Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Mandell, authors with nearly thirty years of experience teaching college writing, know what works in the classroom and have a knack for picking just the right readings. In Patterns for College Writing, they provide students with exemplary rhetorical models and instructors with class-tested selections that balance classic and contemporary essays. Along with more examples of student writing than any other reader, Patterns has the most comprehensive coverage of active reading, research, and the writing process, with a five-chapter mini-rhetoric; the clearest explanations of the patterns of development; and the most thorough apparatus of any rhetorical reader, all reasons why Patterns for College Writing is the best-selling reader in the country. And the new edition includes exciting new readings and expanded coverage of critical reading, working with sources, and research. It is now available as an interactive Bedford e-book and in a variety of other e-book formats that can be downloaded to a computer, tablet, or e-reader. Read the preface.

“An extraordinary novel . . . a triumph of insight and storytelling.” —Associated Press “A true masterpiece.” —Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed An extraordinary story set in the first century about a woman who finds her voice and her destiny, from the celebrated number one New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings In her mesmerizing fourth work of fiction, Sue Monk Kidd takes an audacious approach to history and brings her acclaimed narrative gifts to imagine the story of a young woman named Ana. Raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee, she is rebellious and ambitious, with a brilliant mind and a daring spirit. She engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes narratives about neglected and silenced women. Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her. An encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus changes everything. Their marriage evolves with love and conflict, humor and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers, and their mother, Mary. Ana's pent-up longings intensify amid the turbulent resistance to Rome's occupation of Israel, partially led by her brother, Judas. She is sustained by her fearless aunt Yaltha, who harbors a compelling secret. When Ana commits a brazen act that puts her in peril, she flees to Alexandria, where startling revelations and greater dangers unfold, and she finds refuge in unexpected surroundings. Ana determines her fate during a stunning convergence of events considered among the most impactful in human history. Grounded in meticulous research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus's life that focuses on his humanity, The Book of Longings is an inspiring, unforgettable account of one woman's bold struggle to realize the passion and potential inside her, while living in a time, place and culture devised to silence her. It is a triumph of storytelling both timely and timeless, from a masterful writer at the height of her powers.

A transcendent tale of a woman's self-discovery—the New York Times–bestselling second work of fiction by the author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Book of Longings Inside the church of a Benedictine monastery on Egret Island, just off the coast of South Carolina, resides a beautiful and mysterious chair ornately carved with mermaids and dedicated to a saint who, legend claims, was a mermaid before her conversion. When Jessie Sullivan is summoned home to the island to cope with her eccentric mother’s seemingly inexplicable behavior, she is living a conventional life with her husband, Hugh, a life “molded to the smallest space possible.” Jessie loves Hugh, but once on the island, she finds herself drawn to Brother Thomas, a monk about to take his final vows. Amid a rich community of unforgettable island women and the exotic beauty of marshlands, tidal creeks, and majestic egrets, Jessie grapples with the tension of desire and the struggle to deny it, with a freedom that feels overwhelmingly right, and with the immutable force of home and marriage. Is the power of the mermaid chair only a myth? Or will it alter the course of Jessie’s life? What happens will unlock the roots of her mother’s tormented past, but most of all, it will allow Jessie to discover selfhood and a place of belonging as she explores the thin line between the spiritual and the erotic.

Presents biographies of twenty-four rock groupies in their own words, including Tura Satana, Miss Mercy, Cynthia Plaster Caster, and Miss B.

Although she is the most popular novelist in history, with over two billion books sold worldwide, Agatha Christie lived a life shrouded in secrecy and fueled by curiosity. Nearly as notorious for her aversion to the press as she was for her 80 books and collections of short stories, Christie made no secret of her need for privacy. Utilizing over 5,000 previously unpublished letters, notes, and documents, award-winning biographer Richard Hack allows Christie to write again, 33 years after her death. Duchess of Death is her story, as full of romance, travel, wealth, and scandal as any mystery Christie ever crafted. There have been numerous biographies of the Queen of Crime, all of which claim to be definitive. However, Duchess of Death is the first to draw from such an enormous number of previously unpublished correspondence and notes, effectively establishing it as the most authoritative, penetrating look at the personal and literary life of Christie.

What does it look like to parent well in today’s world? In today’s complex world, parenting is a tough job regardless of whether your child is a baby or a teenager. Beyond the difficulties of navigating the changing world we live in, there are also the daily frictions of imperfect people sharing a home together. In 7 Traits of Effective Parenting, Daniel P. Huerta offers hope and parenting guidance for you to become a thriving parent. Based on extensive research, Huerta presents a collection of seven powerful character traits designed to help parents grow and thrive as they take on the task of nurturing and raising kids. Parents will be encouraged to navigate family life with grace and love so that their kids ultimately see God’s transformative power, love, and influence. In this book, parents will learn the necessity of adaptabilitythe foundational nature of respectthe importance of intentionalitywhy parenting requires steadfast love and connectionto set healthy boundarieshow to keep imperfections from hurting your relationship with your kids

Feelings, fears, friendships, insecurities, passions. All of us go through these intense emotional experiences, and the start of it all, without the shadow of a doubt, is teenagerhood. As we start to realize that we are our own person, many questions inevitably follow, as who we want that person to be, and how to get there. Saania Saxena, the sixteen-year-old author of Teenage Chronicles: My Journey of Self Discovery knows well what she writes about. With curiosity, a bright analytical mind, and the wise humility of someone who knows how much there is to learn from this world – regardless of the age one has reached – she narrates her first-hand life experiences and the consequent lessons she has elaborated and learned, sharing them with her readers. Philosophy and science are no longer intellectual and abstract concepts, but tools to better understand ourselves and ease our journey to self-discovery. A fresh, rich, and interesting work between narrative and essay, providing at the same time entertainment and suggestions to consider. A book recommended not only to teenagers but as well to adults that are still questioning themselves and in need of a fresh and original point of view to improve their self-perception. Saania Saxena is a sixteen-year-old teenager who has lived and studied in Singapore, India, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. As a passionate explorer, she has also traveled to more than thirty different countries across the globe. She maintains a blog on philosophy and her life learnings, with more than 7000 followers. When not writing, Saania likes to bake, grow her flower garden, and ride her horse named Jack. Teenage Chronicles is her first published work.