Showing results by narrator "Ruth-Ann Phimister" in All Categories

Fragrant blossoms herald spring, but the orchard is also a place of secrets and heartache. After the death of her husband Frank, Eliza is left with three young children and mounting debts. When a gentle stranger enters her orchard, she experiences a peculiar sensation of familiarity with the man. But will his unknown past jeopardize all that she has fought for?

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, Mother Teresa humbly accepted it on behalf of the poorest of the poor to whom she joyfully dedicated her life. Truly a saint for the 20th century, she taught compassion not only for the sick and destitute, but also for the lonely, neglected, and unappreciated who surround us every day.

In this sweeping saga, three Swedish sisters endure an 1890s Atlantic crossing, an Ellis Island detention, and various other trials as they struggle to find love, faith, and home. First came their mother's death. Then their father's suicide. For orphans Elin, Kirsten, and Sofia, life stretches on like an endless winter. When circumstances become unbearable, they write their Chicago relatives, desperate for a safe haven.

In 1992, Marilyn French was told she had one year to live. A smoker of 48 years she was diagnosed as having cancer of the oesophagus, a cancer which is almost always fatal. Five years on, having battled with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, a heart attack and her back breaking, she is very much alive. And - astonishingly - her body shows no sign of cancer.

In Sixteen Brides by Christy Award finalist Stephanie Grace Whitson, Civil War widows living in St. Louis are lured west by promises of prime homesteads in a booming community. When the unsuspecting women arrive at Plum Grove, Nebraska, sparks fly as they meet bachelors convinced they’ve come to marry them. The widows will need all the courage and faith they can muster to survive these unwanted circumstances—especially since appearances are so deceiving.

Charlotte Valentine Bishop has buried her husband. Now she and her son Will are embarking on a trip back to Fort Robinson, Nebraska, to make a new home for themselves with Charlotte's father. Unfortunately, the transition doesn't go as smoothly as Charlotte hopes. Will is young, but out of control with mischief. Their old friend Lt. Nathan Boone is a good role model for him, but what role will the handsome lieutenant play in Charlotte's life?

A Nazi soldier has come to Fort Robinson as a prisoner of war. When he meets the daughter of a local rancher, he falls in love but doubts there can be any future for an American girl and a German POW. Far from home and ostracized by those around him, the soldier comes to know the God who loves unconditionally. Can the woman do so as well?

Mindy Starns Clark is an ECPA best-selling author. Following A Penny for Your Thoughts, this is the second installment in her Million Dollar Mystery series. Callie returns home to help a young woman, Shayna, prepare for a new job. But they soon discover the dead body of Shayna’s boyfriend. Only by turning to God for help can Callie solve this deadly mystery.

Jane Smiley brings her extraordinary gifts, comic timing, empathy, emotional wisdom, an ability to deliver slyly on big themes and capture the American spirit, to the seductive, wishful, wistful world of real estate, in which the sport of choice is the mind game. Her funny and moving new novel is about what happens when the American Dream morphs into a seven-figure American Fantasy.

Everyone has keys to Susan's New York apartment: all her friends, and friends of friends. So one afternoon, when Alice unlocks Susan's door to water the plants, she isn't surprised to find two men sitting in the living room. That they are both dead is a shock, however.

Race Spencer leads a lonely life out west, until he stumbles upon Rebecca Morgan, the only survivor of a terrifying robbery. Sweeping the helpless beauty into his powerful arms, Race carries her away to safety. Rebecca's life is no longer in danger, but her virtue is decidedly threatened. Race arouses feelings in her she never knew she could experience, especially toward such a hardened man.

Dianne and Cole Selby have worked hard to make the Diamond V Ranch a success. But when an aggressive rancher plans to buy up all the land surrounding his own spread, the Selby's beautiful Montana home is at the top of his list. Now Dianne must struggle to keep love in her heart and rely on her faith in God's power.

In the late 1800s Dianne Selby and her family love their simple life in the rugged Montana countryside. But a devastating fire forces them to leave it all behind. She seeks God's help after a cold reception by her husband's family in Kansas causes tension and strain on their marriage. Desperate, Dianne makes a radical decision - one that will affect the lives of everyone she loves.

When boys act out, get into fights, or become physically aggressive, we can't avoid noticing their bad behavior. But it is easy to miss the subtle signs of aggression in girls: the dirty looks, the taunting notes, or the exclusion from the group, that send girls home crying.

The best-selling author of over 60 books, Tracie Peterson pens soaring works of faith and simple virtue. An addition to her popular Heirs of Montana series, The Coming Storm takes place in the year 1870.

In 1838, 13,000 Cherokee were forced to leave their home in the Southeast and walk 900 miles to present-day Oklahoma. Hunger, cold, and disease threatened their very survival. Their grueling trek - the Trail of Tears - takes on new immediacy and meaning with this stunning work of fiction. Maritole loses not only her home and her settled life in North Carolina, but also many of the people closest to her. A chorus of voices joins hers to vividly recreate the tragic story of the Cherokee removal.

“They’re going to kill me soon,” begins the note Amelia discovers in an antique hurdy-gurdy. From that moment on, the shy young woman finds herself doing all kinds of things she never thought possible. Between newfound intimacies and a risky journey into the past, Amelia comes to see herself in a whole new light. The scrawled note drives Amelia to find out what happened to the person who wrote it, identified only as “Hannah.” Who was Hannah? Was she really murdered? Amelia’s investigation leads her to dizzying new heights of romance and danger. Like a tightrope walker, she must not look down—especially when she finds herself in situations uncannily similar to those Hannah faced just before her murder. Like the Mrs. Pollifax mysteries for which Dorothy Gilman is famous, The Tightrope Walker features a spirited and unpretentious heroine and an intriguing mystery, enhanced by colorful settings and characters. Ruth Ann Phimister’s skillful narration adds a personal dimension, making you care about Amelia and the fascinating and dangerous people she meets.

Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, O. Henry Award and Edgar Awards, the 19 writers in this 2005 edition are not just considered some of the best Southern writers, but among the best American writers period. With works by such writers as Dennis Lehane, Moira Crone, Robert Olen Butler, Cary Holladay, Tom Franklin, and Rebecca Soppe, this collection provides an electrifying current of deep, dark subjects set in the brutal, but charming south.

As foreclosure fragments her family, five-year-old Mildred and her three siblings find refuge with her grandparents enjoying a modest retirement. When the "little heathens" flush the seniors and their child-rearing skills out of retirement, the grandparents deploy tough but loving bedtime schedules, Bible and prayer routines, and plenty of character-building chores. Having no electricity or indoor plumbing and with little heat or money on the farm, Mildred learns to find joy in the priceless blessings of life.

For 15-year-old Rachel Bryant, summer vacation promises to be fun. Her 17-year-old cousin Julia will be coming to Albuquerque, New Mexico to live with the Bryants, following her parents’ deaths. With two brothers, Rachel is looking forward to finally having a sister. From the moment Julia arrives, everyone is enchanted with the orphaned teenager. But Rachel finds her strangely disturbing. Soon an evil poison seems to seep into every corner of her life. Can she discover what Julia is trying to do before it’s too late?