In December 1991 Allendes daughter Paula aged 26 fell gravely ill & sank into a coma. This book started as a letter to Paula written during the hours spent at her bedside & became a personal memoir & a testament to the ties that bind families
- a brave enlightening inspiring true story. This book was written during the interminable hours the novelist Isabel Allende spent in the corridors of a Madrid hospital in her hotel room & beside her daughter Paulas bed during the summer & autumn of 1992. Faced with the loss of her child Isabel Allende turned to storytelling to sustain her own spirit & to convey to her daughter the will to wake up to survive. The story she tells is that of her own life her family history & the tragedy of her nation Chile in the years leading up to Pinochets brutal military coup.
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Paula Rego (born in Lisbon Portugal 1935) is one of the most important figurative painters working today & this new volume is the first ever to explore her working practice. When Paula took on her own studio in 1994 the increased space & freedom had a dramatic impact not only on her final works but also on her preparations models method & technique. Not only was the artist free to begin using a regular cast of live models but also she began to create the handmade models of wild & imaginary creatures that frequently appear in her work. The pieces are sometimes made by Paula but more often by her friends & family including her son-in-law the sculptor Ron Mueck. In addition to unseen views of the stage sets & models that Paula builds this new book contains many previously unpublished images of the artist at work her models & her preparatory drawings & studies which provide a fascinating behind-the-scenes view of some of her finest works. Since 1994 Rego has also achieved ever more increasing international respect reputation & influence. This new book will demonstrate her methods & techniques but will also maintain an accessible & anecdotal text as befits the artists dependence on stories. The book is not so much a technical manual but an investigation of how Rego arrives at a finished work. It will serve as a complement to the existing monograph offering readers the chance to deepen their knowledge of Regos art through the plots she devises & the collaborations she enters into with her favorite models the props she collects & the elaborate scenes that she erects. In so doing it will also show her affinity with younger artists who have in recent years achieved international success by adopting a figurative & story-based approach in a variety of art forms
- installation video photography sculpture & painting. Regos work is owned by many international institutions including among many others Tate Modern London; National Portrait Gallery London; Leeds City Art Gallery; Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art Kansas City; New Hall Art Collection University of Cambridge; Saatchi Gallery London. Paula Rego was short listed for the Turner Prize in 1989.
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Jocasta Innes shows that delicious & stylish cooking does not have to rely on expensive ingredients & that budget food does not mean simply opening a tin or a packet. Thrifty tips on sensible shopping using leftovers & creating home-made versions of store-bought favourites help to cut the costs at every stage. More than 250 international recipes including soups puddings & vegetarian meals ranging from quick snacks to impressive party dishes will suit every occasion & guarantee the tastiest results at the cheapest cost. First published in 1971 this well loved kitchen classic has been totally revised & updated to take into account the ever-increasing range of low-cost ingredients now available in local supermarkets. ...

The pavement chalk artist is a master of art perspective creativity & performance. Julian Beever is one such extraordinary master. More than just traditional flat drawings the works Beever creates are uniquely three-dimensional anamorphic drawings. They are drawn in perspective & distorted so the subject can be viewed properly only from one particular viewpoint. For those who are standing in the right place his chalk drawings invite them to step right into the scene or in the case of the artists well-known Swimming Pool in the High Street dive right into the water. Pavement Chalk Artist

Includes:: a fabulous selection of Beevers most intriguing anamorphic drawings. Each one is accompanied by a description of the techniques he used & the challenges he overcame. These photographs record the development of his unusual skill & understanding of perspective. Readers can see how his art progresses & matures as he takes on commissioned works & a wealth of original inventive subjects in locations worldwide. The photographs tell the story giving readers both an understanding of the principles of this 3-D art form & the pleasure of sharing the scenes that passersby once enjoyed before these unique works disappeared forever. This new edition

Includes:: 16 additional pages of Beevers recent art.



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Scarred by the rejection & humiliation which he suffers at the hands of his unloving father the young Denis OConnor finds solace in the woods & riverbanks of his native Northumberl&. Nevertheless his newly found happiness communing with nature & the local animals
- a neighbours violent dog an untamed horse a wounded goose & a white cat called Brumas
- is severely tested when he finds his pet dog has been put down. This tragic incident almost results in Denis own death but for the timely intervention of a strangers golden retriever which saves his life. As he grows older Denis begins to unravel the dark secret of his own origins & uncovers the mystery as why he was so tormented. Paw Tracks" is a searingly honest account of how the power of nature can lift the human spirit & overcome the most unloving of childhoods."

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When Denis O' Connor rescues a three-week-old kitten from certain death during a snowstorm little does he know how this tiny creature will change his life forever. Against all odds the kitten
- who he names Toby Jug
- survives & forms an unusually strong bond with his rescuer. Set against the rural splendour of Northumberland Paw Tracks in the Moonlight" charmingly chronicles the adventures of one man & his Maine Coone cat. From an invasion of bees at Owl Cottage to the case of the disappearing tomatoes life with Toby Jug
- who believes himself to be human
- is never dull. Nevertheless it is only when Denis & Toby Jug embark on a summer camping trip on horseback in the Cheviot Hills that a new world opens up for them both."



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This is the first book of The Belgariad" series. Long ago the evil God Torak sought dominion & drove men & Gods to war. But Belgarath the Sorcerer led men to reclaim the Orb that protected men of the West. So long as it lay at Riva the prophecy went the men would be safe." ...

BOOK 1 OF THE BELGARIAD the worldwide bestselling fantasy series by one of the godfathers of the tradition. Discover the epic stories that inspired generations of fantasy writers
- from Raymond Feists The Riftwar Cycle to George R. R. Martins A Game of Thrones. A battle is coming... And in that battle shall be decided the fate of the world Myths tell of the ancient wars of Gods & men & a powerful object
- the Orb
- that ended the bloodshed. As long as it was held by the line of Riva it would assure the peace. But a dark force has stolen the Orb & the prophecies tell of war. Young farm boy Garion knows nothing of myth or fate. But then the mysterious Old Storyteller visits his aunt & they embark on a sudden journey. Pursued by evil forces with only a small band of companions they can trust Garion begins to doubt all he thought he knew...


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When Eve Taylor leaves Liverpool for a new life in Cardiff her teenage daughter Rita has little choice but to go & live with the aunt she never knew she had. Margaret Sinclair the local pawnbroker grudgingly agrees to look after her wayward niece. Despite an initial battle of wills the two soon become firm friends especially when Rita re-introduces Margaret to her long lost childhood sweetheart William Brodie. As the Great Depression hits the Brodie family find themselves facing financial ruin
- can Rita persuade her aunt to help or will her feelings for William get in the way of a deal? As Rita's relationship with the Brodie family flourishes & secrets from Margaret's past emerge both women must make a dramatic change of heart if they are to avoid making the same mistakes all over again.. .
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Deric's gentle tales of life in Huddersfield with his wife Aileen & their menagerie of playful cats have won him thousands of loyal fans. & after a few years break Deric returns with the latest & eagerly awaited instalment of his memoirs. Deric is getting on a bit now & so are his cats. Life chez-Longden has adjusted to a slower pace but everyday is still full of opportunities for the sort of mischief mishaps & adventures that come with sharing your house & life with a troop of small cats with big personalities. Paws in the Proceedings" has all of Deric's trademark charm homespun wisdom & gentle wit. His remarkable eye for the humorous detail & the keen observation are very much in evidence & this is another comic gem that will delight Deric's loyal fans & bring him to a bigger audience than ever before." ...