Diane Johnson is an American novelist and essayist whose satirical novels often feature American heroines living abroad in contemporary France. Her work is characterized by keen observations of cultural clashes and adaptation. Johnson explores the ironies and complexities of life away from home, often with a light touch and sharp wit. Her writing invites readers to contemplate identity and belonging in a globalized world.
The plot revolves around the enchanting city of Picturia, which faces a dire threat from Ig, who unleashes The HAZE, a force that spreads apathy and indifference among its citizens. As the vibrant spirit of the city begins to fade, Ig's sinister plan aims to destroy Picturia while its inhabitants remain oblivious to the looming danger. The story explores themes of awareness, community, and the battle against complacency in the face of adversity.
Exploring themes of marriage, motherhood, and cultural identity, the story follows an American woman as she navigates life after ending her 20-year marriage to a French man. Returning to San Francisco, she reconnects with her children and grandchildren, reflecting on her past and the complexities of family relationships. The narrative is infused with humor and keen insights, praised for its sharp prose and astute observations, making it a delightful read for those interested in contemporary life and familial dynamics.
Lucy Mae Johnson's life journey highlights the profound impact of miracles and the strength found in overcoming challenges. Through her experiences, readers will encounter a mix of emotions—joy, laughter, and tears—while discovering the transformative power of faith and love. This narrative emphasizes resilience and the importance of appreciating life's blessings.
Failed satanic high priest Lucas seeks redemption for his sins in a Christian commune. The day comes when the commune leader learns of Lucas' past as well as his connection to a celebrity faith healer who is rumored to be an atheist. Lucas must now prove his spiritual worth in order to remain a member of the commune. In order to save himself, he must save someone else, but his warped sense of right and wrong puts the faith healer and his family in mortal danger. 'Prophet Reborn' is a thrill filled sequel to Diane M. Johnson's 'Perfect Prophet.' The works raise questions about the morals people value, and those they do not by telling the story of two brothers who are anything but perfect.
""Many people have described the Famous Writer presiding at his dinner table. . . . He is famous; everybody remembers his remarks. . . . We forget that there were other family members at the table-a quiet person, now muffled by time, shadowy, whose heart pounded with love, perhaps, or rage." So begins The True History of the First Mrs. Meredith and Other Lesser Lives, an uncommon biography devoted to one of those "lesser lives." As the author points out, "A lesser life does not seem lesser to the person who leads one." Such sympathy and curiosity compelled Diane Johnson to research Mary Ellen Peacock Meredith (1821-1861), the daughter of the famous artist Thomas Love Peacock (1785-1866) and first wife of the equally famous poet George Meredith (1828-1909). Her life, treated perfunctorily and prudishly in biographies of Peacock or Meredith, is here exquisitely and unhurriedly given its due. What emerges is the portrait of a brilliant, well-educated woman, raised unconventionally by her father only to feel more forcefully the constraints of the Victorian era. First published in 1972, Lesser Lives has been a key text for feminists and biographers alike, a book that reimagined what biography might be, both in terms of subject and style. Biographies of other "lesser" lives have since followed in its footsteps, but few have the wit, elegance, and empathy of Johnson's seminal work"-- Provided by publisher
A transformative journey unfolds as the author shares personal experiences of waking early to study the Bible, leading to heartfelt devotionals on themes like depression, love, and trust. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the author found peace and a desire to inspire others. This collection features the first twenty-six of fifty-two devotionals, aiming to provide hope, strength, and encouragement for readers facing life's challenges. The book emphasizes reliance on God and the power of faith in overcoming struggles.
Exploring themes of family, identity, and faith, this narrative follows thirteen individuals connected by DNA as they embark on a journey to reunite. The author, adopted as an infant, reflects on the love and support from their adoptive family while navigating the challenges of meeting their biological mother and siblings. With divine guidance, they confront their past and embrace their newfound connections, ultimately transforming into a united family. The story emphasizes the power of love and the significance of familial bonds.
The two-time Pulitzer Prize- and three-time National Book Award-nominated author of the bestseller "Le Divorce" returns with a mesmerizing novel of double standards and double agents.
When Amy Hawkins, a young dot-com executive from California who has made her fortune at the top of the NASDAQ, overhears a pair of elderly - and thus much wiser - socialites decry the new generation for their incompetence in all things worldly, she sets off for Europe to find culture, her roots, and maybe a cause to devote her considerable fortune to. Amy starts her quest at one of the finest small hotels in the French Alps - a hotel noted for skiing and its famous cooking lessons - in the town of Valméri. A few days into her trip, Amy is nearly swept away by an avalanche (started, some say, by low-flying American warplanes). Two of the hotel's guests, esteemed English publisher Adrian Venn and his much younger American wife, Kerry, were not as fortunate as Amy. Both lie comatose in a nearby hospital. Learning that French and English laws dictate a very different division of money depending on where Adrian dies, Adrian's children - young, old, legitimate, and illegitimate - assemble in Valméri to protect their interests should he not pull through. Amy, already suspect as an American, finds that her nationality freezes the social climate as she steps in to assist the family. In her innocence, Amy sets in motion a series of events in France and England that spotlight ancient national differences, customs, and laws. Add one or two small affairs that may topple carefully balanced alliances, and soon it is, as the French say, a situation .
Clara Holly is a former actress, beautiful, rich, and 'well married, far from her Oregon beginnings' to the renowned but reclusive film director Serge Clay. Anne-Sophie is a proper young Frenchwoman with a smart little antique stall in the Paris flea market and a wedding to plan. As the plot thickens they are all drawn into a cross between a modern Feydeau farce and a Kafkaesque nightmare, as their paths and those of a host of other characters intersect at the Cray's château. Despite murder, misunderstanding, hostage-taking and erotic encounters, however, le marriage must go ahead in the grand French style.
