Tumbledown


Book Description

Robert Boswell's first novel since Century's Son showcases once again his "dazzling technical skill, intelligence and moral seriousness" (The New York Times Book Review) *A Library Journal "Best Indie Fiction of 2013" * At age thirty-three, James Candler seems to be well on the road to success. He's in line for a big promotion at Onyx Springs, the treatment facility where he's a therapist. He has a fiancée, a sizable house, and a Porsche. But . . . he's falling in love with another woman, he's underwater on his mortgage, and he's put his hapless best friend in charge of his signature therapeutic program. Even the GPS on his car can't seem to predict where he should turn next. And his clients are struggling in their own hilarious, heartbreaking ways to keep their lives on track. How can he help them if he can't help himself? In Tumbledown, Robert Boswell presents a large, unforgettable cast of characters who are all failing and succeeding in various degrees to make sense of our often-irrational world. In a moving narrative twist, he boldly reckons with the extent to which tragedy can be undone, the impossible accommodated.




Tumbledown


Book Description

How far would you go to protect the one you love? Two years after surviving their ordeal at the hands of white supremacists, Alex Pascal and Sarah Kent have new identities, new careers, and a new home together. The FBI warned them to keep their heads down, and a small town in Maine seems like the perfect place to do this, until a chance occurrence sets in motion a chain of events that no one could have predicted. With enemies closing in and friends turning their backs, Alex and Sarah find themselves fighting not only for their freedom, but for their lives.




When the Fighting is Over


Book Description

This is the story of Robert Lawrence of the Scots Guards who was severely wounded as he led his platoon in an attack against an Argentinian machine-gun position during the battle for Tumbledown Mountain in 1982. The injury to Lawrence's head was so severe that it was assumed that he would die and he had to wait for four hours before medical staff could help him, but he did eventually make a recovery, coming to terms with his paralysis.




Mrs Paws and the Tumbledown Fairies


Book Description

Down at the bottom of the garden Stands a rambling old oak tree, But shhhhhhh… it’s a secret, Between you and me. Find out how Mrs Paws the bear came to be friends with the Tumbledown Fairies and more in this collection of short stories and poems written by Christine Gregory and beautifully illustrated by Patrick McCluskey. Mrs Paws is the creation of Christine Gregory.




The Half-Known World


Book Description

A rigorous examination of the workings of fiction by the novelist Robert Boswell, "one of America's finest writers" (Tom Perrotta) Robert Boswell has been writing, reading, and teaching literature for more than twenty years. In this sparkling collection of essays, he brings this vast experience and a keen critical eye to bear on craft issues facing literary writers. Examples from masters such as Leo Tolstoy, Flannery O'Connor, and Alice Munro illustrate this engaging discussion of what makes great writing. At the same time, Boswell moves readers beyond the classroom, candidly sharing the experiences that have shaped his own writing life. A chance encounter in a hotel bar leads to a fascinating glimpse into his imaginative process. And through the story of a boyhood adventure, Boswell details how important it is for writers to give themselves over to what he calls the "half-known world" of fiction, where surprise and meaning converge.




The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards


Book Description

Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards is an exhilarating collection, as brash as it is wise, by Robert Boswell one of our great storytellers Set mainly in small, gritty American cities, each of these stories is a world unto itself. A man's obsessive visits to a fortuneteller leave him nearly homeless. Time collapses as two marriages slowly dissolve. And in the searing title story, a young man recounts the summer he spent in a mountain town, squatting in a borrowed house with a loose band of slackers, abstaining from all drugs (other than mushrooms)—and ultimately asking just what kind of harm we can do to one another.




Buried


Book Description

On January 20, 2003, at 10:45 a.m., a massive avalanche in the Selkirk Range of British Columbia struck three members of two guided backcountry skiing groups and buried them. After a frantic hour of digging by those still standing, an unthinkable outcome became reality: seven people were dead. The tragedy made international news, splashing photos of the seven dead Canadian and US skiers on television screens and newspaper pages. The official analysis was that guide error was not a contributing factor in the accident. This interpretation was insufficient for some of the victims’ families, the public and some members of the guiding community. Buried is the assistant guide’s story. It renders an answerable truth about what happened by delving deep into the human factors that played into putting people in harm’s way as well as the peace that comes from accountability and the personal growth that results from understanding.




Malamander


Book Description

A quirky, creepy fantasy set in Eerie-on-Sea finds a colorful cast of characters in hot pursuit of a sea monster thought to convey a surprising gift. It’s winter in the town of Eerie-on-Sea, where the mist is thick and the salt spray is rattling the windows of the Grand Nautilus Hotel. Inside, young Herbert Lemon, Lost and Founder for the hotel, has an unexpected visitor. It seems that Violet Parma, a fearless girl around his age, lost her parents at the hotel when she was a baby, and she’s sure that the nervous Herbert is the only person who can help her find them. The trouble is, Violet is being pursued at that moment by a strange hook-handed man. And the town legend of the Malamander — a part-fish, part-human monster whose egg is said to make dreams come true — is rearing its scaly head. As various townspeople, some good-hearted, some nefarious, reveal themselves to be monster hunters on the sly, can Herbert and Violet elude them and discover what happened to Violet’s kin? This lighthearted, fantastical mystery, featuring black-and-white spot illustrations, kicks off a trilogy of fantasies set in the seaside town.




Hiking Maine


Book Description

Lace up your boots and sample seventy-two of the finest trails the Pine Tree State has to offer. From the beaches of Acadia National Park and historic routes through Belfast or Portland to scenic treks up Mount Katahdin and backpacking along the Bigelow Range, Maine has routes to please hikers of every stripe. Hiking Maine describes trails that vary in length from an easy one-hour stroll along a quiet nature trail to challenging treks in the backcountry.Use this guide for up-to-date trail information, accurate directions to popular as well as less-traveled trails, difficulty ratings for each hike, detailed trail maps, tips about hiking with children and information on barrier-free trails for hikers with special needs. Whether you are a day-tripper or long-distance hiker, old hand or novice, you'll find trails suited to every ability and interest throughout Maine. Look inside to find: Hikes suited to every ability Mile-by-mile directional cues Difficulty ratings, trail contacts, fees/permits, and best hiking seasons Full-color photos throughout