In order to leave the village, the village teacher, Gu Liqing, had abandoned her boyfriend of six years and had quickly married a rich second generation. However, on their wedding night, they discovered that he couldn't do it at all, and what was even worse, a month later, she discovered that she was pregnant ...

An eclectic variety of stories, articles, travelogues, commentary, life stories and poetry by 25 talented writers. This is the fifth book by The Writers¿ Discussion Group of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

With stories by acclaimed and exciting new YA writers: Louise Hawes J. James Keels Ron Koertge Chris Lynch Norma Fox Mazer Lauren Myracle Jamie Pittel Anita Riggio Mary Ann Rodman Ellen Wittlinger Jacqueline Woodson Tim Wynne-Jones A stellar line-up of young adult writers examines our relationship with beauty in stories that haunt, amuse, stir, and fascinate. A beauty queen with a chin-hair problem, an aspiring model who would rather take pictures than be in them, a boy in love with the gorgeous nurse he’s never seen, a girl named Beauty who feels like anything but—the teenagers in these dozen stories feel the power of beauty, whether it’s to trap, save, torment, or comfort. In an era when image seems to have triumphed over virtue and reason, this timely, discussion-provoking collection asks young readers to think about what is truly beautiful.

"Living peacefully in Vermont, Ryan Flannigan is shocked when a text from her oldest friend alerts her to a devastating news item. A controversial photo of her as a pre-teen has been found in the possession of a wealthy investor recently revealed as a pedophile and a sex trafficker--with an inscription to him from Ryan's mother on the back. Memories crowd in, providing their own distinctive pictures of her mother Fiona, an aspiring actress, and their move to the West Village in 1976. Amid the city's gritty kaleidoscope of wealth and poverty, high art, and sleazy strip clubs, Ryan is discovered and thrust into the spotlight as a promising young actress with a woman's face and a child's body. Suddenly, the safety and comfort Ryan longs for is replaced by auditions, paparazzi, and the hungry eyes of men of all ages. Forced to reexamine her childhood, Ryan begins to untangle her young fears and her mother's ambitions, and the role each played in the fraught blackout summer of 1977"--

"The Palace Beautiful: A Story for Girls" is an enchanting novel written by L.T. Meade, specifically targeting young female readers. The book revolves around the lives of two sisters, Rosamund and Laura, as they embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and personal growth. The story is set in the late 19th century and follows the girls as they move to a new neighborhood and encounter a mysterious and enchanting house known as "The Palace Beautiful." This extraordinary place becomes the backdrop for their adventures and serves as a metaphor for the inner world of imagination and inner strength. As Rosamund and Laura navigate the challenges of friendship, family, and societal expectations, they uncover valuable lessons about loyalty, kindness, and the power of their own unique voices. The story offers young readers a tale of empowerment and self-discovery, encouraging them to embrace their individuality and navigate life's obstacles with courage and compassion.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1876.

Arguing that American colonists who declared their independence in 1776 remained tied to England by both habit and inclination, Jennifer Clark traces the new Americans' struggle to come to terms with their loss of identity as British, and particularly English, citizens. Americans' attempts to negotiate the new Anglo-American relationship are revealed in letters, newspaper accounts, travel reports, essays, song lyrics, short stories and novels, which Clark suggests show them repositioning themselves in a transatlantic context newly defined by political revolution. Chapters examine political writing as a means for Americans to explore the Anglo-American relationship, the appropriation of John Bull by American writers, the challenge the War of 1812 posed to the reconstructed Anglo-American relationship, the Paper War between American and English authors that began around the time of the War of 1812, accounts by Americans lured to England as a place of poetry, story and history, and the work of American writers who dissected the Anglo-American relationship in their fiction. Carefully contextualised historically, Clark's persuasive study shows that any attempt to examine what it meant to be American in the New Nation, and immediately beyond, must be situated within the context of the Anglo-American relationship.