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The Palestinian Tourist
Embark on a riveting journey with Adria Arafat as she shares her extraordinary tale of courage, resilience, and unwavering love in The Palestinian Tourist. Leaving behind the comfort of a small town in northern Utah, Adria and her family dove headfirst into the heart of the first intifada in Gaza. But this daring move wasn’t impulsive; it was preceded by two pivotal trips that laid the groundwork for their life-changing decision.
As Adria navigates the unfamiliar terrain of a foreign land, she faces daunting challenges alone, grappling with language barriers while tackling essential tasks like enrolling her children in school and securing employment. Her husband’s delayed arrival only adds to the complexity, leaving her to shoulder the weight of their new life.
Yet amidst adversity, Adria discovers an unparalleled affection for her adopted homeland, Palestine. Her bond with the land and its people transcends borders, as she embraces its culture and spirit with a fervour unmatched by many natives.
In the midst of her journey, Adria experiences the profound depths of love and loss, giving birth to her fourth child amidst a medical crisis, underscoring the sacrifices made in pursuit of a dream.
The Palestinian Tourist is a poignant testament to the power of love, resilience, and the human spirit, showcasing the extraordinary lengths one woman will go for the place she calls home.
£8.99 -
Growing Up in Wartime London
A country at war is very different from one at peace, a range of social changes quickly emerge. Men are conscripted into the armed forces and are replaced by women. The economy is rebalanced towards defence, and towards the production of war materials. Food and all basic commodities are controlled, and their consumption is rationed. The national culture changes.
The second World War which engulfed the UK and indeed many other countries had all these features, and much is known about the political, social and economic changes of those years in the UK from the adult perspective. Less is known about their effect upon children, and children’s perception of the times.
So how did youngsters adapt to the outbreak of war in September 1939, and what did they make of all the changes? Which were the most significant for them and what attitudes and activities continued as before? The author of this brief account was seven years old in 1939, and with his younger brother lived through the war years in London. The book provides vivid descriptions of life in wartime London as experienced by these two young South London boys, with their fears and excitements, their mischief, and what they made of the changing social environment.
£6.99 -
Schizophrenic
Ally North's life is shattered by abuse at the age of eleven, but she refuses to fit the stereotype of a beautiful victim. By turns she is intelligent and funny, psychotic and violent. Cognizant of her symptoms of schizophrenia, she tries to control them with alcohol and drugs.
It's never wise to fight a passionate tomboy, and she finds support in her devoted father, Davey, and in her ex-teacher friend, Steve Hussy.
"Mangled characters living out their dead-end love affair; thwarted at every possible turn by alcohol, drugs and mental illness. The writing is lean and savage: they talk a lot about breaking free but their story is like that last drink of the night - spiked with barbiturates." U.V.RAY: "A CIGARETTE BURN IN THE SUN"
£9.99 -
Jim Wyllie's 'Flashing Lights'
From a Lake District farm to the pulsating heart of London’s nightlife, Jim Wyllie’s ‘Flashing Lights’ charts an extraordinary path through UK clubland in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Wyllie’s ascent is nothing short of remarkable: from entertaining holidaymakers at 16 to becoming the youngest Nightclub Manager in the Star Circuit’s history at 18, before becoming the owner of groundbreaking bars, restaurants and nightclubs in London’s West End.
This memoir offers a kaleidoscopic view of an era, blending hilarious anecdotes with personal reflections and cultural insights. Wyllie’s narrative defies simple categorization, presenting an easy read that invites deeper contemplation. It’s an intoxicating mix of showmanship and psychology, combining the spectacle of Barnum and Bailey with the wit of Del Boy, the insight of Freud, and the candor of Bridget Jones.
Jim Wyllie’s ‘Flashing Lights’ captures the highs, lows, and everything in between of a life lived in the spotlight. Whether you’re nostalgic for the golden age of clubbing or curious about the machinations of nightlife, Wyllie’s story promises to enthrall and enlighten, offering a vibrant glimpse into the era that shaped modern club culture.
£11.99 -
My Little Ship, Forever at Sea
Polina was brought to New Zealand as a 10-year-old by her parents, from the cold Sheremetyevo airport to the heat and exotic green vegetation of the Land of the Long White Cloud. Her life has been lived in a dual form ever since – all this time she continued to hold onto the expansive wild landscapes of Russia, while marvelling at the tug of the Piha coast and the bright clean sunlight. Polina explores this duality as a hybrid identity of an immigrant, paying attention to both her own story while also exploring those of Auckland’s Russian community, her immediate family and friends. She shows that starting life from a zero, accumulating possessions and learning a new language are not the most vital things for an immigrant, but rather in her experience it is a deeper connection with the surrounding environment which opens a true and genuine conversation with the spirit of the land. This spirit has hummed a tune for Polina’s integration into the new society, under the auspices of her parents and other figures, whom she observed and had known, to now present her story about one of today’s most vital topics – immigration and identity.
£9.99 -
No More Blood
Blood is the life-force of every human being (and other animals). When it leaks out of our blood vessels, we die. When the aorta, the biggest blood vessel in the body, bursts, death usually comes quickly but for a lucky few it’s not instantaneous. For them, survival is possible with emergency surgery. When a blockage in a blood vessel stops the blood from flowing, the deprived part of the body malfunctions and may decay if an operation to relieve the blockage is not performed. When Peter Harris first became a consultant vascular surgeon in the 1980s, the operations were big and bloody. When he finished in 2012, scalpels and saws had been largely superseded by bloodless needle-puncture procedures guided by X-ray images on a television screen. The evolution of the technology that made this possible is told primarily through the experiences of patients and includes vivid and, at times, harrowing descriptions of their operations and aftermath. Accounts of his own trials and tribulations and the good times are set against the troubled backdrop of the NHS starting in Broadgreen Hospital on the outskirts of Liverpool in 1979 and ending at University College Hospital in London in 2012.
£9.99 -
Old Days And Old Ways
Maggie was born into a race of Romani Gypsies first discovered within Scotland in the 14th century; they were then known as “Little Egyptians”, which later got corrupted to Gypsy or Gypo, but were known to each other as “Travelers”. People believe this group of Romanies originated from India, but Maggie strongly believes that her race originated from Egypt; hence the endearing name of "Little Egyptians". From the 14th century to the late 18th century, the Gypsies were viewed with deep suspicion, distrust; sold into slavery and put to death by hanging, simply because they were so different from others. They spoke in their own Romani language, which is still intact today. They made their own medicines and potions for themselves and their horses, and, for hundreds of years, worked on the land for farmers but using old skills to make the wooden clothes pegs, paper and wooden flowers baskets, hedge laying and stone walling. They could also live quite well off the wildlife of the country side, needing to buy very little from shops. They would barter for flour, eggs and cheese from the farmers they worked for. Gypsies are a very self-supporting race; a race which is still in strong existence today, and Maggie is very proud to be a part of this race.
£8.99 -
P.O.S.H. Portside Out – Starboard Home My Life Story
The liner on the cover is the Empress of Scotland, the flagship of the Canadian Pacific Steamships, known as CPR, a very elegant liner.
In the year of 1951 at the age of eighteen I was one of the three officer’s stewards on board the liner. That same year Princess Elizabeth and her husband Prince Phillip had completed a tour of Canada and America. The princess was returning to England for her coronation which was taking place on the 2nd June 1953.
In her party were five Canadian Mounted Police. Throughout the seven day voyage, the princess and duke spent every day on the bridge deck of the liner in the company of the ship’s captain and officers. One of my duties was to serve beverages to the princess, the duke and the officers. I was eighteen years of age.
£17.99 -
Secrets and Lies – Tales of an Employment Lawyer
If you want to know how real-life lawyers behave, using deceit, lies, and other dastardly methods to try to beat the individual litigant then read on…
Gillian lays bare some of the tricks that she has discovered that some solicitors and employers have used, details how she found them out, and how she won.
£14.99 -
Shit Happens!
The contents of this book are a perfectly true account of the noteworthy events that occurred before and during the author’s 53-year career in sewage treatment and water pollution control. Many of those events, referred to as “SHIT HAPPENINGS” were extremely amusing and some were absolutely hilarious, though in some cases they were undoubtedly dangerous to the author himself as well as others.
Many of those occurrences were almost unbelievable but even after many years they remain etched into people’s memories. Some events could be regarded as ‘tragi-comic’; amusing for some people but causing misery, discomfort and despair as well for others. Some were indeed extremely tragic, where innocent lives were lost and most of these were caused by a combination of laziness, greed and lack of concern for others. These last three qualities were clearly shown in all the countries the author worked in: The United Kingdom (England, Scotland and Wales), Thailand, Hong Kong, Egypt, Turkey, Singapore, Taiwan, and Australia. However, it must be said that SHIT did not HAPPEN in all of them.
£9.99 -
Solace in Stamps
My memoir traces the many traumatic events I’ve dealt with, in socially changing times, from the mid-1950s onwards. I’ve fought the government’s solicitors because of inequality, survived a rare type of cancer and sepsis, and battled depression too. I’ve written about the emotions I’ve felt over several relationships; a cheating fiancé, a marriage on the rebound and an affair with a married lover. With little education, I tell of my quest to become a surveyor in later life. I’ve recently had to come to terms with the tragic deaths of both parents. Often when times were difficult, especially as a child, I found huge comfort in my stamp collection. Yet there are many lighter moments too!
I am fortunate to possess transcripts that describe my grandfather’s years as a dispatch rider during the Great War. He witnessed horrific sights at the battlefields on the Somme and experienced grief and heartache when a younger brother died in 1914, his older brother died at Ypres in 1915 and his mother died in 1917.
There are also intriguing links within my story to my 2nd great-grandfather who was the illegitimate son of a wealthy landowner and an agricultural labourer’s daughter. Born in 1854, he trained as a tailor and travelled to where the Industrial Revolution had taken hold and mills were springing up in the Midlands and Far North.
In addition, I have an amazing connection to my 14th great-grandfather who fought for King Henry VIII and who was knighted as a result.£9.99 -
Stepping Out Of The Ordinary
Something gnawing away inside his body was suggesting it should be taken out of its comfort zone. At 30 years old, Mike discovered rock and winter climbing perhaps a little later in life, it just meant he had to train harder and catch up on the others rather quickly, pretty soon progression into the world of mountaineering, alpinism and interesting adventures were to follow. In writing from his personal accounts from Alaska to the southern tip of Patagonia or from Baffin Island to Norway’s Lofoten Isles, he endeavours to transport the reader to those remarkable worlds to become intimate with them and their extremes of remoteness, wanting to share the rawness and intimacy of nature which is truly inspirational. Conventional family holidays were a thing of the past as Lynne, his wife, joined in on some of the adventures. All of these were achieved while both held down full-time employment, Mike as a production manager and Lynne as a dental receptionist. Their offspring, Gary and Nicky, were not short of a few adventures of their own too. Unfortunately, in the places visited, the evidence became abundantly clear of our rapidly changing world and of the tragic impact the human race is having upon it.
£12.99