Old Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky, is the third-largest National Preservation District in the United States and the largest Victorian-era neighborhood in the country. Beneath the balconies and terraces of the district's Gothic, Queen Anne, and Beaux Arts mansions, current residents trade riveting stories about their historic homes. Many of these tales defy rational explanation. When David Dominé moved into one of these houses, he dismissed local rumors of a resident poltergeist named Lucy. However, before long, unnerving, disembodied footsteps and mysterious odors caused him to flee his home in the middle of the night.Since that night, Dominé has not only opened his mind to the idea of paranormal phenomena but also turned it into popular tours and a bestselling collection of books, which have brought new attention to this iconic neighborhood. In Haunts of Old Louisville, he takes readers inside the opulent Ferguson Mansion -- where a phantom tosses books off shelves -- and introduces them to the spectral stable hand who lurks around Campion House. He also examines historic tales pulled out of the headlines and even explores the claim that a winged demon haunts the ornate towers of Walnut Street Baptist Church. These tales of things that go bump in the night not only reveal why Old Louisville is considered the "most haunted neighborhood in America," but also help to preserve this historically and architecturally significant community.

Old Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky, is the third-largest National Preservation District in the United States and the largest Victorian-era neighborhood in the country. Beneath the balconies and terraces of the district's Gothic, Queen Anne, and Beaux Arts mansions, current residents trade riveting stories about their historic homes. Many of these tales defy rational explanation. When David Dominé moved into one of these houses, he dismissed local rumors of a resident poltergeist named Lucy. However, before long, unnerving, disembodied footsteps and mysterious odors caused him to flee his home in the middle of the night.Since that night, Dominé has not only opened his mind to the idea of paranormal phenomena but also turned it into popular tours and a bestselling collection of books, which have brought new attention to this iconic neighborhood. In Phantoms of Old Louisville: Ghostly Tales from America's Most Haunted Neighborhood, Dominé recounts a horrifying encounter at the Spalding Mansion and the long history of the kindly spirit Avery, who guards the iconic Pink Palace. These tales of things that go bump in the night not only reveal why Old Louisville is considered the "most haunted neighborhood in America," but also help to preserve this historically and architecturally significant community.

Whitehall civil servant Magnus Sparling is called home to Dublin because Edwin, his father, has been accused of attempting to poison his wife. Magnus does a thorough job interrogating his father. He is discreet, patient and pragmatic, but Edwin resolutely refuses to confess. Why is Magnus convinced of Edwin’s guilt, his aunt Charlotte asks.Magnus tells Charlotte a story that has long been suppressed in the family: an account of a few extraordinary and precious days in the past when he accompanied his father on a clandestine journey beyond the Mojave Desert to meet Edwin’s blood-mother. The more Magnus probes for the truth about the attempted poisoning, the greater is his need to relinquish old fears. What he fails to anticipate is that Charlotte, a secret fantasist, has important news to add.A compelling tale of family secrets, and love lost and regained, by a writer at the height of his powers.

Grange Abbey is the family saga of the Bannon construction dynasty, through the hard times and good, through recessions and growth, tragedy and success. Spanning generations, we see how James and his sons Frank, Simon and Paul come from humble beginnings to create a powerful construction empire and we also see the personal costs that success entails. Whether it is James striving to create a company amid the ashes of post-second world war Britain, Frank taking on unions and risking it all in the brash '80s, or Paul standing up to bullies in his schooldays, the Bannons pride themselves on determination, bravery and loyalty to their friends. They stand by the courage of their convictions, whatever the consequences and exact revenge, whoever has crossed them in life or love. The rewards if they succeed are a lavish lifestyle of untold wealth of yachting, beautiful women, shooting, gala balls and ultimately Grange Abbey itself. The property seams to symbolize the family clan and yet, means so much more. It takes grit to build a dynasty. Do the Bannons have what it takes to maintain one?

At the Weldon Institute in Philadelphia, a mob of zealous balloon enthusiasts plans to conquer the sky in a state-of-the-art dirigible. When a stranger, the mysterious Robur, declares that the future belongs not to balloons but to heavier-than-air flying machines, the Institute scornfully dismisses the idea. But Robur demands vengeance—and has a unique flying machine that will allow him to take it. By turns an impassioned argument for aviation, a wild proto-steampunk adventure, and a jubilant celebration of the dream of flight, Robur the Conqueror ranks among Jules Verne’s most iconic and influential works. Its technological speculations, including the unforgettable aircraft Albatross, are a vibrant snapshot of nineteenth-century scientific innovation. This, the first complete English translation of Verne’s 1886 novel, includes an insightful introduction, explanatory chapter notes, never-before-published glimpses of Verne’s original manuscript, all the first-edition illustrations by Léon Benett, and an up-to-date Verne biography and primary and secondary bibliography. It is an essential new edition of a seminal science fiction classic.

Art dealer Hugh Rhattigan is heavily in debt to Douglas Virgo, a freelance fixer for some of the most powerful banks and corporations in London. With little hope of repaying the debt, Hugh is coerced into establishing a gallery as a front for illicit payments. Blue-chip banks and corporations can’t easily show bumper staff bonuses in the accounts any more, let alone bribes to politicians to stave off regulation, or payments for Bolivian coke-flake and all manner of other nocturnal pursuits, so why not book these outgoings as a piece of art? All they need is a gallery to provide the paperwork and an artist to manufacture the work. But the gallery is soon dragged into a turf war between rival criminal gangs, while a host of ever-richer, ever-greedier collectors set about making a killing of their own. Like a Breaking Bad in the art world, Lead White is gripping, irreverent and very, very funny. A page-turner from an exciting new talent.

Charles Pagan and Dick Baron, who served together in WWI, embark on a walking holiday in the Vosges Mountains in France, in 1930. En route they meet Cecil and his sister Clare who is recovering from the loss of her fiancé during the war. Pagan and Baron pitch camp at a guesthouse, but the strange behaviour of locals piques their interest in the surroundings: in particular the old battlefield nearby. They express an interest in visiting it and are told by their host in no uncertain terms that it is not the place to go at night. When they discover they have been locked in their bedrooms, the pair lose no time in putting a rope out of the window and shinning down it, intent on exploring the forbidden territory and viewing the apparition Pagan thinks he has glimpsed briefly by moonlight. Pagan, like W. F. Morris’s preceding novel Bretherton, is a mystery story, but one which could only have been written as a result of the war. Bretherton himself is mentioned in passing by his brothers in arms. It is exciting, spine-chilling, funny, and romantic, but the Great War taints all these elements like a colour filter on a camera. The war is only a decade away and wounds, both mental and physical, are raw. The novel works brilliantly as a thriller in its own right, and but also a commentary on post-war Europe.

Ellen Emerson may be the last living survivor of the Johnstown flood. She was only four years old on May 31, 1889, when twenty million tons of water decimated her hometown of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Thousands perished in what was the worst natural disaster in U. S. history at the time. As we witness in The Johnstown Girls, the flood not only changed the course of history, but also the individual lives of those who survived it.A century later, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporters Ben Bragdon and Nina Collins set out to interview 103-year-old Ellen for Ben’s feature article on the flood. When asked the secret to her longevity, Ellen simply attributes it to “restlessness.” As we see, that restlessness is fueled by Ellen’s innate belief that her twin sister Mary, who went missing in the flood, is somehow still alive. Her story intrigues Ben, but it haunts Nina, who is determined to help Ellen find her missing half.Novelist Kathleen George masterfully blends a history of the Johnstown flood into her heartrending tale of twin sisters who have never known the truth about that fateful day in 1889—a day that would send their lives hurtling down different paths. The Johnstown Girls is a remarkable story of perseverance, hard work, and never giving up hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. It’s also a tribute to the determination and indomitable spirit of the people of Johnstown through one hundred years, three generations, and three different floods.

WINNER OF THE 2015 DRUE HEINZ LITERATURE PRIZE Selected by Jill McCorkleThis Angel on My Chest is a collection of unconventionally linked stories, each about a different young woman whose husband dies suddenly and unexpectedly. Ranging from traditional stories to lists, a quiz, a YouTube link, and even a lecture about creative writing, the stories grasp to put into words the ways in which we all cope with unspeakable loss. Based on the author's own experience of losing her husband at age thirty-seven, this book explores the resulting grief, fury, and bewilderment, mirroring the obsessive nature of grieving. The stories examine the universal issues we face at a time of loss, as well as the specific concerns of a young widow: support groups, in-laws, insurance money, dating, and remarriage. This Angel on My Chest ultimately asks, how is it possible to move forward with life while "till death do you part" rings in your ears—and, how is it possible not to?

As the title implies, this beautifully written collection bursts with stories reminiscent of blackberries----small, succulent morsels that are inviting and sweet, yet sometimes bitter. Crystal Wilkinson provides an almost voyeuristic glimpse into the lives of her characters: Two misfit teenagers seek stolen moments of love and acceptance in the cloak of night ("Hushed"); a woman spends every waking hour obsessed with dying yet ironically watching her loved ones pass away before her ("Waiting on the Reaper"); a wife confronts her husband's mistress in a diner over potato skins and cornbread ("Need"); and a pious young woman's torment erupt in a violent and unsuspecting resolution ("No Ugly Ways").The stories in this award-winning collection are terse and transient, like snippets taken from random dreams, thoughts, or conversations. Wilkinson is able to embed a vibrancy into each stunningly descriptive and evocative tale. Infused with humor, sadness and honesty, this provocative and haunting work features a new foreword and a new afterword by nationally acclaimed authors Nikky Finney and Honorée Jeffers.

The residents of Water Street are hardworking, God-fearing people who live in a seemingly safe and insulated neighborhood within a small Kentucky town: "Water Street is a place where mothers can turn their backs to flip a pancake or cornmeal hoecake on the stove and know our children are safe." But all is not as it seems as the secret lives of neighbors and friends are revealed in interconnected tales of love, loss, truth, and tragedy.In this critically acclaimed short story collection, Crystal Wilkinson peels back the intricate layers that form the fabric of this community and its inhabitants -- revealing emotionally raw, multifaceted tales of race, class, gender, mental illness, and interpersonal relationships. The thirteen succinct stories offer fragmented glimpses of an overarching narrative that emerges, lyrical and fierce. Featuring a new foreword and a new afterword which illuminate Wilkinson's artistic achievement, this captivating work is poised to delight a new generation of readers.

Vinny's Wilderness opens with a divorced teacher returning to her home in south Belfast, where she discovers that her dearly loved, overgrown garden has been bulldozed and unceremoniously dumped in a skip outside her house. What follows are her vivid memories of the previous four months, when she tutored Denzil, a lively, personable young boy. More interested in the outdoors than engaging in the learning essential to successfully pass the 'eleven-plus' exams required to get him into second-level education, Denzil struggles against the constraints and expectations within his rigid family home. As he begins to emerge from his shell, playing with Vinny's daughter in their chaotic garden, Vinny and Denzil's mother discover a shared past, and tentatively pick up their friendship after a split during their own time working towards the eleven-plus exams. Vinny's Wilderness is a sensitive rendering of childhood friendship, tinged with nostalgia viewed through the emotional intensity of studying for your first major exam. Reminiscent of the Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante, it illustrates how friendship can survive adolescence and in adulthood evolve into the support needed to change your life and become your true self.

Mr. Stoner is bad, and it seems his son is turning out just the same. Masked and dressed all in gray, Stoner's Boy moves like a ghost up and down the river, stealing and causing mischief. Seckatary Hawkins and his club have crossed this dangerous lad, and (to make matters worse) Briggen and the Pelham gang across the river won't leave the ruthless thief alone: They know that he's hidden his treasure hoard somewhere in his cliff cave lair, and they're dead set on having it for themselves. Still, it doesn't seem that anyone can stand up to this clever foe -- except maybe another newcomer in town, sharpshooter Robby Hood, who is the only person that Stoner's Boy seems to fear.Before Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, Seckatary Hawkins and his friends from the Fair and Square Club were solving mysteries and thrilling readers with tales of adventure, loyalty, and courage. One of the biggest fans of the series was author Harper Lee, and Stoner's Boy makes a prominent appearance in her masterpiece To Kill a Mockingbird. Now, the tales of the Fair and Square Club's encounters with the river renegade known as the Gray Ghost are back in print and ready to ignite the imaginations of devoted fans and new readers of all ages.

Everyone thought Stoner's Boy was dead. Seckatary Hawkins and the other boys saw him take that terrible fall into the cliff cave abyss. But the masked marauder known as the Gray Ghost is back -- running the river and causing mischief. .. or is he?It's not altogether clear whether or not someone from the old Red Runner gang, either Androfski the Silent or Jude the Fifth, is masquerading as the Fair and Square Club's old archenemy to hide from the law. Plus, there's a new boy in town named Simon Bleaker who seems just as rotten and wily as Stoner's Boy ever was. Will Seck and his friends be able to solve the mystery in time and bring peace back to the riverbank?Before Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, Seckatary Hawkins and his friends were solving mysteries and thrilling readers with tales of adventure, loyalty, and courage. One of the biggest fans of the series was author Harper Lee, and she ends her masterpiece To Kill a Mockingbird with a quote from The Gray Ghost. Now, the tales of the Fair and Square Club's encounters with the river renegade are back in print and ready to ignite the imaginations of devoted fans and new readers of all ages.

Vasily Sleptsov was a Russian social activist and writer during the politically charged 1860s, known as the "era of great reforms," and marked by Alexander II's emancipation of the serfs and the relaxation lifting of censorship. Popular in his day, Sleptsov's contemporaries Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov praised his writing:, with Chekhov once remarkeding, "Sleptsov taught me, better than most, to understand the Russian intelligent, and my own self as well." The novella Hard Times is considered Sleptsov's most important work. It focused popular attention on the radical and liberal movements through its fictional setting, where the characters contend with constantly evolving political and social dilemmas. Hard Times was immediately recognized as a vibrant and compelling depiction of prerevolutionary Russian intellectual society, full of lively debates about the possibilities of liberal reform or radical revolution that questioned the viability of a political system facing massive social problems. This is the first English-language version of Hard Times, expertly and fluidly translated by Michael Katz. Highly readable, it provides important historical insights on the political and social climate of a volatile and transformative period in Russia history.

‘I never saw the man again, alive or dead. One will say that I saw him only for a moment, that it was misty at the time, and that even I did not recognise the features, covered as they were with grime and stubble. Yet I am sure that the taller of the two ragged civilians I saw in the chalk quarry that misty March morning of 1918 was that Lieutenant Peter Rawley, R. F.A., who the official records stated was killed near Arras the previous autumn.’ Behind the Lines is a thriller that follows on from the success of W. F. Morris’s first novel, Bretherton: Khaki or Field-Grey? Morris is again concerned with questions of identity, allegiance, chance, concealment and self-discovery. A subaltern is forced to flee when he accidentally kills an overbearing, taunting fellow officer: appearances are all against him and he does not trust to trench justice. He becomes a fugitive and has to join forces with other deserters, lost soldiers and outlaws in a hand-to-mouth existence in the no man’s land between opposing forces. A series of adventures and disasters ensue, including capture by the Germans and near death by firing squad. Only his own bravery and the devotion of his fiancé can rescue him from his plight. A contemporary commentator noted that ‘in spite of the flood of war books’, Morris was able to achieve ‘a quite different viewpoint from all the others’, and his book was ‘an outstanding success’.