Grief is one of the purest forms of love, and that’s what I do—I write about love, its power to elevate and devastate. As someone who has experienced two devastating losses, grief and sadness infuse my life. In many ways, those losses have made my life more meaningful, more joyful, and more mature. And then there are the days when I just want to kick a wall and wail. The balance of risking love and enduring loss is the human condition and one that I find endlessly beautiful and fascinating.
This book is quite possibly the most beautifully written story I’ve ever read. And wicked sad! But beautiful! Kya is a little girl when her mother leaves the cabin on the North Carolina marsh where her “swamp trash” family lives. One by one, her siblings leave as well, and finally, her alcoholic father disappears when Kya is eight. Alone, she manages to survive, with only the marsh and its abundant wildlife as her friend and teacher. Sure, she encounters people…and even falls in love…but this love story is between Kya and the marsh, and all that it gives her. The ending is a bit of a shocker in the best possible way. I’ll never forget this book; it’s definitely in the top five of my lifetime, right up there with To Kill a Mockingbird.
OVER 12 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE A NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
For years, rumours of the 'Marsh Girl' have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be…
Another epic story of love and loss. You’d have to be carved out of granite not to ugly-cry over this book. Celie and Nettie are sisters, separated as children, but their love transcends decades. Celie lives through the horror of an abusive father, husband, stepchildren and is constantly told she’s worthless. But she believes differently, because Nettie loved her once. Probably the strongest character in literature, Celie gets her reward for years of kindness and grit in the most magnificent ugly-cry scene ever.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Alice Walker's iconic modern classic is now a Penguin Book.
A powerful cultural touchstone of modern American literature, The Color Purple depicts the lives of African American women in early twentieth-century rural Georgia. Separated as girls, sisters Celie and Nettie sustain their loyalty to and hope in each other across time, distance and silence. Through a series of letters spanning twenty years, first from Celie to God, then the sisters to each other despite the unknown, the novel draws readers into its rich and memorable portrayals of Celie, Nettie, Shug…
If you have a beating heart, this book will destroy you…but also teach you a lesson that you carry for the rest of your life. (Special shout-out to Booey, my teddy bear, aged 54, sitting next to me at this very moment.) A little boy loves his velveteen rabbit in the singular way only kids can love. When the boy comes down with scarlet fever and nearly dies, the doctor tells his parents that his room needs to be disinfected, and all his toys…burned. For the love of God!
The poor rabbit contemplates his fate and misses his boy, weeping real tears the night before his destruction, when a fairy appears and makes him real. He goes into the woods and meets other rabbits, and sometimes, the boy sees him, not realizing the rabbit was once his cuddle bunny. Lord. I’m crying just writing this. A beautiful book that’s weirdly great for kids, telling them that real love never dies…it just changes.
The beloved story of the Velveteen Rabbit, the toy rabbit made real by the love of a boy, is now available in a beautiful Little Apple Classic book.
Originally published in 1922, the classic story of a toy rabbit who loves a boy so much he eventually becomes real, has charmed children-and adults-for nearly a century. Author Margery Williams wrote this treasured classic that has warmed many hearts for decades. This story is among the top 100 books for children recommended by the National Education Association, chosen in a 2007 online poll, and also won the IRA/CBC Children's Choice award.…
Probably the definitive memoir about grief, guaranteed to strike a chord with everyone who’s ever lost a loved one. Joan’s beloved husband dies of a heart attack while they’re having a perfectly nice dinner. Her only child, Quintana, is gravely ill at the time, and later dies. How can a person survive this kind of loss? With both cool detachment—Ms. Didion is a lifelong writer—and wrenching emotion, she describes the surreal experience of life after loss. It’s unflinching and beautiful and necessary, really, because we’ll all lose someone tragically, and we’re never ready for it.
From one of America's iconic writers, a portrait of a marriage and a life - in good times and bad - that will speak to anyone who has ever loved a husband or wife or child. A stunning book of electric honesty and passion.
Several days before Christmas 2003, John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion saw their only daughter, Quintana, fall ill. At first they thought it was flu, then pneumonia, then complete sceptic shock. She was put into an induced coma and placed on life support. Days later - the night before New Year's Eve -the Dunnes were just…
This book is heartbreaking because it’s the story of what could have been, if only Heathcliff and Catherine could’ve gotten out of their own way. Theirs is love that defines each of them—the wild orphan boy who’s brought home by Cathy’s father, the spirited girl who loves the moors and nature…and Heathcliff. But because they’re both emotionally stupid, they don’t end up together, and watching the devolution of Heathcliff, who loved her so fiercely, as he grapples with her betrayal and eventual death, is devastating.
One of the great novels of the nineteenth century, Emily Bronte's haunting tale of passion and greed remains unsurpassed in its depiction of destructive love. Her tragically short life is brilliantly imagined in the major new movie, Emily, starring Emma Mackey in the title role.
Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition of Wuthering Heights features an afterword by David Pinching.
One wild, snowy night on the Yorkshire moors, a gentleman asks…
Joshua Park knew this day was coming, but—no surprise—being a widower sucks. His marriage to Lauren made him happier than he knew he could be, and without her, he’s lost. His spectrum disorder makes it hard for him to connect with people, and now that he’s a tragic widower, it’s even worse. Lucky for him, Lauren foresaw this and left him twelve letters, one for each month of the first year after her death, each with an assignment. Go to the grocery store…kiss a woman…find your birth father. Month by month, he steps a little further into this new life, and finds, much to his surprise, that happiness without his wife is possible…and her dearest wish for him.
From the time I was a girl, I’ve loved stories that put a lump in my throat even as I’m laughing. As a fiction writer, that funny-sad tone is the one I go for in my own work. I gravitate toward female protagonists of all ages who break the mold—women who are intelligent and strong but who also have unconventional, quirky personalities. Women who can be hilarious, infuriating, and heartbreaking—sometimes all at once. Because they are complex and unique, these women tend to struggle with life’s challenges more than their contemporaries. That’s what makes their stories so interesting, and why I have chosen the books on this list.
When Mar’s husband divorces her, she reacts by abandoning everything in her past: her home, her friends, even her name. Though it's not easy starting over, she’s ready for new adventures—as long as she can keep things casual. Each month, Mar goes from one acquaintance to the next: a fellow gym member down on her luck, a flirty hip-hop instructor, a bossy but comical consultant. . . and a handsome novelist who wants more than she can give. Mar learns from each encounter. But can she open herself up to true connection?
Surrounded by quirky, endearing characters, Mar navigates her…
"A fun, entertaining novel! I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't enjoy this book as much as I did." -Leslie A. Rasmussen, award-winning author
When Mar Meyer's husband divorces her for another woman, she reacts by abandoning everything in her past: her home, her friends, even her name. Though it's not easy to start over, Mar is young-looking, fit, and ready for new adventures-as long as she can keep things casual.
With each passing month, Mar goes from one acquaintance to the next. Among them: a fellow gym member down on her luck, a flirty hip-hop instructor, a bossy but comical…
