A Sweet and Glorious Land

A Sweet and Glorious Land PDF Author: John Keahey
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 0312242050
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 225

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Book Description
"I eventually came across an edition of Gissing's work.... At one moment, halfway through my reading of this classic, I turned to my wife and said that I wanted to visit Italy and follow in the footsteps Gissing made in 1897 during his third and final trip to Italy:from Naples where he boarded the coastal steamer south to Paola; and from there, in a horse-drawn carriage, through the Calabrian mountains to Cosenza.From Cosenza, he went by train to Taranto and, using a combination of trains and carriages, made it all the way to Reggio di Calabria.It was a journey that covered much of the foot of Italy, principally along the coastal instep of the Ionian Sea....I wanted to see, one hundred years after Gissing, how these ancient lands looked." - from A Sweet and Glorious LandIn the winter of 1897-1898, Victorian writer George Gissing made a well-chronicled journey throughout southern Italy.The result was a book, By the Ionian Sea, in which he detailed the influence of ancient Greece on the peninsula and contrasted the glory of Greece and its magnificent cities to the southern Italy of the late 1800s.The book was published in 1901 and has since become a classic in travel literature.A hundred years later, award-winning newspaper journalist John Keahey sets off to retrace Gissing's footsteps.His goal is to compare and contrast the two Italys, seeing first-hand all the changes that have occurred over the past century.He explores the outdoor markets in Naples, journeys to the charming coastal town of Paola, takes a train ride out of the Calabrian mountain town of Cosenza and into the port city of Taranto, and makes his way down to Reggio at the toe of Italy's boot.Along the route, he visits modern-day Crotone, the Ionian coastal city that was famous in antiquity as the place where Pythagoras had his school, as well as where Hannibal, pursued for 15 years along the length of Italy by the Romans, embarked in shame for Carthage (now in modern-day Tunisia).Going beyond Gissing's journey, Keahey also makes an additional stop at Sibari near where the site of ancient Sybaris has been partially excavated.From train rides through the lush countryside to the crisp mountain air of Catanzaro, Keahey paints a beautiful and compelling picture of one of the lesser known parts of the country.Reminiscent of Under the Tuscan Sun,A Sweet and Glorious Land is not only a wonderful travelogue but also an intriguing story of southern Italy and its people.Praise for A Sweet and Glorious Land:"John Keahey's idea of visiting the shores of the Ionian Sea under the expert guidance of his predecessor, the Victorian novelist and traveller George Gissing, has proved a brilliant one, fertilizing his own originality and giving breadth to his lightly-worn learning." (Pierre Coustillas, editor of The Gissing Journal and Professor of EnglishLiterature at the University of Lille, France)AUTHORBIO: JOHN KEAHEY is a veteran newspaper journalist who, for the past ten years, has been a news editor and reporter for The Salt Lake Tribune.He has history and marketing degrees from the University of Utah and spends as much time as possible in Italy.He lives in Salt Lake City with book-designer Connie Disney.

A Sweet and Glorious Land

A Sweet and Glorious Land PDF Author: John Keahey
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 0312242050
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 225

Get Book Here

Book Description
"I eventually came across an edition of Gissing's work.... At one moment, halfway through my reading of this classic, I turned to my wife and said that I wanted to visit Italy and follow in the footsteps Gissing made in 1897 during his third and final trip to Italy:from Naples where he boarded the coastal steamer south to Paola; and from there, in a horse-drawn carriage, through the Calabrian mountains to Cosenza.From Cosenza, he went by train to Taranto and, using a combination of trains and carriages, made it all the way to Reggio di Calabria.It was a journey that covered much of the foot of Italy, principally along the coastal instep of the Ionian Sea....I wanted to see, one hundred years after Gissing, how these ancient lands looked." - from A Sweet and Glorious LandIn the winter of 1897-1898, Victorian writer George Gissing made a well-chronicled journey throughout southern Italy.The result was a book, By the Ionian Sea, in which he detailed the influence of ancient Greece on the peninsula and contrasted the glory of Greece and its magnificent cities to the southern Italy of the late 1800s.The book was published in 1901 and has since become a classic in travel literature.A hundred years later, award-winning newspaper journalist John Keahey sets off to retrace Gissing's footsteps.His goal is to compare and contrast the two Italys, seeing first-hand all the changes that have occurred over the past century.He explores the outdoor markets in Naples, journeys to the charming coastal town of Paola, takes a train ride out of the Calabrian mountain town of Cosenza and into the port city of Taranto, and makes his way down to Reggio at the toe of Italy's boot.Along the route, he visits modern-day Crotone, the Ionian coastal city that was famous in antiquity as the place where Pythagoras had his school, as well as where Hannibal, pursued for 15 years along the length of Italy by the Romans, embarked in shame for Carthage (now in modern-day Tunisia).Going beyond Gissing's journey, Keahey also makes an additional stop at Sibari near where the site of ancient Sybaris has been partially excavated.From train rides through the lush countryside to the crisp mountain air of Catanzaro, Keahey paints a beautiful and compelling picture of one of the lesser known parts of the country.Reminiscent of Under the Tuscan Sun,A Sweet and Glorious Land is not only a wonderful travelogue but also an intriguing story of southern Italy and its people.Praise for A Sweet and Glorious Land:"John Keahey's idea of visiting the shores of the Ionian Sea under the expert guidance of his predecessor, the Victorian novelist and traveller George Gissing, has proved a brilliant one, fertilizing his own originality and giving breadth to his lightly-worn learning." (Pierre Coustillas, editor of The Gissing Journal and Professor of EnglishLiterature at the University of Lille, France)AUTHORBIO: JOHN KEAHEY is a veteran newspaper journalist who, for the past ten years, has been a news editor and reporter for The Salt Lake Tribune.He has history and marketing degrees from the University of Utah and spends as much time as possible in Italy.He lives in Salt Lake City with book-designer Connie Disney.

Seeking Sicily

Seeking Sicily PDF Author: John Keahey
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 1429990678
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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Book Description
"Keahey's exploration of this misunderstood island offers a much-needed look at a much-maligned land."—Paul Paolicelli, author of Under the Southern Sun Sicily is the Mediterranean's largest and most mysterious island. Its people, for three thousand years under the thumb of one invader after another, hold tightly onto a culture so unique that they remain emotionally and culturally distinct, viewing themselves first as Sicilians, not Italians. Many of these islanders, carrying considerable DNA from Arab and Muslim ancestors who ruled for 250 years and integrated vast numbers of settlers from the continent just ninety miles to the south, say proudly that Sicily is located north of Africa, not south of Italy. Seeking Sicily explores what lies behind the soul of the island's inhabitants. It touches on history, archaeology, food, the Mafia, and politics and looks to nineteenth- and twentieth-century Sicilian authors to plumb the islanders' so-called Sicilitudine. This "culture apart" is best exemplified by the writings of one of Sicily's greatest writers, Leonardo Sciascia. Seeking Sicily also looks to contemporary Sicilians who have never shaken off the influences of their forbearers, who believed in the ancient gods and goddesses. Author John Keahey is not content to let images from the island's overly touristed villages carry the story. Starting in Palermo, he journeyed to such places as Arab-founded Scopello on the west coast, the Greek ruins of Selinunte on the southwest, and Sciascia's ancestral village of Racalmuto in the south, where he experienced unique, local festivals. He spent Easter Week in Enna at the island's center, witnessing surreal processions that date back to Spanish rule. And he learned about Sicilian cuisine in Spanish Baroque Noto and Greek Siracusa in the southeast, and met elderly, retired fishermen in the tiny east-coast fishing village of Aci Trezza, home of the mythical Cyclops and immortalized by Luchino Visconti's mid-1940s film masterpiece, La terra trema. He walked near the summit of Etna, Europe's largest and most active volcano, studied the mountain's role in creating this island, and looked out over the expanse of the Ionian Sea, marveling at the three millennia of myths and history that forged Sicily into what it is today.

Venice Against the Sea

Venice Against the Sea PDF Author: John Keahey
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
ISBN: 9780312265946
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
Venice is sinking - six feet over the past 1,000 years. The reasons for this are many. Although there is a natural geologic tendency for some sinking, humans have exacerbated the problem by exploiting on a massive scale underground water resources for industrial purposes. Coupled with these events - and perhaps most significant - are climatic changes all over the globe. The heating of the atmosphere after the last ice age, dramatically speeded up by humans, has led to a steady, continuing rise in sea level. This global warming is likely to persist beyond human control for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Venetians, other Italians, and many in the world community are locked in debate over Venice's plight. Venice Against the Sea explains how the city and its 177 canals were built and what has led up to this long-foreseen crisis. It explores the various options currently being considered for "solving" this problem and chronicles the ongoing debate among scientists, engineers, and politicians about the pros and cons of each potential solution. Through extensive research and interviews, award-winning journalist John Keahey has written the definitive book on this fascinating problem. No matter what the experts decide to do, one thing is for certain - Venice's art, its buildings, and its history are too important to the planet's cultural identity to let it slip beneath the rising waters of the Adriatic.

God Save the Sweet Potato Queens

God Save the Sweet Potato Queens PDF Author: Jill Conner Browne
Publisher: Crown Archetype
ISBN: 1400082862
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 274

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Book Description
Hallelujah! The Sweet Potato Queens are back! In 1999, Jill Conner Browne, royal boss of Jackson, Mississippi's own glorious Sweet Potato Queens, introduced them to the world in the hilarious bestseller The Sweet Potato Queen's Book of Love (which contained everything you ever need to know about Love, Life, Men, Marriage, and the importance of Being Prepared). But, fortunately for us, that was not the final chapter in the Queens' splendid saga. The Sweet Potato Queens still have plenty of stuff to say and valuable wisdom to impart about how they went from being Cute Girls to Fabulous Women, including: • Dating for the Advanced, or Advancing • The Joys of Marriage—if you must • More Delicious, Death-Defying Recipes • The Promise for Men—six little words that will make any woman swoon • Lolling About—the official activity of the Sweet Potato Queens • The All-True Story of the Two Most Wonderful Men in the World • Reader Mail—honoring the adventures of brand-new Wannabes and Honorary Queens from around the world If you haven't met the Sweet Potato Queens yet, this is the introduction you've been waiting for. If you already know the joys of Queendom, this is your official welcome-back party.

Sicilian Splendors

Sicilian Splendors PDF Author: John Keahey
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
ISBN: 125010470X
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 263

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Book Description
"A wondrously joyous account of travel as it should be." –Publishers Weekly A travel narrative that focuses on Sicily's little-known regions, from the author of Seeking Sicily and Hidden Tuscany. From Palermo to Castiglione di Sicilia to Alimena, Sicily holds great secrets from the past and unspoken promises. Tradition, in the form of festivals, the written word, photographs, and song, reverberates through village walls. Now, slowly shaking itself free of the Mafia, Sicily is opening itself up to visitors in ways it never has before. Sicilian Splendors explores the history, politics, food, Mafia, and people which John Keahey encounters throughout his travels during his return to Sicily. Through conversing with natives and immersing himself in culture, Keahey illustrates a brand new Sicily no one has ever talked about before. Villagers, eager to welcome tourism and impart awareness of their cultural background, greet Keahey for meals and drink and walk him through their winding streets. They share stories of well-known writers, such as Maria Messina, who have found inspiration in Sicily’s villages. Keahey’s never-ending curiosity as a traveler shines light on Sicily’s mythical mysteries and portrays the island not only through his eyes but also through Sicily’s heart. This picturesque travel memoir navigates Sicily today and seeks to understand Sicily’s past. In lyrical prose and vivid dialect, Keahey paints images of the island’s villages, people, and culture with careful strokes and a meticulously even hand. Keahey not only serves as a guide through the marvel of Sicily’s identity, but he also looks deeply into Sicily’s soul.

Like a River Glorious

Like a River Glorious PDF Author: Rae Carson
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062242962
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description
The sequel to the New York Times–bestselling and National Book Award longlisted Walk on Earth a Stranger. After her harrowing journey west to California, Lee Westfall has finally found a new home—one rich in gold, thanks to her magical power, a power that seems to be changing every day. But this home is rich in other ways, too: with friends who are searching for a place to be themselves, just as she is, and with love. Jefferson—her longtime best friend—hasn’t stopped trying to win her heart. And Lee is more and more tempted to say yes. But her uncle Hiram hasn’t given up his quest to get Lee and her power under his control. When she’s kidnapped and taken to him, Lee sees firsthand the depths of her uncle’s villainy. Yet Lee’s magic is growing. Gold no longer simply sings to her, it listens. It obeys her call. Is it enough to destroy her uncle once and for all? Rae Carson, acclaimed author of the Girl of Fire and Thorns series, takes us deep into the gold fields as she continues this sweeping saga of magic and history, and an unforgettable heroine who must come into her own. Like a River Glorious is the second book in the Gold Seer trilogy.

As Sweet as Honey

As Sweet as Honey PDF Author: Indira Ganesan
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307960455
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 289

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Book Description
In her latest novel, Indira Ganesan, a writer often likened to Arundhati Roy and Chitra Divakaruni, gives us an enchanting story of family life that is a dance of love and grief and rebirth set on a gorgeous island in the Indian Ocean. The island is filled with exotic flora and fauna and perfumed air. A large family compound is presided over by a benign, stalwart grandmother. There is a very tall South Asian heroine with the astonishing un-Indian name of Meterling, who has found love at last in the shape of a short, round, elegant Englishman who wears white suits. There are also numerous aunts, uncles, and young cousins—among them, Mina, grown now, and telling this story of a marriage ceremony that ends with a widowed bride who, in the midst of her grief, discovers she is pregnant. While enjoying their own games and growing pains, Mina and her young cousins follow every nuance of gossip, trying to puzzle out what is going on with their favorite aunt, particularly when the groom’s cousin arrives from England and begins to woo her. As Meterling—torn between Eastern and Western ideas of love and family, duty and loyalty—struggles to make a new life, we become as entranced with this family, its adventures and complications, as Mina is. And with her we celebrate a time and place where, although sometimes difficult, life was for the most part as sweet as honey. BONUS MATERIAL: This ebook edition includes an excerpt from India Ganesan's Inheritance.

Mystic Sweet Communion

Mystic Sweet Communion PDF Author: Jane Kirkpatrick
Publisher: Multnomah
ISBN: 1576732932
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 402

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Book Description
Set in turn-of-the-century Florida, this frontier saga traces the life of Ivy Cromartie Stranahan, the first English-speaking teacher in the region, as she struggles to teach school in the Seminole Nation and lead Indian families to Christ. Ivy is disliked by tribal leaders in spite of her obvious love for their children, yet she eventually overcomes their resistance and serves as their spokesman in negotiations with the U S government. Already scarred by her mother's tragic death in childbirth, Ivy overcomes her husband's suicide and other devastating disappointments to share her faith with her adopted people and eventually earn their love. In 1900, Ivy Cromartie Stranahan gives up a promising teaching career to join her husband at the remote New River trading post in south Florida - but she doesn't give up her love for learning or her passion for righting wrongs. In this remarkable story of God's faithfulness and one woman's commitment, Ivy becomes a friend to the Seminole people, their teacher of forbidden English and the Christian faith, and finally, their spokesperson in a time of turmoil. Like all of us who search for meaning, Ivy yearns to experience the power of faith, understand the limitation of human protection, and learn the importance of perseverance in caring for those we love. She finds them in Mystic Sweet Communion.

Hidden Tuscany

Hidden Tuscany PDF Author: John Keahey
Publisher: Thorndike Press
ISBN: 9781410472434
Category : TRAVEL
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Beyond the usual tourist destinations, the often overlooked western portion of Tuscany is rich with history, cuisine, and scenery begging to be explored. John Keahey encourages travelers to abandon itineraries and let the grooves in the road and the curves of the coast guide your journey instead. From coastal towns to vineyards farther inland to the Tuscan archipelago, Keahey reminds us that each village, city, and island has its own unique story to tell.

In Other Lands

In Other Lands PDF Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Publisher: Small Beer Press
ISBN: 1618731351
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 485

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Book Description
Georgia Peach Award Nominee • Florida Teens Read Award Nominee • ABC Best Books for Young Readers • Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of the Year • A Junior Library Guild Selection • Hugo & Locus award finalist In Other Lands is an exhilarating novel from bestselling author Sarah Rees Brennan about surviving four years in the most unusual of schools - friendship, falling in love, diplomacy, and finding your own place in the world — even if it means giving up your phone. Excerpt: The Borderlands aren’t like anywhere else. Don’t try to smuggle a phone or any other piece of technology over the wall that marks the Border — unless you enjoy a fireworks display in your backpack. (Ballpoint pens are okay.) There are elves, harpies, and — best of all as far as Elliot is concerned — mermaids. "What’s your name?" "Serene." "Serena?" Elliot asked. "Serene," said Serene. "My full name is Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle." Elliot’s mouth fell open. "That is badass." Elliot? Who’s Elliot? Elliot is thirteen years old. He’s smart and just a tiny bit obnoxious. Sometimes more than a tiny bit. When his class goes on a field trip and he can see a wall that no one else can see, he is given the chance to go to school in the Borderlands. It turns out that on the other side of the wall, classes involve a lot more weaponry and fitness training and fewer mermaids than he expected. On the other hand, there’s Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle, an elven warrior who is more beautiful than anyone Elliot has ever seen, and then there’s her human friend Luke: sunny, blond, and annoyingly likeable. There are lots of interesting books. There’s even the chance Elliot might be able to change the world. Chapter illustrations by Casey Nowak.