This is an alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780451529305. Generations of readers young and old, male and female, have fallen in love with the March sisters of Louisa May Alcott’s most popular and enduring novel, Little Women. Here are talented tomboy and author-to-be Jo, tragically frail Beth, beautiful Meg, and romantic, spoiled Amy, united in their devotion to each other and their struggles to survive in New England during the Civil War. It is no secret that Alcott based Little Women on her own early life. While her father, the freethinking reformer and abolitionist Bronson Alcott, hobnobbed with such eminent male authors as Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne, Louisa supported herself and her sisters with "woman’s work,” including sewing, doing laundry, and acting as a domestic servant. But she soon discovered she could make more money writing. Little Women brought her lasting fame and fortune, and far from being the "girl’s book” her publisher requested, it explores such timeless themes as love and death, war and peace, the conflict between personal ambition and family responsibilities, and the clash of cultures between Europe and America.

Remarkably Bright Creatures, an exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus. After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova. Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late. Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

An encouraging, empowering biblical perspective on the significance of singleness.Singleness is often viewed as a “plan B” by our culture and the church, and sometimes by single people who feel they’re missing out on their “happy ever after”. Author Dani Treweek offers a thought-provoking reframing of popular conversations around singleness. Rich, nuanced, and witty, Single Ever After is an uplifting read that debunks some of the misconceptions surrounding singleness, marriage, and meaning. By diving deeply into key Bible passages, it answers questions such as “Does my singleness have a purpose?” “What actually is the gift of singleness?” and “Is marriage the only solution to feeling lonely?” Reorienting you to the biblical significance of singleness, Treweek shows how the abundant life Jesus promises his followers applies to all believers. She highlights how both marriage and singleness serve as unique signposts to our eternal future—one where together we'll be married to Christ while as individuals we'll be "single ever after". Whatever your relationship status and however you currently feel about it, this biblical perspective on singleness will encourage and empower you. Married Christians will also learn more about how to help make church a community where single brothers and sisters thrive.