The Widows' Adventures


Charles Dickinson - 1989
    Helene, who is blind, does the driving. Her sister, Ina, shows the way, and together they break free into the light they feared had gone out of their lives. They cross a landscape whose dangers are secondary to the perilous memories and secrets they share. Their goal-Los Angeles, home to Ina’s children-shimmers like a mirage on the horizon of their plans. Charles Dickinson has invested these two women with a remarkable spirit: In a vast and intricate weaving of truth and memory he has created two unforgettable sisters with the courage, the wit, and the tenacity to embark upon a journey that redefines for themselves and their families the kind of women they will be for the rest of their lives.

Phantom


Susan Kay - 1990
    This incredible portrait of Erik--the Phantom--recreates his entire life, from his survival as a child in a carnival freak show to his creative genius behind the Paris Opera House--and its labyrinthine world below--to his discovery of love.

Trustee from the Toolroom


Nevil Shute - 1960
    A novel tells the story of a man who leads an ordinary, uneventful life, until overnight he becomes the trustee of his 10-year-old niece, and involved in the search for some missing money.

Travels with My Aunt


Graham Greene - 1969
    Soon after, she persuades Henry to abandon Southwood, his dahlias and the Major next door to travel her way, Brighton, Paris, Istanbul, Paraguay. Through Aunt Augusta, a veteran of Europe's hotel bedrooms, Henry joins a shiftless, twilight society: mixing with hippies, war criminals, CIA men; smoking pot, breaking all the currency regulations and eventually coming alive after a dull suburban life. In Travels with my Aunt Graham Greene not only gives us intoxicating entertainment but also confronts us with some of the most perplexing of human dilemmas.

Contents of the Dead Man's Pockets


Jack Finney - 1956
    If he lost, not even his wife would understand.places: New York, NY: Lexington Avenue, Wholesale Groceries, Public Library. Fifth Avenue, Loew's (theater), Fiftieth StreetOriginally published Collier's, October 26 1956

Nightingale Wood


Stella Gibbons - 1938
    Left penniless, the young widow is forced to live with her late husband's family in a joyless old house. There's Mr Wither, a tyrannical old miser, Mrs Wither, who thinks Viola is just a common shop girl, and two unlovely sisters-in-law, one of whom is in love with the chauffeur.

The Country Beyond


James Oliver Curwood - 1922
    It is a tale of romance and adventure in the wild, rugged Canadian wilderness. Once again, James Oliver Curwood spins a tale of adventure and romance in the Canadian wilderness with an interesting twist. In this book, the good are not so very good, and the bad becomes the hero in the end. "The Law" puts Jolly Roger McKay on the run, separating him from his love, Nada. Peter, the half Airedale, half Mackenzie hound called Pied-Bot is torn between the two and determined to protect both against all enemies, man or beast. This is a heart-rending tale of love and heroics between a man, a woman and their little dog, Peter. Sergeant Cassidy, of the Royal Northwest Mounties, chases Jolly Roger across the wilds of Northern Canada in a "fair fight" in which each takes his turn in winning over the other. With Cassidy always close behind, Jolly Roger heads for his friends of the Cree tribe. There, his dear friend, Yellowbird, predicts that he will once again see Nada in "The Country Beyond," a place as yet unknown. Tragedy and comedy avail each of the main characters in this book, Jolly Roger, Sergeant Cassidy, Nada, and even Pied-bot as the story advances to determine whether Cassidy will catch McKay before he can reach Nada and escape.

Wonder Boys


Michael Chabon - 1995
    In his first novel since The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, Chabon presents a hilarious and heartbreaking work—the story of the friendship between the "wonder boys"—Grady, an aging writer who has lost his way, and Crabtree, whose relentless debauchery is capsizing his career.