Midday, 13th May, 1784: An earthquake in Peru tears up the white streets of Arequipa. As the dust settles, a young girl with fanaticism already branded on her face arrives at the devastated convent of Santa Catalina. At the same moment, oceans away in Venice, the infant Minguillo Fasan tears his way out of his mother's womb. The great Palazzo Espagnol, built on Peruvian silver & New World drugs, has an heir. Twelve years later, Venice is in Napoleon's sights & Minguillo, who has already contrived to lose one sibling, is listening to the birth-cries of his new sister Marcella, a delicate, soft-skinned threat to his inheritance. Meanwhile, at Santa Catalina, the scarred young girl has become Sor Loreta, whose craving for sainthood is taking a decidedly sinister turn. Minguillo's livid jealousy will condemn his sister to a series of fates as a cripple, a madwoman & a nun. But Marcella Fasan is not quite the soft target Minguillo imagines. Aided by a loyal servant, an irascible portrait-painter, a young doctor obsessed with skin, a warhorse of a Scottish merchant & a cigar-smoking pornographer nun, Marcella pits her sense of humour, her clever pencil & her fierce heart against Minguillo's pitiless machinations. Her journey takes her from Napoleon's shamed Venice to the last picaresque days of colonial Peru
- where the fanatical Sor Loreta has plans of her own for the young girl from Venice. Bewitching, daring, darkly humorous & alive with historical detail, The Book of Human Skin is a breathtaking story of unmitigated villainy, Holy Anorexia, quack medicine, murder, love & a very unusual form of bibliomania. The size of this book is 23.4cm in height & 15.2 cm wide with 500 pages
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Midday, 13th May, 1784: An earthquake in Peru tears up the white streets of Arequipa. As the dust settles, a young girl with fanaticism already branded on her face arrives at the devastated convent of Santa Catalina. At the same moment, oceans away in Venice, the infant Minguillo Fasan tears his way out of his mother's womb. The great Palazzo Espagnol, built on Peruvian silver & New World drugs, has an heir. Twelve years later, Venice is in Napoleon's sights & Minguillo, who has already contrived to lose one sibling, is listening to the birth-cries of his new sister Marcella, a delicate, soft-skinned threat to his inheritance. Meanwhile, at Santa Catalina, the scarred young girl has become Sor Loreta, whose craving for sainthood is taking a decidedly sinister turn. Minguillo's livid jealousy will condemn his sister to a series of fates as a cripple, a madwoman & a nun. But Marcella Fasan is not quite the soft target Minguillo imagines. Aided by a loyal servant, an irascible portrait-painter, a young doctor obsessed with skin, a warhorse of a Scottish merchant & a cigar-smoking pornographer nun, Marcella pits her sense of humour, her clever pencil & her fierce heart against Minguillo's pitiless machinations. Her journey takes her from Napoleon's shamed Venice to the last picaresque days of colonial Peru
- where the fanatical Sor Loreta has plans of her own for the young girl from Venice. Bewitching, daring, darkly humorous & alive with historical detail, The Book of Human Skin is a breathtaking story of unmitigated villainy, Holy Anorexia, quack medicine, murder, love & a very unusual form of bibliomania. The size of this book is 23.4cm in height & 15.2 cm wide with 500 pages
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The Celtic tradition has given us some of our most beautiful & evocative names. This gift book lists the most popular names for both boys & girls, giving their derivations, pronunciations, meanings & the legends associated with historical & mythical namesakes. The saints' days for every month are also included, allowing a child's birth to be matched to the name of his or her birthday saint. The names, from the ever-popular Liam & Bridget to the more unusual Aoife & Lochlainn, are accompanied by specially commissioned illustrations & tap into the growing popularity of displaying a cultural affinity in the naming of a child. The size of this book is 21cm in height & 14.8cm wide with 127 pages ...

Women have a great many challenges to deal with in their lives. Among the most ubiquitous of those challenges is self-care. Too often they are focused on caring for others & not themselves.

This is a book that encourages & inspires women to care more deeply for themselves & to face lifes challenges with courage & joy. It is a practical resource for accessing inner wisdom, enhancing self-esteem, overcoming sorrow & deepening relationships.

Each of the 150 meditations in this volume begins with an inspirational"e, followed by a thoughtful meditation, & concluded with an affirmation.

Product Information:
• ISBN: 9781409177272
• Author: Eileen Ramsay
• Publisher: Orion Books
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 262
• Dimensions: 19 x 12cm











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Books Children's Fiction Books Looking for a fast-paced adventure? Lenny Henry's The Book of Legends is a laugh-out-loud magical story for 8-12-year-olds, illustrated throughout by the incredibly talented Keenon Ferrell. Twins, Bran & Fran, are two ordinary kids who are about to go on an extraordinary adventure! When their mum mysteriously disappears in a lightning strike, just like their dad, the twins are all alone & know they have to stick together
- if only to face their new guardian's terrible cooking! But when their mum's treasured storybook turns out to be a portal to another world full of mythical legends, everything changes. Suddenly, evil princes, mud monsters & Viking armies are all very real & out to get them. Luckily, the twins have Wilma, the Wizard's Wife, & Zachary, a wisecracking Zebracorn, to help them solve the mystery surrounding their parents' disappearance. Quests are no joke (but there are lots of jokes in this book) & this is the quest of a lifetime.   Product Information:  •†ISBN:† 9781529067873 •†Author: Lenny Henry  •†Publisher:†  Pan Macmillan •†Format:†  Paperback •†Pages:† 224 •†Dimensions:† 19.7 x 12.9 x 1.8 cm
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From bestselling authors Jason Hazeley & Joel Morris
- a nugget of wisdom in the phenomenal Ladybirds for Grown Ups series.




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Director Ana Kokkinos' adaptation of Rupert Thompson's unsettling novel about a talented male dancer whose life is turned upside down when he is abducted, raped & tortured by three mysterious hooded women. When Daniel (Tom Long) goes out to buy a pack o ...

Saints are like stars in the sky
- numerous, individual & divine -and their stories of strength & faith continue to illuminate
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The rich traditions of the Picts & later Celtic peoples in Scotland have given us some of our most beautiful & evocative names. This stunning gift book lists the most popular names for both girls & boys, giving their derivations, pronunciations, meanings & the legends associated with their historical & mythical namesakes. The history of Scotland is full of legends of bravery & dating, from the victories of William Wallace & Robert the Bruce in the Middle Ages to the adventure of Bonnie Prince Charlie
- saved by Flora Mac Donald
- as well as stories of the wars between the clans & the legends of Macbeth & the Black Douglas. The final section of the book

Includes:: the names of past Scottish kings & queens for further inspiration. Names, from the ever-popular Stuart, Hamish & Shona to the more unusual Mungo & Ailsa, are accompanied by specially commissioned illustrations & tap into the growing popularity of displaying a cultural affinity in the naming of a child, making The Book of Scottish Names the ideal present for parents-to-be. The size of this book is 21cm in height & 14.8cm wide with 124 pages



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Growing older
- & let's face it, that means getting past thirty
- is unavoidable. & there's nothing you can do about it except

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