Ernest Hemingway was not only one of the most influential American writers of all time - he also had a fascinating life. He was born in 1899 to a wealthy Chicago family. He began writing in school, where his teachers encouraged his talents. When World War I broke out, he went to Italy to fight. His experiences in the army influenced one of his most famous books, A Farewell to Arms. Throughout his life, Ernest Hemingway enjoyed doing the unusual - he was fond of bull fights and safaris. He joined with Spanish forces in the Spanish Civil War.
Duchessina is the story of Catherine de' Medici, the heiress of the Medici family's enormous fortune. She grows up surrounded by extravagance, yet Catherine's life will always be ruled by the politics of the people around her. When she is eight years old, her safety is threatened when the king of Spain invades Italy, and Catherine must hide in a convent. Three years later, she is ordered by the pope to live in Rome. The pope, wishing to use Catherine as a tool to strengthen political ties, arranges her in marriage to Henri, the second son of the king of France.
Lost Childhood is a memoir of Annelex Layson, a young girl who lived in a Japanese internment camp on the island of Java (now part of Indonesia). Annelex was born into a wealthy Dutch family on the island. When she was four years old, the Japanese invaded Java, and her family was sent to an internment camp for Dutch inhabitants of Java. Annelex lived for three years in the camp. She had to live in horrible living conditions, suffering from lack of food, frequent bouts of malaria, and constant fear of her Japanese captures.
Chalice takes place in a magical land, Willowlands, where the earth is kept healthy by a circle of people with special powers. This circle is controlled by a Master and his Chalice, two people who must work together to bind the land. The book tells the story of one such Chalice, Mirasol, who must work with the new Master that has come to Willowlands. The problem is that this new Master is not a human - he is a priest of Fire, so his mere touch can burn. Mirasol must learn to work with him in order to restore Willowlands to health.
For many people, war is an experience that is far away from their daily living, yet it plays an intrinsic role in the lives of all humans. The book War Is... seeks to bring the issues surrounding war to the reader. The book is divided into three parts. The first part is short piece that deal with people's opinions on war, including newspaper articles, song lyrics, and interviews. The second part deals with different soldiers' experiences, ranging from soldiers in World War I to the Iraq War. The third part examines soldiers' experiences when they return from a war.
Fly Little Bird, Fly chronicles the life of Oliver and his younger brother, Edward, when they become orphans in New York City. After living in an orphanage and being separated from each other for a year, the two brothers are chosen to travel on the orphan train together. This train brought orphans from New York City across the country to find them homes in the Western United States. In Kansas, Oliver and Edward are chosen to live in the home of two farmers. Unfortunately, their new foster home is less than exemplary; the boys are forced to do farm chores and are given no affection.
