Four Minutes

Giving voice to people living on the periphery in post-communist Bulgaria, Four Minutes centers around Leah, an orphan who suffered daily horrors growing up, and now struggles to integrate into society as a gay woman. She confronts her trauma by trying to volunteer at the orphanage, and to adopt a young girl--a choice that is frustrated over and over by bureaucracy and the pervasive stigma against gay women. In addition to Leah's narrative, the novel contains nine other standalone character studies of other frequently ignored voices. These sections are each meant to be read in approximately four minutes, a nod to a social experiment that put forth the hypothesis that it only takes four minutes of looking someone in the eye and listening to them in order to accept and empathize with them. A meticulously crafted social novel, Four Minutes takes a difficult, uncompromising look at modern life in Eastern Europe.

The year is 2005. The setting is Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Stolen Four Minutes tells the gripping story of the discovery of what happened to five-year-old Semmy Barrels after she was abducted twenty-nine years ago. Semmy's mother, Teasy, not knowing the whereabouts of her daughter suffers grievous pain year after year. She finally collapses into a coma and communicates telepathically to her twin sister, Mia, that the only way she will come out of the coma is by hearing of Semmy's whereabouts. If she doesn't hear in thirteen days, she will succumb to death. To prevent her sister from surrendering to death, Mia hires amateur investigator Vett Brayborn to find Semmy within the thirteen day window. Vett is hindered by many obstacles and her investigation leads into an almost deadly confrontation with the criminal, but she perseveres finding truth. This tragedy will cause your soul to weep.

When supermarket delivery driver Charlie is assigned the Hope Row street, he realises there are a lot of lonely people out there - and for some, he's their only interaction. The supermarket boss tells Charlie he's a driver, not a social worker - but Charlie's tough exterior begins to soften, and he can't help show a little kindness to the Hope Row residents, helping them find their place in the world once more. But will his helping hand make everything worse? 'I adored this feel good book' Netgalley reviewer 'A book about hope, forgiveness, love and friendship that will touch your heart' Netgalley reviewer 'I couldn't love this book anymore if I tried!' Netgalley reviewer An uplifting novel about community, friends and finding your way. Perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan, Veronica Henry and Beth O'Leary

From Yale-educated truck driver and fitness guru Siphiwe Baleka, a revolutionary metabolism-spiking program for anyone who feels they don’t have enough time, equipment, or money to get in shape and lose those extra pounds. When Siphiwe Baleka, who had once been a NCAA Division I athlete, began truck driving in 2008, his whole lifestyle changed. Within weeks his metabolism slowed drastically and he gained ten percent of his body weight. He knew he needed to take back control of his health and wellbeing and change the sedentary lifestyle of truck driving—one of the country’s least healthy industries. Now, Baleka, founder of Fitness Trucking and full-time fitness coach for Prime Inc., one of the nation’s largest trucking companies—and now one of the healthiest—helps thousands of Prime’s long-haul truck drivers, who have also struggled with weight and health problems, with his 13-week nutrition and exercise plan. Combining step-by-step workouts and advice on healthy eating (even on the go), 4-Minute Fit is a flexible, yet powerful plan that is proven to boost your metabolism, provide results, and help you get rid of those extra pounds and reach your weight loss goals. Baleka’s program is geared not only for those who drive eighteen-wheelers, but also for anyone who travels for work, has a job that involves a lot of sitting, or doesn’t think they have enough time to exercise and eat better. If you’re frustrated by the weight gain that comes from not being active enough due to your job or lifestyle, 4-Minute Fit is the simple new guide that can radically change your life.

“I don’t have time to meditate!” Rebekah “Bex” Borucki has heard this a lot. A certified yoga and meditation teacher, she’s taught hundreds of thousands of people how to create simple yet powerful meditation practices. In fact, as she’ll show you in this book, in as little as 4 minutes, you can change your life. After years of suffering from anxiety and depression, both as a child and as an adult, Bex took control of her mental and physical health by establishing a rigorous fitness and yoga routine that quickly evolved into her own regular, homegrown 4-minute daily meditation practice. Bex’s 4-minute meditations combine mantras, affirmations, breathing and bodywork techniques, and they’re designed so that even the busiest people can fit them into their lives. In this book, Bex guides you through 27 different meditation practices, and shares personal stories that demonstrate how meditation has helped her overcome various challenges. She also answers commonly asked questions like “Do my eyes have to stay closed?” and “What do I do if my body starts to hurt?”; provides technical information about props, postures, and mantras; and offers tools to cope with complex issues such as grief, body acceptance, and relationships. By spending just 4 minutes a day with this practice, you will find deep, meaningful, and lasting healing.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1883.