A compelling combination of literature and memoir revealing the big experiences and little moments that shaped Ann Patchett as a daughter, wife, and writer

“Ben Jelloun is arguably Morocco’s greatest living author, whose impressive body of work combines intellect and imagination in magical fusion.” —The Guardian In The Happy Marriage, the internationally acclaimed Moroccan author Tahar Ben Jelloun tells the story of one couple—first from the husband’s point of view, then from the wife’s—just as legal reforms are about to change women’s rights forever. The husband, a painter in Casablanca, has been paralyzed by a stroke at the very height of his career and becomes convinced that his marriage is the sole reason for his decline. Walled up within his illness and desperate to break free of a deeply destructive relationship, he finds escape in writing a secret book about his hellish marriage. When his wife finds it, she responds point by point with her own version of the facts, offering her own striking and incisive reinterpretation of their story. Who is right and who is wrong? A thorny issue in a society where marriage remains a sacrosanct institution, but where there’s also a growing awareness of women’s rights. And in their absorbing struggle, both sides of this modern marriage find out they may not be so enlightened after all.

Author Tim Kellis takes you on a journey through time to not only help you discover yourself but understand how to build and keep a lifelong happy, healthy, harmonious, loving, affectionate, intimate marriage. The journey on which you are about to embark includes a trip through history, where the most significant lessons civilization has learned are used to demonstrate not only the way to set up a positive relationship, but the causes of that relationship turning negative.

"Secrets From a Happy Marriage is a beautiful, emotional, tender story with a gorgeous setting and characters I adored. Maisey Yates always writes stories that stay in your heart long after you read the last page."—RaeAnne Thayne, New York Times Bestselling Author New York Times bestselling author Maisey Yates’s new novel introduces the women of the Lighthouse Inn B&B. They might not have it all together, but this summer, they’ll discover that together, they might still have it all… Rachel Henderson’s family is falling apart. Becoming a widow—especially at this age—is heartbreaking. With her teenage daughter, Emma, leaving soon for college, Rachel needs a friend—but local diner owner Adam is the last person she ever thought she’d lean on. From the outside, her little sister, Anna, has a picture-perfect marriage. But the weight of it is suffocating her. The only way for her to breathe again comes at a high price, one she’s not so sure she can pay. After raising two daughters on her own, their mother, Wendy, knows just how hard life can be. She’s done things she’s not proud of, things she desperately wants to keep from her girls—until keeping quiet is no longer an option. As long-held secrets bubble up and their old lives unravel, this family will need all their strength to start again and open their hearts up to the possibility of more. But most of all, they’ll need each other… Don't miss The Lost and Found Girl by Maisey Yates! A powerful novel of sisterhood, secrets and how far you’d go to protect someone you love.

Many women, driven by a need for change in their lives, contact a marriage agency. These are their stories – ironic, woeful, romantic, and often very funny – as varied and as wonderful as the women themselves. Working as a matchmaker in the 1990’s Irina had seen a lot related to the international dating phenomenon, particularly as it was viewed through the eyes of Russian Women. The author is a Russian, but she has written these stories in a charming idiosyncratic English.

CAUGHT BETWEEN FRIEND AND FOE... On their trip home from the Kudou family villa, Miyo and Kiyoka narrowly escape an ambush from the leader of the Gifted Communion, Naoshi Usui, who claims to be Miyo’s father. Fearing that Miyo will be targeted again, Kiyoka insists that she accompany him to his workplace from now on and appoints a female soldier named Kaoruko as her bodyguard. Though Miyo is unsettled by the revelation that Kaoruko was one of Kiyoka’s previous marriage candidates, the two women gradually warmup to each other and become friends. But can their bond survive the hidden threat coming for Miyo...?

Knights and ladies, giants and dragons, tournaments, battles, quests and crusades are commonplace in stories for children. This book examines how late Victorians and Edwardians retold medieval narratives of chivalry--epics, romances, sagas, legends and ballads. Stories of Beowulf, Arthur, Gawain, St. George, Roland, Robin Hood and many more thrilled and instructed children, and encouraged adult reading. Lavish volumes and schoolbooks of the era featured illustrated texts, many by major artists. Children's books, an essential part of Edwardian publishing, were disseminated throughout the English-speaking world. Many are being reprinted today. This book examines related contexts of Medievalism expressed in painting, architecture, music and public celebrations, and the works of major authors, including Sir Walter Scott, Tennyson, Longfellow and William Morris. The book explores national identity expressed through literature, ideals of honor and valor in the years before World War I, and how childhood reading influenced 20th-century writers as diverse as C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Siegfried Sassoon, David Jones, Graham Greene, Ian Fleming and John Le Carre.

First published in 1998. This reference guide is designed for those who would be knowledge able readers of major short stories by D.H. Lawrence when the store of scholarship, investigation, and appraisal is far too vast for all but the expert. An inclusive examination of what has been written about these short stories, each chapter deals with a different short story and consists of five distinct sections: (1) the complete publication history, including all revisions and variants; (2) a thorough examination of recognized and hitherto unrecognized sources, as well as the influences at work on Lawrence in the creation of the story; (3) the story’s relationship to Lawrence’s other writings; (4) acknowledgement and summary of all extant critical studies; and (5) a bibliography of works cited. This study concentrates on six short stories culled from Lawrence’s more than fifty works of short fiction.

Following a resurgence of interest in Daphne du Maurier’s writing, The Pathology of Desire in Daphne du Maurier’s Short Stories offers an overview of all her collections and a detailed reading of nine stories. These contain recurrent references to the incomplete or impaired human form and are best read through a corporeal lens. The criticism illustrates her importance as a cultural commentator fascinated by the results of frustrated human desire, and includes a synopsis of the published collections, and the stories within them, to give the reader a sense of the variety of the overarching themes and the persistent force of corporeality in the stories. Du Maurier is well-known as a novelist, but her short fiction is pivotal to understanding her position and influence as a writer. She rewrites fairytales and foregrounds female violence long before it became a cultural trend.

Be Intentional and Laugh Together to Enjoy a Happier, More Satisfying Marriage. Life can be a grind, but marriage can be a source of joy and refueling. When you intentionally look for the funny moments of life and enjoy them together, you’ll see that married life doesn’t have to be as hard as we sometimes make it out to be. In A Love That Laughs, you’ll learn that you don’t need to choose between work and play, duty and fun, laughter and responsibility. Use humor to lighten the load of everyday life, reduce stress, and grow closer together. Pastor and comedian Ted Cunningham will help you: Learn comedic skills, such as effectively using the “callback” as a laughter toolInitiate laughter by using two activities at the end of each chapterRate Your Laughter Score (and your spouse’s) by following the ten types of laughter explained in the book (hint: you can get points for a smirk)Tally all of your laughter points for a final laughter score A Love That Laughs may be your favorite marriage book that will help you enjoy your spouse more. It even includes a bonus chapter: “Extra Credit: Ten Fast, East, and Free Ways to Make Your Spouse Laugh.”