A Long Road To Anywhere

A girl-child grows up and out of The Great Depression. Where to begin this story? Almost any place would do, but people like real beginnings and endings, so the year 1929 is as good a place as any. That was the year that a little girl's love affair with animals began. The child, almost by osmosis, soaked up values, ideals, concepts, and a philosophy of life, along with an ability to observe, understand, respect, and sometimes love every living thing. And, just as her father showed her that each duck had a distinct, individual personality, reasoning power, and the ability to communicate with anyone who understands 'duckese', he also taught her about death and its necessity if life is to continue. This is a difficult lesson for anyone, but a lesson everyone must eventually learn and come to terms with, no matter how hard and hurting they find it. Life is not only full of beginnings; it is also full of endings.

One day while sitting on a park bench, Mark was asked by an old man, "Why do you do what you do? Why do you work where you work or live where you live?" Whether we agree or not, life really is about a series of paths and decisions whereby even one small change can alter our lives forever. We usually want to blame others, including God, for our decisions. Only by examining the paths we have taken can we really see where we're at! It is only when we look deep within ourselves we discover that as writers, singers, musicians, interior decorators, or even truck drivers, we all have gifts! Having them is not to question; rather, it is WHAT WE DO WITH THEM that really matters! Wherever your passions lie, you can erase your doubts and restore your joy. Just imagine yourself on a park bench...

Based in and around the ancient Medieval town of Faversham (England) and young Julie's adventures after she runs away from a spiteful Matron at the orphanage where she lived since the age of four after her parents were killed in a nasty car crash in 1954. All locations are real as are some of the characters. You decide which ones they are. Parts of this story contain explicit sexual and violent scenes which are essential to the plot IF YOU ARE OFFENDED by EITHER DO NOT READ THIS BOOK

The end of apartheid has triggered massive illegal immigration into South Africa from all parts of Africa and beyond. Along with urbanization and internal migration, the end of apartheid has encouraged human smuggling and the trafficking of men, women, and children into the commercial sex market and various sectors of the economy from mining to agriculture and the service industries. Long Walk to Nowhere analyses the impact of these developments on Nelson Mandela's vision for a democratic South Africa.Frankel explores human rights, the political culture, public health, the criminal justice system, and institutional development as South Africa moves into its third decade after liberation. Using migration and human trafficking as barometers for democratic success, Frankel establishes that South Africa has become more unstable under two post-Mandela presidencies.The book covers the three major modes of human traffickingcommercial sex trafficking, child trafficking, and labour trafficking. It also looks at the dynamics of trafficking with a perpetrator-focus, the complex issues of dominance, and the policy responses in light of South Africa's first comprehensive counter-trafficking legislation designed for implementation in late 2015. Long Walk to Nowhere blends South African experiences with contemporary mass political movements which challenge human rights and good governance on a world-wide basis.

2020 – When the year throws two lemons at you, what do you do? Think of what you can make. A sweet sorbet to comfort you on a hot, summer afternoon? A spicy pickle to relish with a meal? Or would you cut it into bits, sprinkle spicy salt on it and keep in your pocket to lick it and to share it with friends? This year, like a ‘gondhoraj nimbu’, is uniquely fragrant, pungent and sharp, exceptional if you slow down to savour it and, in spite of the thorns, very humbling in life experiences. Scripted in this book are the tales of men and women who struggled, partied, connived, loved, laughed, fought and cried but eventually emerged as winners, with hope and positivity, during the time they faced an adversity, be it a virus or a war. Will the old man hang himself? Who is the young Krishna who had come to help? Who has stolen the emerald necklace? And was Madam killed for that? A masterpiece painting is replaced in a party. Was it by the guests, friends or invitees? Will Shankar ever find his home with a promise of peace? How much must the migrant couple walk to reach the village? Will they get help? The queen is betrayed by her kin-men. What’s the price of escape? Crisis in mid-air. Can the air hostess trust the men she thinks are brave? A teenage girl’s diary of 1971, living with war and the enemy versus the invisible one. Life, like 2020, tests us. The secret is to stop to smell the flowers and smile at those around. In your story of being handed lemons, remember to add a dash of lime to make the cocktail tangy! Enjoy reading the stories, each set in a different mood and locale. While the lockdown may keep us indoors, our can thoughts fly freely everywhere!

A slender, realistic story of a young man's coming of age, Very Far Away from Anywhere Else is one of the most inspiring novels Ursula K. Le Guin ever published. Owen is seventeen and smart. He knows what he wants to do with his life. But then he meets Natalie and he realizes he doesn't know anything much at all. “Like all Le Guin’s work, Very Far Away from Anywhere Else is about the invisible structures of society and about the challenge to live honestly. On a Sunday years ago I was lucky to encounter a book that could show me the breadth our lives have—that the discovery of what leads us on is better than the goal of perfection.” —Emily Schultz, Bustle “An engaging, well written novel.” —New York Times

An account of an Royal Air Force man's long journey to get to Maralinga, South Australia, and his experiences as a participant in the British Atomic Weapons Tests held there in the South Australian desert during 1956.

Some sort of battle fatigue, fairly common with soldiers returning from Korea. It should take care of itself over time, the camp psychiatrist assured him. Jack Rossi wasnt so sure but wasnt overly concerned. He was finally back from his tour of duty and had plans to make, places to go. Places that didnt include the area in Massachusetts where he grew up, but fate had other plans. It is almost Christmas, but neither the holidays nor the familiar surroundings where he now finds himself, can protect him from the unexplained anxiety attacks that continue to intensify or the very real dangers that threaten his life. Love, redemption and his very survival are at stake. But answers prove allusive and explanations require a faith that Jack doesnt possess.