As a boy, Sam Nightingale was taken from his home in Africa and brought to America to be a slave. He lived many years as a slave, but after the Civil War, Sam raised his family in freedom in Boonville, Missouri. Sam became a healer, using old African traditions and lessons he had learned from Native Americans to help people when they were sick. Sam became known as a wonderful storyteller and as someone who used magic. The tales he told, and the tales told about him, are still being heard today.

'Wondering and wonderful. The nature book of the year.' JOHN LEWIS-STEMPEL 'This lovely book is almost as thrilling as the bird's immortal song - balm for a troubled soul and a glimpse of paradise.' JOANNA LUMLEY ______________________________ Come to the forest, sit by the fireside and listen to intoxicating song, as Sam Lee tells the story of the nightingale. Every year, as darkness falls upon woodlands, the nightingale heralds the arrival of Spring. Throughout history, its sweet song has inspired musicians, writers and artists around the world, from Germany, France and Italy to Greece, Ukraine and Korea. Here, passionate conservationist, renowned musician and folk expert Sam Lee tells the story of the nightingale. This book reveals in beautiful detail the bird's song, habitat, characteristics and migration patterns, as well as the environmental issues that threaten its livelihood. From Greek mythology to John Keats, to Persian poetry and 'A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square', Lee delves into the various ways we have celebrated the nightingale through traditions, folklore, music, literature, from ancient history to the present day. The Nightingale is a unique and lyrical portrait of a famed yet elusive songbird. ______________________________ 'Sam Lee has brought the poetic magic that has long enchanted so many of his musical fans into the written word. Allow yourself to glimpse the world Sam sees, to be part of his love affair with the nightingale, and you will no doubt be delighted.' LILY COLE 'A wonderful book.' STEPHEN MOSS 'A magical marriage of the lyrical and practical: a book that makes us want to seek out the nightingale and then reveals how we can.' TRISTAN GOOLEY

Catalogue of exhibition of same title commissioned by Mildura Arts Centre.Exhibition shown at Mildura Arts Centre 6 April to 18 June 2017

Another new partner, another dead body. This time Sam Nirviani has to stop a killer while carrying the mayor, the police chief and the dead girl's alderman father on his back.

“Nature itself is the best physician. The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician. Therefore the physician must start from nature, with an open mind.” -Paracelsus This book is written for those who are interested in rediscovering and learning about some of the “Old Home Remedies” used by our grandparents and others who have gone before us. In the days of old, many had no other options when illness occurred, but to use herbs and natural remedies for themselves and those who came to them for the “cure”. Herbs and other remedies were used also, to prevent illness and disease. Many of the remedies I learned that you will read about come from farmers, producers, collectors, herbalists, healers and village women who all have some ideas about plants and foods that can be used as medicine. The book will be a wonderful reference and resource for those interested in natural healing techniques. I am happy to share what I have learned both in Missouri and from afar with those who are interested in African influenced Home Remedies. Here’s Some Of What You’ll Learn: -The History Of My Healing Ancestors -Food Used As Medicine -Preparation And Usage Of Herbs -Preparing An Herbal Tea -Preparing A Tincture -Preparing Herbal Capsules -Preparing Herbal Poultices -Preparing A Decoction -Preparing An Ointment -Preparing A Compress -Preparing Herbal Powders -Essential Oils That Encourage Relaxation & Reduce Stress And Over 40 Home Remedies

From Jesse Andrews, author of the New York Times bestselling Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and screenwriter of the Sundance award–winning motion picture of the same name, comes a groundbreaking young adult novel about music, love, friendship, and freedom as three young musicians follow a quest to escape the law long enough to play the amazing show they hope (but also doubt) they have in them. For Wes and his best friend, Corey, jazz camp turns out to be lame. It’s pretty much all dudes talking in Jazz Voice. But then they jam with Ash, a charismatic girl with an unusual sound, and the three just click. It’s three and a half hours of pure musical magic, and Ash makes a decision: They need to hit the road. Because the road, not summer camp, is where bands get good. Before Wes and Corey know it, they’re in Ash’s SUV heading south, and The Haters Summer of Hate Tour has begun. In his second novel, Andrews again brings his brilliant and distinctive voice to YA, in the perfect book for music lovers, fans of The Commitments (author Roddy Doyle raves "The Haters is terrific. It is shocking and funny, unsettling and charming."), and High Fidelity, or anyone who has ever loved—and hated—a song or a band. This witty, funny coming-of-age novel is contemporary fiction at its best.

A novel centered on the journey of the Turner family and its thirteen siblings, particularly the eldest and youngest, as they face the ghosts of their pasts--both an actual haint and the specter of addiction--the imminent loss of their mother, and the necessary abandonment of their family home in struggling Detroit.

Rachel Fisher was now opening her new hotel. She couldn't have been happier when friends chose her hotel to hold a 60th birthday party weekend. However, a startling discovery starts off a chain of events which can't be stopped. Is Josh who he seems to be, and is Rachel's life in danger again? Handsome Chief Inspector Taylor turns up to solve the crime. 2nd Rachel Fisher mystery

Missouri's state capital groans beneath the burden of its haunted heritage, from the shadow people of Native American folklore to Boogie Man Bill, Missouri's wild child. The muddy river waters hide the shifting graves of steamboat crews, like the one that went down with the Montana, and the savage scars of the Civil War still linger on the land. Join Janice Tremeear for the fascinating history behind Jefferson City's most chilling tales, including a visit to the notorious Missouri State Penitentiary, where the vicious festered for 170 years.

Most people know Florence Nightingale was a compassionate and legendary nurse, but they don’t know her full story. This riveting biography explores the exceptional life of a woman who defied the stifling conventions of Victorian society to pursue what was considered an undesirable vocation. She is best known for her work during the Crimean War, when she vastly improved gruesome and deadly conditions and made nightly rounds to visit patients, becoming known around the world as the Lady with the Lamp. Her tireless and inspiring work continued after the war, and her modern methods in nursing became the defining standards still used today. Includes notes, bibliography, and index.