Showing results by narrator "Ann Richardson" in All Categories

The puzzling lack of evidence for the peculiar but widespread belief that birds have no sense of smell irked evolutionary biologist Danielle Whittaker. Exploring the science behind the myth led her on an unexpected quest investigating mysteries from how juncos win a fight to why cowbirds smell like cookies. In The Secret Perfume of Birds―part science, part intellectual history, and part memoir―Whittaker blends humor, clear writing, and a compelling narrative to describe how scent is important not just for birds but for all animals, including humans.

When Sarah Palmer is caught trying to elope with a fortune-hunting cad, her family has finally had enough of her scandalous exploits. To teach her a lesson and save her reputation, Sarah is shipped off to stay with her married half-sister in the Scottish countryside. But upon her arrival, Sarah discovers her sister has left for Glasgow. Now without a chaperone, she is determined to show her family she can indeed be a good girl. However, a mysterious American is about to change everything....

In the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the American government confiscated the homes, animals, businesses, and personal possessions of Japanese Americans, citizens all. At the Tule Lake Internment Camp, a Japanese American girl sought solace by retreating to the furthest edge of the camp’s barbed-wire enclosure. Outside the barbed-wire-crowned metal fence, with its frightening armed guard towers, a curious American boy one day cautiously approached on his bike to say a nervous hello to the girl who so intrigued him from a distance. This visit started four years of meetings.

We all face seasonal changes. The passing years take us on journeys of change - whether we want it or not. In Courage for the Unknown Season, Jan Silvious acts as a wise guide for those who find themselves in new seasons of life, offering perspective and practical insights to encourage the soul and offer hope. Anyone facing an unexpected change in life or relationship will be drawn to this book as a guide for walking through the shifting seasons. They can make it through this time with courage, strength, and yes, even joy!

Experience the heart-pounding drama of real-life emergencies. Veteran EMT and physical therapist Andrea Jo Rodgers shares this all-new collection of accounts from her 30-plus years as a volunteer with her town's local first aid and emergency squad.

What must it have been like walking in the garden, talking with God? What would it be like to share our troubles and joys openly with him, to hear his voice responding to our questions? How might knowing God's view on our stories heal our wounds and renew our hope? No matter our circumstances, we need God's perspective on our lives. We need to know how he sees us. Come on, girl, he says. Let my light shine in.

As a police team is called in to investigate a woman's suicide at the Holmsheiði prison outside Reykjavik, to detective Guðgeir Fransson it looks like a tragic but straightforward case. It's only afterwards that the pieces begin to fall into place and he takes a deeper interest in Kristin Kjarr's troubled background, and why she had found herself in prison.

Fall in love with this heartfelt holiday romance between a down-on-his-luck Christmas tree farmer and a woman with plans to bring the merriment back to their town. For single father Granger Fields, Christmas is his busiest and most profitable time of the year. But when a fire devastates the...

Nan and I discover that someone has been embezzling funds from the local animal shelter. If we can't find the culprit soon, the shelter may not be able to keep its lights on and those poor homeless pets won't have anywhere to go. 

There are many paths to lose your way. And only one way to find it. So said Jesus of Nazareth, the most compelling and controversial teacher of all time. This book aims to make sense of his counterintuitive claim: Unless we lose our lives for his sake, we will never discover our true selves. Writers from around the world tell their stories of healing and hope amid many hardships. Joni Eareckson Tada, Sam Allberry, Christopher Yuan, Aixa de Lopez, and many other contributors share how God found them amid many dangers, toils, and snares.

What is your response when your life turns upside down? When you lose your job? When you receive a difficult diagnosis? Do you blame God or beg Him for a way out of your suffering? In more than a decade of misdiagnoses and debilitating treatments, Stephanie Tait admits she did plenty of both before hearing the two words that had drastically altered her life: Lyme disease. Yet she has discovered it's in her pain that Jesus is most present.

Lorry Scott has faced a tumultuous life as a single mother and sole owner of her family’s historic hotel ever since her father’s death. Burned by her ex-husband’s betrayal and at odds with her teen daughter, Tammy, Lorry feels trapped in a web of emotion and isolation. Her stress only compounds when her mother insists that the hotel needs new renovations. Lorry tries to resist, not wanting to dig their debt even deeper, but she’s unable to stop her mother before she hires a contractor named Tom Barnes.

A lyrical and poetic fable, Greenwlllow,/i> tells of the romance between young Gideon Briggs, who walks in the shadow of a family curse and vows never to marry, and Dorrie, the orphan girl he loves. Greenwillow was brought to the Broadway stage in 1960, starring Anthony Perkins, and with words and music by Frank Loesser.

Drowned Worlds looks at the future we might have if the oceans rise, good or bad. Here you'll find stories of action, adventure, romance, and, yes, warning and apocalypse. Stories inspired by Ballard's The Drowned World, Sterling's Islands in the Net, and Ryman's The Child Garden. Stories that allow that things may get worse, but remembers that such times also bring out the best in us all.

At Rivers Boutique, where contemporary sophistication meets old-world romance, Cara Rivers curates a collection of the latest fashion, exquisite antique jewelry, and enchanting ornaments. Caught in the tangled web of fascination, Lance Steel, an FBI agent, becomes entangled in the Rivers family legacy. Once Cara's cherished childhood friend, Lance is torn between his duty and their deep connection. With rumors of art theft surrounding her family, Cara's trust in Lance was shattered, leaving their friendship in ruins. But fate intervenes as a mysterious benefactor clears Cara's name.

Marli Rivers’ signature carefree demeanor melts away when her sweet shop is hit with a series of fires, threats, and vandalism. Local firefighter, Jake Kline, steps in to help following the attacks, believing Marli is being targeted by an arsonist. Their professional relationship feels strained, at first, and she is less than thrilled that Jake is the one who’s investigating the fires. Marli perceives him as arrogant, but that perception quickly fades as he proves to be a trusted ally in the face of danger.

Creativity was long thought to be a gift from the muses, a special quality of a select minority of people. Fortunately, more recent studies have debunked this belief and have shown promise for techniques to help us all boost our creative potential. Nature gives some people a genetic edge, but nurture has a large role in developing creative genius. In this audiobook, we look at this difficult-to-define quality from all angles: where creativity comes from, lessons we can learn from creative geniuses, and how to cultivate creativity.

Filled with inspirational writing, The Gathering Table follows this Iowa farm family through a year of gatherings that strengthen relationships, establish and deepen family traditions, and showcase God's gift of great food. With complete menus, easy-to-follow recipes, devotional readings, prayers, and plenty of inspiring and customizable ideas for everything from intimate family gatherings to larger community events, this book will become your go-to resource for entertaining and enjoying life-together! 

Throughout history, girls have often been discussed in terms of what they couldn't or shouldn't do. Not anymore. It's time for herstory‚ a celebration not only of what girls can do but also of the remarkable things women have already accomplished, even when others tried to stop them. This uplifting and inspiring book follows the stories of 50 powerhouse women from around the world and across time who each managed to change the world as they knew it forever.

When Annie is forced to resettle from Los Angeles to an East Texan farm, she saves her money to buy the Absolutely Perfect Horse. But the nag she actually gets is a 35-year-old Appaloosa nicknamed "Dogmeat". In the end, though, this worn-out old steed proves his valor when a pack of wild dogs attacks the farm.