Making Her A Mackay

Grady Mackay puts his clan in great peril when he breaks a betrothal agreement without his laird’s permission. Now, the lass’s guardian expects an immediate wedding. He must marry Marren Macleod to avert a war, but Marren recently married his comrade, Keith Sutherland. He proposes marriage to Laurel Malone, a woman who recently arrived in the north, to stand in as Marren. Grady is baffled by Laurel’s evasiveness. She reveals little of herself, but as her secrets unravel, he admits a desire for her that he’s unwilling to refute. Laurel fled her home with her nephew and niece in tow. Having no means, she accepts the proposal Grady Mackay offers. She’s always had an affinity for pretense, so becoming someone else is exactly what she needs to stay in the shadows. She doesn’t want to be attracted to Grady or to find him compassionate, but he’s everything a woman wants in a husband, protector, and more. Their hearts are connected by unforgivable circumstances, and their experiences lead them to love and understanding and to have the compassion to always be accepting of each other. Grady has never loved anyone, but Laurel tugs at his heart and shows him that love is something to hold on to. Where there is love, there is no fear. With all that Grady faces, he needs to win over his clan, a difficult task since he proclaimed never to set foot on Mackay land again. To thwart the possibility of two wars, Grady must make Laurel a Mackay in every way or risk losing everything he’s ever desired.

A memorable collection of weather sayings, beautifully arranged in story form and illustrated by renowned paper artist Elly MacKay. Red sky at night, sailor's delight. And, the next morning, when the dew is on the grass, no rain will come to pass. These are the perfect conditions for a grandfather to take his grandchildren out on a fishing trip. Especially since, as the saying goes, when the wind is from the West, then the fishes bite the best. The family takes a boat out on the lake, fishing and swimming and eventually camping out on a nearby island, taking full advantage of the gorgeous weather. But the next day . . . red sky in the morning, sailors take warning! The family ventures back home just in time to avoid a rainstorm. But not to worry -- the more rain, the more rest. Fair weather's not always best. Acclaimed paper artist Elly MacKay illustrates a lovely family narrative through the use of weather aphorisms, creating a beautiful and informational story which will appeal to children's timeless fascination with the natural world.

When a little girl moves to a new town, she finds a place called Butterfly Park. But when she opens the gate, there are no butterflies. Determined to lure the butterflies in, the girl inspires her entire town to help her. And with their combined efforts, soon the butterflies -- and the girl -- feel right at home. Elly MacKay's luminous paper-cut illustrations and enchanting story encourage community, friendship, and wonderment in the beauty of everyday life. Free poster on reverse side of book jacket.

A young boy plants a seed that, with water, sunlight, care, and patience, grows into a strong, tall tree.

The Birth House is the story of Dora Rare, the first daughter to be born in five generations of Rares. As a child in an isolated village in Nova Scotia, she is drawn to Miss Babineau, an outspoken Acadian midwife with a gift for healing. Dora becomes Miss B.’s apprentice, and together they help the women of Scots Bay through infertility, difficult labours, breech births, unwanted pregnancies and even unfulfilling sex lives. Filled with details as compelling as they are surprising, The Birth House is an unforgettable tale of the struggles women have faced to have control of their own bodies and to keep the best parts of tradition alive in the world of modern medicine.

The eternal question 'Who am I?' must be weighed against an even deeper question: 'Who are we?' We are writing each other's stories as much as we are writing our own. In his bestselling book, The Good Life, Hugh Mackay argued that kindness and respect for others are the hallmarks of a life well lived. Now in The Art of Belonging Mackay shows how strong communities develop our moral sense and build our emotional security. He says that as 'social creatures' we can only reach our potential when we engage with our communities - in the local neighbourhood, at work and even online. Drawing on his lifelong work as a social researcher, Mackay creates a fictional suburb, Southwood, and populates it with characters who, like most of us, struggle to reconcile their need to belong with their desire to live life on their own terms. Through a series of stories, illuminated by Mackay's social analysis, we witness the conflicts that arise when individuals assert their needs at the expense of others, but we also glimpse the satisfactions that flow from contributing to the common good. Written with wisdom, compassion and wit, The Art of Belonging is for those who yearn for a society that sustains and nurtures the many, not just the fortunate few.

After the lights go out in her house, Maya's mother distracts her from her fear of the dark with a retelling of the legend of the banyan tree.

Mr Andrew Mackay was MP for Berkshire East and then Bracknell from 1983 to 2010. His wife, Ms Julie Kirkbride, was MP for Bromsgrove from 1997 to 2010. They had homes in Bromsgrove and in London. For Parliamentary allowance purposes, the Bromsgrove property was Mr Mackay's declared main home and Ms Kirkbride's second home; the London property was Ms Kirkbride's declared main home and Mr Mackay's second home. In October 2009, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards received a complaint about the claims made by both Ms Kirkbride and Mr Mackay. The complaint against Mr Mackay was that he had wrongly identified the Bromsgrove property as his main home for the purposes of making ACA claims. The complaint against Ms Kirkbride was that she had wrongly claimed against ACA for the cost of building an extension to the same property. The complaint made against Ms Kirkbride is not upheld. Commissioner and Committee conclude, however, that Mr Andrew Mackay breached the rules relating to second home allowances by wrongly designating his home in Bromsgrove as his main home for ACA purposes and because his claims against ACA for his London home were not beyond reproach. The Committee is very disappointed that, even after seeing the Commissioner's full report, Mr Mackay maintains that he did not break the rules, when it is quite clear that he did. Mr Mackay, no longer a Member of Parliament, should apologise in writing.