Tommy the street musician is murdered in a London shop doorway one bitterly cold December night in 1882. One hundred and thirty years later his troubled spirit befriends a young violinist, Tamara, granddaughter of Polish refugees and encourages her to help him answer the questions "Who?" and "Why?". In doing so she confronts her own problems with the world. The story is vibrant and funny showing twenty-first century life through the eyes of a Victorian street urchin. The themes are occasio...

Frances Dallam Peter was one of the eleven children of Union army surgeon Dr. Robert Peter. Her candid diary chronicles Kentucky's invasion by Confederates under General Braxton Bragg in 1862, Lexington's monthlong occupation by General Edmund Kirby Smith, and changes in attitude among the enslaved population following the Emancipation Proclamation. As troops from both North and South took turns holding the city, she repeatedly emphasized the rightness of the Union cause and minced no word...

In the quaint town of Woodland, where animals talk and adventures abound, Uncle Wiggily, the beloved rabbit gentleman, embarks on a thrilling quest for a hidden fortune. Guided by a mysterious map, he navigates treacherous paths, outwits cunning foes, and uncovers secrets that have long been buried. Join Uncle Wiggily and his loyal companions, including Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy and Policeman Dog, as they race against time to claim the legendary treasure. But beware, for danger lurks around e...

Many books and essays have addressed the broad sweep of Texas music—its multicultural aspects, its wide array and blending of musical genres, its historical transformations, and its love/hate relationship with Nashville and other established music business centers. This book, however, focuses on an essential thread in this tapestry: the Texas singer-songwriters to whom the contributors refer as “ruthlessly poetic.” All songs require good lyrics, but for these songwriters, the poetic qualit...

Tamara's in serious trouble. The young violinist is held captive in a New York hotel room and, deeply scared, she pleads for help from the only person in the world who can help her. But Tommy is the ghost of a Victorian street urchin. He knows nothing about the world outside the streets of Stepney in the East End of London and certainly nothing about the 21st century which appears so alien to him. But, by using all his ingenuity, he embarks on an extraordinary journey that involves getting...

Charity Stratton's bleak childhood is changed for ever when both her parents are killed in a fire. Separated by the authorities from her younger brothers and sister, Charity is sent out to work as a skivvy in a boys' boarding school. Her loneliness and misery are eased when she falls deeply in love with the dashing but fickle sixth-former, Hugh Mainwaring, but when she discovers she is pregnant with Hugh's baby she soon realises just how alone she really is.Determined to be reunite...

As a woman lies at death's door in hospital, her touching story, encapsulated in her diaries, springs back to life.In Miss You Forever, Josephine Cox writes a spell-binding saga of hidden lives and lost loves. Perfect for fans of Rosie Goodwin and Dilly Court.One winter's night, in the coal-hole in her yard, Rosie finds that a woman sheltering there has been severely beaten by thugs. At a glance, Kathleen looks like an unkempt, age...

A beautifully written piece of Canadian classic children's literature. The author, well known for her Green Gables bestsellers, tells the story of young Jane who finds out that her father is not dead and tries to reunite the family ...

'Rosamunde Pilcher has the unique ability to transfer the reader into her lovely world. So vivid, simply mesmerising!!!!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐An emotive and timeless collection of short stories by the much-loved Rosamunde PilcherThrough thick mist and a cold east wind, Lavinia returns to Scotland. Up at the big house Mrs Farquhar is dying. Seeing Lachlan again, Lavinia remembers her childhood holidays there:...

Her husband was killed in the Great War. His wife is dead. Why not journey to the other side of the world and start again from scratch? What does it matter if they don't know each other, they will in time, after all? Norah thinks it is the most stupid idea she has ever heard. But Andrew needs no persuading. His kids are without a mother, he lives in a Lancashire town with no prospects: he can't wait to build a new life for himself in Australia. The government will even give ex-servicemen a...

Newly updated to include his critically acclaimed post-millennial work, this look at Tom Waits - both the reality and the myriad myths - reveals the man behind the curtain. A tale of how a self-taught, drunken hipster in roach-killers and a dirty beret has influenced a generation of musicians with his sound, warmth, and willingness to take chances, this biography shows how he has moved between sideshow barker and evocative troubadour with ease, recording almost 20 albums that range from ca...

London, 1945 and as the end of the war is declared and the troops start returning home, the nurses of the East End are joining in the celebrations.For Nurse Connie Byrne the end of the war signals the beginning of a new chapter and as the revelries go on around the city, Connie's mind is on another celebration that she'll be able to arrange - the wedding to her sweetheart, Charlie, set to take place as soon as he arrives home. But when Connie meets Charlie off the train at London B...