When her husband dies suddenly, Jane Bell becomes the reluctant landlady of The Bell, an inn in the village of Ivy Hill. Jane has no idea how to manage a business, but with the town's livelihood at stake and a large loan due, she must quickly find a way to save the inn. Despite their strained relationship, Jane turns to her mother-in-law, Thora, for help.

"Cussy Mary Carter is the last of her kind, her skin the color of a blue damselfly in these dusty hills. But that doesn't mean she's got nothing to offer. As a member of the Pack Horse Library Project, Cussy delivers books to the hill folk of Troublesome, hoping to spread learning in these desperate times. But not everyone is so keen on Cussy's family or the Library Project, and the hardscrabble Kentuckians are quick to blame a Blue for any trouble...

A memoir by the bestselling author of The Prince of Tides about his father--the inspiration for The Great Santini--and a reaffirmation that love can conquer even the meanest of men. While the publication of The Great Santini brought Conroy much acclaim, the rift it caused with his father brought even more attention. Their long-simmering conflict burst into the open, fracturing an already battered family. But in the final days of Don Conroy's life,...

"A woman looks back at the events that shaped her life, especially the scandals and family secrets that stand in the way of her making peace with her past"--

"When his brilliant and eccentric grandfather, who built a dynasty out of making kilim rugs, is found dead in a vat of dye, Orhan inherits the business. But Kemal has left the family estate to a stranger thousands of miles away, an aged woman in a Los Angeles retirement home. Her existence and secrecy about her past only deepen the mystery of why he would leave their home to this woman rather than to his own family. Intent on righting this injustice,...

An electric debut novel set against the twilight of the American gold rush, two siblings are on the run in an unforgiving landscape-trying not just to survive but to find a home. Ba dies in the night; Ma is already gone. Newly orphaned children of immigrants, Lucy and Sam are suddenly alone in a land that refutes their existence. Fleeing the threats of their western mining town, they set off to bury their father in the only way that will set them...

Seven fifth-graders at Snow Hill School in Connecticut relate how their lives are changed for the better by "rookie teacher" Mr. Terupt.

"Separation and divorce are among the greatest life challenges an adult can face. When children are involved, they become even more difficult. Parents want to know how they can make sure their kids will be okay? How will they deal with everything from food and shelter to emotional support, education, and discipline? How can they possibly share the care of a child with the person who probably upsets them more than anyone else in the whole world? Co-parenting...

“Part Annie Dillard, part Anne Lamott, essayist and NPR commentator Heather Lende introduces readers to life in the town of Haines, Alaska . . . subtly reminding readers to embrace each day, each opportunity, each life that touches our own and to note the beauty of it all.” —The Los Angeles Times
Tiny Haines, Alaska, is ninety miles north of Juneau, accessible mainly by water or air—and only when...