Alice Sebold
The Almost Moon
Cultural / Ireland / Autobiography / Memoir
A woman steps over the line into the unthinkable in this brilliant, powerful, and unforgettable new novel by the author of The Lovely Bones and Lucky. For years Helen Knightly has given her life to others: to her haunted mother, to her enigmatic father, to her husband and now grown children. When she finally crosses a terrible boundary, her life comes rushing in at her in a way she never could have imagined. Unfolding over the next twenty-four hours, this searing, fast-paced novel explores the complex ties between mothers and daughters, wives and lovers, the meaning of devotion, and the line between love and hate. It is a challenging, moving, gripping story, written with the fluidity and strength of voice that only Alice Sebold can bring to the page.
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The Girl With the Golden Shoes
Colin Channer
Fiction / Cultural / African American
Set in 1942 on the imagined island of San Carlos, a cultural cocktail of Trinidad, Cuba, and Jamaica, this is the story of Estrella Thompson, a headstrong fourteen-year-old girl who’s forced to fend for herself when she’s banished from the isolated fishing village where she’s lived all her life.Colin Channer’s major works of fiction include the novel Waiting in Vain and the story collection Passing Through, which Junot Díaz described as “a splendid collection by one of the Caribbean Diaspora’s finest writers.” He also edited Iron Balloons: Hit Fiction from Jamaica’s Calabash Writer’s Workshop (Akashic Books, 2006). Channer is an assistant professor of English and the coordinator of the BA creative writing program at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, New York.
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Sylvie: Short Story
Barbara Gowdy
Fiction / Animals / Cultural
On Sylvie’s first day of school, her mother advises her to keep Sue, an undeveloped Siamese twin, hidden under her skirt. Teased, groped and tormented by the other kids, Sylvia eventually makes her escape with a sideshow that visits her hometown. At last, she has found a place where she feels at home—until life offers her the opportunity to walk in yet another direction.Hailed as “remarkable and uplifting” by The Globe and Mail and published to equally glowing acclaim around the world, Barbara Gowdy’s groundbreaking collection of stories, We So Seldom Look on Love, pushes past the limits of convention into lives that are fantastic and heartbreakingly real.HarperCollins brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperCollins short-stories collection to build your digital library.
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1 Night Stand
Amaleka McCall
Cultural / African American / Fiction
Sister's Love was a chart-topping girl group that had it all—fame, fortune, and then failure. Harmony, Melody, and Lyric haven't seen each other since their group broke up three years ago, but when tragedy strikes, the sisters have no choice but to face each other again. Harmony, who retreated from the limelight, lives a modest life in the suburbs with her new husband, an ex–child star and recovering drug addict. She is fiercely protective of her husband and new baby, especially from her sister Melody, who always took everything Harmony had. Now, Harmony may not be not powerful enough to battle her own emotions surrounding her mother's death, let alone keep track of her husband's sobriety.Melody, who abandoned her sisters for a solo career, is now a wealthy mega-star who tours the world, buys whatever her heart desires, and lives in the spotlight. She will stop at nothing to ensure that she always gets whatever she wants, even if money can't buy it. In the...
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African Myths and Legends
Dianne Stewart
Childrens / Picture Books / Cultural / Africa
African Myths and Legends is a spellbinding, fascinating collection of myths and legends to enliven the imagination of young readers. No-one is entirely sure whether these legends are fact or fiction, but that is where the magic lies! Each story is accompanied by snippets of information highlighted by the story. Vividly told and illustrated, the book sustains the intrigue of storytelling that has been passed on – often by word of mouth – from generation to generation. Illustrated in magnificent colour by Gina Daniel and Angus McBride, African Myths and Legends weaves fantasy and magic, and is also informative and educated.
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Freshwater
Akwaeke Emezi
Fiction / Cultural / Africa
An extraordinary debut novel, Freshwater explores the surreal experience of having a fractured self. It centers around a young Nigerian woman, Ada, who develops separate selves within her as a result of being born "with one foot on the other side." Unsettling, heartwrenching, dark, and powerful, Freshwater is a sharp evocation of a rare way of experiencing the world, one that illuminates how we all construct our identities. Ada begins her life in the south of Nigeria as a troubled baby and a source of deep concern to her family. Her parents, Saul and Saachi, successfully prayed her into existence, but as she grows into a volatile and splintered child, it becomes clear that something went terribly awry. When Ada comes of age and moves to America for college, the group of selves within her grows in power and agency. A traumatic assault leads to a crystallization of her alternate selves: Asụghara and Saint Vincent. As Ada fades into the background of her own...
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Girls From Da Hood 10
Treasure Hernandez
Cultural / African American / Urban
Urban Books' popular Girls From da Hood series is back, bringing readers more dramatic tales about the lives of some tough, resourceful women who can hold their own when things get rough on the streets. This time, family bonds are put to the test. Jakki and School Boy are more than first cousins; they're best friends and partners in crime with a reputation for getting theirs by any means necessary. The pair are ultimately forced to defend not only their family name but their loyalty to each other. With both wanting to stand at the head of the table, Jakki and School Boy feud, proving that there's definitely no honor amongst thieves--family or not. Sani, a well- known female gambling house owner, is at the top of her game, but after she decides to inject phony currency into her business, all hell breaks loose. Guns are drawn and opposing forces take sides. Luckily for Sani, her father and her brothers are well versed in the operations of the underworld. With...
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The Mark
Kiki Swinson
Urban / Cultural / African American
Her "unrelenting" (Publishers Weekly) and "tension-packed" (Library Journal) novels have made Kiki Swinson a bestselling chronicler of the Virginia's most glittering, treacherous streets. In the explosive follow-up to her high-octane The Score, amaster thief's ultimate payday delivers the deadliest game of all... Two for the money. . . Identity thief Lauren Kelly thought she was safe. The millions she stole from her double-crossing accomplice and ex-lover Matt Connors bought a quiet upscale life for her, her unsuspecting new husband Drake, and their precious baby. But betrayal was just the beginning. . . Three to throw down. . . When both Drake and the baby go missing, it's courtesy of a vengeful Matt. Lauren has less than twenty-four hours to give him back the money. She's prepared for any payback—but nothing can keep this exchange from going all-the-way wrong. . . No price is too high. . ....
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