Book picks similar to
Between the Levees by Jonathan Olivier
fiction
general-fiction
louisiana
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Another Life
Sara MacDonald - 2005
He traces her ship, The Lady Isabella, back to a small port in Cornwall where he meets Gabrielle Ellis, the woman who is going to restore her to her former glory. Together they begin to trace jigsaw pieces of the lives of the carver, Tom Welland and the real Lady Isabella.Gabrielle becomes increasingly haunted by Isabella's lost life. As Gabrielle's own life becomes inextricably involved with Mark's, her story runs parallel with the lives of Isabella, her husband Richard and Tom Welland, the carver.Two women, living more than a hundreds years apart yet against the same wild backdrop of sea and landscape, make a rash bid for freedom to live another life. But for both of them, that choice means a loss which will greatly affect the next generation.
Waiting for Paint to Dry
Lia Mack - 2015
Living vicariously through her best friend Claire's perfect life wasn't the plan. However, Matty learned long ago it's easier to run and hide from life than to deal with the PTSD she’s suffered from since being raped at sixteen. Yet on the night of her thirtieth birthday, a freak accident shows Matty a truth: run from something long enough and it will consume you. She must find a way back to her life, a life full of passion in which she can follow her dreams and is not afraid to love. When Claire announces her family is moving, she asks Matty to come too. Having grown up Navy, Matty’s no stranger to picking up and starting over. However, moving half-way around the world to play nanny to Claire’s children doesn't sound like the new beginning Matty yearns for. Nor does she want to leave without first confronting her fears and coming full-healing-circle. She can’t let another decade slip by before she’s able to trust again. ** A portion of the proceeds benefit RAINN: Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network**
Dancing in the Streets of Brooklyn
April Lurie - 2002
But in July 1944, Judy’s carefree days and her innocence are shaken by a discovery: The man she’s always called Pa isn’t her real father. Even more shocking, Judy learns that the father she doesn’t remember was an alcoholic who abandoned his family. That’s why Judy’s mother emigrated to America from Norway. Now Judy feels jumbled inside: She’s angry at her mother for keeping the truth from her–and she’s suddenly awkward around Pa. Nothing her parents say soothes the hurt.At first, even the attentions of Jacob Jacobsen don’t make her feel any better. Judy likes Jacob; it’s just that his dad’s drinking binges hit too close to home. Ashamed, Judy doesn’t want anyone to find out her secret. But as misfortune befalls Jacob, Judy’s close friends, and her own family, Judy rallies to their side, and in the process recognizes that growing up encompasses forgiveness–of others and of herself.
When I Found You
Catherine Ryan Hyde - 2009
To his shock, the child—wrapped in a sweater and wearing a tiny knitted hat—is still alive. To his wife’s shock, Nathan wants to adopt the boy…but the child’s grandmother steps in. Nathan makes her promise, however, that one day she’ll bring the boy to meet him so he can reveal that he was the one who rescued him. Fifteen years later, the widowered Nathan discovers the child abandoned once again—this time at his doorstep. Named Nat, the teenager has grown into a sullen delinquent whose grandmother can no longer tolerate him. Nathan agrees to care for Nat, and the two engage in a battle of wills that pans years. Still, the older man repeatedly assures the youngster that, unlike the rest of the world, he will never abandon him—not even when Nat suffers a trauma that changes both of their lives forever.From the bestselling author of Pay It Forward comes When I Found You, an exquisite, emotional tale of the unexpected bonds that nothing in life can break.
Feels like Home
Evelyn Adams - 2014
But when her carefully constructed life crumbles around her, Autumn's forced to return to the small southern town that never let her forget she came from the wrong side of the tracks. Jude Southerland, the town doctor, is used to taking care of people and with a pedigree that has the Ladies Auxiliary reaching for their fans, he’s easily the town’s most eligible bachelor – a status he has no intention of changing. That is until he almost runs down the Maddox girl he never noticed in school and suddenly finds her lush curves, dark curls and blue eyes consuming his thoughts, day and night. Autumn would like nothing more than to live happily ever after with Jude. But with every local matron in the valley trying to marry him off to their own daughters, she knows they won’t let her forget that she's not good enough and never will be. With the chance to finally find happiness, can she overcome her family history and find the confidence she needs to believe in herself or will she let love pass her by?
Bouquet Toss
Melissa Brown - 2012
Be it a blessing or a curse, Daphne (a hopeless romantic and perpetual single girl) catches the bouquet at every single wedding she attends. Daphne’s love life is a mess. Her first love, Mayson, haunts her heart and keeps her from pursuing happiness with any man who comes along. As she struggles to move on from the one who got away, Daphne wonders if she will ever break her curse and find her happily ever after.
The Mule Tamer
John C. Horst - 2012
Every night after dinner, I looked forward to the next episode of Larry McMurtry’s novel, and every night I did not want it to end. Indeed, I can see The Mule Tamer’s Arvel Walsh being played by Robert Duvall and Dick Welles being played by Tommy Lee Jones. On the other hand, many of the sharply, crisply written scenes – whether of shoot-outs, killings, drug-induced deliriums, or lust – brought back memories from Cormac McCarthy’s Border Trilogy which began with All the Pretty Horses.Being a painstakingly researched novel, some of its most graphically etched scenes taken right out of the pages of 1890’s newspapers, The Mule Tamer will interest readers of historical novels as well as of American history. Also, all of us who love classic Western movies will be drawn to the challenges facing Walsh and Welles. Yet, author John Horst has set his sights higher than the creating of a stereotypical and rehashed Western plot. Walsh not only embodies the classic traits of a Western hero – he’s stoic, laconic, an excellent marksman, has a mysterious and tragic past, and is desirable by a young, sexy, fast-shooting, hard-riding, free-spirited woman – Walsh is also introspective, a character who changes and develops as he searches for answers to the questions in his life.In a tight situation, Chica – a wonderfully drawn female gunslinger based on a true figure of the West – does not think twice before pulling the trigger, and you shouldn’t either: click instantly on the link to The Mule Tamer and buy this book."Arvel Walsh can tame mules, but can he tame the wild Arizona frontier, and the Mexican girl known as Chica, as wild and unpredictable as the land she roams? Arizona in 1892 is the last of the untamed country in America. Laws are hard to enforce and bad hombres know it. Texas pushed them out of their land with the famous Texas Rangers, can Arizona do the same? Challenged by savage bandits, psychotic serial killers, and anarchists, Arvel Walsh and Dick Welles will have to summon all their knowledge, and all their guts as veterans of the Civil War to make the fledgling Arizona Rangers a force to be reckoned with. Follow the men as they ride across the deserts and through the arroyos of southern Arizona, encountering dangers, a mystical aborigine, a severed head in a bottle, and side show freaks while discovering that heroes may be found in the most unlikely places, and that a certain beautiful and unpredictable woman may very well be the key to their success and their salvation, in more ways than one.
Assignment Prague
Helen Haught Fanick - 2012
But when he learns that the young spy sent by the OSS to Prague is a woman, he has misgivings about working with her. He had expected a man—a man who could handle his assignment with the help of Janak and his fellow Resistance workers. It doesn’t take long, however, for Janak to realize the beautiful blonde spy has enough daring and resourcefulness to do what it takes in the occupied city. The Nazis are everywhere, but Tereza’s knowledge of Czech and German allows her to fit right in.Both of them have an unspoken determination to keep their relationship professional, to keep distractions at a minimum, but is that going to be possible when every day might be their last? The bond that develops between them can only be destroyed by death, but that’s a real possibility for covert activists in Nazi-occupied Prague.
Attachments
Rainbow Rowell - 2011
(Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now—reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers—not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained—and captivated—by their stories.By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.What would he say . . . ?
The Searcher: He's there when the Law can't help
Rand Osborn - 2017
He was a Searcher of men who possessed a unique skill only a few possess. When not working he was self destructive and a town drunk. Jethro McDougal needed the services of a Searcher of the caliber of Reed Justus' ability. He found him in a saloon and his unkempt appearance made him wonder if this man could do the job. McDougal decided he would take the chance but only time would tell if Justus was really the one known as the Searcher!
The Blood Contract Trilogy
Ron Ripley - 2015
In return, the Blood family dedicated their lives, and their deaths to the protection of the town of Thorne. For many years, the town of Thorne was nothing more than a picturesque New England village. But in modern day, the town is enjoying a boom in real estate development. To satisfy the developers with enough land, the town has decided to break the Blood Contract. And the Bloods are not pleased. Not at all. Now, as Autumn moves ever on towards winter, the Aldermen and the people of Thorne are going to learn that there is a price for ignorance. And it’s higher than they could have ever imagined. The Blood Contract Trilogy Contains: 1. The Blood Contract 2. The Old World 3. Ghost Town
Your Hand in Mine (Glen Avich to Seal Island)
Daniela Sacerdoti - 2016
If you love embarking on an emotional journey with Jojo Moyes or Amanda Prowse, you will adore Daniela Sacerdoti.
Pamela has devoted her life to providing a safe haven in the village of Glen Avich for her daughter Mairi, a happy little girl with a big heart. Since her daughter's medical results came in and Mairi's father Douglas walked out, Pamela has vowed that no one would hurt Mairi again, least of all Douglas's bully of a father, who forbade his wife Morag to have anything to do with her granddaughter. When Pamela loses her mother, and her brother moves away, she finds herself alone and longing for a family for Mairi. So when a letter arrives from the recently widowed Morag, inviting them to visit her at home on the tiny island of Seal, Pamela agrees to go. Will it be another failed attempt to build bridges with Douglas's family? Or is Seal waiting for them with unexpected gifts?
Unspoken Bond
Blake O'Connor - 2013
He’s been skipping school, getting into fights, his grades slip to barely passing, and he has broken up with his fiancée. After he rescues an abandoned dog on a lonely stretch of country back road, things start to look up–that is until he is blindsided by a crippling tragedy. Along his journey to recovery, a girl he met by chance keeps haunting his dreams and his thoughts. But there’s a problem–he doesn’t even know her name.Emma Mendoza is lamenting her turn in life: almost divorced, lousy job, no family, and no one to share her life with. She sits alone in her apartment thinking about her upcoming deployment, and about a boy she met. Who is he? Where is he? Why can’t she stop thinking about him? And so begins a story about the love of two people transcending time and tragedy, and about the love of a dog that will never be forgotten…“Smooth, fluid prose, with a strong emotional hook,” says a judge of a major metropolitan writing contest. Unspoken Bond is an award-winning, heart-warming story about how one unselfish act can have far reaching and lifelong consequences. It’s a celebration of the unspoken bond between a man and his dog, and the timeless bond between two people, held together by a whisper of a touch.
Chasing Rainbows
Kathleen Long - 2011
Her husband leaves her for another woman, and her best friend announces an unplanned pregnancy at the age of forty-one. Bernie's behavior goes from acting out to out-of-hand, and she finds herself in trouble at home, out of work and banned from the mall after a confrontation at the cosmetic counter.When her mother discovers her father's book of cryptograms, Bernie realizes his encoded lessons in living might be exactly what she needs to survive. From dealing with her family's grief and bonding with her best friend's thirteen-year-old daughter, to dieting, dating and mindless almost-sex with the landscaper, Bernie discovers what her father always knew.In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you don't.For Bernie, the singing is about to begin.
Raiding Forces Series Boxed Set (Books 1 & 2): Those Who Dare & Dead Eagles
Phil Ward - 2017
Meticulously researched (the author was an instructor at the Army Ranger School), the series begins with the birth of special operations—as seen through the eyes of a young American officer who has volunteered to serve with British Forces. With over 500 reviews and a 4.3 star average, Those Who Dare and Dead Eagles are sure to appeal to WWII military historical fiction fans. Two books for the price of one—$9.99. Those Who Dare (Book1) May 1940, 10th Panzer Division has decimated France and is driving on Calais a short distance from Dunkirk. Lieutenant John Randal, a veteran of the US 26th Cavalry Regiment volunteers to serve with the British Forces and arrives on the continent three days before the town falls. What unfolds is a blend of guerrilla tactics learned in the Philippian jungles, the first small-scale Commando raid, tough training at No.1 Parachute Training School, the Commando Castle, Special Operations Executive. suspense, humor and a little romance with the drop dead gorgeous widow Lady Jane Seaborn. The author—a decorated Ranger combat veteran covers the details of war extensively putting the reader right in the middle of the action. As the novel ends newly promoted Major Randal, upon returning from the first British parachute raid of the war is alerted that Raiding Forces will deploy within 48 hours via sea transport for their next mission off the Gold Coast of Africa. Dead Eagles (Book 2) U.S.Major John Randal, Commander of Strategic Raiding Forces is back, leading a crew of British Commandos, Royal Marines and Royal Navy raiders on bigger and bolder missions to foil Hitler's Third Reich. Off the Gold Coast colony in Africa, the Germans are operating a naval intelligence ring that gathers information about British convoys in the southern sea-lane. Couriers carry the data to nearby Rio Bonita, a tiny Portuguese island protectorate, whence they are broadcast to Nazi U-boats and surface raiders from a clandestine radio station onboard one of three interned enemy ships. As a result, British convoys vital to the war effort are ravaged. Major Randal and the Raiding Forces mission is to invade neutral Rio Bonita and spirit away the three ships. Failure means either imprisonment or hanging for piracy-and that Portugal will declare war on its oldest ally. Peopling Dead Eagles are colorful characters new and old. There is Wild West showman Captain "Geronimo Joe" McKoy, the stunning Special Operations Executive operator Lady Jane Seaborn, who adopts the Raiding Forces as her own pet project; and Lady Jane's bombshell of a driver, Pamala Plum-Martin. Even Commander Ian Fleming puts in an appearance, submitting a plan for "Operation Ruthless", the goal of which is to board a Luftwaffe bomber and crash it into the English Channel in order to capture an Enigma coding device from a Nazi air-sea rescue craft. This action packed adventure story features Lovat Scout Snipers, the take down of the Vichy French fleet in English ports, daring Commando raids, an epic sea battle, beautiful spies and culminates in a deadly shoot-out in a crowed bar in Occupied France.