Tales of the Gypsy Dressmaker is the much-anticipated memoir from Thelma Madine the dressmaker & breakaway star from Big Fat Gypsy Weddings the hottest show on TV right now. From 200 ft trains to 20 stone skirts hundreds of LED lights to thousands of Swarovski crystals gypsy girls spend their childhoods dreaming of fairytale dresses. Thelma is the woman who makes these dreams come true. Left with nothing after a messy divorce Thelma has come a long way from her humble dressmaking beginnings making & selling dresses on a market stall in Liverpool. Back then she knew nothing of gypsies. Until one day she was asked by a traveller to make some dresses like the ones in Gone with the Wind & before she knew it had dozens of other traveller women gathering around asking for similar ones. A few years later she was asked to make a wedding dress for a young traveller...then she was hit with the request for a 107 ft train & 18 elaborate bridesmaid dresses. & she hasnt looked back since. It hasnt been an easy journey though & behind her warmth compassion & hardworking nature Thelma is hiding a life of struggles & personal heartache: a journey that

Includes:: financial breakdown a four-month stint in prison & a very unhappy relationship. But career-wise she has gone from strength to strength. Now the dress designer favoured by gypsy brides all over the country Thelma has become a much-loved & trusted figure for many within the often misunderstood traveller community. Here for the first time alongside the full truth about her own life she will tell tales of her experiences of this extraordinary world & reveal the fascinating stories of some of the many travellers she has met. From strict childhoods to teenage pregnancies extravagant weddings to secrets & lies & the truth about money & men Thelma
- a natural storyteller
- will reveal a culture full of drama & contrasts. In a narrative packed full of highs & lows setbacks & triumphs crystals mechanical butterflies & sparkling little lights this book will shock move & amaze & bring Thelma & the secretive world of travellers to life.



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A collection of early short stories which helped make Fitzgerald's name Tales of the Jazz Age combines period pieces
- the most
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A classic collection of stories by one of the best-known & most esteemed retellers of the last fifty years. Enter a world of cunning trickery & revenge.. . Encounter bold warriors courageous women strength in battle & bravery against the odds. These are the stories of the Viking gods. Drama & action abound as legendary heroes struggle against mighty giants loathsome beasts & sinister dwarves
- even as they fight amongst themselves. * First published over forty years ago this edition has sold continuously since. * The subject of myths & legends ties in with the National Curriculum as does the subject of vikings. * Significant author & one of the best-known retellers.
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Kelley Armstrongs gripping & imaginative short stories are brought together in a fantastic new collection. A young vampire learns the heavy price of his new existence; black witch Eve Levine meets Kristof Nast her soul mate & her nemesis; Lucas Cortez lawyer sorcerer & unwilling heir to his fathers Cabal sets out on a case that will change his destiny; Paige Winterbourne discovers just how fraught a white (witch) wedding can be & Elena Michaels begins her unwitting journey to a new life
- as the only female werewolf in the world.. . These brilliant self-contained stories are a perfect introduction to the series & a wonderful addition to the existing novels. Tales From the Otherworld will delight fans & curious new readers alike.
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The millions of readers who visit David Brauns National Geographic Daily News" site will be thrilled to dive into " National Geographic Tales of the Weird" an incredible reader filled with their favourite totally true totally weird stories from the website. The most popular stories
- from zombie ants to flying sharks the strange sex lives of ducks to the darkest planet in the universe
- are all here presented in a lively engaging format that is entertaining for the mind & easy on the wallet. Logically organised by subject every chapter features the most popular the most unbelievable & the most fascinating true tales that have attracted millions of fans with their oddness & their power to amaze. It is backed by science fuelled by wonder these stories have to be seen to be believed."

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Why are some carpets magic? What is a wish-tree? & where can the fountain of eternal life be found? The answers to these & many other intriguing questions can be found in Sally Pomme Claytons enchanted storytelling journey through Central Asia. On her travels in the region Sally has accumulated a wealth of folklore & knowledge of nomadic cultures. These 12 exotic retellings of stories related to the author in storytelling tents combined with Sophie Herxheimers brilliantly-patterned artwork reveal the richness of the little-known faraway lands of Central Asia. Follow the trials & triumphs of a British mother of three living in Kazakhstan of Big Beluga Baby by clicking here ...

Fifteen years ago southern Afghanistan was in even greater chaos than it is now. The Russians who had occupied the country throughout the 1980s were long gone. The disparate ethnic & religious leaders who had united to eject the invaders
- the famous mujaheddin
- were at each others' throats. For the rural poor of Kandahar province life was almost impossible. On 12 October 1994 a small group of religious students decided to take matters into their own hands. Led by an illiterate village mullah with one eye some 200 of them surrounded & took Spin Boldak a trucking stop on the border with Pakistan. From this short & unremarkable border skirmish a legend was born. The students' numbers swelled as news of their triumph spread. The Taliban as they now called themselves
- taliban is the plural of talib literally 'one who seeks knowledge'
- had a simple mission statement: the disarmament of the population & the establishment of a theocracy based on Sharia law. They fought with a religious zeal that the warring mujaheddin could not match. By February 1995 this people's revolt had become a national movement; 18 months later Kabul fell & the country was effectively theirs. James Fergusson's fascinating account of this extraordinary story will be required reading for anyone who wishes to understand the situation in Afghanistan now & for the future...



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Rukhsana is a spirited young journalist working for the Kabul Times in Afghanistan. She also takes care of her mother & her younger brother Jahan. Their quiet but tenuous way of life is shattered with the arrival of a summons for Rukhsana to appear before the infamous Ministry to Promote Virtue & Punish Vice. The Minister Zorak Wahidi has two things in mind: to threaten the traditionally anti-Taliban news reporters & to announce the Talibans intention to hold a cricket tournament the winner of which will represent Afghanistan in the International Cricket Council. By the end of the meeting he has a third desire: Rukhsanas hand in marriage. Driven into hiding & cloistered in a burqua Rukhsana doesnt despair
- the Minister without knowing it has given her a way out. You wont be able to forget this soaring novel of resilience. Rukhsanas story will remind us what one person
- one woman
- can do to reclaim her voice in the face of brutality & repression. With tenderness & clarity Timeri Murari shows us how no tyranny is ever absolute when love still exists.


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Rukhsana a spirited young journalist in Kabul is summoned to the infamous Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue & Prevention of Vice to face its terrifying minister Zorak Wahidi. A cricket tournament is announced with the winning team to travel to Pakistan for training & then represent Afghanistan at an international level. In reality the idea is ludicrous. The Taliban will never embrace a game rooted in civility fairness & equality. & no one in Afghanistan even knows how to play cricket except Rukhsana. The tournament offers hope
- a means of escape for her brother & young cousins. & for Rukhsana escape is essential
- Wahidi wants to marry her a frightening proposition which will enslave her in his home. With the help of her cousins Rukhsana devises an audacious plan that could ensure their freedom. All they have to do is learn to play cricket
- & win. A soaring novel of resilience strength hope & tenderness The Taliban Cricket Club reveals how love can overcome & outwit the power of tyrants.


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A magnificent tale which begins with the tragedy of Atlantis & the arrival in Britain of King Avallach. In this world Celtic chieftains struggle for survival in the twilight of Romes power & one heroic figure towers over all the Prince Taliesin in whom is the sum of human greatness. This is a tale of a love that spawns the miracle of Merlin & Arthur & a destiny that is more than a kingdom. ...