Bare Branches Blue Black Sky

The Material Culture of Basketry celebrates basketry as a culturally significant skilled practice and as a theoretically rich discipline which has much to offer contemporary society. While sometimes understudied and underappreciated, it has much in common with mathematics and engineering, art, craft and design, and can also act as a socially beneficial source of skill and care. Contributors show how local knowledge of materials, plants and place are central to the craft. Case studies include the skill in weaverbird nest building (challenging how we perceive learning in craft and nature), an engineer's perspective on twining Peruvian grass bridges, and the local knowledge embodied in Pacific plaited patterns and knots. Photo-essays explore materials and techniques from the point of view of artists, anthropologists and mathematicians, revealing how the structure and skill in basketwork illustrate a significant form of textile technology. Thus, the book argues that the textures, patterns and geometric forms that emerge through basketwork reflect an embodied knowledge which expresses mathematical and engineering comprehension. The therapeutic value of the craft is recognised through a selection of case studies which consider basketry as a healing process for patients with brain injury, mental health problems, and as a memory aid for people living with dementia. This reclaims basketry's significant role in occupational therapy as an agent of recovery and well–being. Finally, basketry's inherently sustainable nature is also considered, demonstrating the continuation of basketry in spite of handwork's general decline and profiling new and recycled materials. Above all the book envisages basketry as an intellectually rewarding means of knowing. It presents the craft as embodying care for skilled making and for the social and natural environments in which it flourishes.

'Brilliant... I absolutely loved this... the best book I have read in a long time. I couldn't put it down' Amazon Reviewer, 5* In a secluded Italian village, Jewish and Catholic families live side by side. As the storm clouds of war gather, everyone will have to make a heart-breaking choice to save the lives of those they love... Bella's Jewish family has run the local bookshop in her village for generations, sheltered by the olive groves and the purple vineyards surrounding it. On Bella's wedding day war is declared and Italy, like the rest of Europe, is plunged into deadly turmoil. Orphaned Jewish children from Nazi occupied territories arrive in the village seeking refuge and Bella knows she must do everything she can to keep them safe. Her neighbours also take up the fight and the children are welcomed with open arms. But when German soldiers arrive in the village, everyone is suddenly in terrible danger. Her father is forced to close the bookshop and go into hiding. Bella cannot bring herself to leave their home among the vines or abandon the children she has sworn to protect. She will fight for the home and the people she loves even if she must pay the ultimate price... An unforgettable story of the courage of ordinary people in the darkest days of war. Inspired by real events, perfect for fans of Kate Quinn and Pam Jenoff. This book was previously published as The Tears of Monterini. Readers love The Italian Bookshop Among the Vines: 'I haven't cried like that in a long time... I've read a lot of WW2 historical fiction and this is by far one of my absolute favourites' Reader review, 5 stars 'Wow...Makes every emotion so real and brings history to life' Reader review, 5 stars 'Stunning... Heart-breaking' Reader review, 5 stars

Monterini, Italy. 1921. Yacobo Levi, an intellectual dreamer, works in the family bookshop. Angelo Ghione, a contadino, makes good wine by singing to the grapes. Lifetime best friends, their Jewish and Catholic families live side by side amidst a backdrop of village communal life, Etruscan tales and the growth of Benito Mussolini. Born on the same day, their children grow up and fall in love. When the 1938 racial laws are passed, the love between Bella and Rico thrives amidst and perhaps because of the fear and uncertainty. When Angelo discovers their liaison he suggests they marry but life is complicated and tensions simmer beneath the surface of love and friendship. When war is declared on the day of Bella's wedding to Michele a fellow Jew, the peaceful village they live in is torn apart, and the Levis find themselves displaced and fighting for their lives. Will life ever be the same again?The Tears of Monterini is a story of love and betrayal, loyalty and friendship. Inspired by true events, this beautifully written debut will appeal to readers interested in history, Italy, romance, family dynamics and conflict.

From John Smith to Tom Horton—a collection of nature writing about the mid-Atlantic region From Blue Ridge to Barrier Islands offers the first collection of nature writing to focus specifically on the attractions of the central Atlantic region. The selections draw on all the outdoor experiences that have brought people closer to the land: exploration, science, travel, country life, conservation, hunting, fishing. Here are Walt Whitman's musings on bird migrations at midnight; John Lederer's account of the first recorded expedition, with native guides, to the summit of the Blue Ridge mountains; Pendleton Kennedy's reflections on a nineteenth-century fishing trip to Blackwater River; and Tom Horton on serious dangers the Potomac continues to face. From the awe and wonder of the first explorers to cries for conservation from contemporary writers, From Blue Ridge to Barrier Islands gathers examples of our changing views of the natural world and the values we place upon it.

It is a book of hauntingly poignant poems about the stark beauty relating to the many aspects of nature, relationships, and life found in northwestern Wisconsin. And the foundation beneath it all is love.

Playfully poignant, this highly entertaining psychological drama is a dark, intensely imaginative and unique work. Dr. Sharma's Fantabulous Fantasies is life-affirming with a distinctly original voice and a style laced with black comedy.Thirty-eight-year-old Dr. Dev Sharma is in a sticky situation after a misadventure. An experiment of sorts has left him struggling to breathe while his unruly imagination inspires blackly comical and surreal hallucinations. Meanwhile, the voice of a mysterious stranger propels him through disturbing memories; a devastating childhood loss, a fractured family, simmering compulsions boiling over, a quest for truth, and mighty secrets that will be revealed. Together the stranger and Dev discover why he is face-down on his friend Katie's hideous floral bedspread.

____________________________ What's it really like to give it all up and follow your dream? The follow-up to Up With the Larks, and the second volume in the heartwarming, laugh-out-loud true story of Tessa, who moved from the London rat-race to become a postie in rural Cornwall. Tessa and her husband are delighted when a new young couple arrive in the village fresh from the city - just as they once did. However what looks such a promising new friendship turns to a nightmare, as these are people who think money can buy them acceptance - and the village is soon in quiet revolt. Tessa finds herself in the thick of it - and realises that she has grown very strong roots in the community in the two years she has been in Cornwall. Like so many in the country, she has to think about turning her house into a source of income in the summer months. Having finally got the place up to scratch, she and her family are wondering whether to camp for a couple of months when they are asked to take over a B&B owned by friends of friends. Tessa is bubbly, outgoing - but quite inexperienced at being a landlady. She muddles through only with the generous help of the 'customers' on her postal round. ____________________________ Written with her usual warmth and good humour, Tessa Hainsworth enchants us again with her stories of life as a newcomer to 'deep' Cornwall and makes us dwell on the true value and meaning of 'home'.