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The River Never Left Her
In present-day Zürich, an American expat, Emily Benz, buys a set of personal archives at an online auction, setting off an investigation into the life of a British woman raised in the early part of the twentieth century in China. What seemed like an innocuous tin of bonbons sold by a grandson soon turns into a can of worms that can’t be closed again, revealing family dysfunction that stretches back generations, a fairy-tale childhood, four marriages and a liaison. Emily must reconcile the woman’s adult biography with the vivid memoir of China seen through the eyes of a child. This most unexpected memoir moves between China at the turn of the last century, scandal in the high society of 1920s England, and a tenacious widow living in the Switzerland of today.
£20.99 -
From Istanbul to Haifa
This book is based on the true story of five siblings who played pivotal roles in the most significant political and historical events that unfolded in the Levant region between the years 1890 and 1948 CE. These events were instrumental in the emergence of entire nations in the Middle East, the collapse of others, and continue to be the primary influence on everything we have experienced and are living today.
Within the pages of this book, we traverse a diverse geographical and historical landscape encompassing the Levant, Egypt, Iraq, the Arabian Peninsula, Turkey, and Iran. We witness the Arabs’ attempts to realize their dream of building an independent unified Arab state, The alleged efforts by the superpowers of that age to undermine and thwart their aspirations were akin to conspiracies against their dreams, and the establishment of the Zionist entity in Palestine. The reader is taken through historical events starting from the Balkan Wars and the fall of the Ottoman Empire to the establishment of the Arab state, the correspondences of Hussein McMahon, the role of Lawrence of Arabia, the Sykes-Picot Agreement, and the onset of French and British mandates, culminating in the founding of the Zionist entity.
It is worth noting that the information presented in this book is documented from the memoirs left by the five siblings, testimonies from many who lived through those times, and various historical sources. The information is presented in a captivating and dramatic narrative, bringing the characters to life in vivid detail, allowing you to experience history as if you are living it in all its intricacies.
£9.99 -
A Shower of Shite
A Shower of Shite offers a gripping biographical narrative that charts the tumultuous journey of two parents as they navigate through a relentless storm of trials brought upon by their children. Their story, akin to the dramatic arcs of a British soap opera, unfolds with tragic twists and turns, an unceasing cascade of events that would seem overdrawn if not for their stark reality. These challenges, though uninvited and not of their own making, are met with a resilience that speaks to the profound sense of duty and unwavering compassion inherent in parental love. It’s a testament to the silent oath etched in the very fabric of biological bonds, a commitment to defend, sometimes even the indefensible, against the odds, all told with a humourous look back at life events faced by the family.
£10.99 -
Crossing the Yellowstone
Based on diary entries, news articles, published sources, interviews, and personal memories from the author and other family members, Crossing the Yellowstone: The Saga of a Montana Ranch Family is a classic American drama of challenges met and legacies left. In 1894, Andy Mercer journeyed on horseback from Missouri to the Great Plains, with plans to homestead in the West. Crossing the Yellowstone is a love story of land, family, and one man’s dream. This narrative tells a true story set in the American West in the early 20th century, illustrating the core values of the settlers: independence, determination, and respect for the land.
Andy’s love for Florrie, an English nurse, turns tragic when she dies, leaving him alone with a motherless infant, Russell. The child grows from a lonely schoolboy to a reluctant cowboy and eventually must choose whether to stay on the family ranch or strike out in search of a different life. Despite the challenges of the drought during the Dirty Thirties and the Great Depression, Andy’s legacy has endured for three generations on the Montana ranch near the Yellowstone River.
£10.99