Early English Literature

The early fiction of one of the nation’s most celebrated writers, Truman Capote, as he takes his first bold steps into the canon of American literature Recently rediscovered in the archives of the New York Public Library, these short stories provide an unparalleled look at Truman Capote...

The Early Birds is the feel-good and funny follow-up to The Future Homemakers of America that proves that no matter what life throws at you, great friends and regular cocktails will always see you through. In this hymn to lifelong female friendship, Peggy soldiers on through new upheavals, including her ex-husband Vern's Alzheimer's diagnosis, the death of one of her nearest and dearest, a life-changing house move and the world-shattering events of 9/11.

Before Jack Kerouac expressed the spirit of a generation in his 1957 classic On the Road, he spent years figuring out how he wanted to live and, above all, learning how to write. Atop an Underwood brings together more than sixty previously unpublished works that Kerouac wrote before he was twenty-two, ranging from stories and poems to plays and parts of novels, including an excerpt from his 1943 merchant marine novel, The Sea Is My Brother. These writings reveal what Kerouac was thinking, doing, and dreaming during his formative years and reflect his primary literary influences.

The story opens with a poem and a premonition just outside Ft. Lewis in the early days of World War II. Young newlywed Maudie Cameron watches her husband and others around her do their part to help on the home front. Feeling left out, she is determined to help with the war effort in the only way she can: she becomes a landlady and rents out one-room cabins and a trailer that resides on her secluded property.

While serving in Vietnam, Larry Braden finds himself in a horrific situation that offers him his only way out of the war sane and alive. By staging his death and taking the identity of a dead soldier, he leaves with no plan other than to get out of the country. He embarks on a journey that leads to a diversity of adventures in many places seizing opportunities as they arise.

Portraits of generations of family members line a great hall in the lavish home of the Pentlands; a wealthy upper-class family who were among the first settlers in the fictional town of Durham, New England. Members of the family desperately try to keep their prestigious reputation alive while the world around them is changing. This classic novel by Louis Bromfield was published in 1926 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1927. His perspective of the social norms of his day is as relevant in today’s world as it was then, and his rich language shines just as bright.

While the snow swirls outdoors and the fire crackles in the hearth, Mr. Putter decides to write a mystery book. But he soon learns that writing isn't as easy as he thought it would be.

Rich with unforgettable characters and history, intricately plotted and utterly absorbing, City of Dreams is a stirring saga of early Manhattan and the beginnings of medical science told by a master storyteller.

The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws. In this glorious celebration of observation, curiosity, and imagination, Brendan Wenzel shows us the many lives of one cat and how perspective shapes what we see. When you see a cat, what do you see?

He was deeply religious and the greatest warrior of his time, but... He married a nun who was the King of England's sister. He stood trial for treason twice. The King wanted him dead at any cost. He conquered England and founded Parliament.

Gabriela Sanchez had everything within her reach. She was a star student with an IQ she didn't know the extent of. Though jaded from her upbringing, her need for a better life outweighed the pain. She continued forward, the wounds of her past hidden beneath her flesh. When the opportunity to pave a better path arose, she leaped, knowing her brilliance would be her key. Yet, her IQ could never have prepared her for what came with her new freedom. Maximo De La Cruz. What starts as a chase buds into something new. A cat and mouse, excited for the chase. Does he catch her, or will she get away?

Ever wonder how normal people fell prey to a monster? Find out by listening to Achim's Story, based on the life of one of the few people who survived the sinking of the Steuben by the Russians in February 1945. Four thousand people perished in the Baltic Sea. This is believed to be the third greatest loss of life at sea after the Gustloff and the Goya. Joachim Wedekind zur Horst was interviewed and quoted in the February 2005 National Geographic article "Ghost Ship" about the sinking and finding of the Steuben.

Nyah: As a journalist her life relies on facts. Right: As a protector his job is to keep those facts hidden. When lines get blurred and things aren’t what they appear to be, the only thing you can trust is what you can feel: Vibration.

This delightful true story, written in the first person by the spouse of the title character, will have readers reliving their own pasts. Baby boomers will surely savor references to the pop culture, history, and politics of their collective youth as they get caught up in the personal lives of the author and his spouse. In an afternoon you will learn how a speeding ticket and an interest in four-part a cappella harmony intersected with the Cold War to start the protagonists on the road to holy matrimony.

Many readers of the Book of Mormon consider Captain Moroni one of their favorite heroes due to his strength of character and devotion to liberty and freedom. This story is not just a story of war. It is a love story, a story of family and devotion. A story of dissentions and treachery. It is a story of learning.

When his friends aren’t successful at spooking the children who visit the haunted house, Gus must present his unique superpowers to give them a scare!

It's the early days of the American Civil War, and Reuben Cole is serving as a scout in the Union Army. Posted to a remote fort, the Army of the Potomac, under General McClellan, is attempting an ambitious assault on confederate positions, in the hopes of turning their flank and bringing the war to a swift end. Cole is assigned to track down a ruthless bunch of raiders, hell-bent on killing as many of the Northern Blues as they can.

Termed the Uncle Tom's Cabin of the southwestern Indians and the first protest novel of California, Ramona is the story of 3 cultures - Indian, Mexican, and Anglo - locked in combat. The upheaval and injustice are humanized through the romance of a beautiful half-Indian orphan who grow up as the ward of Señora Moreno in privileged surroundings, then falls in love with an Indian and joins him in a life of poverty and tragedy. The Ramona Pageant in Hemet, California, based on this romance, has played each year since 1923, reenacting the transition period between Mexican traditions and the new U.S. and state governments.

Anne, Duchess of Brittany, is the love of King Louis XII of France's life. Too bad he's already married. While his annulment proceedings create Europe's most sensational scandal of 1498, Anne returns to Brittany to take back control of her duchy that her late husband, Charles VIII, King of France, had wrested from her. At age 21, Anne is sovereign ruler of Brittany as well as Europe's most wealthy widow. But can she maintain Brittany's independence from France if she accepts Louis's offer to make her Queen of France once more?

Bruno Johnson, a newly minted LA County Sheriff Violent Crimes detective, gets the worst assignment possible - infiltrate a sheriff's narcotics team that may be involved in murder for hire. Gain their trust and be brought into the scheme. If he succeeds, he will have to arrest and testify against his fellow deputies - if he lives that long. To make matters worse, before Bruno leaves home on the first day of this assignment, he answers the door to find an ex-girlfriend. Without explanation, she hands him a baby girl only weeks old. The child is his.