The first West Europeans to winter in the high Arctic and survive, Dutch sailing-master William Barents and his 16-member crew battled scurvy, hunger, the assaults of bears, and the intense winter cold, then made a 1,600-mile escape in open boats. Barents died on the way home, but his voyage was meticulously recorded in remarkably vivid detail by one of the survivors.

"My last secretary was thirty-five," old M. said gloomily, "and no more sense than a child of ten. Or else she wasn't all there. You all there?" he asked suddenly, giving Maud a searching look. "No banging your head on the table? No throwing the china at me? Hey?" Young Maud has made her escape from an overbearing stepmother and come to stay with her cousin Alice and Alice's companion Miss Conway in the countryside. Alice and "Con" have arranged a job for her as secretary to Mr Feniston, an eccentric and intimidating neighbor who seems to have driven his previous secretary to a nervous breakdown. In between cataloguing Mr Feniston's library, dodging his temper, and encounters, awkward and intriguing in turn, with his son and an alienated nephew, Maud finds herself involved with local eccentricities and dramas, including a "secret" romance which has everyone talking. She may never be the same after this winter away! Furrowed Middlebrow is delighted to make available, for the first time in over half a century, all six of Elizabeth Fair's irresistible comedies of domestic life. These new editions all feature an introduction by Elizabeth Crawford. "Miss Fair's understanding is deeper than Mrs. Thirkell's and her humour is untouched by snobbishness; she is much nearer to Trollope, grand master in these matters."--Stevie Smith "Miss Fair makes writing look very easy, and that is the measure of her creative ability."--Compton Mackenzie

Abstract: Three day food intake data and the characteristics of a national US sampling of about 36,100 people (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) are presented in 510 tables. Data was collected between April 1977 and March 1978. Food intakes are summarized under 10 food groups and 43 subgroups, covering all people sampled in each of 22 age and sex categories at 4 income levels, 3 urban categories, and 2 racial groups; data also are broken down by the 4 seasons. Major findings of the survey included: over 90% of the subjects ate at least 1 food from each of 5 major food groups during the 3-day survey. Under the meat group, beef (68%) and meat mixtures (67%) were reported by more people than poultry (43%) or fish (25%). About 80% of all subjects had milk at least once. Bread, rolls, or biscuits (95%), white potatoes (about 80%), and non-citrus fruits and juices (58%) were the most popular items consumed in the grain, vegetable, and fruit food groups, respectively. Findings for other food categories (and subcategories), and the influences found from factors of income, urbanization, race, and seasonal differences are highlighted. (wz)

Can a woman ever really know herself if she doesn't know her mother? From the author of the smash-hit bestseller Firefly Lane and True Colors comes Kristin Hannah's powerful, heartbreaking novel that illuminates the intricate mother-daughter bond and explores the enduring links between the present and the past. Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time—and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya's life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago. Alternating between the past and present, Meredith and Nina will finally hear the singular, harrowing story of their mother's life, and what they learn is a secret so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the very foundation of their family and change who they believe they are.

A cold night's silent majesty hides a BITTER secret… Though she is deeply loved by her parents, the fact that Lydia Brand is adopted has always made her different from her close-knit Amish community. But as Christmas approaches and she begins to search for answers about her biological parents, more questions surface. Soon it seems that the deaths of two women in her small town may not be coincidences, after all. And her pursuit of the truth has left her only with hints of a dark secret—and threats from an unseen adversary. While she does her best to stave off advances from her parents' preferred suitor, Lydia discovers that her heart truly belongs to the man who's been there all along: her friend Josh Yoder. It's only with his help that Lydia can ensure that the stillness of a winter's night means peace…and not danger.

Explores the resilience of the Dutch Republic in the face of preindustrial climate change during the Little Ice Age.

Winter is full of fun things. There are holidays, snowmen, hot soup and best of all...SNOW! Those first flakes floating down from the sky are absolutely magical. We can’t wait for all the exciting moments that Winter brings... And then it comes... And then it stays... And then it simply wears out its welcome... Collectively we all want to shout, “Go away, WINTER!!!” We know that next year it will come back and we will again have fun, but for now... WE ARE DONE!!!