The complex friendship between a black housekeeper and her Jewish employer is at the heart of Hoffman’s prize-winning novel about life in the civil rights era South Nebraska Waters is black. Vivian Gold is Jewish. In an Alabama kitchen where, for nearly thirty years, they share cups of coffee, fret over their children, and watch the civil rights movement unfold out their window, and into their homes, they are like family—almost. As Nebraska makes her way, day in and out, to Vivian’s house to cook and help tend the Gold children, the “almost” threatens to widen into a great divide. The two women’s husbands affect their relationship, as do their children, Viv Waters and Benjamin Gold, born the same year and coming of age in a changing South. The bond between the women both strengthens and frays. Winner of the Lillian Smith Book Award and Alabama Library Association Award for fiction, Roy Hoffman’s Almost Family explores the relationship that begins when one person goes to work for another, and their friendship—across lines of race, income, and religion—develops degrees of understanding yet growing misunderstanding. This edition commemorates the 35th anniversary of the book’s publication and features a foreword by the author and includes a discussion guide for readers and book clubs.

Setting out in a Winnebago after seeing her runaway daughter in a television commercial, Ruby Kincaid engages in a madcap road trip from the dusty flats of Texas to the glitter of Hollywood, accompanied by two friends and a pair of unruly grandchildren. A first novel. Reprint.

John Vigor turns the spotlight on twenty seaworthy sailboats that are at home on the ocean in all weather. These are old fiberglass boats, mostly of traditional design and strong construction. All are small, from 20 feet to 32 feet overall, but all have crossed oceans, and all are cheap. Choosing the right boat to take you across an ocean or around the world can be confusing and exasperating, particularly with a tight budget. Vigor sets out to remedy that in this book. He compares the designs and handling characteristics of 20 different boats whose secondhand market prices start at about $3,000. Interviews with experienced owners (featuring valuable tips about handling each boat in heavy weather) are interspersed with line drawings of hulls, sail plans, and accommodations. Vigor has unearthed the known weaknesses of each boat and explains how to deal with them. He rates their comparative seaworthiness, their speed, and the number of people they can carry in comfort. If you have ever dreamed the dream this book can help you turn it into reality.

With in-depth text, some 40 maps and close to 100 photos, the book describes the many routes in kilometre-by-kilometre detail - the Centennial and Trans Canada Trails, as well as many lesser-known trails and routes in the Okanagan-Similkameen. The book features: Backpacking Bird Watching Boating Camping Exploring Hiking Horseback Riding Mountain Biking Skiing Diving & Snorkeling and a myriad of other outdoor recreational opportunities! Two of the Okanagan area's most experienced and knowledgeable outdoors writers, British Columbians Murphy Shewchuk and Judie Steeves not only give you the information on where to go" and "how to get there, but have added the detail and background colour that helps the reader with the question why."