In the matriarchal society of Kura, women select mates every Fall at the Bonding from among the men who journey there from other villages. One woman will make a choice that will eventually undermine the whole cultural foundation of Kura. Set 500000 years ago in Africa.

What if women had a means to protect themselves from violent men and administer punishment? What if there existed a secret feminist organization, Telea, equipped with unlimited resources, dedicated to women’s empowerment and protection? This is the tale of Telea and its leader, the Mother of Stones, spanning from its inception during the Mesolithic era to the present, facing challenges, and concluding in a future where society has evolved significantly. This novel blends speculative fiction with elements of fantasy and science fiction, inviting readers to envision a better world for women, men, and children. Avelina da Silveira narrates with an intimate tone, akin to sharing a story with a friend. It begins with the account of a dying woman named N ́kura, who lived 11 thousand years ago. N ́kura discovers a collection of nanobots, resembling a beautiful stone, becoming the first Mother of Stones. From her lineage, future Mothers of Stones are chosen. The protagonist resides in our contemporary era, selected to assume the role of the Mother of Stones, eventually triggering a profound and transformative upheaval in humanity. This narrative lingers in the reader’s mind well beyond the final page, courtesy of the ethical dilemmas it presents and the myriad possibilities it encourages readers to contemplate.

Authoritative recounting of myths and legends — gods and creation, nature and supernatural, love and war, revenge, more — plus a lively commentary on Polynesian life and culture. 77 illustrations.

Written in the early 1890s, this play became the most widely performed New Zealand play in the country's history. It was designed around spectacular scenery and special effects, including a three-dimensional representation of the Pink Terraces and a realistic and technically demanding recreation of the Tarawera eruption.

Ghost stories are always in conversation with novelistic modes with which they are contemporary. This book examines examples from Sir Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, Henry James and Rudyard Kipling, amongst others, to the end of the twentieth century, looking at how they address empire, class, property, history and trauma.

Classic works from Noh, Kyogen, and Kabuki theaters Nothing reflects the beauty of life as much as Japanese theater. It is here that reality is held suspended and the mind is filled with words, music, dance, and mysticism. In this groundbreaking book, Professor A.L. Sadler's translations come alive, bringing the mysteries of Noh, Kyogen, and Kabuki to modern readers worldwide. This influential classic provides a cross-section of Japanese theater that gives the reader a sampler of its beauty and power. Sadler includes 40 plays spanning the following three genres Noh--As the oldest form of Japanese drama, Noh is remarkable for its unique staging. It has a powerful ability to create a world that represents the iconic attributes that the Japanese hold in the highest esteem: family, patriotism, and honor. Kyogen--Kyogen plays provide comic relief and typically center around the inversion of social hierarchies. Oftentimes, they are performed between the serious and stoic Noh plays. Similarly, Sadler's translated Kyogen pieces are layered between the Noh and the Kabuki plays in this book. Kabuki -- The Kabuki plays were the theater of the common people of Japan and are characterized by visual spectacle. The course of time has given them the patina of folk art, making them precious cultural relics of Japan. Sadler selected these pieces for translation because of their lighter subject matter and relatively upbeat endings. These plays are more linear in their telling and pedestrian in the lessons learned, and show the difficulties of being in love when a society is bent on conformity and paternal rule. The end result found in Japanese Plays is a wonderful selection of classic Japanese dramatic literature sure to enlighten and delight.