This short story with a twist by American author, Ambrose Bierce is set during the American Civil War. It's the story of Peyton Farquhar, a Confederate sympathizer condemned to death by hanging from Owl Creek Bridge. This story has been hailed as an early pioneer in "stream of consciousness" storytelling.
G.K Chesterton is a perfectionist - although not that fond of the modern meaning of success - realizing the passing nature of his ideas. Yet he did gather all his papers written for London Daily News in the book called All Things Considered. He laments for being much too serious in the topics he covers but he still has the ability to present the mundane in a comical, ironic perspective. And how about religion, the idea of success and fairy tales? Are journalists more like fairies?
A young woman vows to climb the New York social ladder in the late nineteenth century. This novel explores a woman's ambition at a time when marriage was the only way to advance one's position.
Anne of the Island is the third book in the Anne of Green Gables series In this volume, Anne attends Redmond college in Nova Scotia. In this book, the growing relationship between Anne and Gilbert is almost thwarted but despite herself, Anne finds true love.
Ayn Rand's shortest work imagines a world where education is banned and there is one word punishable by death -- "I." The hero discovers that man's greatest duty is the pursuit of his own happiness and embodies the philosophies explored in Rand's later and longer works, Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.
When Huck Finn fakes his own death and flees his drunken father, he joins forces with a runaway slave and heads for freedom. Twain tells the story of Huckleberry (Huck) Finn and his adventures along the Mississippi River.
A gripping read of romance, intrigue and human emotion. Anna Karenina has been called the world's greatest novel. Set in 19th century Russia, Anna seeks to escape a loveless marriage for a passionate romance.
How do you solve the problem of poverty? By letting the Irish sell their children to be eaten by wealthy ladies and gentlemen, of course! This satirical short work by Jonathan Swift is a classic look at the cost of poverty.
Read James Joyce's first novel in this coming of age story of the young Stephen Dedalus. Increasingly alienated from the institutions around him, Stephen goes on a journey of self-discovery. This avant-garde work was listed as #3 on Modern Library's 100 best novels of the 20th century.
One of the top 100 chapter books of all time! A Little Princess is the heartwarming story of a young girl who defies the odds to live a life of joy despite great tragedy. The story opens with 7-year old Sara Crewe arriving at Miss Minchin's boarding school for girls in London. During her stay at the school, Sara's fortunes are reversed but all turns out right in the end.
The hero of our time, Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin is actually a traditional antihero who destroys the life of others around him. He is a 19th-century Casanova who can’t find peace and happiness, often contemplating on the meaning of life and destiny. His story is seen through many eyes: a fellow brother-in-arms, the narrator and ultimately Pechorin himself. How will he end up: as a misunderstood hero or as a vile villain? Xist Publishing is a digital-first publisher.
The subjection of India, its cause and cure - the Russian literary giant and the Indian revolutionary leader came into contact when Gandhi discovered Tolstoy's “A Letter to a Hindu” (written in 1963, to an Indian nationalist who was seeking support for India's independence from British colonial rule). Gandhi was so impressed with Tolstoy's ideas that he decided to write to Tolstoy and ask permission to publish the letter in South Africa.
A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers presents Thoreau's fullest account of the wilderness. It’s a personal story of exterior and interior discoveries in a natural setting.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... A Tale of Two Cities (1859) is a novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. It tells the tale of the plight of the peasants in the face of the aristocracy.
Elfride Swancourt, a beautiful young woman, is caught between the love of two men - Stephen Smith, a low-born architect who wants to make a name for himself, and Henry Knight, an older, respectable and established man. The two are friends and don’t know about each other’s feelings towards Elfride. How will they react when they find out?
A young woman's first teaching assignment holds plenty of surprises in A Voice in the Wilderness by Grace Livingston Hill. Margaret Earl's train journey to Arizona leaves her stranded in the desert but with the help of a handsome young cowboy, she discovers the meaning of true friendship that deepens into something much more
A Modern Cinderella is a collection of four short stories by Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women. Like her more famous novels, Alcott tells stories of young women interacting with people and events from the late 1800s.
This is the story of Nora, a woman who is treated like a doll in her own home. Set in Victorian Norway, Nora eventually flees her marriage and children in an attempt to discover herself despite being confined by patriarchal society.
We are internees, not prisoners. Here's the truth: I am now a non-alien, stripped of my constitutional rights. I am a prisoner in a concentration camp in my own country. I sleep on a canvas cot under which is a suitcase with my life's belongings: a change of clothes, underwear, a notebook and pencil. Why?" In 1941 Kiyo Sato and her eight younger siblings lived with their parents on a small farm near Sacramento, California, where they grew strawberries, nuts, and other crops. Kiyo had started college the year before when she was eighteen, and her eldest brother, Seiji, would soon join the US Army. The younger children attended school and worked on the farm after class and on Saturday. The Satos were an ordinary American family. Until they weren't. On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The next day, US president Franklin Roosevelt declared war on Japan and the United States officially entered World War II. Soon after, in February and March 1942, Roosevelt signed two executive orders which paved the way for the military to round up all Japanese Americans living on the West Coast and incarcerate them in isolated internment camps for the duration of the war. Kiyo and her family were among the nearly 120,000 internees.
Theodosia Burr, daughter of Vice President Aaron Burr, came of age in New York City when the New Nation was growing up. She attended the inauguration of President George Washington in 1789, was at her father's side on the campaign trail and at his inauguration in 1801, attended presidential addresses to Congress, and hosted the most prominent politicians and thinkers of her time. The Burrs' ideas about educating young women were revolutionary. Theodosia was an experiment in the equal treatment of women—regardless of social status—in education, family life, society, and the law. The family believed that women had an important role to play in the New Nation, and Theodosia was fully prepared. Based on research at libraries and archives, and from the rich body of letters Theodosia and her family left behind, this historical narrative introduces readers to a most unusual girl who pursued a radical new path for women.
Apples, blueberries, peppers, cucumbers, coffee, and vanilla. Do you like to eat and drink? Then you might want to thank a bee. Bees pollinate 75 percent of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts grown in the United States. Around the world, bees pollinate $24 billion worth of crops each year. Without bees, humans would face a drastically reduced diet. We need bees to grow the foods that keep us healthy. But numbers of bees are falling, and that has scientists alarmed. What's causing the decline? Diseases, pesticides, climate change, and loss of habitat are all threatening bee populations. Some bee species teeter on the brink of extinction. Learn about the many bee species on Earth—their nests, their colonies, their life cycles, and their vital connection to flowering plants. Most importantly, find out how you can help these important pollinators.
Over the past 50 years, scientists have made incredible progress in the application of genetic research to human health care and disease treatment. Innovative tools and techniques, including gene therapy and CRISPR-Cas9 editing, can treat inherited disorders that were previously untreatable, or prevent them from happening in the first place. You can take a DNA test to learn where your ancestors are from. Police officers can use genetic evidence to identify criminals—or innocents. And some doctors are using new medical techniques for unprecedented procedures. Genomics: A Revolution in Health and Disease Discovery delves into the history, science, and ethics behind recent breakthroughs in genetic research. Authors Whitney Stewart and Hans Andersson, MD, present fascinating case studies that show how real people have benefitted from genetic research. Though the genome remains full of mysteries, researchers and doctors are working hard to uncover its secrets and find the best ways to treat patients and cure diseases. The discoveries to come will inform how we target disease treatment, how we understand our health, and how we define our very identities.
A dramatic page-turner that captures the devastating toll of war and the impact of women's struggles and solidarity, through the lens of a little-known slice of history. In 1917, Russia is losing the war with Germany, soldiers are deserting in droves, and food shortages on the home front are pushing people to the brink of revolution. Seventeen-year-old Katya is politically conflicted, but she wants Russia to win the war. Working at a munitions factory seems like the most she can do to serve her country—until the government begins recruiting an all-female army battalion. Inspired, Katya enlists. Training with other brave women, she finds camaraderie and a deep sense of purpose. But when the women's battalion heads to the front, Katya has to confront the horrifying realities of war. Faced with heartbreak and disillusionment, she must reevaluate her commitment and decide where she stands.
What does it mean to resist? Throughout our nation's history, discrimination and unjust treatment of all kinds have prompted people to make their objections and outrage known. Some protests involve large groups of people, marching or holding signs with powerful slogans. Others start with quotes or hashtags on social media that go viral and spur changes in behavior. People can make their voices heard in hundreds of different ways.
Eighteen-year-old Cayenne barely remembers her mother, who died of breast cancer when Cayenne was four. The women in her family have a history of dying young. Cayenne figures she'll meet the same fate, so she might as well enjoy life now, engaging in death-defying risks like dodging trains and jumping off cliffs with her boyfriend. When Cayenne receives a series of video messages her mother made for her before dying, she isn't sure she wants them. Her aunt Tee has been her true mother figure. But then Aunt Tee tests positive for a BRCA gene mutation—the one that doomed Cayenne's mom—and decides to get a mastectomy to reduce her chances of developing cancer. As Cayenne helps her aunt prepare for the surgery, she finds herself drawn to her mother's messages, with their musings on life, love, and perseverance. For the first time, Cayenne starts to question what it truly means to live life to the fullest, even when death might be written into her DNA.
