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The Ballad of Lucy Whipple
Karen Cushman
Children's Books / Historical Fiction / Literature & Fiction
Dear Gram and Grampop,
Please do not address yours truly as California anymore, California Morning Whipple being a foolish name for a duck much less a girl. I call myself Lucy now. I cannot hate California and be California. I know you will understand.
California doesn't suit Lucy Whipple -- not the name, not the place. But moving out West to Lucky Diggins, California, was her mama's dream-come-true. And now her brother, Butte, and sisters, Prairie and Sierra, seem to be Westerners at heart, too. For Lucy, Lucky Diggins is hardly a town at all -- just a bunch of ramshackle tents and tobacco-spitting miners. Even the gold her mama claimed was just lying around in the fields isn't panning out. Worst of all, there's no lending library! Dag diggety!
So Lucy vows to be plain miserable until she can hightail it back East where she belongs. But Lucy California Morning Whipple may be in for a surprise -- because home is a lot closer than she thinks...
When California Morning Whipple's widowed mother uproots her family from their comfortable Massachusetts environs and moves them to a rough mining camp called Lucky Diggins in the Sierras, California Morning resents the upheaval. Desperately wanting to control something in her own life, she decides to be called Lucy, and as Lucy she grows and changes in her strange and challenging new environment. Here Karen Cushman helps the American Gold Rush spring to colorful life, just as she did for medieval England in her previous two books, Catherine, Called Birdy and The Midwife's Apprentice, which won Newbery Honor status and a Newbery Medal respectively.
Ballad Of A Bad Bitch
Ms. Bam
Since every song tells a story, the entire world is about to learn about the sadness and pain behind rising R&B artist Mia King. Even being on the run from her past couldn't diminish the star she was meant to be.Since every song tells a story, the entire world is about to learn about the sadness and pain behind rising R&B artist Mia King. Even being on the run from her past couldn't diminish the star she was meant to be. Mia learned the hard way that the family you were born into could be your greatest downfall, and that true die-hard fans are more than the people who buy your music and stand in line for your concerts... They can literally save your life and be the family you always wished you had.
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe: And Other Stories
Carson McCullers
Fiction / Poetry / Tragicomedy
When she was only twenty-three her first novel, The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter , created a literary sensation. She is very special, one of America's superlative writers who conjures up a vision of existence as terrible as it is real, who takes us on shattering voyages into the depths of the spiritual isolation that underlies the human condition.A grotesque human triangle in a primitive Southern town… A young boy learning the difficult lessons of manhood… A fateful encounter with his native land and former love… These are parts of the world of Carson McCullers – a world of the lost, the injured, the eternal strangers at life's feast. Here are brilliant revelations of love and longing, bitter heartbreak and occasional happiness – tales that probe the very heart of our lives.
Product DescriptionA classic work that has charmed generations of readers, this collection assembles Carson McCullers' best stories, including her beloved novella "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe." A haunting tale of a human triangle that culminates in an astonishing brawl, the novella introduces readers to Miss Amelia, a formidable southern woman whose cafe serves as the town's gathering place. Among other fine works, the collection also includes "Wunderkind," McCullers' first published story written when she was only seventeen about a musical prodigy who suddenly realizes she will not go on to become a great pianist. About the AuthorCarson McCullers was born at Columbus, Georgia, in 1917. She published The Heart is a Lonely Hunter at the age of twenty-three. Her other works include Reflections in a Golden Eye (1941), The Member of the Wedding (1946), The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (1951), The Square Root of Wonderful (1958), a play, Clock Without Hands (1961), Sweet as a Pickle, Clean as a Pig (1964) and The Mortgaged Heart (published posthumously in 1972). She died in 1967.
The Ballad of the Pipe Player
Kate Seidel
Anthologies / Fiction
In most fantasy stories, questing and dragons are normal, as well as wizards, witches and princesses. This story is no exception. But what happens when the wizard doesn't want to be there, the witch is a boy, and the princess is very foreign? Follow Coju, Emrys, and Moon on their journey from the secret wizard tower in the mountains to reason with a dragon-and everything in between.Short North - Book 1A simple story about moving past the terrible things that life throws at you and finding happiness on the other side.Months after his breakup with a long-term boyfriend, Jacob Pierce is still more than a little fragile, he has withdrawn from life, his friends are concerned and even he knows that something needs to change. With the encouragement of his friends and a nudge from the newest member of Jacob's small circle, he agrees to sign up for a film based photography class.Elijah Fall, a widowed photography teacher, is exactly the man to bring Jacob back to life. But, while Jacob may have found the man of his dreams, will Elijah, someone who has lost everything once, be willing to risk his heart again?
The Ballad of Aramei
J. A. Redmerski
Contemporary / Romance / Suspense
Everything about Adria Dawson’s life has changed in unimaginable ways: the shattering betrayal of her mother, the fight for her life and sanity…the loss of her humanity. But now Adria must face the ultimate challenge and risk not only her life, but the lives of everyone she loves at the wrathful hands of Isaac Mayfair’s father.
Determined to help unravel a mysterious message deeply rooted in an unhinged mind, Adria becomes obsessed with traveling into Aramei’s turbulent past to see the truth of how the relationships and betrayals between the Mayfair and Vargas bloodlines were formed.
Meanwhile, Adria and the Mayfairs are doing everything they can to smoke out and trap the Praverian traitor. A trip to Providence uncovers not only an old family line who are enemies of the Praverians, but also raises questions about the Praverian’s true agenda.
But the traitor will be caught. People will die. And Adria’s destiny to be the cause of a war will come to pass. But what could a kind and simple girl like Adria Dawson ever do that could be considered an act of war? The landscape of the werewolf world will be forever changed in the climactic conclusion to The Darkwoods Trilogy.
A Ballad of Wayward Spectres: Day 1
William B Hill
Christian / Christian Living / Nonfiction
Alyson Reid fled from home at the age of seventeen, surviving off of the wealthy by stealing their identities and draining their bank accounts. After a banking executive is murdered, she inadvertently takes on his wife's identity, and draws the attention of the police and the bank's internal investigation staff.Alyson Reid fled from home at the age of seventeen, and has survived off of the wealthy by stealing their identities, and drying out their bank accounts. After a banking executive is murdered, she inadvertently takes on his wife's identity, and draws the attention of the police and the bank's internal investigation staff.A Ballad of Wayward Spectres: Day 1 is the first volume of a four part serial from William Hill.
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe
Carson McCullers
Fiction / Poetry / Tragicomedy
A classic work that has charmed generations of readers, this collection assembles Carson McCullers's best stories, including her beloved novella "The Ballad of the Sad Café." A haunting tale of a human triangle that culminates in an astonishing brawl, the novella introduces readers to Miss Amelia, a formidable southern woman whose café serves as the town's gathering place. Among other fine works, the collection also includes "Wunderkind," McCullers's first published story written when she was only seventeen about a musical prodigy who suddenly realizes she will not go on to become a great pianist. Newly reset and available for the first time in a handsome trade paperback edition, The Ballad of the Sad Café is a brilliant study of love and longing from one of the South's finest writers.
The Ballad of Clyde
Reed Bosgoed
Horror / Science Fiction / Fantasy
Clyde Simmons is one of Britain's most devoted, vocal, and well educated environmental activists. Just ask him and he'll be more than happy to tell you. Goaded into a position where it's time to put up or shut up, Clyde finds himself at an impasse. His friends have a scheme and they need one more pair of hands. Will Clyde prove his mettle, or prove he's a poseur?Time Coins Stolen! An Impossible Crime And The Thief Remains At Large!Greg Thompson is nothing more than an average 16-year-old boy living a carefree life in Grass Valley, California. But that all changes when he witnesses a hit and run accident. Before the homeless man dies, he hands Greg a handwritten notebook leading to a treasure cache.Greg plucks an all too familiar coin from the loot, and is thrust into an adventure he never saw coming.The Keepers of Time are on the hunt for the stolen time coins, and will wreak havoc to recover their loss devices, including unraveling the lives of any who stand in their way.Greg Thompson, aided by a mysterious ally, will jump across space and time to avoid the unimaginable grasp the Keepers hold over the ARROW OF TIME!
Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie
Part #2 of "Books of Faerie" series by Maggie Stiefvater
Young Adult / Science Fiction & Fantasy / Romance
In this mesmerizing sequel to Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception, music prodigy James Morgan and his best friend, Deirdre, join a private conservatory for musicians. James' musical talent attracts Nuala, a soul-snatching faerie muse who fosters and feeds on the creative energies of exceptional humans until they die. Composing beautiful music together unexpectedly leads to mutual admiration and love. Haunted by fiery visions of death, James realizes that Deirdre and Nuala are being hunted by the Fey and plunges into a soul-scorching battle with the Queen of the Fey to save their lives.
The Ballad of Perilous Graves
Alex Jennings
"Funny, wild, witty, and profound. The Ballad of Perilous Graves is the debut of a cosmic storm of talent.”―Victor LaValle,Music is magic in this vibrant and imaginative debut novel set in a fantastical version of New Orleans where a battle for the city's soul brews between two young mages, a vengeful wraith, and one powerful song. Nola is a city full of wonders. A place of sky trolleys and dead cabs, where haints dance the night away and Wise Women help keep the order. To those from Away, Nola might seem strange. To Perilous Graves, it’s simply home.In a world of everyday miracles, Perry might not have a talent for magic, but he does know Nola’s rhythm as intimately as his own heartbeat. So when the city’s Great Magician starts appearing in odd places and essential songs are forgotten, Perry realizes trouble is afoot.Nine songs of power have escaped from the piano that maintains the...
11 The Blood Ballad
Rett MacPherson
Genealogist and mother of three Torie O'Shea is out birding on the cliffs of the Mississippi River as part of New Kassell, Missouri's first ever bird-watching Olympics, when someone starts shooting at her and her partner. Disoriented and running for their lives, they stumble over an antique trunk and discover a badly beaten dead body stuffed inside. Soon after this disturbing event, musicologist Glen Morgan shows up at the Kendall House, Torie's new textile museum, claiming to be Torie's cousin and to have proof that Torie's grandfather secretly may have written a number of popular songs for the Morgan Family Players, who were famous country music singers. Being a genealogist and the head of the local historical society, Torie doesn't appreciate anyone shaking up a family tree that she has spent years putting together, but Glen's old recordings are more than she can resist. After a little digging in the library and some serious snooping into the shooting, Torie starts to...
The Ballad of John MacLea
A. J. MacKenzie
Crime / Historical Fiction
A ring of spies, a battle of lies and the one man who can change the tide of war Stationed with British militia in Upper Canada in late 1812, Captain John MacLea is charting his own course against a background of uncertain loyalties and certain danger. Tasked with routing out enemy agents and thwarting an elaborate espionage ring, MacLea soon discovers that there is a traitor in their ranks, organising a devastating plot. Events spiral out of control, culminating in a dramatic showdown aboard a captured American warship headed for the breach at Niagara Falls. Failure may mean the loss of the war ... failure is not an option. Gripping, compelling, and anchored in detailed historical research, The Ballad of John MacLea is a triumph, perfect for fans of Adrian Goldsworthy, Iain Gale and Bernard Cornwell Praise for A.J. Mackenzie 'A.J. MacKenzie pen another enthralling historical...
Ballad of Stars and Chaos : (Stars and Chaos Book 1)
Shawn J. Carr
The Olympian gods are nearing the end of their reign as old and new power rises. The natural order has changed, and magic's future is unclear. Following a vicious assault, some of Olympus' gods get ready for battle, while the others are shaken. However, that is not the case for Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, who sets out on a dangerous mission with Astraia, a girl shrouded in mystery whom Hecate swears to protect while tracking down the hidden island of Brevalon before a demon from her past discovers it. Nothing is as it seems when Hecate learns that the world of men has been tainted by blood; before long, not even she will be able to prevent the Dark Lord's resurrection and the emergence of a new species. Ballad of Stars and Chaos is book one in the Stars and Chaos series and is perfect for fans of found family like in Witcher, light vs. darkness like in Shadow and Bone, as well as Greek mythology stories with famous gods like Hermes, Hecate, and Athena.
The Ballad of the Wayfaring Stranger and the Dead Man's Whore
Sean Demory
"The Ballad of the Wayfaring Stranger and the Dead Man's Whore" weaves a story of loss and return from back-country spook stories, backroom blues and best-forgotten secrets.Critically acclaimed, "The Ballad of the Wayfaring Stranger and the Dead Man's Whore" tells a backwoods spook story driven by longing, loss and unescapable doom. “Demory catches the atmosphere of the old murder ballads perfectly here. It’s a world where everyone takes it for granted that terrible things happen to the innocent, and where the only possible reaction to that news is a stoical shrug. The tale’s chilling effect comes not from set-piece shocks, but rather from a sense of quiet, creeping unease that crawls a little deeper beneath your skin with every careful sentence.” - Paul Slade, PlanetSlade.com "'The Ballad of the Wayfaring Stranger and the Dead Man’s Whore' is a darkly lyrical original folk tale. More than an any-day ghost story, 'Ballad' rambles through the tangled woods of Appalachia, quick-strumming a tale of haints, of bleak hope, and of one soul’s shadowy path to empowerment. Eerily evocative imagery snakes like tendrils of kudzu through a songlike narrative, closing on a chilling refrain that will haunt readers for days to come.- Ari MichaelsLocus Recommended Short Story - 2012Honorable Mention - Year's Best Horror, Vol. 5
A Song for Octaven: A Queer Fantasy Romance
R. C. Ballad
Resenfeld Draper is a skilled violinist and knows it. As a second-year student at Octaven University, where musicians sing spells and perform enchantments, Resen's talent is only matched by his vanity and ambition. But Resen's attempts to be top of the class are foiled at every turn by distractingly brilliant rival Eric Jameson – and so is his pursuit of friendship with the bold and passionate teacher's daughter, Bravura Tempesta. Bravura is intrigued by Resen's sweet-talk and vainglory, but Jameson knows a bully when he sees one. As Resen tries to connect with his classmates, he soon learns that forging real relationships is harder than writing concertos or currying favour.When a mysterious quake shakes the University, Resen, Bravura and Jameson must put their personal issues aside. With more in common than they realise, the three of them might be able to make real magic and save their school – but only if Resen can swallow his pride.
The Ballad of Mila
Matteo Strukul
Imagine Elmore Leonard behind the wheel of a car in Grand Theft Auto as one Italian woman set out to cut the mafia down to size – one limb at a time...Two perfectly matched gangs are fighting for control of the North-East Italian region of Venetia. But a formidable young woman with vengeance on her mind has plans to upset the balance. Abandoned by her mother and violated by a gang of criminals just after they slaughtered her father, Mila Zago is a cold-blooded killer, a deadly assassin. Brought up by her grandfather on the Sette Comuni plateau under a rigid martial code, she returns home to seek her revenge, conspiring to create a spectacular showdown reminiscent A Fistful of Dollars.The Ballad of Mila is the first novel in an on-going series focused on the formidable female Italian Bounty Hunter Mila Zago, a.k.a. Red Dread. As well as being shortlisted for the Premio Scerbanenco / La Stampa, it won the Premio Speciale Valpolicella 2011, and in...
Murder Ballad Blues
Lynda McDaniel
"Readers looking for a murder mystery strongly centered in regional culture, the lives and focus of two equally powerful investigators, and a puzzle that draws them into far more than a singular investigation will relish this story's superior tension." —Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review Laurel Falls, N.C. 2005 A mysterious death in the North Carolina mountains. Then a second. By the third, the FBI finally gets involved. Trouble is, they're looking in all the wrong places.Abit Bradshaw has a theory, but of course the FBI doesn't take him seriously. When he teams up with musicologist Wallis Harding, bluegrass music becomes more than something to practice and perform. It's key to finding the serial killer. Della Kincaid, a former crime reporter in Washington, D.C., can't seem to escape her past. Now living in the small town of Laurel Falls, she's busy investigating a fraud case that gets darker at every turn. She's about to give...
The Ballad of the Last Guest
Peter Handke
A novel about a man who returns home, only to find that home is now unrecognizable, by the Nobel laureate Peter Handke. Gregor returns home from another continent. The landscape, formerly dotted with small villages, has been absorbed into the outskirts of a large city, both familiar and foreign at the same time. His father sits playing cards, waiting for him, but Gregor is surprised to find his sister holding an infant. He, the older brother, is to be the child's godfather—though he also carries with him the secret of his younger brother's death. In the end, Gregor is never quite able to stay put. He is drawn out into the world, into the streets and alleys of what is now a city, to the cinema, the soccer stadium, the forest, and above all the old fruit orchard, now overgrown and beyond saving. As he walks, the present and the past become intertwined—memories of childhood surface, and inner voices enter into dialogue. Revisiting many of the...
A Ballad of Love and Glory
Reyna Grande
A Long Petal of the Sea meets Cold Mountain in this sweeping historical saga following a Mexican army nurse and an Irish soldier who must fight, at first for their survival and then for their love, amidst the atrocity of the Mexican-American War—from the author of the "timely and riveting" (People) Across a Hundred Mountains and The Distance Between Us.A forgotten war. An unforgettable romance. The year is 1846. After the controversial annexation of Texas, the US Army marches south to provoke war with México over the disputed Río Grande boundary. Ximena Salomé is a gifted Mexican healer who dreams of building a family with the man she loves on the coveted land she calls home. But when Texas Rangers storm her ranch and shoot her husband dead, her dreams are burned to ashes. Vowing to honor her husband's memory and defend her country, Ximena uses her healing skills as an army...
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Suzanne Collins
Fiction / Science Fiction & Fantasy / Young Adult
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute. The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined - every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute . . . and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.
The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell
Kate Brauning
Nothing is more dangerous than a girl with nothing left to lose.Dinah Caldwell has been filling her father's role since he abandoned their family four years ago. She and her grief-stricken mom run their subsistence farm deep in the Ozarks, making sure her younger brother never has to worry. Until the day Gabriel Gates, who owns everyone in Charlotte County, kills her mother to steal her family's well.Homeless, heartbroken, and alone, Dinah only has a single razor-sharp goal: revenge. And now that Gates has put a ten-thousand-dollar bounty on her head, she can't trust anyone, but she also can't take down the most powerful man in the mountainsby herself.Her only allies are Kara, Dinah's best friend and secret crush, and Johnny, a young bootlegger who has as much reason to hate Gates as Dinah does. With their help and resources, and maybe even love, she can spark a revolution and set the whole county free—if their combined secrets don't get them all...
The Ballad of Abigail Lambert
S. R. Sotolongo
Abigail Lambert was a cynical woman with an uncanny knack for surviving her various attempts at suicide. After saving a teenaged girl named Esperanza from a gang of vicious outlaws, she becomes convinced that shepherding the girl back home, 2,000 miles across the country, will bring Abigail the peace she's wanted for so long. However, the surviving leader of the outlaw gang is hot on their trail & he will stop at nothing until Esperanza is back in his grasp.In his debut novel, S.R. Sotolongo tells a story of loss, longing, the families we're born with and the families we build. A journey of restoring hope set against the backdrop of a ruthless American West.
The Ballad of Tubs Marshfield
Cara Hoffman
Fans of Sara Pennypacker and Katherine Applegate will love this thrilling environmental fable—filled with laughter, music, and adventure. There's no other place Tubs Marshfield would rather be than singing a song in his perfect little swamp along the Louisiana bayou. His music can make anyone feel happy.But something terrible is happening within the swamp that even Tubs' songs can't fix—and it's making his neighbors feel sick! No one knows what to do, least of all Tubs.A mysterious prophecy may hold the key...or send Tubs away from his friends forever.
Gunsmoke Blues
Part #1 of "Ballad of Robert Charles" series by Balogun Ojetade
Science Fiction / Fantasy / Nonfiction
divpKiller… Survivor… Hero of New Orleans. /ppThe story of Robert Charles comes to life, etched in blood, bites and bullets, in this exciting Steamfunk adventure, set in the world of Moses: The Chronicles of Harriet Tubman and The Chronicles of Harriet Tubman: Freedonia! /ppAn infectious plague has struck the Tremé in New Orleans in 1898. A plague that turns people into creatures found only in our worst nightmares. /ppRobert Charles, Ida B. Wells, John Scobell and others must choose sides—to be heroes, monsters, or… something else. /ppGunsmoke Blues delivers a fast paced, wild ride, sure to leave you clamoring for more. /pp
/ppRead on and enjoy!/p/div
The Ballad of Emma O'Toole
Elizabeth Lane
High stakes marriage After shooting a man, the stakes for gambler Logan Devereaux have never been higher. On trial for his life, he's offered a shocking alternate form of restitution...marriage to his victim's pregnant sweetheart! Beautiful Emma O'Toole has sworn vengeance against him—and when a newspaper man puts her tragic story to song, the whole nation waits to see what she'll do. Their marriage is the riskiest gamble Logan's ever taken. But he'll put everything he's got on the line for a chance at winning Emma's heart.
Lake Tanna - Ballad of Ruby
Neil Leckman
Horror / Science Fiction & Fantasy / Fantasy
Lake Tanna corporation is the world's leading technological firm for cutting edge research. Often things go horribly wrong.166 is a dark, horrific short story about the 7/7 London bombings- from the perspective of the home ground terrorist Germaine Lindsay. The student written story displays a deep, realistic portrayal of a man's last thoughts before stealing the lives of countless people.
The Ballad of Melodie Rose
Kate Gordon
A heartfelt story of one girl's determination to save her beloved home and the lyrical companion tale to The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn. When Melodie Rose is abandoned on the doorstep of Direleafe Hall, she realises she must be a ghost. Strangely, she is not sad. With the three other ghostly girls who haunt the school and a gloomy crow on her shoulder, Melodie has never felt more at peace. Finally, she has a place to call home. So when the Lady in White arrives with plans to flatten the beloved school, Melodie Rose must act fast to save all she holds dear. But what can one powerless ghost do? The Ballad of Melodie Rose is a life-affirming tale of belonging, being brave and being seen.
Ballad of Broken Glass (The Great War, #2)
K. MacCabe
Peace has reigned across the Galaxy for over two centuries, and no one can believe that such an accomplishment nears an end. However, as dreadnoughts muster in the capital of the Earth Empire, and threaten her home nation of the Coalition, Sophia Trotsky finds herself at the dawn of war. Armed with the belief that she can make a difference the young naval intelligence officer finds herself a front-line combatant–where history cannot be made by one person alone.When the bombs and shells drag minutes into hours, what truly is important becomes the only source of light beneath the shadow of war.
A Ballad for Metka Krašovec
Tomaz Salamun
A collection of poetry from one of the leading European poets, translated from the Slovenian by Michael Biggins.
The Ballad of Peckham Rye
Muriel Spark
Fiction / Short Stories / Poetry
The Ballad of Peckham Rye is the wickedly farcical fable of a blue-collar town turned upside down. When the firm of Meadows, Meade & Grindley hires Dougal Douglas (a.k.a. Douglas Dougal) to do "human research" into the private lives of its workforce, they are in no way prepared for the mayhem, mutiny, and murder he will stir up. "Not only funny but startlingly original," declared The Washington Post, "the legendary character of Dougal Douglas...may not have been boasting when he referred so blithely to his association with the devil." In fact this Music Man of the thoroughly modern corporation changes the lives of all the eccentric characters he meets, from Miss Merle Coverdale, head of the typing pool, to V.R. Druce, unsuspecting Managing Director.
The Ballad of Billy Badass
Patrick Sheane Duncan
From the best-selling author of Courage Under Fire, comes an unforgettable journey into the raw, untamed heart of America's dark underbelly. The Ballad of Billy Badass follows the life of an enigmatic drifter caught in the relentless currents of fate and violence. Spanning decades, from the sweltering heat of a Michigan summer to the blood-soaked jungles of Vietnam. Delve deep into the psyche of a man who was made by his scars, and whose rebellion against the world only hardens as he moves from small-time hustles to something altogether more dangerous. As haunting as it is electrifying, The Ballad of Billy Badass captures the spirit of a bygone era-a world of violent redemption, and the raw fight for survival. Written in a bold, experimental style, The Ballad of Billy Badass is a love letter to the silent anti-heroes of classic cinema. Patrick Sheane Duncan crafts a gripping ode to the renegades of old-those who walked the razor's edge...
![Beyond Green Fields | Book 4 | The Ballad of Sadie & Bates [A Post-Apocalyptic Anthology]](https://picture.bookfrom.net/img/lecter-adrienne/beyond_green_fields_book_4_the_ballad_of_sadie_and_bates_a_post-apocalyptic_anthology.jpg "Beyond Green Fields | Book 4 | The Ballad of Sadie & Bates [A Post-Apocalyptic Anthology]")
The Ballad of Roy Benavidez
William Sturkey
The dramatic life of Vietnam War hero Roy Benavidez, revealing how Hispanic Americans have long shaped US history, from "a major new voice [with] lyrical powers as a biographer” (David W. Blight, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Frederick Douglass) In May 1968, while serving in Vietnam, Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez led the rescue of a reconnaissance team surrounded by hundreds of enemy soldiers. He saved the lives of at least eight of his comrades that day in a remarkable act of valor that left him permanently disabled. Awarded the Medal of Honor after a yearslong campaign, Benavidez became a highly sought-after public speaker, a living symbol of military heroism, and one of the country’s most prominent Latinos. Now, historian William Sturkey tells Benavidez’s life story in full for the first time. Growing up in Jim Crow–era Texas, Benavidez was scorned as “Mexican” despite his family’s deep...
Ballad of the Beanstalk
Amy McNulty
Young Adult / Fantasy / Romance
As her fingers move across the strings of her family's heirloom harp, sixteen-year-old Clarion can forget. She doesn't dwell on the recent passing of her beloved father or the fact that her mother has just sold everything they owned, including that very same instrument that gives Clarion life. She doesn't think about how her friends treat her like a feeble, brittle thing to be protected. She doesn't worry about how to tell the elegant Elena, her best friend and first love, that she doesn't want to be her sweetheart anymore. She becomes the melody and loses herself in the song. When Mack, a lord's dashing young son, rides into town so his father and Elena's can arrange a marriage between the two youth, Clarion finds herself falling in love with a boy for the first time. Drawn to Clarion's music, Mack puts Clarion and Elena's relationship to the test, but he soon vanishes by climbing up a giant beanstalk that only Clarion has seen. When even the town witch won't help, Clarion is...
A Ballad of Wayward Spectres: Day 2
William B Hill
Christian / Christian Living / Nonfiction
After waking beneath bleak skies, Alyson searches for a way to clear her name. Her tools were destroyed in her escape from the Broadway Walk hotel, and the police are hot on her trail. Martin and Rich are searching for Tomas Dekare’s killer following a trail of clues that lead them to believe that there is more to their investigation than they previously thought.Identity thief Alyson Reid barely escaped the police raid on the Broadway Walk hotel with her life. With her accounts empty, her tools destroyed, and the Houston police hunting her as a murderer she sets out across the city with a single objective: To clear her name. Meanwhile, HPD detective Martin Clark continues the search for Tomas Dekare's killer. Following a trail of a scattered trail of contradictory clues, Martin and Chief Detective Richard Parks edge closer to the truth and come to realize that there is more to their investigation than they had thought. Day Two continues the story of A Ballad of Wayward Spectres; a serialized cyberpunk thriller in four parts.
Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu Vol. 2
Tang Jiu Qing
KNOW THINE ENEMY
After a passionate night together, Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye part the next morning as enemies. A new emperor has ascended the throne, and the court is in flux. Power and position are in reach for anyone who dares to grasp them—and Shen Zechuan will stop at nothing to pursue his ambitions. But while Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye counter each other’s moves on the board, grander schemes are afoot in the capital of Qudu.
As court conspiracies swirl around them, Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye find themselves unlikely allies against a mysterious adversary pulling the strings behind a series of calamities targeting the emperor. Yet, in order to work together, there must be trust, and with trust comes risk: in setting their masks aside, they may inadvertently find their whole selves laid bare.
The Ballad of Mary Ellen
Emily Follett
Mary Ellen's mother won't let her grow up or go away. Her grip is strong as death.William Wright was just trying to hide from the local school bullies in the library. But when a mysterious book turns out to talk, William finds himself on a magical adventure.With the bullies after him, William casts the final spell in the book and is whisked away to the mysterious land of Camelot, a land filled with knights and dragons, wizards and goblins, death and betrayal. A dangerous place, where leaving the safety of the castle walls means certain death for any inexperienced traveller.With an evil sorcerer threatening life in Camelot, it's up to William, a young girl named Sarah and her brother to save the kingdom before it's too late.
DUNGEON MERCANTILE 1 A FANTASY MAGIC SHOP SLICE OF LIFE LITRPG (WOLFE LOCKE MIKE CALIBAN)
Part #1 of "The Ballad of Shady Greg" series by Wolfe Locke
**¡¿Me arrastraron a un mundo nuevo y ni siquiera puedo hacer mazmorras?!**Mi nombre es Greg y, como no soy nativo de Jadera, el sistema no me permite ingresar a las mazmorras.Está bien, aunque tengo otras habilidades además de pelear.Soy un excelente comerciante, compro y vendo el increíble botín que los aventureros obtienen de sus excavaciones.Pociones, armas, armaduras, fragmentos de monstruos... lo que sea. Sencillo ¿verdad? ¡Te lo compraré y se lo venderé al próximo!¡Eso es triple para los legendarios! ¿Y cuando mi rival más acérrimo (y ex mejor amigo) intenta sacarme del negocio?Bueno, digamos que los comerciantes se salen con la suya.Ven, únete a mí para tomar una taza y te lo contaré todo. La mayor parte será incluso la verdad.
The Ballad of Black Hawk and Billy the Kid
Michael Scott
Fantasy / Young Adult / Horror
Nicholas Flamel appeared in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series—but did you know he really lived? And he might still be alive today! Discover the truth behind Michael Scott's New York Times bestselling series the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel with "The Ballad of Black Hawk and Billy the Kid," an ebook original short story. Billy the Kid is immortal. And his long life has led him down many strange and winding paths—one of which will bring him face to face with another legendary warrior, Black Hawk, for the first time. Now, that lost story is told. . . . An immortal Anasazi sorceress is on the loose, and it's up to Black Hawk and Billy the Kid to stop her from wreaking havoc on the Americas. The woman has already destroyed her own tribe. She's determined to wipe out Black Hawk's people, too. But first, she'll have to defeat him, and that's proving more difficult than the sorceress could have ever imagined. ...
The Ballad of HMS Belfast
Ciaran Carson
This compendium, made from Ciaran Carson's previous collections, reveals one of the most remarkable and sustained tours de force in contemporary poetry: the poet's reimaginign of his native city of Belfast. Carson introduces the reader to a city as full of surreal narrative and imaginative possibility as Borges' Buenos Aires or Calvino's Venice; at the same time he never shirks from taking a hard look at the city in all its political and cultural complexity. In its refusal to simplify or romanticize, The Ballad of HMS Belfast is an indispensable guidebook to a city few will know exists. 'He is the master of the long line; these poems are manic, frightening and funny, and somehow manage to catch the tone of life in modern Belfast' John Banville, Irish Times 'It is about Belfast past and present and is full of surprises, savage and witty, human and extravagant. His voice is truly original, both intelligent and passionate' A....
The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye
Briony Cameron
This epic, dazzling tale based on true events illuminates a woman of color's rise to power as one of the few purported female pirate captains to sail the Caribbean, and the forbidden love story that will shape the course of history.In the tumultuous town of Yáquimo, Santo Domingo, Jacquotte Delahaye is an unknown but up-and-coming shipwright. Her dreams are bold but her ambitions are bound by the confines of her life with her self-seeking French father. When her way of life and the delicate balance of power in the town are threatened, she is forced to flee her home and become a woman on the run along with a motley crew of refugees, including a mysterious young woman named Teresa. Jacquotte and her band become indentured servants to the infamous Blackhand, a ruthless pirate captain who rules his ship with an iron fist. As they struggle to survive his brutality, Jacquotte finds herself unable to resist Teresa despite their differences. When Blackhand hatches...
Other Tales: Stories from The Ballad of Gregoire Darcy
Marsha Altman
Historical Fiction / Fiction / Regency England
Three short stories related to Altman's Pride and Prejudice series of books.In this eBook, Altman provides three short stories related to the events of "The Ballad of Gregoire Darcy," the fourth title in her series "The Darcys and the Bingleys: Pride and Prejudice Continues."
The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine
Peter Straub
Mystery & Thrillers / Horror / Literature & Fiction
Meet Ballard and Sandrine, the eponymous protagonists of Peter Straub's extraordinary, deeply unsettling new novella. The two are lovers, widely separated in age but bound together by a common erotic obsession. Their story, which takes place over a period of twenty-five years, is set primarily within the various incarnations of a mysterious yacht making its endless way down the Amazon River. Their journey encompasses moments of beauty and horror, mystery and revelation, pleasure and pain, culminating in the vision of an astonishing--and appalling--apotheosis.
Ballad of the Rails and Other Stories
Steven Daugherty
A man visits a brothel from which no one returns alive. The daughter of the last sorcerer on earth refuses to follow in her father's footsteps. A 13th century Mongol warrior must find where the real and trance worlds overlap. A 22nd century holo director saves his career with a new hit children's show. An organic farmer shows her ex-husband the road to redemption, which runs through her compost pile. These and other stories by S.R. Daugherty are collected here for the first time.
The Ballad of Ami Miles
Kristy Dallas Alley
A teen girl on a quest to find her long-lost mother finds herself on a journey of self-discovery in Kristy Dallas Alley's moving YA debut, The Ballad of Ami Miles.Raised in isolation at Heavenly Shepherd, her family's trailer-dealership-turned-survival compound, Ami Miles knows that she was lucky to be born into a place of safety after the old world ended and the chaos began. But when her grandfather brings home a cold-eyed stranger, she realizes that her "destiny" as one of the few females capable of still bearing children isn't something she's ready to face.With the help of one of her aunts, she flees the only life she's ever known and sets off on a quest to find her long-lost mother (and hopefully a mate of her own choosing). But as she journeys, Ami discovers many new things about the world...and about herself.
Black Canary's Birthday Ballad
Laurie S. Sutton
It's Harley's birthday! She's not locked in Arkham Asylum this year, so her wish is for the most spectacular celebration ever. Problem is, her felon friends aren't available to party, and sonic songstress Black Canary keeps crashing her to-do list of fun. Will the jaunty jester's big day be a big bust or will it end on a high note? Find out in this action-packed chapter book for DC Super Hero and Super-Villain fans!
The Ballad of Thomas Tyne
Adrian Poniatowski
Inspired by a challenging course in organic chemistry, this ballad tells of an alchemist in medieval England that would be the clever deliverer of girl imprisoned by a witch.The Macksburg County Sheriff’s Office receives a report of a “troll” under the William Frank Bridge. Officers arrest the culprit and bring him in. Then things get interesting.A earlier version of “Troll” was first included in the book, Alone - Selected Short Stories, Volume 3, by Wodke Hawkinson. Approximately 3221 words. At the end of the story are excerpts from Wodke Hawkinson novels.
The Ballad of Lord Edward and Citizen Small
Neil Jordan
From multi-award-winning author and film director Neil Jordan comes a thrilling reimagining of a turning point in Irish, American and European history. 'A masterwork from one of the most inventive artists of our day' John Banville 'A writer of uncommon talent' Irish Times 'An expertly spun ballad defined by themes of belonging, illusion and fidelity' RTÉ CultureEutaw Springs, South Carolina, 1781, the American War of Independence. A runaway slave saves the life of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, a British army officer and the younger son of one of colonial Ireland's grandest families.The tale that unfolds is related by Tony Small, the slave who becomes Fitzgerald's manservant and friend. While details of Lord Edward's life are well documented, little is known of Tony Small. In this gripping narrative his character considers the ironies of empire, captivity and freedom, mapping Lord Edward's journey from being a loyal subject of the British Empire to becoming a leader of the disastrous...
Ballad & Dagger
Daniel José Older
Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Daniel José Older's music-and-magic-filled YA urban fantasy about two teens who discover each other and their powers during a political battle within a unique diaspora community."Brimming with mystery, mayhem, and heart, Ballad and Dagger gives us wondrous new magic steeped in deep traditions. It's a gorgeous romance, a wild adventure, and a powerful story that unravels not only the pain of diaspora, but the strength of community and the ways we provide refuge for one another."—Leigh Bardugo, New York Times #1 best-selling author of Shadow and Bone.Almost sixteen years ago, Mateo Matisse's island homeland disappeared into the sea. Weary and hopeless, the survivors of San Madrigal's sinking escaped to New York.While the rest of his tight-knit Brooklyn diaspora community dreams of someday finding a way back home, Mateo—now a high school junior and piano prodigy living with his two aunts (one who's alive, the...
The Ballad of Hattie Taylor
Susan Andersen
Romance
A daring young woman pushes back against societal constraints in a feminist, coming-of-age Western romance from New York Times bestselling author Susan Andersen. In the small, bustling town of Mattawa, Oregon, the turn of the century offers a new kind of frontier for women: a vast and exciting range of possibilities—to a point. It's a time for change, and no one is more eager to embrace new paths than free-spirited outsider Hattie Taylor. If only she could embrace Jake Murdock too. Jake can't remember a time he was so confused. Hattie is off-limits. The provoking spitfire is under his mother's protection—his protection—and he has always belonged to another. But now, with the passing of his wife, Jake feels something shift between them. Frustratingly aware of Hattie as a woman, he struggles with new feelings, new questions, new desires. But when a desperate decision born of good intentions turns out to have ugly...
The Ballad of Billy Bean
Ian Lewis
London, 1913. Fourteen-year-old Billy Bean is a thief. He's also a talented street performer, and he's picked up by Fred Karno's music hall company, that features Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin leaves Karno for the movies, and Billy is sent to America to replace him. Billy also wants to work in movies, and soon he gets his lucky break. When his luck runs out and the movie career goes badly, he finds himself back on the streets, with nothing but his childhood skills and a cheeky grin to keep him from starvation.
The Ballad of Beta-2
Samuel Delany
Centuries ago, the Star Folk had left Earth on twelve spaceships on a generations-long mission to colonize the distant stars. Ten of the ships had reached their destinations. Two had failed-and nobody, in the hundreds of years since the disaster, had the slightest inkling of what had happened. ~ ~~ ~ Joneny, a student of galactic anthropology, was assigned the problem. It had seemed routine to him. Just some faster-than-light travel to the two wrecked ships, a bit of poking around, and then writing up his findings. ~ ~~ ~ But he was ill-prepared for what he found in space at the site of the two ancient wrecks. One, the Sigma-9, was not subject to the laws of time-stasis (the only exception to a universal law), and it was covered entirely with a mysterious green fire that shimmered so much that it seemed alive! And the other ship, the Beta-2, was nowhere to be found. Only a fragment of a mysterious poem could possibly provide a clue.
Ballad (Rockstar #5)
Anne Mercier
Romance / Contemporary / Young Adult
Ben She walked on the bus and my heart stopped beating. When she looked my way with that sassy smile, it came back to life. Looking at her, getting to know her, I know she's the one for me—but she's so young. Her life is just starting and I've already done my fair share of living. I want her to be mine but is it right for me to ask her to settle down before she's really had a chance to live? Nicole He keeps watching me. I can't help but look back. He's gorgeous: tall, messy dark hair, and those intensely blue eyes captivating me. My life hasn't been easy by any means. Because of that I've had to grow up much faster than normal women do. I think that's why our age difference doesn't bother me at all. I wish it didn't bother him because this attraction isn't going away anytime soon and, in truth, I don't want it to. He could very possibly be my happily-ever-after and no matter how much he tries, I'm not going to let him talk me out of it until we give this a fighting chance.**
The Ballad of Mo and G
Billy Keane
“Even though I wished it was me she was married to, I was still hoping Mo would be happy ever after with Dermo Olsen. That was until the violence started. I loved her that much. Can you believe that?" Welcome to an unnamed town in the southwest of Ireland, where Mo and G have what could loosely be described as a dysfunctional relationship. Between the sex (real and imagined), beatings (very real), and pining after Mo (very, very real), there's barely time for G to figure out how to escape his arch-enemies, the Olsens – or their bloodthirsty Dobermans – for good. G is plagued by nightmares, and sometimes tries to do the right thing. Very occasionally, he succeeds. In The Ballad of Mo & G, Billy Keane tackles lives lived on the edge with a sharp yet compassionate eye, and a biting black humour. An assured report from Ireland's dark, post-boom underbelly by a supremely talented storyteller.
The Ballad of Gregoire Darcy
Marsha Altman
Historical Fiction / Fiction / Regency England
Revisit the Beloved Characters of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice in this Charming and Original StoryThis riveting sequel to Pride and Prejudice perfectly captures Jane Austen's style and wit. Manner of Devotion brings old favorites and new characters to life with well-researched historical details. When Fitzwilliam Darcy discovers he has a long-lost illegitimate brother, he feels compelled to help his new sibling find a place in the world. Meanwhile, Elizabeth finds herself pulled into a web of commitments and conflicts when her sister Mary Bennet finally falls in love. As plotlines and characters intertwine, Austen fans will feel that familiar anticipation of a conclusion that is at once exciting, surprising, and utterly satisfying.
The Ballad of West Tenth Street
Marjorie Kernan
Once upon a time in Manhattan . . .. . . there stood a pair of fine old brick townhouses on West Tenth Street. One had a blue door with a tarnished brass knocker in the shape of a dolphin. The other was empty. Behind the blue door lived Sadie, the widow of a famous British rocker who died of an overdose, and two of her children, Hamish and Deen.The children manage to muddle along as best they can with a loving but distracted mother. But their whole world changes when the house next door gets a new owner — a mysterious Southerner who quickly endears himself to his new neighbors, taking them — and their friends — under his protective wing. In doing so, he transforms everything.Magical, lively, lovely, and unique, The Ballad of West Tenth Street is a contemporary urban fairy tale that delightfully reimagines real life.
Ballad bof-2
Part #2 of "Books of Faerie" series by Мэгги Стивотер
N uala is part muse, part psychic vampire. While the freedom to sing or write or create is denied her, her mark across history is unmistakable: a trail of brilliant poets, musicians, and artists who have died tragically young. She has no sympathy for their abbreviated life spans; every thirteen Halloweens she burns in a bonfire and rises from her ashes with no memories of what has come before other than the knowledge of how her end will come. James is the best bagpiper in the state of Virginia—maybe in the country—plus he's young and good-looking: just Nuala's thing. But James, supremely confident in his own abilities and in love with another girl, becomes the first to ever reject Nuala's offer. He's preoccupied with bigger things than Nuala: an enigmatic horned figure who appears at dusk and the downward spiral of Dee, his girlfriend-who-isn't. James Morgan has an almost unearthly gift for music. And it has attracted Nuala, a soul-snatching faerie muse who fosters and then feeds on the creative energies of exceptional humans until they die. James has plenty of reasons to fear the faeries, but as he and Nuala collaborate on an achingly beautiful musical composition, James finds his feelings towards Nuala deepening. But the rest of the fairies are not as harmless. As Halloween-the day of the dead-draws near, James will have to battle the Faerie Queen and the horned king of the dead to save Nuala's life and his soul. #balladcover.jpg
Ballad of the Black and Blue Mind
Anne Roiphe
Autobiography / Memoir / Nonfiction
In the rarefied world of New York City psychoanalysts and their patients, Dr. Estelle Berman belongs to a dying breed. A distinguished analyst, she lives and practices on the Upper West Side and changes outfits between patients, some of whom she likes more than others. And now she has started falling asleep during meetings and forgetting her patients' names. Her colleagues Dr. H. and Dr. Z. observe her mental decline with the objectivity of a Greek chorus, but when it comes to the disappointments in their own lives, they are far less detached. And then there are the patients: Justine, a movie star with a penchant for stealing things; Edith, who writes poems in secret and eats to subdue feelings of panic; and Anna, a self-harming college student whose depression baffles her parents. Ballad of the Black and Blue Mind is a novel of psychological realities that cut close to the bone, a book that dares to show us humanity in all its messy, mystifying, and glorious...
The Ballad of a Broken Nose
Arne Svingen
From award-winning Norwegian author Arne Svingen comes "an unusually exciting and funny story" (Dagbladet) about a relentlessly positive teenager who uses his love of opera to cope with his less-than-perfect home life.Bart is an eternal optimist. At thirteen years old, he's had a hard life. But Bart knows that things won't get any better if you have a negative attitude. His mother has pushed him into boxing lessons so that Bart can protect himself, but Bart already has defense mechanisms: he is relentlessly positive...and he loves opera. Listening to—and singing—opera is Bart's greatest escape, but he's too shy to share this with anyone. Then popular Ada befriends him and encourages him to perform at the school talent show. Ada can't keep a secret to save her life, but Bart bonds with her anyway, and her openness helps him realize that his troubles are not burdens that he must bear alone. The Ballad of a Broken Nose is a sweet story...
Red Lands Outlaw: the Ballad of Henry Starr
Phil Truman
In the last years of the tough and woolly land called Indian
Territory, and the first of the new state of Oklahoma, the outlaw Henry Starr
rides roughshod through the midst of it. A native son of “The Nations” he’s
more Scotch-Irish than Cherokee, but is scorned by both. He never really wanted
to journey west of the law, yet fate seems to insist. He’s falsely accused and
arrested for horse-thieving at age sixteen, then sentenced to hang at nineteen
by Judge Isaac Parker for the dubious killing of a deputy U.S. marshal, but he
escapes the gallows on a technicality. Given that opportunity, the charming,
handsome, mild-mannered Henry Starr spends the rest of his life becoming the
most prolific bank robber the West has ever known.
“Author Phil Truman
captured a slice of Indian Territory history and has woven it into an
interesting period novel. Anyone who loves the history of the West will enjoy Red Lands Outlaw: the Ballad of Henry Starr.”
-- Tammy Hinton, author and winner of the Will Rogers Medallion Award for Unbridled
“Red Lands Outlaw: The
Ballad of Henry Starr is a well-conceived yarn about one of the last of
Oklahoma’s horseback-riding outlaws. A good read.” -- Dusty Richards, a Spur
and Wrangler Award winning author
The Ballad of Tom Dooley: A Ballad Novel
Sharyn McCrumb
A literary triumph—what began as a fictional re-telling of the historical account of one of the most famous mountain ballads of all time became an astonishing revelation of the real culprit responsible for the murder of Laura FosterHang down your head, Tom Dooley...The folk song, made famous by the Kingston Trio, recounts a tragedy in the North Carolina mountains after the Civil War. Laura Foster, a simple country girl, was murdered and her lover Tom Dula was hanged for the crime. The sensational elements in the case attracted national attention: a man and his beautiful, married lover accused of murdering the other-woman; the former governor of North Carolina spearheading the defense; and a noble gesture from the prisoner on the eve of his execution, saving the woman he really loved. With the help of historians, lawyers, and researchers, Sharyn McCrumb visited the actual sites, studied the legal evidence, and uncovered a missing piece of the story that will shock those who think they already know what happened—and may also bring belated justice to an innocent man. What seemed at first to be a sordid tale of adultery and betrayal was transformed by the new discoveries into an Appalachian Wuthering Heights. Tom Dula and Ann Melton had a profound romance spoiled by the machinations of their servant, Pauline Foster.Bringing to life the star-crossed lovers of this mountain tragedy, Sharyn McCrumb gifts understanding and compassion to her compelling tales of Appalachia, and solidifies her status as one of today's great Southern writers.
The Last Ballad
Wiley Cash
"Wiley Cash reveals the dignity and humanity of people asking for a fair shot in an unfair world."- Christina Baker Kline, author of A Piece of the World and Orphan TrainThe New York Times bestselling author of the celebrated A Land More Kind Than Home and This Dark Road to Mercy returns with this eagerly awaited new novel, set in the Appalachian foothills of North Carolina in 1929 and inspired by actual events. The chronicle of an ordinary woman's struggle for dignity and her rights in a textile mill, The Last Ballad is a moving tale of courage in the face of oppression and injustice, with the emotional power of Ron Rash's Serena, Dennis Lehane's The Given Day, and the unforgettable films Norma Rae and Silkwood.Twelve times a week, twenty-eight-year-old Ella May Wiggins makes the two-mile trek to and from her job on the night shift at American Mill No. 2 in Bessemer City, North Carolina. The insular...
The Ballad of Tom Dooley
Sharyn McCrumb
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley. The folk song, made famous by the Kingston Trio, recounts a tragedy in the North Carolina mountains after the Civil War. Laura Foster, a simple country girl, was murdered and her lover Tom Dula was hanged for the crime. The sensational elements in the case attracted national attention: a man and his beautiful, married lover accused of murdering the other-woman; the former governor of North Carolina spearheading the defense; and a noble gesture from the prisoner on the eve of his execution, saving the woman he really loved. With the help of historians, lawyers, and researchers, Sharyn McCrumb visited the actual sites, studied the legal evidence, and uncovered a missing piece of the story that will shock those who think they already know what happened – and may also bring belated justice to an innocent man. What seemed at first to be a sordid tale of adultery and betrayal was transformed by the new discoveries into an Appalachian Wuthering Heights. Tom Dula and Ann Melton had a profound romance spoiled by the machinations of their servant, Pauline Foster. Bringing to life the star-crossed lovers of this mountain tragedy, Sharyn McCrumb gifts understanding and compassion to her compelling tales of Appalachia, and solidifies her status as one of today's great Southern writers.