The Little Village Café


Book Description

Secrets, surprises and second chances are all on the menu... Out of work and a little desperate, Rosie Featherstone jumps at the chance to help her beloved Italian grandmother at the Lemon Tree Café - a little slice of Italy in the country. Surrounded by the rich scent of espresso, delicious biscotti and juicy gossip, Rosie soon finds herself enjoying her new way of life. But under her smiles, Rosie is hiding a terrible secret, one that even the appearance of a handsome new face can't help her move on from... Then disaster strikes and Rosie discovers that her nonna has a dark past of her own, one that could destroy the café. With surprises, betrayal and more than one secret brewing, can Rosie find a way to save the Lemon Tree Café and help both herself and Nonna get the happy endings they deserve? *Published in the UK as The Lemon Tree Cafe* *** Readers are captivated by Cathy Bramley's heartwarming stories: 'Funny and sweet and as satisfying as a homemade apple pie' Milly Johnson 'As comforting as hot tea and toast made on the Aga!' Veronica Henry 'A delicious tale of friendship, family and baking... I loved its warmth and charm' Cathy Woodman 'Delightfully warm with plenty twists and turns' Trisha Ashley




The Little Village of Book Lovers


Book Description

A young woman with the extraordinary power to bring soulmates together searches for her own true love in this tender, lyrical standalone novel inspired by the “bona fide international hit” (The New York Times Book Review) The Little Paris Bookshop In Nina George’s New York Times bestseller The Little Paris Bookshop, beloved literary apothecary Jean Perdu is inspired to create a floating bookstore after reading a seminal pseudonymous novel about a young woman with a remarkable gift. The Little Village of Book Lovers is that novel. “Everyone knows me, but none can see me. I’m that thing you call love.” In a little town in the south of France in the 1960s, a dazzling encounter with Love itself changes the life of infant orphan Marie-Jeanne forever. As a girl, Marie-Jeanne realizes that she can see the marks Love has left on the people around her—tiny glowing lights on the faces and hands that shimmer more brightly when the one meant for them is near. Before long, Marie-Jeanne is playing matchmaker, bringing true loves together in her village. As she grows up, Marie-Jeanne helps her foster father, Francis, begin a mobile library that travels throughout the many small mountain towns in the region of Nyons. She finds herself bringing soulmates together every place they go—and there are always books that play a pivotal role in that quest. However, the only person that Marie-Jeanne can’t seem to find a soulmate for is herself. She has no glow of her own, though she waits and waits for it to appear. Everyone must have a soulmate, surely—but will Marie-Jeanne be able to recognize hers when Love finally comes her way?




The Happiness Train


Book Description

Suraj and Radha never know when the colourful 'Happiness Train' will chug into their village, offering them a whole new world of fun and enchantment! 'Trains and tracks are evil,' says Amma, 'they carry people away.' But this train's musical whistle, the gorgeous pictures on the coaches, and its promise of faraway, exciting lands - all make Suraj eager to leave his humdrum life and set out on adventures. One day, ignoring Radha's warnings, he secretly boards the train. Soon Suraj realizes that he and the other runaway boys - Murali, Chhotu and Asad - are being carted away on a dangerous mission. With no hope of escaping, they are close to giving up, when help arrives unexpectedly. Is there a mysterious person on board who can rescue them? How is a raja connected with the train? Has Radha forgotten all about Suraj? And does he finally get what he is looking for? Find out in this unusual story about family, friends, and discovering new routes to happiness and home.




Secrets at the Little Village School


Book Description

'[Gervase Phinn is] a worthy successor to James Herriott, and every bit as endearing.' - bestselling author Alan Titchmarsh 'It's a small village is Barton-in-the-Dale, Mrs Stirling,' said the shopkeeper. 'You ought to know that by now. Nothing can be kept secret for too long. News travels fast.' In the little village of Barton-in-the-Dale, long-hidden secrets are bubbling to the surface. Ashley Underwood and Emmet O'Malley are set to tie the knot, when a revelation from the handsome Irishman's past returns to haunt him. The town's resident nosey-parker discovers some juicy gossip about the primary school's dishy new staff-member, and head teacher Elisabeth Stirling has a very special secret of her own. As the wedding day draws closer, brewing secrets threaten to boil over. But along with the skeletons tumbling out of the closet comes plenty of laughter, drama, friendship and love. One thing's for sure: for some, life in Barton-in-the-Dale will never be the same again. Readers are loving SECRETS AT THE LITTLE VILLAGE SCHOOL: 'Wonderful' - 5 STARS 'Perfect light summer reading' - 5 STARS 'Just as good as his previous book in the series.' - 5 STARS 'I so enjoy the trials and tribulations of this Yorkshire school. Gervase is a fine writer.' - 5 STARS 'It's like having a gossip with a good friend - a beautiful series of books.' - 5 STARS




Pursuit of Happiness


Book Description

It is 1873, and twenty-three-year-old Gretchen Haager is a victim of the formidable Frau Sandenberg, who is applying medieval rules for the servants working in her household at the Gluckmutter Villa. When Georg Shillenberg delivers coal to the villa, he witnesses her plight, feels a strong compassion for her, and helps her escape to her familys farm. When Frau Sandenberg discovers that Georg is a deserter from Bismarcks army, she notifies an army officer of his whereabouts, and her vindictiveness only increases once she realizes that Gretchen is gone as well. Meanwhile, Georg and Gretchen fall in love and attempt to start a new life together, in spite of the fact that Georg must remain in hiding. But Frau Sandenberg continues to push the authorities to hunt the fugitive, to the point of accusing him of murder. Now only time will tell whether the young family can escape police pursuit and get themselves safely away to the distant shore of another land. Set in nineteenth-century Germany, this historical novel tells the tale of a young, beleaguered servant and an army deserter who fall in love despite the difficulties they face.







Perspectives on Happiness


Book Description

Happiness is a challenging, multifaceted topic, which obviously calls for an interdisciplinary approach. This work is a collection of papers which explores the phenomenon of happiness from a variety of angles, and from both theoretical and practical perspectives. They deal with the general nature and conditions of happiness, methods and measures for studying happiness, the consequences of happiness policies and discourses and the significance of specific factors, like landscapes or educational environments, for happiness. Some of the papers investigate the thoughts of ancient, 19th-century or 20th-century philosophers. Others employ theories and techniques from contemporary psychology to get a firmer grip on the elusive phenomenon of happiness. Contributors include Ranjeeta Basu, Valeriu Budeanu, Sarah A. Bushey, Mustafa Cihan Camci, Emily Corrigan-Kavanagh, Carolina Escobar-Tello, Julia Hotz, Søren Harnow Klausen, Kathy Pui Ying Lo, Andrea-Mariana Marian, Bryon Martin, Andrew Molas, Sean Moran, Liza Ortiz, Shelomi Panditharatne, Sheila M. Rucki, Jane Russel-O’Connor and Marie Thomas.




Happiness Through Goal Setting


Book Description

An evidence-based, practical guide to reflection on the most important goals in life, this book provides a unique framework and thought-provoking exercises to modify personal and professional goals to increase happiness. Why we pursue our most important goals in life is an important question, and the answer we give ourselves greatly influences our happiness. This book presents the goal-striving reasons framework to illustrate the essential positive and negative ingredients: pleasure, altruism, self-esteem, and necessity. This new framework and the practical exercises throughout the book will enable readers to change their reasons for pursuing goals and achieve the ultimate aim of becoming happier in life. There are many books on happiness – no other discusses happiness specifically from a goal-setting perspective. Human resources and mental health professionals, mindfulness practitioners, coaches, mentors, higher education staff, postgraduate students, and others will benefit from the hands-on guidance in this book.




Fraser's Magazine


Book Description