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Everything the light touches : a novel / by Pariat, Janice,author.;
Everything the Light Touches is Janice Pariat's magnificent epic of travelers, of discovery, of time, of science, of human connection, and of the impermanent nature of the universe and life itself--a bold and brilliant saga that unfolds through the adventures and experiences of four intriguing characters. Shai is a young woman in modern India. Lost and drifting, she travels to her country's Northeast and rediscovers, through her encounters with indigenous communities, ways of being that realign and renew her. Evelyn is a student of science in Edwardian England. Inspired by Goethe's botanical writings, she leaves Cambridge on a quest to wander the sacred forests of the Lower Himalayas. Linnaeus, a botanist and taxonomist who famously declared "God creates; Linnaeus organizes," sets off on an expedition to an unfamiliar world, the far reaches of Lapland in 1732. Goethe is a philosopher, writer, and one of the greatest minds of his age. While traveling through Italy in the 1780s, he formulates his ideas for "The Metamorphosis of Plants," a little-known, revelatory text that challenges humankind's propensity to reduce plants--and the world--into immutable parts. Drawn richly from scientific and botanical ideas, Everything the Light Touches is a swirl of ever-expanding themes: the contrasts between modern India and its colonial past, urban and rural life, capitalism and centuries-old traditions of generosity and gratitude, script and "song and stone." Pulsating at its center is the dichotomy between different ways of seeing, those that fix and categorize and those that free and unify. Pariat questions the imposition of fixity--of our obsession to place permanence on plants, people, stories, knowledge, land--where there is only movement, fluidity, and constant transformation. "To be still," says a character in the book, "is to be without life." Everything the Light Touches brings together, with startling and playful novelty, people and places that seem, at first, removed from each other in time and place. Yet as it artfully reveals, all is resonance; all is connection.
Subjects: Historical fiction.; Nature fiction.; Psychological fiction.; Novels.; Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832; Linné, Carl von, 1707-1778; Botany; Women;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Your second act [sound recording] : inspiring stories of reinvention / by Heaton, Patricia,1958-author,narrator.; Simon & Schuster Audio (Firm),publisher.;
Read by the author with a full cast.Patricia Heaton is one of TV's most recognizable and beloved moms. She's won two Emmys for her starring role as Debra Barone on the long-running comedy Everybody Loves Raymond, and followed that career-making role with another gem as Frances Heck on the popular sitcom The Middle. Now, she returns to television as the lead in the new series Carol's Second Act, which follows divorced fifty-year-old Carol Kenney (played by Heaton), who after raising two children and retiring as a teacher decides to finally pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. Patricia Heaton knows what it's like to stage a second act and navigate pivotal transitions in life. Just like Carol, when Heaton's children left the nest, she found herself in a new and unfamiliar stage of life, compelling her to evaluate which direction to take next. She discovered she had the time to pursue passions that were previously placed on hold, both personally and professionally. She made her move and took a step forward in her career and for the first time, Heaton is not only the star of her own show, but also the executive producer. She also now finds her greatest fulfillment in using her influence to support humanitarian efforts as a Celebrity Ambassador for World Vision, the world's largest non-governmental organization. She and her husband support their work in poverty relief around the globe, something that was planted in heart long ago. Through her own experience, Heaton became curious about other people's stories of second-act transitions and ways to offer support in the process. In her new book, Your Second Act, she shares wisdom from her own personal journey as well as insight from stories of numerous people across the country. From work to health, to love and more, the results are heartwarming, inspiring, and surprisingly relatable! Filled with light-hearted anecdotes and pragmatic steps to help you discover your own path, Your Second Act shows us that midlife doesn't have to be about crisis when you focus on the opportunity. After all, it's never too late, or too early to stage your second act!
Subjects: Biographies.; Audiobooks.; Heaton, Patricia, 1958-; Actresses; Middle-aged women;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The six : the lives of the Mitford sisters / by Thompson, Laura,1964-author.; revision of:Thompson, Laura,1964-Take six sisters.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."The eldest was a razor-sharp novelist of upper-class manners; the second was loved by John Betjeman; the third was a fascist who married Oswald Mosley; the fourth idolized Hitler and shot herself in the head when Britain declared war on Germany; the fifth was a member of the American Communist Party; the sixth became Duchess of Devonshire. They were the Mitford sisters: Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Jessica, and Deborah. Born into country-house privilege in the early years of the 20th century, they became prominent as "bright young things" in the high society of interwar London. Then, as the shadows crept over 1930s Europe, the stark--and very public--differences in their outlooks came to symbolize the political polarities of a dangerous decade. The intertwined stories of their stylish and scandalous lives--recounted in masterly fashion by Laura Thompson--hold up a revelatory mirror to upper-class English life before and after WWII."--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Biographies.; Mitford family.; Mitford, Jessica, 1917-1996.; Mitford, Nancy, 1904-1973.; Mitford, Pamela, 1907-1994.; Mitford, Unity, 1914-1948.; Mosley, Diana, 1910-2003.; Devonshire, Deborah Vivien Freeman-Mitford Cavendish, Duchess of, 1920-2014.; Authors, English; Sisters; Women authors, English;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Superman's not coming : our national water crisis and what we the people can do about it / by Brockovich, Erin,author.; Boothby, Suzanne,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Water. The single most necessary element to sustain life. Brockovich warns that America's water crisis isn't looming on the horizon--it's already here. Superman Isn't Coming makes clear that the most precious resource on planet Earth is alarmingly polluted by toxins, hazardous waste, lead, fracking chemicals, and more. In the 20 years since her eponymous film, Brockovich has kept up the fight for clean water one town at a time. She receives thousands of letters each month from people across the country writing to her with water concerns regarding chemicals,who don't know who else to turn to. Brockovich has become a modern-day superhero responding to pleas for help throughout our country, from citizens whose letters and pleas have been ignored by their local representatives, the EPA, the Department of Natural Resources, the CDC, their local water authority with troubling situations that go unheeded and conditions not magically righting themselves. Brockovich can't fight all the fights and save our water on her own. The simple truth is that Superman isn't coming to save us. Her book is an urgent call for all of us. And in it, Brockovich makes clear why we are in the trouble we're in, and how we each can take small and large actions and change troubling conditions. She writes about the effects of climate change that have caused droughts in some areas and flooding in others, and shows how this is affecting us economically as well as destroying lives and property. She lays out the facts, and gives us the tools to take steps--large and small--to make changes in our own counties, cities and towns, and help to preserve our selves, our water, our planet"--
Subjects: Water; Water-supply;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Written on the dark / by Kay, Guy Gavriel,author.;
"Thierry Villar is a well-known -- even notorious -- tavern poet, intimately familiar with the rogues and shadows of that world, but not at all with courts and power. He is an unlikely person, despite his quickness, to be swept into the deadly contests of ambitious royals, assassins, and invading armies. But he is indeed drawn into all these things on a savagely cold night in his beloved city of Orane. And so Thierry must use all the intelligence and charm he can muster as power struggles merge with a decades-long war to bring his country to the brink of destruction. As he does, he meets his poetic equal in an aristocratic woman and is drawn to more than one unsettling person with a connection to the world beyond this one. He also crosses paths with an extraordinary young woman driven by voices within to try to heal the ailing king -- and help his forces in war. A wide and varied set of people from all walks of life take their places in the rich tapestry of this story."--
Subjects: Fantasy fiction.; Novels.; Ambition; Assassination; Courts and courtiers; Poets; Power (Social sciences); War;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 3
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The Women A Novel [electronic resource] : by Hannah, Kristin.aut; Whelan, Julia.nrt; Hannah, Kristin.nrt; cloudLibrary;
"Kristin Hannah’s potent storytelling skills are brilliantly served by narrator Julia Whelan, whose limber, low-pitched voice moves nimbly from person to person, capturing personality and mood, her empathy palpable." —The Washington Post From the celebrated author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes Kristin Hannah's The Women—at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided. Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost. But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam. The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.
Subjects: Audiobooks.; Contemporary Women; Family Life;
© 2024., Macmillan Audio,
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Saving Sam : the true story of an American's disappearance in Syria and his family's extraordinary fight to bring him home / by Goodwin, Sam,1989-author.;
"What would you do if your son suddenly disappeared in Syria, and you had no idea what had happened to him? Would you contact the FBI? The State Department? Pray? Would you Google "What to do if your son disappears in Syria"? When the unthinkable happened, the answer, in the case of Ann Goodwin and her husband Tag, was: all of the above. Their 30-year-old son Sam, who was attempting to become one of the few people in history to travel to every single country on the planet, vanished in a supposed safe-zone run by the Kurds on the Turkish border. At first, they didn't even realize he had been abducted: maybe the phone reception had gone down, they told themselves, as had happened plenty of times before when Sam was in an off-the-beaten-path place. Just wait, he'll call back soon. But Sam never did call back, and over the coming days, the horror of their situation quickly bore down on the Goodwins, a devout Catholic family of seven living a middle-class suburban lifestyle in St. Louis, Missouri. Frustrated and increasingly terrified, the Goodwins came to realize that they couldn't rely on their government to save Sam. They were going to have to do it themselves. This is the extraordinary story of Sam's abduction by the Syrian regime, who threatened to hand him over to ISIS for beheading if he did not confess to being a CIA spy. It's also the story of a Midwestern American family who transformed themselves into their own detective agency, building up a network of journalists, hostage negotiators, Middle East experts, Russian diplomats, Vatican envoys, and shady mercenaries, until eventually -- by nothing short of a miracle -- they found a secret backdoor into the heart of the Syrian intelligence service itself. Through multiple first-person narrators, Saving Sam recounts an inspiring and unforgettable saga that includes a travel journey to every country in the world, famous celebrities, heads of state, high-stakes diplomacy and critical life lessons around curiosity, uncertainty, prayer and what it ultimately means to be free. In a genuine, straightforward and sometimes humorous style, Sam draws on his experience as a hostage to demonstrate how we can all turn our own adversities into assets, whether it be in our personal, professional or spiritual lives"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; Goodwin, Sam, 1989-; Goodwin, Sam, 1989-; Prisoners; Prisoners; Travelers;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Small Things Like These [electronic resource] : by Keegan, Claire.aut; cloudLibrary;
Shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize One of the New York Times's 100 Best Books of the 21st Century  "A hypnotic and electrifying Irish tale that transcends country, transcends time." —Lily King, New York Times bestselling author of Writers & Lovers Small Things Like These is award-winning author Claire Keegan's landmark new novel, a tale of one man's courage and a remarkable portrait of love and family It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church. An international bestseller, Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers.General adult.
Subjects: Electronic books.; Holidays; Literary; Small Town & Rural; Family Life;
© 2021., Grove Atlantic,
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Great society : a new history / by Shlaes, Amity,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index." In the 1960s, Americans sought the same goals many seek now: an end to poverty, higher standards of living for the middle class, a better environment and more access to health care and education. Then, too, we debated socialism and capitalism, public sector reform versus private sector advancement. Time and again, whether under John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, or Richard Nixon, the country chose the public sector. Yet the targets of our idealism proved elusive. What's more, Johnson's and Nixon's programs shackled millions of families in permanent government dependence. Ironically, Shlaes argues, the costs of entitlement commitments made a half century ago preclude the very reforms that Americans will need in coming decades."--
Subjects: Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973.; Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994.; Nineteen sixties.; Public housing;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Skull water / by Fenkl, Heinz Insu,1960-author.;
"Growing up outside a US military base in South Korea in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, Insu--the son of a Korean mother and a German father enlisted in the US Army--spends his days with his "half and half" friends skipping school, selling scavenged Western goods on the black market, watching Hollywood movies, and testing the boundaries between childhood and adulthood. When he hears a legend that water collected in a human skull will cure any sickness, he vows to find some in order to heal his ailing Big Uncle, a geomancer who has been exiled by the family to a mountain cave to die. Insu's quest takes him and his friends on a sprawling, wild journey into some of South Korea's darkest corners, opening them up to a world beyond their grasp. Meanwhile, Big Uncle has embraced his solitude and fate, and as he recalls his wartime experiences of betrayal and lost love, he attempts to teach his nephew that life is not limited to what we can see--or think we know. Largely autobiographical and deeply rooted in time and place, Skull Water is the story of a boy coming into his own--and the ways the past continues to haunt the present in a country struggling to confront its troubled history as it moves into modernity."--
Subjects: Autobiographical fiction.; Bildungsromans.; Novels.; Folklore; Racially mixed people; Traditional medicine; Uncles; Vietnam War, 1961-1975;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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