When her Aunt Flo comes to help care for eleven-year-old Evie and her younger sister after their mother's death, Evie wants nothing to do with her and she is especially uncomfortable with her aunt's calling of helping prepare bodies for burial.

The moving story of a young girl's struggle to face her mother's death. "She traveled to our small white house near the Iowa border on a buckboard, her green bag caked with the dusty road . . . I knew that she was called "the Shrouding Woman" because I'd heard Papa use those words to describe her. I didn't know what it meant but I knew it had something to do with death." It was once common practice for small towns to have a shrouding woman to help put their dead to rest. Still, when eleven-year-old Evie's Aunt Flo-herself a shrouding woman-comes to town, Evie knows little of a shrouding woman's ways and wants nothing to do with this aunt of hers, especially after her own mother's recent death. But as this mysterious woman slowly makes her way into Evie's life, her strong and sensitive presence brings far more than signs of death to a grieving girl's home. Set in the mid-1800s, this beautifully written story, centered on the little-known practice of shrouding, touches on death and healing with sensitivity and quiet dignity.

"I remember everything. I can never forget."--Jacket.

A runaway seeks Harper Lee for answers Sometimes the things that need to be discovered aren't so easily found at home. Erin is certain that this is true in her case. A book is all that connects Erin to her mother, who died when she was a baby. But how much can Erin really learn about her mother from a tattered copy of To Kill a Mockingbird? On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Erin decides it's finally time to find out. And so begins her bus journey from Minnesota to Alabama in search of Harper Lee, the reclusive author of To Kill a Mockingbird. In a novel full of quirky characters, strange coincidences, and on-the-road adventures, In Search of Mockingbirdby Loretta Ellsworth deftly traces a unique voyage of self-discovery, perfect for fans of To Kill a Mockingbirdand Go Set a Watchman. “Light, contemporary quest story . . . Suggest this as a follow-up to Lee's classic novel.” —Booklist “Erin's journey of self-discovery gives her the courage to confront her own failings and the maturity to accept her father's plans to marry. . . . Readers will root for her while reaching for a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird.” —Publishers Weekly "Ellsworth makes Erin's unlikely coming-of-age trip convincing. Designed to look like an old journal, the story's searching-for-mother theme should make it especially appealing to older fans of Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn Dixie (2000) and Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Alice Books. An engaging road trip." -Kirkus Reviews

" For the first time in decades, Lorraine Kindred has returned to the ballroom where she was swept away by the big bands during the 1940s--and by a star-crossed romance. As she takes in the magnificent energy and brassy sounds of her youth, the past comes to life, along with the fateful decision all those years ago that forced her to choose between personal conviction and social expectation, between the two men who had captured her heart. It had been a time of great music and love, but also of war and sacrifice, and now, trying to make peace with her memories, Lorraine must find the courage to face buried secrets. In the process, she will rediscover herself, her passion, and her capacity for resilience. Set during the 1940s and the present and inspired by a real-life ballroom, Stars Over Clear Lake is a moving story of forbidden love, lost love, everlasting love--and self love. "--

Writing from a Western Christian vantage point and bringing a unique perspective to help Christians comprehend Islam's influential beliefs and practices, Braswell provides both a complete introduction and a comprehensive reference tool to help Christians know and understand Islam's influential beliefs and practices.

Women's voices are brought to the fore in this comprehensive analysis of women and social change in North Africa. Focusing on grass-roots perspectives, readers will gain a rare glimpse into how both the intentional and unintentional actions of men and women contribute to societal transformation. Most chapters are based on extensive field work that illuminates the real-life experiences, advocacy, and agency of women in the region. The book considers frequently less studied issues including migration, legal changes, oral and written law, Islamic feminism, and grass-roots activism. It also looks at the effectiveness of shelters for abused women and the changes that occurred in the wake of the 2011 Arab uprisings, as well as challenging conventional notions of feminist agency by examining Salafi women's life choices. Recommended for students and scholars, as well as international development professionals with an interest in the MENA region.

This tale begins with the hierarchy in heaven, the creation of a powerful shroud, and its placement on earth for a specific purpose. After its use, the shroud is entrusted to a line of people to keep it safe and out of the hands of the evil Wormwood brotherhood, who would use its power to destroy the world as we know it.

In this volume, Alice Crosetto and Rajinder Garcha identify hundreds of resources-including books, Internet sites, and media titles-that will help educators, professionals, parents, siblings, guardians, and students learn about coping with the loss of a loved one and the grief...