The summer of twenty-six had pushed the thermometer past 90 degrees for the first ten days of July, wearing down those who abode inland, suffering because they lived a few miles away from the cooling breezes of the North Atlantic... There wouldn't be much time for fun this summer. Working all day in the hot sun was taking its toll. Jethro and Mary Preston and their family of six live on an idyllic farm called Noble Hill. A spirited group, they move through their lives with selfishly devised methods and total disregard of others. Jethro is raising his children to be winners and won't accept anything less but he adapts his plan accordingly because he has a different vision for each of his children. His formidable personality pushes his youngest son, Charles, to fulfill his own dream but the youngest, Sadie, proves to be a handful, even for the awe inspiring Jethro. However, his choice for the middle child, Nathan, will put his son into a situation that seems impossible to win and constantly subjects the boy to unfair treatment. Nate meets the abuse with unwavering dedication, barely flinching when his older siblings, John and Camille cruelly taunt and trick him. His parents appear to overlook his worth, relentlessly testing his determined nature, and as Nate's life becomes more difficult, he tries to find solace in his relationship with his younger sister, Emma, who has been selected to accompany her brother in the daily labor on the farm. The devoted boy eventually realizes that if he is to survive, he must dig into the deep recesses of his soul to find the fortitude to prevail. Follow Nathan and his siblings through the trials and tribulations of life on Noble Hill.

Winner of the Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction A New York Times 2016 Notable Book Entertainment Weekly's #1 Book of the Year A Washington Post 2016 Notable Book A Slate Top Ten Book NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “The Nix is a mother-son psychodrama with ghosts and politics, but it’s also a tragicomedy about anger and sanctimony in America. . . . Nathan Hill is a maestro.” —John Irving From the suburban Midwest to New York City to the 1968 riots that rocked Chicago and beyond, The Nix explores—with sharp humor and a fierce tenderness—the resilience of love and home, even in times of radical change. It’s 2011, and Samuel Andresen-Anderson—college professor, stalled writer—has a Nix of his own: his mother, Faye. He hasn’t seen her in decades, not since she abandoned the family when he was a boy. Now she’s re-appeared, having committed an absurd crime that electrifies the nightly news, beguiles the internet, and inflames a politically divided country. The media paints Faye as a radical hippie with a sordid past, but as far as Samuel knows, his mother was an ordinary girl who married her high-school sweetheart. Which version of his mother is true? Two facts are certain: she’s facing some serious charges, and she needs Samuel’s help. To save her, Samuel will have to embark on his own journey, uncovering long-buried secrets about the woman he thought he knew, secrets that stretch across generations and have their origin all the way back in Norway, home of the mysterious Nix. As he does so, Samuel will confront not only Faye’s losses but also his own lost love, and will relearn everything he thought he knew about his mother, and himself.

Culled from the records of the National Register of Historic Places, a roster of all types of significant properties across the United States, African American Historic Places includes over 800 places in 42 states and two U.S. territories that have played a role in black American history. Banks, cemeteries, clubs, colleges, forts, homes, hospitals, schools, and shops are but a few of the types of sites explored in this volume, which is an invaluable reference guide for researchers, historians, preservationists, and anyone interested in African American culture. Also included are eight insightful essays on the African American experience, from migration to the role of women, from the Harlem Renaissance to the Civil Rights Movement. The authors represent academia, museums, historic preservation, and politics, and utilize the listed properties to vividly illustrate the role of communities and women, the forces of migration, the influence of the arts and heritage preservation, and the struggles for freedom and civil rights. Together they lead to a better understanding of the contributions of African Americans to American history. They illustrate the events and people, the designs and achievements that define African American history. And they pay powerful tribute to the spirit of black America.

Historical tales of crime and punishment from this ancient British town—includes photos and illustrations. Colchester historian Patrick Denney takes the reader on a sinister journey from the religious persecutions of Queen Mary’s time to the twentieth century, meeting villains, cutthroats, arsonists, and lunatics along the way. Based on original research, this fascinating chronicle will prove to be a valuable—if gruesome—addition to the historical record of this town that dates back to Roman times, as well as a compelling read for fans of true crime stories.