The summer of 1917 should have been a summer like any other. Stephen Robbins should have been doing the same thing he'd been doing for years past. As a young boy he'd fled his life in a secluded mountain cove and risen through the ranks to become the manager of the South's finest resort, the elegant Mountain Park Hotel. By all rights, he should have spent this summer as host to some of the wealthiest gentry on the East Coast. Hans Ruser, German Commodore of the world's largest and most luxurious cruise liner, Vaderland, should have been sailing yet again with his elite passengers to the far corners of the world. And Anna Ulmann, captivating and beautiful, should have been at home in her New York mansion planning yet another lavish dinner party for her famous husband and his rich and powerful friends. She should have idled away her spare time by taking perfectly staged photographic portraits of the very same people. But war will change everything that should have been in that summer of 1917— the U.S. enters WWI and the Mountain Park Hotel is pressed into service as an internment camp for over 2,000 German nationals, including Ruser and his men. This sudden collision of lives and cultures in the small town of Hot Springs, North Carolina is both frightening and exhilarating. And the unlikely alliance that forms between Hans Ruser and Stephen Robbins will force each to decide just how far they are willing to go to keep peace in the beautiful and isolated mountains. Feisty Anna Ulmann, seeking to assert her independence in a male-dominated world, mysteriously flees south to devote her life to documentary photography. When she steps off the train at the Hot Springs depot one sultry summer day, she could not have imagined the passionate journey that will result when she matches wits with Stephen Robbins. Haunted by demons both past and present, they will face heartbreaking tragedy. Yet together they will discover the true meaning of imprisonment and escape.

War changes everything that should have been in the summer of 1917. The U.S. enters WWI and Stephen Robbins' beloved Mountain Park Hotel is pressed into service as an internment camp for over 2,000 German nationals, including Hans Ruser and his men. Feisty Anna Ulmann, seeking her independence in a male-dominated world, flees south from New York to devote her life to documentary photography in beautiful Hot Springs, North Carolina. Haunted by demons both past and present, these people face heartbreaking tragedy. Yet together they discover the true meaning of imprisonment and escape.

I Wish We Could Stay Here Forever begins with five-year-old Billy squirming in the church pew at his beloved Nana's funeral. The minister tells the story of Jesus attending the funeral of a good friend, where Jesus says something about not really dying when you die. Billy doesn't understand what this means. Instead, he is remembering the fond times spent with Nana, as they walked the dog, made cookies, and played hide and seek. That evening, Billy opens a conversation with his mother about Nana dying and what the minister said. To help him understand, Billy's mom tells him a story about twins being made in the same womb, and how they loved the womb so much that they both wished they could stay forever. But they know that they must be born, and wonder if there is life after birth! The twins soon find themselves in the loving warmth of their mother's arms. Billy and his mother talk about how they wish Nana could have stayed with them forever, but they find consolation in believing that it's not the end of life, but a new beginning. Dr. Randy Paige is a full-time pastor and part-time marriage and family counselor in Port Jefferson, New York.This children's story is born from personal experience as a Christian pastor who takes funerals seriously. When young children are present my heart goes out to them. The 'Parable' in the story has helped hundreds of children understand God's promise of life after death. He and his wife, Leslie, have four sons and four grandchildren. He is writing his next book. Publisher's website: http: //sbpra.com/RandyPaig

A damned man struggles to find meaning in a library, the dimensions of which are measured in light years.

The beloved New York Times bestselling author reflects on home, family, friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays. "The elegance of Patchett’s prose is seductive and inviting: with Patchett as a guide, readers will really get to grips with the power of struggles, failures, and triumphs alike." —Publisher's Weekly “Any story that starts will also end.” As a writer, Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be. Life, however, often takes turns we do not see coming. Patchett ponders this truth in these wise essays that afford a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart. At the center of These Precious Days is the title essay, a surprising and moving meditation on an unexpected friendship that explores “what it means to be seen, to find someone with whom you can be your best and most complete self.” When Patchett chose an early galley of actor and producer Tom Hanks’ short story collection to read one night before bed, she had no idea that this single choice would be life changing. It would introduce her to a remarkable woman—Tom’s brilliant assistant Sooki—with whom she would form a profound bond that held monumental consequences for them both. A literary alchemist, Patchett plumbs the depths of her experiences to create gold: engaging and moving pieces that are both self-portrait and landscape, each vibrant with emotion and rich in insight. Turning her writer’s eye on her own experiences, she transforms the private into the universal, providing us all a way to look at our own worlds anew, and reminds how fleeting and enigmatic life can be. From the enchantments of Kate DiCamillo’s children’s books (author of The Beatryce Prophecy) to youthful memories of Paris; the cherished life gifts given by her three fathers to the unexpected influence of Charles Schultz’s Snoopy; the expansive vision of Eudora Welty to the importance of knitting, Patchett connects life and art as she illuminates what matters most. Infused with the author’s grace, wit, and warmth, the pieces in These Precious Days resonate deep in the soul, leaving an indelible mark—and demonstrate why Ann Patchett is one of the most celebrated writers of our time.