The Family

Represents a variety of families, some big and some small, some with only one parent and some with two moms or dads, some quiet and some noisy, but all alike in some ways and special no matter what.

In this national bestseller, a work of vigorous reporting, deep compassion and unerring integrity, award-winning journalist and documentarian John Chipman investigates the lives left ruined in the wake of Dr. Charles Smith's ignominious career. In the mid-'90s, the Ontario Coroner's office decided that death investigation teams needed to "think dirty." They wanted coroners, pathologists and police to be more suspicious--to "assume that all deaths are homicides until satisfied that they are not." They were particularly concerned about pediatric deaths, which historically had been exceedingly difficult to investigate. There were usually no witnesses; no evidence to gather at the scene; no outward signs of trauma on the body. If the pathologist did not discover the truth of what had happened, child abuse could go uncovered. Among those charged to "think dirty" was Dr. Charles Smith, Ontario's top pediatric forensic pathologist at the time. But with virtually no training in forensics, Dr. Smith was ill prepared for his work. Instead of basing his judgments on forensic evidence found during autopsies, he allowed himself to be swayed by circumstantial evidence. The defendants were often single mothers--some on welfare, some struggling with substance abuse. And they made for easy targets. Dr. Smith made dangerous assumptions, and the results were catastrophic. Numerous individuals were pronounced guilty, and incarcerated, on his shaky evidence. This penetrating investigative work explores the wide ripples of destruction caused when the justice system fails, the burden felt by ethical individuals working within that system and the importance of its victims finally being heard.

Exquisite Expressions of Faith If you have ever admired a homemade card or gift and wished you could produce beautiful writing, this book is for you. Artist Jenny Highsmith wants you to know that even if you don’t consider yourself to be naturally gifted, you can learn how to hand letter. She will teach you how to get started by selecting the right supplies and setting up your workspace. Next, you’ll get step-by-step instructions showing you basic techniques with space in the book to practice. And once you’ve acquired this new skill, Jenny will explain how you can use it to bless others, share your faith, and commit God’s Word to memory by hand lettering Scripture verses. Invite your friends to join you in your new hobby and encourage one another on your lettering and your faith journeys. God made you to be creative. This helpful guide can show you how.

Analyzes the structure of families, examines the unexpresssed rules used to raise children, and discusses family violence, child abuse, and dysfunctional families

The Instant New York Times bestseller A TODAY Show Read with Jenna Book Club Pick A captivating debut novel about the tangled fates of two best friends and daughters of the Italian mafia, and a coming-of-age story of twentieth-century Brooklyn itself. Two daughters. Two families. One inescapable fate. Sofia Colicchio is a free spirit, loud and untamed. Antonia Russo is thoughtful, ever observing the world around her. Best friends since birth, they live in the shadow of their fathers’ unspoken community: the Family. Sunday dinners gather them each week to feast, discuss business, and renew the intoxicating bond borne of blood and love. But the disappearance of Antonia’s father drives a whisper-thin wedge between the girls as they grow into women, wives, mothers, and leaders. Their hearts expand in tandem with Red Hook and Brooklyn around them, as they push against the boundaries of society’s expectations and fight to preserve their complex but life-sustaining friendship. One fateful night their loyalty to each other and the Family will be tested. Only one of them can pull the trigger before it’s too late.

Ants have a colony. Bats have a cloud. Chickens have peeps, where they can get loud. All the way from A to Z, this colorful alphabet primer celebrates all kinds of diverse families, giving each animal family a name. With dolphins and their pods, iguanas and their messes, and kitties and their litters, it’s easy to learn about what makes a family . . . well, a family! Packaged as a well-crafted, sturdy, padded board book, it will stand up to years of exploration. Whether you are teaching the alphabet, animals, different types of families, or celebrating your own unique family, What is a Family is a colorful and fun introduction to the families all around us. Families are groups that take care of their own. They all stick together to help make a home.

In the late 1970s Ondaatje returned to his native island of Sri Lanka. As he records his journey through the drug-like heat and intoxicating fragrances of that "pendant off the ear of India, " Ondaatje simultaneously retraces the baroque mythology of his Dutch-Ceylonese family. An inspired travel narrative and family memoir by an exceptional writer.

‘This gripping psychological thriller slowly lures you in, then keeps you guessing about who’s good – and who really isn’t – all the way to the end’ Heat ‘Twisted and suspenseful, each layer of deception is peeled back for maximum dramatic impact’ Woman’s Weekly