Orphaned in the cholera epidemic of 1833, Adria Starr was cared for by a slave named Louis, a man who stayed in Springfield, Kentucky, when anyone with means had fled. A man who passed up the opportunity to escape his bondage and instead tended to the sick and buried the dead. A man who, twelve years later, is being sold by his owners despite his heroic actions. Now nineteen, Adria has never forgotten what Louis did for her. She's determined to find a way to buy Louis's freedom. But in 1840s Kentucky, she'll face an uphill battle. Based partly on a true story, Ann H. Gabhart's latest historical novel is a tour de force. The vividly rendered town of Springfield and its citizens immerse readers in a story of courage, betrayal, and honor that will stick with them long after they turn the last page.

Incorporating seven years of photography and research, Krista Schlyer portrays life along the Anacostia River, a Washington, DC, waterway rich in history and biodiversity that has nonetheless lingered for years in obscurity and neglect in our nation’s capital. River of Redemption offers an experience of the river that reveals its eons of natural history, centuries of destruction, and decades of restoration efforts. The story of the Anacostia echoes the story of rivers across America. Inspired by Aldo Leopold’s classic book, A Sand County Almanac, Krista Schlyer evokes a consciousness of time and place, taking readers through the seasons in the watershed as well as through the river’s complex history and ecology. As with rivers nationwide, the ways we’ve changed the Anacostia affect the people and wildlife that inhabit its shores, from the headwaters in Maryland, past its confluence with the Potomac River, and ultimately to the Chesapeake Bay. Centuries of abuse at the hands of people who have altered the landscape and mistreated the waterway have transformed it into a polluted, toxic soup unfit for swimming or fishing. The forgotten river is both a reminder of the worst humanity can do to the natural landscape and a wellspring of memory that offers a roadmap back to health and well-being for watershed residents, human and non-human alike. Blending stunning photography with informative and poignant text, River of Redemption offers the opportunity to reinvent our role in urban ecology and to redeem our relationship with this national river and watersheds nationwide.

New York Times bestselling author Darcie Chan returns to the enchanting town of Mill River in a heartwarming novel of family, self-discovery, and forgiveness. Perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy. Josie DiSanti is starting over. Recently widowed, she has fled her New York City home with her two young daughters—spirited Rose and shy Emily—in tow. She takes refuge in Mill River, Vermont, to live with her only remaining relative, Ivy Collard, the local bookstore owner and a woman Josie barely knows. There, the young mother and her girls build a new life for themselves—until a shocking tragedy tears the sisters apart. Years later, Josie’s still-estranged daughters return to the quiet town for the reading of their mother’s will, which stipulates that they must work together to locate a hidden key to a safe-deposit box containing their inheritance. Even from the great beyond, it seems Josie will do anything to bring about her daughters’ reconciliation. Having no choice but to go along with their mother’s final wishes, Rose and Emily move back to Mill River for the summer to begin the search—discovering that, in the close-knit community known for magic and miracles, an even greater treasure awaits them. Praise for The Mill River Redemption “Delving into the complicated roles of siblings, parents, and neighbors, [Darcie] Chan gives each Mill River character a powerful role in refining and influencing these dynamics.”—New York Journal of Books “Darcie Chan paints a vivid and loving portrait of the kind of small town we all wished we lived in. This layered tale of two estranged sisters brought together by a mother’s love will make you laugh, cry, cheer, hug your loved ones a little tighter. An enchanting storyteller, Chan is one of those rare authors who make you feel more fully alive.”—Elizabeth Letts, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Eighty-Dollar Champion “Readers looking for a feel-good book about small towns and family bonds won’t be disappointed by Chan’s latest.”—Kirkus Reviews “An engrossing page-turner, reeling readers in further with each layer that’s revealed . . . a satisfying read with sympathetic and relatable characters that will be good for book group discussions and vacation reading.”—Library Journal “Charming . . . compelling . . . Slow reveals and dramatic twists proliferate.”—Booklist Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE starring Abigail Cowen, Tom Lewis, Nina Dobrev, with Logan Marshall Green and Eric Dane, special appearance by Famke Janssen. Distributed by Universal Pictures with a screenplay by Francine Rivers and D.J. Caruso. California’s gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep. Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside. Then she meets Michael Hosea, a man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything. Michael obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel’s every bitter expectation, until despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw. But with her unexpected softening comes overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband’s pursuing love, terrified of the truth she no longer can deny: her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael does . . . the One who will never let her go. A powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love. Includes a six-part reading group guide!

Poet and writer Alison Deming once noted, ÒIn the desert, one finds the way by tracing the aftermath of water . . . Ó Here, Ken Lamberton finds his way through a lifetime of exploring southern ArizonaÕs Santa Cruz River. This riverÑdry, still, and silent one moment, a thundering torrent of mud the nextÑserves as a reflection of the desert around it: a hint of water on parched sand, a path to redemption across a thirsty landscape. With his latest book, Lamberton takes us on a trek across the land of three nationsÑthe United States, Mexico, and the Tohono OÕodham NationÑas he hikes the riverÕs path from its source and introduces us to people who draw identity from the riverÑdedicated professionals, hardworking locals, and the authorÕs own family. These people each have their own stories of the river and its effect on their lives, and their narratives add immeasurable richness and depth to LambertonÕs own astute observations and picturesque descriptions. Unlike books that detail only the Santa CruzÕs decline, Dry River offers a more balanced, at times even optimistic, view of the river that ignites hope for reclamation and offers a call to action rather than indulging in despair and resignation. At once a fascinating cultural history lesson and an important reminder that learning from the past can help us fix what we have damaged, Dry River is both a story about the amazing complexity of this troubled desert waterway and a celebration of one manÕs lifelong journey with the people and places touched by it.

River knows all about the uglier side of life and has the inner demons as a constant reminder. He knows damn well he’s damaged goods, but getting that through Jeanette Munroe’s pretty head seems to be an act in futility. River’s managed to keep his relationship with Jeanette purely platonic. She deserves a man who is whole, inside and out. Jeanette has been secretly crazy about her best friend River since high school. She’s always dreamed of being swept up into his strong, capable arms and having him profess his undying love to her. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to realize she’s even a woman. When Jeanette is mugged and ends up with a mild concussion, River comes riding to her rescue. There’s finally a chance to get up close and personal with the big cutie—and she’ll darn well grab it will both hands. Each novella in the Blackwater Series is a standalone story and can be enjoyed in any order. Book 1: Sam’s Promise Book 2: Vance’s Rules Book 3: Breaking Brodix Book 4: Reilly’s Wildcard Book 5: River’s Redemption

Fifteen-year-old Amy Blackwell leads a lonely life that's hard to endure. It's 1917 in rural Arkansas, and she's being raised by her strict grandfather, a Bible-thumping preacher and his sinister wife whom town folks call "nuts." Their pious demands doom her to guilt-ridden failure and "thou shalt" hypocrisy, and a dark family secret rules their home. Amy struggles to keep up a smiling facade. When all efforts to please her grandparents fall short, she plots to run away with her sister. Instead, her teenage passion prevails and she marries at sixteen to leave home. Amy's journey is exciting at first, but turns sobering with a string of calamities--including death and disease. Even worse, now she's trapped by the high expectations of two families. When her grandmother's dark secret unravels, Amy is devastated but must find the strength to go on. With determination that most adults couldn't muster, she brings love and hope back into her life.