It is 1864. For the Kingdom of Bavaria, certain war looms on the horizon. The new king, Ludwig II, is young; he shows a lack of interest in affairs of state, and apprehension grows about encroaching military pressure from the Kingdom of Prussia and the Empire of Austria. Meanwhile, outside the small town of Miesbach, Daniel Fischer is content to tend his familys orchards. He hates cities and dreams of one day purchasing his own property and marrying Lizzie Chormann, secretly the love of his life. On the day that Daniel decides hell begin his courtship, he is appalled to learn that his older brother, Jacob, the newest member of the watchmakers guild, has just become engaged to Lizzie. Moreover, Jacob plans to take Lizzie to America and open his own shop in Philadelphia, a city crowded with half a million people. Daniel confronts Jacob. The brothers fight. At the wedding, Jacob offers Daniel his hand in peace but Daniel refuses. A week later, Daniel flees Miesbach and enlists in the 39th Regiment of the Royal Bavarian Fusiliers. Five years later, Daniel is a hardened veteran and believes that he has finally set aside his feelings for Lizzie. And then he learns that she has written from Philadelphia; Jacob is dead.

Illustrations and words are used for each letter of the alphabet.

Madison is a lonely little girl because she is different - she cannot speak. The square apple dangles from its branch among all the "normal" apples and feels so lonely, too. The apples are almost ripe and Madison's parents are soon going to pick the apples off the tree, but Madison is worried about what will happen to the square apple. Will loneliness become happiness?

A limited, large-format edition of this gorgeous study of apples, featuring a print from the series This large-format (9 x 11.25 inches) special edition of New York photographer William Mullan's (born 1989) Odd Applesincludes a print of the photograph titled Hidden Rosehoused in a pergamin paper sleeve inserted in the book. Mullan's obsession with apples began when he saw his first Egremont Russet at a Waitrose grocery store outside of London. Fascinated by its gnarled, potato-like appearance and shockingly fresh, nutty flavor, Mullan began searching for, and photographing, rare apple varieties. In Odd Apples, each apple is lovingly rendered and styled according to its individual "personality"--a combination of its looks and its flavors. The apples are set against complementary brightly colored backdrops; they are peeled or unpeeled, cut or whole, skin shriveled or perfectly smooth and shiny. Mullan embraces each apple's idiosyncratic aesthetic qualities completely.