In her lengthy and fascinating introduction Margaret Atwood says “Alice Munro is among the major writers of English fiction of our time. . . . Among writers themselves, her name is spoken in hushed tones.”This splendid gift edition is sure to delight Alice Munro’s growing body of admirers, what Atwood calls her “devoted international readership.” Long-time fans of her stories will enjoy meeting old favourites, where their new setting in this book may reveal new sides to what once seemed a familiar story; devoted followers may even dispute the exclusion of a specially-beloved story. Readers lucky enough to have found her recently will be delighted, as one masterpiece succeeds another.The 17 stories are carefully arranged in the order in which she wrote them, which allows us to follow the development of her range. “A Wilderness Station,” for example, breaks “short story rules” by taking us right back to the 1830s then jumping forward more than 100 years. “The Albanian Virgin” destroys the idea that her stories are set in B.C. or in Ontario’s “Alice Munro Country.” And “The Bear Came Over the Mountain,” the story behind the film Away From Her, takes us far from the world of young girls learning about sex into unflinching old age.This is a book to read slowly, savouring each story. It deserves a place in every Canadian book-lover’s library.

A children's story by Africa's best known and most widely read author whose novels, poetry, essays, lectures, etc… are considered representative of contemporary Nigerian life.

The twenty-third novel in Michael Jecks?s medieval Knights Templar series. 1325: England is a hotbed of paranoia under the reign of the increasingly unpredictable Edward II and his lover, Sir Hugh le Despenser. When the Queen?s lady-in-waiting is slaughtered and a man?s body, hideously mutilated, is discovered behind the throne, King Edward demands to be avenged. Sir Baldwin de Furnshill is appointed to track down the killer, aided by his friend, Simon Puttock. But in an age of corruption, the knight and bailiff must fight to stay alive. And Baldwin and Simon soon learn that while their failure to find the murderer will carry its own peril, uncovering the truth may also be fatal.

What were Roald Dahl's first words?Read his account of going to football matches with Joss Spivvis, the gardener.This new edition of a favourite book contains a wealth of new photos, facts and writings about Roald Dahl and his childhood, together with the original text and illustrations from his much-loved memoir. With lots of little-known details, this is a must-have for all Dahl fans!

last time Last time you see someone and you don't know it will be the last time. And all that you know now, if only you'd known then. But you didn't know, and now it's too late. And you tell yourself How could I have known, I could not have known. You tell yourself. This is my story of missing my mother. One day, in a way unique to you, it will be your story, too. From Joyce Carol Oates comes this candid, intimate, engaging, and personal new novel. Nikki Eaton, single, thirty-one, sexually liberated, and economically self-supporting, has never particularly thought of herself as a daughter. Yet, following the unexpected loss of her mother, she undergoes a remarkable transformation during a tumultuous year that brings stunning horror, sorrow, illumination, wisdom, and even -- from an unexpected source -- a nurturing love.

Stories included: Taste, Lamb to Slaughter, Man from the South, Dip in the Pool, Skin, Neck, Nunc Dimittis, The Landlady, William and Mary, The Way up to Heaven, Parsons Pleasures, Mrs Bixby and the Colonel Coat, Royal Jelly, Edward the Conqueror, Galloping Foxley.