Naveen Sridhar has written a literary love story which is partial memoir, partial biography. Sridhars connection with the subject of the story, his wife Renate, gives a unique perspective about growing up in Germany during WW II and what life was like behind the Berlin Wall. Whilst most books focus on Allied soldiers and their families or the Holocaust, this book focuses on how the German people also suffered during the pivotal and haunting time what life was like for ordinary Germans living the rule of government policies and ideologies in which many could not be trusted. What I specially loved was the glimpse this gave into the unsung heroes the wives and mothers who silently endured the pain and heartbreak of missing loved ones while keeping the country running. Another fascinating part was looking at the difficulties citizens faced when traveling between East and West Germany. Seeing how the country was divided because of a border wall and making enemies out of former neighbors really resonated with topics made instant connections with today's headlines. A careful look will show that modern people deal with the same issues. The lessons of diversity and acceptance, so new to us today, were also challenges for the characters during this time period. A modern reader will have a lot to consider and much to learn from Renates examples. At the end of the day we are all Berliners. Pacific Book Review For anyone thinking of writing this sort of family biography, this is a textbook in how to do it. Stylistically rich both detailed and breezy, with enough dialog due to the strength of his writing and the thoroughness of his research. SPR Review. Erudite without being overbearing a unique, spellbinding biography..both charming and elucidating. IndieReader Review You feel with the flow connect with the pages as you move on true events peered with a beautiful narrative. Ashvamegh Int. J. of English Literature Sridhar has a talent for highlighting the good in these accounts, and he creates a charmed story with continual reinventions. While it’s tough for any single person to emblematize a generation, Candlelight in a Storm is an accomplished tribute to Renate’s confidence, luck, perseverance, and spirit. Clarion Review Effectively portrays the hardships of life shows how the sustained love of two people can surmount any adversity blueink Review Much more than the history of one individual; it is a window to the struggles ordinary Germans faced during the Cold War years. An excellent account as a chronicle of Cold War Germany, Sridhars well-written and informative narrative sheds new light on the often underreported trials of its citizens and foreign residents. Recommended by the US Review of Books www.naveensridhar.com

In the new Secret, Book, and Scone Society novel from New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams, the rain in Miracle Springs, North Carolina, has been relentless—and a flood of trouble is about to be unleashed . . . Nora Pennington figures all the wet weather this spring is at least good for business. The local inns are packed with stranded travelers, and among them Nora finds new customers for her store, Miracle Books. Since a little rain never hurt anyone, Nora rides her bike over to the flea market one sodden day and buys a bowl from Danny, a Cherokee potter. But the next day, after Miracle River overflows its banks, and Danny’s body is found floating within the churning waters, Nora decides it’s time for the Secret, Book, and Scone Society to spring into action. A crucial clue may lie within the stone walls of the Inn of Mist and Roses: a diary, over a century old and spattered with candle wax, that leads Nora and her friends through a maze of intrigue—and onto the trail of a murderer . . . “A love letter to reading, with sharp characterizations and a smart central mystery.” —Entertainment Weekly on The Whispered Word

Recounts the true story of an entrepreneurial woman who succeeded in a male-dominated industry in the twentieth century. What would you do with your last sixty dollars? If you were Patricia Murphy you’d turn it into a fortune by buying a rundown Brooklyn diner. On the cusp of the Great Depression, the diner became an overnight sensation, the first of nine popular Patricia Murphy’s Candlelight Restaurants that opened over the course of four decades in New York and Florida. Popovers and Candlelight recounts how Murphy bucked Mad Men–erasexism in a male-dominated field and created remarkable dining experiences with solid American fare, a talented staff, and eye-popping décor. Dripping in diamonds, she transcended ethnic prejudices to become a socialite and built a brand that sold fragrance as well as food. Mutinous siblings, a desperate manager, and a typhoid outbreak brought it all to an operatic end, but Marcia Biederman restores Murphy and her contributions to their proper place in women’s and culinary history. This book will delight readers with its rags-to-riches story and fascinating view of class, gender, ethnicity, and food culture during much of the twentieth century. “An impressive accomplishment on many counts: Biederman describes an important but forgotten chapter in mid-century restaurant history, portrays an outsize, Mildred Pierce–like personality, and gives a memorable sense of postwar, populuxe suburbia.” — Paul Freedman, author of Ten Restaurants That Changed America

Sometimes, to find yourself, you have to lose your way. Amanda Kingston is at a crossroads. A successful event planner in the bustling heart of New York City, she finds herself burned out and yearning for something more. Seeking a break from the chaos, Amanda retreats to the serene, sun-drenched beaches of Magnolia Key, a place where time seems to stand still and life's simple joys take center stage. She quickly finds herself entangled in the town's deeply rooted traditions—and in the lives of its colorful residents. At the heart of it all is the Magnolia Heritage Festival, a cherished celebration at risk of fading into memory without someone to breathe new life into it. Her plans for rest and relaxation are put on the back burner when she offers to help get the festival back on track. What she hadn’t counted on was her neighbor, the reclusive woodcarver Connor Dempsey, whose guarded heart and remarkable talent intrigue her. As Amanda's passion for planning the festival ignites, so does an unlikely friendship with Connor. That is until she makes a decision in an attempt to help Connor that turns out terribly wrong. Then she gets offered a dream job back in New York. A job she feels she needs to take to pay back a debt to her grandmother. Can the magic of the festival—and a little coastal charm—help them both heal from past wounds and discover a future neither of them imagined? Coastal Candlelight is a delightful journey of self-discovery, the power of community, and the wonder of finding unexpected love in the unlikeliest of places. Dive into this heartwarming story in the Magnolia Key series, where every sunset brings a promise of a new beginning. The Magnolia Key Series: Saltwater Sunrises Encore Echoes Coastal Candlelight And more to come!

The #1 bestselling chapter book series of all time celebrates 25 years with new covers and a new, easy-to-use numbering system! Jack and Annie head back in time to Venice, Italy in the 1700s. With the help of a research book, a book of magic rhymes, and a set of mysterious instructions from Merlin, the heroes will save the beautiful city from a flood! Formerly numbered as Magic Tree House #33, the title of this book is now Magic Tree House Merlin Mission #5: Carnival at Candlelight. Did you know that there’s a Magic Tree House book for every kid? Magic Tree House: Adventures with Jack and Annie, perfect for readers who are just beginning chapter books Merlin Missions: More challenging adventures for the experienced reader Super Edition: A longer and more dangerous adventure Fact Trackers: Nonfiction companions to your favorite Magic Tree House adventures Have more fun with Jack and Annie at MagicTreeHouse.com!

Katherine of Valois, raised amidst the madness and lechery of the French court, wed to a conquering English king, Henry V, and now alone and afraid in a world of treachery and violence. Owen Tudor, incredibly handsome and gifted, a poet and singer by nature, a warrior by necessity, and now a man ready to risk life for love. Theirs was a passion too perilous to reveal and too fiery to be long restrained or concealed...