A New York City couple embarks on a comedic journey as they relocate to Tuscany, navigating the challenges and joys of adjusting to a new life in Italy. Their true-life adventure captures the charm of the Italian landscape while highlighting the cultural quirks and humorous experiences that come with their transition. The story blends humor with heartfelt moments, making it a delightful read for anyone dreaming of a fresh start in a picturesque setting.
Zana Muhsen, born and bred in Birmingham, is of Yemeni origin. When her father told her she was to spend a holiday with relatives in North Yemen, she jumped at the chance. Aged 15 and 13 respectively, Zana and her sister discovered that they had been literally sold into marriage, and that on their arrival they were virtually prisoners. They had to adapt to a completely alien way of life, with no running water, dung-plastered walls, frequent beatings, and the ordeal of childbirth on bare floors with only old women in attendance. After eight years of misery and humiliation Zana succeeded in escaping, but her sister is still there, and it seems likely that she will now never leave the country where she has spent more than half her life. This is an updated edition of Zana's account of her experiences.
Here are the true facts behind Richards' battles with his demons: the women, the drugs and the love-hate-relationship with Jagger.His struggle with heroin and his status as the rock star most likely to die in the 1970s.His scarcely believable rebirth as a family man in the 1980s.Illuminated with revealing quotes and thoughtful insights into the man behind the band that goes on forever.
Thirty-nine-year-old Sirine, never married, lives with a devoted Iraqi-immigrant uncle and an adoring dog named King Babar. She works as a chef in a Lebanese restaurant, her passions aroused only by the preparation of food—until an unbearably handsome Arabic literature professor starts dropping by for a little home cooking. Falling in love brings Sirene's whole heart to a boil—stirring up memories of her parents and questions about her identity as an Arab American.
Crib mates, raised together from birth, narrator Raheen and her best friend Karim dream each other's dreams, finish each other's sentences, speak in a language of anagrams. They share an idyllic childhood in upper-class Karachi with parents who are also best friends, even once engaged to the other until they rematched in what they jokingly call the fiancee swap. The night Karim's family migrates from Karachi to London, Raheen knows that some of my tears were his tears and some of his tears were mine. But as distance and adolescence split them apart, Karim takes refuge in the rationality of maps while Raheen searches for the secret behind her parents' exchange. What she uncovers takes us back two decades to reveal a story not just of a family's turbulent history but that of a country, and brings us forward to a grown-up Raheen and Karim drawn back to each other in the city that is their true home
La campagna del Surrey, 1921. La magione del colonnello Fletcher è investita da un uragano di violenza. Il colonnello e tutta la sua famiglia vengono selvaggiamente assassinati. Per la polizia locale si tratta di un tentativo di furto finito in tragedia ma per l'ispettore Madden di Scotland Yard le cose sono andate in modo diverso. Dagli indizi raccolti sulla scena del delitto intuisce qualcosa di più oscuro e terribile, una sorta di rito di sangue originato nei meandri di una mente sconvolta. Una follia che gli ricorda la brutalità dei campi di battaglia della Prima guerra mondiale, uno scenario da incubo che ben conosce e che ha lasciato anche in lui strascichi angoscianti.
Isaac Amin è in carcere, accusato di spionaggio per essere ebreo in un Iran dominato dal regime islamico. I suoi compagni di prigionia ricevono notizie dell'esecuzione sommaria dei loro familiari. A Isaac è negato ogni contatto con l'esterno; può solo amarli da lontano e augurare loro una buona vita. Farnaz osserva un giornale aperto su un articolo che il marito probabilmente non ha mai finito di leggere. Ripensa all'ultima sera trascorsa insieme, sprecata in una discussione sulle condizioni sempre più allarmanti del Paese, un argomento che lui odiava. A Brooklyn, Parviz lavora nel negozio di cappelli del suo padrone di casa per pagare l'università e l'affitto. Strano che, tra tante ragazze, si sia innamorato della figlia del padrone, Rachel, timida e molto religiosa. Parviz, incapace di tanta fede, sembra delegare a lei le sue preghiere per la salvezza del padre lontano. Shirin non ama i maghi e i trucchi che fanno sparire le cose e le persone, come la teiera d'argento e l'anello con lo zaffiro della mamma, scomparsi misteriosamente. Le dicono che sono solo fuori posto, ma Shirin teme che sia successo lo stesso a suo padre, scomparso da giorni. Sperando che un giorno torni, immagina di rivederlo nella poltrona di pelle, circondato dai suoi libri e dalle sigarette, mentre la mamma gli versa il tè dalla teiera d'argento, di nuovo con l'anello al dito.
Lillian would say she's no trouble, content to let the days go by. She'd rather not recall the past and, at 72, doesn't see much point in thinking too much about the future. But when her closed existence is suddenly shattered by a random act of violence she is catapulted abruptly out of her exile.
Che cosa succede quando vedi la persona che ami cambiare radicalmente sotto i tuoi occhi? Tutto nasce da un semplice favore che una moglie chiede a suo marito durante una giornata qualsiasi. Siamo a Copenaghen, inizi Novecento: entrambi stanno dipingendo nel loro atelier, lui realizza paesaggi velati dalla nebbia del Nord; lei ritrae su enormi tele i ricchi committenti della borghesia cittadina. Proprio per completare uno di questi lavori, il ritratto di una nota cantante d'opera, Greta domanda al marito di posare in abiti femminili. Da principio Einar è riluttante, ma presto viene completamente sedotto dal morbido contatto della stoffa sulla sua pelle. Via via che si abbandona a questa esperienza, il giovane entra in un universo sconosciuto, provando un piacere che né lui né Greta avrebbero mai potuto sospettare. Quel giorno Einar ha un'autentica rivelazione: scopre infatti che la sua anima è divisa in due e forse lo è stata sempre: da una parte l'artista malinconico e innamorato di sua moglie, dall'altra Lili, una donna mossa da un prepotente bisogno di vivere... Ispirandosi alla storia vera di Lili Elbe, una pioniera nel mondo transgender, David Ebershoff ha scritto un romanzo estremamente delicato e commovente su una delle storie d'amore più appassionate del Novecento.
In Death at La Fenice, Donna Leonâe(tm)s first novel in the Commissario Brunetti series, readers were introduced to the glamorous and cut-throat world of opera and to one of Italyâe(tm)s finest living sopranos, Flavia Petrelli âe" then a suspect in the poisoning of a renowned German conductor. Now, many years after Brunetti cleared her name, Flavia has returned to the illustrious La Fenice to sing the lead in Tosca. As an opera superstar, Flavia is well acquainted with attention from adoring fans and aspiring singers. But when one anonymous admirer inundates her with bouquets of yellow roses âe" on stage, in her dressing room and even inside her locked apartment âe" it becomes clear that this fan has become a potentially dangerous stalker. Distraught, Flavia turns to an old friend for help. Familiar with Flaviaâe(tm)s melodramatic temperament, Commissario Brunetti is at first unperturbed by her story, but when another young opera singer is attacked he begins to think Flaviaâe(tm)s fears may be justified. In order to keep his friend out of danger, Brunetti must enter the psyche of an obsessive fan and find the culprit before anyone comes to harm.
A woman's cryptic dying words in a Venetian hospice lead Guido Brunetti to uncover a regional threat in this haunting tale. When Dottoressa Donato informs the Questura about a dying patient wishing to speak to the police, Commissario Brunetti and his colleague, Claudia Griffoni, respond promptly. Benedetta Toso gasps about her deceased husband, Vittorio Fadalto, claiming, "They killed him. It was bad money. I told him no." Despite uncertainty about her awareness, Brunetti assures her they will investigate what seems to be a private tragedy. They learn Fadalto collected contamination samples for a company monitoring Venice's water quality and died in a mysterious motorcycle accident. While briefly distracted by Vice Questore Patta's focus on youth crime, Brunetti benefits from the research skills of Patta's secretary, Signora Elettra Zorzi. As he untangles the threads of the case, Brunetti realizes the gravity of the woman's accusation and the broader implications for the region's health. However, justice remains ambiguous, echoing the complexities of guilt and responsibility, themes that resonate throughout the narrative, as Brunetti seeks solace in Aeschylus's The Eumenides.
1886, autunno. L'accordatore di piano Edgar Drake riceve una strana richiesta dal Ministero della Guerra britannico: deve lasciare sua moglie e la sua tranquilla vita londinese per trasferirsi nella giungla birmana e accordare un raro esemplare di pianoforte Érard. Lo strumento appartiene al colonnello medico Carroll, comandante dai metodi poco ortodossi di un avamposto dell'esercito inglese in una zona sperduta e ostile della Birmania. Nel suo viaggio attraverso l'Europa, il Mar Rosso e l'India, Edgar Drake incontra strani e coloriti personaggi. Per "Publishers Weekly" il romanzo ricorda al tempo stesso Conrad, Memorie di una geisha e Il paziente inglese .
Interconnected stories explore the complexities of a Long Island family, delving into themes of magic and reality. The narrative weaves together haunting and thought-provoking elements, showcasing the author's signature style. Each tale reveals deep emotional connections and the intricate dynamics that shape family relationships, inviting readers to reflect on the nature of love, loss, and the ties that bind.
The author of the bestselling Under the Tuscan Sun expands her horizons to immerse herself--and her readers--in the sights, aromas, and treasures of 12 new special places, in this illuminating and passionate book that is also a celebration of the allure of travel.
From the 2013 Orange Prize-winning author of May We Be ForgivenOnly a work of such searing, meticulously controlled brilliance could provoke such a wide range of visceral responses. Here is the incredible story of an imprisoned pedophile who is drawn into an erotically charged correspondence with a nineteen-year-old suburban coed. As the two reveal—and revel in—their obsessive desires, Homes creates in The End of Alice a novel that is part romance, part horror story, at once unnerving and seductive.
This novel of sex, secrecy, and escape explores the truth about love and sex. Following the sexual awakening of its female protagonist who gradually becomes embroiled in a world of fantasy and recklesness, it will make readers question whether it is ever entirely possible to know another person.
Een hooggeplaatste officier van de Russische geheime dienst vlucht met belangrijke informatie naar Engeland en is bereid die prijs te geven op voorwaarde dat zijn vrouw en dochter uit de Sovjet Unie worden gesmokkeld.
De verhalen van Stephen Dobyns doen denken aan die van Roald Dahl, vooral vanwege de passie voor het onverwachte, voor groteske gebeurtenissen, ironie en de minutieuze ontleding van menselijke gedragingen.
De personages in Het bloedoffer zijn vogelaars. Of ze nu in een café zitten, slapen of uitgaan, zodra hun pieper afgaat met nieuws over een nieuwe locatie van een bijzondere vogel, wringen Bish, de mooie, roodharige Stevie Red Bus en de rest van de groep zich in een oude bestelwagen op weg naar de ultieme kick. Ze zijn eigenlijk verslaafden: zeldzame vogels zijn hun favoriete drug. De rest van het leven van deze twintigers stelt niet zoveel voor: Stevie is kunstenares maar verdient haar geld met het maken van illustraties, Bish speelt in een band, en de hoofdpersoon maakt de huizen van rijke Londenaars schoon. Pas als de heimelijke liefde van de hoofdpersoon voor Stevie eindelijk wordt beantwoord, lijkt het echte leven te beginnen. Ongepolijst, maar ook lyrisch en intens spannend maakt Het bloedoffer korte metten met onze opvattingen over obsessies.
Een vrouw raakt verzeild in een internationaal spionagespel...
238pagine
9 ore di lettura
Een medewerkster van de Engelse geheime dienst wordt naar Amerika gestuurd om te onderzoeken of de beschuldigingen die geuit zijn tegen de Britse consul aldaar, op waarheid berusten.
Als een gescheiden Tunesische vrouw in Parijs kamermeisje wordt van een veeleisende gravin, heeft ze door haar warmte en grote intuïtie positieve invloed op haar omgeving.
