The Ringmaster's Daughter


Book Description

"Inspired by a true story, this WWII novel will sweep you away to the circus in this "delightful read that will get you hooked from the get go" (Lu Reads Anything). Paris, 1940. Twenty-year-old Michel Bonnet lives on the edge of the law, finding work where he can at the horse fairs on the outskirts of the city. But when Paris falls to the Nazis, Michel escapes as a stowaway on a secret midnight train bound for the south. It's a journey that will change his life forever -- he's joined the circus. It's there Michel first sees Frieda - dark-haired, mysterious and also fleeing the Germans. Homeless and hungry, Michel would do anything for a safe place to sleep... and the chance to spend one more hour with her. But there's something Frieda isn't telling him, a secret she has sworn to carry to her grave. As Michel leaves Paris behind for the lavender fields and hillside villages of the rural south, he's in more danger than he could ever know."--




The Ringmaster's Daughter


Book Description

From the author of SOPHIE'S WORLD, 'A masterful mixture of fantasy and reality...a simply wonderful read' SHE. Panina Manina, a trapeze artist, falls and breaks her neck. As the ringmaster bends over her, he notices an amulet of amber around her neck, the same trinket he had given his own lost child, who was swept away in a torrent some sixteen years earlier. This tale is narrated by Petter, a precocious child and fantasist, and perhaps Jostein Gaarder's most intriguing character since Sophie. As an adult, Petter makes his living selling stories and ideas to professionals suffering from writer's block. But as Petter sits spinning his tales, he finds himself in a trap of his own making.




The World According to Anna


Book Description

When fifteen-year-old Anna begins receiving messages from another time, her parents take her to the doctor. But he can find nothing wrong; in fact he believes there may be some truth to what she is seeing. Anna is haunted by visions of the desolate world of 2082. She sees her great-granddaughter, Nova, roaming through wasteland with a band of survivors, after animals and plants have died out. The more Anna sees, the more she realises she must act to prevent the future in her visions becoming real. But can she act quickly enough? 'Compelling' Sunday Times




The Ringmaster's Secret


Book Description

Nancy's Aunt Eloise, aware of her niece's current interest in learning horseback riding stunts, sends her a second-hand golden bracelet bearing charms of horses in all five gaits; a sixth charm is missing. Coincidentally, the Sims Circus, former employer of Nancy's equestrian instructor, is coming to town. Nancy investigates the link between the unhappy circus star, young aerialist, Lolita, and her bracelet. Lolita is the adopted daughter of the acting manager, Ringmaster Kroon, and his wife. Pietro, the young, handsome clown, tells Nancy Lolita has the missing charm from her bracelet. Nancy's regular appearances at the circus, and her detective reputation brings the ire of Kroon. When a bareback rider is injured, Nancy is asked to join the show as her replacement.




Nanny Piggins and the Rival Ringmaster 5


Book Description

In book five of her enthralling adventures, Nanny Piggins discovers some startling truths about the ruthless Ringmaster, provides counselling to a Moldovan princess with pre-wedding jitters, inadvertently wins a Nobel Prize while impersonating her sister and catches up with her favourite 4-tonne friend, Esmeralda the forgetful elephant.




Circus Galacticus


Book Description

Trix's life in boarding school as an orphan charity case has been hard but when an alluring young Ringmaster invites her, a gymnast, to join Circus Galacticus she gains an entire universe of deadly enemies and potential friends, along with a chance to unravel secrets of her own past.




Ringmaster: Work, Life, and Keeping It All Together


Book Description

Contrary to popular belief, there is no work-life balance. If you are working and you have children, your life is a three-ring circus. But you can be the Ringmaster, deciding what goes into each of your three rings: work, life, and you. You decide when and where the spotlight shines. In Ringmaster, author Jennifer Folsom explores the real work-family conflict-a long-term problem in which the inputs and outputs change more frequently than most of us would like to admit. You will likely be working for a very long time, and you'll probably be parenting for the rest of your life. What you need is a framework for evaluating the daily-and sometimes hourly-decisions and trade-offs between your personal and professional lives. This guide for working parents demonstrates that together, by lifting each other up, sharing strategies, and building our villages, we can successfully grow our careers and our families.




An Unreliable Man


Book Description

From the creative genius of Jostein Gaarder, author of modern classic Sophie's World, comes a novel about loneliness and the power of words Jakop is a lonely man. Divorced from his wife, with no friends apart from his constant companion Pelle, he spends his life attending the funerals of people he doesn't know, obscuring his identity in a web of improbable lies. As his addiction spirals out of control, he is forced to reconcile his love of language and stories with the ever more urgent need for human connection. An Unreliable Man is a moving and thought-provoking novel about loneliness and truth, about seeking a place in the world, and about how storytelling gives our lives meaning. Decades after his global bestseller Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder has written a poignant and funny book for our times - full of life and hope. Praise for Sophie's World 'A TOUR DE FORCE' Time 'EXTRAORDINARY' Newsweek 'A UNIQUE POPULAR CLASSIC' The Times 'A SIMPLY WONDERFUL, IRRESISTIBLE BOOK' Daily Telegraph




The Rainbow


Book Description

There, on the dusty floorboards, was a piece of paper, folded neatly. A newspaper article, written in German, alongside a faded picture of two men in Nazi uniforms staring at the camera. I was about to place it back in the box of forgotten things when something in the text jumped out at me. My breath caught in my chest. I know that name. London, present day. Isla has grown up hearing her beloved grandad's stories about his life as a child in pre-war Poland and as a young soldier bravely fighting the Germans to protect his people. So she is shocked and heartbroken to find, while collecting photos for his 95th birthday celebration, a picture of her dear grandfather wearing a Nazi uniform. Is everything she thought she knew about him a lie? Unable to question him due to his advanced dementia, Isla wraps herself in her rainbow-coloured scarf, a memento of his from the war, and begins to hunt for the truth behind the photograph. What she uncovers is more shocking than she could have ever anticipated - a tale of childhood sweethearts torn apart by family duty, and how one young man risked his life, his love and the respect of his own people, to secretly fight for justice from inside the heart of the enemy itself... An heartbreaking novel of love, betrayal and a secret passed down through a family. Inspired by an incredible true story. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones and The Alice Network. Readers absolutely love The Rainbow: 'Oh my gosh... this book broke me... it will stay with me for a very long time... heart-breaking, poignant, gripping and compelling I felt every emotion... I read this book in one sitting.' Fiction Vixen Reads, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Will rip your heart out... It has heartache, pain, loss, joy, and sorrow. It's a great WWII historical fiction... heartbreaking.' Books Read By Prairie Girl




Autism, Asperger's, Anarchy! the Ringmaster's Tale


Book Description

One woman's remarkable journey from desperation to hope, successfully parenting four children on the autism spectrum. Hilarious, poignant and full of brilliant advice, her voice will inspire you to enjoy your life, whether it's touched by autism or not. Whether you're new to the world of autism or have years of experience under your belt, this book is a unique and fascinating read. It provides a detailed guide to what autism is, and more importantly what it isn't, as well as offering unique self-help strategies and practical advice that can genuinely lead to a better quality of life for you and your family. Told in an easy, informal style, the book includes many highly relatable anecdotes that will make you laugh, move you to tears, and most importantly give you a true insight into just how much can be achieved when you adopt a positive approach to living with this complex and intriguing condition. A book you'll find hard to put down and impossible to forget.