Mariam is only fifteen when she is sent to Kabul to marry the troubled & bitter Rasheed who is thirty years her senior. Nearly two decades later in a climate of growing unrest tragedy strikes fifteen-year-old Laila who must leave her home & join Mariam's unhappy household. Laila & Mariam are to find consolation in each other their friendship to grow as deep as the bond between sisters as strong as the ties between mother & daughter. With the passing of time comes Taliban rule over Afghanistan the streets of Kabul loud with the sound of gunfire & bombs life a desperate struggle against starvation brutality & fear the women's endurance tested beyond their worst imaginings. Yet love can move a person to act in unexpected ways lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism. In the end it is love that triumphs over death & destruction. A Thousand Splendid Suns is an unforgettable portrait of a wounded country & a deeply moving story of family & friendship. It is a beautiful heart-wrenching story of an unforgiving time an unlikely bond & an indestructible love. ...

This is a bumper fun-packed puzzle book bursting with over 8 000 things to spot. It combines 1001 Monster Things to Spot" "1001 Wizard Things to Spot" "1001 Things to Spot in Fairyland" "1001 Pirate Things to Spot" "1001 Things to Spot in the Sea" "1001 Bugs to Spot" "1001 Things to Spot on the Farm" & "1001 Things to Spot in the Town". Bright busy scenes provide plenty of material for both readers & pre-readers to talk about. Simple text & eye-catching illustrations combine to help children develop skills in reading counting matching & identification." ...

For seven hundred years the fierce tribesmen of Thrace dominated a huge stretch of territory between the Danube the Black Sea & northern Greece. Skilled in light infantry warfare & renowned as cavalrymen they both resisted & later served as mercenaries for all the great regional powers from Persia & Athens to Alexander of Macedon & the Roman emperors. This book brings to light the recent archaeological discoveries which allow a fuller reconstruction of these colourful warriors than ever before. ...

The enthralling novel from Victoria Hislop the million-copy bestselling author of THE ISLAND & THE RETURN. Thessaloniki 1917. As Dimitri Komninos is born a devastating fire sweeps through the thriving Greek city where Christians Jews & Muslims live side by side. Five years later Katerina Sarafoglous home in Asia Minor is destroyed by the Turkish army. Losing her mother in the chaos she flees across the sea to an unknown destination in Greece. Soon her life will become entwined with Dimitris & with the story of the city itself as war fear & persecution begin to divide its people. Thessaloniki 2007. A young Anglo-Greek hears his grandparents life story for the first time & realises he has a decision to make. For many decades they have looked after the memories & treasures of the people who were forced to leave. Should he become their next custodian & make this city his home? ...

The enthralling novel from Victoria Hislop the million-copy bestselling author of THE ISLAND & THE RETURN. Thessaloniki 1917. As Dimitri Komninos is born a devastating fire sweeps through the thriving Greek city where Christians Jews & Muslims live side by side. Five years later Katerina Sarafoglou's home in Asia Minor is destroyed by the Turkish army. Losing her mother in the chaos she flees across the sea to an unknown destination in Greece. Soon her life will become entwined with Dimitri's & with the story of the city itself as war fear & persecution begin to divide its people. Thessaloniki 2007. A young Anglo-Greek hears his grandparents' life story for the first time & realises he has a decision to make. For many decades they have looked after the memories & treasures of the people who were forced to leave. Should he become their next custodian & make this city his home? ...

Fashion fairy tales really can happen. Nonie Edie & Jenny are best friends with very individual tastes. Nonie's a real trend setter & her passion is fashion. Humanitarian Edie is on a mission to save the world. & budding actress Jenny has just landed a small part in a Hollywood blockbuster. But when these three friends meet a young African refugee called Crow sketching a dress at the Victoria & Albert Museum they discover a common passion & somehow find a way to make all of their dreams come true. ...

Crow is in designer heaven; Nonies caught the eye of a gorgeous boy; Jenny has a new play. But poor Edies in trouble.. .the rumours are that slave children in India have been making their high-street collection. Its up to the girls to save their fashion dream. ...

Tom Clancy's great hero Jack Ryan Jr returns in Threat Vector": an explosive tale of global superpowers doing battle. Jack Ryan has only just moved back into the Oval Office when he is faced with a new international threat. An aborted coup in the People's Republic of China has left President Wei Zhen Lin with no choice but to agree with the expansionist policies of General Su Ke Quiang. They have declared the South China Sea a protectorate & are planning an invasion of Taiwan. The Ryan administration is determined to thwart these Chinese ambitions but the stakes are dangerously high as hundreds of Chinese anti-ship missiles thwart the US Navy's plans to protect the isl&. Meanwhile Chinese cyber warfare experts have launched a devastating attack on American infrastructure. Jack Ryan Jr & his colleagues at the Campus may be just the wild card that his father needs to stack the deck. There's just one problem: someone knows about the off-the-books intelligence agency & may be ready to blow their cover sky high. " Threat Vector" follows the gripping novels " Locked On" & " Dead or Alive" as the fourth title in Tom Clancy's " Jack Ryan Jr Series". Praise for Tom Clancy: " Truly riveting a dazzling read". (" Sunday Express"). "A brilliantly constructed thriller". (" Daily Mail"). Thirty years ago Tom Clancy was a Maryland insurance broker with a passion for naval history. His first novel " The Hunt for Red October" catapulted onto the " New York Times" bestseller list after President Reagan pronounced it 'the perfect yarn'. Since then Clancy has established himself as an undisputed master at blending exceptional realism & authenticity intricate plotting & razor-sharp suspense. Mark Greaney has a degree in international relations & political science & is pursuing his master's in intelligence studies with a concentration in criminal intelligence. He is the author of " The Gray Man" " On Target" & " Ballistic"." ...

At an apparently respectable dinner party a vicar is the first to die! Thirteen guests arrived at dinner at the actors house. It was to be a particularly unlucky evening for the mild-mannered Reverend Stephen Babbington who choked on his cocktail went into convulsions & died. But when his martini glass was sent for chemical analysis there was no trace of poison -- just as Poirot had predicted. Even more troubling for the great detective there was absolutely no motive! ...

The Three Billy Goats Gruff is a Level One Read it Yourself book from Ladybird. Read it yourself is a learning to read series of classic traditional stories with four levels of difficulty to suit the stage your child is at with reading. Written in a simple way for young readers they will build their confidence in learning to read as they progress through each level. Familiar fairytales & exciting stories will amuse children & encourage them to progress further with this series & become confident readers. Each book in the Read it yourself with Ladybird series is carefully structured to include many everyday words that are vital for first reading/beginner readers. They also contain clear beautiful pictures for extra support & interest. Extra puzzle questions at the end of each book further help with comprehension. This Read it yourself version of The Three Billy Goats Gruff is a level 1 title & so suitable for children who are beginning to learn to read. The story is told simply using short sentences & a small number of frequently repeated words. Trust Ladybird to help your child learn to read & become a confident reader. Level 1 Rumpelstiltskin; The Enormous Turnip; The Ugly Duckling; Goldilocks & the Three Bears; Cinderella; Little Red Hen; The Magic Porridge Pot; The Three Billy Goats Gruff Level 2 Chicken Licken; Sly Fox & Red Hen; Town Mouse & Country Mouse; The Gingerbread Man; Little Red Riding Hood; Sleeping Beauty; The Three Little Pigs; Level 3 Rapunzel; Hansel & Gretel; Jack & the Beanstalk; The Elves & the Shoemaker Level 4 Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs; Heidi; The Pied Piper of Hamelin; & The Wizard of Oz. ...