Memoirs Books

Book SynopsisRiverwise, a volume of slow river prose centred around Afon Teifi, is a book of wanderings and wonderings, witnessings and enchantments, rememberings and endings. Weaving memoir, poetry and keen observation into its meandering course, it shifts across time and space to reflect the beauty of hidden, fluvial places, and to meditate on the strangeness of being human. Above all, though, this book stands as a hymn to those fragments of riparian wilderness which on our maps appear as ever- shrinking horns of green amid a white, gridded landscape of human dominance. Riverwise is a clarion call to learn to love and protect the natural world and its waterways.

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Book SynopsisAnthony Speelman is the doyen of English art dealers specializing in Dutch Golden Age art. Vividly written and handsomely illustrated, his memoirs offer fascinating insight into the sometimes secretive world of Old Masters. This book will appeal not only to dealers, collectors and others in the fine art world, but also to would-be collectors eager for a glimpse behind the curtain.These memoirs cover a lifetime of dealing in Old Masters at the very highest level. Speelman’s career started under the guidance of his father Edward, whose own biography has much to tell. Over the years, Speelman has sold paintings to many of the world’s greatest collectors, including Norton Simon, Paul Mellon, Baron Thyssen, Harold Samuel, Charles Clore and the Wrightsmans in New York, along with world renowned museums such as the Getty, the Louvre and the National Gallery, London, among many others. He writes about his encounters with these eminent bodies in a light-hearted style, sometimes amusing, always extremely interesting – including an anecdote about a recent meeting with a Chinese billionaire with a penchant for fine wine.The two monkeys in the title refer to two paintings of a monkey holding a peach by George Stubbs, the outstanding English animal painter. Anthony describes how he discovered one of these masterpieces as a ‘sleeper’ in a Sotheby’s sale. Early in his career Anthony’s rooms in Piccadilly were broken into and a number of paintings stolen, including a George Stubbs painting of a spaniel. An intriguing tale follows, ending with the paintings recovered some eighteen months later after a failed blackmail attempt on the part of the thieves.Amongst his accomplishments, Speelman was for many years chairman of the vetting committee at the annual Maastricht art fair. He describes the working of the committees which ensure that all works exhibited are correctly described. Still active in the art world, he is currently chairman of the vetting committee of the prestigious annual Masterpiece art fair in London.Other chapters detail Speelman’s travels to California, New York and Paris, his interest in gastronomy and his thrilling adventures in the world of horseracing. The book is beautifully illustrated with examples of works that have passed through the author’s hands. The wide range of illustrations is not limited to Dutch art and includes works by Canaletto, Stubbs, Raphael, Tiepolo, Melendez and other Old Masters.Trade ReviewThe joy Speelman expresses in connecting collector with work is unmistakable. Handsomely produced, this title deserves a place in every art library. * The New Criterion *Decades of dealing in paintings from the Dutch Golden Age has left Speelman with a fund of anecdotes about the Old Masters trade, as well as a wealth of insights about the world's greatest private collectors and its most important public museums. * Apollo, Off the Shelf 15/12/2022 *

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Book SynopsisIn 1773, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral became the first book of poetry by an African-American author to be published. At the tender age of seven, Phillis had been brought to Massachusetts as a slave and sold to the well-to-do Wheatley family. There, she threw herself into education, and soon she was devouring the classics and writing verse with whatever she had to hand – odes in chalk on the walls of the house. Once her talent became known, there was uproar, and in 1772 she was interrogated by a panel of ‘the most respectable characters in Boston’ and forced to defend the ownership of her own words, since many believed that it was an impossible that she, an African-American slave, could write poetry of such high quality. As related in the 1834 memoir by an outspoken proponent of antislavery, B.B. Thatcher, also included in this volume, the road to publication was not straight, and while it became clear that such a volume could not be published in America at the time, Phillis was recommended to a London publisher, who brought out the book – albeit with an attestation as to her authorship, as well as a ‘letter from her master’ and a short preface asking the reader’s indulgence. This edition includes the attestation, the ‘letter from her master’ and notes from the original publishers as an appendix, so that the twenty-first-century reader can discover Phillis Wheatley as she should have been read – as a poet, not property.Trade Review'An attractive selection.' (John’s Autumn Picks 2020, London Review Bookshop) 'Elegant lines… the style and manner exhibit a striking proof of your great poetical talents.' (George Washington) 'Quite too interesting to be passed over by the historian in utter silence.' (B.B. Thatcher)Table of ContentsTo the Public; Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral: 'To Maecenas', 'On Virtue', 'To the University of Cambridge in New England', 'To the King’s Most Excellent Majesty', 'On Being Brought from Africa to America', 'On the Death of the Rev. Dr Sewell', 'On the Death of the Rev. Mr George Whitefield', 'On the Death of a Young Lady of Five Years of Age', 'On the Death of a Young Gentleman', 'To a Lady on the Death of Her Husband', 'Goliath of Gath', 'Thoughts on the Works of Providence', 'To a Lady on the Death of Three Relations', 'To a Clergyman on the Death of His Lady', 'A Hymn to the Morning', 'A Hymn to the Evening', 'Isaiah LXIII 1–8', 'On Recollection', 'On Imagination', 'A Funeral Poem on the Death of C.E.', 'To Captain H——d of the 65th Regiment', 'To the Right Honourable William, Earl of Dartmouth', 'Ode to Neptune', 'To a Lady on Her Coming to North America', 'To a Lady on Her Remarkable Preservation in a Hurricane in North Carolina', 'To a Lady and Her Children on the Death of Her Son and Their Brother', 'To a Gentleman and Lady on the Death of the Lady’s Brother and Sister, and a Child', 'On the Death of Dr Samuel Marshall', 'To a Gentleman on His Voyage to Great Britain', 'To the Rev. Dr Thomas Amory', 'On the Death of J.C., an Infant', 'A Hymn to Humanity', 'To the Honourable T.H., Esq., on the Death of His Daughter', 'Niobe in Distress for Her Children Slain by Apollo', 'To S.M., a Young African Painter', 'To His Honour the Lieutenant Governor, on the Death of His Lady', 'A Farewell to America', 'A Rebus, by I.B.', 'An Answer to the Rebus; A Memoir of Phillis Wheatley, a Native African and a Slave; Note on the Text; Notes; Index of First Lines; Appendix: Preface from the First Edition of the Poems, Notice to the Public from the First Edition of the Poems, Notice to the Public from the First Edition of the Memoir

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Book SynopsisJessica returns home after four years in hospital to a world changed beyond recognition.Everyone has moved on, but her battle with the M.E. Monster is far from over.Number 1 Amazon bestseller.

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Book SynopsisAfter twelve years of being trapped in a world of one room by the M.E. Monster, Jessica's dreams start to come true. She's pregnant! But Jessica has to adjust to being a disabled mum in an inaccessible world and face the critics who doubt her abilities.

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Book SynopsisPull Devil, Pull Baker is one of the oddest autobiographies ever written.The novelist Stella Benson first encountered an eccentric Russiannobleman, Count Nicolas de Toulouse Lautrec De Savine in the pauper’sward of a Hong Kong hospital. Striking up a friendship, she foundherself fascinated by the Count’s garrulous memoirs, written in a uniqueblend of English, French, and Russian.The Count’s adventures included a stint as a Russian cavalry officer,gold mining in California, a failed attempt to establish himself as Czar ofBulgaria, get-rich-quick schemes, and countless romanticentanglements. Were these all inventions of his fervid mind, like alatter-day Baron Munchausen? Were they true? Could they be both?In Pull Devil, Pull Baker, Stella Benson not only collected the Count’srecollections but provided a running commentary that reflects on thenature of memory, truth, and the power of storytelling. In the process,she created a book that anticipates by decades the ”new nonfiction”school of such bestsellers as The Lifespan of a Fact and the work ofGeoff Dyer, W. G. Sebald and others who weave together fiction and fact.Pull Devil, Pull Baker exemplifies the unique and remarkable booksbeing brought back to print by Recovered Books, the new series fromBoiler House Press that celebrates the gems that have been lost to thechanging tides of critical and popular taste. Pull Devil, Pull Baker is easily the most exceptional and genre-busting reissue of 2022.

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Book SynopsisThis book is about forgiveness and healing the child that lives within every adult. It is the author's journey to EMOTIONAL FREEDOM and the LIBERATION of her SOUL. Aurea, after living through many TRIALS, TRIBULATIONS and TURBULENCE needed to RELEASE the DEMONS, the GHOSTS and TRAUMA to MOVE FORWARD. Aurea chose to do that through HEALING LETTERS. "Aurea's writing is honest and raw, as she describes her relationships with her family and others, along with the love she feels for her son, readers will relate with her experiences and at the end of the book feel enriched by herstory." Samantha Griffiths

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Book Synopsis 'Open, honest, straight talking on mental health and motherhood.' - Tik Tok's Dr Julie 'I absolutely love it - it doesn't matter who you are, what you've been through and how much you've changed - there is always room for growth'. - Ant Middleton 'This book will become your bible.' - Gaby Roslin, Virgin Radio In GROW, Sunday Times bestselling author Frankie Bridge opens up about her journey with her maternal mental health. Part narrative exploration, part first aid manual for mothers this book will discuss the hidden growing pains which take place when you become a parent.Its chapters cover the HOW TOs, WHAT IFs?, WILL Is? and WHY DOs? anxious questions all mothers ask themselves when they believe they are doing it wrong whilst also offering a brutally honest account of how hard it can be to grow a baby and raise a child whilst you are still growing into yourself.The book will combine Frankie's mental health journey into motherhood with the notes of psychologist, Maleha Khan, who will unpack the problems she experienced as she became a mother. It will also include additional guidance and parental advice from the UK's leading paediatrician Dr Ed Abrahamson.Fans of OPEN:'Brave and beautiful... a first aid manual for your mind.'- Adam Kay, bestselling author of This is Going To Hurt'Very readable. Very relatable. Intensely moving but also full of practical advice.'- Alastair Campbell

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Book Synopsis'Brilliantly funny.' - Matt Lucas'You have to read this book.' - Tim Harford'It's funny, touching and gobsmacking in equal measure. At its heart is a breathtaking account of life on the COVID frontline.' - Jay Rayner'Ed's journey is funny, sad, harrowing, hilarious... I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO READ THIS.' - Colin Mochrie'Very Funny.' - Fern Brady'I love your book Catch your Breath, it just feels so personal and so refreshing.' - Adil Ray, Saturday LiveA gut punch of a memoir by a doctor - and comedian - whose job is to keep people alive by putting them to sleep.Ed Patrick is an anaesthetist.Strong drugs for his patients, strong coffee for him. But it's not just sleep-giving for this anaesthetist, as he navigates emergencies, patients not breathing for themselves and living with a terrifying sense of responsibility. It's enough to leave anyone feeling numb.But don't worry, there's plenty of laughing gas to be had.'Very funny, very timely, scary in places. Ed writes with wit, insight, surprise and pathos. He is cutting his teeth in anaesthetics, taking people as close to death as you can take them, and then trying to wake them up again. And makes it funny. A joy to read.' - Phil Hammond

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Book Synopsis***NEW EDITION WITH BONUS CHAPTER***Bringing you the record-breaking, bestselling Women Don't Owe You Pretty as a black and white modern classic.Women Don't Owe You Pretty is for anyone who wants to challenge the out-dated narratives supplied to us by the patriarchy.It will help you to embrace feminism in all its messy glory, explain that you are the love of your own life, and remind you that you owe men nothing, least of all pretty.This small edition includes a brand new chapter on "Why being heartbroken doesn't make you a shit feminist".Be prepared to heal.'An incredible mouthpiece for modern intersectional feminism.' - Glamour'A fearless book.' - Cosmopolitan'A hugely influential young woman.' - Woman's Hour'Rallying, radical and pitched perfectly for her generation.' - Evening Standard*OUT NOW Florence Given's DEBUT NOVEL, GIRLCRUSH *

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Book SynopsisCraft is at the very heart of British identity, from stained-glass windows in country churches to the Enid Blyton charm of thatched houses; from Harris Tweed® (famously poached by Coco Chanel) to the ceremonial livery worn by horses at Buckingham Palace. The burgeoning of digital craftsmanship is also enriching ground-breaking technologies, including microbial weaving and bespoke-made vessels for growing human tissue. Craft Britain brings together watchmakers with saddlers; bell casters with neon benders; shoemakers with silversmiths; potters with orrery-makers; stonemasons with weavers; embroiderers with basket-makers – and a myriad other craft traditions.This book aims to beat the drum for craft, waking people up to the fact that they need to support the country's rich seam of incredible craftspeople and so encourage new generations to master the skills needed to preserve and continue craft traditions. Craft Britain proves that craftsmanship in Britain is neither dying nor dead, but is a continuing and exciting exploration of process, materials and ideas spanning architecture, interiors, fashion, art and design.

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Book SynopsisThe cat-tastic companion to Dogs Who Changed the World.50 awe-inspiring stories of cats who have altered history, inspired art and literature, reunited lost lovers, saved lives, or just ruined everything. These inspiring, humorous, heart-breaking, or just plain weird stories reveal why cats have earned their place as our weirdest, most endearing companions, and how our fascination with them is age-old. Along the way you'll meet Félicette, the first moggy in space; Unsinkable Sam, a sea-faring feline; Tama, the railway cat who saved a community; and Snowball, the crime-solving cat.Cats Who Changed the World celebrates the unique relationship we have with our feline best friends, from contemporary times to all throughout history.

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Book SynopsisOn 24 May 1948, the Empire Windrush sailed from Kingston, Jamaica, to harbour at Tilbury Docks. It carried 1,027 passengers and some stowaways, and more than two thirds of them were West Indies nationals. On 22 June 1948 they disembarked onto the docks, Alford Dalrymple Gardner was among them. Alford's story traverses both the uplifting highs and intolerant lows that West Indian migrants of his generation encountered upon travelling to Britain to forge out a life. From joining the British military during World War II to returning to Jamaica once it was won-only to come back to the UK when the government decided it needed him again-Alford witnessed milestone events of the 20th century that shaped the country he still lives in today. In the context of a supposedly 'post-Imperial' Britain where the lives of West Indian migrants hang precariously on the whims of the Home Office, Alford's heartening testimony is a celebration of those who endured hardships so that generations to come could call this place home.Trade ReviewAlford Dalrymple Gardner, an amateur guitarist and wicket keeper, was among the Windrush passengers. Along with his youthful fellow travellers (the average age on the ship was 24), he traded the certainty of devastating Caribbean hurricanes and unemployment for the chance of a better life in bombed-out Britain. His zestful style, undiminished by his 97 years and the challenges faced in his bigoted adoptive country, is commemorated in Finding Home, a memoir co-authored with his son, Howard. The book chronicles Caribbean pioneers' pitfalls and triumphs in a country that often seemed to despise them. "I'll never understand," writes Gardner early on, "how the colour of my skin can make these people so mad."Critics scoffed that the sun-kissed West Indians "wouldn't last one bad winter" in Britain. Finding Home illuminates the antipathy towards the pioneers (prime minister Clement Attlee received a letter from angry MPs warning it was a mistake to admit the migrants), showing that a hostile environment was in place long before the then home secretary Theresa May's 2012 policy ensnared some of the Windrush generation in a bureaucratic conundrum to prove, decades on from their arrival, that they had a right to live here. -- Colin Grant * The Observer, ‘What comes across clearly is the emotional cost of migration’: Windrush commemorated in books *This is a hugely important book giving a vivid account of what it was like to arrive in Britain in 1948 on Empire Windrush. Alford Gardner has written a fascinating personal account of how he built a happy life in an often hostile country. A really engaging read and a vital piece of contemporary history. -- Amelia Gentleman, Journalist and author of The Windrush Betrayal: Exposing the Hostile EnvironmentFinding Home is a notable account of one of our pioneering Windrush elders who made a personal choice as a young person to charter a life into new environments of opportunities. This account is a real discovery for all to acknowledge people's early lives in the Caribbean, the storm of challenges faced and the lasting contributions of their unique blend of determination and vibrancy in all facets of UK society. We are honourably standing on the shoulders of these legends of legacy because their journey continues to provide a momentous height of inspiring vision and hope for all future generations. -- Nigel Guy, Director at Windrush Generations UKSuch testimonies are a crucial part of understanding modern British history. This story should have been part of our national reading in the 1970s. The fact that it's coming out now, in the 2020's shows how vast the gap is in the honest portrayal of this country's past and the crucial role of Jacaranda Books in commissioning such work. -- Tony Warner, author of Black History WalksSince 1948 only a handful of autobiographies have been published by passengers who came to Britain on the Empire Windrush and so Alford Dalrymple Gardner's Finding Home - A Windrush Story is a fantastic resource. I thoroughly enjoyed his stories of serving in the RAF in wartime, his post-war journey to Britain on the Windrush and his long and eventful life in this country. Finding Home is a superb chronicle of Mr Gardner's journey through life and the ups and downs he has faced. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading about the Windrush from someone who was there, and has provided us with first-hand experience. -- Stephen Bourne, author of War to Windrush and Evelyn Dove: Britain's Black Cabaret QueenBesides Sam King's 1998 autobiography, Climbing Up the Rough Side of the Climbing, Alford's book is the only one that reflects the true spirit of Windrush and what Sam wrote about, except that Alford's life is unique and just as adventurous and inspiring. If there was no World War Two, there might not have been an Empire Windrush, and no Alford in Leeds, England. Alford Dalrymple Gardner's autobiography is one of the classics. -- Arthur Torrington CBE, Co-founder and Director, Windrush FoundationAlford Gardner's memoir is a joy to read, capturing the adventure and challenges of this Windrush Pioneer who represents an important link between the first and 4th generation of Windrush descendants. The book should be in the hands of all children as part of the drive for Windrush history and legacy should embedded in the national curriculum -- Professor Patrick Vernon OBE

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Book SynopsisIn the groundbreaking tradition of In the Dream House and The Collected Schizophrenias, a gorgeously illustrated lyrical memoir that draws upon the Japanese myth of the Hyakki Yagyō — the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons — to shift the cultural narrative around mental illness, grief, and remembrance. Are these the only two stories? The one where you defeat your monster, and the other where you succumb to it? Jami Nakamura Lin spent much of her life feeling monstrous for reasons outside of her control. As a Japanese Taiwanese American woman with undiagnosed bipolar disorder, her adolescence was marked by periods of extreme rage and self-medicating, an ever-evolving array of psychiatric treatments, and her relationships with those she loved — especially her father — suffered as a result. Frustrated with the tidy arc of the typical mental illness memoir, the kind whose trajectory leads toward being ‘better’, Lin sought comfort in the Japanese folklore she’d loved as a child, tales of supernatural creatures known to terrify in the night. Through the lens of the yōkai and other East Asian mythology, she set out to interrogate the Western notion of conflict and resolution, grief, loss, mental illness, and the myriad ways fear of difference shapes who we are as a people. Divided into four acts in the traditional Japanese narrative structure and featuring stunning watercolour illustrations, Jami Nakamura Lin has crafted an innovative, genre-bending, and deeply emotional memoir that mirrors the sensation of being caught between worlds. Braiding her experience of mental illness, the death of her father, and other haunted topics with the folkloric tradition, The Night Parade shines a light into dark corners in search of a new way, driven by the question: How do we learn to live with the things that haunt us?Trade Review‘At once a medical memoir ... and a reflection on mythology — the personal, the collective, the inherited — The Night Parade moves with courage ... Jami Nakamura Lin’s speculative memoir is a feat of storytelling; one that I found deeply moving.’ -- Katie Goh‘The Night Parade is a stunning excavation of personal and collective histories, filled with the endless alchemy of storytelling. Jami Nakamura Lin writes with meditative precision and expansive empathy, challenging and reaffirming what communal stories can make possible. Exploring the many worlds that flourish beyond certain knowledge, this boundary-blurring memoir finds power in the undefinable. It reveals to us that the fracturing of a story can be beautifully fruitful. Teeming with language that is transformative and fully embodied, and gorgeously illustrated by Cori Nakamura Lin, The Night Parade is a generous and abundant feast for our living and our dead, our salvaged lineages, and our continuing stories.’ -- K-Ming Chang, award-winning author of Bestiary‘Jami Nakamura Lin has reinvented the genre of memoir, weaving an intricate braid of fable, memory, art, cultural legacy, and legend into a gorgeous tapestry of the stories that made her. The haunting illustrations by her sister, Cori Nakamura Lin, are a potent reminder that no one is self-authored. We all collaborate to become ourselves. Serpentine, polyphonic, and stunningly textured, The Night Parade positively pulses with life.’ -- Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, award-winning author of The Fact of A Body‘A gorgeous invocation of the magic-haunted spaces between lived experience and folkloric traditions, between the living and the dead, between memory and story. I loved The Night Parade.’ -- Kelly Link, bestselling author of Get in Trouble‘Beautifully written and imaginative, The Night Parade takes speculative nonfiction to new heights. Jami Nakamura Lin is both poet and storyteller, mystic and philosopher, teaching us to see the world differently, to suspend our disbelief, using mythology to interrogate our notions of family, grief, fear, love, and belonging. There is no other book like this — it’s truly a stunning and visionary work of art.’ -- Jaquira Díaz, author of Ordinary Girls: a memoir‘Genre-defying and deeply poetic, The Night Parade invites the pandemonium within the personal and mythic to a round table where ancestors and folkloric creatures transform grief, memory, and mental illness into the tangible. Ancient tales and horrific spectres braid throughout Jami Nakamura Lin’s life, but will worm your way under your skin, prompting the question: what do we cut out from our lives and histories and what do we let grow with us? Impossible to put down, gut-wrenching, and magical. I cannot think of a writer who has written so personally while acknowledging ancestral and cultural grief with such grace and honesty. A crucial and groundbreaking entry for the literature of the Asian Diaspora and explorations of mental illness.’ -- Sequoia Nagamatsu, author of How High We Go in the Dark‘The Night Parade is stunning — it is haunting and magical and terrifying at once. Deeply intimate, but with a sense of scope that transcends history and genre, I loved stepping into this dream of a memoir, of a shared experience.’ -- Catherine Cho, author of Inferno‘With abundant honesty and tenderness, Jami Nakamura Lin wraps her story in the expansive frameworks of folklore and the mystical, bringing in centuries of storytelling about love and loss, death, illness, and mystery. A moving and notable memoir.’ -- Aimee Bender, New York Times bestselling author of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake‘In this gorgeous and unique debut memoir, Lin draws on the Japanese myth of the Hyakki Yagyo (the “Night Parade of One Hundred Demons”, in which demons and spirits march through the streets at night) to document her struggles with bipolar disorder and her father’s fatal illness … Throughout, Lin draws on characters from the Hyakki Yagyo (like the hideous, flesh-eating Oni Baba, or the vengeful ghost whale known as Bakekujira) to contextualise and come to terms with her feelings, sometimes using them to personify her “ugly” emotions, other times using them to interrogate cultural narratives about monstrousness. Interspersed throughout are full-colour illustrations of each creature by her sister, Cori … The result is a memorable and moving exorcism of the monsters within.’ -- Publishers Weekly, starred review‘Lin uses mythology from her Taiwanese and Japanese heritage to make sense of mental illness, cancer, and pregnancy loss … Throughout this inventive narrative, Lin takes calculated literary risks, ranging from the use of epistolary forms to experiments with point of view. These risks pay off mightily, coming together in a vulnerable, insightful, and refreshingly original meditation on survival, illness, and grief. A stunning memoir about the stories that make us who we are.’ -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review‘In this debut speculative memoir, Lin isn’t afraid of her demons. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a teenager, Lin struggled to manage her illness while caring for her cancer-stricken father. Unhappy with the rose-coloured narratives about recovering from mental illness, she takes a different approach here, leaning into the darkness. Inspired by Japanese, Taiwanese, and Okinawan ghost stories, Lin blends memoir and horror — plus stunning illustrations — to consider what it means to co-exist with anguish.’ * The Millions *‘Highly innovative ... Using Japanese, Chinese, and Taiwanese folklore to enrich her story, the author (who is a Japanese Taiwanese Okinawan American) delves into her own powerful feelings of rage, despair, loss, and hurt, ultimately emerging from each experience stronger and with more insight into not only herself but also her complex family history. With compelling prose, this title weaves folktales about frightening and monstrous figures into the narratives of Lin’s own developing bipolar disorder, her lineage, and her father’s illness. Her gorgeous writing draws readers into her gripping story, which is organized into a four-part narrative structure drawn from Japanese literary tradition. The book is richly illustrated by the author’s sister, Cori Nakamura Lin. VERDICT An engrossing memoir by an extraordinary debut author.’ -- Rebecca Maugridge * Library Journal, starred review *‘Part personal narrative, part mythical taxonomy, The Night Parade intertwines Nakamura Lin’s lifelong experience of bipolar disorder with figures from Japanese and Taiwanese myth, resulting in a moody, unusual, and compassionate portrait of a struggle too often reduced to cliché.’ * The Boston Globe *‘In an extraordinary exploration of life in all its stages, debut memoirist Jami Nakamura Lin turns to the monsters of Japanese and Taiwanese folklore to better understand her own mental illness, the death of her father and the birth of her child. Featuring illustrations of these fantastical beasts by the author’s sister Cori Nakamura Lin, this book is an “abundant feast for our living and our dead”, according to … author K-Ming Chang.’ * San Francisco Chronicle *‘In this highly innovative memoir, Lin shares her experiences as a person with bipolar disorder as she comes of age, marries, experiences a miscarriage, loses her father to cancer, and becomes a mother … With compelling prose, this title weaves folktales about frightening and monstrous figures into the narratives of Lin’s own developing bipolar disorder, her lineage, and her father's illness. Her gorgeous writing draws readers into her gripping story, which is organised into a four-part narrative structure drawn from Japanese literary tradition. The book is richly illustrated by the author’s sister, Cori Nakamura Lin. An engrossing memoir by an extraordinary debut author.’ -- Library Journal, starred review‘“In the presence of a story … time collapses. This is why I am always telling it.” So begins Lin’s memoir-cum-bestiary, a narrative of discovering her bipolar disorder, the struggle to start a family, and her beloved father’s death and its aftermath. Along the way, she tells stories of the yōkai, the liminal, ambiguous, supernatural creatures of Japanese folk and fairy tale, in the legends of which Lin finds parallels to her family’s experience of colonisation, trauma, immigration, and community. Illustrated in dreamy gouache and watercolour by Cori Nakamura Lin, the author’s sister, The Night Parade explores the many ways we — humans as individuals, humans in community — use stories to make sense of our lives. When calamity strikes, as in every life it must, the tales of the yōkai tell us why and how we can keep it from happening again. “To prevent disaster,” Lin writes, “worship the thing that eats you.” Heartfelt and thoughtful, this painfully lovely memoir will appeal to readers of Carmen Maria Machado’s In the Dream House and Sabrina Imbler’s How Far the Light Reaches.’ * Booklist *‘Lin’s braiding of personal experience and cultural touchstones make this memoir very special.’ * Los Angeles Times *‘This genre-bending and emotionally resonant memoir offers a masterfully braided narrative of Lin’s experience with mental illness, the death of her father, the grieving process, and Japanese, Taiwanese, and Okinawan legends to interrogate the very notion of recovery. The result is a deeply textured portrait of the experiences that haunt us and the ways in which we can begin to feel whole again.’ * Chicago Review of Books *‘Beautiful and bizarre … explode[s] conventional narratives of mental illness and grief … weaves together fable and memory, research, and family history with elegance and honesty to create a singular record of family, diaspora, art, and belonging.’ -- Kathleen Rooney * Chicago Magazine *‘Based on a traditional Japanese narrative structure, this riveting speculative memoir by Jami Nakamura Lin is accompanied by the luminous illustrations of her sister, Cori. Grappling with themes of family, neurodivergence, illness, and identity, Nakamura Lin presents a nuanced, raw, and poetic redefinition of memoir.’ * Ms. magazine *‘Inventive … Jami Nakamura Lin weaves together threads of memoir and Japanese and Taiwanese mythology to create a gorgeous mosaic of family, grief, illness, inheritance, and love.’ * Shondaland *‘Both heart-wrenching and heart-filling … It’s breathtaking to read the way [Jami Nakamura Lin] skillfully utilises the Hyakki Yagyo — a procession of supernatural oni and yokai in Japanese folklore and mythology — to recontextualise and reconsider narratives of grief, mental illness, and memory-making. This is a book to keep at your bedside.’ * Conde Nast Traveler *

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Book SynopsisThe deeply moving memoir of an award-winning war correspondent turned activist — and her rousing defence of human rights in times of resurgent authoritarianism. As a broadcast journalist for Sky News and Al Jazeera, Sherine Tadros was trained to tell only the facts, as dispassionately as possible. But how can you remain neutral when reporting from war zones, or witnessing brutal state repression? For twenty-six years, Tadros grew up in the quiet surroundings of her family’s London home, and yet injustice was something her Egyptian immigrant parents could never shelter her from. From her first journalistic assignment trapped inside a war zone in the Gaza Strip, to covering the Arab uprisings that changed the course of history, Tadros searched for ways to make a difference in people’s lives. But it wasn’t until her fiancé left her on their wedding day, and her life fell apart, that she found the courage to pursue her true purpose. It was the beginning of a journey leading to her current work for Amnesty International at the United Nations, where she lobbies governments to ensure that human rights are protected around the world. With the compassion and verve of a clear-sighted campaigner and a natural storyteller, Tadros shares her remarkable journey from witnessing injustice to fighting it head-on in the corridors of power.Trade Review‘An engaging, intelligent, and intensely personal story set against the backdrop of conflict in Lebanon, Gaza, and Egypt.’ -- Lara Marlowe * The Irish Times *‘Sherine Tadros has written a gripping and powerful memoir of her journey through journalism, hope, and despair to activism. It’s a candid guidebook that will empower anyone who wants to make the world a better place.’ -- Kim Ghattas, author of Black Wave‘Taking Sides isn’t just a memoir but a call to action. It’s a testimony to how fighting inequality and injustice takes continuous engagement by those who choose to step up.’ -- Leymah Gbowee, activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate‘I read this exquisite and courageous book in one sitting: I could not put it down.’ -- Arwa Damon, humanitarian and former senior international correspondent for CNN‘As a journalist and powerful storyteller, Sherine Tadros immerses us in some of the Middle East’s most compelling recent periods — Hezbollah’s struggle for power in Lebanon, Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, the Tahrir Square pro-democracy protests in Egypt. Yet after living through these dramatic moments, she recognises that recording them is not enough. She decides to abandon the neutrality of journalism to become a human rights advocate, so she can contribute her remarkable communication skills to those seeking justice. A captivating story told with humility, passion, and flair.’ -- Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch‘Full of compassion, heart, and intellect. This is an important book about what it takes to be a conflict reporter, a woman, and the holder of a tender heart. As well as providing a window into the world of global journalism and international organisations, Sherine Tadros is a truth-teller working on the frontlines of storytelling, human rights, and advocacy.’ -- Janine di Giovanni, executive director of The Reckoning Project and author of The Vanishing‘Superbly written, with great thoughtfulness and yet such tempo. Sherine Tadros’s telling of her story as a television journalist in war and a human rights activist at the UN deserves to be read widely. Her honesty and her clarity of thought will make this a classic among journalists, and those mulling the thorny dilemmas she probes with enormous skill.’ -- Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, CEO of the International Peace Institute and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights‘Sherine Tadros is a profile in courage. Her story is for anyone who has found themselves looking for a way to make an impact while surmounting personal struggles and heartbreak. In her journalism and now in her activism, she has always succeeded in telling people’s stories and changing the course of history. She has highlighted injustice and worked to redress it. Taking Sides is a guidebook on how to make the world a better place and the sacrifices you have to make along the way.’ -- Lulu Garcia-Navarro, journalist and host of New York Times Podcast First Person‘While delivering an engaging memoir — told with self-deprecating humour and much self-awareness — Tadros also provides sober and important insights into the modern “Middle East”. She makes accessible to any reader the region’s overlooked humanity and triumphs, as well as its all-too-frequent heartbreaks, from those suffered collectively to intensely personal ones — bravely, Tadros also includes her own. You cannot but cheer her on in her new vocation, even as she leaves journalism — a field she so excelled in and which misses her already.’ -- Alia Malek, journalist and author of The Home That Was Our Country‘[A] mixture of memoir, confession and, unsurprisingly, astute political observation.’ -- Steven Carroll * The Sydney Morning Herald *‘A riveting coming-of-age chronicle which catches your breath, warms your heart, and leaves you full of admiration.’ -- Lyse Doucet, BBC Chief International Correspondent and senior presenter‘A natural storyteller, Tadros’s story of her time as a reporter and an activist is readily readable, insightful and deeply moving. A powerful memoir.’ -- Jeff Popple * Canberra Weekly Magazine *‘Impassioned recollections of a war correspondent and geopolitical advocate … The author’s writing is clear and passionate … A solid contribution to current conversations about privilege and consensus-building for international crises.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘This memoir by human-rights advocate Tadros, deputy director of advocacy and representative to the United Nations for Amnesty International, illuminates horrific war crimes, brutal state repression, and more, without ever losing sight of humanity’s power to create meaningful, systems-based change … More than a memoir, this book demonstrates why stories matter and how to utilise them for positive change. A vital read for activists.’ -- Library Journal, starred review

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Book SynopsisFollowing the acclaimed No Visible Bruises, a piercing account of the author’s childhood in an evangelical Christian community, her teenage escape, and her career as a reporter at the frontline of the global epidemic of violence against women. Award-winning journalist Rachel Louise Snyder has spent her career reporting on abuse that happens under the cover of ‘private life’. And yet the story of her own troubled family is one she has always kept locked away. Snyder was eight when her mother died, and her distraught father thrust the family into an evangelical, cult-like existence halfway across the country. Furiously rebellious against this life, she was expelled from school, and then from home. Living out of her car and relying on strangers, she soon found herself masquerading as an adult, talking her way into college, and eventually travelling the globe. In places like India, Tibet, and Niger, she interviewed those who had been through the unimaginable. In Cambodia, where she lived for six years, she watched a country reckon with the horrors of its own recent history. Written with a storyteller’s gift for immediacy, and weaving the personal with the universal, Women We Buried, Women We Burned is a necessary story of family struggle, female survival, and the passionate drive to bear witness.Trade Review‘With the same virtuosity and eye for detail she brought to No Visible Bruises, Rachel Louise Snyder uses her own story to illuminate the many divides that plague America, from class and culture wars to toxic religiosity and frayed family ties. Women We Buried, Women We Burned is a gorgeous memoir that parses the patriarchy with an endearing frankness as fierce as it is, astonishingly, forgiving.’ -- Beth Macy, New York Times bestselling author of Raising Lazarus and Dopesick‘Bravery and honesty are the cornerstone of the memoir, but Snyder adds to this — generosity. This is a compassionate telling of a sometimes brutal story. Women We Buried, Women We Burned reminds me of opera, with its beautiful sadness and artistic triumph. The hope contained on these pages is hard won, and all the more precious due to the struggles from which it emerges.’ -- Tayari Jones, New York Times bestselling author of An American Marriage‘With a journalist’s keen eye and a novelist’s elegant prose, Rachel Louise Snyder delivers an unsentimental and bone-deep observational memoir of death and family, class and history, East and West, and politics and travel; at the centre of each story is a reaffirmation of human survival as an art of triumph.’ -- Suki Kim, New York Times bestselling author of Without You, There Is No Us: undercover among the sons of North Korea's elite‘Women We Buried, Women We Burned is a profoundly moving and layered memoir that is nuanced in all the spaces where life gets complicated. A writer with wit as sharp as her prose, Rachel Louise Snyder’s story connects on so many levels because she writes honestly about traumas, forgiveness, and the hard work it takes to build a life. A truly stunning book that will broaden hearts and minds, and also educate and inspire.’ -- Loung Ung, bestselling author of First They Killed My Father‘A bold and searing memoir about family and violence, illness and independence, pain and fear and beauty. With wry humour and enormous humanity, Rachel Louise Snyder shows us how to summon the courage to imagine in a cruel and dangerous world. A beautiful book.’ -- Patrick Radden Keefe, New York Times bestselling author of Rogues, Empire of Pain, and Say Nothing‘A harrowing story of survival that also brims with warmth, wit and insight, this memoir has the propulsive force of a novel, driven by a spirit of compassion and curiosity that will not be broken.’ -- Chelsea Bieker, author of Heartbroke and Godshot‘Rachel Louise Snyder’s story begins with a series of profound losses but becomes, in her careful and compassionate telling, a story about what we might gain by looking directly at the most difficult parts of our pasts. This is a gorgeous and radiantly honest book, brilliant in its ability to capture the way grief reverberates across a lifetime. Rather than force trauma into a false closure, Snyder transforms it into a radical openness and ability to connect.’ -- Danielle Evans, author of The Office of Historical Corrections‘As stunning as it is powerful, Women We Buried, Women We Burned is a tour-de-force memoir of family, faith, love, loss, resilience, and, ultimately, redemption. With deftness and grace, Snyder navigates the complicated terrain of childhood trauma and presents a model for how to reconcile with the ghosts of your past.’ -- Monica West, author of Revival Season‘The tenacity and bravery of a young woman determined to survive and make her own mark on the world move the narrative with unstoppable force as the sentences build in intensity and poignancy … Anyone moved by No Visible Bruises should put this at the top of their to-read list. Exceptional writing, a harrowing coming-of-age story, and critical awareness combine to make a must-read memoir.’ -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review‘Snyder’s most recent book, No Visible Bruises, explored the psychological entanglements of domestic violence. This offering once again considers complex relationships, but at a personal level … searingly honest and moving.’ * Booklist *‘How do you write a book about overcoming extreme hardship, about the singular people who convince you to take a chance on yourself, about finding the big world after a childhood that prepared you for a tiny one, about discovering that you love the people who failed to love you — and manage not to strike a single trite note? How do you remember every detail and make the reader feel like they saw, heard, and felt each moment? I have no idea, actually, but Rachel Louise Snyder has done it.’ -- Masha Gessen, National Book Award–winning author of The Future Is History and Surviving Autocracy‘With wonderfully evocative prose, Rachel Louise Snyder captures here the stark horror of a child losing her mother and half her roots as she’s then swept into her evangelical father’s second family and has to either flee or be erased. As nakedly honest as it is fair, what is so remarkable about Women We Buried, Women We Burned is that Ms. Snyder does flee, and her lone voyage to her very self is the voyage of so many girls and women around the world who have been uprooted and cast aside and must find their own way back. This is an important and profoundly moving memoir, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.’ -- Andre Dubus III, New York Times bestselling author of Townie and Such Kindness‘An affecting memoir … Excellent writing and a clear perspective enhance this primer on how to hope.’ * Los Angeles Times *‘[A] gripping memoir … Snyder’s curiosity is matched by her own resilience; writing stories about survivors parallels her own story of overcoming trauma and finding grace.’ * Washington Post *‘A penetrating memoir on grief and redemption … Snyder delivers her inspiring story with lyrical prose and sharp insights, particularly about the fraught father-daughter relationship at its centre. It’s an eloquent portrayal of the power of forgiveness.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Inspirational … Snyder observes the world with both an unsparing eye and a generous spirit … Instead of getting trapped in the familiar impasse of either/or, Snyder thinks in terms of ands. This expansiveness is of a piece with her writing on domestic violence … Snyder’s memoir shows how one might — must — live amid multiple truths.’ -- Jennifer Szalai * New York Times *‘Women We Burned is written with precision and intention. It is affecting but, crucially, never sentimental — and full of hard-won hope.’ -- Pippa Bailey * The New Statesman *‘The author of No Visible Bruises writes a searing memoir telling the story of her triumph over impossible odds, from her mother’s early death, expulsion from school and homelessness to her global reporting on domestic violence.’ * USA Today *‘Snyder’s memoir is as heartbreaking, wrenching and compelling as the stories of the victims in her eye-opening book on domestic violence … In explaining her own history, Snyder shows why she was drawn to the darkest stories and how she is able to retell them with such detail and compassion … The violence and neglect of her adolescence sounds nearly unsurvivable. And yet she is here, proof that there can be healing, reconciliation and professional triumph.’ * Minneapolis Star-Tribune *‘Rachel Louise Snyder’s two most recent books are like pendant portraits, each complementing and illuminating the other, a literary matched set. In No Visible Bruises, Snyder probed the pathology and sociology of intimate partner violence … Women We Buried, Women We Burned, an engrossing memoir of her own troubled, motherless early life, helps explain both her attraction to that dark subject and her appreciation of its complexity. [Snyder’s] difficult past, with all its emotional complexities, becomes an asset. It renders her unafraid to explore the grittier aspects of human nature … moving.’ * The Boston Globe *‘Compelling, propulsive, gripping and disturbing in equal measure.’ -- BookPage, starred review‘For fans of Tara Westover’s Educated, Snyder provides a triumphant story of beating the odds and of radical self-definition — with a punk rock backdrop to boot.’ * Oprah Daily *‘[Snyder’s] background as a journalist shines through as she describes her experiences honestly but without added drama or artifice, instead letting the people and events speak for themselves. This results in a narrative whose style belies its depth, for even as Rachel recounts her own maturation as a woman and a writer, she’s also commenting obliquely on how trauma is recapitulated and the countless ways in which male authority warps and erases women’s stories and lived realities. How she undertakes this work is subtle, even crafty.’ * Bookreporter *

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Book SynopsisFeatured in Stylist’s ‘Can’t Miss’ Books of 2023 Sometimes I think that carrying — other people, the continuity of history, generational identity, the emotional load of the everyday — is the main thing that women do. In Marina Benjamin’s new set of interlinked essays, she turns her astute eye to the tasks once termed ‘women’s work’. From cooking and cleaning to caring for an ageing relative, A Little Give depicts domestic life anew: as a site of paradox and conflict, but also of solace and profound meaning. Here, productivity sits alongside self-erasure, resentment with tenderness, and the animal self is never far away, perpetually threatening to break through. Drawing on the work of figures such as Natalia Ginzburg, Paula Rego, and Virginia Woolf, Benjamin writes with fierce candour of the struggle to overwrite the gender conditioning that pulls her back into ‘the mud-world of pre-feminism’ even as she attempts to haul herself out. From her upbringing as the child of immigrants with fixed traditional values, to looking after her mother and seeing her teenager move out of home, she examines her relationships with family, community, her body, even language itself. Ultimately, she shows that a woman’s true work may lie at the heart of her humanity, in the pursuit both of transformation and of deep acceptance.Trade Review‘Marina Benjamin can take the everyday … and transform it into deeply affecting prose.’ -- Francesca Brown * Stylist *‘Marina Benjamin writes with a frankness, depth and wisdom…In A Little Give, she turns her exacting philosopher’s mind, and opens her capacious heart to, her own life … [an] erudite and thought-provoking book … A Little Give is a memoir, but it can also be read as a manifesto for living in greater ease with change and decay, which is metamorphosis, which is life itself.’ -- Margie Oxford * The Spectator *‘Acerbic and tender all at once, A Little Give voices the unspeakable tangle of feelings that assail women in middle age. I can think of few writers so astute and exact as Marina Benjamin.’ -- Katherine May, author of Wintering‘With its unfailing attentiveness to the sensory and emotional textures of everyday life, Marina Benjamin’s beautiful writing feels like a model of good care. A wry, absorbing, and very moving book.’ -- Josh Cohen, author of How to Live. What to do.‘A small book with a big heart, A Little Give re-humanises those household chores that fall to women — cleaning, cooking, picking up after others, caring for elders, the constant emotional labour involved — and lights up the meaning of dailiness.’ -- Beth Macy, author of Dopesick and Raising Lazarus‘Bold and tender, fierce and true — I loved it.’ -- Rachel Seiffert, author of A Boy In Winter‘Marina Benjamin’s powerful, poetic essays reaffirm the vital role of women’s work in building homes, lives, and worlds. Essential reading in these culturally fractious times.’ -- Silvia FedericiSilvia Federici, scholar, teacher, and feminist activist‘A wonderful, insightful, absorbing account of the work women do and the roles they inhabit (or which inhabit them). How do the competing claims of care for others and personal freedom shape us? Benjamin is brilliant at evoking the everyday and the unspoken, those most intimate moments that are often left out of the public idea of a life — the time spent cleaning a floor, grooming a dog, lingering in the empty bedroom of a child who has departed for college. No one writes more movingly, or with more intellectual breadth and incisiveness, about the lived experiences of women.’ -- Sandra Newman, author of The Heavens‘A Little Give is one of those books that reorients our sense of how society is ordered. Its interlinked pieces take another look at those human tasks traditionally designated as “women’s work” and recasts them as profound and essential acts of labour and love.’ -- Geordie Williamson * The Australian *‘Brave and curious, an examination of what it means to live and care.’ -- Emilie Pine, author of Notes to Self‘We all know the existential funk that housework can incite, women more so than men as they have traditionally carried the load. Not to mention the mixed emotions that go with caring for others. Marina Benjamin ruminates on the historical and societal pressures, constraints and value of this work through the lens of her own Iraqi-Jewish family — her dynamic, frustrated mother who drummed into her that “women were put on this planet to please” and her creative father who didn’t question that being looked after was his due. No simple solutions are offered. Instead, she rewardingly riffs on the visceral push and pull of this work.’ -- Cameron Woodhead * The Sydney Morning Herald *‘[An] exquisite book … Benjamin’s essays investigate the social and philosophical dimensions of housework, tracing the fine filaments that bind women to a system of gender inequality … It zigzags between memory, discovery and reflection, taking the reader to the heart of the essay form. It is a journeying style of writing that constantly drives at its ideas without needing to be sure of their endpoints; it expects a question, not an answer.’ -- Camilla Nelson * The Conversation *‘Energetic and thought-provoking.’ -- Vicki Renner * ArtsHub *‘It’s a book you can sink into and return to, for the wisdom of its reflection and the beauty of its sentences.’ -- Jo Case * InDaily *‘A wonderful memoir by one of my favourite contemporary writers and thinkers.’ -- Dani Shapiro, author of Inheritance and Signal Fires‘Benjamin's overriding mission … is to render the invisible visible … As I read A Little Give, my thoughts kept returning to the performance art projects carried out by Mierle Laderman Ukeles throughout the 1970s. In one, she shook hands with 8,500 sanitation workers, thanking them for “keeping New York City alive”. In another, she washed the steps at the entrance to the Wadsworth Atheneum museum in Hartford, Connecticut, rendering visible the work of low-paid custodial staff. Her point was that maintenance is undervalued. Benjamin's thoughtful book demonstrates the many ways in which it still is.’ -- Amy Walters * The Canberra Times *‘Stunning … I inhaled this book.’ -- Sam Baker * The Shift podcast *‘[A] warm, engaging work, no matter the reader's gender.’ * Red Tape *‘Elegant and elegiac.’ -- Shyamantha Asokan * workingmum.co.uk *‘Personal and lyrical.’ * The Irish Times *‘Editor, journalist, and memoirist Benjamin meditates on feminism, family, and women’s work in a series of linked essays that cohere into a thoughtful reflection on the trajectory of her life … An intimate and powerfully written look at women’s lives.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘This book separates itself from the others in its specific concentration on the domestic work of women … Especially well-suited for women seeking validation regarding the daily labours of love, or those seeking another source of political writing about the division of labour following Eve Rodsky’s Fair Play. Ideal for libraries that house Benjamin’s first two installments, as well as those where titles regarding women’s rights and injustices are needed.’ * Library Journal *Praise for Insomnia: ‘A darkly thrilling beauty of a book … Benjamin’s talent is Arachne-like. The materials she integrates are eclectic, and the resulting constructed web of her thoughts is architecturally robust and resplendent with dazzling prose.’ -- Tali Lavi * Australian Book Review *Praise for Insomnia: ‘A short, ludic book about long white nights ... [Benjamin] writes feelingly about the frustrations of being awake when you don’t want to be ... Her moans about her futile thought-loops alternate with flattering descriptions of her radiant nocturnal consciousness.’ -- Zoë Heller * The New Yorker *Praise for The Middlepause: ‘Lucid and sophisticated … A restrained but wonderful guide to the convulsive changes of 50 and over … This is a book that yields valuable insights on almost every page.’ -- Melissa Benn * The Guardian *

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of Mrs Engels and The Sisters Mao, an intimate family memoir about filial love and its limits, separation, and loss. Gavin is spending the quarantine with his eighty-year-old mother, whose mind is slowly slipping away. He has returned home to care for her and to write a novel. But all he can write about is her. In this frank and revealing memoir, he unspools an intimate story of his upbringing and early adulthood: feeling out of place as a child, homophobic bullying at school, his brother’s mental illness and drug addiction, his father’s sudden death, his own devastating diagnosis, his struggles and triumphs as a writer, and above all, his relationship with his mother. Her brightness shines a light over his childhood, but her betrayal of his teenage self leads to years of resentment and disconnection. Now, he must find a way to reconcile with her, before it is too late.Trade Review‘Flayingly authentic and sensationally compelling … one of the best books of the year.’ -- Anthony Cummins * The Observer *‘Cells is a raw, throbbing thing; the literary equivalent of an open wound, but one that’s been cauterised by a highly skilled surgeon … one of the very best, most authentic, beautiful, and brutal depictions of a deep and abiding, albeit imperfect love between a son and his mother, not to mention the story of the making of an acutely talented writer.’ -- Lucy Scholes * The Telegraph *‘Raw and deeply affecting.’ -- Fiona Buckley * The Guardian *‘Fantastic.’ -- Seán Hewitt * Sunday Independent *‘Already established as a leading voice in Irish literature as a novelist, Gavin McCrea’s first foray into memoir, Cells, allows him to pour his literary prowess into a heart stopping excavation of the self … An antidote to shame that this country sorely desires, Cells will heighten the capacity for empathy in all who read it. Not least of all, empathy for the self.’ -- Helen Cullen * The Irish Times *‘Remarkable’ -- Andrew McMillan‘McCrea lays himself bare.’ -- Sophie Grenham * The Sunday Times *‘A brave, raw, visceral memoir told with such acuity, insight, and compassion, I could barely put it down. Gavin McCrea’s unflinching mapping of his family’s struggles, his own journey towards individuation and self-realisation, as well as his deep, conflicted love for his mother, is beautifully rendered, painful, and real. A stunning, memorable read.’ -- Lisa Harding, author of Bright Burning Things‘McCrea’s emotionally intelligent dissection of personal relationships ensures that this is no squalid misery memoir.’ -- Houman Barekat * TLS *‘While a deeply personal book, Cells represents an important comment on modern Ireland.’ -- Luke Warde * Sunday Independent *‘Cells is a compulsive tidal force of a book: detailed, vulnerable, and brave, it pulled me in swiftly and held me to the very end.’ -- Seán Hewitt, author of All Down Darkness Wide‘This is a book that brims with stored-up pain — and with a very particular kind of courage. For all its dark and sometimes brutal honesty, what the reader is going to remember here is the way that McCrea’s prose fights on through his hurt to bring home pages that seem lit from within by love and beauty. A memoir that is as rewarding as it is undoubtedly challenging.’ -- Neil Bartlett, author of Ready To Catch Him Should He Fall and Address Book‘Reading Cells, I was struck by McCrea’s generosity in interrogating personal histories as they relate to wider familial and social systems. Contemplating devotion and loss with revolutionary sensitivity, what results is a stunning work of emotion-mapping. Cells is a dazzling exploration of nuance; pondering the formative threads that piece together the self, sewing a new lineage of interconnectedness towards acceptance.’ -- Peter Scalpello, author of Limbic‘A life recollected in vivid scenes, Cells is both brutal and tender in its depiction of the relationships that shape a self. Leading the reader through moments of darkness and of luminosity alike, this is a work of intellect and eloquence, but also a work of great heart. I was deeply moved as I read, and so grateful that this book found its way to me.’ -- Doireann Ní Ghríofa, author of A Ghost in the Throat‘McCrea is one of Ireland’s best contemporary authors.’ -- Sara Baume * Irish Examiner *‘Using the fine brushstrokes of his relationship with his mother, Gavin McCrea creates a remarkable self-portrait which becomes, then, a portrait of our times. This memoir will comfortably sit alongside other great Irish memoirs of recent decades, not least the work of Nuala O’Faolain, Hugo Hamilton, and John McGahern. This is a brave book, beautifully written, fearless, vulnerable, self-aware, honest, and not without moments of intimate levity. McCrea is prepared to express his rage at how the world has unfurled around him, but he does so with delicacy and love and a daring sense of invention.’ -- Colum McCann, author of Apeirogon‘Honest, moving, raw, and unsparing this memoir makes you think and feel. With Cells, Gavin McCrea has established himself as one of Ireland’s finest writers.’ -- Paul McVeigh, author of The Good Son‘An unflinching memoir about interiority, in multiple senses of the word, and the ways in which shame and trauma inflect the spaces of our material lives. Gavin McCrea’s writing is attentive and deeply intelligent; it teems with the life of its subject, refrains from glumness or easy answers, and all with an elegance that makes Cells a captivating read.’ -- Jack Parlett, author of Fire Island‘Gavin McCrea has written a succession of cells that open up a world of wonder. As smart as it is witty, this memoir grips in a journey that will make the reader feel, understand, and, on top of that, marvel at the cost of love and the things people need do to survive.’ -- Gillian Slovo, author of Every Secret Thing‘Gavin McCrea’s wonderful memoir Cells is aptly named. His writing gets under the skin and drills through the bone and into the marrow of what pain and joy it is to be a mother and to be that very particular mother’s child.’ -- Tish Delaney, author of The Saint of Lost Things‘Raw, courageous, and heartfelt … a brutal, tender book, and one which merits reading with all the same attention and care with which it is written.’ * Totally Dublin *‘He writes beautifully.’ -- Orna Mulcahy * The Gloss *‘A riveting, deeply considered memoir … as with the best memoirs (Nuala O’Faolain’s Are You Somebody? is one touchstone) McCrea uses his own life as a springboard to discuss wider Irish society … From the wonderful prologue that will instantly hook readers, to the many surprising twists introduced without fanfare throughout the book, Cells is an excavation of the past by a writer who knows exactly what he’s doing.’ -- Sarah Gilmartin * The Irish Times *‘A writer of enormous talent and courage, Gavin McCrea’s Cells is the kind of book you can’t put down ... The kind of book you’ll never forget, the kind of book you’ll press on other readers so you can discuss it together.’ -- Caitriona Lally, author of Eggshells‘A visceral and searching memoir where the author displays seemingly inexhaustible strength in revealing his vulnerability.’ -- Brendan Daly * The Sunday Business Post *‘In its ungarnished prose and loud inner voice, Cells stitches raw memories with new meanings to craft a brilliant composite of a son’s unexamined relationship with his mother. The memoir pairs McCrea’s unspoken shame with his private sanctums to show how it’s these cells — physical or fantastical — where we sometimes finally find the words to speak.’ -- Nathan Smith * The Saturday Paper *‘[Q]uite fearlessly, McCrae lays it all bare … [Cells is] brave; brilliantly written; almost unbearably raw and frank; but also tender and sweet.’ -- Peta Stavelli * NZ Booklovers *‘In this exceptional memoir, McCrea (Mrs. Engels) unflinchingly untangles his family’s history and its effects on his adult self … a powerful and complicated reckoning with the ghosts of family dysfunction. This one isn’t easy to shake.’ -- Publishers Weekly, starred review‘A harrowing but ultimately very rewarding read.’ -- Martín Von Hildebrand * The Sunday Business Post *Praise for The Sisters Mao: ‘McCrea’s portrait of Jiang Qing is a masterpiece of characterisation: at once monstrous and pitiable. The Sisters Mao is dazzlingly clever and original.’ -- Antonia Senior * The Times *Praise for The Sisters Mao: ‘The Sisters Mao is a spectacular novel, utterly enthralling and insightful; every voice is penetrating, dazzling. In spite of the setting, it is full of relevance for these times; it manages to be both historically authentic and thrillingly contemporary. Gavin is a writer of extraordinary talent, and I cannot think of a kind of reader who I would not recommend this novel to.’ -- Sara Baume, author of Spill Simmer Falter WitherPraise for The Sisters Mao: ‘McCrea has conducted exceptionally deep research to conjure up nuanced, authentic portrayals of the worlds of the book — but the text carries his knowledge lightly, supporting rather than dominating the story. The Sisters Mao is the best sort of historical fiction; one that illuminates the contemporary moment with great insight. Profoundly brilliant, it will no doubt be a huge contender on the literary awards circuit, but also one that is pushed feverishly from reader to reader with excitement.’ -- Helen Cullen * The Irish Times *Praise for Mrs Engels: ‘[Gavin McCrea] deserves praise for his command of voice in Mrs Engels … This is the best kind of historical fiction — oozing period detail, set in a milieu populated by famous figures and events about which much is known, but seen through the eyes of a central character who, due to her illiteracy, left no ready access to her experience in the form of letters or diary entries: a rich and accomplished first novel.’ -- Lucy Scholes * The Independent *

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Book SynopsisSay ‘Eh-oh!’ to Nikky Smedley and Laa-Laa Over the Hills and Far Away follows Nikky through the Teletubbies years, from her role as a bistro table during her audition to the show’s international success and the accompanying hounding by the press. In this warm, funny, affectionate look back at life on the Teletubbies set, Nikky reveals all, including tales about dogs and asthma, raging arguments about fruit, and the games the cast and crew played to amuse themselves during long shoots in their massive costumes. Join Nikky and Laa-Laa on their extraordinary journey from the very beginning to handing the torch to another performer for the next generation.Trade Review‘Puts us right inside those hellishly uncomfortable costumes, without trashing the magic or betraying the children who gave Laa-Laa their love.’ ‘Charming, funny, insightful, beautifully written.’My showbiz memoir of the year. A hit!Top notch insight into the woman within the puppet.Funny, poignant and heart-warming.This book is the reminder I didn’t know I needed.What a wonderful book! Beautifully written and Nikki’s sense of humour shines through the pages.

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Book SynopsisAs he works his way through his medical training, Ike Anya’s grandmother reassures him, ‘Everything worthwhile is achieved small by small.’ Small by Small charts the triumphs and failures of Ike’s student days through to his first demanding year as a house officer. A medical memoir unlike any from the West, this is filled with the colour and vibrancy of tempestuous 1990s Nigeria, where political unrest, social change and a worsening economy make a doctor’s life particularly challenging. Full of compassion and insight, often humorous and always moving, this is a unique doctor’s journey.Trade ReviewA small miracle of a book. It entertains with delicious storytelling, and leaves us feeling moved and satisfied, and all in a beautifully unhurried way.An uplifting story of hope and ambition vividly recalled. Filled with fascinating characters and insights.I raced to the end of this richly evocative memoir of the challenges of training as a doctor in 90s Nigeria. It’s a good corrective to This is Going to Hurt.A marvellously rich and lucid account of a doctor’s journey, clear-eyed and compassionate.Anya’s wit is sharp, his humour gentle and his insights are so clearly based on an abounding curiosity and a deeply held compassion for his fellow humans.Beautifully told.A rich, alive and warm masterpiece.

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Book SynopsisIt has the privacy and immediacy of a diary but holds the interest like a novel. It follows the adventures, trials and tribulations of Nuibin Amhlaigh who keeps getting into trouble in his good soldier’s progress through army life. A lost treasure of Irish writing translated for the first time into English.Trade Review“Mac Amhlaigh sought to record every pub and dancehall, every sunset, stone wall and rainbow in his mind, to pack the city in his suitcase so that she remained with him forever, so he could all at once hear her lost voice everywhere.” Colum McCann; “Mícheál Ó hAodha has done the literary world a huge service by translating Dónall Mac Amhlaigh's work into English.” Gillian Mawson; "a work that exudes authenticity and immediacy.” Liam Harte

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Book SynopsisJeffrey Weeks has been called 'the 'most significant British intellectual working on sexuality to emerge from the radical sexual movements of the 1970s'. Yet behind the titles and acclaim lies the story of a hugely fascinating, inspirational life - one both immersed in love and blighted by pain and loss. Growing up in a tight-knit mining community in the post-war Rhondda Valleys, Weeks knew from a young age that he was different. However, grappling with his burgeoning gayness amid this hotbed of sexual conservatism and traditional gender divisions, his initial explorations into this uniqueness led to little more than isolation and shame. Finding salvation in his studies, university brought with it a life-defining opportunity to thrive within the radical culture of late sixties and seventies London. He soon found himself at the forefront of the new gay liberation movement, and his work as its pioneering historian would spark a long career as a researcher and writer on sexuality, with widespread national and international recognition.Trade Review"A revelation . . . Humorous, passionate, insightful and written with literary flair" - Daryl Leeworthy, author of A Little Gay History of Wales

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Book SynopsisIn this clear and absorbing memoir John Sam Jones writes of a life lived on the edge. It is story of journeys and realisation, of acceptance and joy. From a boyhood on the coast of Wales to a traumatic period studying at Aberystwyth, to a scholarship at Berkley in California as the AIDS epidemic began to take hold before returning to Liverpool and north Wales to work in community engagement and sexual health. A journey of becoming a writer and chronicler of his experiences with award-winning books and the desire to become a campaigner for LGBT rights in Wales. The adventure of running a guest house in Barmouth where he eventually became Mayor with his husband, a German academic, who he had married after a long partnership. Three weeks after the European Referendum they put the business on the market and moved to Germany. John is still on that journey.Trade Review“The Journey is Home is elegantly woven together, enormously readable and engaging... there is great value in this book. I found much tranquillity, amusement and love in its pages.” – Nation.Cymru; “...an incredibly important insight into the lives of individuals who had to inhabit the far less hospitable and more openly homophobic world of the recent past.” – The Welsh Agenda

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Book SynopsisThe Prison Psychiatrist's Wife is a gripping true story of a Herculean project. Sue Johnson's psychiatrist husband Bob, recruited to work with notorious offenders at Parkhurst Prison, sets out to discover whether he can change dangerous and violent men. What begins as a bold and enlightened experiment leads him into clashes with prison culture and eventually to the High Court with threats to invoke the Official Secrets Act. From her unique point of view as an unfettered outsider, the author casts a searingly moving eye onto the workings of our deepest dungeons and the politics that feed them. This book is an unforgettable account from the perspective of the unseen wife. A rare 'outsider' view of prison which casts new light on hidden events. Of wide professional, penal and general interest - a woman's voice in a strongly male setting.Trade Review'A beautifully written account of the experience of working creatively in a top security setting of control'-- Prison Service Journal; 'Wonderful book... beautifully written as well as presenting the tragic face of humanity versus this country's inhumane penal system'-- Dr Felicity de Zulueta, Emeritus Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy; 'A tremendous book. A perspective that needs to be heard'- Oliver James, author, broadcaster and clinical psychologist; 'A rollercoaster ride of emotion, courage, and political chicanery ... I was held by the power of the narrative'- Dave Marteau, former Head of the Prison Drug Addiction Service; 'I was gripped ... a great read I would recommend to Prison Service colleagues'- Tim Newell, former Governor of HMP Grendon; 'Captivating and most beautifully written'- Jerome Carson, Professor of Psychology, Bolton University; 'I nearly stood up and clapped'- Andrew Holden, film and TV scriptwriter; 'I read this wonderful book with joy and appreciation. It's probably among the very best Waterside Press has ever published in all the years and I have read dozens of Waterside books .... The author is a natural writer full of empathy and understanding, I shall let people know how very good the book is'- John Harding CBE, Formerly Chief Probation Officer, Inner London.Table of ContentsForeword Charles Bronson; Prologue; The Beginnings; The Strong Man; Early Days; A Tea Party; Trust and Change; The Man in the Blue Jumper; A Hopeful Time; A Swimming Party; A Barbecue; The Hospital Wing; The Guardian; New Man on the Wing; Grendon; Prison Politics; Murder Threat; The Inspectorate Calls; A Breaking Storm; Resignation; Panorama; The High Court; After-days...; After-shocks; Epilogue.

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Book Synopsis'Making a garden together, in which to live and work, through thick and thin, fair and foul, is what we like to do best. Everything else is a sideshow. Since spring 2019 Julian and I have been making a garden at Ashington Manor Farm, a garden that we think of as our last principal private escapade, but you never know . . .' Isabel and Julian Bannerman have made scores of lauded gardens for a host of famous clients, and three special, much-loved gardens of their own surrounding the houses which they have restored and lived in since they married, starting at The Ivy, Chippenham, in 1982; then Hanham Court, Bristol, in 1993; and Trematon Castle, Cornwall, in 2012. Now as they embark on a new adventure, creating a garden at their Elizabethan farmhouse in Somerset, Isabel reflects on the garden they are making and the others they have made as a couple, about the 'thousand tiny decisions about which we fight like hooting chimpanzees' and, especially, the fundamentals of what Julian, Mr B, thinks about the key things that go into making a garden for living in – a jumble of eating, drinking and sitting places, fruit cages, vegetable and cutting gardens, pelargoniums in giant pots, rose arches, tools and sheds, fences, formality and topiary, pools and meadows, and not least the importance of one's peripheral vision of how the garden joins on to the landscape.Trade Review"The magic they bring to every project is elusive, but it is always built upon the solid foundations of a deep understanding of the history of a house and its relationship with the land. Happily, this book lifts the lid of the process that produces such warm yet thrilling results...This sharp and funny, warts-and-all approach does the great service of leaving the reader enthused and encouraged, not overawed by technicalities and hardcore...it imparts all that really useful practical stuff so often left unsaid. And all is told with that same chaos and charm that underpins their enchanting gardens." -- Tiffany Daneff * Country Life *"So beguiling in its content, so poignant in its perceptions, that when I had finished it, I started at the beginning again, to read it all over again." -- Anna Pavord * Gardens Illustrated *"If you like gardens, houses, charm and other people's husbands then get this book. Nothing and no one keeps me awake till three in the morning apart, it seems, from Isabel Bannerman. Her style of writing is all her own and I love it." -- Jasper Conran"Broad in scope, Husbandry is beautifully and evocatively written...The Bannermans are original thinkers yet this is a useful and practical book. A garden like a marriage is ‘for pleasure and living in’ and Husbandry has a wellspring of ideas on the possibilities of place." -- Lucy Bellamy * Garden & House *"Beautifully written, achingly honest and sometimes irreverent, revealing all sorts of useful snippets on garden design." -- Clare Foster * House and Garden *"The real story of a garden and a relationship. It would make a wonderful gift for the gardening person in your life or just buy it for yourself. It feels a little like a hidden gem that might get overlooked as it is not a big or a flashy book, but treat yourself, you will not regret it." * blackberrygarden.co.uk *"Warm, candid and enormously entertaining, this book is as much about a marriage as a garden. There are gems of observation, thought-provoking statements and some really useful advice. It’s clear the gardens created by the designers Isabel and Julian Bannerman for clients, and their own home gardens, are tightly woven into their relationship and part of the fabric of life for a couple for whom garden-making is akin to breathing." -- Anna Pavord * Sunday Times Gardening Books of the Year *"This intimate and entertaining tasty morsel ruminates on love, marriage and garden-making. I felt that I'd lounged beneath the trees at Ashington Manor with a soul-mate." -- Rachel de Thame * The Garden (RHS) *"So out of the ordinary, so fantastically written, clever and very funny, that I might get two of them: husband-and-wife copies." -- Jason Goodwin * Country Life *"A wonderful gift for the gardening person in your life or just buy it for yourself. It feels a little like a hidden gem that might get overlooked as it is not a big or a flashy book, but treat yourself, you will not regret it." * blackberrygarden.co.uk *

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Book Synopsis‘The Diary and Memoirs of an Incarcerated Granny’ is a frank ‘lockdown diary’ full of anecdotes, musings, reminiscences and irreverent commentary. Author Angela Lister has looked at an unprecedented year through the prism of lockdown, to produce a remarkable book that is both a diary and an autobiography. She eloquently contrasts her incarceration at home during lockdown with memories of spending five years living in the Dordogne with her late husband, James. She combines charm, warmth and a mischievous sense of humour in this candid and entertaining read. The author’s witty and vibrant pen covers subjects such as downsizing, family, friendships, dogs called Poppy and Violet, food, politics and Zoom. ‘The Diary and Memoirs of an Incarcerated Granny’ is a cathartic romp through the seasons of a unique year. In Angela’s own words, it’s necessary to ensure that ‘positive thoughts abound’.

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Book Synopsis'Travellers in the Sand' takes you on an eye-opening tour of the Middle East region, from the River Jordan to the Siwa Oasis and beyond. Discover the genuine cultures of the Old World and sense the indomitable spirit of those ancient lands, with the incredible wealth of tradition within the Arabian Peninsular. Live the experience; from first exposure to the unique socio-agricultural system of an Israeli kibbutz, to another kind of society within the teaming masses camped around Cairo's City of the Dead - the contrasts are extreme, as are the characters you'll meet along the way.Table of ContentsIntroduction 7 Preface 11 Part One Seeking Jerusalem and beyond 13 Chapter one: Land of Milk and Honey 14 Chapter two: Bible lands 25 Chapter three: City in the desert 35 Chapter four: River of life 42 Chapter five: Road to the Promised Land 57 Chapter six: Pale green hills 62 Part Two Chasing the Oracle 67 Chapter seven: Valley of the jackals 68 Chapter eight: Moral stakes and paper plates 84 Chapter nine: Sahara sands 94 Chapter ten: The burning bush 117 Chapter eleven: Wolf Castle 124 Chapter twelve: The Holy City 133 Part Three The essence of Arabia 153 Chapter thirteen: Eastern promises 154 Chapter fourteen: Snow in the desert 161 Chapter fifteen: Jebel Shams 178 Chapter sixteen: Black gold 187 Chapter seventeen: Alpha and Omega 193 Conclusion 198 Bibliography 205 Acknowledgments 206

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Book Synopsis‘Rethymnon - A British couple’s true story of love and loss on Crete’ is a book to make you laugh and cry. It is a true story about love, loss and the delights and downsides and of moving to a different country. Readers are taken on an exhilarating journey from South West London to Southern Greece. The book is an account of a decision to migrate and all the other stages of the transition. There was fun and laughter despite the difficulties encountered with Greek bureaucracy. It includes a frank account of the writer's grief over the sudden loss of her beloved husband, how she coped with living in a foreign country on her own and what led to her decision to remain.Table of ContentsContents Preface 9 Chapter 1 – Greek island holidays 13 Chapter 2 – Why we decided to emigrate and why we chose Crete 21 Chapter 3 – The decision 26 Chapter 4 – We did everything in two weeks 33 Chapter 5 – Looking for accommodation 45 Chapter 6 – The move 50 Chapter 7 – The journey 61 Chapter 8 – Settling in 65 Chapter 9 – Christmas shopping 76 Chapter 10 – Christmas 82 Chapter 11 – New Year 88 Chapter 12 – Diving for the cross 93 Chapter 13 – Getting our health books and other frustrations 98 Chapter 14 – Setting up work 109 Chapter 15 – Carnival 116 Chapter 16 – Looking for a car 124 Chapter 17 – Planning a visit to the UK 132 Chapter 18 – Our last visit to the UK 137 Chapter 19 – The Aftermath 148 Chapter 20 – Carrying on Robin’s dream 158 Acknowledgements 169

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Book Synopsis'Unlocking Cousin Daisy's Cabinet' is a riveting, beautifully written and highly engaging compendium of a life well-lived and told in intensely personal yet also widely accessible recollections. It details and highlights the experiences, challenges, and adventures that the author has lived and his grapples with fate and destiny using his determination and all his energies. From a working-class, immigrant neighborhood in New York to witnessing the 'Cold War' Soviet Union, this thought-provoking memoir covers many timely topics. It reveals regional life in the U.S.A., work, politics, prejudice, religion, family dynamics, education, world travel and culture. It also recounts the consequences of the untimely murder of a friend. At times provocative, frequently amusing, it is an authentic portrayal of life's experiences.Table of ContentsIntroduction 9 Chapter 1 - Unlocking Cousin Daisy’s cabinet 11 Chapter 2 - Unprecedented times 16 Chapter 3 - The greatest show on earth 24 Chapter 4 - My mantra-motto 36 Chapter 5 - ‘The Big Apple’ to ‘The Big Easy’ 40 Chapter 6 - Mangia! Mangia! EAT! 58 Chapter 7 - That amazing ‘Ah Ha’ moment 75 Chapter 8 - Steinway 81 Chapter 9 - Being a refugee 85 Chapter 10 - The world at my doorstep 104 Chapter 11 - North/South/East/West 121 Chapter 12 - Roots 207 Chapter 13 - The dawn of Aquarius, aka The Internet 226 Chapter 14 - Not just any tomb - Lenin’s tomb 235 Chapter 15 - Summer Daze 292 Chapter 16 - Annus Horribilis… more than one 309 Chapter 17 - What I did for love 338 Chapter 18 - Ollie 345 Chapter 19 - Pig’s feet, frog legs and oysters 366 Chapter 20 - Planes, trains, and automobiles 370 Chapter 21 - A potpourri of attachments 419 Chapter 22 - Finding America 431 Chapter 23 - The Immigrant experience 436 Chapter 24 - The kids down the block 445 Chapter 25 - Being Enlightened 453 Chapter 26 - Out to sea 468 Chapter 27 - Barbara 481 Chapter 28 - My life at Tulane 491 Chapter 29 - Work! 502 Chapter 30 - Paradise found 542 Chapter 31 - Our built environment 545 Chapter 32 - Community 548 Conclusion 553 Acknowledgements 555

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Book SynopsisHave ewe herd? ‘Stuck in the Middle with Ewe: or how I lost my heart and found my flock in Northern Ireland’, is a chaotic, funny and poignant tale, recounting how an English journalist fell in love with a Northern Irish farmer, his sheep and a new way of life. Holly Crawford has finally found the man of her dreams. This is good. Unfortunately he lives 500 miles away on the other side of the Irish Sea. This is bad. Never one to do things by halves, Holly decides there’s only one thing for it: she will marry him (during a pandemic) and relocate to his homeland. Having swapped deadlines for dairies and suits for Wellington boots, she’s soon causing chaos as she encounters cantankerous cows, riotous rams and cute lambs while finding out just what it takes to be a farmer’s wife. She has one husband, 200 sheep and not a clue.

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Book SynopsisThe inspirational story of a young German orphan who escaped a war-torn Berlin to rise to the highest ranks of the European legal system. When Konrad Schiemann escaped his home in Berlin to begin a new life in England, he didn’t know what life awaited him there. An orphan who had lost both of his parents at the end of World War Two, he reached this new country to start again with the help of relatives. Grown up, he decided to practise as a barrister in England and became a judge of the Appeal Court and finally of the European Court of Justice. After having his family and life in Germany torn apart by conflict, he forged a career around his desire to help in the construction of a peaceful Europe. It was only late in life that he came to realise the extent of the extraordinary family into which he had been born. A great-great grandfather who presided over 5 parliaments and the first German Supreme Court, a great-grandfather who was a friend of the last Kaiser and a grandfather who joined the Nazi Party despite the opposition of two members of the family later recognised by Israel as Righteous among the Nations for saving Jews from the Nazis. He learned of his mother’s close acquaintance with one of the plotters of the assassination attempt on Hitler and it became evident that there was a powerful family history to be traced, and a story to be told. Piecing together extensive correspondence from the war years, A Dual Perspective is the moving memoir of a German orphan who built a new future away from home, and the story of the family he loved and lost along the way.

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Book Synopsis"That good old farming saying 'make hay while the sun shines' is true in so many ways ... " Life on a family farm is always full of its ups and downs, but the past year for sheep farmer Sue Andrews has been busier than most. There's the arrival of husband Aubrey's lively new sheepdog puppy. Then livestock sales become online auctions just as Sue's beloved pedigree Blue Texel sheep are set to find new homes. And now, to top it all - as lambing starts, a new generation of young farming grandchildren decides it's time to learn the ropes ... This is the latest 'enchanting' portrait of a year in the life of a Cotswold sheep farmer from Amazon bestselling author Sue Andrews (If Clouds Were Sheep, Jumping Over Clouds) - perfect for anyone who enjoys a lively tale of the countryside

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Book Synopsis"My earliest recollection of Colkirk was, I think, the Diamond Jubilee of good Queen Victoria in 1897 ... " Alfred Absolon's memoir is a unique window into life in rural Norfolk before the Great War and a story full of his family's farming heritage. He grows up on his aunt's farm in the village of Colkirk. This is a place where folklore is as real as the seasons and the harvest is gathered by men and horses. The threshing machine is powered by a steam engine, and the village is home to traditional craftsmen who practice a fading way of life. This is an authentic and unforgettable first-person account of life in a Norfolk village at the turn of the century (1897-1929)

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Book Synopsis"Learning never stops. It still surprises me that I can discover new and effective ways to train" Gill Watson's lifelong dedication to training and mentoring young riders has taken her on a journey that has spanned decades. Many of today's most renowned British eventers began their international careers under Gill's watchful eye. Full of insight, humour and occasional spills, Gill has drawn together memories from over forty former pupils and colleagues. This is an extraordinary record of life as an international team coach, and a fascinating look at the skills and techniques which forge young talent into future stars. With guest contributors including Olympic Gold Medal winner Laura Collett and a foreword by Pippa Funnell.Trade Review'This book is a must-read for all coaches' -- PIPPA FUNNELL; 'Anyone who looks at the results that Gill pulled out of the bag, year after year, with so many different riders, will understand what a talented trainer she is' -- LAURA COLLETT; "The book is a huge testament to Gill’s skill as a horsewoman and technical coach, plus her ability to bring out the best in people ... I wanted to start again at the beginning as soon as I finished it" -- HORSE AND HOUND magazine

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Book SynopsisReuben, aged 38, was living in a home for adults with learning disabilities. He hadn't established an independent life in the care system and was still struggling to accept that he had Down's syndrome. Depressed and in a fog of anti-depressants, he hadn't spoken for over a year. The only way he expressed himself was by writing poems or drawing felt-tip scenes from his favourite West End musicals and Hollywood films. Increasingly isolated, cut off from everyone and everything he loved, Reuben sent a text message: 'brother. do. you. love. me.' When Manni received this desperate message from his youngest brother, he knew everything had to change. He immediately left his life in Spain and returned to England, moving Reuben out of the care home and into an old farm cottage in the countryside. In the stillness of winter, they began an extraordinary journey of repair, rediscovering the depths of their brotherhood, one gradual step at a time. Combining Manni's tender words with Reuben's powerful illustrations, their story of hope and resilience questions how we care for those we love, and demands that, through troubled times, we learn how to take better care of each other.

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Book SynopsisAfter thinking she has the summer to organise a move across the globe, Liz receives a call from her husband, Mo, to say that everything has changed – he needs her to join him in Thailand as soon as possible. The Pits, as the town is affectionately known to the tiny expat community, none of whom can ever pronounce its name correctly and where very little English is spoken. Follow Liz through the initial shock to a jet lagged brain at the sheer volume of traffic, noise, and the hubbub of daily life. Trying to provide appetising meals whilst fully aware of the fate of the creature which is providing sustenance is a unique experience. The difficulties encountered with the Thai language, customs, and the subsequent embarrassing consequences. Cockroaches, weevils, geckos or chitchats become part of everyday life. The most important thing to take with you besides your passport, is your sense of humour, because without it you will surely end up on the first flight home.

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Book SynopsisRichard Trahair shares an insider's experience of the wide-ranging 'goings on' in a large Church of England diocese in the south of England from the 1980s. As estate manager - Diocesan Property Secretary - for more than thirty years, he reflects on the astonishing range of characters he worked alongside, and the diverse buildings and land for which he was responsible. Richard delves into the nature of a parsonage house, its parish loyalties, and the keen controversy over selling the grand old houses and replacing them with smaller ones so that the impoverished clergy and their families can at least keep warm. Both people and places were a heady mix of the delightful, the worthy, the curious and the downright eccentric. With encounters recounted that range from wacky and hilarious, to thought-provoking and historical, catch a glimpse into the life of a twenty-nine-year-old surveyor in a diocesan office dominated by retired military gentlemen, rattling around in a huge 15th century former city workhouse, as he grows into his role.

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Book Synopsis‘There is a certain feeling – standing between rows of richly dyed blue cloth – that you are within an enclave of protection, that within this ocean you can feel calm; a separation from the outside world.’ One summer, a mother and daughter are reunited in the small village of Betws Gwerful Goch in North Wales following the death of a father and grandfather. Ellie returned from studying at university, while Jeanette had been studying the art of indigo dyeing in Japan. In this lyrical memoir, Ellie Evelyn Orrell transports readers to their hillside garden, reflecting on a summer spent learning to work with indigo, and witnessing the power of creativity in moments of mourning and recovery. In it, she weaves together stories of resettling in a once-familiar landscape; the healing powers of art; the historical, mythological and present day properties of indigo; and the presence of this indelible colour within the Welsh landscape. An Indigo Summer is an absorbing meditation on art, rural life and roots, grief, creativity and the artistic process.

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