Under The Pear Tree

FROM A YOUNG AGE the author was intrigued by her mother Gaetanina's storytelling. She took seriously her mother's urging to scrivi e ricorda ("write and remember"). Itri, Italy nestled in a valley south of Rome, surrounded by the Aurunci Mountains, is home to the Santuario of Maria SS della Civita, and to her parents and ancestors. Many of the Itrani people, including the author's parents, immigrated to the small town of Knightsville in Cranston, Rhode Island. Their faith, courage, and hard work in the face of severe hardships left a lifelong impression and a resolution to one day tell their story and fulfill the commitment made to her mother to write the family history. In this telling it is hoped that all generations, present and to come, will remember their familial roots and the people who have come before them. Told by the perspective of this one Itrani family, Under the Pear Tree is a moving account of the trials, traumas and emotional life surrounding the Italian immigrant experience at the turn of the 19th century. This story is sure to inspire the reader to discover one's own ancestral past.

Cleverly interwoven with historical fact, Under the Pear Tree presents a fascinating picture of 19th century German village society and the intricacies of a murder story which with its psychological and ghostly elements still manages to transcend the centuries. Theodor Fontane is perhaps the greatest of Germany's 19th century realist writers. This is the first English translation of this novel.

The Chicago Sun-Times crowns Parnell Hall’s Puzzle Lady mysteries “a joy for lovers of both crosswords and frothy crime detection...Cora Felton is a lovable and unique sleuth.” Now the crime-solving powers of the inimitable Cora and her clever niece, Sherry Carter, are put to the ultimate test as they square off against a yuletide killer who hides within the white-and-black shadows of an acrostic.... A Puzzle In A Pear Tree ’Tis the season to be jolly, but Cora Felton, shanghaied into “The Twelve Days of Christmas” as a most reluctant maid-a-milking, has every right to feel like a grinch. When someone steals the partridge from the pear tree and replaces it with a cryptic puzzle she has no hope of solving, it’s almost more than the Puzzle Lady can bear. But then smug crossword creator Harvey Beerbaum solves the acrostic, and it turns out to be a poem promising the death of an actress. This is more like it! Could the threat be aimed at Cora and her thespian debut? Or at Sherry, one of the ladies-dancing? Or at Sherry’s nemesis, the pageant’s predatory lead, Becky Baldwin? Cora and Sherry barely have time for a mystery, what with trimming Christmas trees and buying Christmas presents, but rehearsals go on, under police protection--until a killer strikes elsewhere in a most unexpected manner.Ordinarily Cora Felton would be delighted to have two murders to solve. But this time she finds herself vying with a visiting Scotland Yard inspector who appears to have an all-too-personal stake in solving the crimes. Cora does too when her own niece becomes a prime suspect and the murderer strikes again. Is someone trying to shut down the Christmas pageant? Cora would be only too happy if that were the case, but she fears the secrets lie deeper. Now she is interviewing witnesses, breaking into motel rooms, finding evidence, planting evidence, and having a merry old time. In fact, she would be perfectly happy--if this wasn’t turning out to be a Christmas to die for!

Celebrate the season with 12 carol-inspired crochet patterns in this festive addition to the Edward's Menagerie series. For this cheerful collection of projects, Kerry Lord takes inspiration from beloved Christmas carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas." You'll crochet your way through each verse to create a flock of feathered friends, including a hen, a goose, and of course, a partridge. Beginner-friendly tutorials will help you pick up the essential techniques in a snap, while whimsical character bios for each personality-packed bird will make you chuckle. Your finished creations will be a winning addition to any Christmas tree and are sure to delight anyone who finds them in a stocking. All patterns are written with US crochet terms.

Esperanza tricks Señor Death but realizes the death is a necessary part of life and alleviates much suffering in the world.

Another original Pamela Allen book to share with the very young. As with her award-winning Who Sank the Boat?, there is something for all of us to learn from this simple but amusing story of John and Jane's attempts to pick a pear from the pear tree