Showing results by narrator "Virginia Ferguson" in All Categories

"Diamond Is Fragile was one of my favorite books from my late grandfather's library. Much to my surprise (and dismay) it was only published once in the former Soviet Union approximately 50 years ago and (to the best of my knowledge) has never been published abroad. I was inspired to translate Diamond Is Fragile into English by my father-in-law - Thom Seymour, Sr. - due to his passion for geology and history (topics amply covered in the book). I hope that other English-speaking readers who are interested in these disciplines will enjoy it as well." (Maria K., translator)

Eyewitness accounts from over 50 diaries of southern women facing the hardships of the Civil War. Includes voices of slave women. As Yankee soldiers plundered, and starvation stalked the land, they hid food and heirlooms in wells and swamps. They watched Atlanta and Georgia burn and fed hungry children. Vivid accounts of women who witnessed the battles. Turned into food scavengers at the brink of starvation, southern women devised ways to feed their children.

Maria Krestovskaya demonstrates her incredibly astute understanding of human mind as she gives us a unique glimpse into the mental turmoils associated with one boy's first love.

The Blessed South lies somewhere between a travel diary and a poetic sketchbook. With his usual skill, Alexander Kuprin lends the air of romance even to the most mundane scenes and situations, inviting the listener to be captivated and enjoy.

Literary critic, E. A. Koltonovskaya, described the literary style of novelist Maria Krestovskaya as follows, “Her pen, for all its feminine agility, is often remarkable for its nearly masculine reticence. She has none of the chaotic flood of thoughtless emotions, which so frequently plagues the works by female writers. She does not like lyrical diversions and allows her characters to speak and act for themselves. Even during the most dramatic scenes, her tone remains restrained. Her formulation of women’s issues gives one the sense of a broad, universal foundation...."

A lottery jackpot changes Claire Bennett’s life. After she buys an ancient stone ruin on Fuerteventura - the island of her dreams - her mystic aunt Clarissa warns her of danger. Claire pays no heed, but soon after she moves to the idyllic island, she is confronted by a mystery. As the sinister story of her home slowly uncovers, Claire enters a world of inexplicable events and ordeals. Someone or something doesn't want her there. But what is really behind the events?

Having traveled much and tried his hand at many jobs, Alexander Kuprin ran into all sorts of people over the course of his tumultuous life. Human Types is a selection of sketches from the vast gallery of portraits he had created as part of his writing.

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860-1904) was a Russian playwright, writer, and doctor. Known best for his plays, he had also written a great multitude of short stories for and about people of all ages and all walks of life. Life as It Happens is a selection of just such stories and novellas. From sad to ridiculous, to dramatic, to funny, by way of tragic or bittersweet - there is something here for everyone.

Katherine is a retired nurse and a retired church organist. The small Hudson River village where she lives in her Victorian “Painted Lady” makes her the neighborhood matriarch. Along with her Maine Coon Cat Robespierre, she guards friends and families. When amoral Rachel moves into the first floor apartment of Katherine’s house, trouble erupts. The murder weapon is one she recognizes and makes her fear for her friends and family. Finding the killer becomes her goal.

Can you keep a secret? Three women on the peripherals of war did - the most dangerous secret of all. MI6 spy Kate Morden has a big problem. She's involved in a case where someone has killed an informer and discovered more than they bargained for. Kate investigates and finds her dead father, also a spy who taught her all she knows about coding, is involved. Juliette Watson holds the key to the mystery. She knows what the apocalyptic secret is but she's not telling, until she confides in Iraqi artist, Sanaa Yazidi, who she meets i the desert.

From a student to a workaholic journalist, Alyson hadn’t had a free day in years. That all changed when she bumped into a mysterious handsome stranger. Blown away by his charm, she broke the monotony in her life and started a fun and steamy relationship with him. She soon landed in the lap of luxury, living a life she could only imagine. Was this really prince charming or just a temporary fantasy?

The painting and the woman, both hiding in plain sight. And a killer who targets both. Sarah Downing, an art conservator hiding in witness protection, identifies a lost masterpiece by Caravaggio. History says it burned in WWII Berlin, but here it is, on her easel. Someone betrays Sarah - an agent, a friend? Soon she is fighting to save the painting and herself.

One man. One instrument . A wealth of music. A biography of the brilliant and tormented Polish composer Chopin, set against the rich historic background of the era.

Anyone who likes to go out in a little black dress can thank Coco Chanel for making it fashionable. The French designer behind the iconic brand of haute couture grew up in poverty, though. Delve into this biography to learn all about the rags-to-riches life of this fashion icon.

When Princess Guendolen’s privileged existence is shattered by tribal war and the threat of rape impends, she is left with no choice but to surrender her virginity to a lowly commoner. The spoiled sovereign expects a night of torment and shame. Instead, her unlikely bedfellow introduces her to a world of carnal delights.

Abigail Sutton does not take kindly to being dumped. Desperation leads her to seek comfort in the arms of her surly horse trainer, Jack Johnson from America. A night of fleeting passion results in a life-altering “predicament”. Now, the baroness finds herself fighting for the attentions of an entirely different sort of man - a man who is much more than he seems - a man who might just offer her the family she’s never had. That is, if she can prove to him she is not just a pampered pain in the ass. Her pursuit of the handsome but stubborn drifter lands the baroness in Montana.

When marine biologist Jeddediah Walker discovers the fish contain a high concentration of chemicals, he suspects they are being deliberately dumped in Puget Sound. And he has another problem - an unexpected, beautiful, and suspicious new tenant renting his cabin. Later, when someone hacks into his computer, he realizes it is no coincidence and sets out to find out more about his mysterious tenant.

Russian literature is not normally associated with short form. So, here is a delicious little miniature from the master of storytelling Alexander Kuprin, a tiny slice of life, skillfully presented and highly engaging.

For years, Lady Melloria Whitmore has believed her childhood best friend and secret love Brigham Clarke agreed to marry her out of a sense of duty. Knowing how important Brigham’s work with Parliament is to him, she agrees to see him once a year, when he returns to his country estate for the holidays. This Christmas, Mellie vows to give Brigham the one thing he has always wanted: an heir. For one night, she’ll share his bed, and she’ll have that memory of passion to get her through the long winter nights without him.

Young Cecilia Danet was introduced to the opulent world of royalty when she joined the court of King Louis XIV. Being groomed her whole life for the role of a courtesan prepared her for everything except the intense passion she felt with the brooding and powerful Louis. Their romance deepened, but an unexpected development upended her world, leaving her caught in the middle of a royal love triangle. Inspired by the reign of Louis XIV and the classic works of Alexander Dumas, The King's Treasure (previously published as The Sun King) is a fictionalized historical romance.