The first Latin American actor to become a superstar, Ramon Novarro was for years one of Hollywood's top actors. Born Ramon Samaniego to a prominent Mexican family, he arrived in America in 1916, a refugee from civil wars. By the mid-1920s, he had become one of MGM's biggest box office attractions, starring in now-classic films, including The Student Prince, Mata Hari, and the original version of Ben-Hur. He shared the screen with the era's top leading ladies, such as Greta Garbo, Myrna Loy, Joan Crawford, and Norma Shearer, and he became Rudolph Valentino's main rival in the “Latin Lover” category. Yet, despite his considerable professional accomplishments, Novarro's enduring hold on fame stems from his tragic death—his bloodied corpse was found in his house on Halloween 1968 in what has become one of Hollywood's most infamous scandals. A lifelong bachelor, Novarro carefully cultivated his image as a man deeply devoted to his family and to Catholicism. His murder shattered that persona. News reports revealed that the dashing screen hero had not only been gay, but he was dead at the hands of two young, male hustlers. Since then, details of his murder have achieved near mythic proportions, obscuring Novarro's professional legacy. Beyond Paradise presents a full picture of the man who made motion picture history. Including original interviews with Novarro's surviving friends, family, coworkers, and the two men convicted of his murder, this biography provides unique insights into an early Hollywood star—a man whose heart was forever in conflict with his image and whose myth continues to fascinate today.

This memoir, written by Myrtle Scharrer Betz (1895-1992), tells the story of Henry Scharrer (Myrtle's father), who homesteaded 156 acres on what is now Caladesi Island State Park off the gulf coast of Pinellas County, Florida. It is a rare and beautifully written first-person account spanning the time from 1883, when Henry first arrives in America from Switzerland, until his death in 1934. Historic photos, illustrations, a checklist of "Birds Seen On or Around Caladesi Island 1918-1935," and a "Timeline" addendum, complement and clarify the history, extending to the years before and after the narrative itself. Myrtle's stories, told with honesty and humility, provide insight into pioneer living as it transitioned into the Progressive and then the Depression Era. The chapters are organized into topics exactly as Myrtle hand wrote them in her 87th year. As the only child born at Caladesi Island, Myrtle developed into a capable woman who could garden, fish, hunt, cook, row, sail, swim, read and write. Her curiosity led her to learn, appreciate and respect the animals and plants of her island home and the sea surrounding it. The reader feels they are hearing the stories directly from Myrtle and will come away with deeper insights regarding the challenges, sorrows, discomforts, natural wonders, and joys of the people who prevailed in coastal Florida.

Perfect for fans of Lara Prescott's The Secrets We Kept, this haunting debut novel--and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year--is set against the background of New York City in the 1920s… Confessions are Rose Baker’s job. A typist for the New York City Police Department, she sits in judgment like a high priestess. Criminals come before her to admit their transgressions, and, with a few strokes of the keys before her, she seals their fate. But while she may hear about shootings, knifings, and crimes of passion, as soon as she leaves the room, she reverts to a dignified and proper lady. Until Odalie joins the typing pool. As Rose quickly falls under the stylish, coquettish Odalie’s spell, she is lured into a sparkling underworld of speakeasies and jazz. And what starts as simple fascination turns into an obsession from which she may never recover.

The fear of the unknown at war with the burning need to see distant shores... In the late 1800s, one man set out across an ocean in an ancient sailing vessel, determined to seek his family's fortune in a new land. What grew from his bravery and triumph is a family saga that spans several generations and countless homelands. Paradise on Earth is the intricately woven story of a family that left its native province of Punjab in the then British India (presently in Pakistan) for the breathtaking shores of Kenya and the beauty of its hinterlands. A tale of faith, family, and the entrepreneurial spirit is recorded here, along with awe-inspiring descriptions of the geography, its people, its history, and what it means to survive, adapt and thrive in a new land. Written first as a memoir for the generations that came after, this story is equal parts genealogy, history, and travelogue, sure to delight anyone who craves adventure.

Once the most famed resort destination of the world, the Catskills, New York's bygone Borscht Belt district, helped shape American culture and history. Through 363 images, take a trip back in time to relive the stories behind the theaters and nightclubs, the lavish lobbies where bellhops welcomed celebrities, and the vacuous dining rooms that served thousands of rich kosher meals each day.

"[A] BRILLIANT, WITTY AND PROVOCATIVE NEW NOVEL." --San Francisco Chronicle As a young woman, the brilliant and eternally curious Magda Danvers took the academic world by storm. Then, to everyone's surprise, she married Francis Lake, a mild, midwestern seminarian, who has devoted his life to taking care of his charismatic wife. Now, Magda's grave illness puts their marriage to its ultimate test. Though facing her "Final Examination," Magda continues to arouse her visitors with compelling thoughts and questions. Into this provocative atmosphere comes Alice Henry, retreating from family tragedy and a crumbling marriage to novelist Hugo Henry. But is it the incandescence of Magda's ideas that draws Alice, or the secret of "the good marriage" that she is desperate to discover? For Alice, Hugo, Francis, and Magda will learn that the most ideal relationship--even a perfect marriage--doesn't come without a price.... "COMPELLING WRITING...REMARKABLY SKILLFUL...Gail Godwin shows herself to be at the height of her considerable power as a storyteller and a writer." --The Boston Globe "ONE OF HER FINEST BOOKS...It is not only a well-written story, but a mature and wise one, affirmative in its vision of love, unblinking in its portrayal of tragic loss." --Atlanta Journal & Constitution "FASCINATING...[A] BIG SUMPTUOUS BOOK...HER BEST NOVEL." --Entertainment Weekly "A BRILLIANTLY CRAFTED NOVEL, full of fun and mischief and resonating with wisdom and moral depth." --New Woman A Featured Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club