Mimosa Grove

A woman’s second sight leads her to a missing girl, and the mystery man of her dreams in this romantic thriller from the New York Times–bestselling author. Like her mother and grandmother, Laurel Scanlon has the gift of second sight. Though by day she is unfulfilled in life and romance, she welcomes the nightly dreams that show her the image of her true love . . . When her grandmother dies, Laurel is drawn back to Mimosa Grove—her ancestral home in the heart of Louisiana bayou country. When the community asks Laurel to help in the search for a missing girl, she gets the shock of her life: the child’s uncle, Justin Bouvier, is the man from her dreams. As Laurel discovers that Justin has been dreaming of her too, she wonders if their twilight connection could become something real. But before they can give in to their hearts, they’ll need to draw on their inexplicable link to face threats both seen and unseen in this “intricate tale of treachery and terror” (RT Book Reviews).

In a place as haunting as it is beautiful, anything can happen… Laurel Scanlon has the gift of sight, an ability passed down to the eldest daughter of each generation. It is this gift—or curse, perhaps—that drove her own mother mad and has left Laurel unwilling to trust in love…except in her dreams. Anxious for a new beginning, she decides to retreat to Mimosa Grove, an old estate outside Bayou Jean, Louisiana. Mimosa Grove belongs to Laurel now, bequeathed by her maternal grandmother. Laurel feels the history and tragedy here, and amidst primeval beauty she senses something…unfinished. Folks here know about her grandmother's gift and treat Laurel with the same reverence—especially when she is able to help the police find a missing girl. It is then that she sees Justin Bouvier—stranger, soul mate, the man who haunts her dreams. But there is danger here in Mimosa Grove, not from the restless past, but from the deadly present. Laurel must be willing to trust her gift, her love for Justin and, most of all, herself, to stop tragedy and history from repeating themselves.

Pastoralist traditions have long been extraordinarily important to the social, economic, political, and cultural life of western India. The Marathi-language oral literature of the Dhangar shepherds is not only one of the most important elements of the traditional cultural life of its region, but also a treasure of world literature. This volume presents translations of two lively and well-crafted examples of the ovi, a genre typical of the oral literature of Dhangars. The two ovis in the volume narrate the stories of Biroba and Dhuloba, two of these shepherds' most important gods. Each of the ovis tells an elaborate story of the birth of the god-a miraculous and complicated process in both cases-and of the struggles each one goes through in order to find and win his bride. The extensive introduction provides a literary analysis of the ovis and discusses what they reveal about the cosmology, geography, society, and political arrangements of their performers' world, as well as about the performers' views of pastoralists and women.

Ellie Morgan's life isn't going exactly as she planned. She finds herself divorced and working as a teacher in the Midwest when word arrives that a distant relative has died ... and left her everything. Ellie travels to Tennessee to attend to the estate, which includes a large plantation house that has been in the family since the early 1800s. Ellie feels drawn to the attic, where she finds a stack of letters hidden in a hatbox. The letters appear to be from a Civil War soldier by the name of Rafe Collins. Rafe fought on the Confederate side; however, the letters are addressed to Ms. Hattie Townes, whose family stood behind the Union. Ellie can't help but read the one-sided exchange, wondering at the love shared between Rafe and Hattie, despite the division of war. The more immersed Ellie gets, the more she suspects she isn't alone in the grand plantation house. A haunted spirit wanders the halls, and Ellie soon realizes it's the ghost of Rafe Collins. Distressed by his lost love, he lingers in the house, looking for answers. What ever became of Hattie? Why didn't she answer his letters? Ellie decides to try to solve Rafe's mystery-and, in the process, develops feelings for a local man. Perhaps Ellie's broken heart can be mended, and perhaps Rafe can finally find peace in the arms of his beloved.

Married for 20 years to the Reverend Benjamin Lynch, a handsome, ambitious minister of the prestigious Methodist church, Dean Lynch has never quite adjusted her temperament to the demands of the role of a Sunday wife. When her husband is assigned to a larger and more demanding community in the Florida panhandle, Dean becomes fast friends with Augusta Holderfield, a woman whose good looks and extravagant habits immediately entrance her. As their friendship evolves, Augusta challenges Dean to break free from her traditional role as the preacher's wife. Just as Dean is questioning everything she has always valued, a tragedy occurs, providing the catalyst for change in ways she never could have imagined.

"The Giraffe Hunters" is an adventurous tale through Mayne Reid that transports readers to the untamed desert of Africa. Set in opposition to the backdrop of the continent's extensive savannahs and dense jungles, the story follows a set of intrepid hunters led by the courageous Allan Quatermain. As they adventure deep into the coronary heart of Africa in pursuit of the elusive giraffe, the hunters encounter numerous perils, such as fierce wild animals, adverse tribes, and treacherous landscapes. Along the way, they form not going alliances and forge enduring friendships amidst the tough realities of survival within the African barren region. Amidst the excitement of the hunt, the unconventional additionally delves into deeper topics of friendship, loyalty, and the resilience of the human spirit. Through vibrant descriptions and interesting adventures, Reid paints a shiny photo of Africa's natural splendor and the demanding situations confronted by means of folks who dare to discover its uncharted territories. "The Giraffe Hunters" is a gripping tale of bravery and perseverance, supplying readers an interesting glimpse into the wild and unpredictable global of 19th-century Africa.