Monsieur Linh and His Child


Book Description

Traumatized by memories of his war-ravaged country, his son and daughter-in-law dead, Monsieur Linh travels to a foreign land to bring the child in his arms to safety. To begin with, he is too afraid to leave the refugee centre, but the first time he braves the freezing cold to walk the streets of this strange, fast-moving town, he encounters Monsieur Bark, a widower whose dignified sorrow mirrors his own. Though they have no shared language, an instinctive friendship is forged; but Monsieur Linh's stay in the dormitory is only temporary. Sooner or later he and his child must find a permanent home. Delicate and restrained, but with an extraordinary twist, Monsieur Linh and His Child is an immensely moving novel of perfect simplicity, by the author of Brodeck's Report.




Open Borders


Book Description

An Economist “Our Books of the Year” Selection Economist Bryan Caplan makes a bold case for unrestricted immigration in this fact-filled graphic nonfiction. American policy-makers have long been locked in a heated battle over whether, how many, and what kind of immigrants to allow to live and work in the country. Those in favor of welcoming more immigrants often cite humanitarian reasons, while those in favor of more restrictive laws argue the need to protect native citizens. But economist Bryan Caplan adds a new, compelling perspective to the immigration debate: He argues that opening all borders could eliminate absolute poverty worldwide and usher in a booming worldwide economy—greatly benefiting humanity. With a clear and conversational tone, exhaustive research, and vibrant illustrations by Zach Weinersmith, Open Borders makes the case for unrestricted immigration easy to follow and hard to deny.




Sydney Bridge Upside Down: Text Classics


Book Description

A great, untamed story about childhood, a summer holiday and a sinister tragedy that looms over everything.




The Falafel King is Dead


Book Description

A heartbreaking, prize-winning novel set in a small Israeli town near the border with Lebanon that depicts with raw power the trauma of living in constant fear of attack.




Grey Souls


Book Description

France, December 1917: Daily life continues in a small town near the Front, despite the pounding of artillery fire and the parade of wounded strangers passing through its streets. Then any lingering sense of normality is destroyed with the discovery of a strangled ten-year-old girl in the freezing canal. A deserter is convicted of her murder and executed, and the case closed. Years later, one man is still trying to make sense of these events, while struggling with the tragedies and demons of his own past. But excavating the town's secret history will bring neither peace nor justice...




The Children of Lovers


Book Description

'The Children of Lovers are Orphans.' Proverb Bestselling novelist, author of Lord of the Flies, William Golding was a famously acute observer of children. What was it like to be his daughter? In this frank and engaging family memoir, Judy Golding recalls growing up with a brilliant, loving, sometimes difficult parent. The years of her childhood and adolescence saw her father change from an impecunious schoolteacher to a famous novelist. Once adult, she came to understand some of the internal conflicts which led to his writing. The Golding family life, both ordinary and extraordinary, always kept its characteristic warmth, humour, complexity, anger and love, danger and insecurity. This is a book about family and parents, about lovers and their children, and about our impact on one another - for good or ill.




The Investigation


Book Description

The Investigator is despatched to a provincial town to find out the truth behind a disturbing spate of suicides amongst employees of The Firm. But from the moment he steps off the train, he finds himself in a world that is alien, unrecognisable, and diabolically complex. From the hostile weather and the fickle hospitality at Hotel Hope to the town's bewildering inhabitants, everything seems to be against him to the point where he wonders whether he is trapped in a recurring nightmare, or has passed into the realm of death itself. Cold, hungry and humiliated, and always one step behind, he nevertheless remains determined to find the only man he can hold to account - The Firm's legendary but elusive founder. The Investigation is an enthralling fable in which our own world is turned on its head, and where the only answers are more questions. Philippe Claudel - author of Brodeck's Report and Monsieur Linh and His Child - is one of Europe's most daring and versatile novelists.




Degrees of Nakedness


Book Description

In Degrees of Nakedness, Lisa Moore's first story collection, the joys and distresses of love course through modern-day Newfoundland like an electric current. Lisa Moore's stories are bright, emotionally engaging, tangible. She marks out the precious moments of her characters' lives against deceptively commonplace backdrops -- a St. John's hospital cafeteria lit only by the lights in the snack machines; a half-built house "like a rib cage around a lungful of sky" -- and the results linger long in the memory. In Degrees of Nakedness Lisa Moore shows us that love, alongside desire, can sometimes come as a surprise, sometimes an ambush.




Parfums


Book Description

From the sizzling sharpness of freshly cut garlic to the cool tang of a father's aftershave; the heady intoxication of a fumbled first kiss to the anodyne void of disinfectant and death, this is a decadently original olfactory memoir. In sixty-three elusive episodes we roam freely across the countryside of Lorraine, North-East France, from kitchen to farm to a lover's bed. Recognising the bittersweet nostalgia of a scent that slips away on the summer breeze, Claudel demonstrates again his impeccable grasp of the personal and the universal, interweaved with a rare, self-deprecating charm. This is an evocative patchwork at once earthy and ethereal, erotic and heart-breaking. Claudel permits us a glimpse of moments that have driven him to delight or despair, creating through the fading aromas of the past fragments of humour, insight and quite intangible beauty.




Happy Teachers Change the World


Book Description

Thich Nhat Hanh shares teacher-friendly guidance on bringing secular mindfulness into your classroom—complete with step-by-step techniques, exercises, and insights from other educators. Discover practical and re-energizing guidance on caring for yourself and your students! The Plum Village approach to mindfulness in schools stresses that educators must first establish their own mindfulness practice as a basis for their work in the classroom. These easy-to-follow, step-by-step techniques are designed by teachers to help their colleagues cultivate this important foundation and better support their students. You’ll find: • Basic mindfulness practices taught by Thich Nhat Hanh • Guidance from educators using these practices in their classrooms • Ample in-class interpretations, activities, tips, and instructions • Inspirational stories from teachers, administrators, and counselors With motivational anecdotes from colleagues and tried and true mindfulness exercises from Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village community, this loving and supportive guide is an invaluable tool for educators to calm, focus, and reenergize their classrooms.