Against the ominous backdrop of the influenza epidemic of 1918, Annie, a new girl at school, is claimed as best friend by Elsie, a classmate who is a tattletale, a liar, and a thief. Soon Annie makes other friends and finds herself joining them in teasing and tormenting Elsie. Elsie dies from influenza, but then she returns to reclaim Annie's friendship and punish all the girls who bullied her. Young readers who revel in spooky stories will relish this chilling tale of a girl haunted by a vengeful ghost.

Many of the popular, often prophetic, phrases that we use on a day-to-day basis have their roots in traditional folklore. For example: 'One swallow doesn't make a summer'; 'March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb'; 'One for sorrow, two for joy'. Such common idioms are familiar to most people, but their history and origins are far from well known. However, in One for Sorrow readers will discover that there is a wealth of fascinating stories and history behind them. This charming book is filled with sayings, legends and proverbs derived from the oral history of the countryside and unveils how they came about, what they mean, and how they came to be such a big part of the language we use today. Written with a light touch and expert knowledge, it will entertain and inform in equal measure - perfect for anyone with an interest in the rich and varied heritage of the English language.

“An epic tale in the tradition of Watership Down and Lord of the Rings.”—Alan Yentob, BBC Director of Drama and Entertainment Darkness has fallen over the realm of Birddom. The skies rain blood, no nest is safe, and the winds are thick with fear, pain, and death. Driven by an unslakable desire to kill and conquer, the black-feathered magpies—aided by their brutish cousins, the crows—have hunted down and slaughtered countless species of smaller birds into extinction. Led by the malevolent, power-mad Slyekin and his sadistic assassin, Traska, their reign of terror has laid waste to the beauty and freedom that was once Birddom. Now Slyekin is preparing to launch his final assault against all that was once pure and proclaim his vile dominion. To stop the gathering storm, Kirrick, a lone robin who witnessed the massacre of everything he loved, must undertake a journey beyond all reckoning. Through danger and deceit, Kirrick soars to all corners of the land, rallying those who would fight to save Birddom. From the proud might of the eagles, to the ancient wisdom of the owls, to the unlikeliest earthbound creatures, the allies of good must join together to oppose the shadowy menace that threatens them all—or fall from the sky forever. In an epic conflict of bloodied beak and razor-sharp talon, of undaunted courage and unspeakable evil, of love, loyalty, and wings of honor, the battle for the very soul of Birddom is about to begin.

Barzaks delicately wrought debut novel is a poignant coming-of-age tale with the emotional resonance of "The Lovely Bones" and the rough edges of "The Catcher in the Rye."

Byzantium, capitol of the 6th century Roman Empire, simmers a rich stew of creeds, cultures, and cit...........

"A nail-biting page turner written with cinematic sparkle" - Jennifer Niven, bestselling author of All The Bright Places "Think Serial at Malory Towers" - Katie Lowe, author of The Furies Welcome to the Magpie Society... Tragedy has struck Illumen Hall, a prestigious boarding school of tradition and achievement. The body of student Lola Radcliffe is discovered on the beach, and on her back someone has tattooed an elaborate magpie. For new student Audrey, it's just another strange and unsettling thing about her new surroundings. For her roommate Ivy, the death of her friend Lola is something she's desperate to get past - and Audrey's presence isn't helping. But the two girls are thrown together when a mysterious podcast airs, with a sinister headline: I KNOW WHO KILLED LOLA. AND ONE OF YOU IS NEXT. This edition includes the spine-chilling first chapter of THE MAGPIE SOCIETY: TWO FOR JOY.

From a New York Times–bestselling author: A novel of a woman’s journey from prostitute to brothel madam to murderess to nun in post–World War II France. A sense of adventure and an eagerness to savor life to the fullest impel young, orphaned Elizabeth Fanshawe to escape her cold, unloving home and enlist in the British Army as a driver in 1944. Dispatched to Paris at the close of the Allies’ war against the hated Nazis, she soon finds herself swept up in the intoxicating celebratory glee of the newly liberated French. But after she meets the charming, seductive Patrice Ambard, Elizabeth’s life takes a sharp turn down a very dark road. Her love for the dashing, hypnotic Frenchman draws Elizabeth, now called Lise, into Patrice’s world of crime and high-class prostitution, where she is broken, hardened, and then transformed into the whore-turned-notorious-madam known as La Balafrée, or the Scarred One. Still, her great fall will not be complete until circumstances drive her to commit a shocking murder—and imprisonment ultimately sets her free. A haunting tale of disgrace, degradation, and glorious redemption told in flashbacks from the convent of Belle Source, where Soeur Marie Lise of the Sisters of Bethany remembers her years of sin and her eventual salvation, Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy is moving and powerful fiction from one of the most admired British novelists of the twentieth century. Rumer Godden, author of Black Narcissus and In This House of Brede, has crafted a truly transformative tale about faith, forgiveness, and the mercy of a loving God. This ebook features an illustrated biography of the author including rare images from the Rumer Godden Literary Estate.