Raised in an atheist household, Sally Read nevertheless saw images of the Blessed Virgin Mary from earliest childhood—and they remained with her in the most remarkable ways. Conscious of the conflict between her feminist values and what came to be a fascination with Marian art, Read—through tumultuous relationships, loneliness, and distant places—began a unique quest to discover the true essence of Mary.These pages contain the strange, raw, and epiphany-filled stories that led to R...

Staunchly atheist Sally Read converted to Catholicism in the space of nine electric months. In 2010, Read was heralded as one of the bright young writers of the British poetry scene. Feminist and deeply anti-Catholic, she was writing a book about female sexuality when, during her research, she spoke with a Catholic priest. The interview led her on a dramatic spiritual quest that ended up at the Vatican itself, where she was received into the Catholic Church.Unsurprisingly, this sto...

Raised in an atheist household, Sally Read nevertheless saw images of the Blessed Virgin Mary from earliest childhood—and they remained with her in the most remarkable ways. Conscious of the conflict between her feminist values and what came to be a fascination with Marian art, Read—through tumultuous relationships, loneliness, and distant places—began a unique quest to discover the true essence of Mary. These pages contain the strange, raw, and epiphany-filled stories that led to Read’s d...

Sally Read converted from atheism to Catholicism when her daughter, Flo, was only four years old, but it did not take long for the child to become aware that many friends and relatives did not share her mother's newfound faith. This consciousness of "two worlds" led to a great many doubts in Flo, and some rebellion. Two nights before her First Communion she suddenly questioned whether she should receive the Eucharist.Sensing the precarious nature of faith in an overwhelmingly secul...

Across one day in London, twelve elderly men and women sit in flats, walk, or wait, and speak about their histories, their hopes, their loves, their disappointments and griefs -and above all seek to express who they are and what their life has been. Most are immigrants -Irish, West Indian, Polish, Italian, and German, struggling with a feeling of rootlessness. Drawn from Sally Read's experiences as a community psychiatric nurse in central London, these twelve monologues are the voices of s...

Responding to the growing number of psychologically-informed services for people experiencing social exclusion and, in particular, homelessness, this book gives professionals the information and understanding they need to be fully informed in their practice with this client group. It begins with theory, looking at the psychology of social exclusion and the processes that underlie it, and considers the relationship between trauma, complex needs, homelessness and social exclusion. Presenting...

A WATERSTONES CRIME BOOK OF THE YEARA LITERARY REVIEW CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR'As brilliant a cosy crime novel as you'll ever read' JANICE HALLETT'A masterful voice in the mystery world' S. J. BENNETTCHRISTMAS EVE, 1901. Gabriel Ward KC is hard at work on a thorny libel case involving London's most famous music hall star and its most notorious tabloid newspaper, but the Inner Tem...

Poetry is the language of Catholicism. From the songs of Scripture to the hymns of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Church has always used metaphor and image, meter and rhyme, and the music of language to illuminate and inculcate the faith.Yet, when it comes to Catholic poetry itself, the song too often remains unsung. Many devout believers recoil from poetry, even when it is deeply Catholic. Many poetry lovers overlook Catholic poetry, even when it is truly great. And passionate readers ar...

A family gathering, but not everyone who sits down to dinner will survive it. Poisonous lies, family secrets, addiction and revenge - always a dish best served cold - are all on the menu. For readers of Sally Hepworth, Jo Dixon and Ali Lowe, this twisty domestic suspense holds you captive from its gripping beginning to its shocking denouement.Maz Antonio has spent the last two years in prison so is determined to make the first major family gathering in their new home deep in Austra...

When Marilla and Matthew decide to adopt a boy from an orphanage they are not sure what to expect. But it's certainly not the imaginative, red-haired little girl who arrives at Green Gables instead... This charming story has been retold and adapted for ages 6+.ABOUT THE SERIES: Abridged and retold in modern English, Arcturus Easy-to-Read Classics make 16 classic stories accessible to readers as young as six, while retaining all the charm, atmosphere, and s...

It was not like looking for a needle in a hay-stack. It was like feeling for a needle in a hay barn wearing gloves and a blindfold – that’s what Steven told me. He was talking about the Search for Extra Terrestrial Life, an impossible pursuit until two aliens, yes two, landed in Paris.A science fiction short story to entertain and set you day-dreaming about far-flung travel and adventure.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE RSL ENCORE AWARD 2025‘Compelling and fine and rich, I devoured it' TESSA HADLEY'Powerfully compelling' GUARDIAN‘Unbelievably good' ELIZABETH DAY'Complex and nuanced… the perfect definition of summer reading' LUCY CALDWELL'Subtle, complex, ambitious' THE TIMESA Guardian Book of the Year 2...