Books listed in this issue of Braille Book Review were recently sent to cooperating libraries. The complete collection contains books by many authors on fiction and nonfiction subjects, including biographies, classics, gothics, mysteries, romances, and others. Contact your cooperating library to learn more about the wide range of books available in the collection.
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Note: For the information of the reader, a notice may appear immediately following the book description to indicate occurrences of strong language, explicit descriptions of sex, or violence. The word "some" before any of these terms indicates an occasional or infrequent occurrence, as in "some strong language."
The Man in the Iron Mask BR 11938
by Alexandre Dumas
4 volumes
Written in the mid-nineteenth century, this sequel to The
Three Musketeers (BR 7477) features those three men--older
but still dashing. They become involved in a conspiracy to
substitute a prisoner for his royal twin brother, Louis XIV.
1998.
The Healing of Crossroads BR 12110
by Nick O'Donohoe
3 volumes
Veterinarian "BJ" Vaughan is still needed in Crossroads in this
sequel to Under the Healing Sign (BR 10525). Some
veterinary students assist at the birthing of unicorns, and BJ
works with a new hatching of griffins. Meanwhile, problems
infiltrate Crossroads, endangering its delicate balance. For
senior high and older readers. 1996.
A Song for Summer BR 12201
by Eva Ibbotson
3 volumes
In 1930s Austria, Englishwoman Ellen Carr becomes the housemother
at an eccentric artsy boarding school, where she takes charge of
helping lonely children. She falls in love with mysterious
groundskeeper Marek Tarnowsky. Ellen and the children flee to
England while Marek stays behind to free an old friend from the
Nazis. 1997.
Tell Me a Riddle BR 12202
by Tillie Olsen
1 volume
Four compassionate short stories explore the pain and the promise
of working-class America. The title story, which won the O. Henry
Award as the best short story of 1961, depicts an aging Jewish
immigrant couple beset by irreconcilable differences. Some strong
language. 1961.
Crazy for You BR 12227
by Jennifer Crusie
3 volumes
Art teacher Quinn is bored, but her live-in boyfriend Bill, the
high school coach, is happy and wants to marry. After Quinn
adopts a stray dog against Bill's wishes, she moves out, buys a
house, and tries to seduce her ex-brother-in-law. Bill, however,
can't let go. Strong language and explicit descriptions of sex.
1999.
A Treasury of Cat Mysteries BR 12228
compiled by Martin H. Greenberg
3 volumes
Twenty-one tales featuring felines and crime by authors such as
Lilian Jackson Braun, Joan Hess, and Bill Pronzini. In "SuSu and
the 8:30 Ghost," a Siamese becomes friends with a wheelchair-using neighbor who was a cat in a previous life. In "Buster," a
cat's death saves his owner's life. 1998.
Mistler's Exit BR 12245
by Louis Begley
2 volumes
Thomas Mistler, a successful advertising executive from a
patrician family, learns that he has six months to live. He
decides to take a trip without his family to Venice where he can
enjoy himself for the last time. There he runs into a woman he
once loved. Some strong language. 1998.
Gambusino BR 12252
by Carlos Montemayor
1 volume
The tale of Alfredo Montenegro, a Mexican mining prospector
searching for the perfect strike, recounted by his friend.
Montenegro's lifelong struggle against the odds becomes a lonely
obsession, and in the end he has only an inexperienced youth to
help him on his last gamble. Some strong language. 1997.
A Marriage of Inconvenience BR 12256
by Marion Chesney
1 volume
Because Isabella Chadbury has refused many suitors, her parents
choose Lord Harry Tremayne for a marriage of convenience. His
family is poor and welcomes the chance for Harry to wed someone
with a large dowry. The road to the altar is not smooth, but the
discovery of a hidden treasure may change everything. 1992.
After Dunkirk BR 12264
by Milena McGraw
5 volumes
England, 1939. Young Wayne Luthie leads a squadron of pilots,
known as the Wonders, as they learn to fly Spitfires. Luthie
reminisces about his childhood in India, his uncles who died in
World War I, his capture after Dunkirk, and falling in love with
a WAAF. Then the Germans attack Britain. Some violence. 1998.
At Home in Mitford: The Mitford Years, Volume 1 BR
12269
by Jan Karon
4 volumes
After years as a priest in the southern village of Mitford,
Father Tim wonders if he should move on. When the bishop tells
him to give it a year, things begin to change, including an
interest in neighbor Cynthia and the arrival of a rather large
dog. Prequel to A Light in the Window (BR 12270). 1994.
A Light in the Window: The Mitford Years, Volume 2 BR
12270
by Jan Karon
4 volumes
Father Tim has returned from his two-month visit to Ireland and
finds much in the southern village of Mitford the same. His
neighbor, Cynthia, still has a special place in his heart, but he
just can't seem to commit himself to her. And a wealthy widow is
chasing after him. Sequel to At Home in Mitford (BR
12269). 1995.
These High, Green Hills: The Mitford Years, Volume 3 BR
12271
by Jan Karon
3 volumes
Now married, Father Tim and Cynthia are settling down in the
rectory. Cynthia's cottage next door will be kept for her work
and private retreats. In the southern village of Mitford, life
goes on. Dooley adjusts to prep school, Father Tim's housekeeper
has twins, and Emma's clerical skills prove helpful. Sequel to
A Light in the Window (BR 12270). 1996.
Out to Canaan: The Mitford Years, Volume 4 BR 12272
by Jan Karon
3 volumes
Changes are coming to the small town of Mitford. Father Tim
Kavanagh, the Episcopal priest, and his wife, Cynthia, are
thinking about retirement, the two mayoral candidates are
dividing the town, the bakery may be closing, and a Florida real
estate company wants to turn Fernbank into a spa. Sequel to
These High, Green Hills (BR 12271). Bestseller 1997.
The Breaker BR 12275
by Minette Walters
3 volumes
A woman's nude body is discovered on a secluded beach in southern
England, and her three-year-old daughter is found wandering miles
away. The murder suspects include an actor acquaintance, who
happens to be at the scene when the corpse is discovered, and the
woman's husband. Strong language. 1999.
Memoirs of a Geisha BR 12284
by Arthur Golden
4 volumes
A fictionalized account of the life of a typical geisha in 1930s
and 1940s Japan. Sayuri recalls being nine years old when she and
her sister are sold to a geisha house as their mother lies dying.
From then on Sayuri learns the traditional exotic art of pleasing
men. Bestseller 1997.
A Hazard of New Fortunes BR 12287
by William Dean Howells
4 volumes
New York City, 1880s. Basil March and Mr. Fulkerson establish a
new cultural magazine sponsored by self-made millionaire Mr.
Dryfoos. Dryfoos's son reluctantly becomes the publisher,
although his socialist beliefs conflict with the magazine's
policy. Tragedy strikes during a violent clash between protesting
streetcar workers and police. 1890.
Death in a Cold Hard Light: A Merry Folger Mystery BR
12288
by Francine Mathews
3 volumes
Nantucket police detective Merry Folger is puzzled when her
police chief father interrupts her vacation with her
fiancé. The body of Harvard-dropout-turned-scalloper Jay
Santorski was found in the harbor. Although the chief seems to
suspect foul play, he doesn't appear to be giving Merry all of
the case details. Strong language. 1998.
The Country Life BR 12292
by Rachel Cusk
3 volumes
Twenty-nine-year-old Stella Benson--ditching family, job, and
London flat--escapes to the country as an au pair to a disabled
teenager. The eccentric Madden family intrigues Stella. She
gradually begins to like her antagonistic charge, Martin, who
tries his best to uncover Stella's secrets. Strong language.
1997.
The Angel Max BR 12300
by Peter Glassgold
4 volumes
1869. Max Kraft, orphaned at an early age, is raised in wealth by
a large extended Jewish family in Russia. Political conditions
deteriorate, and Max's stepsisters and half brother become
embroiled in leftist politics. Max emigrates to New York, where
his cousin Emma Goldman and others try to involve him in
intrigue. 1998.
The Winter of Our Discontent BR 12302
by John Steinbeck
3 volumes
Ethan Allen Hawley, scion of an old New England family,
sacrifices his integrity for success under pressure from his
restless wife and discontented children. 1961.
Kissing Doorknobs BR 12306
by Terry Spencer Hesser
1 volume
When she is eleven years old, Tara Sullivan begins to hear voices
compelling her to repeat certain behaviors over and over. Tara
drives her parents and friends to distraction, but until she
meets another sufferer years later, she doesn't know she has
obsessive-compulsive disorder and can be treated. For junior and
senior high readers. 1998.
The Last of the African Kings BR 12309
by Maryse Condé
2 volumes
An African king and his family are exiled to the Caribbean
because he opposes French colonialism. Eventually, they emigrate
to the United States. Spero, a royal descendant, becomes a
painter and philanderer whose lack of ambition clashes with the
aspirations of his enterprising wife, an African American
historian. 1992.
Night Letters: A Journey through Switzerland and Italy BR
12311
by Robert Dessaix
2 volumes
Motivated by a recent diagnosis of terminal illness, an
Australian man travels through Locarno, Vicenza, and Padua, and
writes letters to a friend describing his thoughts on his
journey. With occasional literary references, he reflects on the
meaning of existence, love, and the passage of time. 1996.
The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories BR
12314
by Ernest Hemingway
2 volumes
Ten stories written between 1927 and 1936. The title piece
portrays a thwarted writer facing death on an African plain and
composing in his mind all the tales he will not live to tell.
Includes several selections about Nick Adams, an autobiographical
character. 1964.
These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901,
Arizona Territories BR 12317
by Nancy E. Turner
3 volumes
Inspired by the author's family memoirs, Sarah's diary portrays
the joys and hardships of living out west at the end of the
1800s. Beginning at age seventeen, she recounts events over
twenty years, including Indian attacks, marriages, births, and
deaths. 1998.
The Adventures of Blue Avenger BR 12318
by Norma Howe
2 volumes
When David Schumacher turns sixteen, he changes his name to that
of a comic-book character. As the Blue Avenger, David takes on a
killer-bee attack on the principal, a controversial news issue,
and gun control. Yet he still has time for a philosophical
debate with his kindred-spirit girlfriend. For junior and senior
high readers. 1999.
Disciples BR 12321
by Austin Wright
3 volumes
Retired professor Harry Field is unaware when he hands his baby
granddaughter, Hazel, over to her absentee father, Oliver Quinn,
that he has allowed her to be kidnapped. Various participants
recount the events surrounding Hazel's capture and her rescue
from a religious commune in New England. 1997.
The President BR 12322
by Miguel Angel Asturias
3 volumes
The president of the republic, an unnamed Latin American country,
plots against his political enemy, General Eusebio Canales. The
president's assistant, Miguel Angel Face, is involved in the
dictator's intrigues but is redeemed by his love for a young
woman. Originally published in Mexico in 1946 by the Nobel
laureate. 1963.
Counting Coup BR 12323
by G.D. Gearino
2 volumes
Weary reporter Tad Beckman ignores the pleas of an abused woman
who is later killed. Guilt-ridden, he retreats for a year before
returning to journalism in Miami. Soon he is duped by his lover,
Jocelyn, into writing a libelous story. Jocelyn disappears, and
Tad discovers family secrets as he searches for her. Some strong
language. 1997.
Human Voices BR 12324
by Penelope Fitzgerald
2 volumes
BBC employees struggle to keep Broadcasting House in operation
during the bombing of London in World War II. Young intern Annie
Asra, two department directors, and those around them face daily
questions of survival but also grapple with workplace dramas and
personal crises. Based on Fitzgerald's own wartime experiences.
1980.
Italian Fever BR 12327
by Valerie Martin
2 volumes
Lucy Stark is an assistant to novelist DV, who dies suddenly
while writing a book in Italy. Lucy travels to Italy for his
funeral, to retrieve his things, and to discover why he died. She
is met by Massimo, an interpreter, who comes to care for her in
many ways. Some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 1999.
Jamie: The Elliott Cousins, Book 1 BR 12328
by Jean Thesman
1 volume
Fifteen-year-old Jamie Elliott cannot wait to see her cousins
Meredith and Teresa at the annual family reunion at the lake.
Jamie has a big problem with her boyfriend Rick: he is
emotionally abusive and she's afraid he's stalking her. Prequel
to Meredith (BR 12329). For senior high readers. 1998.
Meredith: The Elliott Cousins, Book 2 BR 12329
by Jean Thesman
1 volume
After Meredith sees her boyfriend kissing one of her best
friends, she feels betrayed. Her cousins Teresa and Jamie
convince her it's not the end of the world--until the same girl
makes a play for her new love interest, the boy next door. Sequel
to Jamie (BR 12328). For senior high readers. 1998.
Teresa: The Elliott Cousins, Book 3 BR 12330
by Jean Thesman
1 volume
Teresa's cousins Meredith and Jamie talk about their boyfriends,
but Teresa's mother won't let her date. When the girls meet an
artist, Ian, at the family reunion, Teresa decides to see him
back in the city; maybe he can win over her mother. Sequel to
Meredith (BR 12329). For senior high readers. 1998.
Homestead BR 12339
by Rosina Lippi
2 volumes
Nestled in the Austrian alpine village of Rosenau, five
generations of women of the Bengat, Bent Elbow, and Wainwright
clans experience daily life and the impacts of two world wars. In
one of the twelve vignettes, the delivery of a postcard to Anna
Fink depends on knowing the town's history rather than the
address. 1998.
Mrs. Einstein BR 12340
by Anna McGrail
3 volumes
The illegitimate daughter Albert Einstein and his fiancée
gave up for adoption by a Hungarian woman grows up to be a
scientific genius. Once she learns her father's identity, she
attempts to exceed his accomplishments and even to "haunt" him as
he pursues his career. The imagined life of the famous
physicist's real child. 1998.
Before Women Had Wings BR 12349
by Connie May Fowler
2 volumes
1960s Florida. Bird Jackson, her older sister Phoebe, and her
alcoholic mother move to Tampa after Bird's father commits
suicide. Bird endures beatings and ridicule but finds acceptance
and love from an African American healing woman, Miss Zora, who
lives near her trailer. Strong language and violence. 1996.
Storming Heaven BR 12356
by Kyle Mills
3 volumes
Fifteen-year-old Jennifer Davis is horrified when she sees her
father accept a gun from a group of intruders and kill his wife
and himself. FBI agent Beamon discovers that the family is linked
to a controversial church, and that Jennifer is at the center of
the murder-suicide. Strong language and violence. 1998.
The Canterbury Tales BR 12357
retold by Geraldine McCaughrean
1 volume
Thirteen of Geoffrey Chaucer's tales are retold in modern
language. A group of pilgrims on their way to Canterbury
Cathedral entertain themselves by telling stories. For junior and
senior high readers. 1984.
Roxanna Slade BR 12358
by Reynolds Price
3 volumes
A southerner tells her life story from her twentieth birthday in
1920. On that momentous and fateful occasion, her younger brother
Fern introduces her to Larkin Slade, Fern's best friend and the
man he wants her to marry. But Lark dies that same day. 1998.
A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader BR 12362
by Mary Freeman
5 volumes
Short stories from a late-nineteenth-century Massachusetts
writer. In "A New England Nun," a woman releases her betrothed of
fourteen years when she discovers he loves another. In "The
Revolt of 'Mother,'" a woman moves into a new barn when her
husband won't build the house he promised forty years ago. 1997.
Redemption BR 12366
by Howard Fast
2 volumes
Isaac Goldman, seventy-eight, is driving across the George
Washington Bridge just as a young woman attempts to jump. He
stops, changing the course of his life and that of forty-seven-year-old Elizabeth Hopper. They fall in love and are planning to
marry when she is suddenly accused of murdering her ex-husband.
Some strong language. 1999.
The Best Defense BR 12377
by Ellis Cose
2 volumes
White middle-aged John Wisocki is laid off. About to commit
suicide, he is interrupted by and shoots the Hispanic colleague
he feels was unfairly chosen over him. A Hispanic prosecutor
prepares to fight the case in court against his former love,
Wisocki's attorney. Strong language, some violence, and some
explicit descriptions of sex. 1998.
Crane Spreads Wings: A Bigamist's Story BR 12381
by Susan Trott
2 volumes
T'ai Chi practitioner Effie leaves her husband of one month and
becomes the nanny for a neighbor, Gled. Gled, not knowing of her
marriage, falls in love with her. Effie marries him but doesn't
know who the father of her baby is. Some strong language and some
explicit descriptions of sex. 1998.
Windfall BR 12382
by James Magnuson
2 volumes
Money is tight for professor Ben Lindberg and his family, and now
their old van has broken down. Searching for his cat, Ben
stumbles upon a fortune hidden in the basement of a closed-down
store and must decide what to do about it. Strong language and
violence. 1999.
Tivolem BR 12384
by Victor Rangel-Ribeiro
3 volumes
India, 1933. Marie-Santana, mid-thirties, returns to the tiny
coastal village of Tivolem, hoping to heal the wounds of a broken
heart. After her twenty-three-year absence, the townspeople are
suspicious. Simon Fernandes, who also left as a child, recently
arrived in Tivolem, too. Soon they find solace in each other's
company. 1998.
As I Lay Dying BR 12386
by William Faulkner
2 volumes (Reissue)
The Bundrens, poor whites in Mississippi, face numerous obstacles
as they trek across the countryside to deliver their mother's
body for burial in her home town. First published in 1930; this
edition includes changes made by Noel Polk in 1985 based on the
author's notes. 1930.
The Umbrella Man and Other Stories BR
12388
by Roald Dahl
2 volumes
Thirteen short stories with surprise twist endings. In the title
piece, a British gentleman sells his silk umbrella for mere taxi
fare to a mother and daughter in a heavy downpour. When he
doesn't hail a cab, they follow him to find out why. For junior
and senior high and older readers. 1996.
L.A. Requiem BR 12403
by Robert Crais
3 volumes
Private detective Elvis Cole learns more about his mysterious
partner, ex-cop Joe Pike, when they are asked to search for a
woman Pike once dated. Her death and a series of others intensify
some L.A. cops' distrust of Pike--whom they hold responsible for
a death long ago. Strong language and violence. Bestseller 1999.
Second Wind BR 12405
by Dick Francis
2 volumes
British television meteorologist Perry Stuart and a coworker find
a sponsor to fund their lifelong dream of flying into the eye of
a hurricane. They crash off Trox Island, where they wash ashore
and encounter mysterious men in antiradiation suits, who harbor a
dread conspiracy. Some violence. Bestseller 1999.
Personal Injuries BR 12406
by Scott Turow
4 volumes
Greedy personal-injury attorney Robbie Feaver is caught bribing
judges in corrupt Kindle County. The FBI assigns agent Evon
Miller to pose as his paralegal in the ensuing sting operation.
Feaver's lawyer, George Mason, recounts events preceding the
trial that leads to the eventual cleanup of the bench. Some
strong language. Bestseller 1999.
Havana Twist: A Willa Jansson Mystery BR 12419
by Lia Matera
2 volumes
California attorney Willa Jansson travels to Cuba when her
mother, a political activist, fails to return home. Deported to
Mexico City for asking too many questions, Willa enlists the help
of her former boyfriend, a San Francisco homicide detective. Some
violence. 1998.
Bad Medicine BR 12421
by Ron Querry
2 volumes
Dr. Push Foster arrives for a two-year stint at the Lukachukai
Health Station in 1993, and within an hour a young Navajo woman
dies. Others succumb, and Western medicine suggests that a rare
virus may be sweeping the reservation, but local residents
suspect the cause is not just biological. Some strong language.
1998.
The Brethren BR 12469
by John Grisham
3 volumes
In a federal penitentiary in Florida, three former judges known
as the Brethren hold court. Besides handling inmate disputes and
appeals, they have devised a scheme to blackmail men on the
outside. But when one of their targets turns out to be a CIA-financed candidate for president, they find themselves in hot
water. Bestseller 2000.
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