Helen Plum Library

"In 1727, Stefan Silbermann is a grief-stricken thirteen-year-old, struggling with the death of his mother and his removal to a school in distant Leipzig. Despite his father's insistence that he try not to think of his mother too much, Stefan is haunted by her absence, and, to make matters worse, he's bullied by his new classmates. But when the school's cantor, Johann Sebastian Bach, takes notice of his new pupil's beautiful singing voice and draws...

Three novels involving private detectives and shady characters tackle homicide, treachery, and corruption

Nick Charles searches for a wealthy inventor who is the prime suspect in a New York City murder case

Who was Alice Pleasance Liddell? Tired of being known only as Alice in Wonderland, eighty-year-old Alice mines her way to the heart of this question, and speaks of the implacable mother who raised her, of the prince who loved her, of the sons she sent off to war, and of the love affair that shattered her life. Alice reflects on the halcyon days at Oxford: days of great privilege and even greater tragedy; of being courted by royalty, and of finding...

Highlights the life and accomplishments of the English novelist notable for such works as "Oliver Twist" and "A Christmas Carol," including his rise from boyhood poverty, his literary career, and his personal life

A collection of the influential columnist's most notable works and writings includes never-before-published speeches on his political philosophy and personal history and a major, new essay about the state of global democracy "Created and compiled by Charles Krauthammer before his death, [this book] is a powerful collection of the influential columnist's most important works. Spanning the personal, the political and the philosophical, it includes...

"Two young girls plot a murder by witchcraft. Soon afterwards a government clerk dies painfully in mysterious circumstances. His colleague James Marwood is asked to investigate - but the task brings unexpected dangers. Meanwhile, architect Cat Hakesby is working for a merchant who lives on Slaughter Street, where the air smells of blood and a captive Barbary lion prowls the stables. Then a prestigious new commission arrives. Cat must design a Poultry...

"As World War II raged into its second year, Britain sought a powerful ally to join its cause-but the American public was sharply divided on the subject. Canadian-born MI6 officer William Stephenson, with his knowledge and influence in North America, was chosen to change their minds by any means necessary. In this extraordinary tale of foreign influence on American shores, Henry Hemming shows how Stephenson came to New York--hiring Canadian staffers...

"Provides comprehensive information on evolution and how it affects our lives today"--Provided by publisher

In this short book, the author explores the key themes running through Dickens' body of work, and considers how his writing reflects his attitudes towards the harsh realities of the nineteenth-century society and its institutions