Showing results by narrator "Barbara Caruso" in All Categories

Moo's simple wish is for "a nice pair of thumbs". It's her longing that leads the cow girls to dress up and dance at the farmer's party. When they're mistaken for the farmer's twin sisters from California, the bovine buddies realize it's time to hoof it right out of the party!

In the early 19th century, Emma, a 51-year-old widow with family far away, fills her loneliness by caring for her guests and sharing her own special blend of wisdom and humor. One stormy night, a rap at her door interrupts her musings. The 80-year-old Widow Leonard is standing in the rain, seeking refuge from her sons' constant bickering. Housing this feisty runaway granny, however, puts Emma in the crosshairs of a family feud.

Based on the success story of a small Seattle coffee shop, this little book is a tasty brew of sound principles and instructive anecdotes. As the coffee shop owner looks for ways to retain his customer base, a consultant helps him focus on what really matters. Authors Yerkes and Decker, renowned for their consulting and business savvy, have done their homework and turned Beans into "a business fable taken from real life".

When tragedy strikes, Emma graciously welcomes the needy to her boarding house. But when two of these guests prove cantankerous, Emma wonders how she and the others will manage. Compounding the turmoil are legal problems that threaten her future. And after her lawyer makes a troubling announcement, Emma must rediscover the true source of her strength.

With more than a score of heartwarming novels to her credit, Karen Kingsbury is a best-selling inspirational author who captivates fans with her tales of triumph over personal tragedy. Halfway to Forever continues the story of Hannah Ryan, the grieving widow who found her way back to God in Waiting for Morning. As Hannah and her new husband, Matthew, confront obstacles while waiting to adopt a child, their best friends must cope with a devastating illness.

Gwyn Hillerman acts as a nurse at her father's medical practice in 1935 rural Alaska. Her family life has been rough ever since her mother, hating Alaska, took Gwyn's younger sister back to Chicago to live. Dr. Jeremiah Vaughan finds his life suddenly turned upside down when his medical license is stripped away after he loses an affluent patient. In a snowball effect, he then loses his engagement to Gwyn's sister, Sophia. When the government decides to send a group of families to Alaska in hopes of making a better life, Dr. Hillerman sends a letter urging Jeremiah to join his practice.

It is the spring of 1885, and wealthy New York socialite Beret Osmundsen has been estranged from her younger sister, Lillie, for a year. Then she gets word from her aunt and uncle that Lillie has died suddenly in Denver. What they do not tell her is that Lillie had become a prostitute and was brutally murdered in the brothel where she had been living. Detective Mick McCauley may not want her involved in the case, but Beret is determined.

Thea Kronberg has a voice that can call down angels and the soul of a Colorado pioneer girl. But as she develops her talents and devotes herself to the life of an artist, she must consider the cost of the creative path she follows. Willa Cather's classic novel is full of the breathtaking beauty of the American frontier and the spirit of the people who live there.

Cecilia Ross is looking for a change. She has decided to take time off from her job as a successful motivational speaker and sell her home. She moves in to a beautiful old house in St. Paul, Minnesota, complete with a big front porch, a wild garden, a chef's kitchen - and three roommates. The four women are different ages, but all are feeling restless, and want to take a roadtrip to find the people and things they miss.

Christy Award winner Ann Tatlock is a top name in inspirational fiction. In Promises to Keep, 11-year-old Rosalind finds 70-year-old Tillie on her front porch - again. Wanting to die in the place where she lived for half a century, Tillie continues leaving her senior living complex and finding her way “home.” Annoyed at first, Rosalind’s mother finally lets Tilly live with them. And when danger nears, Tillie selflessly determines to protect the family she has adopted as her own.

Ian and Glynnis McCullough, intelligent, professional, and successful, are the envy of their affluent friends. But suddenly, an unexpected plea for help and a cancelled check send their tranquility spinning out of control.

In the 1930s, Jill Ker's parents bought a sheep farm on the western plains of New South Wales. In 1944, they lost nearly everything when a drought hit. Forced to leave Coorain, 11-year-old Jill and her mother settled in Sydney where Jill struggled to find a place for herself among Sydney's elite. Her story, both a chronicle of life in the Australian outback and the odyssey of a brilliant woman fighting the constraints of her time, offers a loving view of Australia.

In Beyond the Shadows, Hatcher writes about the serious issue of alcoholism. After her husband dies, Deborah Haskin thinks she will never love again. But then Gideon Clermont enters her life. She does begin to love him very much, but how will she be able to come to terms with his addiction?

Almost anything scares young Eleanor: mice, the dark, and a host of imaginary dangers. But she learns to hide her feelings - her father disapproves of fear, and she longs only to please him. She knows she will always disappoint her beautiful, socialite mother, because Eleanor is painfully shy and plain.

As a young debutante in Manhattan, she spends her days teaching needy children and touring crowded tenements.

Sarah Cain is a strictly modern woman living in Oregon and developing a burgeoning career in real estate. Her sister Ivy left to pursue a Plain life in Amish country 12 years ago. But when Ivy dies, Sarah is shocked to learn that she has been appointed guardian of her sister's five children. Lydia, the eldest, senses major difficulties for the new family.

In 1905, 10-year-old Lavina Cumming hugs her father good-bye and boards a train headed north. She is leaving her father, her five brothers, and her ranch in Arizona Territory to live with her rich aunt in California. With warmth and charm, award-winning author Susan Lowell paints a unique portrait of life in historic California. I Am Lavina Cumming blends adventure, friendship, and southwestern lore into a delightful story that will win the hearts of young listeners everywhere.

“I looked over the edge of the ravine to see somebody there, helpless, barely moving. She lifted her head to look at me and I fled, stumbling, back to my room in Mr. Thiel’s house. Something had followed me there. Something, somebody, tall and dark, wrapped in a cloak, able to move soundlessly through the house." Jean Wainwright, ward of Wainwright Academy’s strict but affectionate headmistress, Miss Constance, was quite unprepared for the strange happenings of that memorable summer, 1894.

In spring, Red sings from treetops: cheer-cheer-cheer, each note dropping like a cherry into my ear. Sleepy Yellow sticks to summer. Yet ocean Blue stays cool and alive. Green fades in fall, turns to dust, and no longer keeps Brown at bay. In winter, Pink blossoms on chilled cheeks. And Black echoes through the still of winter’s night. But spring comes again, and Red returns - flitting and fluttering, bright as a Cardinal bird

In this brilliant narrative, Fleischman re-creates the first great battle of the Civil War from the points of view of sixteen different participants. Through an unflinching narrative of the battle of Bull Run, human faces begin to emerge from the faded pages of history. Read by a varied cast of narrators, the characters on both sides spring to vivid life as they share their feelings as the battle of Bull Run rages around them.

The New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year for 1973 and an ALA Notable Book, The Real Thief is the story of Gawain, a most honorable goose. Trustworthy and proud, Gawain is given the keys to the king’s Royal Treasury and put in charge of security. When rubies begin to disappear, and the world-famous Kalikak diamond vanishes, it looks as if someone is sacking the treasury. Only the king and Gawain have the keys - and why would the king steal from himself?