopes that she can rediscover the joy and optimism of her youth in the arms of her family. But things have changed. Maria’s siblings and her mother have weathered difficult times...and Sophie and her children are not as happy as they seem. Now Maria will embark upon an emotional journey–navigating the memories of a tender past–toward the truth at the heart of her family and the chance for a new beginning. A remarkably graceful and intuitive novel, Stone Heart reveals the depths of faith and love that can mend life’s most fragile and precious ties. As never before, Luanne Rice inspires us all to look love squarely in the eye and never let it go.

Anne Davis has returned to the house where she grew up, trading her glamorous Manhattan lifestyle for a harsh winter on a wind-whipped New England island. Her marriage has crumbled in the wake of a tragic accident. Now she has returned to the home on Salt Whistle Raod that has always meant...  more

Anne Davis has returned to the house where she grew up, trading her glamorous Manhattan lifestyle for a harsh winter on a wind-whipped New England island. Her marriage has crumbled in the wake of a tragic accident. Now she has returned to the home on Salt Whistle Raod that has always meant shelter, security, family and love. When she awakens one snowy night to a fire that roars through the old house, Anne escapes--but runs back into the blaze to save something so precious that it's worth risking her life for. It is that reckless act of blind desperation that sets a miracle in motion.

Under the summer sky, anything is possible....Author of the acclaimed novels Cloud Nine and Follow the Stars Home, Luanne Rice returns with another moving portrait of a family in crisis -- as three sisters come face-to-face with the past and find in each other the courage to go on.Coolly...  more

Under the summer sky, anything is possible....Author of the acclaimed novels Cloud Nine and Follow the Stars Home, Luanne Rice returns with another moving portrait of a family in crisis -- as three sisters come face-to-face with the past and find in each other the courage to go on.Coolly sophisticated and steadfastly single, Caroline Renwick has always been the sister everyone could count on. As she and Clea and Skye gathered at Firefly Hill, their childhood home, Caroline thought that they had all put the past behind them. But as summer gets under way, a mysterious man arrives -- a man who has the power to bring it all back....Joe Connor was only six when his father died at Firefly Hill. Though he and Caroline had never met, the five-year-old girl reached out to him. They became pen pals and friends, until a teenaged Joe finally learned the truth about what had happened to his father that night. Now, after years of silence, Joe is suddenly here ... and Caroline still feels a connection. But she can't help but wonder if this handsome man holds the key to her family's healing -- or its destruction. And in his presence, how long will she be able to guard her heart?

The ties that bind a broken family can be the strongest of all....Bestselling novelist Luanne Rice writes of the abiding love within families — and how it can save us even in the most difficult of times. The truth and beauty in her stories will break your heart and mend it again, stronger...  more

The ties that bind a broken family can be the strongest of all....Bestselling novelist Luanne Rice writes of the abiding love within families — and how it can save us even in the most difficult of times. The truth and beauty in her stories will break your heart and mend it again, stronger and more full of hope than ever before. Years ago, just out of college, jewelry maker Daisy Tucker traveled to the wilderness of Wyoming’s Wind River Mountains in search of inspiration for her art. What she found was rancher James Tucker, a man with the wilderness inside him.Their life together was as close to paradise as a family could get — until the day their three-year-old son, Jake, disappeared without a trace. Her heart broken, her marriage in tatters, Daisy returned to Connecticut with Jake’s twin sister, Sage.Now, thirteen years later, Sage is on a dangerous cross-country pilgrimage to the father she longs for. As Daisy returns to the Tucker ranch to wait and pray for Sage’s safe arrival, she learns that you cannot close the door on the past, but sometimes, if you step through it, it can lead you home....Filled with a wild and unpredictable beauty, Dream Country is a novel you’ll never want to end — even as you can’t wait to finish it.

The story of a man and woman forced to choose between the past that haunts them and the love that won't let them go. Jane Porter left the apple orchards of rural Twin Rivers, Rhode Island, years ago, fleeing memories that could tear two families apart.  Now she has been...  more

The story of a man and woman forced to choose between the past that haunts them and the love that won't let them go. Jane Porter left the apple orchards of rural Twin Rivers, Rhode Island, years ago, fleeing memories that could tear two families apart.  Now she has been unexpectedly drawn home to her mother and only sister.  Dylan Chadwick has come back, too, shedding the steely exterior he wore as a federal agent in order to follow in the footsteps of his apple-farming father and forget the life he once lived. Amid this landscape of loss and renewal, a haunting story of converging lives, small-town secrets -- and the magical sway of unexpected miracles -- unfolds.  Deeply moving and richly told, DANCE WITH ME explores emotional connections at their very core, with keen insights into the lives of mothers and daughters, sisters and lovers that will resonate long after the final page is turned.

On the first night of summer, Leila Jameson went out to water her garden-and was never seen again. Years after her disappearance, no one could forget the expectant mother whose glowing smile had captured the heart of a nation-especially not those who'd known her: Maeve Jameson, still...  more

On the first night of summer, Leila Jameson went out to water her garden-and was never seen again. Years after her disappearance, no one could forget the expectant mother whose glowing smile had captured the heart of a nation-especially not those who'd known her: Maeve Jameson, still mourning the loss of a granddaughter she had struggled to protect. . . Mark Murphy, a dogged police detective obsessed with a vanished woman. .. and Lily Malone, drawn to the rugged beauty of the Nova Scotia coast and its promise of a new life. Here Lily hopes to raise her eight-year-old daughter, Rose, far from the pain and loss of the past. Here she will meet a gifted teacher, Liam Neill, whose life is on a similar trajectory from heartbreak to hope. And before the season is over, Lily will find the magic that exists in people we love the best. . . the everyday miracles that can make the extraordinary happen anywhere.

With every New York Times bestseller, Luanne Rice illuminates yet another of the secret wonders of the heart. Her unforgettable evocations of family, friendship, and loves lost and won in such novels as The Edge of Winter, Sandcastles, and Summer of Roses give voice to our most powerful...  more

With every New York Times bestseller, Luanne Rice illuminates yet another of the secret wonders of the heart. Her unforgettable evocations of family, friendship, and loves lost and won in such novels as The Edge of Winter, Sandcastles, and Summer of Roses give voice to our most powerful emotions. Now she brings back two of her most beloved characters to tell of their journey across the sea to unravel the mysteries of a shared past -- and two undying love affairs.... What Matters Most Sister Bernadette Ignatius has returned to Ireland in the company of Tom Kelly to search for the past -- and the son -- they left behind. For it was here that these two long-ago lovers spent a season of magic before Bernadette's calling led her to a vocation as Mother Superior at Star of the Sea Academy on the sea-tossed Connecticut shore. For Tom, Bernadette's choice meant giving up his fortune and taking the job as caretaker at Star of the Sea, where he could be close to the woman he could no longer have but whom he never stopped loving. And while one miracle drew them apart, another is about to bring them together again. For somewhere in Dublin a young man named Seamus Sullivan is also on a search, dreaming of being reunited with his own first love, the only "family" he's ever known. They'd been inseparable growing up together at St. Augustine's Children's Home, until Kathleen Murphy's parents claimed her and she vanished across the sea to America. Now, in a Newport mansion, that very girl, grown to womanhood, works as a maid and waits with a faith that defies all reason for the miracle that will bring back the only boy she's ever loved. That miracle is at hand -- but like most miracles, it can come only after the darkest of nights and the deepest of heartbreaks. For life can be as precarious as a walk along a cliff, and its greatest rewards reached only by those who dare to risk everything... for what matters most.

Spurred by her mother's dying wish, Susannah Connolly has traveled from her lifelong home on the Connecticut shoreline to the fabled French Camargue, to see its famous white horses and find a mysterious saint linked to her family's history. An accomplished anthropologist, Susannah has...  more

Spurred by her mother's dying wish, Susannah Connolly has traveled from her lifelong home on the Connecticut shoreline to the fabled French Camargue, to see its famous white horses and find a mysterious saint linked to her family's history. An accomplished anthropologist, Susannah has always been confident of her ability to navigate anywhere on the globe. But in the wake of a failed love affair and grieving the loss of her mother, she is adrift and uncertain, seeking only time alone to dig deeply into the personal archaeology of her own life. American-born Grey Dempsey had come to the Camargue as a journalist, fell in love with a celebrated Romany rider, and suffered a devastating loss of his own. Now he operates a ranch as he struggles to raise his spirited but troubled young daughter who, after a terrible night years ago, fears the horses she once loved. Within their bittersweet private orbit, in the midst of the endless silvered marshlands, Susannah Connolly will find a part of herself she hadn't known she had lost. And here she will find herself embraced by a circle of strong and passionate women bound together by their abiding faith in the legendary slave-saint Susannah seeks and in the miracles she is said to still perform for those who believe. Yet old secrets swirl within the fog-shrouded landscape, betrayals that may be beyond the power of any saint, or supplicant, to repair.

Here in the halls of Newport Academy, a unique private school that has attracted generations of rebels, outcasts, and visionaries, an unforgettable lesson in the eternal truths of sisterhood is about to begin. After years away, Maura Shaw has returned to Newport, Rhode Island, to teach English...  more

Here in the halls of Newport Academy, a unique private school that has attracted generations of rebels, outcasts, and visionaries, an unforgettable lesson in the eternal truths of sisterhood is about to begin. After years away, Maura Shaw has returned to Newport, Rhode Island, to teach English at the academy. Behind her lies her life as the perfect Midwestern wife and mother, a life that seemed on the surface to be all she had ever wished for. That illusion vanished in a storm off Mackinac Island in the wake of an accident that engulfed Maura's husband and her older daughter, Carrie. Now, with her son and younger daughter, she hopes to find a new beginning. Newport has never failed to infuse Maura with a sense of mystery and hope. But for fourteen-year-old Beck, the move is a painful upheaval from everything she has ever loved, especially her sister, Carrie. Ever since her sister disappeared, Beck has retreated into the world of mathematics, where principles are permanent, unlike so many other things in life. Without Carrie, Beck has lost half of herself, the half that would have fit in at the elite private school she and her brother, Travis, will now attend. The half that made things right. Still, Beck clings to the hope that her sister will return to them. Beck isn't alone in her struggle to adjust. At sixteen, Travis is juggling a long-distance first love and an attraction to an expensive-looking girl with a wicked sparkle in her eye. And for Maura, ghosts linger here--an unresolved breach with her own beloved sister and a long-ago secret that may now have the power to set her free.

Painter Honor Sullivan has made a life for herself and her three daughters–Regis, Agnes, and Cecilia–at Star of the Sea Academy on the magical Connecticut shore. Here she teaches art at the convent school’s beautiful seaside campus, over which Honor’s sister-in-law,...  more

Painter Honor Sullivan has made a life for herself and her three daughters–Regis, Agnes, and Cecilia–at Star of the Sea Academy on the magical Connecticut shore. Here she teaches art at the convent school’s beautiful seaside campus, over which Honor’s sister-in-law, mother superior Bernadette Ignatius, keeps a benevolent and watchful eye. No one could have foreseen the day rebellious Regis would come home with the stunning news that she was getting married. Nor could anyone have guessed how that sudden announcement would soon change all their lives forever.Eleven years ago, Honor thought she had the perfect home, the perfect love, the perfect life. Then her husband, brilliant photographer and sculptor John Sullivan, broke her heart–and tore their little family apart. Now, hearing of Regis’s impending marriage, John has ended his self-imposed exile and returned to the family he’s always loved more than anything on earth. What he finds is one daughter still hurting over his abandonment, another who barely remembers him, and a third who may be in more trouble than anyone knows. And then there is Honor herself–and a passion that may have been interrupted but that has never waned.Some things, like sandcastles, don’t survive the changing tides. But love, family, and friendship–just as fragile–have a way of standing against anything. It will take nothing short of a miracle to heal the rift between father and daughter, husband and wife, the past and the present–but a miracle is exactly what is in the works at Star of the Sea Academy. The only question is: Do you believe?From the Hardcover edition.

Neve Halloran and her daughter have shared a fierce love for the austere beauty of Rhode Island's South County ever since Neve guided Mickey's first baby steps along the sandy shore. Now, with Mickey a teenager and Neve's last hope for happiness with her daughte'?s loving but unstable father...  more

Neve Halloran and her daughter have shared a fierce love for the austere beauty of Rhode Island's South County ever since Neve guided Mickey's first baby steps along the sandy shore. Now, with Mickey a teenager and Neve's last hope for happiness with her daughte'?s loving but unstable father gone, both will struggle to make a new life together amid the windswept landscape that sustains them. Captivated by a fragile wildlife sanctuary, Mickey will move toward womanhood in the company of a lonely boy who shares her instinctive way with the creatures of the coast. And Neve will find herself drawn to a man who has devoted his life to the sanctuary, but who is unable to share the pain of a recent loss -- or reconnect with the father who still bears the scars of World War II. As winter gives way to spring, and spring to summer, a secret will emerge that has lain buried in the depths just offshore for decades, a secret that will galvanize the small seaside community. For the waters bear their own vestige of the past -- and their ceaseless rhythms may point the way to hope and new beginnings. Lyrical, luminous, and utterly captivating, The Edge of Winter is Luanne Rice at her most penetrating and insightful, in a moving exploration of the bonds that shape us and set us free.

Known for her moving characters and emotional honesty, Mary Alice Monroe brings readers a beautifully rendered story that explores the fragile yet enduring bond between mothers and daughters. Caretta Rutledge thought she'd left her Southern roots and troubled family far behind. But an...  more

Known for her moving characters and emotional honesty, Mary Alice Monroe brings readers a beautifully rendered story that explores the fragile yet enduring bond between mothers and daughters. Caretta Rutledge thought she'd left her Southern roots and troubled family far behind. But an unusual request from her mother -- coming just as her own life is spinning out of control -- has Cara heading back to the scenic Lowcountry of her childhood summers. Before long, the rhythms of the island open her heart in wonderful ways as she repairs the family beach house, becomes a bona fide "turtle lady" and renews old acquaintances long thought lost. But it is in reconnecting with her mother that she will learn life's most precious lessons -- true love involves sacrifice, family is forever and the mistakes of the past can be forgiven.

Sweetgrass is a historical tract of land in South Carolina that has been home to the Blakely family for eight generations. But Sweetgrass---named for the indigenous grass that grows in the area---is in trouble. Bulldozers are leveling surrounding properties. And the Blakelys could be forced to...  more

Sweetgrass is a historical tract of land in South Carolina that has been home to the Blakely family for eight generations. But Sweetgrass---named for the indigenous grass that grows in the area---is in trouble. Bulldozers are leveling surrounding properties. And the Blakelys could be forced to sell the one thing that continues to hold their disintegrating family together. For some of the Blakels, the propect of selling Sweetgrass is bittersweet---for others, it is completely unimaginable. But as they find the strength to stay and fight, they realize that their bond as a family is all they need to stay together.

Charlotte Godowski was used to the horrified stares she received from strangers. She'd learned to accept her facial deformity, until one cruel incident compelled her to have the surgery that changed her life forever. Charlotte Godfrey is beautiful beyond compare. In Hollywood, where such beauty...  more

Charlotte Godowski was used to the horrified stares she received from strangers. She'd learned to accept her facial deformity, until one cruel incident compelled her to have the surgery that changed her life forever. Charlotte Godfrey is beautiful beyond compare. In Hollywood, where such beauty is power, her rise is meteoric. Suddenly she has everything she could want: acceptance, a future and a love she believes can see to the true beauty within. Charlotte Godowski and Charlotte Godfrey are two sides of the same women -- a woman who can trust no one with her secret. But when fate forces Charlotte to deal with the truth -- about her past, about the man she loves, about herself -- she discovers that only love has the power to transform a scarred soul.

Mary Alice Monroe returns to the captivating and mystical South Carolina low country, a place of wild beauty and untamed hearts, to tell the moving story of healing, hope and new beginnings . . . E.R. nurse Ella Majors has seen all the misery that she can handle. Burned-out and unsure of her...  more

Mary Alice Monroe returns to the captivating and mystical South Carolina low country, a place of wild beauty and untamed hearts, to tell the moving story of healing, hope and new beginnings . . . E.R. nurse Ella Majors has seen all the misery that she can handle. Burned-out and unsure of her next step, she accepts the temporary position as caregiver to Marion Henderson, a frightened five-year-old who suffers from juvenile diabetes. But Ella soon realizes there is more sorrow in the isolated home than the little girl's illness. Harris Henderson, a single father, is withdrawn, seemingly better able to deal with wild birds he rehabilitates in his birds-of-prey sanctuary than with his own daughter. Then something magical begins to happen: the timeless beauty of the South Carolina coast and the majestic grace of the wild birds weave a healing spell on the injured hearts at the sanctuary. But a troubled mother's unexpected return will test the fragile bonds of trust and new love, and reveal the inherent risks and exhilarating beauty of flying free.

They are the Season sisters, bound by blood, driven apart by a tragedy. Now they are about to embark on a bittersweet journey into the unknown, an odyssey of promise and forgiveness, of loss and rediscovery. Jillian, Beatrice and Rose have gathered for the funeral of their younger sister,...  more

They are the Season sisters, bound by blood, driven apart by a tragedy. Now they are about to embark on a bittersweet journey into the unknown, an odyssey of promise and forgiveness, of loss and rediscovery. Jillian, Beatrice and Rose have gathered for the funeral of their younger sister, Meredith. Her death, and the legacy she leaves them, will trigger a cross-country journey in search of a stranger -- a stranger with the power to mend their shattered lives. As the emotions of the past reverberate into the present, Jillian, Beatrice and Rose search for the girls they once were -- in hopes of finding what they really lost: the women they were meant to be.

With a strong, warm voice that brings the South to life, New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe writes richly textured stories that intimately portray the complex and emotional relationships we share with families, friends, and the natural world. "Every book that Mary Alice Monroe...  more

With a strong, warm voice that brings the South to life, New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe writes richly textured stories that intimately portray the complex and emotional relationships we share with families, friends, and the natural world. "Every book that Mary Alice Monroe has written has felt like a homecoming to me," writes Pat Conroy, bestselling author of The Prince of Tides.Time Is a River is an insightful novel that will sweep readers away to the seductive southern landscape, joining books by authors such as Anne Rivers Siddons and Sue Monk Kidd.Recovering from breast cancer and reeling from her husband's infidelity, Mia Landan flees her Charleston home to heal in the mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. She seeks refuge in a neglected fishing cabin belonging to her fly-fishing instructor, Belle Carson.Belle recently inherited the cabin, which once belonged to a grandmother she never knew -- the legendary fly fisher and journalist of the 1920s, Kate Watkins, whose life fell into ruins after she was accused of murdering her lover. Her fortune lost in the stock market crash and her reputation destroyed, Kate slipped into seclusion in the remote cabin. After her death the fishing cabin remained locked and abandoned for decades. Little does Belle know that by opening the cabin doors to Mia for a summer's sanctuary, she will open again the scandal that plagued Belle's family for generations.From her first step inside the dusty cabin, Mia is fascinated by the traces of Kate's mysterious story left behind in the eccentric furnishings of the cabin. And though Belle, ashamed of the tabloid scandal that tortured her mother, warns Mia not to stir the mud, Mia is compelled to find out more about Kate...especially when she discovers Kate's journal.The inspiring words of the remarkable woman echo across the years. Mia has been learning to fly-fish, and Kate's wise words comparing life to a river resonate deeply. She begins a quest to uncover the truth behind the lies. As she searches newspaper archives and listens to the colorful memories of the local small-town residents, the story of a proud, fiercely independent woman emerges. Mia feels a strange kinship with the woman who, like her, suffered fears, betrayal, the death of loved ones, and a fall from grace -- yet found strength, compassion and, ultimately, forgiveness in her isolation. A story timeless in its appeal emerges, with a power that reopens old wounds, but also brings a transforming healing for Mia, for Kate's descendants, and for all those in Mia's new community.

The scene of a childhood tragedy that forced her family to move, Seaboro, South Carolina, is the last place Catherine Leary wants to see again. But her father's last wish to have his ashes scattered there, and his young colleague's desire to write an article about him, conspire against...  more

The scene of a childhood tragedy that forced her family to move, Seaboro, South Carolina, is the last place Catherine Leary wants to see again. But her father's last wish to have his ashes scattered there, and his young colleague's desire to write an article about him, conspire against Catherine. Hoping to stop her family's secrets from being exposed, she travels to her once-beloved Lowcountry town -- and embarks on a poignant trip into the past... a journey that might lead her into a new life of love, forgiveness, and self-discovery.

Ellen Gulden is enjoying her career as a successful magazine writer in New York City when she learns that her mother, Kate, is dying of cancer. Ellen’s father insists that she quit her job and return home to become a caregiver. A high-powered career woman, Ellen has never felt she had much...  more

Ellen Gulden is enjoying her career as a successful magazine writer in New York City when she learns that her mother, Kate, is dying of cancer. Ellen’s father insists that she quit her job and return home to become a caregiver. A high-powered career woman, Ellen has never felt she had much in common with her mother, a homemaker and the heart of their family. Yet as Ellen begins to spend time with Kate, she discovers many surprising truths, not only about herself, but also about the woman she thought she knew so well.   Later, when Ellen is accused of the mercy killing of her mother, she must not only defend her own life but make a difficult choice—either accept responsibility for an act she did not commit or divulge the name of the person she believes committed a painful act of love.

An exciting, thought-provoking novel of love as steadfast as an angel's, as deep as God's -- a passionate story of mercy and forgiveness as great as heaven itself. How is it that Tabris, a special guardian in God's eyes, has come to commit the one unforgiveable crime for...  more

An exciting, thought-provoking novel of love as steadfast as an angel's, as deep as God's -- a passionate story of mercy and forgiveness as great as heaven itself. How is it that Tabris, a special guardian in God's eyes, has come to commit the one unforgiveable crime for guardian angels? And more alarming to the entire celestial world, why did he get away with it?

Melanie Marsh is an American living in London with her British husband, Stephen, and their two young children. The Marshes? orderly home life is shattered when their son Daniel is given a devastating diagnosis. Resourceful and determined not to accept what others, including her husband, say...  more

Melanie Marsh is an American living in London with her British husband, Stephen, and their two young children. The Marshes? orderly home life is shattered when their son Daniel is given a devastating diagnosis. Resourceful and determined not to accept what others, including her husband, say is inevitable, Melanie finds an ally in the idealistic Andy, whose unorthodox ideas may just prove that Daniel is far more ?normal? than anyone imagined. Daniel Isn?t Talking is a moving story of a family in crisis, told with warmth, compassion, and humor.

A laugh-out-loud, warmhearted debut about a woman reliving her youth (and not just the good parts). Plenty of thirtysomething women would be thrilled to look like a teenager. But journalist Kathy Hopkins wishes she could be taken a little more seriously-or, at the very least, order a glass of...  more

A laugh-out-loud, warmhearted debut about a woman reliving her youth (and not just the good parts). Plenty of thirtysomething women would be thrilled to look like a teenager. But journalist Kathy Hopkins wishes she could be taken a little more seriously-or, at the very least, order a glass of wine without producing ID. Now her youthful appearance is forcing her into an undercover assignment she could do without: posing as a freshman at a small liberal arts college where, rumor has it, a secret prostitution ring is flourishing. It could mean a career-making exposé. But right now, pretending to be eighteen means dealing with a Clay Aiken--obsessed roommate, late-night parties that test her aging body--and most embarrassing of all, a massive crush on a guy who's just turned legal. Suddenly, Kathy's got the chance to do it all over again, hopefully better this time. Fortunately she's a quick learner.

When Torey Hayden first met fifteen-year-old Kevin, he was barricaded under a table, desperately afraid of everything around him. He had not spoken in eight years. Torey Hayden refused to call any child a hopeless case, but to help Kevin, she might need a miracle. About the Author: Torey...  more

When Torey Hayden first met fifteen-year-old Kevin, he was barricaded under a table, desperately afraid of everything around him. He had not spoken in eight years. Torey Hayden refused to call any child a hopeless case, but to help Kevin, she might need a miracle. About the Author: Torey Hayden is an educational psychologist and a former special education teacher who, since 1979, has chronicled her struggles in the classroom in a succession of bestselling books. She currently lives and writes in North Wales, U.K., with her husband and daughter.

Fingernail Moon, the true story of a mother and daughter’s courageous journey. An inspiring story of Janie Webster’s daring quest to save her daughter’s life.When Webster discovered that her husband had sexually abused their daughter, her seemingly content life changed forever....  more

Fingernail Moon, the true story of a mother and daughter’s courageous journey. An inspiring story of Janie Webster’s daring quest to save her daughter’s life.When Webster discovered that her husband had sexually abused their daughter, her seemingly content life changed forever. She began divorce proceedings, but the court allowed unsupervised visits between father and daughter. Then her husband was diagnosed with AIDS. Terrified that he could further abuse and even infect their daughter, Janie Webster knew that she had to flee.Mother and daughter embarked on a five-year journey around the world. Although often discouraged, they found within their physical journey a deep spiritual meaning. With God’s guidance, they established and reestablished new lives in the countries where they stayed, finding people they could trust who provided them with friendship and assistance. Despite the threat of deportation and imprisonment hanging over them, they sensed the hand of God engineering their safe passage.