Shining Agnes


Book Description

In a once great, now falling, mansion live an aristocratic family: Alice, huge, sad and longing for love; her paralysed mother who is subject to wild and eccentric enthusiasms; and the foster child Agnes, whose desire to be an actress sets in motion a train of bizarre and horrifying events. Then love comes to Alice in the form of beautiful but furtive Vincent who has moved in next door. But does he want Alice for herself or for the treasures that she digs from the rubble of her tumbled home? And how does he view Alice's obsession with compost, the making of which she compares to the growth of spirituality and the purging away of sin? Black comedy lurks beneath the surface of this gloriously imaginative new novel from the author of Cobweb Walking, The Wedding of Jayanthi Mandel and The Tea-Planter's Daughter.




Light Shining Through a Veil


Book Description

The spirituality of Saint Clare of Assisi, the soul mate of Saint Francis, is the object of this book. Her spirituality was inspired by Francis' and she owes much to him, like he to her. This book is meant to be a contribution to the study of Clare and her thoughts. In her four letters, written to Saint Agnes of Prague, Clare expresses herself more openly about her deepest motivations than in any other writing. They concentrate on the heart of her choice of life and as such they reproduce the most beautiful gift which God gave her. Clare's sprituality as it comes to the fore in these leters, can only then be fully understood when we take into account their creative structure. The specific aim of this books is to do justice to her texts in a method which, to our knowledge, was never applied before. It consists in an elaborated analysis of the fine, concentric structure of the letters to Agnes, combined with an ongoing commentary in which historical data are also given attention.




Agnes's Jacket


Book Description

In a Victorian-era German asylum, seamstress Agnes Richter painstakingly stitched a mysterious autobiographical text into every inch of the jacket she created from her institutional uniform. Despite every attempt to silence them, hundreds of other psychiatric patients have managed to get their stories out, or to publish them on their own. Today, in a vibrant network of peer-advocacy groups all over the world, those with firsthand experience of emotional distress are working together to unravel the mysteries of madness and to help one another recover. Agnes’s Jacket tells their story, focusing especially on the Hearing Voices Network (HVN), an international collaboration of professionals, people with lived experience, and their families and friends who have been working to develop an alternative approach to coping with voices, visions, and other extreme states that is empowering and useful and does not start from the assumption that such people have a chronic illness. A vast gulf exists between the way medicine explains psychiatric conditions and the experiences of those who suffer. Hornstein’s work helps us to bridge that gulf, guiding us through the inner lives of those diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar illness, depression, and paranoia, and emerging with nothing less than a new model for understanding one another and ourselves.




The Everlasting Masterpieces of World Literature in One Edition


Book Description

The Everlasting Masterpieces of World Literature in One Edition unfurls an exquisite tapestry of the human experience, presenting an unparalleled collection that spans genres, cultures, and centuries. This anthology embraces the diversity of the human condition through the lenses of legendary figures whose works have shaped the contours of global literature. From the tragic depths of Dostoyevsky to the whimsical landscapes of Lewis Carroll, and the sharp social observations of Jane Austen, this compilation does more than merely traverse the literary spectrum; it celebrates the rich complexity of life itself. Highlighting texts that have become the cornerstones of cultural dialogues, such as Shakespeares plays and the philosophical musings of Plato, the collection offers an expansive narrative journey through time and thought. The contributory roster reads like a veritable who's who of literary giants. Each author, from the epic tales of Homer to the existential enquiries of Nietzsche, brings a distinct voice to the anthology, informed by their unique historical, cultural, and philosophical contexts. Their collective works, harmoniously aligned, serve not only as a testament to their individual genius but also reflect the broader literary movements and cultural shifts they inspired or navigated. This anthology thus stands not only as a compendium of individual achievements but as a vibrant mosaic of the collective human spirit, capturing the essence of various eras, from the Renaissance's rebirth to the introspective Modernists. This anthology is recommended for anyone with a passion for literature, history, or philosophy. The Everlasting Masterpieces of World Literature in One Edition transcends the ordinary, offering readers a singular opportunity to engage with the minds of those who have profoundly influenced our understanding of the world. It invites an exploration of myriad perspectives, styles, and themes, fostering a dialogue between epochs and ideas. Engaging with this collection promises not only an enrichment of knowledge but an invitation to witness the eternal dialogue of humanity expressed through the art of storytelling.







David Copperfield ...


Book Description