"Anna Maclean shows us a side of Louisa May Alcott we never suspected in this fascinating new mystery series." Victoria Thompson
In December of 1855, separated from her beloved family and earning her living as a seamstress for a Boston minister, Louisa enounters mediums, restless spirits, murder and the most flamboyant showman of the century, P.T. Barnum.
writing as ANNA MACLEAN, author of the Louisa May Alcott Mystery Series |
The Sweet By and ByWhen Helen West is contracted to write a definitive essay on Maggie Fox, the founder of American Spiritualism, she begins towonder if departed spirits do indeed return to comfort their loved ones. After all, Maggie Fox made a living by convincing people that the dead spoke through her, and attracted to her seances Horace Greelely Mrs. Abraham Lincoln, and other nineteenth century celebrities. But is death the end, after all? Helen confronts these questions in a captivating, haunting novel that weaves together two stories that take place more than one hundred years apart.
"Jeanne Mackin has written a multilayered, multigenerational story of a spirited encounter with the spirit world." Nicholas Delbanco "A sensitive, affectionate, and appealing portrait of Maggie Fox, the undeducated girl who at fourteen escaped rural poverty and a drunken abusive father to become America's first and most famous Spiritualist medium." Alison Lurie "I was swept up in Maggie and Helen's interesting worlds." Diane Ackerman Dreams of Empire
The year is 1799, a time of dreams and a time of conquest, a time of discovery and a time of greed. Fresh from his triumphs in Italy, Napoleon has crossed the Mediterranean Sea dreaming of new worlds to conquer. His journey takes him to Cairo, the seat of an ancient empire - and the center of the Corsican conqueror's hopes for new glory. Marguerite Verdier is an illustrator attached to the contingent of scholars accompanying Napoleon. She views the trip as a way of forgetting the charming philanderer of a husband she has left behind. From Scotland, Lord Elgin, the new British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, also sets sail for Egypt. What these travelers share is the desire for a new beginning - and a legendary treasure lost for thousands of years. "A heady historical...rich in detail, well written and believable" Publisher's Weekly "The author of The Frenchwoman again imaginatively samples French history and here constructs a witty, lightly satirical, entertaining amalgam of murder, greed, and revenge...a richly intelligent and charming spellbinder." Kirkus Reviews The Queen's War
In THE QUEEN'S WAR Jeanne Mackin transports the reader to the royal court of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, at Poitiers. Cast off by her husband, who now shares his bed with his young mistress, Rosamonde, Eleanor presides over her court of love. Aginst a rich tapestry of court intrique, Eleanor's sons go forth to make war against their father, Henry, and Eleanor herself watches and waits, knowing that her safety, her reputation, her very life,is at stake. "a beautifully crafted story in the grand tradition of the classic historical novel" Beatrice Small, author of The Spitfire The FrenchwomanFrom her childhood in the grim slums of pre-revolutionary Paris,Julienne rises to find work as a eamstress and the dangerous attention of Marie Antoinette. Her secret pledges lead her to Azilum in Pennsylvania, a community of exiles awaiting the arrival of their queen. Based on the history of the actual commmunity of French Azilum, this novel portrays a woman's life of astonishing changes, extraordinary adventures, and no little tragedy. Told in vivid reminiscences by Mackin's wonderfully realized character, The Frenchwoman re-creates the two-hundred-year-old events of the French Revolution and the remarkable life of a woman who lived them and who sought "Azilum" in the New World.
"Fast-paced and impassioned" Kirkus reviews "Rich in detail, from descriptions of food and attire to historical personages, this first novel is...entirely believable. mackin is positioned to join the ranks of popular hstorical novelists." Library Journal The Book Of Love
...a panorama of fine writing about love's many moods and majesties, from all the veils of flirtation, seduction, and marriage to the tempests of sluspicions, jealousy, and heartache. Here is a treasury of more than two hundred selections, from Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress" to poems by John Ashbery and Jorie Graham. A delightful mix of the contemporary and the classic. The Cornell Book of Herbs and Edible Flowers
Herbs, according to popular wisdom, can flavor a roast, repel mice, or keep your love true, depending on which problem is most urgent. The herbs and edible flowers included in this book are described with suggested uses, charming notes on their history and legends over the centuries, and points unique to a particular plant. Recipes are included as are gems of thought you'll remember long after you set the book down. This is a book to curl up with for pleasing moments or to use as a practical reference. |
|
