Dreaming The Land

So here I am walking again an old path made new by the very fact that I am upon it once more, accompanied by familiar hordes: the fecund majority of the dead, the myriad of the living in all of their many forms, defunct, mutant, revenant or otherwise, traversing memory’s infinite field. In the evocative prose that makes him one of our finest writers, Martin Edmond recalls his experiences of growing up in rural New Zealand in the 1950s and 60s. The son of schoolteachers, Edmond’s early life was shaped by his father’s developing career and the moves it dictated: from Ohakune, to Greytown, to Huntly, to Heretaunga. The Dreaming Land shows us the making of a thinker and a writer. Edmond documents the people, locations, and events that made a lasting impression on him, and maps the development of his mental landscape – a landscape marked by curiosity, empathy and the capacity for acute observation. It is a book that is at once personal and universal, charting formative moments yet filled with details that resonate more broadly. The Dreaming Land pushes at the boundaries of what can be remembered to create a narrative which absorbs, illuminates and enchants.

A vivid, searching journey into California's capture of water and soil—the epic story of a people's defiance of nature and the wonders, and ruin, it has wrought Mark Arax is from a family of Central Valley farmers, a writer with deep ties to the land who has watched the battles over water intensify even as California lurches from drought to flood and back again. In The Dreamt Land, he travels the state to explore the one-of-a-kind distribution system, built in the 1940s, '50s and '60s, that is straining to keep up with California's relentless growth. The Dreamt Land weaves reportage, history and memoir to confront the "Golden State" myth in riveting fashion. No other chronicler of the West has so deeply delved into the empires of agriculture that drink so much of the water. The nation's biggest farmers—the nut king, grape king and citrus queen—tell their story here for the first time. Arax, the native son, is persistent and tough as he treks from desert to delta, mountain to valley. What he finds is hard earned, awe-inspiring, tragic and revelatory. In the end, his compassion for the land becomes an elegy to the dream that created California and now threatens to undo it.

A vividly illustrated, accessibly written history of the Aboriginal art movement from remote Australia. The artworks of Aboriginal Australian peoples are a profoundly important repository of knowledge and reflect a deep connection to Country. This visually rich survey explores the evolution of the contemporary Aboriginal art movement in remote areas of Australia across twenty-nine art centers in five states from the Kimberley through to Arnhem Land and beyond. Featuring profiles of one hundred artists, this unparalleled work provides valuable insight into Knowledges and Traditions, while highlighting the achievements of each unique artist—all recognized as among the most distinguished painters from remote Australia. Author Marie Geissler’s opening essay traces the progression from rock art through to the launch of the Western desert movement, which began at Papunya in the early 1970s and led to the widespread uptake of contemporary painting by Aboriginal artists. Esteemed writers Margot Neale and Djon Mundine offer erudite contributions distilling the complexity of the art movement and its impact. Dreaming the Land is an authoritative reference that offers readers around the world a valuable introduction to Aboriginal culture and the stories that underpin the paintings.

In 2010, bestselling author Kathleen Winter (Annabel) embarked on a journey across the storied Northwest Passage, among marine scientists, historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, and curious passengers. From Greenland to Baffin Island and all along the passage, Winter bears witness to the new math of the North—where polar bears mates with grizzlies, creating a new hybrid species; where the earth is on the cusp of yielding so much buried treasure that five nations stand poised to claim sovereignty of the land; and where the local Inuit population struggles to navigate the tension between taking part in the new global economy and defending their traditional way of life. Throughout Winter's journey, she learns from fellow passengers such as Aaju Peter and Bernadette Dean, who teach her about Inuit society (both past and present). She bonds with Nathan Rogers, son of the late Canadian icon Stan Rogers, who died in a plane crash when Nathan was just a young boy. Nathan's quest is to take the route his father never traveled, expect in his beloved song "The Northwest Passage," which he performs both as anthem and lament at sea. And she guides readers through her own personal odyssey, emigrating from England to Canada as a child and discovering both what was lot and what was gained as a result of that journey. In breathtaking prose charged with vivid descriptions of the land and its people, Kathleen Winter's Boundless is a haunting and powerful homage to the ever–evolving and magnetic power of the North.

Valya is a hero. Her people need a healer. Love the Kushiel series or The Priory of the Orange Tree? Try this sweeping epic starring a bisexual warrior princess with a taste for dominance! This omnibus edition contains the complete trilogy in one volume. Nine years ago, Valya left Krasnograd in disgrace. Now the Tsarina has called her back. Troublesome rumors are afoot, and someone must investigate them. Who better than the Tsarina’s hotheaded, rebellious heir? Valya would like to leave her scandal-ridden past behind her. That might not be an option, though. As part of her plan to heal the rifts within her court, the Tsarina has ordered Valya to make a marriage alliance—with the son of the woman she hates most in the world. To do her duty, Valya may have to swallow her scruples and take up the mantle of dangerous seductress once again. And then there are bigger problems. Valya has uncovered an underground slave trading business, operating right in the heart of Zem’, but her sister princesses refuse to believe her. To cleanse her beloved land of the corruption threatening it, Valya must go on a dangerous journey—one that will reveal not only the truth of the slave trade, but that of the magic Valya carries within her. Valya must heal her family, her land, and her people. She may destroy herself in the attempt. The final installment in the Zemnian Series, this subversive fantasy trilogy returns to the land of Zem’, where trees walk, animals talk, and women rule. With discussion questions at the end.

Some change the world. Some break it. If you loved the Kushiel series or The Priory of the Orange Tree, try this sweeping epic starring a bisexual warrior princess with a taste for dominance! Valya has won permission to hunt down the slave traders defiling her land and stealing its children. Now begins the most difficult part of her mission: she and her companions must find the perpetrators of this crime, and rescue their victims. But as Valya will discover, the roots of the evil go deep. And saving Zemnian children from death or a life of degrading servitude is not Valya’s only concern. She still must win the heart and hand of the son of her worst enemy, and unite the steppe with the rest of the country at a time when the succession and the very life of the Tsarina hangs in the balance. And then there is the question of her daughter’s magical gifts—and, it may be, her own. Like her foremothers, Valya is about to discover that gifts of power are as much a curse as a blessing, and can be a danger not just to the wielder, but to everyone around her. Valya wants to save her homeland, but if she’s not careful, she might end up tearing it apart. With discussion questions at the end. Reading order of the Zemnian Series: The Zemnian Series: Slava’s Story The Midnight Land I: The Flight The Midnight Land II: The Gift The Zemnian Series: Dasha’s Story The Breathing Sea I: Burning The Breathing Sea II: Drowning The Zemnian Series: Valya’s Story The Dreaming Land I: The Challenge The Dreaming Land II: The Journey The Dreaming Land III: The Sacrifice

Valya is a hero. Her people need a healer. If you loved the Kushiel series or The Priory of the Orange Tree, you’ll want to try this sweeping epic starring a bisexual warrior princess with a taste for dominance! Valya has chased the slave traders stealing her people’s children all the way to the very edge of Zem’. She is preparing to descend into the foreign plains beyond the mountains in order to rescue as many enslaved children as she can—until a sudden vision changes everything. Instead of heading East, she finds herself racing West, back to Krasnograd, where the Empress is in mortal danger. But in order to save the Empress, Valya must keep from destroying herself. With her native recklessness and her newfound magic only very partially under her control, though, she may have finally come across a mission beyond even her considerable strength. Unless she can channel her warrior ways into the healing power of a leader, she may lose everything she loves. The Dreaming Land III: The Sacrifice is the final book in The Dreaming Land mini-series, and the conclusion to the award-winning Zemnian Series, set in the unique matrilineal world of Zem’. With discussion questions at the end. Reading order of the Zemnian Series: The Zemnian Series: Slava’s Story The Midnight Land I: The Flight The Midnight Land II: The Gift The Zemnian Series: Dasha’s Story The Breathing Sea I: Burning The Breathing Sea II: Drowning The Zemnian Series: Valya’s Story The Dreaming Land I: The Challenge The Dreaming Land II: The Journey The Dreaming Land III: The Sacrifice

All’s fair in war. But what about love? If you liked the Kushiel series or The Priory of the Orange Tree, check out this sweeping epic starring a bisexual warrior princess with a taste for dominance! Valya is a warrior. It is her strong will that holds the steppe, the freest, wildest, most war-like of the provinces of Zem’, and it is her strong sword that defends it from raiders. But now, as a growing demand for Zemnian slaves threatens her people, a call from the Empress in Krasnograd requires Valya to leave her native land behind and take up her other duty, as unpopular heir to the Wooden Throne. In order to save her beloved Zem’ from the enemies both outside and inside its borders, Valya must find out what secrets her sister princesses are keeping, face up to her scandal-ridden past, and woo the son of the woman she hates most in the world. Valya believes that all is fair in war, but in love she’s not so sure. With the fate of her family and her country riding on her shoulders, though, there may not be time for scruples. A continuation of the story begun in the award-winning novels The Midnight Land and The Breathing Sea, The Dreaming Land I: The Challenge is the first installment of the concluding trilogy of this epic saga about the matrilineal world of Zem’, where trees walk, animals talk, and women rule. This subversive blend of high fantasy and literary fiction will appeal to fans of classical Russian literature and contemporary fantasy alike. With discussion questions at end. Reading order of the Zemnian Series: The Zemnian Series: Slava’s Story The Midnight Land I: The Flight The Midnight Land II: The Gift The Zemnian Series: Dasha’s Story The Breathing Sea I: Burning The Breathing Sea II: Drowning The Zemnian Series: Valya’s Story The Dreaming Land I: The Challenge The Dreaming Land II: The Journey The Dreaming Land III: The Sacrifice