Showing results by narrator "Alexandra Smith" in All Categories

When Netherfield Park is let at last, the village of Meryton is inveigled in romance, intrigue, and a few less-than-happy reunions. The Bingley siblings return to the home of their youth, an estate purchased just before the death of their father. The neighborhood, especially the Bennet family, is ready to welcome them back with open arms, but Mr. Bingley’s attempt to make a good impression on his community backfires so badly that it is his awkward friend Mr. Darcy who is obliged to salvage the situation in the aftermath of Mr. Bingley insulting Jane Bennet at the Assembly.

Elizabeth Bennet knows that marrying a gentleman of high birth would allow her to reclaim the social status she lost when her father died. Having been approached by men falsely proclaiming their affection for her, she embraces the opportunity to set the terms of her marriage openly and honestly. After meeting Mr. Darcy and his sister, Elizabeth is determined to give them the home and care they deserve. Believing she and Mr. Darcy have a common understanding of what their union will be like, she has high hopes for a happy future.

When Elizabeth Bennet's parents attempt to force her into a marriage of convenience for the sake of her family, she flees to make her own future. Will circumstances and their families conspire to keep Darcy and Elizabeth apart, or will they unite to take them on together?

First published in 1847, Jane Eyre was the last and most popular of the novels composed by the Brontë sisters. The narrative bristles with energy and passionate conviction, and is one of the first novels written from the perspective of a child.

Rain, Snow, Sleet or Hail? Well, if you live in the village of Pennywhistle, you just might see all of those in the same day! Add in lightning storms, tornadoes and perhaps a skiddle-skaddle skunk, and you have the third installment of the Hobart Hucklebuck fantasy series.

Hobart Hucklebuck looked out the window. There was his 103-year-old grandfather, hanging upside down from a Tallyho tree reading a comic book. And that was just the beginning. Colonel Screevy Scuttlebutt thinks giant gophers are invading the town, Pernacious Prattfall thinks pirates left treasure in the Pennywhistle Park pond, and—hold on to your garters—is that Quoquandriak the halfling wearing a tutu? Someone is at it again, and things look bleak for the citizens of Pennywhistle! But here come Hobart Hucklebuck and his friends. Can they save the village one more time?

Deserted by a selfish man, and driven to the workhouse, young Annabel and her midwife mother face a harsh and hopeless future. A critical situation for the workhouse governor then opens a door of deliverance for them both, but it seems that revenge and bitterness hound their every step.

Lydia had run away...with Mr. Wickham! Elizabeth sets off on her own to track down the runaway couple and soon finds herself in the middle of a dangerous adventure. She meets Darcy along the way, and together they must find Lydia before it is too late. As their search continues, Elizabeth can no longer view Darcy as the arrogant, selfish, conceited man she had met in Hertfordshire, nor can she regard him as the amiable and unreserved man she had met at Pemberley. Will the journey afford them a better understanding of one another or result in further animosity?

Duke Vincentino, the ruler of Vienna, fears that under his mild sovereignty, the people may have become lazy and lax. He decides to “go over cover” in the disguise of a monk and appoint his deputy, Angelo, who is a reputed paragon of virtue, as temporary ruler. On assuming power, Angelo inaugurates draconian provisions regarding sexual propriety. One of the first victims of this new regime is young Claudio, who has impregnated his lover Juliet, and is accordingly sentenced to death.

Carving out a living in the Deathlands is no easy feat. To most, the only thing that matters is one more day spent above ground. To the man known as Trader, the only thing that matters is the bottom line. After Trader and crew offload their last haul, they set their sites on the next score. An underground military installation.

Clarissa Driscoll teaches accomplishments to the children of the gentry. But she was once the Earl of Kinsford’s equal in society, and she refuses to let him browbeat her. If Clarissa is a tad eccentric, well, the earl is a bit overbearing. These two strong wills make sparks fly.

Voice of the Wing-Bone Whistle is a story about courage and determination, but mostly comradery and friendship. It's 1938. Twelve-year-old twin sisters, Mireille and Ottilie find themselves away from their English comforts in remote East Africa where they are being hunted down by an experienced gang of criminals. Not only do the girls have to look out for each other, but they also have to tread carefully as around every corner, there is an animal or other creepy crawly slithery creature that wants to bite, sting or eat them alive.

Antonio, a wealthy and popular merchant, is in financial difficulty. He approaches a Jewish money lender, Shylock, who agrees to provide 3000 ducats, with a very curious bond – a pound of the merchant’s flesh, to be levied if Antonio fails to make a timely repayment. Feeling confident that his argosies will arrive in time to cover the debt, Antonio agrees to this bizarre transaction.

Dora Wentworth is born out of wedlock in one of the poorest parts of Liverpool. Abandoned by her family, she is brought by God into the arms of a childless fisherman and his wife. But life is cruel, and when an accident prevents the fisherman from working, they are forced to give her up to the orphanage. As Dora grows, neglected and alone, she almost gives up on her dreams of one day having a home and a love she can call her own. Then, through the kindness of a stranger, Dora discovers that there is always hope and embarks on a path that might finally lead her to the family she has dreamed of.

The eight new Emissaries have finally been united under the guardianship of Madame Vauqelin. The Wiccan and her armies continue their attacks as the Wretched move closer to crossing over. Past discoveries reveal that the Society has a traitor in its midst. Nonetheless, the young Emissaries must focus their attention on the map and unlocking the secrets it conceals.

From an early age, Penelope Fowler dreams of escaping the grip of poverty. She helps her servant mother in the Eglinton House but prays one day she will be free to decide her own destiny.... Young Master Martin Eglinton accompanies his father to Peru and is horrified to discover that his family runs a cruel empire. Seeing the brutality of the fortune he is heir to, Master Martin’s return is wracked with guilt and sickness.

The Wiccan has been plotting an attack against the Society for hundreds of years and has finally discovered the secret location of their home, the Sanctuary. Tom, Zoe, Charlie, Stephen, and Alexander are torn from their ordinary lives and thrown into their predestined roles as the new generation of Emissaries within the Order of the Society, guardians who protect the world from dark supernatural forces. These young heroes rally to survive with the help of the old generation, their Custodians, and the Great Cats to save humanity from the malevolence of the Wiccan.

‘Look.’ She tilted the marionette’s body to the inquisitive flame. ‘It’s as if the Thames did the painting for me. And anyway, when people watch our shows, the dragon changes colour in their hearts. I think they mind-paint the dragon in the colours of their dreams.' Always on guard for Big Ben’s call that announces the dangerous Pea Soup fog is on its way, Wren spends her days searching the Thames foreshore for little treasures while her dad tries to earn a feeble living by performing in the Piazza of Covent Garden.

Gladys Berejiklian was Australia's rockstar premier. The first woman elected to lead NSW, she steered the state through devastating bushfires, drought and a once-in-a-generation pandemic with a steady hand. To many, she was 'The Woman Who Saved Australia' for the way in which she navigated the first wave of COVID, with a sterling reputation as a dedicated and reliable public servant. But for all of her premiership, and well before, Berejiklian was harbouring a secret. That secret would eventually bring down one of the country's most deeply respected leaders.

The order of the society has suffered a premature and devastating attack by the Wiccan. A mausoleum is found dedicated to the demise of the first five of the new generation of emissaries—Tom, Zoe, Charlie, Stephen, and Alexander. The last three—Elizabeth, Jia Li, and Ajani—are brought together with their predecessors, custodians, great cats, and friends to continue the battle against the Wiccan and her evil forces.