The Life Mask

Privilege has a price for three high-society Londoners in this eighteenth-century historical novel by the author of Room and The Pull of the Stars. In a time of looming war, of glittering spectacle and financial disasters, the wealthy liberals of the Whig Party work to topple a tyrannical prime minister and a lunatic king. Marriages and friendships stretch or break; political liaisons prove as dangerous as erotic ones; and everyone wears a mask. Will Eliza Farren, England's leading comedic actress, gain entry to that elite circle that calls itself the World? Can Lord Derby, the inventor of the horse race that bears his name, endure public mockery of his long, unconsummated courtship of the actress? Will Anne Damer, a sculptor and rumored Sapphist, be the cause of Eliza's fall from grace? Let the games begin . . . “Mesmerizing. With the French Revolution raging in the background, Donoghue has lighted on another terrific story, and she pulls off a dazzling feat of choreography.” —Julia Livshin, The Washington Post Book World “Few will be able to put it down before its enthralling tales end.” —Chicago Tribune

This title contains poems about love and loss, masks and masquerades.

At 30 years old, Lewis Howes was outwardly thriving but unfulfilled inside. He was a successful athlete and businessman, achieving goals beyond his wildest dreams, but he felt empty, angry, frustrated, and always chasing something that was never enough. His whole identity had been built on misguided beliefs about what "masculinity" was. Howes began a personal journey to find inner peace and to uncover the many masks that men – young and old – wear. In The Mask of Masculinity, Howes exposes the ultimate emptiness of the Material Mask, the man who chases wealth above all things; the cowering vulnerability that hides behind the Joker and Stoic Masks of men who never show real emotion; and the destructiveness of the Invincible and Aggressive Masks worn by men who take insane risks or can never back down from a fight. He teaches men how to break through the walls that hold them back and shows women how they can better understand the men in their lives. It's not easy, but if you want to love, be loved and live a great life, then it's an odyssey of self-discovery that all modern men must make. This book is a must-read for every man – and for every woman who loves a man.

Armed with a vivid imagination and her trusty cat mask, Lily can take on anything--even a new school... But when her teacher tells her no masks allowed in class, Lily worries, can she make friends without it? Anyone who has been daunted by a new experience, or struggled to put on a good face, will relate to Lily. Whimsical art brings Lily, her father, and her new classmates to life, with text that begs to be read aloud. Perfect for Father's Day, back to school, and even Halloween--Lily and her grinning cat mask are sure to make you smile back.

Cass and her mom have always stood on their own against the world. Then Cass learns she had a grandmother, one who was never part of her life, one who has just died and left her and her mother the first house they could call their own. But with it comes more questions than answers: Why is her Mom so determined not to live there? Why was this relative kept so secret? And what is the unusual mask, forgotten in a drawer, trying to tell her? Strange dreams, strange voices, and strange incidents all lead Cass closer to solving the mystery and making connections she never dreamed she had.

In his extraordinary memoir, Beethovens Mask, George Jonas describes life as an Italian opera: an absurd story set to irresistible music. Spanning the period between 1935 and 2001from just before the outbreak of the Second World War to 9/11the narrative takes the form of a journey log, zeroing in on key episodes in Jonass own life and in the lives of others: famous, infamous, and anonymous men and women that he encountered in Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Beethovens Mask is an extraordinary, riveting read that will engage any reader interested in the twentieth century, its foibles, evils, comic and comedic aspects, and the self-destructive urge of humanity that drove Europe and, ultimately, the rest of world into the most horrendous bloodshed of the Second World War.Powerful storytelling and sharp observation, leavened with marvelous wit and style, combine to deliver one of the most vivid memoirs ever written.

Biographical fiction. Charlotte Salomon is often remembered as the Anne Frank of the Art World. Her biographical paintings remain a remarkable witness of the Holocaust, celebrating the life of an artistic genius. ""Had I not created my whole world I would certainly have died in other people's."" --Anais Nin