The book illustrated how seemingly small decisions or actions can eventually contribute to catastrophic events. Even though it was a work of nonfiction, there was much drama in this book. The reader knew the ultimate outcome, but there was great mystery in the causes and sequence of events that led to this outcome. At the same time, the book provided an inspirational tale of human survival and persistence, as the people in this town refused to give in to the unprecedented tragedy that practically destroyed the town.
The stunning story of one of America’s great disasters, a preventable tragedy of Gilded Age America, brilliantly told by master historian David McCullough.
At the end of the nineteenth century, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was a booming coal-and-steel town filled with hardworking families striving for a piece of the nation’s burgeoning industrial prosperity. In the mountains above Johnstown, an old earth dam had been hastily rebuilt to create a lake for an exclusive summer resort patronized by the tycoons of that same industrial prosperity, among them Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and Andrew Mellon. Despite repeated warnings of possible danger, nothing was…
We often mention the Pilgrims and their Mayflower voyage during the Thanksgiving season, but I never had a very deep knowledge of how they settled and then survived in the Massachusetts Bay area. This book was particularly informative of how the Pilgrims came to such a determined commitment to leave Europe and settle in the dangerous and unknown America. And once they arrived, their struggles seemed at times to be overwhelming. This was a great book about the beginnings of America.
Nathaniel Philbrick, bestselling author of 'In the Heart of the Sea', reveals the darker side of the Pilgrim fathers' settlement in the New World, which ultimately erupted in bloody battle some fifty years after they first landed on American soil.
Behind the quaint and pious version of the Mayflower story usually taught in American primary schools is a tumultuous and largely untold tale of violence, subterfuge and epic drama.
For amidst the friendships and co-operation that sprang up between the settlers and indigenous people, whose timely assistance on more than one occasion rescued the Pilgrims from otherwise certain death, a…
This was not a novel I would have normally chosen on my own. It came to me as a recommendation from a friend. It's a story about a small town, from its initial settlement to its maturation a century later. On one level, it was a great depiction about the development of this town and the people who developed it. On another level, it provided quirky characters that you can only really encounter in fiction. And finally, the idea of all the deceased residents of the town continuing to live on and converse years after their death really attracted me.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The bestselling author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is at her superb best in this fun-loving, moving novel about what it means to be truly alive.
WINNER OF THE SOUTHERN BOOK PRIZE
Elmwood Springs, Missouri, is a small town like any other, but something strange is happening at the cemetery. Still Meadows, as it’s called, is anything but still. Original, profound, The Whole Town’s Talking, a novel in the tradition of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town and Flagg’s own Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven, tells the story of Lordor Nordstrom, his…
The Power of Gratitude reflects on the experiences of Michael and Elizabeth Garry, who became an inspiration in their community, to reveal the secret to a life filled with the virtues we often consider unattainable. Michael and Elizabeth demonstrated how true gratitude might be foundational to everything else: the attribute that enables one to love without interruption, serve without expectation, persevere without anguish, and find joy in every minute of life. Gratitude is not just a thank you for a specific benefit, it is a way of life.
Based on their lives, a self-improvement conference could be condensed to one sentence: if you nurture an enduring gratitude--and not just a thankfulness for particular events--then you may find a deep joy, as opposed to transitory excitements. The lesson they taught: find gratitude, and you will find the person God meant you to be.
The Power of Gratitude also reflects on the divisiveness of contemporary society. In ungrateful times, there can be no social peace. Rivalries fueled by resentments replace the unity and generosity that flow from a culture of gratitude. But when gratitude dispels fear, it can inspire the courage to live in a way that fuels future gratitude.
