Kirjahaku

'Nobody fights forever, so I prepared myself for two battles. The first was fighting alongside her.We've done that.As well as two can.But, as the years have ticked by, I've seen a second front coming - and it's the tougher of the two. Abbie might still be swinging but she was beat. To be honest, I think she was still in the ring fighting, simply for me. Lately, the thing that had been keeping me up nights was wondering what would happen if I told her that she could let her guard down - that she could stop fighting. What if she was just waiting on me?'Chris Michaels and Abbie Colman should never have met let alone fallen in love. As the only child of South Carolina's most senior senator, Abbie's father had wanted better for her than Chris, who grew up in a trailer park next to the St Mary's river. Abbie and Chris had married quickly and secretly, returning to face her parents' objections that haven't faded even after over fourteen years of marriage.But now Abbie and Chris are coming to the end of the road. Diagnosed with breast cancer four years before, Abbie's case is now terminal and they've run out of options. Rather than letting Abbie spend her final days in a cold, sterile hospital room, Chris packs their bags and steals away with her in the middle of the night. They carry with them Abbie's 'wish list' - ten things she wants to do before she dies. The wishes are simple, normal; because after four years of non-stop invasive medical treatments, 'normal' is a fleeting memory. Along with taking a final trip with Chris on the river that holds so many memories for them both, Abbie wants to dance with her husband, drink wine on a beach, laugh until it hurts. But as they head for river's end, racing against weather and time, Abbie's father, the press and the police are determined to find them and bring Abbie home...

Chronicling the uneven rise and slow decline of segregation in American college athletics, Charles H. Martin shows how southern colleges imposed their policies of racial exclusion on surprisingly compliant northern teams and explains the social forces that eventually forced these southern schools to accept integrated competition. Martin emphasizes not just the racism prevalent in football and basketball in the South, but the effects of this discrimination for colleges and universities all over the country. Southern teams such as the University of Alabama, University of Mississippi, and the University of North Carolina were obsessed with national recognition, but their Jim Crow policies prevented them for many years from playing against racially mixed teams from other parts of the country. Devoting special attention to the Southeastern Conference, the Atlantic Coast Conference, and teams in Texas, Martin explores the changing social attitudes and culture of competition that turned the tide and allowed for the recruitment of black players and hiring of black coaches. He takes a close look at the case of Texas Western College (now the University of Texas at El Paso), the first major white university in an ex-Confederate state to recruit African American athletes extensively. Martin skillfully weaves existing arguments and documentation on the integration of college sports with wide-ranging, original research, including previously unpublished papers and correspondence of college administrators and athletic directors uncovered in university archives.

The most popular of the Roman poets, Catullus is known for the accessibility of his witty and erotic love poems. In this book Charles Martin, himself a poet, offers a deeper reading of Catullus, revealing the art and intelligence behind the seemingly spontaneous verse. Martin considers Catullus's life, habits of composition, and the circumstances in which he worked. He places him among the modernists of his age, who created a new ironic and subjective poetics, and he shows the affinity between Catullus and the modernists of our own age. Martin offers original interpretations of Catullus's poems, viewing the love poems to "Lesbia" as a unified, artfully arranged poetic sequence, and the short poems, often dismissed as unworthy of serious critical attention, as the irreverent products of a sophisticated poetic innovator. Unlike Horace, Virgil, and Ovid, Catullus did not influence our literary culture until the beginning of the modern era, but he is now regarded as a poet who speaks to our age with a singular directness. Pointing to Catullus's self-awareness, playfulness, and comic invention and to the elaborate complexity of his experiments in poetic form, Martin gives both the scholar and the general reader a fresh appreciation of his poetic art.

USA TODAY bestseller | Christy Award Book of the YearCooper O'Connor thought he could make it big as a musician, but he promptly lost it all. Can he repair his relationship with the father who never stopped calling him home? A Prodigal Son retelling where Redeeming Love meets Walk the Line.At the age of eighteen, musician and songwriter Cooper O'Connor took everything his father held dear and drove 1,200 miles from home to Nashville, his life riding on a six-string guitar and the bold wager that he had talent. But his wager soon proved foolish.Five years after losing everything, he falls in love with Daley Cross, an angelic voice in need of a song. But just as he realizes his love for Daley, Cooper faces a tragedy that threatens his life as well as his career. With nowhere else to go, he returns home to the remote Colorado mountains, searching for answers about his father and his faith.When Daley shows up on his street corner twenty years later, he wonders if it's too late to tell her the truth about his past--and if he is ready to face it himself.With powerful themes of redemption and forgiveness, second chances, and the power of music, Long Way Gone is a story that sticks with readers long after the last page."Cooper and Daley's story will make you believe that even broken instruments have songs to offer when they're in the right hands. Charles Martin never fails to ask and answer the questions that linger deep within all of us. In this beautifully told story of a prodigal coming home, readers will find the broken and mended pieces of their own hearts." --Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours

The Notebook meets Forrest Gump as New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin answers the questions of what it means--and what level of sacrifice it takes--to truly love someone.Allie is still recovering from the loss of her family's beloved waterfront restaurant on Florida's Gulf Coast when she loses her second husband to a terrifying highway accident. Devastated and losing hope, she shudders to contemplate the future--until a cherished person from her past returns.Joseph has been adrift for many years, wounded in both body and spirit and unable to come to terms with the trauma of his Vietnam War experiences. Just as he resolves to abandon his search for peace and live alone in a remote cabin in the Carolina mountains, he discovers a mother and her two small children lost in the forest. A man of character and strength, he instinctively steps in to help them get back to their home in Florida. There he will return to his own hometown--and witness the accident that launches a bittersweet reunion with his childhood sweetheart, Allie.When Joseph offers to help Allie rebuild her restaurant, it seems the flame may reignite--until a forty-five-year-old secret begins to emerge, threatening to destroy all hope for their second chance at love.Send Down the Rain will take you on a journey that spans the sweltering migrant worker routes of south Florida, muddy battlefields of Vietnam, thickets of northwest North Carolina, and the idyllic shores of America's most beautiful beach (Cape San Blas). At the story's center lies the question: What does it mean--and what level of sacrifice does it take--to truly love someone?With rich storytelling, an exploration of family dynamics, the revelation of long-held secrets, and an authentic portrayal of PTSD, Send Down the Rain continues to touch the hearts of readers."Charles Martin understands the power of story and he uses it to alter the souls and lives of both his characters and his readers." --Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author

A powerfully emotional and beautifully written story of heartbreaking loss and undying love He was a fishing guide and struggling artist from a south George trailer park. She was the beautiful only child of South Carolina's most powerful senator. Yet once Doss Michaels and Abigail Grace Coleman met by accident, they each felt they'd found their true soul mate. Ten years into their marriage, when Abbie faces a life-threatening illness, Doss battles it with her every step of the way. And when she makes a list of ten things she hopes to accomplish before she loses the fight for good, Doss is there, too, supporting her and making everything possible. Together they steal away in the middle of the night to embark upon a 130-mile trip down the St. Mary's River--a voyage Doss promised Abbie in the early days of their courtship.Where the River Ends chronicles their love-filled, tragedy-tinged journey and a bond that transcends all.

Now a major motion picture starring Kate Winslet and Idris Elba. An atmospheric, suspenseful and gripping story of two people finding love while fighting to survive. When a blizzard strands them in Salt Lake City, two strangers agree to charter a plane together, hoping to return home; Ben Payne is a gifted surgeon returning from a conference, and Ashley Knox, a magazine writer, is en route to her wedding. But when unthinkable tragedy strikes, the pair find themselves stranded in Utah's most remote wilderness in the dead of winter, badly injured and miles from civilization. Without food or shelter, and only Ben's mountain climbing gear to protect themselves, Ashley and Ben's chances for survival look bleak, but their reliance on each other sparks an immediate connection, which soon evolves into something more. Days in the mountains become weeks, as their hope for rescue dwindles. How will they make it out of the wilderness and if they do, how will this experience change them forever? Heart-wrenching and unputdownable, The Mountain Between Us will reaffirm your belief in the power of love to sustain us.

See the Bible come to life before your eyes as New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin uses his storyteller imagination to present the Bible as a novel to help you engage with your faith in new ways. Years ago, Charles Martin cracked open his Bible and began wrestling with a few fundamental questions: What if every single word of Scripture is absolutely true and I can trust it? How do I respond? Something in me should change, but what? How? This book is the result of that exploration.In What If It’s True? Martin brings key moments from the life and ministry of Jesus to life through his descriptive, novelistic words. This unique book:Fosters a stronger appreciation, love, and respect for JesusCovers topics including rejection, sexual sin, generational curses, and forgivenessDraws on Old and New Testament references as well as cultural background informationIncludes a prayer at the end of each chapterMartin shares key moments from his own journey as a disciple—and bondservant—of Christ and a mentor to others. The result is an exploration of truth that will help you not just think differently but live differently—starting today.

A riveting story of heroism, heartache, and the power of love to heal all wounds by New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin.Murphy Shepherd is a man with many secrets. He lives alone on an island, tending the grounds of a church with no parishioners, and he’s dedicated his life to rescuing those in peril. But as he mourns the loss of his mentor and friend, Murph himself may be more lost than he realizes. When he pulls a beautiful woman named Summer out of Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway, Murph’s mission to lay his mentor to rest at the end of the world takes a dangerous turn. Drawn to Summer, and desperate to find her missing daughter, Murph is pulled deeper and deeper into the dark and dangerous world of modern-day slavery. With help from some unexpected new friends, including a faithful Labrador he plucks from the ocean and an ex-convict named Clay, Murph must race against the clock to locate the girl before he is consumed by the secrets of his past—and the ghosts who tried to bury them. With Charles Martin’s trademark lyricism and poignant prose, The Water Keeper is at once a tender love story and a heartrending search for freedom. “Charles Martin fans rejoice, because he’s done it again . . . a multilayered story woven together with grace and redemption, and packed tight with tension and achingly real characters.” —Lauren Denton, USA TODAY bestselling author of The HideawayPart of The Murphy Shepherd series:Book 1: The Water KeeperBook 2: The Letter Keeper Book 3: The Record Keeper Coming July 2022!)Full-length novelIncludes discussion questions for book clubsAlso by Charles Martin: The Mountain Between Us, Send Down the Rain, Long Way Gone, When Crickets Cry, Chasing Fireflies

USA TODAY Bestseller | ECPA BestsellerA riveting story of heroism, heartache, and the power of love to heal all wounds by New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin that combines the intrigue of John Grisham with the heart-wrenching emotion of Nicholas Sparks.Murphy Shepherd is a man with many secrets. He lives alone on an island, tending the grounds of a church with no parishioners, and he's dedicated his life to rescuing those in peril. But as he mourns the loss of his mentor and friend, Murph himself may be more lost than he realizes.When he pulls a beautiful woman named Summer out of Florida's Intracoastal Waterway, Murph's mission to lay his mentor to rest at the end of the world takes a dangerous turn. Drawn to Summer, and desperate to find her missing daughter, Murph is pulled deeper and deeper into the dark and dangerous world of modern-day slavery.With help from some unexpected new friends, including a faithful Labrador he plucks from the ocean and an ex-convict named Clay, Murph must race against the clock to locate the girl before he is consumed by the secrets of his past--and the ghosts who tried to bury them.With Charles Martin's trademark lyricism and poignant prose, The Water Keeper is at once a tender love story, a heartrending search for freedom, an exploration of the terrible cost of human trafficking, and an anthem to the power of love to create change when it show up regardless of the cost."Martin excels at writing characters who exist in the margins of life . . . Readers who enjoy flawed yet likable characters created by authors such as John Grisham and Nicholas Sparks will want to start reading Martin's fiction." --Library Journal, starred review"The Water Keeper is a wonderfully satisfying book with a plot driven by both action and love, and characters who will stay in readers' heads long after the last page." --Southern Literary Review"Charles Martin fans rejoice, because he's done it again . . . a multilayered story woven together with grace and redemption, and packed tight with tension and achingly real characters." --Lauren DentonThe Murphy Shepherd series: Book 1: The Water Keeper, Book 2: The Letter Keeper, Book 3: The Record Keeper, Book 4: The Keeper (coming April 2025!)

USA TODAY Bestseller | ECPA BestsellerCombining the heart-wrenching emotion of Nicholas Sparks with the edge-of-your-seat tension of John Grisham, New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin explores the true power of sacrificial love in this second book in the Murphy Shepherd series.Murphy Shepherd has made a career of finding those no one else could--survivors of human trafficking. His life's mission is helping others find freedom . . . but then the nightmare strikes too close to home.When his new wife, her daughter, and two other teenage girls are stolen, Murphy is left questioning all he has thought to be true. With more dead ends than leads, he has no idea how to find his loved ones. After everything is stripped away, love is what remains.Hope feels lost, but Murphy is willing to expend his last breath trying to bring them home.With Charles Martin's trademark lyricism and poignant prose, the Murphy Shepherd series is at once a tender love story, a heartrending search for freedom, an exploration of the terrible cost of human trafficking, and an anthem to the power of love to create change when it shows up regardless of the cost.The Murphy Shepherd series: Book 1: The Water Keeper, Book 2: The Letter Keeper, Book 3: The Record Keeper, Book 4: The Keeper (coming April 2025!)

USA TODAY Bestseller | ECPA BestsellerCombining the heart-wrenching emotion of Nicholas Sparks with the edge-of-your-seat tension of John Grisham, New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin explores the true power of sacrificial love in this second book in the Murphy Shepherd series.Murphy Shepherd has made a career of finding those no one else could--survivors of human trafficking. His life's mission is helping others find freedom . . . but then the nightmare strikes too close to home.When his new wife, her daughter, and two other teenage girls are stolen, Murphy is left questioning all he has thought to be true. With more dead ends than leads, he has no idea how to find his loved ones. After everything is stripped away, love is what remains.Hope feels lost, but Murphy is willing to expend his last breath trying to bring them home.With Charles Martin's trademark lyricism and poignant prose, the Murphy Shepherd series is at once a tender love story, a heartrending search for freedom, an exploration of the terrible cost of human trafficking, and an anthem to the power of love to create change when it shows up regardless of the cost.The Murphy Shepherd series: Book 1: The Water Keeper, Book 2: The Letter Keeper, Book 3: The Record Keeper, Book 4: The Keeper (coming April 2025!)

In the aftermath of Jesus' resurrection, the testimonies of those who had followed him were so bold and powerful that they turned the world upside down. What would happen if we lived with that same kind of faith today?In the first century, believer didn’t just mean someone who heard and agreed with Jesus; it meant someone who acted on that belief. And when the outside world saw the faith of these new believers, they declared “they turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6).In this follow-up to What If It's True? Charles Martin, a New York Times bestselling novelist, blends storytelling and teaching to explore the lives of the disciples in the aftermath of the Resurrection and as they spread the message of the Gospel and “turn the world upside down”, leading up to Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica. In his beloved lyrical style, Martin illuminates key moments from Scripture and shares stories from his own life as a disciple.Learn to become a believer who:Understands how the truth of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection so powerfully reshaped historyUses the lives of the disciples as inspiration to be the light in a dark worldLives every moment with the disciples’ same world-changing faith todayFilled with supporting Scripture and beautiful examples of prayers to offer as supplications before the throne of grace, this book will show you what our world could look like if we lived as the disciples did: with an unwavering confidence in the power and presence of God.

In the aftermath of Jesus' resurrection, the testimonies of those who had followed him were so bold and powerful that they turned the world upside down. What would happen if we lived with that same kind of faith today?In the first century, believer didn’t just mean someone who heard and agreed with Jesus; it meant someone who acted on that belief. And when the outside world saw the faith of these new believers, they declared “they turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6).In this follow-up to What If It's True? Charles Martin, a New York Times bestselling novelist, blends storytelling and teaching to explore the lives of the disciples in the aftermath of the Resurrection and as they spread the message of the Gospel and “turn the world upside down”, leading up to Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica. In his beloved lyrical style, Martin illuminates key moments from Scripture and shares stories from his own life as a disciple.Learn to become a believer who:Understands how the truth of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection so powerfully reshaped historyUses the lives of the disciples as inspiration to be the light in a dark worldLives every moment with the disciples’ same world-changing faith todayFilled with supporting Scripture and beautiful examples of prayers to offer as supplications before the throne of grace, this book will show you what our world could look like if we lived as the disciples did: with an unwavering confidence in the power and presence of God.

"Martin spins an engaging story about healing and the triumph of love . . . Filled with delightful local color." --Publishers Weekly"Charles Martin writes with the passion and delicacy of a Louisiana sunrise--shades of shepherd's warning and a promise of thunderbolts before noon." --John Dyson, Reader's DigestFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Mountain Between Us and The Water Keeper comes a story of two half-brothers trying to survive the fallout of their traumatic childhood and their abusive, alcoholic father in this tender and beautiful story about the power of forgiveness.On a sprawling Southern estate, Tucker and his younger brother, Mutt, were raised by their housekeeper, Miss Ella Rain, who loved the motherless boys like her own. Hiring her to take care of Waverly Hall and the boys was the only good thing their abusive and alcoholic father ever did.When his brother escapes from a mental hospital and an old girlfriend appears with her son and a black eye, Tucker is forced to return home and face the agony of his tragic past.Though Miss Ella has been gone for many years, Tucker can still hear her voice--and her prayers. "Life is a battle, but you can't fight it with your fists. You got to fight it with your heart." But finding peace and starting anew will take a measure of grace that Tucker scarcely believes in.Wrapped in Rain follows Tucker's journey from brokenness to healing through the everlasting power of love. Grab a copy and a box of tissues and get ready for your heart to be touched.

“Because you’re worth rescue.”The unrelenting third installment in the Murphy Shepherd series from New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin.Murphy Shepherd’s last rescue mission very nearly cost him his life. He’d like nothing more than to stay close to his wife and daughters for a while. But Bones’s nemesis must be stopped, and there are so many who still need to know they are worth rescuing.As the cat-and-mouse game moves into the open, Murphy is tested at every turn—both physically and mentally. Then the unthinkable happens: his beloved mentor and friend is taken. Gone without a trace.Murphy lives by the mantra that love always shows up. But how can he rescue Bones when he has no leads?With heart-stopping clarity, The Record Keeper explores the true cost of leaving the ninety-nine to find the one.Part of the Murphy Shepherd series:Book One: The Water KeeperBook Two: The Letter KeeperBook Three: The Record KeeperFull-length novelIncludes discussion questions for book clubsAlso by Charles Martin: The Mountain Between Us, Send Down the Rain, Chasing Fireflies, When Crickets Cry, Long Way Gone

USA TODAY Bestseller | ECPA BestsellerWith heart-stopping clarity, New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin continues to combine the heart-wrenching emotion of Nicholas Sparks with the edge-of-your-seat tension of John Grisham in this third book in the Murphy Shepherd series--exploring the true cost of leaving the ninety-nine to find the one.Murphy Shepherd's last rescue mission very nearly cost him his life. He'd like nothing more than to stay close to his wife and daughters for a while. But Bones's nemesis must be stopped, and there are so many who still need to know they are worth rescuing.As the cat-and-mouse game moves into the open, Murphy is tested at every turn--both physically and mentally. Then the unthinkable happens: his beloved mentor and friend is taken. Gone without a trace.Murphy lives by the mantra that love always shows up. But how can he rescue Bones when he has no leads?With Charles Martin's trademark lyricism and poignant prose, the Murphy Shepherd series is at once a tender love story, a heartrending search for freedom, an exploration of the terrible cost of human trafficking, and an anthem to the power of love to create change when it shows up regardless of the cost.The Murphy Shepherd series: Book 1: The Water Keeper, Book 2: The Letter Keeper, Book 3: The Record Keeper, Book 4: The Keeper (coming April 2025!)

"The Last Exchange is somehow equal parts page-turner, heart-breaker, and hope-dealer. Another brilliantly written novel by Charles Martin." --Annie F. DownsGripping suspense meets heartfelt emotion in this standalone novel from New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin. Everyone in her life has only taken from her. So she's not quite sure how to handle it when her new body guard will go to any lengths to protect her and shield her--even from herself. Is this what love actually looks like? For fans of Before We Were Strangers by Renée Carlino and One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid.When MacThomas Pockets finished his last tour as part of the Scottish Special Forces, he was hired to consult for a film director to finesse some scenes that weren't working. In a twist he never saw coming, he ended up moving to L.A. to work as the bodyguard for movie star Maybe Joe Sue.It didn't take long for Pockets to realize there were two Joe Sues: The Joe Sue the public saw with her perfect life and her Hollywood husband. And the private Joe Sue: the one with the traumatic youth that no amount of pills could cover up, who desperately wanted a child of her own.Even after their paths diverged, he continued to track Joe Sue's life. Only a few would notice when the bottom fell out. But he did. And that's when he stepped in.In The Last Exchange, you'll find a compelling love story alongside a thought-provoking and soul-searching dilemma as one man seeks to answer the question: How far would you go--really--to save someone you love? What if you'd get nothing in return? In the masterful hands of New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin, finding the answer will take readers on an intense and heart-wrenching journey to the very end.

"The Last Exchange is somehow equal parts page-turner, heart-breaker, and hope-dealer. Another brilliantly written novel by Charles Martin." --Annie F. DownsGripping suspense meets heartfelt emotion in this standalone novel from New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin. Everyone in her life has only taken from her. So she's not quite sure how to handle it when her new body guard will go to any lengths to protect her and shield her--even from herself. Is this what love actually looks like? For fans of Before We Were Strangers by Renée Carlino and One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid.When MacThomas Pockets finished his last tour as part of the Scottish Special Forces, he was hired to consult for a film director to finesse some scenes that weren't working. In a twist he never saw coming, he ended up moving to L.A. to work as the bodyguard for movie star Maybe Joe Sue.It didn't take long for Pockets to realize there were two Joe Sues: The Joe Sue the public saw with her perfect life and her Hollywood husband. And the private Joe Sue: the one with the traumatic youth that no amount of pills could cover up, who desperately wanted a child of her own.Even after their paths diverged, he continued to track Joe Sue's life. Only a few would notice when the bottom fell out. But he did. And that's when he stepped in.In The Last Exchange, you'll find a compelling love story alongside a thought-provoking and soul-searching dilemma as one man seeks to answer the question: How far would you go--really--to save someone you love? What if you'd get nothing in return? In the masterful hands of New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin, finding the answer will take readers on an intense and heart-wrenching journey to the very end.