Scotland with a Stranger: A Memoir


Book Description

“Who goes to Scotland for two weeks with a stranger they met over the internet?” Are you feeling stuck in a rut, yearning for adventure, and seeking a fresh start? Discover the transformative power of stepping out of your comfort zone and embarking on an unforgettable journey to Scotland. Ninya's true story is a testament to the incredible resilience of the human spirit and the boundless possibilities that await us, even when life seems at its darkest. At forty-three, Ninya found herself at a crossroads. Her life had been marred by addiction, cancer, and the painful aftermath of a divorce. Overwhelmed by depression and anxiety, she was desperately in need of a change. That change arrived in the form of a message from a stranger, offering her a chance at self-healing through a hiking expedition across the breathtaking Scottish highlands. Join Ninya as she steps out of her comfort zone and into the unknown, guided by a woman whose unorthodox methods challenge her every step of the way. In this poignant memoir, you'll experience the highs and lows of Ninya's adventure as she traverses winding one-lane roads, hikes majestic mountains, and explores awe-inspiring glens. From the rugged beauty of the Scottish wilderness to the unexpected twists and turns of fate, you'll find yourself captivated by Ninya's courage and resilience. Prepare to be swept away by a story that is equal parts hilarious and terrifying, heartwarming and empowering. As Ninya confronts her fears and reclaims her power, you'll witness the incredible transformation that unfolds against the backdrop of Scotland's breathtaking scenery. "Scotland with a Stranger" is more than just a travel memoir. It's a testament to the indomitable spirit of women over 40, reminding us that it's never too late to embark on a journey of self-discovery and find the strength to heal ourselves. Ninya's story will inspire you to embrace the unknown, face your fears head-on, and rediscover the beauty and magic that life has to offer.




You Are Not a Stranger Here


Book Description

In these unforgettable stories, the acclaimed author of Imagine Me Gone explores lives that appear shuttered by loss and discovers entire worlds hidden inside them. The impact is at once harrowing and thrilling. An elderly inventor, burning with manic creativity, tries to reconcile with his estranged gay son. A bereaved boy draws a thuggish classmate into a relationship of escalating guilt and violence. A genteel middle-aged woman, a long-time resident of a psychiatric hospital, becomes the confidante of a lovelorn teenaged volunteer. Told with Chekhovian restraint and compassion, and conveying both the sorrow of life and the courage with which people rise to meet it, You Are Not a Stranger Here is a triumph of storytelling.




A Stranger in the Family


Book Description

From Robert Barnard, the internationally acclaimed Diamond Dagger–winning crime writer . . . Kit Philipson has always felt like something of a stranger in his family. Growing up as the only child of professional parents in Glasgow, Scotland, he had every advantage. His mother was a teacher; his father, a journalist, escaped from Nazi Germany at the age of three on one of the 1939 Kindertransports. But on her deathbed, Kit’s mother tells him he was adopted and that his birth name was Novello. Soon, vague memories of his early life begin to surface: his nursery, pictures on the wall, the smell of his birth mother when she’d been cooking. And, sometimes, there are more disturbing memories—of strangers taking him by the hand and leading him away from the only family he had ever known. A search of old newspaper files reveals that a three-year-old boy named Peter Novello was abducted from his parents’ holiday hotel in Sicily in 1989. Now the young man who has known himself only as Kit sets out to rediscover his past, the story of two three-year-old boys torn from their mothers in very different circumstances. Kit’s probing inquiries are sure to bring surprises. They may also unearth dangerous secrets that dare never be revealed. With sharp wit and deep insight, Robert Barnard sweeps away all preconceptions in this powerful study of maternal love and the danger of obsession.




I Was A Stranger


Book Description

Badly wounded at the battle of Arnhem, and then spirited from his hospital bed by the Dutch Resistance, Brigadier John Hackett spent the winter of 1944 in Nazi-occupied Holland, hidden by a Dutch family, at great risk to their own lives, in a house a stone's throw from a German military police billet. After four months in hiding, Hackett was at last well enough to strap a battered suitcase to an ancient bicycle and set out on a high adventure which would, he hoped, lead him to freedom.




A Little Stranger


Book Description

Daisy needs to hire a new nanny for her son; the efficient and capable Margaret Pride appears to be the perfect candidate. But as Daisy becomes increasingly removed from family life and the nanny becomes more prominent, oddities in Margaret's behaviour soon surface. Masterfully constructed and crackling with tension, A Little Stranger reveals that self-deception can be just as dangerous as the deceit of others.




The Stranger in the Woods


Book Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The remarkable true story of a man who lived alone in the woods of Maine for 27 years, making this dream a reality—not out of anger at the world, but simply because he preferred to live on his own. “A meditation on solitude, wildness and survival.” —The Wall Street Journal In 1986, a shy and intelligent twenty-year-old named Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the forest. He would not have a conversation with another human being until nearly three decades later, when he was arrested for stealing food. Living in a tent even through brutal winters, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store edibles and water, and to avoid freezing to death. He broke into nearby cottages for food, clothing, reading material, and other provisions, taking only what he needed but terrifying a community never able to solve the mysterious burglaries. Based on extensive interviews with Knight himself, this is a vividly detailed account of his secluded life—why did he leave? what did he learn?—as well as the challenges he has faced since returning to the world. It is a gripping story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude, community, and what makes a good life, and a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded.




The Places in Between


Book Description

Rory Stewart recounts the experiences he had walking across Afghanistan in 2002, describing how the country and its people have been impacted by the Taliban and the American military's involvement in the region.




Bass Rock, The


Book Description

In 1720s Scotland, a priest and his son get lost in the forest, transporting a witch to the coast to stop her from being killed by the village. In the sad, slow years after the Second World War, Ruth finds herself the replacement wife to a recent widower and stepmother to his two young boys, installed in a huge house by the sea and haunted by those who have come before. Fifty years later, Viv is cataloguing the valuables left in her dead grandmother's seaside home, when she uncovers long-held secrets of the great house. Three women, hundreds of years apart, slip into each other's lives in a novel of darkness, violence and madness.




Sirens


Book Description

With vulnerability, grit, and hard-earned humor, Mohr returns with a harrowing and personal chronicle of substance abuse and relapse.




Stranger in the Woods


Book Description

New from the author of the bestselling 'The Game You Played'A town harbouring dark secrets. People who'll do anything to hide what they've done.Photographer Isla Wilson is thrilled she's landed her dream job, but the clients who hired her are getting stranger by the day.It sounded so perfect - a month's assignment at the misty, sprawling Scottish Highlands property of brilliant architect Alban McGregor, and his wife, Jessica.But deep in the woods, there is a chilling playhouse.Two years ago, the McGregors' daughter, Elodie, died after being abducted and taken there. Alban refuses to knock the playhouse down, and he keeps a picture of it on his wall.Isla senses that both Alban and Jessica are keeping terrible secrets. And it seems that others in the town are also veiling the truth.The closer Isla comes to getting answers about Elodie, the more the danger mounts. And with a dense cover of snow now blanketing the town, all chance of escape might already be gone.