Yes, And


Cindy Gunderson - 2020
    Yes, she is old. Yes, she sometimes forgets where she put her glasses, or her heart medication. But doesn't everyone? That doesn't give workers--paid to assist her, mind you--the right to rifle through her personal belongings, or "accidentally" forget something of hers in their pocket. It definitely does not give them the right to embezzle thousands of dollars from her family trust.Just when she is most desperate, a young neighbor takes her by surprise. Bonding over their shared love of soap operas, Jo and Toby engage in old-school reconnaissance to find answers. Together, they brave roller skates, walks along uneven ground, and even downtown parking on what may be Jo's most exciting adventure in forty years."Yes, And" is a feel-good story that explores the hearts of two misunderstood, kindred spirits, connected just when they need each other most.

Delaney's People: A Novel In Small Stories


Beth Duke - 2011
    Delaney is one of them."When you meet Delaney Robinson, she is a two-year-old with a serious attachment to her wonderful great-grandmother, who guides her through life with the wisdom of a nonagenarian. Margaret's reminiscences, along with the rest you will read, tell the story of how this adorable little girl came to be.There is murder, mayhem, humor, romance--and a bit of heartbreak. The stories are about her parents, grandparents, distant ancestors, and family friends, from Delaney's Irish forebears and how they settled in Alabama to a chapter written entirely from the point of view of a Confederate battle sword hanging on her grandfather's wall.

Serpent of Old


T.R. Pearson - 2019
    When a decent, regular guy does his thieving neighbor a favor by driving him out to a long-neglected farm to steal an old panel truck, the two accidentally spark the ire of the hidden, quasi-occult residents of the place who prove eager to inflict Old Testament vengeance on just about every male within reach.  It's Me Too gone feral in a story of moral anxiety, misguided romance, and the age-old wages of sin.

Sunsets Never Wait


Jonathan Cullen - 2020
    The isolation is all but unbearable until a mysterious tenant moves into the house at the bottom of the hill. James Dunford has come from America but he won’t say why. He spends his days fixing up the old cottage and walking the beach with a stray dog that showed up on his doorstep.As the weeks pass, Tara tries to get to know James, but he resists her at every turn. And it's not until a local villager recognizes him from the news that she realizes his visit might be about more than just a vacation. On the night of a big storm, Tara finally confronts James about why he is there. But how can she expect him to be honest when she, too, is hiding her own dark secret?Set against the backdrop of the Hunger Strikes in Northern Ireland, Sunsets Never Wait is a story about love, loss, and the risks of hanging on to the past. No matter how much the world has let you down, there’s always a possibility for second chances.

The Snake Handler


Anthony Doerr - 2011
    Carlos Ninguna is seventeen. His father is a snake-handler and Carlos is his apprentice. When a man who may or may not be on the FBI's Most Wanted List moves into the apartment above them, Carlos is faced with a whole tangle of complicated decisions.Anthony Doerr is one of the country's most honored young story writers. His short stories have appeared in the Atlantic, McSweeney's, the Paris Review, and Zoetrope: All-Story, where "The Snake Handler" originally appeared. His most recent collection, Memory Wall, won the 2010 Story Prize.

The Wooden Nickel


William Carpenter - 2002
    He can identify every car in town from the sound of its engine, but his world is changing faster then he can fathom. His wife has become an artist, selling sea-glass sculptures to tourists. His daughter is bound for college, while his son has turned angry and lawless. Lucky's own heart is failing him, too. An operation has kept it ticking, but he can't run the boat alone any more. As the spring lobster season opens, the only deckhand Lucky can find to help load his traps is Ronette, the not-quite-divorced wife of the local lobster wholesaler. When the two make it out to the fishing grounds, someone else's buoys are bobbing in his ancestral waters. Before he knows it, Lucky is in a lobster war and has abandoned all the rules: family, health, finance, even the rules of the sea that have guided him throughout his life. As waves of trouble turn into a flood tide, Lucky's pride propels him into an epic confrontation with his enemies and a rogue whale -- a battle his unreliable heart may not survive. The Wooden Nickel is a classic story of a man raging against a changing world, full of pathos and comedy. It is a remarkable novel by a writer with a powerful, distinct, and original voice.

Thea's Parrot


Marcia Willett - 1995
    Just about everyone knows of George's long-standing affair with Felicity Mainwaring, the intimidating wife of a naval colleague. Her husband's death the previous year had prompted many to speculate that George would end up marrying his formidable mistress. No one expected it more than Felicity herself and as her letters and calls to George go unanswered she becomes suspicious. He somehow manages to duck Felicity's attempts to contact him long enough to marry Thea, and the couple embark on a harmonious life together in the heart of rural Devon. Thea enjoys matrimony immensely and through the naval network, finds a soul mate in Polly, another youthful bride, but not with such an understanding husband. But everything changes for Thea and George when she mentions that an old friend of his had dropped in for a chat while he was in London - Felicity Mainwaring.

Sarah Morris


D.E. Stevenson - 2019
    Decisive, resourceful and independent, Sarah faces challenges in love and friendship from those around her and the wider circumstances of the war as she travels across the cities and countrysides of England and Scotland. Often described as gentle romances, D. E. Stevenson novels are neither overblown nor unduly tragic, populated with characters who quietly make those around them better simply because of their existence. Consistently satisfying, there is a good reason why Stevenson has amassed a devoted following.

The Ironwood Plantation Family Saga: The Complete Series


Stephenia H. McGee - 2020
    Civil War pits countrymen against one another and tears a nation asunder. Life and death are held in the balance where everyone is a slave to something. In a time when war brings the South to its knees, two women will forge a friendship in the fires of redemption and thrust Ironwood into a new future – where the battle for freedom has merely begun. Book Two: Heir of HopeA hidden diary. Dreams of the past. And a hope for a new future. Emily Burns grew up an orphan, so she never expected to inherit a southern plantation. When she discovers an old diary hidden in the attic, her life becomes strangely entwined with her Civil War ancestor and she soon begins to wonder how a woman long dead can keep showing up in her dreams.Book Three: Missing MercyThe venture ahead could leave their friendship behind.Made a safe-haven after the Civil War, Ironwood Plantation is a refuge of equality for former slaves. But twenty years and a new generation later, they have become an isolated community with little contact with the rest of the world.In a time where prejudices try to define them, Mercy Carpenter and Faith Harper must push the boundaries of their beliefs and trust in the God who holds the keys to freedom.

Night School


Maeve Binchy
    story of an abandoned love, who after making her life in Italy, goes back to the UK to re-make her life there teaching Italian

Grape Seed Falls Romance Box Set


Liz Isaacson - 2018
     Seven cowboys, from billionaires to brothers, and the women who tame their hearts and make romance happen in Texas Hill Country... The complete Grape Seed Falls Romance collection in one boxed set! Book 1: Choosing the Cowboy: Maggie Duffin is all set to inherit her father's farm supply store in Amarillo, Texas. With only girls in her family, and Heidi now married and living at Three Rivers Ranch, she feels a sense of duty and family loyalty. Which is honorable—if it wasn't for her boyfriend, cowboy Chase Carver.So he sets out on a quest to find his own ranch. But with financial trouble and personal issues around every corner, both Maggie and Chase will have to rely on their faith to find their happily-ever-after. Book 2: Craving the Cowboy: A ranch owner in Texas Hill Country, a horse trainer, and a romance for the ages... Book 3: Charming the Cowboy: A cowboy billionaire bachelor, the woman who's been crushing on him, and a fateful accident at his boarding stable... Book 4: Courting the Cowboy: A restaurant heiress, a dating app, and the cowboy just down the street she's sworn off... Book 5: Claiming the Cowboy: A cowboy with a chip on his shoulder, a farrier who's got no roots, and their second chance at making a life together... Book 6: Catching the Cowboy: A cowboy who can't get off the ranch to meet anyone, a stylist who hasn't been on a second date in a year, and the relationship that starts when they're stranded in a cabin together... Book 7: Cheering the Cowboy: A cowboy with anger management issues, the woman whose ranch he "stole," and their chance to get everything they want for Christmas...including each other. Read all the novels by USA Today bestselling author, Liz Isaacson! Three Rivers Ranch Romance Series: 1. Second Chance Ranch 2. Third Time's the Charm 3. Fourth and Long 4. Fifth Generation Cowboy 5. Sixth Street Love Affair 6. The Seventh Sergeant 7. Eight Second Ride 8. The First Lady of Three Rivers 9. Christmas in Three Rivers 10. Lucky Number Thirteen 11. The Curse of February Fourteenth 12. Fifteen Minutes of Fame 13. Sixteen Steps to Fall in Love 14. The Sleigh on Seventeenth Street Gold Valley Romance Series: 1. Before the Leap 2. After the Fall 3. Through the Mist 4. Between the Reins 5. Over the Moon 6. Under the Bridge 7. Up on the Housetop 8. Around the Bend Brush Creek Brides Romance Series: 1. A Wedding for the Widower 2. A Companion for the Cowboy 3. A Bride for the Bronc Rider 4. A Family for the Farmer 5. A Home for the Horseman 6. A Refuge for the Rancher 7. A Marriage for the Marine 8. A Fiance for the Firefighter 9. A Treasure for the Trooper 10. A Date for the Detective 11. A Partner for the Paramedic 12. A Catch for the Chief Steeple Ridge Romance Series: 1. Starting Over at Steeple Ridge (Timeless Romance) 2. Finding Love at Steeple Ridge 3. Learning Faith at Steeple Ridge 4. Kissing Santa at Steeple Ridge 5. Coming Home to Steeple Ridge Grape Seed Falls Romance Series: 1. Choosing the Cowboy 2. Craving the Cowboy 3. Charming the Cowboy 4. Courting the Cowboy 5. Claiming the Cowboy 6.

Emmy's Journey (Two Feather's Legacy Book 2)


Lila M Beckham - 2015
    Determined to do exactly what she sets her mind to, she explores the mountains and valleys around her home with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and a keen eye that misses nothing. When her mother dies, Emmaline, Emmy for short, is thrust into the mystical, spiritual world of her mother’s native peoples, the Tsalagi, better known as the Cherokee. Given the power of observation and shape shifting by her immortal g-great-grandfather Two Feathers, who is the keeper of the Sacred Fire’s Ashes, Emmy is told that she must carry on her mother’s duties and is charged with the task of becoming the family “Ka no he ha Ka no Ge sdi,” the Storyteller. She is supposed to remember and pass down her family’s history and tell about their ancestors. As Emmy grows older and matures, her explorations become more advanced. She discovers a hidden path that takes her beyond an ancient willow tree to a layer of the world that at first seems much like her own, but she soon discovers that it is quite different… When she stays longer than allowed a mortal, she discovers that her grandfather can travel between space and time and communicate with all peoples between the layers of her world. Emmy’s Journey is a voyage through time and into the mysterious spiritual and mystical realms of the Cherokees and a world that most never knows exists.

Rebecca's Children: A saga of love & betrayal in 19th Century Wales


Kate Dunn - 2016
    For fans of Nadine Dorries, Maeve Binchy, Freda Lightfoot and Dilly Court. Lives are on the line as the workers fight back in the Welsh countryside… 1829, Wales For centuries. generations of the Jenkins family have eked out a living from their Carmarthenshire hill farm. But when a fire destroys virtually all of their possessions the children witness their lives crumbling around them. Mary and William find they have barely enough land left to provide for their basic needs. Their only option is to take on more work, but William longs for action, and Mary begins to suspect that he has become embroiled with the Rebecca-ites, a shadowy group of nationalists pitted against the English landowners whose tolls have bankrupted so many Welshman. As tensions mount, Mary becomes ever more torn between her mistrust of the rebels’ violence and her growing attraction to Jac Tŷ Isha, one of their leaders. And when the British government decides to put a stop to the revolt, the danger to the men she loves increases a hundredfold… REBECCA’S CHILDREN is a poignant, beautifully crafted saga of love and betrayal, set against the background of Wales in mid-1800s – a country aflame with political and social unrest. "An accomplished first novel." - The Times "A well-handled tale of passion, social injustice and nationalist fervour in nineteenth century Wales." - The Liverpool Post “Kate Dunn is a fine storyteller.” - Ben Elton

The Banished


Alex MacLean - 2019
     Annapolis Royal, 1755. When frontier tensions boil over, the people of Acadie find themselves caught between two warring empires. Hoping to remain neutral, the Acadians are shocked when the English government instead orders them rounded up and exiled, their lands forfeited and their homes burned. Torn from his family, his home destroyed, blacksmith Isaac Doiron is trapped in the infernal hold of a transport ship heading out to sea. Determined to reunite with his wife and son, he hungers for escape. When all hope seems lost, he meets a prisoner on board who will change the course of his life forever. Set during one of the darkest chapters in Canadian history, The Banished tells the tragic saga of the Acadians, and how a small group of them risked their lives for a chance at freedom.

Centerville


Karen Osborn - 2012
    On a Saturday afternoon in Centerville, a sleepy Midwestern town, a disaffected husband enters a busy drugstore where his estranged wife works and sets a bag with a homemade bomb on the floor. Outside the drugstore, a fourteen-year-old girl places her hand on the door, then inexplicably turns away and keeps walking. Moments later, standing safely inside a bowling alley with her best friend, she hears a sound like thunder.With one devastating explosion, the town is changed forever. In the next few days, four lives become entwined, as the townspeople face sudden loss and new, unpredictable realities.Set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement and the escalating Vietnam War, Centerville forms an engrossing meditation on the complex questions that arise in the wake of senseless violence.