The Canadian Nightingale

April 4, 1915, Bertha Crawford bowed to tumultuous applause before a glittering audience at the Tsar’s Imperial Mariinsky Theatre. How had a young soprano from Ontario become a darling of the Russian capital eight months into the First World War? The Canadian Nightingale vividly resurrects the forgotten life of Bertha Crawford, a determined Canadian singer who chased the celebrity dream of her time to find unprecedented success on the opera stages of Russia and Poland. Meticulous historical research and compelling dramatic vignettes restore Crawford and her era to life. After a rollercoaster ride to fame that was ultimately derailed by broken trust, one big question remains: how was a Canadian story this fascinating left untold for more than eighty years.

April 4, 1915, Bertha Crawford bowed to tumultuous applause before a glittering audience at the Tsar’s Imperial Mariinsky Theatre. How had a young soprano from Ontario become a darling of the Russian capital eight months into the First World War? The Canadian Nightingale vividly resurrects the forgotten life of Bertha Crawford, a determined Canadian singer who chased the celebrity dream of her time to find unprecedented success on the opera stages of Russia and Poland. Meticulous historical research and compelling dramatic vignettes restore Crawford and her era to life. After a rollercoaster ride to fame that was ultimately derailed by broken trust, one big question remains: how was a Canadian story this fascinating left untold for more than eighty years.

April 4, 1915, Bertha Crawford bowed to tumultuous applause before a glittering audience at the Tsar’s Imperial Mariinsky Theatre. How had a young soprano from Ontario become a darling of the Russian capital eight months into the First World War? The Canadian Nightingale vividly resurrects the forgotten life of Bertha Crawford, a determined Canadian singer who chased the celebrity dream of her time to find unprecedented success on the opera stages of Russia and Poland. Meticulous historical research and compelling dramatic vignettes restore Crawford and her era to life. After a rollercoaster ride to fame that was ultimately derailed by broken trust, one big question remains: how was a Canadian story this fascinating left untold for more than eighty years.

Across the Nightingale Floor is Book 1 in the five-part Tales of the Otori series. More than four million copies have been sold in over 36 countries.'The best story of magic, love, sex, revenge and suspense to have come this way since Philip Pullman' Independent On Sunday (UK) In his fortress at Inuyama, the murderous warlord Iida Sadamu surveys his famous nightingale floor. Constructed with exquisite skill, it sings at the tread of each human foot. No assassin can cross it unheard. Brought up in a remote village among the Hidden, a reclusive and spiritual people, Takeo has learned only the ways of peace. Why, then, does he possess the deadly skills that make him so valuable to the sinister Tribe? These supernatural powers will lead him to his violent destiny within the walls of Inuyama - and to an impossible longing for a girl who can never be his. His journey is one of revenge and treachery, beauty and magic, and the passion of first love. 'masterful storytelling ... a fantastic read' The Age Coming soon - the spellbinding new TALE OF SHIKANOKO, set 300 years before Otori: THE EMPEROR OF THE EIGHT ISLANDS (Books 1 & 2 in THE TALE OF SHIKANOKO) and THE LORD OF THE DARKWOOD (Books 3 & 4).PRAISE FOR THE TALES OF THE OTORI 'An engrossing fantasy saga of literary quality.' The Age'Lian Hearn's marvellous storytelling talent ... makes reading these books a moment of pure bliss.' Le Monde'an enthralling and original work of fantasy' The Times

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A poignant and tender story of love, loss, passion, and the fragile threads that bind families together from the author of The Nightingale. “A beautifully simple, deeply compassionate story.”—Diana Gabaldon Annie Colwater's only child has just left home for school abroad. On that same day, her husband of twenty years confesses that he's in love with a younger woman. Alone in the house that is no longer a home, Annie comes to the painful realization that for years she has been slowly disappearing. Lonely and afraid, she retreats to Mystic, the small Washington town where she grew up, hoping that there she can reclaim the woman she once was—the woman she is now desperate to become again. In Mystic, she is reunited with her first love, Nick Delacroix, a recent widower unable to cope with his grieving, too-silent six-year-old daughter, Izzie. Together, the three of them begin to heal, and, at last, Annie learns that she can love without losing herself. But just when she has found a second chance at happiness, her life is turned upside down again, and Annie must make a choice no woman should have to make. . . . Praise for On Mystic Lake “Marvelous . . . a touching love story . . . You know a book is a winner when you devour it in one evening and hope there’s a sequel. . . . This page-turner has enough twists and turns to keep the reader up until the wee hours of the morning.”—USA Today “Superb . . . I’ll heartily recommend On Mystic Lake to any woman . . . who demands that a story leave her in a satisfied glow.”—The Washington Post Book World “A luminescent story . . . Kristin Hannah touches the deepest, most tender corners of our hearts.”—Tami Hoag “Excellent . . . On Mystic Lake is an emotional experience you won’t soon forget.”—Rocky Mountain News “Propels readers forward to the final chapter.”—The Seattle Times

Now an established regional classic, Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens was first published in 1970 and became an instant hit, selling more copies than any cookbook ever published in the province. A collection of traditional Nova Scotia recipes, the book remains extremely popular today and has proven to be a practical guide as well as a delight for armchair cooks. Besides providing easy-to-use recipes for the province s traditional dishes, Marie Nightingale also tells the stories of the people who prepared this unique cuisine.This fortieth anniversary edition includes an updated look throughout, a foreword from Chef Michael Howell at Tempest Restaurant, and a new introduction from the author on the book's incredible and long-lasting success."

*Winner of the Sophie Brody Medal* A moving and uplifting history set to music that reveals the rich life of one of the first internationally renowned female violinists. Spanning generations, from the shores of the Black Sea to the glittering concert halls of New York, The Nightingale's Sonata is a richly woven tapestry centered around violin virtuoso Lea Luboshutz. Like many poor Jews, music offered an escape from the predjudices that dominated society in the last years of the Russian Empire. But Lea’s dramatic rise as an artist was further accentuated by her scandalous relationship with the revolutionary Onissim Goldovsky. As the world around them descends in to chaos, between revolution and war, we follow Lea and her family from Russia to Europe and eventually, America. We cross paths with Pablo Casals, Isadora Duncan, Emile Zola and even Leo Tolstoy. The little girl from Odessa will eventually end up as one of the founding faculty of the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, but along the way she will lose her true love, her father, and watch a son die young. The Iron Curtain would rise, but through it all, she plays on. Woven throughout this luminous odyssey is the story is Cesar Franck’s “Sonata for Violin and Piano.” As Lea was one of the first-ever internationally recognized female violinists, it is fitting that this pioneer was one of the strongest advocates for this young boundary-pushing composer and his masterwork.

_____________________________ Beware the evil in the woods... In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, an elderly servant tells stories of sorcery, folklore and the Winter King to the children of the family, tales of old magic frowned upon by the church. But for the young, wild Vasya these are far more than just stories. She alone can see the house spirits that guard her home, and sense the growing forces of dark magic in the woods. . . Atmospheric and enchanting, with an engrossing adventure at its core, The Bear and the Nightingale is perfect for readers of Naomi Novik's Uprooted, Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. _____________________________ Now with over 100 5* reviews, readers are spellbound by this magical story: 'This book stayed with me, I didn't want it to end' 'A beautifully written story' 'An entrancing story, which swept me up from the very first chapter' 'Full of magic' _____________________________ Make sure you've read all the books in the acclaimed Winternight Trilogy 1. The Bear and the Nightingale 2. The Girl in the Tower 3. The Winter of the Witch