A Place to Belong is a profusely illustrated, intimate, contemporary portrait of Calvert, a three-hundred-year-old fishing village on Newfoundland's southern shore. Often using its residents' own words, Gerald Pocius describes in detail the continual creative encounters between past and present, between individual and community, that make up daily life in Calvert. By accepted standards of tradition, Calvert's culture is declining. Old structures are regularly torn down or renovated; antique household items are replaced with modern conveniences. Pocius argues, however, that the tangible expressions of a culture can be misleading. Calvert's essence is not in the things owned and used by its residents but in the spaces in which those things abide and in the attitudes, values, and obligations that delineate the order of those spaces. From woodlands, water, and fields to yards, gardens, and homes, Calvert's physical and social structure is governed by shared concerns about the community's livelihood and welfare. As a resident of Calvert puts it, "Where you're working in the same space with people you know ... it's just not practical to be falling out with everyone." The sense of community that pervades Calvert is best exemplified by its annual draw for fishing berths. Because productivity varies among offshore fishing grounds, there is no private ownership of fishing rights. Rather, a lottery instituted in 1919 ensures each family the same chances for periodic access to the best fishing berths. The draw continues until all the fishing berths are awarded, but it is common for a family to opt out once they have drawn enough good berths. There are also instances of the most successful fishing operations sharing their catches. From his observations of Calvert's people at work and leisure, Pocius provides evidence to confirm the viability and durability of their culture. He reveals that standard assumptions about culture are inadequate, particularly those based on the primacy of artefacts and on sharp dichotomies between tradition and modernity. Calvert, he shows, belies our notion that declining cultural values and social segmentation are unavoidable side-effects of modernisation and a rise in material well-being. A Place to Belong will promote a constructive scepticism about the ways we perceive and interpret cultures and, most important, will remind us of what it really means to belong to a place.

"Filled with personal experiences and scriptural accounts, this book is incredibly thoughtful. Williams delves deeply into the question of Christian community and asks some tough questions. His answers to bringing about koinonia [spiritual community] are not easy, but are biblically sound. Never trite or simplistic, this book is likely to leave readers feeling validated, not judged. Williams seems to have a good grasp on how to make a community welcoming, supportive and Christ-like." -P. Hooper, US Review of Books

Set against the glorious backdrop of World War Two Ireland, this dramatic, emotional and romantic novel is perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy, Lorna Cook, Tracy Rees and Jenny Ashcroft! 'A romantic saga writer to watch' PETERBOROUGH TELEGRAPH She lost everything in one night. Now she must fight for happiness. It's 1943 and Ireland has escaped the worst of the war raging in Europe, but life is not without its hardships. When fire breaks out at the convent in Cavan where she has spent the past ten years, orphan Eva Fallon barely escapes with her life. She's offered a bed for the night by Ma Scully, whilst her nephew Cathal, visiting from Dublin, helps battle the blaze. Seventeen-year-old Eva has never known such kindness but she's too proud to take advantage, and finds a job at Blackstock's farm, setting in motion a chain of events that will change her life forever. Amidst tragedy and hardship, the only ray of light is the friendship of Ma Scully and her growing, secret love for Cathal. And through it all Eva clings to her hope that one day she will find a place where she can truly belong. Don't miss Cathy Mansell's next powerfully heartrending family saga of three sisters in 1950s Ireland - The Dublin Girls - out now! Here's what readers are saying: 'Glorious - a cross between Maeve Binchy and Catherine Cookson' 5* early reader review 'A superb saga' PETERBOROUGH TELEGRAPH 'A heart-warming story full of characters you'll come to love' ROSIE GOODWIN 'Page-turning and compelling... Most highly recommended' MARGARET KAINE 'Rarely have I read a book where every character springs from the pages so authentically' JEAN CHAPMAN 'A warm-hearted, engaging story' MARGARET JAMES, WRITING MAGAZINE

Twelve-year-old Hanako and her family, reeling from their confinement in an internment camp, renounce their American citizenship to move to Hiroshima, a city devastated by the atomic bomb dropped by Americans.

A guide for families of all backgrounds to celebrate cultural heritage and embrace inclusivity in the home and beyond. Gone are the days when socially conscious parents felt comfortable teaching their children to merely tolerate others. Instead, they are looking for a way to authentically embrace the fullness of their diverse communities. A Place to Belong offers a path forward for families to honor their cultural heritage and champion diversity in the context of daily family life by: • Fostering open dialogue around discrimination, race, gender, disability, and class • Teaching “hard history” in an age-appropriate way • Curating a diverse selection of books and media choices in which children see themselves and people who are different • Celebrating cultural heritage through art, music, and poetry • Modeling activism and engaging in community service projects as a family Amber O’Neal Johnston, a homeschooling mother of four, shows parents of all backgrounds how to create a home environment where children feel secure in their own personhood and culture, enabling them to better understand and appreciate people who are racially and culturally different. A Place to Belong gives parents the tools to empower children to embrace their unique identities while feeling beautifully tethered to their global community.

He’s grumpy and stubborn, but my heart is set on him no matter how hard he tries to push me away. I’ve spent years searching for a place to call home. My most recent stopping point is the small town of Oak Bend, but I get the shock of my life when I arrive at my rental and find a scowling, half-dressed lumberjack-lookalike in the kitchen. Wyatt doesn’t appreciate the misunderstanding or any of my attempts to be his friend. The few times he lets his guard down, he’s kind and fun, but he may as well be holding a permanent sign that says, ‘Keep Away’. Once I do get close to Wyatt, I never want to let him go, but I’m not used to staying in one place, and he’s afraid of having his heart broken. Is a relationship between us doomed from the start? If you loved the charm of Virgin River and the zaniness of Schitt’s Creek, then A PLACE TO BELONG is your next must-read book. Buy now to start reading this feel-good small town romance today!

The Exciting Conclusion to Lauraine Snelling's WILD WEST WIND Series As winter settles over the ranch, the Engstrom brothers are much on the mind of Cassie Lockwood. The way Lucas smiles at her should set her heart to tripping. But it doesn't. Shouldn't there be some attraction to him if they are going to be married? His vow to make her love him does not seem to be working, no matter how considerate and charming he is. Ransom Engstrom is another matter. After Cassie's train trip to a shooting competition, she realizes she misses Ransom more than Lucas. And then there's the look she caught Lucas sending Betsy Hudson at church one Sunday. Are she and Lucas drifting apart? Meanwhile, Ransom has discovered that he cares for Cassie but can't bring himself to express his true feelings to her. When she leaves to join a Wild West show for the summer, will Ransom summon the courage to go after her?

Looking for “a place to belong”? Find it in God’s love! Shared Blessings provides 90 devotional readings from female writers, guaranteed to provide a spiritual boost. This new compilation focuses on God’s kindness and all the good things He provides. Entries from writers past and present provide encouragement to see God at work in daily life, jobs, friendships, and family. With well-known contributors like Sheila Walsh, Thelma Wells, Wanda E. Brunstetter, Hannah Whitall Smith, and Frances Ridley Havergal, Shared Blessings also includes heartfelt entries from women of the Circle of Friends Ministry based in Ohio’s Amish country.

“This is not a time to hunker down and lock our doors. I see clearly that the Lord is calling us out of ourselves, to get up and walk.” —From the Foreword by POPE FRANCIS Drawing on the wisdom of Pope Francis and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Austen Ivereigh has written a captivating spiritual guide for our turbulent age. Designed as an eight-day Ignatian retreat, First Belong to God serves as a roadmap to deeper discipleship. It does this by focusing on the three foundational forms of belonging: to God, to creation, and to others. Structured around the core principles of St. Ignatius’s Spiritual Exercises, First Belong to God encapsulates the key aspects of the Francis pontificate: the essence of being “God-belonging” entities the way God’s mercy challenges our self-reliance the journey to building the Kingdom in the footsteps of Christ heeding the cry of the earth and the stranger striving for fraternity by championing synodality Whether you’re embarking on a solitary spiritual expedition or a journey with like-minded individuals, First Belong to God offers the next best thing to a personal retreat with Pope Francis: a full-soul immersion into his wisdom via the classic Jesuit retreat that shaped him so profoundly.

A practical guide for those struggling to build a community of believers in a culture that wants to experience belonging over believingWho is my neighbor? Who belongs to me? To whom do I belong? These are timeless questions that guide the church to its fundamental calling. Today terms like neighbor, family, and congregation are being redefined. People are searching to belong in new places and experiences. The church needs to adapt its interpretations, definitions, and language to make sense in the changing culture.This book equips congregations and church leaders with tools to: • Discern the key ingredients people look for in community • Understand the use of space as a key element for experiencing belonging and community • Develop the “chemical compound” that produces an environment for community to spontaneously emerge • Discover how language promotes specific spatial belonging and then use this knowledge to build an effective vocabulary for community development • Create an assessment tool for evaluating organizational and personal community health