Henry Carter Hull

How did marriage, considered a religious duty in medieval Europe, become a venue for personal fulfillment in contemporary America? How did the notion of romantic love, a novelty in the Middle Ages, become a prerequisite for marriage today? And, if the original purpose of marriage was procreation, what exactly is the purpose of marriage for women now? Combining "a scholar's rigor and a storyteller's craft"(San Jose Mercury News), distinguished cultural...

Four friends--homicide inspector Lindsay Boxer, medical examiner Claire Washburn, assistant district attorney Jill Bernhardt, and crime reporter Cindy Thomas--team up to track down a killer who has been stalking newlyweds in San Francisco, but their investigation goes terribly wrong.

Tara Marconi has made her way to "The Rock," a remote island in Alaska governed by the seasons and the demands of the world of commercial fishing. She hasn't felt at home in a long while -- her mother's death left her unmoored and created a seemingly insurmountable rift between her and her father. But in the majestic, mysterious, and tough boundary-lands of Alaska she begins to work her way up the fishing ladder -- from hatchery assistant all the...

Writing biographies to support her family's struggling Christmas shop, Lauren is assigned to pen the life story of online retailer mogul, John Gerald Giompalo, who has put hundreds of small companies out of business and despite her misgivings, Lauren travels to Seattle to confer with the mogul, where she meets his handsome, intelligent, and kind son, John Jr., who she sees as perfect--apart from the fact that he's part of the company threatening everything...

In her delightful debut, Balzo puts a 21st-century spin on the traditional cozy, replacing tea with coffee as the comfort beverage of choice. Maggy Thorsen, a divorcée whose husband left her for his 24-year-old dental hygienist, and two women friends are eager to open a coffee shop, Uncommon Grounds, in the small Wisconsin town of Brookhills, whose inhabitants include such recognizable types as the local gossip and tennis moms. In a world where Starbuck's...

A Timeless Classic of Societal Customs, Cultural Disputes, and The Cost of Non-Conformity Henry James' novella Daisy Miller, features one of his greatest heroines. At first glance it seems to be a simple story of a lovely young, independent American girl traveling through Europe. But her flouting of social conventions has the potential to lead to catastrophe as she disrupts the rigid social rules of the Old World, attracting and scandalizing all...

A MEMOIR BY THE YOUNGEST RECIPIENT OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE. When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala's...

Librarian Martha Storm has always found it easier to connect with books than people--though not for lack of trying. She keeps careful lists of how to help others in her superhero-themed notebook. And yet, sometimes it feels like she's invisible. All of that changes when a book of fairy tales arrives on her doorstep. Inside, Martha finds a dedication written to her by her best friend--her grandmother Zelda--who died under mysterious circumstances years...

After being left at the altar by her soap star fiancé, Los Angeles high school teacher Zadie Roberts wants nothing more to do with love and romance. With the help of her best buddy Grey and several bottles of wine, she just might survive the trauma of the wedding that wasn't. Unexpectedly, Grey gets engaged to Zadie's prim and proper cousin Helen, and suddenly Zadie is dragged back into wedding festivity hell. The coup de grace is Helen's bachelorette...

Presents the stories of four women currently serving in the United States' military, discussing femininity, veiled discrimination, dating, marriage problems, separation from children, career paths, and self-worth.