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Cloud cuckoo land : a novel / by Doerr, Anthony,1973-author.;
"From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of perhaps the most bestselling and beloved literary fiction of our time comes a triumph of imagination and compassion, a soaring novel about children on the cusp of adulthood in a broken world, who find resilience, hope, and story. The heroes of Cloud Cuckoo Land are children trying to figure out the world around them, and to survive. In the besieged city of Constantinople in 1453, in a public library in Lakeport, Idaho, today, and on a spaceship bound for a distant exoplanet decades from now, an ancient text provides solace and the most profound human connection to characters in peril. They all learn the story of Aethon, who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to the paradise of Cloud Cuckoo Land, a better world. Twelve-year-old Anna lives in a convent where women toil all day embroidering the robes of priests. She learns to read from an old Greek tutor she encounters on her errands in the city. In an abandoned priory, she finds a stash of old books. One is Aethon's story, which she reads to her sister as the walls of Constantinople are bombarded by armies of Saracens. Anna escapes, carrying only a small sack with bread, salt fish-and the book. Outside the city walls, Anna meets Omeir, a village boy who was conscripted, along with his beloved pair of oxen, to fight in the Sultan's conquest. His oxen have died; he has deserted. In Lakeport, Idaho, in 2020, Seymour, a young activist bent on saving the earth, sits in the public library with two homemade bombs in pressure cookers-another siege. Upstairs, eighty-five-year old Zeno, a former prisoner-of-war, and an amateur translator, rehearses five children in a play adaptation of Aethon's adventures. On an interstellar ark called The Argos, Konstance is alone in a vault with sacks of Nourish powder and access to all the information in the world-or so she is told. She knows Aethon's story through her father, who has sequestered her to protect her. Konstance, encased on a spaceship decades from now, has never lived on our beloved Earth. Alone in a vault with sacks of Nourish powder and access to "all the information in the world," she knows Aethon's storythrough her father. Like Marie-Laure and Werner in All the Light We Cannot See, Konstance, Anna, Omeir, Seymour, the young Zeno, the children in the library are dreamers and misfits on the cusp of adulthood in a world the grown-ups have broken. They through their own resilience and resourcefulness, and through story. Dedicated to "the librarians then, now, and in the years to come," Anthony Doerr's Cloud Cuckoo Land is about the power of story and the astonishing survival of the physical book when for thousands of years they were so rare and so feared, dying, as one character says, "in fires or floods or in the mouths of worms or at the whims of tyrants." It is a hauntingly beautiful and redemptive novel about stewardship-of the book, of the Earth, of the human heart"--
Subjects: Dystopian fiction.; Libraries; Space; Future, The;
Available copies: 2 / Total copies: 3
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Walking the bowl : a true story of murder and survival among the street children of Lusaka / by Lockhart, Chris,1967-author.; Chama, Daniel Mulilo,author.;
Includes bibliographical references.For readers of Behind the Beautiful Forevers and Nothing to Envy, this is a breathtaking real-life story of four street children in contemporary Zambia whose lives are drawn together and forever altered by the mysterious murder of a fellow street child. Based on years of investigative reporting and unprecedented fieldwork, Walking the Bowl immerses readers in the daily lives of four unforgettable characters: Lusabilo, a determined waste picker; Kapula, a burned-out brothel worker; Moonga, a former rock crusher turned beggar; and Timo, an ambitious gang leader. These children navigate the violent and poverty-stricken underworld of Lusaka, one of Africa's fastest growing cities. When the dead body of a ten-year-old boy is discovered under a heap of garbage in Lusaka's largest landfill, a murder investigation quickly heats up due to the influence of the victim's mother and her far-reaching political connections. The children's lives become more closely intertwined as each child engages in a desperate bid for survival against forces they could never have imagined. Gripping and fast-paced, the book exposes the perilous aspects of street life through the eyes of the children who survive, endure and dream there, and what emerges is an ultimately hopeful story about human kindness and how one small good deed, passed on to others, can make a difference in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
Subjects: Biographies.; True crime stories.; Personal narratives.; Murder; Street children;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The librarian of Saint-Malo : a novel / by Escobar, Mario,1971-author.; Abernathy, Gretchen,translator.; translation of:Escobar, Mario,1971-Bibliotecaria de Saint-Malo.English.;
"Through letters with a famous author, one French librarian tells her love story and describes the brutal Nazi occupation of her small coastal village. Saint-Malo, France: 1939. Jocelyn and Antoine are childhood sweethearts, but just after they marry and are hoping for a child, Antoine is called up to fight against Germany. As the war rages, Jocelyn focuses on comforting and encouraging the local population by recommending books from her beloved library in Saint-Malo.She herself finds hope in her letters to a famous author. After the French capitulation, the Nazis occupy the town and turn it into a fortress to control the north of French Brittany. Residents try passive resistance, but the German commander ruthlessly purges part of the city's libraries to destroy any potentially subversive writings. At great risk to herself, Jocelyn manages to hide some of the books while waiting to receive news from Antoine, who has been taken to a German prison camp. What unfolds in her letters is Jocelyn's description of her mission: to protect the people of Saint-Malo and the books they hold so dear. With prose both sweeping and romantic, Mario Escobar brings to life the occupied city and re-creates the history of those who sacrificed all to care for the people they loved."--
Subjects: Historical fiction.; World War, 1939-1945;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Lawbreaker [electronic resource] : by Palmer, Diana.aut; cloudLibrary;
"You just can't do better than a Diana Palmer story to make your heart lighter and smile brighter."—Fresh Fiction Tony Garza has been Odalie Everett's nemesis since the day they met. Once a New Jersey crime boss, Tony now owns an art gallery in New York, where he spends most of his time delegating his shadier business to subordinates. Odalie is a professional singer whose lifelong dream is to perform at the Met. She never expected to run into the heartbreaker from her past when she rents a small house near Tony's Manhattan apartment while taking voice lessons. But when they reconnect, they can't help but give in to unforgettable passion. As their relationship blossoms, deadly figures from Tony's past come back to exact revenge, and he'll do anything to protect Odalie…even bring her back home to her family ranch in Texas. But as Odalie struggles with the idea of leaving behind her dreams in the city to have true love in Texas, she finds herself caught in the ultimate trap—and Tony's past won't let them go. Also in the Long, Tall Texans Series: The Loner Notorious Unleashed Unbridaled UndauntedGeneral adult.
Subjects: Electronic books.; Contemporary; Suspense; Western;
© 2024., Harlequin,
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Mutual interest : a novel / by Wolfgang-Smith, Olivia,author.;
"From Glassworks author Olivia Wolfgang-Smith, a decadent, dishy novel set in the early-1900s about a business empire built by three queer people fighting to live life on their own terms. Vivian Lesperance moves to New York City at the turn of the 20th century with one goal in mind: she will not let her life be dictated by her small-minded family in Utica. Instead, she will set a new and independent course for herself among the rich and nouveau rich, and in the apartments of the women she loves. Oscar Schmidt chooses the soap industry-and a move from Ohio to New York-in a doomed attempt to run away from his own attraction to men. But while working as a straight-laced middle manager by day and cruising the waterfront and gay clubs at night, Oscar faces dual threats to his new life. No one is fooled by his guise of easy bachelorhood, and his business is threatened by Squire Clancey, the socially awkward scion of a wealthy New York family, whose passion for candle making and unlimited resources lead to shortages of the very ingredient Oscar needs to manufacture his goods. Vivian knows she'll never get what she wants in life without effort, so she convinces Oscar to marry her, and then persuades Oscar and Squire to go into business together rather than fight for resources. Clancey & Schmidt Co is born, and with it, a new love affair begins: between Clancey and Schmidt themselves. Meanwhile, Vivian reaches the pinnacle of her power running the business behind a Tiffany's desk-and behind the image of both men. But the threat of exposure-and of an arranged marriage for Squire-looms, and together, the trio must work to maintain the life they've dreamed up, and made real, for themselves. Written in the style of classic authors like EM Forster, but with a modern sensibility and wry sense of humor, Personal Care is a fresh and beguiling story of patriarchy, privilege, and power for readers of Trust by Hernan Diaz and The Magician by Colm Toibin"--
Subjects: Queer fiction.; Novels.; Ambition; Marriage; Secrecy;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The Paris winter : a novel / by Robertson, Imogen,1973-;
Includes bibliographical references."Maud Heighton came to Lafond's famous Academie to paint, and to flee the constraints of her small English town. It took all her courage to escape, but Paris, she quickly realizes, is no place for a light purse. While her fellow students enjoy the dazzling decadence of the Belle Epoque, Maud slips into poverty. Quietly starving, and dreading another cold Paris winter, Maud is hired by Christian Morel as companion to his beautiful, young sister, Sylvie. But Sylvie, Maud discovers, is not quite the darling she seems. She has a secret addiction to opium and an ominous air of intrigue. As Maud is drawn further into the Morels' world of elegant luxury, their secrets become hers. And before the New Year arrives, a greater deception will plunge her into the darkness that waits beneath this glittering city of light. Set against the backdrop of the Great Flood, The Paris Winter is a dark and powerful tale of deceit and revenge from a masterful storyteller."--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Historical fiction.; Psychological fiction.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Ballykissangel. [videorecording] / by Blackburn, Stuart.; Coates, Paul.; Cocker, Mike.; Cranitch, Lorcan,1959-; Croghan, Declan.; Donnelly, Deirdre.; Doyle, Tony,1942-2000.; Duane, Paul.; Farrell, Colin,1976-; Gannon, Ted.; Hodgkinson, Terry.; Holloway, Mark.; Kellegher, Tina.; Lydon, Peter.; Martin, Mick.; Massey, Simon.; McEnery, Kate.; Prendiville, Kieran.; Smurfit, Victoria,1974-; Toibin, Niall,1929-; Whelan, Gary.; Wycherley, Don.; 2 Entertain Video (Firm); BBC Video (Firm); BBC Worldwide Ltd.; Ballykea (Firm); British Broadcasting Corporation.; Warner Home Video (Firm); World Productions (Firm : London, England);
Two flew over the cuckoo's nest -- Hello and farewell -- Catch of the day -- Moving out -- Eureka -- Behind bars -- Brendan's crossing -- A few more dollars -- The outsiders -- With a song in my heart -- Love labors -- Arrivals and departures.Tony Doyle, Lorcan Cranitch, Don Wycherley, Victoria Smurfit, Colin Farrell, Kate McEnery, Tina Kellegher, Niall Tobin, Gary Whelan, Deirdre Donnelly.Life is a challenge for any priest in a small mountain town, and Father Aiden O'Connell finds himself not only dealing with a new romance for Niamh and Orla and a new garda for Bally K, but some troubles of his own as well.PG.DVD ; widescreen presentation.
Subjects: Catholic Church; Cities and towns; Man-woman relationships; Mountain life; Priests; Television programs.; Video recordings for the hearing impaired.;
© c2010., BBC Video ; Distributed by Warner Home Video,
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Starkweather : the untold story of the killing spree that changed America / by MacLean, Harry N.,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."On January 21st, 1958, Charles Starkweather and his fourteen-year-old girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate changed the course of crime in the United States when they murdered her parents and sister in a house on the edge of Lincoln, Nebraska. They then drove to the nearby small town of Bennet, where they robbed and killed a farmer. When Starkweather's car broke down, the man and woman who stopped to help were murdered and jammed in a food cellar. By the time the dust settled, ten innocent people were dead, and the city of Lincoln was in a state of terror. Schools closed. Men with rifles perched on the roofs of their houses. National guardsmen patrolled the street. Every few hours, there would come a knock on the door, and a voice would ask: "Everyone all right in there?" If there is a cultural version of PTSD, the town suffered from it. Starkweather and Fugate's killing spree and the resulting trials received world-wide coverage. It was the first mass killing of the modern age--a precursor of the awakening of the country from the slumber of the fifties to the rebellious, violent sixties. From Starkweather on, people in the Midwest locked their doors. Yet, in spite of this massive exposure, the story has dropped far from the national consciousness. With new material, new reporting, and new conclusions about the possible guilt or innocence of Fugate, the tale is an updated and definitive retelling"--
Subjects: Biographies.; True crime stories.; Personal narratives.; Starkweather, Charles Raymond, 1938-1959.; Fugate, Caril Ann.; Murder; Spree murderers;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Compulsion / by Brennan, Allison.;
"Investigative reporter Maxine Revere has a theory: that the five New York City murders for which Adam Bachman is being tried are just part of his killing spree. In probing the disappearance of a retired couple who vanished the prior summer, Max uncovers striking similarities to Bachman's MO and develops a theory that Bachman wasn't working alone. Max wins a coveted pre-trial interview with the killer, whose disarming composure in the face of her questions is combined with uncomfortable knowledge of Max's own past. She leaves the room convinced, but unable to prove, that Bachman knows exactly what happened to the missing couple. The D.A. wants nothing to jeopardize his case against Bachman and refuses to consider Max's theory. With no physical evidence, Max has to rely on her own wits and investigative prowess to dig deep into Bachman's past. The picture that Max puts together is far darker and more deadly than she ever imagined. As Max gets closer to the truth, she doesn't realize that she's walking down a road that has been paved just for her. That every step she takes brings her one step closer to a brilliant, methodical sociopath who has been waiting for her to make just one small mistake. And when she does, he'll be there waiting. Max Revere returns in another gripping, pulse-pounding thriller from New York Times bestseller Allison Brennan"--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Suspense fiction.; Mystery fiction.; Missing persons; Women journalists;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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French exit : a tragedy of manners / by DeWitt, Patrick,1975-author.;
"Frances Price - tart widow, possessive mother, and Upper East Side force of nature - is in dire straits, beset by scandal and impending bankruptcy. Her adult son Malcolm is no help, mired in a permanent state of arrested development. And then there's the Price's aging cat, Small Frank, who Frances believes houses the spirit of her late husband, an infamously immoral litigator and world-class cad whose gruesome tabloid death rendered Frances and Malcolm social outcasts. Putting penury and pariahdom behind them, the family decides to cut their losses and head for the exit. One ocean voyage later, the curious trio land in their beloved Paris, the City of Light serving as a backdrop not for love or romance, but self-destruction and economic ruin - to riotous effect. A number of singular characters serve to round out the cast: a bashful private investigator, an aimless psychic proposing a seance, a doctor who makes house calls with his wine merchant in tow, and the inimitable Mme. Reynard, aggressive houseguest and dementedly friendly American expat. Brimming with pathos and wit, French Exit is a one-of-a-kind 'tragedy of manners,' a riotous send-up of high society, as well as a moving mother and son caper which only Patrick deWitt could conceive and execute."--
Subjects: Humorous fiction.; Domestic fiction.; Families; Mothers and sons;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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