Love Begins In Winter

On the verge of giving up—anchored to dreams that never came true and to people who have long since disappeared from their lives—Van Booy's characters walk the streets of these stark and beautiful stories until chance meetings with strangers force them to face responsibility for lives they thought had continued on without them.

Since the publication of his critically acclaimed debut collection The Secret Lives of People in Love, Simon Van Booy has been hailed as one of the most exciting and talented short-story writers in Anglo-American fiction. This magnificent collection brings together twenty-four stories by a writer of unparalleled lyricism, generosity and emotional power. Set in a range of locations, from Cornwall, Wales, and New York to Paris and Rome, these stark and beautiful stories are a perfect synthesis of intensity and atmosphere. Love, loss, isolation and the power of memory are Van Booy's themes, and in spare, economical prose he writes about the difficult choices we make in order to retain our humanity, and about the redemptive power of love in a violent world.

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! AS HEARD ON NPR MORNING EDITION AND ON BEING WITH KRISTA TIPPETT “Katherine May opens up exactly what I and so many need to hear but haven't known how to name.” —Krista Tippett, On Being “Every bit as beautiful and healing as the season itself. . . . This is truly a beautiful book.” —Elizabeth Gilbert "Proves that there is grace in letting go, stepping back and giving yourself time to repair in the dark...May is a clear-eyed observer and her language is steady, honest and accurate—capturing the sense, the beauty and the latent power of our resting landscapes." —Wall Street Journal An intimate, revelatory book exploring the ways we can care for and repair ourselves when life knocks us down. Sometimes you slip through the cracks: unforeseen circumstances like an abrupt illness, the death of a loved one, a break up, or a job loss can derail a life. These periods of dislocation can be lonely and unexpected. For May, her husband fell ill, her son stopped attending school, and her own medical issues led her to leave a demanding job. Wintering explores how she not only endured this painful time, but embraced the singular opportunities it offered. A moving personal narrative shot through with lessons from literature, mythology, and the natural world, May's story offers instruction on the transformative power of rest and retreat. Illumination emerges from many sources: solstice celebrations and dormice hibernation, C.S. Lewis and Sylvia Plath, swimming in icy waters and sailing arctic seas. Ultimately Wintering invites us to change how we relate to our own fallow times. May models an active acceptance of sadness and finds nourishment in deep retreat, joy in the hushed beauty of winter, and encouragement in understanding life as cyclical, not linear. A secular mystic, May forms a guiding philosophy for transforming the hardships that arise before the ushering in of a new season.

In The Illusion of Separateness, award-winning author Simon Van Booy tells a harrowing and enchanting story of how one man’s act of mercy during World War II changed the lives of strangers, and how they each discover the astonishing truth of their connection. Whether they are pursued by Nazi soldiers, old age, shame, deformity, disease, or regret, the characters in this utterly compelling novel discover in their, darkest moments of fear and isolation that they are not alone, that they were never alone, that every human being is a link in an unseen chain. The Illusion of Separateness intertwines the stories of unique and compelling characters who—through seemingly random acts of selflessness—discover the vital parts they have played in each other’s lives.

"Five Tuesdays in Winter moved me, inspired me, thrilled me. It filled up every chamber of my heart. I loved this book." —Ann Patchett By the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of Writers & Lovers and Euphoria comes a masterful new collection of short stories Lily King, one of the most "brilliant" (New York Times Book Review), "wildly talented" (Chicago Tribune), and treasured authors of contemporary fiction, returns after her recent bestselling novels with Five Tuesdays in Winter, her first book of short fiction. Told in the intimate voices of complex, endearing characters, Five Tuesdays in Winter intriguingly subverts expectations as it explores desire, loss, jolting violence, and the inexorable tug toward love at all costs. A reclusive bookseller begins to feel the discomfort of love again. Two college roommates have a devastating middle-aged reunion. A proud old man rages powerlessly in his granddaughter's hospital room. A writer receives a visit from all the men who have tried to suppress her voice. Romantic, hopeful, brutally raw, and unsparingly honest, this wide-ranging collection of ten selected stories by one of our most accomplished chroniclers of the human heart is an exciting addition to Lily King's oeuvre of acclaimed fiction.

The Secret Lives of People in Love is the first short story collection by award-winning writer Simon Van Booy. These stories, set in Kentucky, New York, Paris, Rome, and Greece, are a perfect synthesis of intensity and atmosphere. Love, loss, human contact, and isolation are Van Booy's themes. In radiant prose he writes about the difficult choices we make in order to retain our humanity and about the redemptive power of love in a violent world. Included in this updated P.S. edition is the new story "The Mute Ventriloquist."

Hold on to that feeling of a holiday by the sea with this gorgeous romance. 'A wonderfully warm, romantic read' Karen Clarke Bella is happiest running her tiny antique business from the front room of her cottage on the Boardwalk. To ensure she has enough income coming in, she also rents out two of her bedrooms to paying lodgers. But she didn't count on having a secret crush on Jack Collins, one of her lodgers and her best friend's brother... As if life wasn’t complicated enough,her world-travelling mother appears on her doorstep on the same evening that Jack’s ex-fiancée arrives on the Boardwalk determined to win him back. Bella has a lot of thinking to do and soon discovers that not all gems sparkle. What readers are saying about Love Begins on the Boardwalk: ‘I absolutely adored this book! ...finished it quite late at night but it was definitely worth staying up for! Donnas Book Blog ‘A wonderful book full of friendships and love. Just loved it!' Polly ‘The chemistry sizzles’ Dash Fan ‘Plenty of action, great conversations, kind gestures, laughs all set to a stormy Jersey backdrop’ Gilbster *Previously published by Georgina Troy as Autumn Antics*

A feel-good love story in a gorgeous country village, perfect for fans of Milly Johnson and Heidi Swain. Previously published as A House To Mend a Broken Heart. Willow Tree Hall has been the proud ancestral home of the Cranley family for centuries. But now the house is falling apart, and the elderly Earl is growing too frail to manage it himself. Annie Rogers is looking for a job that will allow her to disappear. The role of live-in housekeeper to Arthur, Earl of Cranley, and his reluctant heir, Sam Harris, is just perfect. How hard can it be to run a household? But with no qualifications, and Sam criticising her at every turn, Annie suddenly finds herself completely out of her depth. But it turns out that Sam and Annie have more in common than they think. Both of them are running from their past. And both of them have fallen under the spell of Sam's beautiful, once-grand home. Maybe, just maybe, together they can save Willow Tree Hall... and bring each other back to life at the same time. What readers are saying about Willow Tree Hall: 'A sympathetically heart-warming story about family, loyalty, love and friendship... I look forward to reading more in the series' Donna Orrock, NetGalley. 'I absolutely adored this book. Felt like a proper fairytale' Natasha Potter, NetGalley. 'A wonderful, enchanting story... I am very much looking forward to reading further stories in this series' Lis Beasley, NetGalley. 'A beautiful and exquisite read. I couldn't put it down. Loved it' Karen Whittard, NetGalley. 'A delightful book of new beginnings and hope, I really enjoyed this one!' Books, Books and More Books. 'I never knew that a book had the power to make me feel calm. Until now. Not only is A House to Mend a Broken Heart true to its title storyline wise, for the duration of this novel it became A Story to Soothe a Painful Body' Kaisha Holloway, Netgalley. 'Delightful!... A well written, relaxing, and thoroughly enjoyable read' Kathleen Gray, NetGalley. 'A brilliant, uplifting mix of romance, drama and fun. Recommended!' Agi Klar, NetGalley. 'Full of warmth it really is a delightful read!' Rae Reads.