Secret Under Pittsburgh


Book Description

It's 1975, and three young boys stumble onto an abandoned mineshaft in the heart of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Follow renowned archaeologist Peter Hawn and the boys, as they deal with a mysterious device, and the men who will kill to keep it their own.




An Alternative History of Pittsburgh


Book Description

Ed Simon tells the story of Pittsburgh through this exploration of its hidden histories--the LA Review of Books calls it an "epic, atomic history of the Steel City." The land surrounding the confluence of the




Secret Pittsburgh: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure


Book Description

Pittsburgh, PA is affectionately known as The Steel City and The ‘Burgh to locals, but there’s so much more to the renaissance city than just nicknames—and that includes all of the weird, wonderful, and obscure locations that make it an ideal place to visit and call home. Where can you find a road paved solely with wood or public steps that have actual street names? Is there a place in The Golden Triangle where 1 + 1 = 1? And what about putting french fries on a sandwich or pancakes fit for a U.S. President? Filled with tales of culture, history, and, of course, the bizarre, readers will delve into what makes Pittsburgh unique including an official name for the color of its prominent bridges, an acorn from space, the story behind the Pittsburgh parking chair, and even a museum dedicated to the macabre. Secret Pittsburgh is all about the stuff you simply can’t make up but would make for amazing fiction if it wasn’t. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a true “Yinzer,” travel writer and Pittsburgh resident Karyn Locke will help you find truth behind the stories and tales that keep folks coming back—and staying put.




The Mysteries of Pittsburgh


Book Description

The Pulitzer Prize–winning author’s “astonishing” debut novel, about a son’s struggle to find his own identity and integrity (The New York Times). Michael Chabon, author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Moonglow, and The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, is one of the most acclaimed talents in contemporary fiction. The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, published when Chabon was just twenty-five, is the beautifully crafted debut that propelled him into the literary stratosphere. Art Bechstein may be too young to know what he wants to do with his life, but he knows what he doesn’t want: the life of his father, a man who laundered money for the mob. He spends the summer after graduation finding his own way, experimenting with a group of brilliant and seductive new friends: erudite Arthur Lecomte, who opens up new horizons for Art; mercurial Phlox, who confounds him at every turn; and Cleveland, a poetry-reciting biker who pulls him inevitably back into his father’s mobbed-up world. A New York Times bestseller, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh was called “astonishing” by Alice McDermott, and heralded the arrival of one of our era’s great voices. This ebook features a biography of the author.




The Secret Lives of Church Ladies


Book Description

The irresistible literary debut about the hidden desires of church-going Black women 'Left me wanting more. Masterfully written' Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie 'Joyous... It's a book in love with life' The Times 'Exquisite... delicious' Bolu Babalola, author of Love in Colour The Secret Lives of Church Ladies explores the raw and tender places where Black women and girls dare to follow their desires, and pursue a momentary reprieve from being good. There is fourteen-year-old Jael, who nurses a crush on the preacher's wife; the mother who bakes a sublime peach cobbler every Monday for her date with the married Pastor; and Eula and Caroletta, single childhood friends who seek solace in each other's arms every New Year's Eve. With their secret longings, new love, and forbidden affairs, these church ladies are as seductive as they want to be, as vulnerable as they need to be, as unfaithful and unrepentant as they care to be – and as free as they deserve to be.




The Johnstown Girls


Book Description

Ellen Emerson may be the last living survivor of the Johnstown flood. She was only four years old on May 31, 1889, when twenty million tons of water decimated her hometown of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Thousands perished in what was the worst natural disaster in U.S. history at the time. As we witness in The Johnstown Girls, the flood not only changed the course of history, but also the individual lives of those who survived it. A century later, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporters Ben Bragdon and Nina Collins set out to interview 103-year-old Ellen for Ben's feature article on the flood. When asked the secret to her longevity, Ellen simply attributes it to "restlessness." As we see, that restlessness is fueled by Ellen's innate belief that her twin sister Mary, who went missing in the flood, is somehow still alive. Her story intrigues Ben, but it haunts Nina, who is determined to help Ellen find her missing half. Novelist Kathleen George masterfully blends a history of the Johnstown flood into her heartrending tale of twin sisters who have never known the truth about that fateful day in 1889—a day that would send their lives hurtling down different paths. The Johnstown Girls is a remarkable story of perseverance, hard work, and never giving up hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. It's also a tribute to the determination and indomitable spirit of the people of Johnstown through one hundred years, three generations, and three different floods.




The Secret Letters


Book Description

In a series of letters exchanged between the wife and mistress of JFK, each woman struggles with their tenacious friendship, love for the same man, and reluctant understanding of each other's feelings.




Aftertaste:


Book Description

Mira Rinaldi lives life at a rolling boil. Co-owner of Grappa, a chic New York City trattoria, she has an enviable apartment, a brand-new baby, and a frenzied schedule befitting her success. Everything changes the night she catches her husband, Jake, "wielding his whisk" with Grappa's new Mâitress d'. Mira's fiery response earns her a court-ordered stint in anger management and the beginning of legal and personal predicaments as she battles to save her restaurant and pick up the pieces of her life. Mira falls back on family and friends in Pittsburgh as she struggles to find a recipe for happiness. But the heat is really on when some surprising developments in New York present her with a high stakes opportunity to win back what she thought she had lost forever. For Mira, cooking isn't just about delicious flavors and textures, but about the pleasure found in filling others' needs. And the time has come to decide where her own fulfillment lies—even if the answers are unexpected. Keenly observed and deeply satisfying, Aftertaste is a novel about rebuilding and rediscovery, about food passionately prepared and unapologetically savored, and about the singular contentment that comes with living—and loving—with gusto. "A delicious debut." --Jamie Cat Callan, author of French Women Don't Sleep Alone Meredith Mileti lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and their three, mostly grown children. She is a graduate of Hamilton College and the University of Pittsburgh where she earned a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology, and subsequently served on the faculty. Since taking her first home economics course in junior high, Meredith has loved to cook. An adventurous and eclectic diner, she appreciates any well-cooked meal, whether from a lobster shack in Bar Harbor, Maine, a friggitorie in Naples, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris or a Deluxe Double Egg & Cheese at Primanti's in Pittsburgh. Aftertaste is her first novel.




Getaway


Book Description

In this terrifying novel from the bestselling "master of the psychological thriller" and author of Baby Teeth (Entertainment Weekly), three friends set off on a hike into the Grand Canyon—only to discover it's not so easy to leave the world behind. “Stage is a writer with a gift for the lyrical and the frightening . . . Getaway feels original, and very scary.” —The New York Times Book Review It was supposed to be the perfect week away . . . Imogen and Beck, two sisters who couldn't be more different, have been friends with Tilda since high school. Once inseparable, over two decades the women have grown apart. But after Imogen survives a traumatic attack, Beck suggests they all reunite to hike deep into the Grand Canyon’s backcountry. A week away, secluded in nature . . . surely it’s just what they need. But as the terrain grows tougher, tensions from their shared past bubble up. And when supplies begin to disappear, it becomes clear secrets aren’t the only thing they’re being stalked by. As friendship and survival collide with an unspeakable evil, Getaway becomes another riveting thriller from a growing master of suspense and a “literary horror writer on the rise” (BookPage). "You won’t blink until you read the last line.” —Publishers Weekly “A chilling thriller that will definitely make you lose sleep at night.” —PopSugar “I’ve been waiting for a thriller to capture the emotional depth of women for years. . . . I can’t recommend Getaway enough.” —Tarryn Fisher, New York Times bestselling author of The Wives and The Wrong Family “Tense, unpredictable, and utterly compelling, Stage’s complex story of friendship and survival is a must-read.” —Karen Dionne, New York Times bestselling author of The Marsh King's Daughter “A harrowing, heart-pounding thrill ride.”—Rachel Harrison, author of The Return




Hidden History of Pittsburgh


Book Description

"When Mark Twain visited in 1884, he claimed to spy a little bit of hell in Pittsburgh's smoky appearance. Twain's observations are among the many riveting firsthand accounts and anecdotes to be found in the archives of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Great War hit home after the sinking of the Lusitania which carried more than a dozen Pittsburgh residents. A few years later, cheering throngs of black and white residents lined downtown streets to welcome African American soldiers returning home from the conflict. The Ringling Brothers Circus held its last outdoor performance here in 1956 and left eight hundred show workers without jobs in the city. With these stories from the archives and more, veteran journalist Len Barcousky shines a light on the hidden corners of Pittsburgh's history"--