Showing results by narrator "Polly Lee" in All Categories

From South Park to Kathy Acker, and from Lars Von Trier to Sex and the City, women's sexual organs are demonized. Rees traces the fascinating evolution of this demonization, considering how calling the "c-word" obscene both legitimates and perpetuates the fractured identities of women globally. Rees demonstrates how writers, artists, and filmmakers contend with the dilemma of the vagina's puzzlingly "covert visibility".

Templars in America reveals the story of two leading European Templar families who combined forces to create a new commonwealth in America nearly a century before the voyages of Christopher Columbus. Henry St. Clair of the Orkney Islands, then part of Normandy, and Carlo Zeno, a Venetian trader, made peaceful and mutually beneficial contact with the Mi'kmaq people of what is now Canada. Proof of their travels is carved in stone on both sides of the Atlantic and can be found in documentary evidence borne out by a strong oral tradition that has withstood the test of time.

Stealing a stranger's carriage is the second most reckless thing Lady Catrin Gryffin de Warrene has ever done. The first is succumbing to her powerful attraction to the carriage's owner. Catrin has heard the rumors about Sir Orion Wherlocke's family and their otherworldly gifts. He's the one person who can keep her son and his inheritance safe from her late husband's ruthless brother. But it may be too late to protect herself.

Bishop’s Lynn, England, 1413. At the age of forty, Margery Kempe has nearly died giving birth to her fourteenth child. Fearing that another pregnancy might kill her, she makes a vow of celibacy, but she can’t trust her husband to keep his end of the bargain. Desperate for counsel, she visits the famous anchoress Dame Julian of Norwich. Pouring out her heart, Margery confesses that she has been haunted by visceral religious visions. Julian then offers up a confession of her own: she has written a secret, radical book about her own visions, Revelations of Divine Love.

Dark Shadows is a compelling portrait of Kazakhstan, a country that is little known in the West. Strategically located in the heart of Central Asia, sandwiched between Vladimir Putin's Russia, its former colonial ruler, and Xi Jinping's China, this vast oil-rich state is carving out its place in the world as it contends with its own complex past and present. Journalist Joanna Lillis paints a vibrant picture of this emerging nation through vivid reportage based on seventeen years of on-the-ground coverage.

Christmas at Fortescue Manor is always celebrated in style. The highlight is the annual Christmas Fayre hosted by Lord and Lady Buckley-Phipps. With ice skating, entertainment, and tobogganing, Lottie Sprigg and her dog, Rosie, are looking forward to the festivities!

Young sleuth Lottie Sprigg accompanies her employer to Cairo-a city flushed with excitement after the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. But a shadow looms after the untimely death of Lord Carnarvon—could the Pharaoh's Curse be real?

In Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen brought together one of the most beloved literary couples of all time - Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Now, Mr. Darcy's Decision continues the story of these passion-filled newlyweds as they enter London’s glamorous high society. This pause-resisting novel finds Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy entangled in the frivolity and ferocity of social intrigues.

Leo Zaccharelli may be a gorgeous TV chef, but to Amy Driver he's just her best friend. Until he rescues her and takes her to Tuscany with his adorable baby girl! Now Amy can't help dreaming about turning their friendship into forever....

1940 - Stasia always found comfort in the idyllic French countryside where she spent her childhood summers, roaming the gardens of an old chateau and finding inspiration for fairy tales full of bravery and adventure. But these days are much darker, and with Nazis storming across Europe, she soon finds herself one of the most hunted agents of the Resistance. The only safe haven she can think of is Chateau de Montissaire. But she’s about to discover that it just may be the center of her biggest mission yet.

Who did the deed? Having chanced upon some clues, budding sleuth Lottie tries to make sense of mysterious conversations and bare-faced lies. She's assisted by her trusty dog, Rosie, and the local delivery boy. But when a second body is found, her theories come undone.

Lottie Sprigg and her employer arrive in glitzy Monaco where Lottie finds a mysterious note which threatens murder. Before she can act on it, a body is found in a private room at the Monte Carlo Casino.

In 1908, 16-year-old Bridey runs away from her small town in Ireland with her same-age sweetheart, Thom. But when Thom dies suddenly of ship fever on their ocean crossing, Bridey finds herself alone and pregnant in a strange new world. Forced by circumstance to give up the baby for adoption, Bridey finds work as a maid for the Hollingworth family at a lavish, sprawling estate. She cares for the Hollingworth children as if they were her own, until a mysterious death changes Bridey and the household forever.

Many of us are striving to reach our full potential at work and beyond—to achieve our goals, rise to challenges, and connect well with others. But how can we develop our performance while also taking care of our well-being? The Performance Curve is a bold new holistic guide that effectively tackles this challenge, providing practical insights into how you can develop and sustain a productive and fulfilling life. This book explores not only how you can improve individual performance, but also how to build relationships and environments that bring out the best in others.

Desert prince Zahid once walked away from Trinity Foster and the fire blazing in her eyes. He was heir to the kingdom of Ishla, and duty required that he return home, but a chance encounter reveals more than just passion. As painful truths of the past are revealed, Zahid realises that Trinity needs his protection. Although she’s strictly forbidden, walking away from her again is impossible!

Maggie Gilbert and her children, Jack and Alice, live a pretty normal life. That is, until Maggie starts looking into her family tree. In doing so, she uncovers a dark mystery that endangers her children. She has to solve the mystery in the past, if she is to save her family in the present. Together with a fellow genealogist, Zelah, Maggie unearths more and more details about the drowning of a small girl and the unsolved disappearance of Maggie's ancestor.

In The Princess Plot, Jenna amazes herself by landing the role of a princess in an upcoming movie. But when the producers fly her to the Kingdom of Scandia for the film shoot, she discovers she bears more than a passing resemblance to the real, missing Princess of Scandia - and Jenna realizes that nailing her lines is the least of her concerns

Supporting the mental health and well-being of children and young people is a top priority for parents, caregivers, and teachers, but it can be tricky to find reliable and evidence-based information. Written by an experienced child and adolescent psychiatrist, in a user-friendly question-and-answer format, this book outlines the mental health challenges facing our children and young people and offers practical advice on how to best support them.

The Maze Investigators have taken on a herculean task with a looming deadline, based on a story heard from a friend, who is a well-known medium. They must get to the answer to prevent a public relations disaster, knowing that no one can ever find out what they have done. Meanwhile, they commit to helping a young girl find the truth about her missing, presumed dead, mother. When the cases split wide open, the outcomes of both are far from assured.

After receiving an unexpected inheritance of jewelry, including a rare 'spoon ring', Zelah agrees to go to Cornwall to find out more about its history. She knows she may have to face discovering her own closely-guarded family history. Reluctant to dig up her past at first, she gathers the courage to find out where she comes from and who she really is. So, in the middle of a glorious summer, the Maze Investigations team takes a month off and heads to Cornwall.