A riveting debut novel about a family escaping Czechoslovakia after the 1948 Communist takeover--based on the author's own family history. Anna's father disappeared months ago. He had to flee the country because the cruel new Communist government wanted to arrest him. The Communists may have arrived like heroes at the end of World War II, saving Czechoslovakia from the Nazis--but since then, things have changed. Now Anna's whole family feels threatened and doesn't know whom to trust, so she and her mother and sister set out to escape, hoping to reunite with Papa. During their dangerous journey, they have to hide from the authorities and navigate through the wilderness, constantly relying on people they've never met for help. They have no way to contact Papa and they're running out of options, so putting their lives in the hands of strangers might be their only hope of seeing him again.

From two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo comes a story of discovering who you are — and deciding who you want to be. When Louisiana Elefante’s granny wakes her up in the middle of the night to tell her that the day of reckoning has arrived and they have to leave home immediately, Louisiana isn’t overly worried. After all, Granny has many middle-of-the-night ideas. But this time, things are different. This time, Granny intends for them never to return. Separated from her best friends, Raymie and Beverly, Louisiana struggles to oppose the winds of fate (and Granny) and find a way home. But as Louisiana’s life becomes entwined with the lives of the people of a small Georgia town — including a surly motel owner, a walrus-like minister, and a mysterious boy with a crow on his shoulder — she starts to worry that she is destined only for good-byes. (Which could be due to the curse on Louisiana's and Granny’s heads. But that is a story for another time.) Called “one of DiCamillo’s most singular and arresting creations” by The New York Times Book Review, the heartbreakingly irresistible Louisiana Elefante was introduced to readers in Raymie Nightingale — and now, with humor and tenderness, Kate DiCamillo returns to tell her story.

The narrative contains twists and turns which are unforeseen and traverses true crime scenes, missing persons, addictions, and mystical and unbelievable experiences which become quite believable. She was able to take the talent that she was born with - and hers was as unconventional and ill received as it comes - and make a life and a living with it. She inspires readers to live in the integrity of who they truly are. Readers see themselves in her struggles and triumphs; the most frequent remark is “this is my story.”

It's night and the dark is filled with strange sounds as Shane makes his way home. On a fence he finds a stray cat that at first growls and spits at him. But Shane talks and strokes the kitten to calmness, and decides to take the 'Spitfire, Kitten Number One,' home with him. No gang of boys, or avenue of dense traffic, or fierce dog can stop Shane carrying his new found friend to the place he calls home. Greg Rogers' sensitive use of charcoal and pastel create Shane and his cat in splendid city-at-night time scenes.

Find Your Way Home! What is keeping YOU from coming home to your family? Are you a working parent looking for a way to leave the paid workforce to become a stay-at-home parent? Or, are you a stay-at-home parent looking for a way to successfully maintain your home-based lifestyle? Whether you are currently at home, or in the process of looking for a way to come home, this is the book for you. Finding Your Way Home offers comprehensive step-by-step strategies to help you plan and implement an exit from the workforce, and create a sustainable life at home with your family. In this book, you will: - Learn why a stay-at-home parent is so beneficial to children of all ages. - Discover how having a parent at home can improve your health, marriage, family life, and yes, even your budget! - Analyze your options for working: full-time, part-time, home-based business, free-lance, or stay-at-home parenting full-time. - Learn how to cut household expenses. - Create a new one-income household budget. - Conquer fear and turn in your resignation! - Maintain your self-esteem and overcome resistance once at home. - Create new home-based routines and become a successful household manager. - Create a safe haven: a relaxed, secure, and sustainable home-based lifestyle for the whole family! Based on the author's extensive research, interviews with dozens of parents and her highly personal account of her own struggle to find her way home, this book offers everything a parent needs to come home successfully. Finding Your Way Home will be referred to again and again as you transition to the calmer, less hurried, and family-focused lifestyle of your dreams.

I had asked the ultimate question; what is Life before and so now my prayers were being answered. I was about to find out for myself. Never imagined this is how God was going to capture my heart but he did and so the journey begun. This provided insight on how God healed my broken heart as he mended and repaired my being. At first it felt like I went in for an open heart surgery and I was not on any medication so every single thing that was touched on I really felt it. As painful as some of the things done to me in the past felt, I came to understand that was the reason why my Lord was there so I chose to allow Him into my life for healing to begin. It was in Him to give and so a new heart was provided for me to be able to live pain free. As I accepted the gift I was given I felt the heart beat like never before. A tear drop rolled down my cheek and I knew I was transformed. I came to find out it was new life in me. I was coming out a new person, a new being who was no longer conformed to the world but renewed, enlightened & enriched. I woke up and realized I was no longer sleeping beauty as I got the awakening. To me that was healing from the house of heaven. I was now free from heartache, no longer day dreaming but living the dream. The documentary touches on life experiences and showcases a woman's journey as she worked to free herself from oppression rebuilding her life to make it out of the wilderness alive. It turned out to be a journey of a lifetime.

The author, a travel writer and actor, delivers a memoir about how travel helped him become the man he wanted to be, helping him overcome life-long fears and confront his resistance to commitment. From time immemorial, travel has been a pursuit of passion, from adventurers of old seeking gold or new lands, to today's spiritual and pleasure seekers who follow in the footsteps of Elizabeth Gilbert. Some see travel as a form of light-hearted escapism while others believe it has the power to open your mind, forcing you to confront your demons, and discover your true self. The author belongs to this second category of traveler. His memoir follows his excursions to Patagonia, the Amazon, Costa Rica, Baltimore, Vienna, Kilimanjaro, Dublin, and beyond. He uses his wanderlust to examine his motives and desires, and explore his ambivalence about commitment. He ponders his personal life, his acting career, and his impulse to leave home, all building toward one of the most significant moments of his life: his wedding day. His message about the transformative power of travel is universal, and his exploration of the nature and passion of relationships, both fleeting and enduring, strikes a chord with every man and woman who has ever wondered at the vicissitudes of the human heart.