A housemaid needs some magical help when she falls for a high-society gentleman in this captivating historical fantasy full of wit, charm, and heart-fluttering romance. Effie has most inconveniently fallen in love with the dashing Mr. Benedict Ashbrooke. There’s only one problem: Effie is a housemaid, and a housemaid cannot marry a gentleman. It seems that Effie is out of luck until she stumbles into the faerie realm of Lord Blackthorn, who is only too eager to help her win Mr. Ashbrooke’s heart. All he asks in return is that Effie sew ten thousand stitches onto his favorite jacket. Effie has heard rumors about what happens to those who accept magical bargains. But life as a maid at Hartfield is so awful that she is willing to risk even her immortal soul for a chance at something better. Now she has one hundred days—and ten thousand stitches—to make Mr. Ashbrooke fall in love and propose…if Lord Blackthorn doesn’t wreck things by accident, that is. For Effie’s greatest obstacle might well be Lord Blackthorn’s overwhelmingly good intentions. An enchanting faerie tale set in Olivia Atwater’s magical version of Regency England, Ten Thousand Stitches is “a delightful, romantic romp” (Hannah Whitten) with a Cinderella twist and heaps of heart. Praise for the Regency Faerie Tales "Smart and subversive, these charming romances will ignite your heart—and your hope." —Shelley Parker-Chan "Whimsical, witty, and brimming over with charm." —India Holton "Sweeps you off your feet in the swooniest way possible." —Megan Bannen "I wolfed this down with great pleasure." —KJ Charles "Warm, sparkling with magic, dangerous, and delightful." —Tasha Suri "Whimsical but never frivolous, sweet but not sugary. I loved it." —Alix E. Harrow

So often, it's the simplest acts of courage that touch the lives of others. Sudha Murty-through the exceptional work of the Infosys Foundation as well as through her own youth, family life and travels-encounters many such stories . . . and she tells them here in her characteristically clear-eyed, warm-hearted way. She talks candidly about the meaningful impact of her work in the devadasi community, her trials and tribulations as the only female student in her engineering college and the unexpected and inspiring consequences of her father's kindness. From the quiet joy of discovering the reach of Indian cinema and the origins of Indian vegetables to the shallowness of judging others based on appearances, these are everyday struggles and victories, large and small. Unmasking both the beauty and ugliness of human nature, each of the real-life stories in this collection is reflective of a life lived with grace.

Based on the true story of an American-born Kamikaze Pilot. The central story of this novel is told as a memoir written by the main character, Isamu (Sam) Imagawa, who was born in America but who served as a pilot for the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. The story recounts the time Sam spent in Japan, from 1932 to 1963, spanning his early school days, his boyhood crush and young love for Michiko Miyazawa, his military career, his unhappy marriage, and his final escape to the U.S.A. with his second wife. The secondary plot, is told from the perspective of Michiko, who recounts her life in Japan during wartime and reconstruction. The two alternating plots are held together symbolically by a senninbari, a belt with a thousand stitches, which Michiko made for Sam while Sam was a pilot for the Japanese Kamikaze Corps. A Thousand Stitches makes a strong anti-war statement, summed up by Michiko’s friend Keiko: “How stupid, stupid, stupid everything about this war is!” This novel was inspired by a memoir, Shig: The True Story of an American Kamikaze," written by Shigeo Imamura, whose life closely paralleled that of the hero of A Thousand Stitches.

"The inspiring story of the American flag that flew over Ground Zero, traveled across all fifty states as it was repaired, and returned to New York, a restored symbol of unity"--

A heart-warming tale of courage and conviction from India’s biggest-selling woman author Two decades ago, when Sudha Murty approached a group of devadasis for the first time, determined to make a difference to their lives, they threw a chappal at her. Undeterred, she went back, telling herself she must talk to the devadasis about the dangers of AIDS. This time, they threw tomatoes. But she refused to give up. The Infosys Foundation worked hard to make the devadasis self-reliant, to help educate their children, and to rid the label of the social stigma that had become attached to it. Today, there are no temple prostitutes left in the state of Karnataka. This is the powerful, inspirational story of that change initiative that has transformed thousands of lives.

“Whimsical, witty, and brimming over with charm” (India Holton), Olivia Atwater’s delightful debut will transport you to a magical version of Regency England, where the only thing more meddlesome than a fairy is a marriage-minded mother! It’s difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you’re a young lady with only half a soul. Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment—an unfortunate condition that leaves her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season—but when Elias Wilder, the strange, handsome, and utterly ill-mannered Lord Sorcier, discovers her condition, she is instead drawn into peculiar and dangerous faerie affairs. If her reputation can survive both her curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all high society, then she and her family may yet reclaim their normal place in the world. But the longer Dora spends with Elias, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love even with only half a soul. Praise for Half a Soul “Whimsical but never frivolous, sweet but not sugary. I loved it.” —Alix E. Harrow “Delightful. Half a Soul is the definition of a comfort read.” —Hannah Whitten “I wolfed this down with great pleasure.” —KJ Charles “This winsome, whimsical fantasy romance sweeps you off your feet.” —Megan Bannen “Smart and subversive, Half a Soul will ignite your heart—and your hope.” —Shelley Parker-Chan “A perfect historical fantasy romance: warm, sparkling with magic, dangerous, and delightful.” —Tasha Suri

'Smart and subversive, these charming romances will ignite your heart - and your hope' Shelley Parker-Chan, author of She Who Became the Sun Proper Regency ladies are not supposed to become magicians - but Miss Abigail Wilder is far from proper. The marriageable young ladies of London are dying mysteriously, and Abigail Wilder intends to discover why. Abigail's father, the Lord Sorcier of England, believes that a dark lord of faerie is involved - but while Abigail is willing to match her magic against Lord Longshadow, neither her father nor high society believe that she is capable of doing so. Thankfully, Abigail is not the only one investigating the terrible events in London. Mercy, a street rat and self-taught magician, insists on joining Abigail to unravel the mystery. But while Mercy's own magic is strange and foreboding, she may well pose an even greater danger to Abigail's heart. From the author of HALF A SOUL comes a queer faerie tale romance full of love and defiant hope. Pick up LONGSHADOW, and return once more to Olivia Atwater's charming, magical version of Regency England. Praise for Olivia Atwater: 'Half a Soul is the perfect balm for these bad times. It's whimsical but never frivolous, sweet but not sugary, deeply kind rather than merely nice. I loved it' Alix E. Harrow on Half a Soul 'A delightful, romantic romp that also deftly examines class and privilege, Half a Soul is the definition of a comfort read' Hannah Whitten on Half a Soul 'A perfect historical fantasy romance: warm, sparkling with magic, dangerous and delightful. I absolutely adored it.' Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne on Half a Soul 'A hugely enjoyable take on the Regency. . . I wolfed this down with great pleasure' KJ Charles on Half a Soul 'Whimsical, witty, and brimming over with charm' India Holton, author of The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels on Half a Soul 'Half a Soul is exactly the comfort read we all need. . . it sweeps you off your feet in the swooniest way possible' Megan Bannen, author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy on Half a Soul 'A charming and original take on both the fae and the Regency fantasy genre, with plenty of humour and heart. I couldn't put it down.' Heather Fawcett, author of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries on Half a Soul

The New York Times bestseller from the author of Dusk, Night, Dawn, Hallelujah Anyway, Bird by Bird, and Almost Everything “Lamott’s …most insightful book yet, Stitches offers plenty of her characteristic witty wisdom…this slim, readable volume [is] a lens on life, widening and narrowing, encouraging each reader to reflect on what it is, after all, that really matters.”—People What do we do when life lurches out of balance? How can we reconnect to one other and to what’s sustaining, when evil and catastrophe seem inescapable? These questions lie at the heart of Stitches, Lamott’s profound follow-up to her New York Times–bestselling Help, Thanks, Wow. In this book Lamott explores how we find meaning and peace in these loud and frantic times; where we start again after personal and public devastation; how we recapture wholeness after loss; and how we locate our true identities in this frazzled age. We begin, Lamott says, by collecting the ripped shreds of our emotional and spiritual fabric and sewing them back together, one stitch at a time. It’s in these stitches that the quilt of life begins, and embedded in them are strength, warmth, humor, and humanity.

As she goes about her work with the villagers, slum dwellers and the common men and women of India, Sudha Murty—writer, social worker and teacher—listens to them and records what they have to say. Their accounts of the struggles and hardships which they have at times overcome, and at other times been overwhelmed by, are put together in this book. There are stories about people’s generosity—and selfishness—in times of natural disasters like the tsunami; women struggling to speak out in a world that refuses to listen to them; and tales of young professionals trying to find their feet as they climb up the corporate ladder. Told simply and directly from the heart, The Old Man and His God is a collection of snapshots of the varied facets of human nature and a mirror to the souls of the people of India.

Fifty Vignettes Showcase The Myriad Shades Of Human Nature A Man Dumps His Aged Father In An Old-Age Home After Declaring Him To Be A Homeless Stranger, A Tribal Chief In The Sahyadri Hills Teaches The Author That There Is Humility In Receiving Too, And A Sick Woman Remembers To Thank Her Benefactor Even From Her Deathbed. These Are Just Some Of The Poignant And Eye-Opening Stories About People From All Over The Country That Sudha Murty Recounts In This Book. From Incredible Examples Of Generosity To The Meanest Acts One Can Expect From Men And Women, She Records Everything With Wry Humour And A Directness That Touches The Heart. First Published In 2002, Wise And Otherwise Has Sold Over 30,000 Copies In English And Has Been Translated Into All The Major Indian Languages. This Revised New Edition Is Sure To Charm Many More Readers And Encourage Them To Explore Their Inner Selves And The World Around Us With New Eyes. &Nbsp;