These seven short stories set in Manhattan's Yorkville neighborhood remind readers of the simple joy and gift of the Miracle at the heart of Christmas. These stories are simple holiday masterpieces that will enrich the lives of every family seeking to kindle the joy, hope and love that comes alive in our hearts at Christmas time.

The story of the Vyvyans and what they have accomplished and endured is incredible. When my great, great Grandfather left Cornwall at the age of 18, he had nothing. His family was poor and the economy of Cornwall was in decline and yet ten years later he owned over a hundred acres of land. (He eventually owned over 300 acres of land.) This is a story of accomplishment, persistence, resourcefulness, and the people who lived it.

Includes its Report, 1896-19 .

For more than 10 years after the close of the Civil War, South Carolina experienced unrest, disenfranchisement and military occupation under Republican Party rule. This book examines the gubernatorial election of 1876, in which the state's most celebrated Civil War general created a united front in the Democratic Party and wrested control of politics from the Republicans. Of particular note are the ways in which the race, with its disqualified ballots, delays and wrangling, prefigured the 2000 election. For four months, the state endured two warring Houses of Representatives and teetered on the brink of civil war until Washington intervened.

""A real treasure; powerful and gripping... On several levels Gateley combines intellect and spirit with Activism... She perhaps can achieve things others merely discuss.""--The Bloomsbury Review
""This is a journal of two spirits: one of a woman desperately seeking new life; the other of a woman alive with the zeal of the gospel. The reader relives the Christian struggle to find meaning in the midst of acute pain and society?s oppressive force.""--Donald Senior
""One of the most moving books I have ever read. I want to compare it with the writings of Julian of Norwich. Edwina and Julian both work with a mixture of spiritual power, fun, gentleness, earthiness, grieving and faith.""--Rosemary Haughton
""A different kind of love story, written with integrity, genuine courage and compassion... I cried as I closed this book.""--Mary Luke Tobin

THE TORONTO STAR'S "30 BOOKS WE CAN'T WAIT TO READ THIS SPRING" The updated edition of a Toronto favorite meanders around some of the city’s unique neighborhoods and considers what makes a city walkable What is the 'Toronto look'? Glass skyscrapers rise beside Victorian homes, and Brutalist apartment buildings often mark the edge of leafy ravines, creating a city of contrasts whose architectural look can only be defined by telling the story of how it came together and how it works, today, as an imperfect machine. Shawn Micallef has been examining Toronto’s streetscapes for decades. His psychogeographic reportages situate Toronto's buildings and streets in living, breathing detail, and tell us about the people who use them; the ways, intended or otherwise, that they are being used; and how they are evolving. Stroll celebrates Toronto's details – some subtle, others grand – at the speed of walking and, in so doing, helps us to better get to know its many neighbourhoods, taking us from well-known spots like the CN Tower and Pearson Airport to the overlooked corners of Scarborough and all the way to the end of the Leslie Street Spit in Lake Ontario. "When I moved to Toronto in 2011, Stroll was the first book I added to my library and course reading lists. My students and I get lost in the PATH, sneak into lobbies, and visit the archives with this book as our guide. Micallef’s friendly voice invites us to slow down and notice not just a few landmark buildings but the city’s built fabric as a whole. This updated version offers our collective memory a much-needed affectionate yet critical view of recent changes to the city." – Erica Allen-Kim, Author of Building Little Saigon "Stroll is a delightful and eccentric guidebook, full of clever writing, amusing stories and charming maps that will make you want to strap on your walking shoes and head into the streets of Toronto." – Carol Off, Author/Broadcaster "Shawn Micallef is the unofficial mayor of Toronto, the genial ambassador the city needs and deserves. As he strolls Toronto’s broad avenues and its little streets, he finds hidden pockets of delight – and weirdness, too. Join him and fall in love with the city again." – Liz Renzetti, author of Bury the Lead "Shawn Micallef looks at the city in a way we all should more often – he sees it as a living book that is alive with stories just waiting to be told to the attentive observer. In Stroll, he gives us an introduction to just how interesting and surprisingly dramatic those stories are, and how exciting our city is when we hear them." – David Crombie, former mayor of Toronto "A smart and intimate guide to the city that makes you feel like an insider from start to finish." – Douglas Coupland This new edition updates things in the city that have changed and includes several new walks.

I recall seeing a snake that had been run over by a car in front of my grandmother's house. The tires had sliced the snake in half, so that a toad that had just been swallowed could hop out. ""Escaping the belly of a beast sure makes an old toad laugh."".