A Return Journey

In this extraordinary collection of stories, New York Times bestselling author Maeve Binchy once again reveals her incomparable understanding of matters of the heart with powerfully compelling stories of love, loss, revelation, and reconciliation. A secretary's silent passion for her boss meets the acid test on a business trip. . . . A man and a woman's mutual disdain at first sight shows how deceptive appearances can be. . . . An insecure wife clings to the illusion of order, only to discover chaos at the hands of a house sitter who opens the wrong doors. . . . A pair of star-crossed travelers take each other's bags, and then learn that when you unlock a stranger's suitcase, you enter a stranger's life. In their company are many more, whose poignant, ironic, often humorous stories—unforgettable slices of life—make up The Return Journey, a spellbinding trip into the human heart.

'Heart-felt stories of life and love' Woman & Home from the No. 1 bestselling author 'Maeve Binchy's work continues to inspire . . . thought-provoking, warm and funny in equal measure' Woman A pair of star-crossed travellers pick up each other's bags, and then learn that when you unlock a stranger's suitcase, you enter a stranger's life. An unspoken office passion meets the acid test on a business trip. A man and a woman's mutual disdain at first sight shows how deceptive appearances can be. And an insecure wife clings to the illusion of order, only to discover chaos at the hands of a house-sitter who opens the wrong doors. These and many more poignant, often humorous, unforgettable slices of life show why Maeve Binchy is one of the world's favourite storytellers.

Viraj is a young, passionate and famous scientist. He is on a quest to uncover the mystery of human existence. He meets the beautiful girl of his dreams. It seems that he is in total control of his life. But fate doesn’t concur with him. He is banished into exile, announces a faceless voice. The days in exile are destined for him to suffer in the unbearable pain. Will he be able to survive the exile? Will they live happily ever after? Is the exile even real or an illusion? Viraj will not stop until he finds all the answers.

Welcome the much-anticipated finale of Caldecott Honoree Aaron Becker’s wordless trilogy—a spectacular, emotionally satisfying story that brings its adventurer home. Failing to get the attention of her busy father, a lonely girl turns back to a fantastic world for friendship and adventure. It’s her third journey into the enticing realm of kings and emperors, castles and canals, exotic creatures and enchanting landscapes. This time, it will take something truly powerful to persuade her to return home, as a gripping backstory is revealed that will hold readers in its thrall. Caldecott Honor winner Aaron Becker delivers a suspenseful and moving climax to his wordless trilogy, an epic that began with the award-winning Journey and continued with the celebrated follow-up Quest.

The Return Journey is the result of Susan Matthews Petrovski's personal journals during her mother's 8-year Alzheimer's journey and her correspondence with other Alzheimer's caregivers kind enough to share their innermost feelings and emotions. These caregivers' stories are an inside view into the lessons to be learned from looking through the personal peephole of family members at the heart of the Alzheimer's experience. Petrovski examines right and wrong choices, which will help those whose Alzheimer's journey or caregiving journey is just beginning, clearly and wisely explaining that with Alzheimer's there are no "right" ways, no "best" decisions, and no "perfect" answers.

With her red marker, an ordinary child steps through a portal into a luminous and magical landscape, beginning her quest toward an uncertain destiny.

Professor Daniel Treisman answers some of scholars' most pressing questions that haunt modern day Russia. Why did the Soviet Union disintegrate, and could its collapse have been avoided? Did Yeltsin destroy too much or too little of the Soviet political order? What explains Putin's unprecedented popularity with the Russian public? How did the "oligarchs" reshape the Russian economy? Treisman suggests that these questions can be answered by looking back through the dynamic political and social traditions of the region. Rigorous rather than rhetorical, this book uses historically documented evidence with modern day conditions to paint a complete picture of Russia today. In a time when global politics are more important than ever, it is critical for us to understand the inner workings.

"Is the destination of our life already fixed, or is it a result of several coincidences? What impact do our actions have in shaping our future? Is life like a small boat drifting aimlessly in a vast ocean without sails and a compass? Welcome to ‘Return Journey of a stranger’, a book based on human endurance to rise above the surrounding adversities. It talks about how a determined person can bring about a tremendous positive change in the lives of millions of people in the world. This is the story of Chandrakant, a 12-year-old illiterate boy from Mumbai slums. One day, he is falsely implicated in a murder charge. In sheer panic, he flees from the scene and unknowingly boards a train, which takes him to New Delhi. That one move commences a new phase in his life, which is full of struggle and challenges at every step. However, he overcomes every difficulty with courage and determination. He gets lucky to meet some individuals, who believe in him and his capabilities, and assist him in his efforts to get on with life. He has only two strong desires … to go back to his slums and secondly to clear his name of the murder accusation. At the age of 18, Chandu learns how to read and write and starts his career as an office boy in a real estate company. He soon becomes a voracious reader and reads lot of books on philosophy, history and management. By the age of 24, with his extraordinary performance, he becomes the CEO of that company. He faces the ultimate test of his life when the company asks him to study the feasibility of demolishing the same slums in Mumbai where he had grown up. However, he cannot go there as Chandrakant, because he is already facing murder charge. That marks the beginning of his return journey as a stranger…! Does he go back to his slums? How does he extricate himself from the murder charge? Would he allow the demolition of his slums? Does he change with times, enjoying his new high profile status in the elite society? ‘Return journey of a stranger’ is a fast-paced story depicting the tenacity of an underprivileged boy to think big against all odds."