I Am Here

Longlisted for the 2017 International Dylan Thomas Prize God asked Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac, and Abraham replied obediently, "Here I am." This is the story of a fracturing family in a moment of crisis. Over the course of three weeks in present-day Washington, D.C., three sons watch their parents' marriage falter and their family home fall apart. Meanwhile, a large catastrophe is engulfing another part of the world: a massive earthquake devastates the Middle East, sparking a pan-Arab invasion of Israel. With global upheaval in the background and domestic collapse in the foreground, Jonathan Safran Foer asks us: What is the true meaning of home? Can one man ever reconcile the conflicting duties of his many roles– husband, father, son? And how much of life can a person ultimately bear?

She looked into my eyes and blinked hers slowly and deliberately, like a stroke victim, to show me that although she couldn't speak, she understood what I was saying to her. I stroked her hair softly. 'I know you're in there, honey,' I told her. 'We'll get you out.'" Despite the horror of seeing fifteen-month-old Elizabeth slip away into autism, her mother knew that her bright little girl was still in there. When Elizabeth eventually learned to communicate, first by using a letterboard and later by typing, the poetry she wrote became proof of a glorious, life-affirming victory for this young girl and her family. I Am in Here is the spiritual journey of a mother and daughter who refuse to give up hope, who celebrate their victories, and who keep trying to move forward despite the obstacles. Although she cannot speak, Elizabeth writes poetry that shines a light on the inner world of autism and the world around us. That poetry and her mother's stirring storytelling combine in this inspirational book to proclaim that there is always a reason to take the next step forward--with hope.

"Tells the story in pictures of an Asian family newly immigrated to the United States and the challenges of starting a life in a new place"--Provided by publisher.

Have you ever wondered how you ended up where you are right now? I thought a marriage to a man I loved would fix my broken foundation and cure all the pains I had collected during my life. Turns out, I gave my life to the man who almost took it. You may not understand how I believe a kidnapping, everyone I loved leaving me, and basically losing my "perfect" life could be a miracle, but standing in my shoes, there is no other explanation. This is my story; I hope you don't judge me, but it happened and made me who I am. I can't help but to think you may find a little of yourself in it too. I found the healing to be the hardest, yet best part of the story.

'An essential guide to mindfulness, filled with tools and practices that can enhance our well-being.' Arianna Huffington I am here now will inspire you to explore your world with greater curiosity and find moments of mindfulness in everyday life while unleashing your creativity along the way. Be here now with exercises to challenge your powers of observation, investigation and cultivation and bring new awareness to your senses, thoughts and emotions. Practise meditation with the I am here now audio track, guided by internationally renowned mindfulness teacher Tara Brach. Use the field notes pages to record your findings and capture your insights. 'Mindfulness is a simple and very powerful practice of training our attention. It's simple in that it's really just about paying attention to what's happening here and now (i.e. sensations, thoughts, and emotions) in a non-judgemental way. It's powerful because it can interrupt the habit of getting lost in thoughts, mostly about the future or past, which often generates more stress on top of the real pressures of everyday life.' The Mindfulness Project

One of the most significant philosophical voices of the twentieth century – the philosopher of ‘the Other’ – Emmanuel Levinas’ work offers a challenge to the discipline of anthropology that claims knowledge of the human. For Levinas, the ‘secrecy’ of subjectivity – a fundamental facet of the human condition – demands an ethics of ignorance and not-knowing; the mystery of otherness is only to be approached through ‘inspiration’. Can anthropology meet a Levinasian challenge if it would define itself as a science as well as a humanistic documentation of social life? This book endeavours to take Levinasian and anthropological precepts equally seriously and offers a tentative accommodation.

Set in the 1960s, Barbara Bottner's I Am Here Now is a beautiful novel in verse about one artist’s coming of age. It’s a heartbreaking, powerful and inspiring depiction of what it's like to shatter your life—and piece it all back together. You can’t trust Life to give you decent parents, or beautiful eyes, a fine French accent or an outstanding flair for fashion. No, Life does what it wants. It’s sneaky as a thief. Maisie's first day of High school should be exciting, but all she wants is to escape. Her world is lonely and chaotic, with an abusive mother and a father who’s rarely there to help. So when Maisie, who finds refuge in her art, meets the spirited Rachel and her mother, a painter, she catches a glimpse of a very different world—one full of life, creativity, and love—and latches on. But as she discovers her strengths through Rachel’s family, Maisie, increasingly desperate, finds herself risking new friendships, and the very future she's searching for. An Imprint Book

A true account of one woman's conversations with Christ reveals a personal relationship with Jesus. In a small, simple chapel during the celebration of the Eucharist, Jesus revealed his presence to Nicole Gausseron and began speaking to her. The first in a series of three books, Gausseron documents her conversations with Christ. Nicole Gausseron is not a visionary. She was born to a prosperous French family and was educated to be a professor. Translated from French, this volume is a record of Gausseron's first encounter with Christ and many others, kept daily in her "petit cahier"--her little notebook. Devoid of the reverential tone often found in works of piety, Gausseron's journals read more like Gospel accounts of Jesus' ministry, episodic, terse, and objective. The value of the notebooks lies in their cogent reminder that Jesus lives and seeks a personal relationship with those who believe in him.