In the early twelfth century, civil war rages between the English and the Welsh. In the battle of Lincoln, the Welsh capture the sheriff of Shropshire and barter him for a young Welsh lord, who had been captured during a misguided assault on a convent. But before the exchange can be completed, one of the prisoners mysteriously dies.Brother Cadfael suspects foul play—his theory hinging on a single thread that binds together the destinies of an unusual trio of young lovers. The unrav...

In the year of our Lord 1141, two monks ride into the Benedictine abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, bringing with them disturbing news of war—and a mystery. The strangers tell how the strife between the Empress Maud and King Stephen has destroyed the town of Winchester and their priory. Now Brother Humilis, who is handsome, gaunt, and very ill, and Brother Fidelis, youthful, comely, and totally mute, must seek refuge at Shrewsbury. And from the moment he meets them, Brother Cadfael sens...

Kazuo Ishiguro tells the story of Etsuko, a Japanese woman now living alone in England, dwelling on the recent suicide of her daughter. 'An original and remarkable genius' - New York Times.

In the year of our Lord 1141, civil war over England's throne leaves a legacy of violence—and the murder of a knight dear to Brother Cadfael. In the spring, a flood of pilgrims comes to the celebration of Saint Winifred at the Abbey, carrying with it many strange souls…and perhaps the knight's killer.Brother Cadfael's shrewd eyes see all: the prosperous merchant who rings false; an angelic, lame boy and his beautiful, dowerless sister; and two wealthy penitents. In the name of just...

In this classic of social history, the author describes the lives of five lesser-known men and women of the Middle Ages, as well as one famous one. She draws on account books, records, letters, diaries, and wills to make the life of those times as concrete and comprehensible as our own. There are full-length portraits of Bodo, a Frankish peasant in the time of Charlemagne; Marco Polo, the celebrated Venetian traveler—only one of many—of the thirteenth century; Madame Eglentyne, the priores...

From the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and author of the Booker Prize–winning novel The Remains of the DayHere is the story of Etsuko, a Japanese woman now living alone in England, dwelling on the recent suicide of her daughter. In a novel where past and present confuse, she relives scenes of Japan's devastation in the wake of World War II.

Men of great wealth bought her love. She gave it to only one.Marguerite Gautier, the greatest beauty in Paris, was known to all as “the Lady of the Camellias” because she was never seen without her favorite flowers. She was luxuriously kept by the richest men in France, who thronged to her boudoir to lay their fortunes at her feet. She lived violently, spending herself and her money in reckless abandon. She had many lovers, but she never reallyloved—until she met Armand Du...

Sir Arthur T. Quiller-Couch here gives us these four fairy tales that have been perennial favorites for centuries. The first three fairy tales are “The Sleeping Beauty,” “Blue Beard,” and “Cinderella,” all three of which were popularized in France by Charles Perrault in 1697 in hisTales of Mother Goose. The last tale in the compilation is “Beauty and the Beast,” this version attributed to Gabrielle de Villeneuve, who published it in 1740 and 1756.Quiller-Couch had this to say regar...

The stark naked body was lying in the tub. Not unusual for a proper bath, but highly irregular for murder—especially with a pair of gold pince-nez deliberately perched before the sightless eyes. What's more, the face appeared to have been shaved after death. The police assumed that the victim was a prominent financier, but Lord Peter Wimsey, who dabbled in mystery detection as a hobby, knew better. In this, his first murder case, Lord Peter untangles the ghastly mystery of the corpse in th...