Up in the house that sits on the hill a strange spell is brewing... To Meridia growing up with her father Gabriel who vanishes daily in clouds of mist & her bewitching mother Ravenna the outside world is a refuge. So when as a young woman her true love Daniel offers her marriage it seems an escape to a more straightforward existence. Yet behind the welcoming facade of her new home lies a life of drudgery & a story even stranger than that she left behind. Aged retainers lurk in the background; swarms of bees appear at will & of course theres her indomitable mother-in-law Eva hiding secrets that it will take Meridia years to unravel. Surrounded by seemingly unfathomable mysteries can Meridia unlock the intrigues of the past & thus protect her own familys future? An epic tale of two families told by an unforgettable voice. A modern fable a gothic page-turner but most of all a passionate story about the power of love to conquer all that comes its way. ...

John Barrington's fourth book gives an historical account of collies as companion dogs & sheepdogs & explores how we use collies today. He also touches on the evolution & bonding between mankind & their dogs. Sheepdog Stories is a historical account filled with mythological stories about collies from the Old Testament to Roman texts & Robert Burn's poetry. It also celebrates thirty years of Luath Press. ...

After many years of hardship & bravery the human race faces its greatest challenge. The sweeping war between titanic races -- a conflict that has obliterated planets extinguished entire stars exterminated whole races -- is reaching its end game. Allies become betrayers strangers become fast friends & enemies clash in a struggle that will rock the galaxy. For years the alien Klikiss robots have pretended to be humanitys friends but their seeming help" has allowed them to plant an insidious Trojan Horse throughout the Earth Defence Forces & the sudden rebellion of Earths own companies leaves millions dead & the Terran Hanseatic League defenceless. In a desperate attempt to save his own race the Ildiran Mage-Imperator Jorah is forced into a devils bargain with the evil hydrogues which will require him to ambush & destroy what remains of the human race. But the gypsy Roamer clans & the green priests of the towering worldforest -- scattered stepchildren of humanity -- have found innovative ways to fight as well as strange allies of incomprehensible power. As the climactic battle is engaged the Ildiran Solar Navy the Earth Defence Forces the Roamers green priests Klikiss robots & hydrogue warglobes collide in a fury that will destroy many & change the landscape of the Spiral Arm forever." ...

Of Human Bondage" is the first & most autobiographical of Maugham's masterpieces. It is the story of Philip Carey an orphan eager for life love & adventure. After a few months studying in Heidelberg & a brief spell in Paris as would-be artist Philip settles in London to train as a doctor. & that is where he meets Mildred the loud but irresistible waitress with whom he plunges into a formative tortured & masochistic affair which very nearly ruins him." ...

Anne Rices extraordinary new novel summons the world of fifteenth-century Rome: a city of beauty & terror of art & sin. In this extraordinary setting Toby ODare former government assassin is called upon by the angel Malchiah to solve a terrible crime of poisoning & to seek out the truth behind the presence of an earthbound restless spirit
- a diabolical dybbuk
- that is causing chaos in the city. Toby is plunged into the luscious world of the Italian Renaissance sent to charm & calm this troublesome spirit. But he soon discovers himself in the midst of dark plots & surrounded by a darker & more dangerous threat as the veil of ecclesiastical terror closes in around him. As Toby once again embarks on a powerful journey of atonement he is reconnected with his own past with matters light & dark fierce & tender with the promise of salvation & with a deeper & richer vision of love.

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Streetwise George & his big childlike friend Lennie are drifters searching for work in the fields & valleys of California. They have nothing except the clothes on their back & a hope that one day they'll find a place of their own & live the American dream. But dreams come at a price. Gentle giant Lennie doesn't know his own strength & when they find work at a ranch he gets into trouble with the boss's daughter-in-law. Trouble so bad that even his protector George may not be able to save him. ...

A compelling story of two outsiders striving to find their place in an unforgiving world John Steinbeck's Of Mice & Men"



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Nobel Prize winning author John Steinbeck one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century offers a powerful but tragic tale in Of Mice & Men". ' Guys like us that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place'. George & his large simple-minded friend Lennie are drifters following wherever work leads them. Arriving in California's Salinas Valley they get work on a ranch. If they can just stay out of trouble George promises Lennie then one day they might be able to get some land of their own & settle down some place. But kind-hearted childlike Lennie is a victim of his own strength. Seen by others as a threat he finds it impossible to control his emotions. & one day not even George will be able to save him from trouble. " Of Mice & Men" is a tragic & moving story of friendship loneliness & the dispossessed. "A thriller a gripping tale that you will not set down until it is finished. Steinbeck has touched the quick". (" New York Times"). Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck is remembered as one of the greatest & best-loved American writers of the twentieth century. His complete works are published by Penguin & include " Cannery Row" " The Pearl" " The Winter of Our Discontent" & " The Grapes of Wrath"." ...

Letts Explore contain a thorough analysis of the plot & structure of key examination texts. GCSE Of Mice & Men helps students to fully understand the text in detail. In addition to helping prepare for the exam this handy literature guide covers the literature as well as how students will be tested in the exam. * Gives in-depth exploration of characters & themes *
Includes: tips guidance & quizzes to reinforce knowledge * Contain key"ations from the texts
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Streetwise George & his big childlike friend Lennie are drifters searching for work in the fields & valleys of California. They have nothing except the clothes on their back & a hope that one day theyll find a place of their own & live the American dream. But dreams come at a price. Gentle giant Lennie doesnt know his own strength & when they find work at a ranch he gets into trouble with the bosss daughter-in-law. Trouble so bad that even his protector George may not be able to save him.. . ...