2013, ISBN: 9780385343220

Gebundene Ausgabe

Vintage Books. Very Good. 5.08 x 1.62 x 7.79 inches. Paperback. 2006. 618 pages. <br>What is it to be human? This question, as in Birds ong, is at the heart of Human Traces. The st… Mehr…

Vintage Books. Very Good. 5.08 x 1.62 x 7.79 inches. Paperback. 2006. 618 pages. <br>What is it to be human? This question, as in Birds ong, is at the heart of Human Traces. The story begins in Britta ny where a young, poor boy somehow passes his medical exams and g oes to Paris, where he attends the lectures of Charcot, the Paris ian neurologist who set the world on its head in the 1870s. With a friend, he sets up a clinic in the mysterious mountain district of Carinthia in south-east Austria. If The Girl at the Lion d'O r was a simple three-movement symphony, Birdsong an opera, Charlo tte Gray a complex four-movement symphony and On Green Dolphin St reet a concerto, then Human Traces is a Wagnerian grand opera. F rom the Hardcover edition. Editorial Reviews Review Faulks is b eyond doubt a master. -Financial Times One of the most impressiv e novelists of his generation. -Sunday Telegraph From the Hardco ver edition. About the Author Sebastian Faulks is best known for his French trilogy, The Girl at the Lion d'Or, Birdsong and Char lotte Gray. He has also worked extensively as a journalist. From the Hardcover edition. Excerpt. ® Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. I An evening mist, salted by the western sea, w as gathering on the low hills - reed-spattered rises running up f rom the rocks then back into the gorse- and bracken-covered count ry - and on to the roads that joined the villages, where lamps an d candles flickered behind the shutters of the grey stone houses. It was poor country - so poor, remarked the Curé, who had recent ly arrived from Angers, that the stones of the shore called out f or God's mercy. With the mist came sputtering rain, made invisibl e by the extinguished light, as it exploded like flung gravel at the windows, while stronger gusts made the shivering pine trees s hed their needles on the dark, sanded earth. Jacques Rebière lis tened to the sounds from outside as he looked through the window of his bedroom; for a moment, a dim moon allowed him to see cloud s foaming in the darkness. The weather reminded him, often, that it was not just he, at sixteen years old, who was young, but all mankind: a species that took infant steps on the drifts and fault s of the earth. Between the ends of his dirtied fingers, Jacques held a small blade which, over the course of several days, he ha d whetted to surgical sharpness. He pulled a candle closer. From downstairs he could hear the sound of his father's voice in reluc tant negotiation. The house was at the top of a narrow street th at ran off the main square of Sainte Agnès. Behind it, the villag e ended and there were thick woods - Monsieur Rebière's own prope rty - where Jacques was meant to trap birds and rabbits and preve nt other villagers doing likewise. The garden had an orchard of p ear and apple trees whose fruits were collected and set to keep i n one of the outbuildings. Rebière's was a house of many stores: of sheds with beaten earth underfoot and slatted wooden shelves; of brick-floored cellars with stone bins on which the cobwebs clo sed the access to the bottles; of barred pantry and latched larde r with shelves of nuts and preserved fruits. The keys were on a r ing in the pocket of Rebière's waistcoat. Although born no more t han sixty years earlier, he was known as 'old Rebière', perhaps f or the arthritic movement of his knees, when he heaved himself up from his chair and straightened the joints beneath his breeches. He preferred to do business standing up; it gave the transaction a temporary air, helping to convince the other party that bargai ning time was short. Old Rebière was a forester who worked as th e agent for a landowner from Lorient. Over the years he had done some business on his own account, acquiring some parcels of land, three cottages that the heirs did not want to keep, some fields and woodland. Most of his work was no more than that of bailiff o r rent collector, but he liked to try to negotiate private deals with a view to becoming a businessman in his own right. Born in t he year after Waterloo, he had lived under a republic, three king s and an emperor; twice mayor of the local town, he had found it made little difference which government was in Paris, since so fe w edicts devolved from the distant centre to his own Breton world . The parlour of the house had smoke-stained wooden panelling an d a white stone chimneypiece decorated with the carved head of a wild boar. A small fire was smouldering in the grate as Rebière a ttempted to conclude his meeting with the notary who had come to see him. He never invited guests into his study but preferred to speak to them in this public room, as though he might later need witnesses to what had passed between them. His second wife sat in her accustomed chair by the door, sewing and listening. Rebière' s tactic was to say as little as possible; he had found that sile nce, accompanied by pained inhalation, often induced nervousness in the other side. His contributions, when they were unavoidable, were delivered in a reluctant murmur, melancholy, full of a wear iness at a world that had obliged him to agree terms so self-woun ding. 'I am not a peasant,' he told his son. 'I am not one of th ose men you see portrayed at the theatre in Paris, who buries his gold in a sock and never buys a bonnet for his wife. I am a busi nessman who understands the modern world.' From upstairs, Jacque s could still hear his father's business murmur. It was true that he was not a peasant, though his parents had been; true too, tha t he was not the miser of the popular imagination, though partly because the amount of gold he had to hoard was not great enough: forty years of dealing had brought him a modest return, and perha ps, thought Jacques, this was why his father had forbidden him to study any further. From the age of thirteen, he had been set to work, looking after the properties, mending roofs and fences, cle aring trees while his father travelled to Quimper and Vannes to c ultivate new acquaintances. Jacques looked back to his table, no t wanting to waste the light of the wax candle he had begged from Tante Mathilde in place of the dingy ox-tallow which was all his father would allow him. He took the blade and began, very carefu lly, to make a shallow incision in the neck of a frog he had pinn ed, through its splayed feet, to the untreated wood. He had never attempted the operation before and was anxious not to damage wha t lay beneath the green skin, moist from the saline in which he h ad kept it. The frog was on its front, and Jacques's blade travel led smoothly up over the top of its head and stopped between the bulging eyes. He then cut two semicircular flaps to join at the n ape of the neck and pushed back the pouches of peeled skin, with their pearls of eyes. Beneath his delicate touch he could see now that there was little in the way of protection for the exposed b rain. He took out a magnifying glass. What is a frog's fury? he thought, as he gazed at the tiny thinking organ his knife had exp osed. It was beautiful. What does it feel for its spawn or its ma te or the flash of water over its skin? The brain of an amphibian is a poor thing, the Curé had warned him; he promised that soon he would acquire the head of a cow from the slaughterhouse, and t hen they would have a more instructive time. Yet Jacques was happ y with his frog's brain. From the side of the table he took two c opper wires attached at the other end to a brass rod that ran thr ough a cork which was in turn used to seal a glass bottle coated inside and out with foil. 'Jacques! Jacques! It's time for dinne r. Come to the table!' It was Tante Mathilde's voice; clearly Ja cques had not heard the notary depart. He set down the electrodes and blew out the candle, then crossed the landing to the top of the almost-vertical wooden staircase and groped his way down by t he familiar indentations of the plaster wall. His grandmother cam e into the parlour carrying a tureen of soup, which she placed on the table. Rebière and his wife, known to Jacques as Tante Mathi lde, were already sitting down. Rebière drummed his knife impatie ntly on the wood while Grandmère ladled the soup out with her sha king hand. 'Take a bowl out to . . .' Rebière jerked his head in the direction of the door. 'Wait,' said Grand-mère. 'There's so me rabbit, too.' Rebière rolled his eyes with impatience as the old woman went out to the scullery again and returned with a seco nd bowl that she handed to Jacques. He carried both dishes carefu lly to the door and took a lantern to light his way out into the darkness, watching his feet on the shiny cobbles of the yard. At the stable, he set down the food and pulled back the top half of the door; he peered in by the light of the flame and felt his nos trils fill with a familiar sensation. 'Olivier? Are you there? I 've brought dinner. There's no bread again, but there's soup and some rabbit. Olivier?' There was a sudden noise from the horse, like the rumbling clatter of a laden table being overturned, as s he shifted in the stall. 'Olivier? Please. It's raining. Where a re you?' Wary of the horse, who lashed out with her hind legs if frightened, Jacques freed the bolt of the door himself and made his way into the ripe darkness of the stable. Sitting with his b ack to the wall, his legs spread wide apart on the dung-strewn gr ound, was his brother. 'I've brought your dinner. How are you?' Jacques squatted down next to him. Olivier stared straight ahea d, as though unaware that anyone was there. Jacques took his brot her's hand and wrapped the fingers round the edge of the soup bow l, noticing what could be smears of excrement on the nails. Olivi er moved his head from side to side, thrusting it back hard again st the stable wall. He muttered something Jacques could not make out and began to scrape at his inner forearm as if trying to rid himself of a bothersome insect. Jacques took a spoonful of the s oup and held it up to Olivier's face. Gently, he prised open his lips and pushed the metal inwards. It was too dark to see how muc h went into his mouth and how much trickled down his tangled bear d. 'They want me to come, they keep telling me. But why should I go, when they know everything already?' 'Who, Olivier? Who does ?' Their eyes met. Jacques felt himself summed up and dismissed from Olivier's mental presence. 'Are you cold? Do you want more blankets?' Olivier became earnest.'Yes, yes, that's it, you've g ot to keep warm, you've to wrap up now the winter's coming. Look. Look at this.' He held up the frayed horse blanket beneath which he slept and examined it closely, as though he had not seen it b efore or had suddenly been struck by its workmanship. Then his v igour was quenched again and his gaze became still. Jacques took his hand. 'Listen, Olivier. It's nearly a year now that you've b een in here. Do you think you could try again? Why don't you come out for a few minutes? I could help.' 'They don't want me.' 'Y ou always say that. But perhaps they'd be happy to have you back in the house.' 'They won't let me go.' Jacques nodded. Olivier was clearly talking of a different 'they', and he was too frighte ned to contradict or to press him. He had been a child when Olivi er, four years the older, started to drift away from his family; it began when, previously a lively and sociable youth, he took to passing the evenings alone in his room studying the Bible and dr awing up a chart of 'astral influences'. Jacques was fascinated b y the diagrams, which Olivier had done in his clever draughtsman' s hand, using pens he had taken from the hôtel de ville, where he worked as a clerk. Jacques's experiences had usually come to hi m first through the descriptions of Olivier, who naturally antici pated all of them. Mathematics at school were a jumble of pointle ss signs, he said, that made you want to cry out; being beaten by the master's ruler on the knuckles hurt more than being kicked o n the shin by the broody mare. Olivier had never been to Paris, b ut Vannes, he told Jacques, was so huge that you got lost the mom ent you let your concentration go; and it was full of women who l ooked at you in a strange way. When changes came to your body, Ol ivier said, you noticed nothing, no hairs bursting the skin, no w rench in your voice; the only difference was that you felt urgent , tense, all the time, as though about to leap a stream or jump f rom a high rock. Olivier's chart of astral influences therefore looked to Jacques like another early glimpse of a universal human experience granted to him by his elder brother. Olivier had been right about everything else: in Vannes, Jacques kept himself ori entated at all times, like a dog sniffing the wind; he liked math ematics, though he saw what Oliver had meant. He avoided the mast er's beatings. 'Where is God in this plan?' he had said, pointin g with his finger. 'I see the planets and their influence and thi s character, here, whatever his name is. But in the Bible, it say s that-' 'God is here, in your head.And here.' Olivier pointed t o the chart. 'But it's a secret.' 'I don't understand,' said Jac ques. 'If this is Earth here, this is Saturn, and here are the ri ngs of Jupiter and this is the body you've discovered, the one th at regulates the movements of people, then what are these lines h ere? Are these the souls of the dead going up to Heaven?' 'Those are the rays of influence. They emanate from space, far beyond a nything we can see. These are what control you.' 'Rays?' 'Of co urse. Like rays of light, or invisible waves of sound. The univer se is bombarded with them.You can't hear them.You can't see them. ' 'Does everyone know about them? All grown-ups?' 'No.' 'How d o you know about them? Who told you?' 'I have been told.' Jacqu es looked away. Over the weeks, he discovered that Olivier's syst em of cosmic laws and influences was invulnerably cogent; there w as in fact something of the weary sage in his manner when he answ ered yet another of Jacques's immature questions about it, while its ability to adapt made it imperme, Vintage Books, 2006, 3, Delacorte Press. Very Good. 6.25 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches. Hardcover. 2013. 352 pages. <br>NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Even the most perfect l ives can be shattered in an instant. In this moving, emotionally charged novel, Danielle Steel introduces readers to an unforgetta ble cast of characters striving to overcome tragedy and discover the inner resources and resilience to win at life--once again. WINNERS Lily Thomas is an aspiring ski champion training for the Olympics, a young woman with her heart set on winning the gold. But in one moment, Lily's future is changed forever, her hopes fo r the Olympics swept away in a tragic accident. Dr. Jessie Matt hews, the neurosurgeon who operates on her that night, endures a tragedy of her own, and instantly becomes the sole support of her four young children, while her own future hangs in the balance. Bill, Lily's father, has pinned all his hopes on his only daugh ter, his dreams now shattered. Other lives will entwine themsel ves with theirs: Joe, a financial manager, faces a ruined career at the hand of a dishonest partner. Carole, a psychologist at Mas s General, is a breast cancer survivor, her body and heart scarre d by what she's been through. Teddy, with a spinal cord injury wo rse than Lily's, dreams of college and becoming an artist. From the ashes of their lives, six people fight to alter the course of destiny and refuse to be defeated. When Bill builds a remarkable rehab facility for his daughter, countless lives are forever alt ered, and each becomes a winner. Winners is about refusing to be beaten, no matter how insurmountable the challenge. And when Lil y gets on skis again and enters the Paralympics, the battle to br ave life again is won. Winners is about more than surviving, it is about courage, victory, and triumph. When all appears to be lo st, the battle has just begun. Praise for Winners Steel skillfu lly weaves the strands of the Matthews and Thomas families togeth er in a layered story. . . . Together, they discover friendship, loyalty, and new dreams.--Publishers Weekly [Winners] will leave readers crying and cheering.--Booklist Editorial Reviews From Booklist Chronicling the first year after tragedy strikes two fam ilies, Steel's latest grapples with the long, painful road to rec overy. When a Tahoe ski lift breaks with Olympic hopeful Lily and her coach onboard, the coach is killed and Lily severely injured . Lily's operated on by neurosurgeon Dr. Jessie Mathews, who dete rmines that the girl's spinal-cord injury means that Lily will ne ver walk again, much less compete in the Olympics. Lily's single- parent father, Bill, is devastated, since Lily has been his life after his wife's death. Unbeknownst to Jessie, while she's operat ing on Lily, her husband, Tim, and son Jimmy are in a car acciden t. Tim dies instantly; Jimmy survives without injury. While Jessi e works to keep her four children from despair, Bill first goes t hrough total denial, and then, when Jessie's diagnosis is confirm ed by other doctors and Lily is in Denver's Craig Hospital, he de cides to build Lily Pad, a center for young spinal-cord patients. Steel's unflinching look at the highs and lows of Bill's and Jes sie's lives will leave readers crying and cheering. --Pat Henshaw Review Steel skillfully weaves the strands of the Matthews and Thomas families together in a layered story. . . . Together, they discover friendship, loyalty, and new dreams.--Publishers Weekly [Winners] will leave readers crying and cheering.--Booklist Ab out the Author Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world 's most popular authors, with over 600 million copies of her nove ls sold. Her many international bestsellers include First Sight, Until the End of Time, The Sins of the Mother, Friends Forever, B etrayal, Hotel Vendôme, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick T raina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; and Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family ha ve loved. Excerpt. ® Reprinted by permission. All rights reserve d. Chapter 1 Lily Thomas lay in bed when the alarm went off on a snowy &#8239;&#8239;&#8239;January morning in Squaw Valley. She opened her eyes for just an instant and saw the thick snow swirli ng beyond the windows of the house her father had rented, and for a fraction of an instant, she wanted to roll over and go back to sleep. She could hear the dynamite blasts in the distance to pre vent avalanches, and just from a glance, she knew what kind of da y it was. You could hardly see past the windows in the heavy bliz zard, and she knew that if the mountain was open, it wouldn't be for long. But she loved the challenge of skiing in heavy snow. It would be a good workout, and she didn't want to miss a single da y with one of her favorite instructors, Jason Yee. She and her f ather came here every year during Christmas break. They celebrate d Christmas at home in Denver, flew to San Francisco where her fa ther visited friends and did some business, mostly with venture c apital firms in Silicon Valley, and then they drove to Squaw. It was a tradition Lily loved, and good skiing. They'd been coming h ere since she'd started downhill racing when she was a little kid . She had won bronze in the Junior Olympics three years before, a t fourteen. And she was training for the next Winter Olympics, in a year. This time she was hoping to win the gold. Lily gave a l ast stretch in her warm, comfortable bed and got up to take a sho wer. She glanced out the window and saw how heavy the snowfall wa s. There were two more feet of fresh snow on the ground than ther e had been the night before. She grinned, thinking of the morning that lay ahead. The heavy snow might slow them down a little, bu t Jason always pushed her hard, which was what she liked about hi m. She loved skiing with him, and he was more fun than her regula r Denver coach, who'd been training her for the Olympics since sh e was twelve. It had been her father's idea for her to start ski ing, and then racing, when he saw what a natural she was. He had loved to ski at her age. He had been mostly self-­taught, and had a passion for it, and had skied on whatever skis he could afford . After his simple beginnings in a mining town in Pennsylvania, h e had made his fortune in his early twenties, speculating on the commodities market and later investing in high-­risk deals that b rought enormous returns. Since then he had been investing more co nservatively, and his fortune was secure and would go to Lily one day. She never thought about it, although she knew how fortunate she was. Her father always preached discipline and hard work, an d Lily was a lot like him. She was an outstanding student and a t alented athlete. She was a junior in high school and hoped to go to an Ivy League college. And in the meantime she trained for the Olympics every day, at a grueling pace. She had been the joy and main focus of her father's life since her mother died when she w as three. Bill Thomas lived for her, and Lily adored him. Bill T homas had gone to a state college in Pennsylvania. His father had been a coal miner and died when Bill was in his teens. He knew w hat poverty looked like at its most extreme, and all he had wante d as a young man was to provide a better life for the family he h oped to have one day. A scholarship to Harvard Business School ha d changed his life. He had used the MBA he earned there, and his own entrepreneurial sense, to achieve everything he had set his s ights on as a boy. His mother never lived to see him graduate, an d his brother had died in a mine accident at nineteen. Only Bill had escaped into a better world, and he never forgot where he cam e from, and what he had achieved. He was brilliant in business, a nd at fifty-­two, he had fulfilled his dreams, and worked at home now, managing his investments, and spending as much time with Li ly as he could. He had been both father and mother to her for fou rteen years, and was infinitely proud of her. Lily showered and dressed, and appeared at the breakfast table a few minutes later, in her ski pants, thermals, and bare feet. Her long dark hair wa s still wet from the shower, and her father was sipping a cup of coffee, as he looked up at her with a smile. I was wondering if you were going to sleep in. It looks nasty outside. As he said it , they both heard the dynamite go off again. The chairlifts weren 't moving yet, but Lily was sure they would soon, at least for a while. I don't want to miss the day, she said, putting brown sug ar on the oatmeal he had ordered for her, from room service at a nearby hotel that provided food and maid service to the house the y rented every year. I love skiing with Jason, Daddy, she said, a s he uncovered the rest of what he'd ordered for her, scrambled e ggs, bacon, and whole wheat toast. I can't eat all that, she said , making a face. Lily was lean and athletic and in fantastic sha pe, and she was as beautiful as her mother had been, with the sam e lavender-­blue eyes, dark hair, and creamy skin, and a wide smi le that mirrored his own. Bill was as fair as she was dark and lo oked younger than his years. He had never remarried and had no de sire to, as long as Lily was at home. He had dated the same woman for the past two years. Penny was devoted to her career, had nev er married, and had no children, and she traveled so much for her PR business that it never bothered her that the most important w oman in Bill's life was Lily, and most of the time he was busy wi th his daughter and had little interest in anyone else. He and Pe nny had an unspoken arrangement that worked for both of them. Whe n they had time and were in the same city, they spent an evening together, and other than that, they had their own lives. Neither of them wanted more with each other than they had. And they had f un whenever they got together. Penny was a good-­looking redhead , and she worked hard at maintaining a spectacular body that she had enhanced here and there. Bill always enjoyed having her on hi s arm when they went out. She was younger than he was, but not so much that he felt foolish when they were seen together. They ha d even managed a couple of trips, usually to resorts she represen ted so she could kill two birds with one stone. He had never sugg ested a future to her, nor did he plan to, and she was an indepen dent woman who didn't seem to want one with him, or anyone else. She was forty-­two years old, and Lily liked her, and knew that P enny was no threat to her. Her father rarely in- volved his daugh ter in his dating life--­they spent their family time alone, as o n this vacation. And during their time in Squaw, Penny was at the opening of a new resort in St. Bart's, and Bill had never invite d her to Squaw Valley with them on their annual trip. He liked sp ending the time with Lily--­she was so busy with school and frien ds, sports, and after-­school activities when they were at home. He dreaded when she'd leave for college and was trying to talk he r into going to school in or near Denver, although Lily had her h eart set on the Ivy League in the East, and had the grades to get in. Are you sure you want to go out today? he asked, as she too k a bite of the eggs and then nibbled a strip of bacon. They'll probably close the mountain early. I want to get in as many runs as I can before they do, she said, then stood up to go finish dre ssing. If it gets too bad, I want you to come in, he reminded he r. He admired her skill, and her discipline, but he didn't want h er taking crazy chances in ugly weather. But she was a sensible g irl too. I know, Daddy, she said with a dazzling smile as she lo oked over her shoulder. Don't worry, we'll be fine. Jason knows t he mountain better than anyone here. It was one of the reasons wh y Bill had hired him years before. He wanted Lily to have fun, bu t he wanted her safe above all. He had lost her mother and didn't want to lose her as well. Lily's mother had been driving too fas t the night she hit a patch of ice in Denver and died at twenty-­ five, leaving Bill widowed, with a three-­year-­old child. He pro tected Lily as if she were made of glass. She was back ten minut es later, with her sweater on over her thermals, ski pants, hikin g boots, and her Olympic team parka and helmet over her arm. She left her skis, boots, and poles in a locker at the base of the mo untain every night, and she had to take a shuttle bus to meet Jas on there now. She put her parka on and zipped it up. Bill was sit ting at his computer checking the commodities market, and then lo oked up at her with a grin. You look mighty cute, he said, smili ng broadly. The Olympic team parka and helmet said she was a hots hot, and they were a status symbol on any slope. Just looking at her, he was proud of her all over again. And come in if the weath er gets any worse, he reminded her, and she bent to kiss him on t he top of his head on her way out. We will, she said happily, an d waved her gloves at him from the doorway, and then she was off to get in as much skiing as she could before the mountain closed. He was sure it would by midday, and so was she. He stood up and watched her from the window, and saw her get on the shuttle bus to the base. She didn't see him, and he felt his heart tug as he gazed at her. She was so beautiful and so young, and she looked s o much like her late mother they could have been sisters. It stil l tore his heart out sometimes. She would have been thirty-­nine years old if she were still alive, which was hard to imagine. In his mind, she would be young forever, hardly older than Lily was now at seventeen. He went back to his computer then, and hoped th at Lily would come in early. The snow seemed to be getting worse, and he knew there would be a veil of fog at the top of the mount ain. Only the worst diehards would venture out today, like Lily. She had her mother's looks but her father's grit, stubbornness, a nd determination. Because of it, Bill was sure that her skill and relentless training would win her the gold in the next Olympics. While riding the shuttle to the base, she had time to text her boyfriend Jeremy and best friend Veronica. Both were on the ski t eam with her, and were practicing in Denver that day. She had no time to make friends with anyone who wasn't on the Olympic team, and she and Veronica had known, Delacorte Press, 2013, 3<

2013, ISBN: 9780385343220

This book is in "as new" condition. No wear to covers, no markings inner pages. Spine intact, no creases. "Rarely, if ever, does a new writer dazzle us with such a vivid imagination and s… Mehr…

This book is in "as new" condition. No wear to covers, no markings inner pages. Spine intact, no creases. "Rarely, if ever, does a new writer dazzle us with such a vivid imagination and storytelling, flawlessly capturing the essence of a land, a people, a legend. Conn Iggulden is just such a writer, bringing to vivid life one of the most fascinating eras in human history. In a true masterpiece of historical fiction, Iggulden takes us on a breathtaking journey through ancient Rome, sweeping us into a realm of tyrants and slaves, of dark intrigues and seething passions. What emerges is both a grand romantic tale of coming-of-age in the Roman Empire and a vibrant portrait of the early years of a man who would become the most powerful ruler on Julius Caesar.On the lush Italian peninsula, a new empire is taking shape. At its heart is the city of Rome, a place of glory and decadence, beauty and bloodshed. Against this vivid backdrop, two boys are growing to manhood, dreaming of battles, fame, and glory in service of the mightiest empire the world has ever known. One is the son of a senator, a boy of privilege and ambition to whom much has been given and from whom much is expected. The other is a bastard child, a boy of strength and cunning, whose love for his adoptive familyand his adoptive brotherwill be the most powerful force in his life.As young Gaius and Marcus are trained in the art of combatunder the tutelage of one of Rome's most fearsome gladiatorsRome itself is being rocked by the art of treachery and ambition, caught in a tug-of-war as two rival generals, Marius and Sulla, push the empire toward civil war. For Marcus, a bloody campaign in Greece will become a young soldier's proving ground. For Gaius, the equally deadly infighting of the Roman Senate will be the battlefield where he hones his courage and skill. And for both, the love of an extraordinary slave girl will be an honor each will covet but only one will win.The two friends are forced to walk different paths, and by the time they meet again everything will have changed. Both will have known love, loss, and violence. And the land where they were once innocent will be thrust into the grip of bitter conflicta conflict that will set Roman against Roman...and put their friendship to the ultimate test.Brilliantly interweaving history and adventure, Conn Iggulden conjures a stunning array of contrastsfrom the bloody stench of a battlefield to the opulence of the greatest city in history, from the tenderness of a lover to the treachery of an assassin. Superbly rendered, grippingly told, Emperor, The Gates of Rome is a work of vaulting imagination from a powerful new voice in historical fiction." Good Reads "I was born in the normal way in 1971, and vaguely remember half-pennies and sixpences. I have written for as long as I can remember: poetry, short stories and novels. It's what I always wanted to do and read English at London University with writing in mind. I taught English for seven years and was Head of English at St. Gregory's RC High School in London by the end of that period. I have enormous respect for those who still labour at the chalk-face. In truth, I can't find it in me to miss the grind of paperwork and initiatives. I do miss the camaraderie of the smokers' room, as well as the lessons where their faces lit up as they understood what I was wittering on about.My mother is Irish and from an early age she told me history as an exciting series of stories with dates. My great-grandfather was a Seannachie, so I suppose story-telling is in the genes somewhere. My father flew in Bomber Command in WWII, then taught maths and science. Perhaps crucially, he also loved poetry and cracking good tales. Though it seems a dated idea now, I began teaching when boys were told only girls were good at English, despite the great names that must spring to mind after that statement. My father loved working with wood and equations, but he also recited 'Vitai Lampada' with a gleam in his eye and that matters, frankly.I've always loved historical fiction as a genre and cut my teeth on Hornblower and Tai-Pan, Flashman, Sharpe and Jack Aubrey. I still remember the sheer joy of reading my first Patrick O'Brian book and discovering there were nineteen more in the series. I love just about anything by David Gemmell, or Peter F. Hamilton or Wilbur Smith. I suppose the one thing that links all those is the love of a good tale." Good Reads, Dell, 5, Delacorte Press. Very Good. 6.25 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches. Hardcover. 2013. 352 pages. <br>NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Even the most perfect l ives can be shattered in an instant. In this moving, emotionally charged novel, Danielle Steel introduces readers to an unforgetta ble cast of characters striving to overcome tragedy and discover the inner resources and resilience to win at life--once again. WINNERS Lily Thomas is an aspiring ski champion training for the Olympics, a young woman with her heart set on winning the gold. But in one moment, Lily's future is changed forever, her hopes fo r the Olympics swept away in a tragic accident. Dr. Jessie Matt hews, the neurosurgeon who operates on her that night, endures a tragedy of her own, and instantly becomes the sole support of her four young children, while her own future hangs in the balance. Bill, Lily's father, has pinned all his hopes on his only daugh ter, his dreams now shattered. Other lives will entwine themsel ves with theirs: Joe, a financial manager, faces a ruined career at the hand of a dishonest partner. Carole, a psychologist at Mas s General, is a breast cancer survivor, her body and heart scarre d by what she's been through. Teddy, with a spinal cord injury wo rse than Lily's, dreams of college and becoming an artist. From the ashes of their lives, six people fight to alter the course of destiny and refuse to be defeated. When Bill builds a remarkable rehab facility for his daughter, countless lives are forever alt ered, and each becomes a winner. Winners is about refusing to be beaten, no matter how insurmountable the challenge. And when Lil y gets on skis again and enters the Paralympics, the battle to br ave life again is won. Winners is about more than surviving, it is about courage, victory, and triumph. When all appears to be lo st, the battle has just begun. Praise for Winners Steel skillfu lly weaves the strands of the Matthews and Thomas families togeth er in a layered story. . . . Together, they discover friendship, loyalty, and new dreams.--Publishers Weekly [Winners] will leave readers crying and cheering.--Booklist Editorial Reviews From Booklist Chronicling the first year after tragedy strikes two fam ilies, Steel's latest grapples with the long, painful road to rec overy. When a Tahoe ski lift breaks with Olympic hopeful Lily and her coach onboard, the coach is killed and Lily severely injured . Lily's operated on by neurosurgeon Dr. Jessie Mathews, who dete rmines that the girl's spinal-cord injury means that Lily will ne ver walk again, much less compete in the Olympics. Lily's single- parent father, Bill, is devastated, since Lily has been his life after his wife's death. Unbeknownst to Jessie, while she's operat ing on Lily, her husband, Tim, and son Jimmy are in a car acciden t. Tim dies instantly; Jimmy survives without injury. While Jessi e works to keep her four children from despair, Bill first goes t hrough total denial, and then, when Jessie's diagnosis is confirm ed by other doctors and Lily is in Denver's Craig Hospital, he de cides to build Lily Pad, a center for young spinal-cord patients. Steel's unflinching look at the highs and lows of Bill's and Jes sie's lives will leave readers crying and cheering. --Pat Henshaw Review Steel skillfully weaves the strands of the Matthews and Thomas families together in a layered story. . . . Together, they discover friendship, loyalty, and new dreams.--Publishers Weekly [Winners] will leave readers crying and cheering.--Booklist Ab out the Author Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world 's most popular authors, with over 600 million copies of her nove ls sold. Her many international bestsellers include First Sight, Until the End of Time, The Sins of the Mother, Friends Forever, B etrayal, Hotel Vendôme, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick T raina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; and Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family ha ve loved. Excerpt. ® Reprinted by permission. All rights reserve d. Chapter 1 Lily Thomas lay in bed when the alarm went off on a snowy &#8239;&#8239;&#8239;January morning in Squaw Valley. She opened her eyes for just an instant and saw the thick snow swirli ng beyond the windows of the house her father had rented, and for a fraction of an instant, she wanted to roll over and go back to sleep. She could hear the dynamite blasts in the distance to pre vent avalanches, and just from a glance, she knew what kind of da y it was. You could hardly see past the windows in the heavy bliz zard, and she knew that if the mountain was open, it wouldn't be for long. But she loved the challenge of skiing in heavy snow. It would be a good workout, and she didn't want to miss a single da y with one of her favorite instructors, Jason Yee. She and her f ather came here every year during Christmas break. They celebrate d Christmas at home in Denver, flew to San Francisco where her fa ther visited friends and did some business, mostly with venture c apital firms in Silicon Valley, and then they drove to Squaw. It was a tradition Lily loved, and good skiing. They'd been coming h ere since she'd started downhill racing when she was a little kid . She had won bronze in the Junior Olympics three years before, a t fourteen. And she was training for the next Winter Olympics, in a year. This time she was hoping to win the gold. Lily gave a l ast stretch in her warm, comfortable bed and got up to take a sho wer. She glanced out the window and saw how heavy the snowfall wa s. There were two more feet of fresh snow on the ground than ther e had been the night before. She grinned, thinking of the morning that lay ahead. The heavy snow might slow them down a little, bu t Jason always pushed her hard, which was what she liked about hi m. She loved skiing with him, and he was more fun than her regula r Denver coach, who'd been training her for the Olympics since sh e was twelve. It had been her father's idea for her to start ski ing, and then racing, when he saw what a natural she was. He had loved to ski at her age. He had been mostly self-­taught, and had a passion for it, and had skied on whatever skis he could afford . After his simple beginnings in a mining town in Pennsylvania, h e had made his fortune in his early twenties, speculating on the commodities market and later investing in high-­risk deals that b rought enormous returns. Since then he had been investing more co nservatively, and his fortune was secure and would go to Lily one day. She never thought about it, although she knew how fortunate she was. Her father always preached discipline and hard work, an d Lily was a lot like him. She was an outstanding student and a t alented athlete. She was a junior in high school and hoped to go to an Ivy League college. And in the meantime she trained for the Olympics every day, at a grueling pace. She had been the joy and main focus of her father's life since her mother died when she w as three. Bill Thomas lived for her, and Lily adored him. Bill T homas had gone to a state college in Pennsylvania. His father had been a coal miner and died when Bill was in his teens. He knew w hat poverty looked like at its most extreme, and all he had wante d as a young man was to provide a better life for the family he h oped to have one day. A scholarship to Harvard Business School ha d changed his life. He had used the MBA he earned there, and his own entrepreneurial sense, to achieve everything he had set his s ights on as a boy. His mother never lived to see him graduate, an d his brother had died in a mine accident at nineteen. Only Bill had escaped into a better world, and he never forgot where he cam e from, and what he had achieved. He was brilliant in business, a nd at fifty-­two, he had fulfilled his dreams, and worked at home now, managing his investments, and spending as much time with Li ly as he could. He had been both father and mother to her for fou rteen years, and was infinitely proud of her. Lily showered and dressed, and appeared at the breakfast table a few minutes later, in her ski pants, thermals, and bare feet. Her long dark hair wa s still wet from the shower, and her father was sipping a cup of coffee, as he looked up at her with a smile. I was wondering if you were going to sleep in. It looks nasty outside. As he said it , they both heard the dynamite go off again. The chairlifts weren 't moving yet, but Lily was sure they would soon, at least for a while. I don't want to miss the day, she said, putting brown sug ar on the oatmeal he had ordered for her, from room service at a nearby hotel that provided food and maid service to the house the y rented every year. I love skiing with Jason, Daddy, she said, a s he uncovered the rest of what he'd ordered for her, scrambled e ggs, bacon, and whole wheat toast. I can't eat all that, she said , making a face. Lily was lean and athletic and in fantastic sha pe, and she was as beautiful as her mother had been, with the sam e lavender-­blue eyes, dark hair, and creamy skin, and a wide smi le that mirrored his own. Bill was as fair as she was dark and lo oked younger than his years. He had never remarried and had no de sire to, as long as Lily was at home. He had dated the same woman for the past two years. Penny was devoted to her career, had nev er married, and had no children, and she traveled so much for her PR business that it never bothered her that the most important w oman in Bill's life was Lily, and most of the time he was busy wi th his daughter and had little interest in anyone else. He and Pe nny had an unspoken arrangement that worked for both of them. Whe n they had time and were in the same city, they spent an evening together, and other than that, they had their own lives. Neither of them wanted more with each other than they had. And they had f un whenever they got together. Penny was a good-­looking redhead , and she worked hard at maintaining a spectacular body that she had enhanced here and there. Bill always enjoyed having her on hi s arm when they went out. She was younger than he was, but not so much that he felt foolish when they were seen together. They ha d even managed a couple of trips, usually to resorts she represen ted so she could kill two birds with one stone. He had never sugg ested a future to her, nor did he plan to, and she was an indepen dent woman who didn't seem to want one with him, or anyone else. She was forty-­two years old, and Lily liked her, and knew that P enny was no threat to her. Her father rarely in- volved his daugh ter in his dating life--­they spent their family time alone, as o n this vacation. And during their time in Squaw, Penny was at the opening of a new resort in St. Bart's, and Bill had never invite d her to Squaw Valley with them on their annual trip. He liked sp ending the time with Lily--­she was so busy with school and frien ds, sports, and after-­school activities when they were at home. He dreaded when she'd leave for college and was trying to talk he r into going to school in or near Denver, although Lily had her h eart set on the Ivy League in the East, and had the grades to get in. Are you sure you want to go out today? he asked, as she too k a bite of the eggs and then nibbled a strip of bacon. They'll probably close the mountain early. I want to get in as many runs as I can before they do, she said, then stood up to go finish dre ssing. If it gets too bad, I want you to come in, he reminded he r. He admired her skill, and her discipline, but he didn't want h er taking crazy chances in ugly weather. But she was a sensible g irl too. I know, Daddy, she said with a dazzling smile as she lo oked over her shoulder. Don't worry, we'll be fine. Jason knows t he mountain better than anyone here. It was one of the reasons wh y Bill had hired him years before. He wanted Lily to have fun, bu t he wanted her safe above all. He had lost her mother and didn't want to lose her as well. Lily's mother had been driving too fas t the night she hit a patch of ice in Denver and died at twenty-­ five, leaving Bill widowed, with a three-­year-­old child. He pro tected Lily as if she were made of glass. She was back ten minut es later, with her sweater on over her thermals, ski pants, hikin g boots, and her Olympic team parka and helmet over her arm. She left her skis, boots, and poles in a locker at the base of the mo untain every night, and she had to take a shuttle bus to meet Jas on there now. She put her parka on and zipped it up. Bill was sit ting at his computer checking the commodities market, and then lo oked up at her with a grin. You look mighty cute, he said, smili ng broadly. The Olympic team parka and helmet said she was a hots hot, and they were a status symbol on any slope. Just looking at her, he was proud of her all over again. And come in if the weath er gets any worse, he reminded her, and she bent to kiss him on t he top of his head on her way out. We will, she said happily, an d waved her gloves at him from the doorway, and then she was off to get in as much skiing as she could before the mountain closed. He was sure it would by midday, and so was she. He stood up and watched her from the window, and saw her get on the shuttle bus to the base. She didn't see him, and he felt his heart tug as he gazed at her. She was so beautiful and so young, and she looked s o much like her late mother they could have been sisters. It stil l tore his heart out sometimes. She would have been thirty-­nine years old if she were still alive, which was hard to imagine. In his mind, she would be young forever, hardly older than Lily was now at seventeen. He went back to his computer then, and hoped th at Lily would come in early. The snow seemed to be getting worse, and he knew there would be a veil of fog at the top of the mount ain. Only the worst diehards would venture out today, like Lily. She had her mother's looks but her father's grit, stubbornness, a nd determination. Because of it, Bill was sure that her skill and relentless training would win her the gold in the next Olympics. While riding the shuttle to the base, she had time to text her boyfriend Jeremy and best friend Veronica. Both were on the ski t eam with her, and were practicing in Denver that day. She had no time to make friends with anyone who wasn't on the Olympic team, and she and Veronica had known, Delacorte Press, 2013, 3<

2013, ISBN: 9780385343220

Gebundene Ausgabe

SPCK Publishing. Very Good. 5.06 x 0.34 x 7.81 inches. Paperback. 2011. 144 pages. <br>Over fifty joyous years, David Adam has exercised a rich and profoundly influential ministry.… Mehr…

SPCK Publishing. Very Good. 5.06 x 0.34 x 7.81 inches. Paperback. 2011. 144 pages. <br>Over fifty joyous years, David Adam has exercised a rich and profoundly influential ministry. From his earliest day s, he was encouraged to use his eyes to absorb what was around hi m. He writes: 'I lived in a land of open fields, moorland, and be aches: a land of castles, of history, of heroes, saints and story . . . a radiant world . . . full of the mystery of existence'. L eaving school at 15 to work at the local coal mine, he became inc reasingly aware of the need to have a purpose in life. The Societ y of the Sacred Mission at Kelham (regarded as 'the Commando cour se of the Church of England') was his tough training ground, and thereafter he embarked on a 23 year ministry in Danby in the Nort h York Moors. During this time The Edge of Glory: Prayers in the Celtic Tradition was published. Many more bestselling volumes wer e to follow during the exhilarating, exhausting and unforgettable thirteen years he served as Vicar of the Holy Island of Lindisfa rne. Though autobiographical, the aim of The Wonder of the Beyond is primarily to help us enter a more wonder full world; to open our eyes, ears and hearts to what is about us; to become more tru ly aware of the glory of God in our midst. Editorial Reviews Ab out the Author The Revd Canon David Adam was for thirteen years V icar of the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. He remains much in demand as a lecturer, speaker and spiritual director. ., SPCK Publishing, 2011, 3, Ediciones Minerva, México, 1940. First Edition. Soft Cover. 217, [1] p., 18.5 cm. Versión española de Miguel de Figueras. "Under the leadership of E. N. van Kleffens the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs played a central role in London. The Nazi invasion of the Netherlands on 10 May 1940 signalled the end of Dutch neutrality and necessitated the framing of a new foreign policy during the war years. The contours of this policy were explained by Van Kleffens in his speech on Radio Orange on 28 December 1943. Van Kleffens said that the pre-war policy of neutrality was "stone dead". The Dutch had to choose between international isolation and a form of cooperation "with countries of good will". Van Kleffens preferred the United Kingdom and the USA, but France and Belgium were also on his list. This new policy brought the Netherlands into the camp of the western allies where it developed into a member of NATO and the European Coal and Steel Community, the predecessor of the current European Union." (from the Dutch National Archive website). Printed wraps worn, stained, edges spotted, pages darkened; unopened; good. 38937., Ediciones Minerva, México, 1940, 0, Delacorte Press. Very Good. 6.25 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches. Hardcover. 2013. 352 pages. <br>NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Even the most perfect l ives can be shattered in an instant. In this moving, emotionally charged novel, Danielle Steel introduces readers to an unforgetta ble cast of characters striving to overcome tragedy and discover the inner resources and resilience to win at life--once again. WINNERS Lily Thomas is an aspiring ski champion training for the Olympics, a young woman with her heart set on winning the gold. But in one moment, Lily's future is changed forever, her hopes fo r the Olympics swept away in a tragic accident. Dr. Jessie Matt hews, the neurosurgeon who operates on her that night, endures a tragedy of her own, and instantly becomes the sole support of her four young children, while her own future hangs in the balance. Bill, Lily's father, has pinned all his hopes on his only daugh ter, his dreams now shattered. Other lives will entwine themsel ves with theirs: Joe, a financial manager, faces a ruined career at the hand of a dishonest partner. Carole, a psychologist at Mas s General, is a breast cancer survivor, her body and heart scarre d by what she's been through. Teddy, with a spinal cord injury wo rse than Lily's, dreams of college and becoming an artist. From the ashes of their lives, six people fight to alter the course of destiny and refuse to be defeated. When Bill builds a remarkable rehab facility for his daughter, countless lives are forever alt ered, and each becomes a winner. Winners is about refusing to be beaten, no matter how insurmountable the challenge. And when Lil y gets on skis again and enters the Paralympics, the battle to br ave life again is won. Winners is about more than surviving, it is about courage, victory, and triumph. When all appears to be lo st, the battle has just begun. Praise for Winners Steel skillfu lly weaves the strands of the Matthews and Thomas families togeth er in a layered story. . . . Together, they discover friendship, loyalty, and new dreams.--Publishers Weekly [Winners] will leave readers crying and cheering.--Booklist Editorial Reviews From Booklist Chronicling the first year after tragedy strikes two fam ilies, Steel's latest grapples with the long, painful road to rec overy. When a Tahoe ski lift breaks with Olympic hopeful Lily and her coach onboard, the coach is killed and Lily severely injured . Lily's operated on by neurosurgeon Dr. Jessie Mathews, who dete rmines that the girl's spinal-cord injury means that Lily will ne ver walk again, much less compete in the Olympics. Lily's single- parent father, Bill, is devastated, since Lily has been his life after his wife's death. Unbeknownst to Jessie, while she's operat ing on Lily, her husband, Tim, and son Jimmy are in a car acciden t. Tim dies instantly; Jimmy survives without injury. While Jessi e works to keep her four children from despair, Bill first goes t hrough total denial, and then, when Jessie's diagnosis is confirm ed by other doctors and Lily is in Denver's Craig Hospital, he de cides to build Lily Pad, a center for young spinal-cord patients. Steel's unflinching look at the highs and lows of Bill's and Jes sie's lives will leave readers crying and cheering. --Pat Henshaw Review Steel skillfully weaves the strands of the Matthews and Thomas families together in a layered story. . . . Together, they discover friendship, loyalty, and new dreams.--Publishers Weekly [Winners] will leave readers crying and cheering.--Booklist Ab out the Author Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world 's most popular authors, with over 600 million copies of her nove ls sold. Her many international bestsellers include First Sight, Until the End of Time, The Sins of the Mother, Friends Forever, B etrayal, Hotel Vendôme, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick T raina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; and Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family ha ve loved. Excerpt. ® Reprinted by permission. All rights reserve d. Chapter 1 Lily Thomas lay in bed when the alarm went off on a snowy &#8239;&#8239;&#8239;January morning in Squaw Valley. She opened her eyes for just an instant and saw the thick snow swirli ng beyond the windows of the house her father had rented, and for a fraction of an instant, she wanted to roll over and go back to sleep. She could hear the dynamite blasts in the distance to pre vent avalanches, and just from a glance, she knew what kind of da y it was. You could hardly see past the windows in the heavy bliz zard, and she knew that if the mountain was open, it wouldn't be for long. But she loved the challenge of skiing in heavy snow. It would be a good workout, and she didn't want to miss a single da y with one of her favorite instructors, Jason Yee. She and her f ather came here every year during Christmas break. They celebrate d Christmas at home in Denver, flew to San Francisco where her fa ther visited friends and did some business, mostly with venture c apital firms in Silicon Valley, and then they drove to Squaw. It was a tradition Lily loved, and good skiing. They'd been coming h ere since she'd started downhill racing when she was a little kid . She had won bronze in the Junior Olympics three years before, a t fourteen. And she was training for the next Winter Olympics, in a year. This time she was hoping to win the gold. Lily gave a l ast stretch in her warm, comfortable bed and got up to take a sho wer. She glanced out the window and saw how heavy the snowfall wa s. There were two more feet of fresh snow on the ground than ther e had been the night before. She grinned, thinking of the morning that lay ahead. The heavy snow might slow them down a little, bu t Jason always pushed her hard, which was what she liked about hi m. She loved skiing with him, and he was more fun than her regula r Denver coach, who'd been training her for the Olympics since sh e was twelve. It had been her father's idea for her to start ski ing, and then racing, when he saw what a natural she was. He had loved to ski at her age. He had been mostly self-­taught, and had a passion for it, and had skied on whatever skis he could afford . After his simple beginnings in a mining town in Pennsylvania, h e had made his fortune in his early twenties, speculating on the commodities market and later investing in high-­risk deals that b rought enormous returns. Since then he had been investing more co nservatively, and his fortune was secure and would go to Lily one day. She never thought about it, although she knew how fortunate she was. Her father always preached discipline and hard work, an d Lily was a lot like him. She was an outstanding student and a t alented athlete. She was a junior in high school and hoped to go to an Ivy League college. And in the meantime she trained for the Olympics every day, at a grueling pace. She had been the joy and main focus of her father's life since her mother died when she w as three. Bill Thomas lived for her, and Lily adored him. Bill T homas had gone to a state college in Pennsylvania. His father had been a coal miner and died when Bill was in his teens. He knew w hat poverty looked like at its most extreme, and all he had wante d as a young man was to provide a better life for the family he h oped to have one day. A scholarship to Harvard Business School ha d changed his life. He had used the MBA he earned there, and his own entrepreneurial sense, to achieve everything he had set his s ights on as a boy. His mother never lived to see him graduate, an d his brother had died in a mine accident at nineteen. Only Bill had escaped into a better world, and he never forgot where he cam e from, and what he had achieved. He was brilliant in business, a nd at fifty-­two, he had fulfilled his dreams, and worked at home now, managing his investments, and spending as much time with Li ly as he could. He had been both father and mother to her for fou rteen years, and was infinitely proud of her. Lily showered and dressed, and appeared at the breakfast table a few minutes later, in her ski pants, thermals, and bare feet. Her long dark hair wa s still wet from the shower, and her father was sipping a cup of coffee, as he looked up at her with a smile. I was wondering if you were going to sleep in. It looks nasty outside. As he said it , they both heard the dynamite go off again. The chairlifts weren 't moving yet, but Lily was sure they would soon, at least for a while. I don't want to miss the day, she said, putting brown sug ar on the oatmeal he had ordered for her, from room service at a nearby hotel that provided food and maid service to the house the y rented every year. I love skiing with Jason, Daddy, she said, a s he uncovered the rest of what he'd ordered for her, scrambled e ggs, bacon, and whole wheat toast. I can't eat all that, she said , making a face. Lily was lean and athletic and in fantastic sha pe, and she was as beautiful as her mother had been, with the sam e lavender-­blue eyes, dark hair, and creamy skin, and a wide smi le that mirrored his own. Bill was as fair as she was dark and lo oked younger than his years. He had never remarried and had no de sire to, as long as Lily was at home. He had dated the same woman for the past two years. Penny was devoted to her career, had nev er married, and had no children, and she traveled so much for her PR business that it never bothered her that the most important w oman in Bill's life was Lily, and most of the time he was busy wi th his daughter and had little interest in anyone else. He and Pe nny had an unspoken arrangement that worked for both of them. Whe n they had time and were in the same city, they spent an evening together, and other than that, they had their own lives. Neither of them wanted more with each other than they had. And they had f un whenever they got together. Penny was a good-­looking redhead , and she worked hard at maintaining a spectacular body that she had enhanced here and there. Bill always enjoyed having her on hi s arm when they went out. She was younger than he was, but not so much that he felt foolish when they were seen together. They ha d even managed a couple of trips, usually to resorts she represen ted so she could kill two birds with one stone. He had never sugg ested a future to her, nor did he plan to, and she was an indepen dent woman who didn't seem to want one with him, or anyone else. She was forty-­two years old, and Lily liked her, and knew that P enny was no threat to her. Her father rarely in- volved his daugh ter in his dating life--­they spent their family time alone, as o n this vacation. And during their time in Squaw, Penny was at the opening of a new resort in St. Bart's, and Bill had never invite d her to Squaw Valley with them on their annual trip. He liked sp ending the time with Lily--­she was so busy with school and frien ds, sports, and after-­school activities when they were at home. He dreaded when she'd leave for college and was trying to talk he r into going to school in or near Denver, although Lily had her h eart set on the Ivy League in the East, and had the grades to get in. Are you sure you want to go out today? he asked, as she too k a bite of the eggs and then nibbled a strip of bacon. They'll probably close the mountain early. I want to get in as many runs as I can before they do, she said, then stood up to go finish dre ssing. If it gets too bad, I want you to come in, he reminded he r. He admired her skill, and her discipline, but he didn't want h er taking crazy chances in ugly weather. But she was a sensible g irl too. I know, Daddy, she said with a dazzling smile as she lo oked over her shoulder. Don't worry, we'll be fine. Jason knows t he mountain better than anyone here. It was one of the reasons wh y Bill had hired him years before. He wanted Lily to have fun, bu t he wanted her safe above all. He had lost her mother and didn't want to lose her as well. Lily's mother had been driving too fas t the night she hit a patch of ice in Denver and died at twenty-­ five, leaving Bill widowed, with a three-­year-­old child. He pro tected Lily as if she were made of glass. She was back ten minut es later, with her sweater on over her thermals, ski pants, hikin g boots, and her Olympic team parka and helmet over her arm. She left her skis, boots, and poles in a locker at the base of the mo untain every night, and she had to take a shuttle bus to meet Jas on there now. She put her parka on and zipped it up. Bill was sit ting at his computer checking the commodities market, and then lo oked up at her with a grin. You look mighty cute, he said, smili ng broadly. The Olympic team parka and helmet said she was a hots hot, and they were a status symbol on any slope. Just looking at her, he was proud of her all over again. And come in if the weath er gets any worse, he reminded her, and she bent to kiss him on t he top of his head on her way out. We will, she said happily, an d waved her gloves at him from the doorway, and then she was off to get in as much skiing as she could before the mountain closed. He was sure it would by midday, and so was she. He stood up and watched her from the window, and saw her get on the shuttle bus to the base. She didn't see him, and he felt his heart tug as he gazed at her. She was so beautiful and so young, and she looked s o much like her late mother they could have been sisters. It stil l tore his heart out sometimes. She would have been thirty-­nine years old if she were still alive, which was hard to imagine. In his mind, she would be young forever, hardly older than Lily was now at seventeen. He went back to his computer then, and hoped th at Lily would come in early. The snow seemed to be getting worse, and he knew there would be a veil of fog at the top of the mount ain. Only the worst diehards would venture out today, like Lily. She had her mother's looks but her father's grit, stubbornness, a nd determination. Because of it, Bill was sure that her skill and relentless training would win her the gold in the next Olympics. While riding the shuttle to the base, she had time to text her boyfriend Jeremy and best friend Veronica. Both were on the ski t eam with her, and were practicing in Denver that day. She had no time to make friends with anyone who wasn't on the Olympic team, and she and Veronica had known, Delacorte Press, 2013, 3<

2013, ISBN: 9780385343220

Delacorte Press. Very Good. 6.25 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches. Hardcover. 2013. 352 pages. <br>NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Even the most perfect l ives can be shattered in an instant. In thi… Mehr…

Delacorte Press. Very Good. 6.25 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches. Hardcover. 2013. 352 pages. <br>NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Even the most perfect l ives can be shattered in an instant. In this moving, emotionally charged novel, Danielle Steel introduces readers to an unforgetta ble cast of characters striving to overcome tragedy and discover the inner resources and resilience to win at life--once again. WINNERS Lily Thomas is an aspiring ski champion training for the Olympics, a young woman with her heart set on winning the gold. But in one moment, Lily's future is changed forever, her hopes fo r the Olympics swept away in a tragic accident. Dr. Jessie Matt hews, the neurosurgeon who operates on her that night, endures a tragedy of her own, and instantly becomes the sole support of her four young children, while her own future hangs in the balance. Bill, Lily's father, has pinned all his hopes on his only daugh ter, his dreams now shattered. Other lives will entwine themsel ves with theirs: Joe, a financial manager, faces a ruined career at the hand of a dishonest partner. Carole, a psychologist at Mas s General, is a breast cancer survivor, her body and heart scarre d by what she's been through. Teddy, with a spinal cord injury wo rse than Lily's, dreams of college and becoming an artist. From the ashes of their lives, six people fight to alter the course of destiny and refuse to be defeated. When Bill builds a remarkable rehab facility for his daughter, countless lives are forever alt ered, and each becomes a winner. Winners is about refusing to be beaten, no matter how insurmountable the challenge. And when Lil y gets on skis again and enters the Paralympics, the battle to br ave life again is won. Winners is about more than surviving, it is about courage, victory, and triumph. When all appears to be lo st, the battle has just begun. Praise for Winners Steel skillfu lly weaves the strands of the Matthews and Thomas families togeth er in a layered story. . . . Together, they discover friendship, loyalty, and new dreams.--Publishers Weekly [Winners] will leave readers crying and cheering.--Booklist Editorial Reviews From Booklist Chronicling the first year after tragedy strikes two fam ilies, Steel's latest grapples with the long, painful road to rec overy. When a Tahoe ski lift breaks with Olympic hopeful Lily and her coach onboard, the coach is killed and Lily severely injured . Lily's operated on by neurosurgeon Dr. Jessie Mathews, who dete rmines that the girl's spinal-cord injury means that Lily will ne ver walk again, much less compete in the Olympics. Lily's single- parent father, Bill, is devastated, since Lily has been his life after his wife's death. Unbeknownst to Jessie, while she's operat ing on Lily, her husband, Tim, and son Jimmy are in a car acciden t. Tim dies instantly; Jimmy survives without injury. While Jessi e works to keep her four children from despair, Bill first goes t hrough total denial, and then, when Jessie's diagnosis is confirm ed by other doctors and Lily is in Denver's Craig Hospital, he de cides to build Lily Pad, a center for young spinal-cord patients. Steel's unflinching look at the highs and lows of Bill's and Jes sie's lives will leave readers crying and cheering. --Pat Henshaw Review Steel skillfully weaves the strands of the Matthews and Thomas families together in a layered story. . . . Together, they discover friendship, loyalty, and new dreams.--Publishers Weekly [Winners] will leave readers crying and cheering.--Booklist Ab out the Author Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world 's most popular authors, with over 600 million copies of her nove ls sold. Her many international bestsellers include First Sight, Until the End of Time, The Sins of the Mother, Friends Forever, B etrayal, Hotel Vendôme, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick T raina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; and Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family ha ve loved. Excerpt. ® Reprinted by permission. All rights reserve d. Chapter 1 Lily Thomas lay in bed when the alarm went off on a snowy &#8239;&#8239;&#8239;January morning in Squaw Valley. She opened her eyes for just an instant and saw the thick snow swirli ng beyond the windows of the house her father had rented, and for a fraction of an instant, she wanted to roll over and go back to sleep. She could hear the dynamite blasts in the distance to pre vent avalanches, and just from a glance, she knew what kind of da y it was. You could hardly see past the windows in the heavy bliz zard, and she knew that if the mountain was open, it wouldn't be for long. But she loved the challenge of skiing in heavy snow. It would be a good workout, and she didn't want to miss a single da y with one of her favorite instructors, Jason Yee. She and her f ather came here every year during Christmas break. They celebrate d Christmas at home in Denver, flew to San Francisco where her fa ther visited friends and did some business, mostly with venture c apital firms in Silicon Valley, and then they drove to Squaw. It was a tradition Lily loved, and good skiing. They'd been coming h ere since she'd started downhill racing when she was a little kid . She had won bronze in the Junior Olympics three years before, a t fourteen. And she was training for the next Winter Olympics, in a year. This time she was hoping to win the gold. Lily gave a l ast stretch in her warm, comfortable bed and got up to take a sho wer. She glanced out the window and saw how heavy the snowfall wa s. There were two more feet of fresh snow on the ground than ther e had been the night before. She grinned, thinking of the morning that lay ahead. The heavy snow might slow them down a little, bu t Jason always pushed her hard, which was what she liked about hi m. She loved skiing with him, and he was more fun than her regula r Denver coach, who'd been training her for the Olympics since sh e was twelve. It had been her father's idea for her to start ski ing, and then racing, when he saw what a natural she was. He had loved to ski at her age. He had been mostly self-­taught, and had a passion for it, and had skied on whatever skis he could afford . After his simple beginnings in a mining town in Pennsylvania, h e had made his fortune in his early twenties, speculating on the commodities market and later investing in high-­risk deals that b rought enormous returns. Since then he had been investing more co nservatively, and his fortune was secure and would go to Lily one day. She never thought about it, although she knew how fortunate she was. Her father always preached discipline and hard work, an d Lily was a lot like him. She was an outstanding student and a t alented athlete. She was a junior in high school and hoped to go to an Ivy League college. And in the meantime she trained for the Olympics every day, at a grueling pace. She had been the joy and main focus of her father's life since her mother died when she w as three. Bill Thomas lived for her, and Lily adored him. Bill T homas had gone to a state college in Pennsylvania. His father had been a coal miner and died when Bill was in his teens. He knew w hat poverty looked like at its most extreme, and all he had wante d as a young man was to provide a better life for the family he h oped to have one day. A scholarship to Harvard Business School ha d changed his life. He had used the MBA he earned there, and his own entrepreneurial sense, to achieve everything he had set his s ights on as a boy. His mother never lived to see him graduate, an d his brother had died in a mine accident at nineteen. Only Bill had escaped into a better world, and he never forgot where he cam e from, and what he had achieved. He was brilliant in business, a nd at fifty-­two, he had fulfilled his dreams, and worked at home now, managing his investments, and spending as much time with Li ly as he could. He had been both father and mother to her for fou rteen years, and was infinitely proud of her. Lily showered and dressed, and appeared at the breakfast table a few minutes later, in her ski pants, thermals, and bare feet. Her long dark hair wa s still wet from the shower, and her father was sipping a cup of coffee, as he looked up at her with a smile. I was wondering if you were going to sleep in. It looks nasty outside. As he said it , they both heard the dynamite go off again. The chairlifts weren 't moving yet, but Lily was sure they would soon, at least for a while. I don't want to miss the day, she said, putting brown sug ar on the oatmeal he had ordered for her, from room service at a nearby hotel that provided food and maid service to the house the y rented every year. I love skiing with Jason, Daddy, she said, a s he uncovered the rest of what he'd ordered for her, scrambled e ggs, bacon, and whole wheat toast. I can't eat all that, she said , making a face. Lily was lean and athletic and in fantastic sha pe, and she was as beautiful as her mother had been, with the sam e lavender-­blue eyes, dark hair, and creamy skin, and a wide smi le that mirrored his own. Bill was as fair as she was dark and lo oked younger than his years. He had never remarried and had no de sire to, as long as Lily was at home. He had dated the same woman for the past two years. Penny was devoted to her career, had nev er married, and had no children, and she traveled so much for her PR business that it never bothered her that the most important w oman in Bill's life was Lily, and most of the time he was busy wi th his daughter and had little interest in anyone else. He and Pe nny had an unspoken arrangement that worked for both of them. Whe n they had time and were in the same city, they spent an evening together, and other than that, they had their own lives. Neither of them wanted more with each other than they had. And they had f un whenever they got together. Penny was a good-­looking redhead , and she worked hard at maintaining a spectacular body that she had enhanced here and there. Bill always enjoyed having her on hi s arm when they went out. She was younger than he was, but not so much that he felt foolish when they were seen together. They ha d even managed a couple of trips, usually to resorts she represen ted so she could kill two birds with one stone. He had never sugg ested a future to her, nor did he plan to, and she was an indepen dent woman who didn't seem to want one with him, or anyone else. She was forty-­two years old, and Lily liked her, and knew that P enny was no threat to her. Her father rarely in- volved his daugh ter in his dating life--­they spent their family time alone, as o n this vacation. And during their time in Squaw, Penny was at the opening of a new resort in St. Bart's, and Bill had never invite d her to Squaw Valley with them on their annual trip. He liked sp ending the time with Lily--­she was so busy with school and frien ds, sports, and after-­school activities when they were at home. He dreaded when she'd leave for college and was trying to talk he r into going to school in or near Denver, although Lily had her h eart set on the Ivy League in the East, and had the grades to get in. Are you sure you want to go out today? he asked, as she too k a bite of the eggs and then nibbled a strip of bacon. They'll probably close the mountain early. I want to get in as many runs as I can before they do, she said, then stood up to go finish dre ssing. If it gets too bad, I want you to come in, he reminded he r. He admired her skill, and her discipline, but he didn't want h er taking crazy chances in ugly weather. But she was a sensible g irl too. I know, Daddy, she said with a dazzling smile as she lo oked over her shoulder. Don't worry, we'll be fine. Jason knows t he mountain better than anyone here. It was one of the reasons wh y Bill had hired him years before. He wanted Lily to have fun, bu t he wanted her safe above all. He had lost her mother and didn't want to lose her as well. Lily's mother had been driving too fas t the night she hit a patch of ice in Denver and died at twenty-­ five, leaving Bill widowed, with a three-­year-­old child. He pro tected Lily as if she were made of glass. She was back ten minut es later, with her sweater on over her thermals, ski pants, hikin g boots, and her Olympic team parka and helmet over her arm. She left her skis, boots, and poles in a locker at the base of the mo untain every night, and she had to take a shuttle bus to meet Jas on there now. She put her parka on and zipped it up. Bill was sit ting at his computer checking the commodities market, and then lo oked up at her with a grin. You look mighty cute, he said, smili ng broadly. The Olympic team parka and helmet said she was a hots hot, and they were a status symbol on any slope. Just looking at her, he was proud of her all over again. And come in if the weath er gets any worse, he reminded her, and she bent to kiss him on t he top of his head on her way out. We will, she said happily, an d waved her gloves at him from the doorway, and then she was off to get in as much skiing as she could before the mountain closed. He was sure it would by midday, and so was she. He stood up and watched her from the window, and saw her get on the shuttle bus to the base. She didn't see him, and he felt his heart tug as he gazed at her. She was so beautiful and so young, and she looked s o much like her late mother they could have been sisters. It stil l tore his heart out sometimes. She would have been thirty-­nine years old if she were still alive, which was hard to imagine. In his mind, she would be young forever, hardly older than Lily was now at seventeen. He went back to his computer then, and hoped th at Lily would come in early. The snow seemed to be getting worse, and he knew there would be a veil of fog at the top of the mount ain. Only the worst diehards would venture out today, like Lily. She had her mother's looks but her father's grit, stubbornness, a nd determination. Because of it, Bill was sure that her skill and relentless training would win her the gold in the next Olympics. While riding the shuttle to the base, she had time to text her boyfriend Jeremy and best friend Veronica. Both were on the ski t eam with her, and were practicing in Denver that day. She had no time to make friends with anyone who wasn't on the Olympic team, and she and Veronica had known, Delacorte Press, 2013, 3<

ISBN: 9780385343220

Delacorte Press. Used - Good. . . All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofit job training program for youth, empowering youth to… Mehr…

Delacorte Press. Used - Good. . . All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofit job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business., Delacorte Press, 2.5<