Fourteen-year-old Billy Joe is suspicious the city buyers are cheating his people, the uneducated hill folks from Bear Claw Valley in Virginia. Mr. Grant from Three Pines Mercantile has been teaching Billy Joe some as he works for him. But most of the hill folks are against schooling, fearing the change it will bring to the valley. The long-standing feud between the O'Conners and the McKinleys is strong. But when Billy Joe proves the dog buyers are cheating both his pa, an O'Conner, and the McKinleys, Billy Joe is caught in the middle. When Uncle Ephraim O'Conner "accidently" steals a hog from hotheaded Jeb McKinley, Billy Joe fears his search for an education is doomed, as the feelings escalate all around.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, AND BOSTON GLOBE BESTSELLER • One of the most acclaimed books of our time: an unforgettable memoir about a young woman who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University “Extraordinary . . . an act of courage and self-invention.”—The New York Times NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW • ONE OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA’S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR • BILL GATES’S HOLIDAY READING LIST • FINALIST: National Book Critics Circle’s Award In Autobiography and John Leonard Prize For Best First Book • PEN/Jean Stein Book Award • Los Angeles Times Book Prize Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Her family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education, and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s older brothers became violent. When another brother got himself into college, Tara decided to try a new kind of life. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge University. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far, if there was still a way home. “Beautiful and propulsive . . . Despite the singularity of [Westover’s] childhood, the questions her book poses are universal: How much of ourselves should we give to those we love? And how much must we betray them to grow up?”—Vogue NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • O: The Oprah Magazine • Time • NPR • Good Morning America • San Francisco Chronicle • The Guardian • The Economist • Financial Times • Newsday • New York Post • theSkimm • Refinery29 • Bloomberg • Self • Real Simple • Town & Country • Bustle • Paste • Publishers Weekly • Library Journal • LibraryReads • Book Riot • Pamela Paul, KQED • New York Public Library

Travel back in time to historic Missouri, along the banks of the White River, for three stories reminding readers that with God all things are possible. Jack enters a marriage of convenience with Lexie in order to adopt the twin girls he adores. Tuck relishes her time with her best friend, but she is not the type to ever marry and believes anything more with Rafe would ruin their friendship. Addy feels called to teach children and won’t let marriage interfere with that responsibility. Sacrifice and duty, family and friendship—those leave no room for romance. . .or do they?

With her brother prepared to bring his new bride home to their Missouri farm, Lexie Rayton desires to make a change in her life. She is delighted when given the opportunity to care for two orphaned girls on a neighboring farm. But it is the girls’ caregiver, Jack Sullivan, who captures her interest. Jack Sullivan is willing to give up his beloved riverboat and enter into a marriage of convenience with Lexie in order to adopt the twin girls he adores. But when dreams of something more awaken his heart, will Lexie return his love?

Biological sciences have been revolutionized, not only in the way research is conductedâ€"with the introduction of techniques such as recombinant DNA and digital technologyâ€"but also in how research findings are communicated among professionals and to the public. Yet, the undergraduate programs that train biology researchers remain much the same as they were before these fundamental changes came on the scene. This new volume provides a blueprint for bringing undergraduate biology education up to the speed of today's research fast track. It includes recommendations for teaching the next generation of life science investigators, through: Building a strong interdisciplinary curriculum that includes physical science, information technology, and mathematics. Eliminating the administrative and financial barriers to cross-departmental collaboration. Evaluating the impact of medical college admissions testing on undergraduate biology education. Creating early opportunities for independent research. Designing meaningful laboratory experiences into the curriculum. The committee presents a dozen brief case studies of exemplary programs at leading institutions and lists many resources for biology educators. This volume will be important to biology faculty, administrators, practitioners, professional societies, research and education funders, and the biotechnology industry.