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In this classic vampire thriller, a serious, staid grad student embraces her darker side to escape her abductors—and a deadly conspiracy. Toronto graduate student Ardeth Alexander lives by her schedule. There is no room for excitement in between classes, papers, and research jobs. She is known for being responsible, dependable—and perhaps a little boring. But all that changes during a routine morning walk when she is abducted by two thugs. Blindfolded and taken to an abandoned asylum, Ardeth is horrified to learn the reason behind her kidnapping: she is meant to provide sustenance for a centuries-old vampire. Dimitri Rozokov has been asleep for ninety years and now finds himself pushed to insanity from torture and his hunger for blood. Breaking past his madness, Ardeth discovers the man within, and the nightly feeding sessions become less frightening and more sensuous. But she knows there are only two ways this ordeal will end for her. Desperate to escape, eager for revenge, and tempted by immortality, she boldly descends into the darkness...Previously published as Kiss of the Vampire “It's almost impossible not to finish The Night Inside in one frenzied, chocolate donut munching sitting. It's also impossible not to root for its feisty, feminist vampiress heroine.” —Charles Busch, author of Vampire Lesbians of Sodom “Terrific.... The unrelenting tension between the monstrous and the human propels this unique tale of gripping suspense.” —Katherine Ramsland, author of The Vampire Companion “In prose studded with passages of dark luster, Baker offers a truly original scenario.” —Publishers Weekly “Baker has obviously thought about what surrendering to the dark side means that lifts this book up above the vast... morass of romantic vampire fiction.” —Quill & Quire

The tumultuous life story of Judy Garland, based on more than two hundred interviews and authorized access to her private papers, by the New York Times–bestselling biographer. Gerold Frank met with legendary singer and actress Judy Garland to collaborate on her autobiography—but he completed the project alone after her fatal overdose in 1969. Drawn from more than two hundred interviews and full access to her personal records and pictures, Frank delves into the superstar's troubled life, assisted by the cooperation of her family, her doctors, and her friends in Hollywood. Still vivid in our memory thanks to films like The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis, and A Star Is Born, Judy Garland was an incomparable figure whose outsized talent made her an American icon—and her life story, an American tragedy. “[A] messy and insatiably involving story.... Somehow beyond all the mythology of how a star was born and a cult created, Judy's consuming presence remains—the insecure charm, the mischievous humor, the guts—all programmed on self-destruct.” —Kirkus Reviews “When [Frank] digs into the roots of her behavior, he makes more sense than anybody else I have read. He is the perfect Dante for this trip into the underworld, the biographer Judy Garland deserves.” —The New York TimesIncludes photographs

Hawkeye is in hot pursuit of the Black Widow after a jailbreak at the Raft in this prose adaptation of the blockbuster Marvel comic series. While Agent Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, is pushing papers aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, he notices an unfamiliar redhead has infiltrated their security. When Hawkeye confronts the beautiful intruder, fists—and sparks—fly until she is finally subdued. After identifying the mysterious redhead as the Russian super-spy and assassin, Black Widow, S.H.I.E.L.D. sends her to the only place that can contain her... Located in New York City's East River, the super-prison known as the Raft holds some of the world's deadliest and most powerful criminals—or at least it did. There's been a breakout... The Avengers have disbanded, but the world once again needs heroes. To round up the vicious villains, Iron Man and Captain American must assemble a new team, one that includes the likes of Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, and Luke Cage. Hawkeye, meanwhile, is dispatched with only one mission: bring in the Widow, dead or alive...Based on the comic series by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch

Winner of the James Tait Black Prize: An “engrossing” novel of power, politics, and academic rivalry in 1930s England (The New York Times). In 1937, the dark cloud of Nazi Germany hangs over Europe. Meanwhile, barrister Lewis Eliot is comfortably settled at Cambridge College, which is currently astir thanks to the imminent death of an ailing master. Little does the dying master know that two men are already jockeying for his position. Eliot and his crowd are in Jago's corner against his rival, Crawford, who holds a principled stand against Hitler but is lacking in social skills. The political maneuvering grows ever fiercer, and even in these hallowed halls of learning, the hunger for power can overwhelm all common sense. “A faithful portrayal of English college life.” —Kirkus Reviews “The Masters not only portrays a power structure in microcosm but is tantalizingly told—perhaps the most engrossing academic novel in English.” —The New York Times “Lucid, compelling... generous in its fullness.” —New Statesman

An academic is accused of fraud in this novel set in 1950s England by “an extremely shrewd observer of men and society” (Commentary). At Lewis Eliot's Cambridge college, Dr. Donald Howard is not well liked. Some believe his research to be subpar, and his far-left politics off-putting. So no one much mourns when Howard is fired for committing academic fraud. Eliot, though, is disturbed when new information seems to throw doubt on the don's guilt, dividing the fellows against each other and compelling Eliot to prevent a possible miscarriage of justice. This suspenseful story is by the Booker Prize finalist and winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Award for Fiction. “Lionel Trilling has spoken of the job the contemporary novelist does of ‘telling us the way things are': The Affair is only the latest evidence to confirm that this is a job at which C. P. Snow excels.” —Commentary “A master craftsman.” —The New York Times

With England on the brink of disruptive social change, a man revisits his past—and confronts a monstrous crime—in this novel of “clarity and perceptiveness” (The Atlantic). In his late middle age, semi-retired Lewis Eliot, accompanied by his teenage son, journeys to the provincial town where he spent his poverty-stricken boyhood—and where his father is now dying. The London of the 1960s is changing, and this visit is a reminder of the passage of time and the world left behind. But Eliot's reflections are disrupted when he reunites with his now-elderly mentor, George Passant, and becomes involved in a horrifying child-murder case in which Passant's niece stands accused. And as Eliot sees his old friend through the trial, troubling questions arise about responsibility, the root causes of evil, and how, as the painter Goya once observed, the sleep of reason produces monsters. “[The Strangers and Brothers series] invites comparison not only with Proust but with the other notable multi‐volume novel about modern Britain, Anthony Powell's The Music of Time.” —The New York Times “Lewis Eliot throughout the series has been a most engaging person.... Snow is at his best when writing about people under pressure: he makes the struggle for power of engrossing interest.” —The Atlantic “[Snow] looks at the social condition so that he can see better the human condition.” —Queen's Quarterly

A brush with death may finally bring a father and son together, in the conclusion to the award-winning, decades-spanning series. Sir Lewis Eliot has made his way from a deprived childhood to knighthood, but when he experiences cardiac arrest during surgery, his thoughts turn to the meaning of it all. As he considers a life spent in the realms of law, government, and academia, he can't refrain from passing judgment on himself. Yet amid his melancholy musings about age and infirmity, Eliot finds his characteristic optimism has not deserted him—and looks to the future in the form of his adult son, who is part of a new generation he struggles to understand, but who remains as beloved as the day he was born... “As with [John] Galsworthy, Snow's respectable achievement has been to make honest drama out of the undramatic stuff of compromise.” —Time “A master craftsman in fiction.” —The New York Times

A gifted young academic in 1930s England falls prey to a dangerous mindset in this novel by “a master craftsman” (The New York Times). Roy Calvert is young, well-liked, and financially secure. He is also a brilliant scholar at Cambridge, engaged in translating ancient documents related to the Manichaean heresy. Yet despite these advantages and successes, he is prone to an unpredictable, inexplicable melancholy that neither love nor work can seem to overcome. It will pull Roy into the orbit of a rising historical darkness—and leave his friend, Lewis Eliot, to witness the frightening struggle between Calvert and his demons...Praise for the Strangers and Brothers Novels “Mr. Snow has established himself... in an eminent and conspicuous position among contemporary English novelists.” —New Statesman

An emotionally devastated widower is drawn to a married woman in this “impressive” novel set in wartime England (Kirkus Reviews). Lewis Eliot has lost his deeply troubled wife, Sheila, under tragic circumstances. While her suicide has shaken Lewis to his core, it has also put an end to a painful and difficult marriage. In the wake of Sheila's passing and Britain entering the Second World War, Lewis plunges into his civil service work. During this time, he meets Margaret and begins to feel his heart stirring—and sees the possibility of healing. But Margaret already has a husband, severely complicating the attraction they both feel, in this series of historical novels that the Telegraph called “Balzacian masterpieces of the age.” “A master craftsman in fiction.” —The New York Times “An extremely shrewd observer of men and society.” —Commentary

From a “delightfully smart” historical novelist, a woman raised to believe she is the daughter of a British war hero searches for her true parentage (The Sunday Times). Nan Prunty's mother is the rare woman to have served aboard navy vessels, an eyewitness to British sea battles aboard the HMS Victory. Now a notorious drunk, Nan's mother shares outlandish anecdotes of bygone adventures, most of which Nan believes to be tall tales. The only story her mother tells the same way twice is that of Nan's father, with whom she had an affair just before his tragic death during the Battle of Trafalgar. Is it possible the story is actually true—and that Nan is the daughter of naval hero Lord Horatio Nelson? The search for answers is a mystery that will carry Nan through her life, her marriage, and the birth of her own daughter, Pru. Growing up, Pru listens with skepticism to her mother's narrative of her legendary genealogy. But when Pru marches off to her own intrepid life as a nurse during the Crimean War, she wonders how much of her mother's legacy lives within her. With her characteristic warmth and wit, author Laurie Graham explores what our families stories truly tell us about ourselves.Praise for Laurie Graham “Laurie Graham has a wonderfully light, deft touch.” —Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Empire Falls “Why is Laurie Graham not carried on people's shoulders through cheering crowds? Her books are brilliant!” —Marian Keyes, international bestselling author of Again, Rachel and Grown Ups

Inspired by the biography of a British royal, a historical novel about a princess who defied her family by marrying a Romanov. As a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Victoria Melita—known affectionately as Ducky—must abide by the rules of the royal family and make a suitable match. But Ducky is young and infatuated with a Romanov, a member of the doomed Russian imperial family. Risking everything to be with the man she loves, she forges her own path. From her exile to Paris to her glamourous life in St. Petersburg, Ducky narrates the story of her extraordinary journey—at the center of the chaos of the Russian revolution and the demise of the Romanov dynasty.Praise for Laurie Graham “Graham's style is riveting.” —The Times (London) “Laurie Graham has a wonderfully light, deft touch.” —Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Empire Falls “Why is Laurie Graham not carried on people's shoulders through cheering crowds? Her books are brilliant!” —Marian Keyes, international bestselling author of Again, Rachel and Grown Ups

“A portrait of the riotous, tragicomic, dysfunctional, bonkers Royal family of poor George III.... Fascinating, very, very funny, ultimately humane.” —Marian Keyes, international bestselling author When Nellie Welche is appointed companion to Princess Sophia, her family is delighted. It's more than her father, steward to the Prince of Wales, ever imagined for his daughter. But once Nellie begins spending her days in close quarters with the royal family, she discovers the world within the palace is not at all what she expected. Rather than attending royal balls and society events, Princess Sofy and her sisters live in isolation. There's also affable King George III, whose struggles with madness only deepen the privacy in which the royals must live. Over the course of a lifetime, Sofy and Nellie become inseparable. But as Sofy's dearest friend, Nellie is also the keeper of her secrets—until the scandal that threatens their relationship... and the reputation of the House of Hanover. “Funny, fascinating and profoundly moving.” —Freya North, international bestselling author of The Turning Point “A delightfully smart and sophisticated historical novelist.” —The Sunday Times “Every page is a joy to read.” —Daily Mail

From the “delightfully smart” bestselling author, childhood friends find different fates in nineteenth-century London—one a life on the stage, the other poverty and danger (The Sunday Times). What Dot Allbones lacks in beauty, she makes up for with the riches of her large Midland family and her comedic talent. The queen of London's music hall stage, Dot's life is filled with friendship, pleasurable male company, and enough money to maintain her independence. Dot's childhood friend, Kate Eddowes, did not fare as well. Orphaned and beautiful, Kate gambled on a better future by taking a well-heeled husband, only to find herself alone and impoverished in London. A chance meeting with her friend Dot will change things for her—or at least she hopes it will. Only Kate is a little too drawn to the drink, a dangerous habit on the streets of Whitechapel in 1888, where a mysterious killer called Jack the Ripper is destroying the most downtrodden of women, one brutalized body at a time. With her inimitable sharpness and wry wit, Laurie Graham brings to life the bustling pleasures and not-so-hidden dangers of urban life in a city where the extremes of poverty and wealth can truly determine a woman's fortune.Praise for Laurie Graham “Laurie Graham has a wonderfully light, deft touch.” —Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Empire Falls “Why is Laurie Graham not carried on people's shoulders through cheering crowds? Her books are brilliant!” —Marian Keyes, international bestselling author of Again, Rachel and Grown Ups

The acclaimed chronicler of America's upper classes reveals their preferred enclaves and secret hideaways across the country. Where are the “Right Places,” those exclusive locations where the privileged live and play? You may be in for a surprise. For as Stephen Birmingham shows, in the same witty, penetrating style that characterizes his other studies of the elite, the right places could be just about anywhere, from exclusive chalets in Sun Valley, Idaho, to the traditionally swank estates of Fairfield County, Connecticut, to the nascent avant-garde art scene in Kansas City, Missouri. Birmingham goes to great lengths to unveil these privileged locales: the secret hideaway of Maria Callas after Aristotle Onassis deserted her for Jacqueline Kennedy; Elizabeth Taylor's habits at home, including her favorite recipe for chili; and more. With colorful anecdotes and intimate details, Birmingham gives us a glimpse into the private worlds of the very rich.

The #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Our Crowd shares an intimate social history of America's elite Black society in the 1970s. From New York to Chicago, Atlanta, and Washington, DC, Stephen Birmingham met with members of Black America's upper crust—those old families of money and lineage who send their children to boarding schools and make business alliances over charity dinners. Invited into their homes, he became acquainted with their private world: their traditions and customs, their networks and conflicts, and, of course, their many stories. In Certain People, Birmingham presents a panoramic social history of upper-class Black society, one full of anecdotes and telling observations. From the Palmer Memorial Institute of North Carolina, where the best families sent their children, to the halls of the Johnson Publishing Company, creator of Ebony and Jet magazines, Birmingham provides an intimate glimpse of this exclusive crowd.

From the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Our Crowd comes this suspenseful novel of a suburban marriage—and the betrayal that threatens to tear it apart. Barbara Greer is the blue-chip product of an old money Connecticut family. But she leaves the world of New England society behind when she marries Carson, a solidly middle-class salesman from the Pennsylvania town her family has always owned. Her new suburban life in Locustville is peaceful, quaint, and terribly dull. Barbara has suddenly become another bored housewife longing for a little intrigue. But on a trip back home, she finds more than she bargained for... In his acclaimed social histories, Stephen Birmingham offered a revealing view into the rarefied world of America's upper classes. Now he brings his eye for human drama and telling detail to this intimate portrait of a woman caught between two worlds.

A family man risks everything to pursue his artistic dreams, in this novel of marriage, betrayal, and suburban malaise by the author of The Auerbach Will. California art director Charlie Lord has all the makings of a surefire winner. But despite his good looks, wit, and sophistication, his track record shows a series of blazing starts followed by fast, ego-crushing finishes. His marriage to Nancy, complete with three almost grown-up children and an elegant house in an exclusive suburb, gave him all the trappings of happiness. Still, none of these things can satisfy Charlie's dreams of success on a grand scale. Now he's off and running once again—taking his family across the country to New York, where he hopes to further his career as an artist. But Charlie soon finds himself submerged in a sea of troubles... and a fevered love affair that threatens to destroy his life.

The acclaimed social historian provides an in-depth look at eight society women who shaped upper class culture from the Gilded Age to WWII. Astor. Rockefeller. McCormick. Belmont. Family names that still adorn buildings, streets, and charity foundations. While their men blazed across America with their oil, industry, and railways, the matriarchs founded art museums, opera houses, and symphonies that functioned almost as private clubs. Linked by money, marriage, privilege, and power, these women formed a grand American matriarchy—and they ruled American society with a style and impact that make today's socialites seem pale reflections of their forbears. Stephen Birmingham takes us into the drawing rooms of these powerful women, providing keen insights into an American society that no longer exists. Caroline Astor, who, when asked for her fare boarding a streetcar, responded, “No thank you, I have my own favorite charities.” Edith “Effie” Stern deciding that no existing school would do for her child, so she had a new one built. And the legendary Isabella Stewart Gardner replying to a contemporary who was overly taken with their Mayflower ancestors: “Of course, immigration laws are much more strict nowadays.” These women had looks, manner, and style, but more than that, they had presence—a sense that when one of them entered a room, something momentous was about to occur; Birmingham opens a window to the highest levels of American society with these profiles of American “royalty.”

A powerful family's media empire is rocked by betrayal and greed in this fast-paced novel from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author. Alexandra Rothman was a smalltown girl from the Midwest—until she married into New York City's most powerful publishing dynasty. Now she's the editor-in-chief of the fashion magazine Mode. And nothing will stop her from transforming the crown jewel of the Rothman empire into a global tastemaker. Nothing except her father-in-law's ruthless ambition—and a terrible secret from Alexandra's past!

The #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Our Crowd offers an anecdote-filled tour of the most exclusive suburbs of 1970s America. In this charming and insightful inquiry, Stephen Birmingham investigates the nesting habits, enjoyments, and frustrations of American suburban life in the seventies. He explores the social organism that is the American suburb—from Scottsdale, Arizona, to New York's Westchester County, along with the tawny suburbs surrounding the mighty industrial cities that fringe the Great Lakes. Birmingham spoke with householders great and small, gleaning their private views of the suburban experience. Almost all of them arrived in the suburbs with a dream. The reality they found was often less than they envisioned. Along with swimming pools and manicured lawns come soaring property taxes, status contests, and old-world prejudices colliding with new neighbors. “Gossipy, chatty [Stephen Birmingham] thrusts his line into the waters of suburban social life, catching a lot of trivia about country clubs and trends.” —The Christian Science Monitor

In this short story collection, the acclaimed author of Our Crowd offers fourteen darkly funny and poignant tales of the human heart. Stephen Birmingham is renowned for his penetrating examinations of America's upper classes. Here, he proves himself an equally deft hand at fiction, bringing the same knowing wit and piercing insight to the short stories in this collection. In “She Ate Grass?,” a boy navigates coming of age while buying whiskey for his mother's cocktail party. In “Race Day,” a shy woman endures her husband's ambition to join the board of an exclusive yacht club. In these and other stories, Birmingham peels back the layers of middle-class life in the late twentieth century.

Back at his family's New England estate, a man finds a second chance at love—and a devastating truth—in this novel by the author of Young Mr. Keefe. At thirty-one years of age, Hugh Carey has ended both his marriage and his advertising partnership. With his life at loose ends, he's returned to the family home in Connecticut—that imposing castle built by his grandfather—to take stock and start over. His mother is only too happy to offer her counsel, as she does for Hugh's sister Patsy. But her reputation as the most effective woman since Lady MacBeth is well earned. Also delighted to have Hugh back is Edrita Everett Smith. She's the girl next door—and the one who got away. As Hugh and Edrita reconnect, it seems that little has changed, and their old romance is ready to blossom again. But in this quiet, well-heeled suburb, nothing is as simple as it seems. As buried jealousies come to light and new schemes are hatched, Hugh will learn what it truly takes to forge his own path.

“[A] downright intriguing history... chronicling of the creation of the Californian Dream.” —Los Angeles Times Since the Gold Rush, California has represented a land of opportunity for a special breed of American. Heading west in pursuit of sunshine, riches, and elusive dreams, the early mavericks of California set out to make their fortunes—and often succeeded beyond their wildest imaginations. Prospectors became oil tycoons, squatters became cattle barons, and farmers'wives became grandees of a new rough-hewn society. In California Rich, Stephen Birmingham explores this fascinating social history, showing how the ruling class of California was born and how it evolved a lifestyle that continues to fascinate the world. Its colorful array of characters include: the despotic media mogul William Randolph Hearst; governor and railroad baron Leland Stanford; and real estate magnate James Irvine, who attended business meetings with an entire pack of hunting dogs. In exploring how these self-made millionaires acquired their money—and what they did with it—Birmingham sheds light on the customs and quirks of California wealth, and how the state came to symbolize the easy, opulent life that still entices seekers of fame and fortune today.

An ambitious young man seeks his fortune in 1950s California in this New York Times–bestselling author's classic novel of love and disillusionment. As the heir apparent to his family's mercantile empire, Jimmy Keefe is guaranteed a bright future. But the recent college graduate is determined to liberate himself from his old money New England home. He leaves Connecticut behind for the dream of California. However, when his hasty marriage suddenly falls apart, Jimmy finds himself alone in Sacramento. Yet there are those who seem to have everything Jimmy desires. His friends from back East, Claire and Blazer Gates, now host lavish parties in their opulent, glass-walled San Francisco penthouse. But the closer Jimmy gets to Claire and Blazer's shimmering life on a hill, the more he becomes embroiled in their sordid—and increasingly scandalous—affairs.

The acclaimed social historian and author of Our Crowd presents a colorful portrait of the Pulitzer Prize–winning writer. John Marquand, the great literary satirist and chronicler of New England elites, could have been a character in one of his own beloved novels. Here, Stephen Birmingham presents a lively narrative of Marquand's life, drawing on personal interviews with friends and family. Raised in Newburyport, Massachusetts, Marquand was both an insider and outcast of the old money set. After attending Harvard and serving overseas in World War I, he began writing stories that captured the lives, manners, and morals of wealthy families confined by their own privilege. Marquand himself joined the ranks of these exclusive families by marrying into them—twice. In The Late John Marquand, Birmingham provides an intimate portrait of the man behind such works as H. M. Pulham, Esquire, and The Late George Apley, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1938.

Four generations of women grapple with the gilded cage of their family dynasty in this #1 New York Times–bestselling author's “big, bustling novel” (The New York Times). Meredith Harper made millions in rum before Prohibition ruined the market. When he died, he left behind an estate of such vast wealth that his descendants were set for life—but what sort of life would it be? In Those Harper Women, Stephen Birmingham presents a fictional group portrait of women who pass down both fortunes and misfortunes, who want for nothing save happiness. Across generations, the Harper women seek joy, self-fulfillment, or mere escape from the trappings of their privilege. But through trips to Europe and the Caribbean, through marriage and divorce, the women find themselves returning time and again to the looming shadow of Meredith and his money.

An “entertaining and perceptive” history of America's most exclusive families, from the Brahmins of New England to the Grandees of California (The Washington Post). America has always been a constitutionally classless society, yet an American aristocracy emerged anyway—a private club whose members run in the same circles and observe the same unwritten rules. Here, renowned social historian Stephen Birmingham reveals the inner workings of this aristocracy. He identifies which families in which cities have always mattered, and how they've defined America.America's Secret Aristocracy offers an inside look at the estates, marriages, and financial empires of America's most powerful families—from the Randolphs of Virginia and the Roosevelts of New York to the Carillos and Ortegas of California. With countless anecdotes about our nation's elite, including interviews with their modern-day descendants, Birmingham presents colorful portraits that capture the true definition, essence, and customs of America's aristocracy.

“The analysis unveils a sociotypology of [the working class] on the eve of the Third Reich, its potential for resistance as well as seduction.” —Political Psychology Building upon Fromm's 1929 lecture “The Application of Psycho-Analysis to Sociology and Religious Knowledge,” in which he outlined the basis for a rudimentary but far-reaching attempt at the integration of Freudian psychology with Marxist social theory, this study is an attempt to obtain evidence about the systemic connections between “psychic make-up” and social development. Originally an investigation of the social and psychological attitudes of two large groups in Weimar Germany, manual and white-collar workers, a questionnaire was developed to collect data about their opinions, lifestyles, and attitudes—from what books they read and their thoughts on women's work to their opinions about the German legal system and the actual distribution of power in the state.The Working Class in Weimar Germany can ultimately help us understand the establishment of fascism after 1933—that despite all the electoral successes of the Weimar Left, its members were not in the position, owning to their character structure, to prevent the victory of National Socialism.

Barsetshire gathers to celebrate a milestone birthday at the Old Bank House in this conclusion to the much-loved, long-running series.A home is saved from destruction, a budding romance takes steps toward the altar, a doctor experiences the return of a former love—and the fine people of Barsetshire make plans for a festive extravaganza to mark Mrs. Morland's seventieth birthday... “Triumphantly completed” by Angela Thirkell's close friend C. A. Lejeune after Thirkell's death, Three Score and Ten features a host of new and old friends from the author's acclaimed series spanning decades of English country life (The New York Times). “Her writing celebrates the solid parochial English virtues of stiff-upper-lippery, good-sportingness, dislike of fuss, and low-key irony.... Light, witty, easygoing books.” —The New Yorker“Where Trollope would have been content to arouse a chuckle, [Thirkell] is constantly provoking us to hilarious laughter.... To read her is to get the feeling of knowing Barsetshire folk as well as if one had been born and bred in the county.” —Kirkus Reviews

Based on the classic comic book series by Joss Whedon and John Cassady, a prose adaption of the X-Men as they reunite as super heroes against alien forces. The X-Men are back. Except now, instead of outcasts shunned by the world for their mutant powers, Emma Frost is rebranding the team as super heroes poised to protect society by wielding their astonishing gifts. Just as Frost, Cyclops, Shadowcat, Beast, and Wolverine burst onto the scene, breaking news spreads around the world that a renowned geneticist has discovered a serum designed to “cure” mutants and allow them to live “normal” lives. For a band of outsiders, the lure of belonging is strong. But the price could mean the destruction of the X-Men once and for all. Just as an alien evil is unleashed—and just when humankind needs them more than ever... This riveting novelization by New York Times–bestselling author Peter David adapts the acclaimed series created by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday.

A Black American longshoreman struggles to feel at home after returning from service in WWI in this classic Harlem Renaissance novel. When America joins World War I in 1917, Jake Brown enlists, ready to fight the Germans and become a hero. Yet when he arrives in France, he's treated more like a slave than a soldier. He spends his time toting around lumber and picking fights with his white comrades. After deserting his post, he finds work and contentment in London's East End. But a race riot soon drives him to return home to Harlem... Back in the United States, Jake longs to settle down. He searches for work, friendship, and love, but to find and keep them proves challenging, especially while Jake is haunted by the violence of his past. Still, he chooses to rise above it all... Originally published in 1928, Home to Harlem renders a lively portrait of the New York City neighborhood in the 1920s, while depicting the life of single, working-class, Black men in the industrial Northeast following the First World War.

“Her writing celebrates the solid parochial English virtues of stiff-upper-lippery, good-sportingness,[and] dislike of fuss.... Light, witty, easygoing books.” —The New YorkerAs 1951 draws to a close, Christmas approaches—but the conservative upper class of Barsetshire have already received the gift they really wanted: Winston Churchill's re-election as prime minister. Nevertheless, their individual struggles carry on. A member of the House of Lords worries that marriage is not in the cards for him due to an insufficient fortune, while another man does manage to get engaged—but frets that his betrothed doesn't truly love him. The widow Lady Lufton misses her husband—as well as the money she's lost to taxes. And an aspiring scholar falls madly in love, but must choose between Oxford and the object of his affections... “[This] characteristically witty, nostalgic... novel in the beloved Barsetshire series describes the lingering effects of WWII on the fictional village that Thirkell adapted from its Victorian inventor and chronicler, Anthony Trollope.” —Publishers Weekly

“[A] gorgeously-written... brave and generous memoir” about growing up in a family with conflicting ideas about being Jewish and finding your own path (Dani Shapiro, New York Times–bestselling author of Inheritance). Though culturally Jewish, Elissa Altman was not raised religious. Her mother, an aspiring actor, didn't feel the ancient teachings of the Talmud were relevant to modern life. Her father, the son of a cantor whose family died in the Holocaust, was the consummate rule breaker, caught between his spiritual hunger and his ongoing culinary affair with shellfish and spam—all things treyf, that which is unkosher and therefore forbidden. Altman's youth was laced with contradiction and hope, betrayal and the yearning to belong. Synagogue on Saturday and Chinese pork ribs on Sunday. Bacon for breakfast before going to visit her orthodox grandparents. Longing for the religious traditions that grounded her friends'lives, Altman attended Hebrew school, only to discover her own prohibited desire for other women. After her parents'marriage fell apart, Altman found a haven at her grandmother's house, cooking meals that made her feel whole again while embracing her homosexuality. Her story is a poignant, humorous and uplifting account of learning how to honor your past while becoming your most authentic self. “What makes Treyf so original is the author's wry humor and her gimlet eye.... Her prose shines.” —The Wall Street Journal “A beautiful, brilliant memoir filled with striking images, unforgettable people, and vivid stories.... Wrought with such visceral love that the pages shimmer.” —Kate Christensen, author of Blue Plate Special “Gorgeous, singular, heartbreaking, haunting.” —Joanna Rakoff, author of My Salinger Year “Hard to put down.” —Booklist “Poignant and life-affirming.” —Kirkus Reviews

In this historical biography, the life story of the founder of the United Kingdom's royal charitable lifeboat service is revealed for the first time. Established in the nineteenth century when death from shipwreck was a tragic reality, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) was created with the sole mission of saving lives. But little is known about the RNLI's founder, Sir William Hillary. A handsome, charismatic figure known to be something of a philanderer, Hillary was a social climber born to a slave-holder's family in Liverpool who mingled with royalty and married an heiress. So how did Hillary become one of England's national heroes? Historian and bestselling author of The Arcanum Janet Gleeson reveals for the first time how a charming adventurer was inspired to lead the historic campaign for the creation of the National Institute for the Preservation of Life (today's RNLI). Despite having never learned to swim himself, Hillary braved terrifying storms to save hundreds of lives during his quest. Drawing on previously unpublished letters—many of them written by Hillary himself—Gleeson narrates the fascinating story of the RNLI's development, along with the Hillary's political ties and private tribulations. For history lovers and fans of maritime adventure stories, Lifeboat Baronet is an absorbing account of how a Regency rake improbably became an important Victorian philanthropist and reformer.

From a National Jewish Book Award finalist: A Jewish man and a Black woman find love against all odds, in this novel set during the Leo Frank trial in the twentieth-century American South. “A fabulous, significant, beautifully rendered addition to historical fiction.” —Elizabeth Millane, author of Sixty Blades of Grass Nine-year-olds Max Sassaport and Ruby Johnson are best friends who can't imagine a world where they aren't together. Unfortunately, no one—not their families, nor anyone else in rural Georgia in 1906—wants to see a White middle-class Jewish boy get too close to the Black daughter of a sharecropper. It's only a matter of time before fate will separate the two. And that day comes on the eve of Ruby's womanhood, when a violent act sends her running from her home to the life of a child laborer at the National Pencil Factory in Atlanta. Max moves to Atlanta a few years later, still longing for the girl he has never forgotten. He is soon taken under the wing of Harold Ross, star reporter for the Atlanta Journal. But when Max is assigned to a controversial murder case that pits the Black and Jewish communities against each other, he's unexpectedly reunited with Ruby. The bond between them is still strong, but with the trial igniting racial tension throughout Atlanta and across the nation, do Max and Ruby dare dream of a future together? “Mary Glickman is a wonder.” —Pat Conroy, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Prince of Tides and The Boo “Mary Glickman used the history of the Old South to tell a powerful love story that was not supposed to happen.” —John Reynolds, author of The Fight for Freedom “This beautifully written, historically important story will have you enthralled until the very last page.” —Roccie Hill, author of The Blood of My Mother “Meticulously researched, fast-paced, and thoroughly original, Ain't No Grave is a moving, satisfying read.” —Sandra Brett, ADL Southeast board member “This epic journey for love feels like an instant classic.” —Steve Anderson, author of the Kaspar Brothers series

The former American History editor explores the creation and restoration of an essential part of a twentieth-century home's identity—the American porch. “In this delightful look at an American icon, journalist and documentary scriptwriter... Dolan traces the history of the porch, using this history to explore subjects such as architecture, history, slavery, colonialism, trade, anthropology, sociology, consumer behavior, and publishing.” —Library Journal In 1981, Michael Dolan and his wife, Eileen O'Toole, bought a 1926 suburban bungalow in the Palisades area of Washington, DC. It was a fixer-upper and DIY project that consumed their lives for twelve years. As rooms were transformed with updated electrical wiring and plumbing, the house's porch became a storage area, rotating appliances, furniture, and construction materials as they were used and discarded. After the interior renovation was completed, Michael finally turned his attention to the porch, working with contractors to resurrect it—a reconstruction that inspired him to uncover the history of porches and their significance as a symbolic piece of Americana. “In praise of the porch: Come up and sit a spell.” —USA Today “A wry, well-researched look at the place and the people who rocked, talked and courted on [the American porch] for three centuries.” —Parade “The porch is making a comeback, gradually replacing its humbler rival the deck, which the traditionalist Dolan refers to as the platform shoe or leisure suit of American architecture.” —Time “Dolan amply demonstrates that the porch is primarily a means of escaping the heat and, almost as important, a locus for casual social interaction.” —Publishers Weekly

A picturesque community in postwar England comes together when it counts in this witty, moving novel in the “beloved” Barsetshire series (Publishers Weekly).Edith Graham is still single when she returns from America to visit Mrs. Morland, and there's no shortage of interested men—until three suitors find each other such good company that they start socializing together and ignoring her. Meanwhile, Mrs. Morland has received a marriage proposal herself and needs to let the dear man down gently. But while these day-to-day problems preoccupy the two women and their Barsetshire neighbors, they will soon be united by a poignant loss... “Here are the familiar cross-county conversations, the disentangling of relationships, the good pieces of meddling and the criticisms and comments that embroider this ever-unfolding panorama of English life.” —Kirkus Reviews“Thirkell writes in a charmingly easy and intimate style.” —The New York Times“Her writing celebrates the solid parochial English virtues of stiff-upper-lippery, good-sportingness, dislike of fuss, and low-key irony.... Light, witty, easygoing books.” —The New Yorker

Amid food shortages and grumbling, Barsetshire is unsettled by the arrival of a pretty war widow in this “delicately humorous [and] entertaining” novel (The New York Times).World War II may be over, but its effects linger in the English countryside as the local ladies trade ration coupons for a paltry selection of provisions. It's feeling like a bleak summer—but it won't be a boring one, now that flirtatious young widow Peggy Arbuthnot and her sister-in-law, Effie, are on the scene. Peggy has quite a few admirers—including Noel Merton, which is rather unfortunate for his wife. Suspense reigns over who might win Peggy's hand—and whether the Merton marriage will survive... “Where Trollope would have been content to arouse a chuckle, [Thirkell] is constantly provoking us to hilarious laughter.... To read her is to get the feeling of knowing Barsetshire folk as well as if one had been born and bred in the county.” —Kirkus Reviews

A widow goes house-hunting in Barsetshire in this witty, moving novel by an author of “graceful stories of upper-class English life” (The New York Times).One rainy summer, amid the social and cultural changes of postwar England, Mrs. Macfadyen wrestles with the loss of her beloved husband after just five years of happiness. Life has left her uprooted—but where can she replant herself? The hunt for a new house (preferably not too close to her mother's) will involve everyone from friends and neighbors to an old suitor and the local clergy, but ultimately the decision—and her future—is up to her... Recreating Anthony Trollope's fictional county and bringing it into the mid-twentieth century, Angela Thirkell tells a tale filled with heartache, humor, and sharp social observation.“It is in [Mrs. Macfadyen's] fitful remembrance, quiet loneliness and gentle acceptance, that one realizes her author's sense of the poetry in life, and her sympathetic ear for the nuances of pain.” —The New York Times

The missing lord of the manor looms large in this quirky novel by an author who offers “a fresh, original, witty interpretation of England's social history” (The New York Times).Lady Graham is anticipating the long-awaited appearance of Sir Robert, finally retiring from his glorious military career and globetrotting adventures a decade after the end of World War II. In the meantime, life at Holdings goes on and Lady Graham's youngest, eighteen-year-old Edith, has her pick of suitors. It is unclear, however, if she will make up her mind about them any time soon—and if she will exit Holdings before her father enters... “Where Trollope would have been content to arouse a chuckle, [Thirkell] is constantly provoking us to hilarious laughter.... To read her is to get the feeling of knowing Barsetshire folk as well as if one had been born and bred in the county.” —Kirkus Reviews

Matches are being made among the cream of postwar English society in this novel of “warmth, whimsy, quirks, and vinegar with a dash of vitriol”(The New York Times).The England of old may be fading away (it's so hard to find good help these days!)—but that doesn't stop the prominent families of Barsetshire from producing a new generation of genteel brides and grooms in this funny, entertaining portrait of stubbornly cherished traditions in a changing world. “It is difficult not to become charmed, amused and engrossed. [Thirkell's] sense of the ludicrous is enchanting. Perhaps, above all, it is her basic human kindness and her remarkable insight into the delicate relationship between parents and adolescent and grown children, that endear her books to so many people.” —The New York Times“Thirkell writes with an asperity and wit and glorious clowning that are all her own.” —San Francisco Chronicle

As Elizabeth II's coronation draws near, the gentry of Barsetshire engage in preparations, committee meetings, and “their perennially amusing antics” (The New York Times).A new queen is about to be crowned, and the prominent families of Barsetshire intend to make a good impression amid the festivities. Fortunately, the highly capable Lydia Merton takes the helm of the local committee planning for the big event. All she needs to do is keep calm and carry on through the squabbling, the petty jealousies, and the occasional disaster... “The Thirkell wit presides with tongue-rolling malice.” —The New York Times“Where Trollope would have been content to arouse a chuckle, [Thirkell] is constantly provoking us to hilarious laughter.... To read her is to get the feeling of knowing Barsetshire folk as well as if one had been born and bred in the county.” —Kirkus Reviews

From a starry-eyed teenager to an elderly clergyman, it seems no one is immune to romance in the county of Barsetshire... In the long-running and beloved series that brings Anthony Trollope's Barsetshire into the mid-twentieth century and offers “a fresh, original, witty interpretation of England's social history,” the quirky inhabitants and well-bred families of the county find themselves navigating the delights and uncertainties of love (The New York Times). Lady Gwendolyn Harcourt, no spring chicken, is courted by the aging Reverend Oriel of Harefield. And on the other end of the generational spectrum, fresh-faced sixteen-year-old Lavinia Merton may have a future marriage prospect in her singing partner Ludovic, Lord Mellings... “Thirkell's gently meandering account of the diversions of Barsetshire society leaves nothing to be desired.” —New York Herald Tribune“To read [Thirkell] is to get the feeling of knowing Barsetshire folk as well as if one had been born and bred in the county.” —Kirkus Reviews

A “charming troupe” of Barsetshire inhabitants celebrate a spate of marriages—while one young woman bemoans her prospects—in this novel of 1950s English life (The New York Times).The locals are all talking about the upcoming wedding of the vicar of Hatch End to the much-loved Miss Merriman—in fact, the couple's friends and neighbors seem even more excited than the bride- and groom-to-be. But that's to be expected when a couple of a certain age tie the knot, because it reminds everyone that it's never too late for love. And though Edith Graham is increasingly gloomy about landing a husband, the romantic spirit of the event just might be contagious... “Where Trollope would have been content to arouse a chuckle, [Thirkell] is constantly provoking us to hilarious laughter.... To read her is to get the feeling of knowing Barsetshire folk as well as if one had been born and bred in the county.” —Kirkus Reviews“[Thirkell's] talent for easy, light characterization does not seem to be flagging.” —The Times Literary Supplement

In 1930s England, a beleaguered mother frets over her twelve-year-old's “skirmishes with the grown-up world and his schoolmasters... amusingly told” (Kirkus Reviews).Laura Morland loves her son, Tony, unconditionally... even when he's talking everyone's ear off, accidentally breaking a window, shelling peas in the bathtub, or desperately trying to convince her to buy him a bicycle—the thought of which terrifies her. And of course Laura cherishes their time together when Tony's home on break, while secretly counting the minutes until he goes back to school... This twentieth-century tale set in Anthony Trollope's beloved Barsetshire is a lighthearted and sharp-witted look at the life of the upper class in prewar England, and a funny portrait of the fraught relationship between a long-suffering mother and a demanding, rambunctious, and occasionally infuriating twelve-year-old boy. Praise for Angela Thirkell and the Barsetshire novels“Thirkell writes in a charmingly easy and intimate style.” —The New York Times“[Thirkell's] writing celebrates the solid parochial English virtues of stiff-upper-lippery, good-sportingness, dislike of fuss, and low-key irony.... Light, witty, easygoing books.” —The New Yorker

In a beautifully-rendered memoir of the Great War, the English poet recounts his experiences in the combat zones of France and Flanders. Using his gifts as a distinguished poet, Edmund Blunden masterfully shares memories from his service in combat along with the feelings they invoked in him. After enlisting at the age of twenty, he took part in the destructive battles of the Somme, Ypres, and Passchendaele, which he describes as “murder, not only to the troops but to their singing faiths and hopes.” Blunden's autobiography conveys all the horrors of trench warfare, the struggle to comprehend the violence, and the strangeness of observing the war as both a soldier and a poet. With allusive and powerful prose, he conveys the fortitude and despair of his comrades, including the stunning acts of bravery that won him the Military Cross. Although Blunden left the war physically unscathed, he bore mental scars from it for the rest of his life. Originally published in 1928, Undertones of War features thirty-two of Blunden's poems inspired by the war. “An extended pastoral elegy in prose.... No one disagrees that together with Sassoon's and Graves's ‘memoirs'it is one of the permanent works engendered by memories of the war.... It is the sheer literary quality of Undertones of War that remains with a reader.” —Paul Fussell “An established classic.” —D. J. Enright“A masterpiece... The best English book of its kind.” —Cyrill Falls

A celebrated English stage actor must prove an ingénue innocent of murder in this classic Golden Age mystery. A touring troupe of actors has come to the English village of Peridu to stage a play featuring promising young star Martella Baring. But it's not the show that has everyone talking after Martella is found beside the body of the troupe manger's wife... Actor and theater owner Sir John Saumarez recommended Martella for her role. So when he hears the news of the grisly murder, he rushes to Martella's trial. He's convinced the actress is innocent, but the jury believes otherwise. Enlisting the help of his friends—stage manager Nello Markham and his wife, Doucie—Sir John races to save Martella from the gallows and thrust the real killer into the spotlight... Originally published in 1928, Enter Sir John was adapted into the 1930 British feature film Murder!, co-written and directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

From the author of Winnie-the-Pooh, ten classic children's stories featuring Christopher Robin, his famous teddy bear, and their friends. Venture back to the Hundred Acre Wood in this second collection of Pooh stories from A. A. Milne. Prepare for more fun with Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends: Christopher Robin, Eeyore, Owl, Piglet, Kanga, little Roo, and Tigger. Together they go on all sorts of unforgettable adventures. Pooh and Piglet attempt to build a house for Eeyore, a search party looks for Rabbit's missing relative, and Rabbit schemes to stop Tigger from bouncing. With wonder, whimsy, and imagination, these beloved characters and their stories have won over readers for generations.

A “captivating” account of an Italian immigrant's journey from World War II orphan in Italy to celebrity tailor for Hollywood's finest (Italian America, magazine of the Sons and Daughters of Italy). With Italy ruptured by conflict during the Second World War, a young boy is sent off without explanation to a Roman Catholic orphanage by his beloved grandfather. Umberto Autore would not return to his family home for many years. What follows is a remarkable story of how Umberto survived a childhood raised by “nuns and Nazis” and went on to become a sought-after celebrity clothier in Los Angeles, courting the tastes of such Hollywood luminaries as Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, Steven Spielberg, and many others. Heartwarming, harrowing, and often humorous, Umberto's account of his reunion with his family and his journey to the shores of America, where he found success beyond his wildest imaginings, is a moving and unforgettable tale of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity, and an inspiring account of the American immigrant experience.