"Manners and Mischief is a cohesive, stimulating volume. Reading these essays and the editors' enlightening introduction was a joy: I learned a great deal, smiled and laughed with uncommon regularity, and marveled at the quality of this remarkable collection." -William M. Tsutsui, author of Godzilla on My Mind "This book is full of fascinating insights. Well-written and often witty, it captures a detailed snapshot of Japanese society in the early 21st century. I would say this is the most insightful book on modern Japan I have read in years." -Liza Dalby, anthropologist and novelist

Living with her rich grandmother, Samantha has the best of everything. But when she becomes friends with Nellie, she learns that life isn't so easy for everyone. Samantha is determined to help her new friend; but Nellie ends up helping her, too!

Samantha Parkington is being raised by her wealthy grandmother in 1904. She befriends a servant girl named Nellie, who moves in next door. The girls become fast friends, though their lives are very different. American Girls Collection/Samantha #1.

Living with her rich grandmother, Samantha has the best of everything. But when she becomes friends with Nellie, she learns that life isn't so easy for everyone. Samantha is determined to help her new friend, but Nellie ends up helping her, too! Then Samantha tries to help decorate for Christmas, but is disappointed when her plans are being changed. Discover what happens to help make this Christmas even better than Samantha planned.

Susan Mallery, the New York Times bestselling author of Three Sisters, is world renowned for her "insightful, funny, and poignant" stories (Booklist). With her brand-new Mischief Bay series, she brings vivid color to the story of three friends on the brink of a new life. Nicole Lord wants to be a good wife, but there's a difference between being supportive and supporting her husband, who quit his job to write a screenplay she's never seen. He won't even help take care of their son, leaving Nicole to run the house and work full-time. Sacrificing a personal life for her career is how Shannon Rigg became VP at her firm, but she wonders now whether she made the right choice. An exciting new relationship with a great guy convinces her that it might not be too late—until he drops a bombshell that has her questioning whether she really can have it all. Although Pam Eiland adores her husband, she feels restless now that the kids are grown. Finding sexy new ways to surprise him brings the heat and humor back to their marriage, but when unexpected change turns her life upside down, she'll have to redefine herself. Again. Through romance and heartbreak, laughter and tears, the girls of Mischief Bay will discover that life is richer with friends at your side. Don't miss Susan Mallery's latest book, The Stepsisters! A heartfelt tale of friendship between two women who used to be sisters.