A vivid, energetic account of the life of Louisa May Alcott that explores Alcott's life in the context of her works, all of which are to some extent autobiographical.

""Any story that starts will also end." As a writer, Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be. Life, however, often takes turns we do not see coming. Patchett ponders this truth in these wise essays that afford a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart. At the center of These Precious Days is the title essay, a surprising and moving meditation on an unexpected friendship that explores "what it means to be seen, to find someone...

"The first authorized biography of a great American novelist"-- Provided by publisher.

A stirring tribute to America's mightiest river by one of its greatest authors Before Samuel Clemens became Mark Twain, world-famous satirist and the acclaimed creator of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, he trained to be a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River.   In this captivating memoir and travelogue, Twain recounts his apprenticeship under legendary captain Horace Bixby, an exacting mentor who teaches his charge how to navigate the ever-changing...

Sara's terrified. She's falling in love with a famous man. In the witness protection program, her safety depends on staying invisible -- and loving Adam could get her killed. Hidden away in the witness protection program, she's falling in love with former pro football player Adam Black. FBI agent Dave Richman has his hands full keeping her safe from her sister's killer. When events bring Sara face-to-face with terror, will she rely on God for protection....

"Louisa May Alcott was known as a beloved writer of such books as Little Women, but what about before that? What happened when Alcott was younger? What did she do then that led to her being famous later on? Also includes a page for caregivers and teachers that suggests guiding questions to help aid in reading comprehension. Downloadable Teacher Notes available."--Provided by publisher.

"An extensively revised and updated edition of the bestselling biography of Harper Lee, reframed from the perspective of the recent publication of Lee's Go Set a Watchman To Kill a Mockingbird--the twentieth century's most widely read American novel--has sold thirty million copies and still sells a million yearly. In this in-depth biography, first published in 2006, Charles J. Shields brings to life the woman who gave us two of American literature's...

A poignant meditation on the bonds between mothers and daughters-and the inescapable effects of time-from the author of A Wrinkle in Time. In the second memoir of her Crosswicks Journals, Madeleine L'Engle chronicles a season of extremes. Four generations of family have gathered at Crosswicks, her Connecticut farmhouse, to care for L'Engle's ninety-year-old mother. As summer days fade to sleepless nights, her mother's health rapidly declines and...

"From the acclaimed author of A CASE OF CURIOSITIES, Allen Kurzweil's stranger-than-fiction "investigative memoir", detailing his 40-year-search for his boarding school bully who tied him up at the age of twelve and whipped him to the soundtrack of Jesus Christ Superstar, and who went on to lead a mad-cap life of international crime and financial fraud"-- Provided by publisher.