Showing results by narrator "Linda Stephens" in All Categories

In the Deep South, where love and hatred run deep and close, dissension often summers just beneath the surface. When a family gathers for a funeral as its old homestead above the waters of Mobile Bay, it must carry out the last wish of the aunt and sister whom it has come to mourn. It is a wish that will unearth a terrible secret, one that will either tear her siblings and their offspring apart or allow them to accept buried memories, wounds, and love.

As a family clinic administrator, Michele Layton has seen her share of suffering. But never anything like this. Not here in St. Cloud, Minnesota. A local activist has been found murdered, his body frozen like a statue and placed in a Winter Carnival ice sculpture display. Next a vicious hate crime puts a man in the ICU. And locked away in the Holy Rest mental ward, a deranged man of the cloth prays for more sinners to be punished - and waits for a sign from above.

Five women from different walks of life have become close friends through their book club - enjoying one another's company even more than they enjoy the books. So when the leader of the book club unexpectedly passes away on the cusp of the Christmas season, the four remaining friends are stunned. They relied on Abby for inspiration and motivation. She was the glue that held them together, and they're sure that without her the group can't continue.

Jana McGuire is devastated when she returns from an African mission trip only to find her pastor husband has taken all their money and left with his secretary. Left with no worldly possessions, Jana is forced to seek help from her distant mother and her bubbly, welcoming great-aunt Taffy. Jana soon realizes that her mother's cold demeanor hides a tragic past - and that the two must mend their relationships with God and each other.

Critically acclaimed author Gish Jen is a National Book Critics Circle Award nominee and the person John Updike proclaimed as the young novelist most likely to become his successor. In The Love Wife, Jen poignantly explores the explosive dynamics of a mixed-race modern family.

Christy and RITA Award-winner Robin Lee Hatcher pens the moving stories of four women working in Boise, Idaho during World War II. Margo King fears for her son fighting on the North African front and tries to hide her painful past. Dotty King searches for forgiveness from her mother and God after committing a single ardent mistake. Lucy Anderson struggles to resist temptation while her husband is away in England. And Penelope Maxfield longs for a new life free from her husband and children. Told from each woman’s perspective, this story chronicles the hardships and uncertain times they all try to overcome with the help of their faith.

A New York Times Notable Book of the Year, The Devil's Dream is an animated, lyrical novel that is meant to be savored as spoken word. Consummate storyteller Lee Smith's creation will delight anyone who enjoys the sound of language and a good story.

When Beth Gunner begins teaching English at her high-school alma mater, she must confront a haunting secret from her past. Beth's return to Delaware's Seaton Preparatory Academy fills her with both nostalgia and trepidation. Since her graduation two decades ago, very little has changed - including her irrational fear of failure.

Set in the wilds of 1876 South Dakota, A Claim of Her Own by two-time Christy Award finalist Stephanie Grace Whitson follows the fortunes of 20-year-old Mattie O'Keefe as she embarks upon an arduous journey to find her brother Dillon. When she reaches the gold-rush boomtown of Deadwood, no one seems to know where Dillon is. The resourceful Mattie begins to pan for gold anyhow, hoping her brother will soon arrive. But a relentless stalker draws closer to his prey.

Gossie and Gertie are best friends. Both wear brightly colored boots. Gertie is never far from Gossie’s heels, until one day when she decides to go her own way. What will Gossie do without her “shadow”? Olivier Dunrea often writes about the farm animals that surrounded him when he was growing up, including these two adorable goslings. This story of friendship, leadership and independence complements its predecessor Gossie.

Lee Smith, one of today's finest writers in the Southern literary tradition, has been compared to Eudora Welty and Flannery O'Connor. This collection of nine stories, ranging from poignant ballads to delightfully inventive forms, showcases Smith's celebrated talent. The stories will make you chuckle and leave you with a satisfying sense that no matter how unruly or warped life may seem, equilibrium can be found after all.

Isabel Leon, the Marquesa, is an actress who has appeared in performances across the country, yet now she finds herself living in the small western town of Cantrell, Montana. With the town booming, the Marquesa decides it needs a grand hotel. It will take the help, and the heart, of a handsome stranger to make her dream a reality. As their relationship grows, the Marquesa finds her faith getting stronger, too.

With half a dozen heartfelt and inspiring novels to her credit, including The Blue Bottle Club, Penelope J. Stokes has become an important voice in Christian fiction. The Amber Photograph tells the compelling story of a young woman’s search for the spiritual strength to discover the truth about who she really is.

Stealing with Style is a Mystery Guild Book Club Selection, and the first in a series starring the witty and charming Sterling Glass, an intrepid antiques appraiser and amateur sleuth. In her debut adventure, Sterling must foil a plot set up by a shady construction company looking to bilk the elderly out of their prized possessions. Following a trail of clues from her small Virginia town to New York City, Sterling and her #1 guy Peter try to bring these crooks to justice.

In a poignant tale that prompts both tears and laughter, Linda Stephens' magnificent narration highlights the simple eloquence of Pattillo's central theme: Sharing the burdens of others puts our own in perspective - and makes them all easier to bear.

This national best seller is a breakthrough book for Lee Smith, an author who fills her marvelous novels with humor, pathos, and powerful wisdom. The Last Girls are a group of coeds, inspired by Huck Finn, who traveled the Mississippi on a raft in 1965. Now four of them have reunited on a luxurious steamboat to cruise the river again. As they look back over the past 30 years, each one contemplates their shared past in light of their present lives.

Oliole Fontenot has moved to Cantrell from New York City to set up her own photography studio. When she is commissioned to do a series on women in the West, she realizes that this is the chance she needs to establish her reputation as an artist. But a handsome rancher begins to capture her heart, and she must reevaluate what she wants. Is God being too bountiful with his blessings?

Penelope J. Stokes has received critical acclaim for her many novels, which include The Blue Bottle Club. The richness of her stories and characters has attracted millions of fans. The Wishing Jar is a moving portrait of three generations of women struggling against heartbreak and adversity to find strength and peace. Narrator Linda Stephens highlights its gentle message of hope.

Gossie, a fuzzy yellow baby goose, likes to wear her bright red boots every day But one morning she can’t find them. Olivier Dunrea, author, artist, and master craftsman, has created a charming story that contains a tiny mystery, too. The gentle lines and occasional rhymes in this lost-and-found tale make Gossie irresistible to beginning listeners. It has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, The Horn Book, and School Library Journal.

Award-winning author Gwyn Hyman Rubio conquered best-seller lists across the country with her brilliant debut novel, Icy Sparks - an Oprah’s Book Club® selection and New York Times Notable Book of the Year. The Woodsman’s Daughter is set in 19th-century rural Georgia. Dauntless teenage beauty Dahlia is plagued by her hard-drinking father and his terrible secrets. Determined to make a better life for herself, Dahlia strikes out to raise her own family. But her life is haunted by tragedy, and she is never out of reach of fate’s cruel hand.