Kirjahaku

Winner of the Crook's Corner Book Prize, finalist for the Golden Poppy Award, and longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize"This immersive, full-bodied novel will keep its hooks in you long after the last page is read, and marks the arrival of a tremendously wise and talented writer."—Ben FountainSet in 1970-90s Texas, a mesmerizing story about a fierce woman and the partner-in-crime she can’t escape, perfect for readers of Where the Crawdads Sing and Valentine.It was 1970 when thirteen-year-old runaway Kit Walker was abducted by Manny Romero, a smooth-talking, low-level criminal, who first coddled her and then groomed her into his partner-in-crime. Before long, Kit and Manny were infamous for their string of gas station robberies throughout Texas, making a name for themselves as the Texaco Twosome.Twenty years after they meet, Kit has scraped together a life for herself and her daughter amongst the pecan trees and muddy creeks of the town of Pecan Hollow, far from Manny. But when he shows up at her doorstep a new man, fresh out of prison, Kit is forced to reckon with the shadows of her past. A gritty, penetrating, and unexpectedly tender novel, Shadows of Pecan Hollow is a hauntingly intimate and distinctly original debut about the complexity of love—both romantic and familial—and the bonds that define us. “Paper Moon meets Badlands in this mesmerizing Texas backroads thriller, a twisty story of a runaway girl who finds a home and a desperate love on the road with an opportunistic criminal.”—Janet Fitch

Winner of the Crook's Corner Book Prize, finalist for the Golden Poppy Award, and longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize"This immersive, full-bodied novel will keep its hooks in you long after the last page is read, and marks the arrival of a tremendously wise and talented writer."--Ben FountainSet in 1970-90s Texas, a mesmerizing story about a fierce woman and the partner-in-crime she can't escape, perfect for readers of Where the Crawdads Sing and Valentine.It was 1970 when thirteen-year-old runaway Kit Walker was abducted by Manny Romero, a smooth-talking, low-level criminal, who first coddled her and then groomed her into his partner-in-crime. Before long, Kit and Manny were infamous for their string of gas station robberies throughout Texas, making a name for themselves as the Texaco Twosome.Twenty years after they meet, Kit has scraped together a life for herself and her daughter amongst the pecan trees and muddy creeks of the town of Pecan Hollow, far from Manny. But when he shows up at her doorstep a new man, fresh out of prison, Kit is forced to reckon with the shadows of her past. A gritty, penetrating, and unexpectedly tender novel, Shadows of Pecan Hollow is a hauntingly intimate and distinctly original debut about the complexity of love--both romantic and familial--and the bonds that define us. "Paper Moon meets Badlands in this mesmerizing Texas backroads thriller, a twisty story of a runaway girl who finds a home and a desperate love on the road with an opportunistic criminal."--Janet Fitch

“A pitch-perfect read for fans of Taylor Swift.” —Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The CloistersA dream worth chasing. An impossible choice. The song that will change it all.When aspiring musician Twyla Higgins arrives in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1977, the nineteen-year-old Texan is dazzled by the fringe-and-rhinestones country music scene. Live music flows from bars, open mic nights tempt with the chance of stardom, and record label execs seek the next hot new act. With nothing but the songs in her head and her daddy's guitar, Twyla finds her way in the vibrant, but cutthroat, music business. A chance meeting with a rakish singer and son of blue-blooded Nashvillians veers Twyla off path and into a dizzying romance. Caught between the dream she’s always wanted and the affection she's always craved, Twyla must decide what future she wants for herself. But when her song is stolen by a rival and hits the country music charts, how much will she sacrifice to take back what's hers?Seductive, bold, and immersive, The Last Verse is the story of a woman’s love, ambition, and determination to claim her voice.

“A pitch-perfect read for fans of Taylor Swift.” —Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The CloistersA dream worth chasing. An impossible choice. The song that will change it all.When aspiring musician Twyla Higgins arrives in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1977, the nineteen-year-old Texan is dazzled by the fringe-and-rhinestones country music scene. Live music flows from bars, open mic nights tempt with the chance of stardom, and record label execs seek the next hot new act. With nothing but the songs in her head and her daddy's guitar, Twyla finds her way in the vibrant, but cutthroat, music business. A chance meeting with a rakish singer and son of blue-blooded Nashvillians veers Twyla off path and into a dizzying romance. Caught between the dream she’s always wanted and the affection she's always craved, Twyla must decide what future she wants for herself. But when her song is stolen by a rival and hits the country music charts, how much will she sacrifice to take back what's hers?Seductive, bold, and immersive, The Last Verse is the story of a woman’s love, ambition, and determination to claim her voice.

A thoroughly enjoyable fact-filled romp… a must-read for any fan of the Carry On films." - Daily Mail "We knew the Carry On films without really knowing them. Caroline Frost puts that right. A fascinating story." - Adrian Chiles "Essential reading for fans of the Carry On Films which were deceptively ahead of their times' - Tracy-Ann Oberman The completely updated, definitive history of Carry On, Britain’s largest film franchise, includes exclusive interviews and personal memories from this unique filmmaking era. It follows the series from the gentle capers of the 1950s, through the glorious golden age of the 1960s, to the creative challenges of later years. Take a happy walk down memory lane to enjoy Sid James's conspiratorial chuckle, Kenneth Williams' elongated vowels, Charles Hawtrey's bespectacled bashfulness and Barbara Windsor's naughty wiggle, as writer Caroline Frost explores the different ingredients behind their huge appeal. Frost sheds new light on just how much talent and hard work went into creating the laughs - and she examines the real-life struggles of the stars who found solace in their tight companionship at Pinewood Studios. Was Carry On really as sexist, racist and bigoted as critics claim? Frost takes a fresh look at some of the series' biggest titles and argues that, in reality, they were far more progressive than their detractors would have you believe. Finally, with constant speculation about a brand new era of Carry On, Frost asks - does this ever-popular series still have legs?

The definitive history of Carry On, Britain's largest film franchise, including exclusive interviews with stars including Bernard Cribbins, Angela Douglas and Kenneth Cope. For the first time, loved ones of some of the films' biggest names on and off screen share their personal memories from this unique filmmaking era - from the gentle capers of the 1950s, through the glorious golden age of the 1960s, to the creative challenges in the years that followed. This book takes you on a happy walk down memory lane to enjoy Sid James's conspiratorial chuckle, Kenneth Williams' elongated vowels, Charles Hawtrey's bespectacled bashfulness and Barbara Windsor's naughty wiggle, as writer Caroline Frost explores the different ingredients behind their huge appeal. It all seemed effortless, but Frost sheds new light on just how much talent and hard work went into creating the laughs - and she examines the real-life struggles of the stars who found solace in their tight companionship at Pinewood Studios. She asks, was Carry On really as sexist, racist and bigoted as critics claim? Three of the female stars explain why they never felt remotely exploited. Plus Frost takes a fresh look at some of the series' biggest titles and argues that, in reality, they were far more progressive than their detractors would have you believe. Finally, with constant talk about new films, fresh productions and renewed speculation about a brand new era of Carry On, Frost asks - does this ever-popular series still have legs?

One More Mountain is the story of the life changing decision made by Caroline and her husband Allister to put everything they owned into storage, buy some rucksacks, and take a trip around the world for a year. This is their life story; what happened that inspired them to travel, how they prepared for such a big change in their life, and ultimately what they gained from this wonderful experience. Moving back and forth across their life together, this book explores the emotions of facing a future without being able to have children, the impact of cancer on their lives, how they planned for their life changing adventure, and how they spent an incredible year away from everything they knew. Caroline and Allister, a couple whose life was turned upside down - twice, overcame their own challenges to enjoy and value every minute of every day. This is an insight into the joy of them embarking on their life together, how it became overshadowed by sad and difficult events, and how moving past these events led to them discovering the excitement of travelling. Whatever mountains stood in their way, happiness could still be found.