For the last eight years of his life, Thomas Wolfe worked periodically on a series of chapters that were part of a huge work-in-progress. The work was based loosely on the early life of New York stage and costume designer Aline Bernstein, with whom Wolfe

Tells of Esther Jack and her circle of friends in turn-of-the-century New York.

Standing beside Elise’s grave, Siobhan Montrell remembers how her mother finally blew the perfect smoke ring on the day that Elise disappeared. Remembers the day that would change and define her life forever. The toddler's body was found in the river near Gables Guesthouse. Only eleven years old at the time, Siobhan has carried the guilt of Elise’s death with her since that day. Twenty-eight years later, Siobhan returns to Rachley Island, having inherited Gables -- guesthouse and family home -- from her aunt. Cleaning the property to prepare it for sale, she discovers an old book in which her aunt used to draw and write, revealing the truth about the tragic drowning. The River Child is a tale of grief and guilt, deceit and secrets, and ultimately forgiveness.

A timeless coming-of-age tale of heartbreak and triumph set in South Africa at the dawn of apartheid. Persomi is young, white, and poor, born the middle child of illiterate sharecroppers on the prosperous Fourie farm in the South African Bushveld. Persomi’s world is extraordinarily small. She has never been to the local village and spends her days absorbed in the rhythms of the natural world around her, escaping the brutality and squalor of her family home through the newspapers and books passed down to her from the main house and through her walks in the nearby mountains. Persomi’s close relationship with her older brother Gerbrand and her fragile friendship with Boelie Fourie—heir to the Fourie farm and fortune—are her lifeline and her only connection to the outside world. When Gerbrand leaves the farm to fight on the side of the Anglos in WWII and Boelie joins an underground network of Boer nationalists, Persomi’s isolated world is blown wide open. But as her very small world falls apart, bigger dreams open to her—dreams of an education, a profession, a native country that values justice and equality, and of love. As Persomi navigates the changing landscape around her—the tragedies of war and the devastating racial strife of her homeland—she finally discovers who she truly is, where she belongs, and why her life—and every life—matters. The English language publication of Child of the River solidifies Irma Joubert as a unique and powerful voice in historical fiction. “Filled with lessons of grace and love, Child of the River is a story that reminds us all to hold steady through life’s most fragile hours.” —Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of Perennials

A powerful exploration of grief and resilience following the death of the author's son that combines memoir, reportage, and lessons in how to heal Everyone deals with grief in their own way. Helen Macdonald found solace in training a wild gos­hawk. Cheryl Strayed found strength in hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. For Carol Smith, a Pulitzer Prize­ nominated journalist struggling with the sudden death of her seven-year-old son, Christopher, the way to cross the river of sorrow was through work. In Crossing the River, Smith recounts how she faced down her crippling loss through reporting a series of profiles of people coping with their own intense chal­lenges, whether a life-altering accident, injury, or diag­nosis. These were stories of survival and transformation, of people facing devastating situations that changed them in unexpected ways. Smith deftly mixes the stories of these individuals and their families with her own account of how they helped her heal. General John Shalikashvili, once the most powerful member of the American military, taught Carol how to face fear with discipline and endurance. Seth, a young boy with a rare and incurable illness, shed light on the totality of her son's experiences, and in turn helps readers see that the value of a life is not measured in days. Crossing the River is a beautiful and profoundly moving book, an unforgettable journey through grief toward hope, and a valuable, illuminating read for anyone coping with loss.

Halfway Across the River is a compilation of fascinating stories that detail Dr. Annette Childs's nearly twenty years of work with they dying. From deathbed visions, to messages sent from beyond the veil, these poignant tales offer a perfect blend of truth, mystery, and wonder. Readers will find themselves misty with emotion one moment, and dissolving into laughter the next. Indeed, Halfway Across the River achieves a nearly perfect balance between the mundane and the extraordinary. The true accounts Dr. Childs describes are meant to bring peace to the dying, hope to the grieving, and true food for thought to the rest of us. Halfway Across the River evolved in response to the unlikely relationship between Dr. Childs and Don Borwhat. Mr. Borwhat was the skeptical husband of one of Annette's dear friends, Margaret, who died in 2006. For years Don had sarcastically referred to Annette as the Godwoman' due to the skeptical eye he cast toward what he calls the foo foo' philosophies that she shared with his dying wife. After Margaret's death, Don's world is turned upside down by an extraordinary foo foo' event, the type he had spent his entire adult life scorning. As his previous worldview crumbled around him, he was left no choice but to sheepishly approach Dr. Childs for a bit of spiritual tutelage. Dons cantankerous attitude is a fine balance to the ethereal world in which Dr. Childs has one foot firmly planted. Let the Godwoman and the skeptical businessman take you along on their journey toward understanding the astonishing messages that Don's beloved wife Margaret, so eloquently sends to him from the other side. It is a ride you will not soon forget!

In this hilarious modern spoof of a favorite holiday song, the trip to Grandfather's house is no peaceful sleigh ride!