Gerda Baardman Books

It begins on the road to Damascus, in a moment graven on the consciousness of Western civilization. "Saul, Saul", asks the crucified Jesus of Nazareth, "why persecutest thou me?" From this experience, & from the response of the Jewish merchant later known as Paul, springs the Christian Church as we know it today. For as A.N. Wilson makes clear in this gripping narrative, Christianity without Paul is quite literally nothing. Jesus, with the layers of scholarship & ceremony stripped away, is a fastidious & fervent Jew who will lead his followers into a stricter, purer observance of Judaism. It's Paul who will claim divinity for him, who will transform him into the Messiah, center of an entirely new religion. In Wilson's astute narrative, we see Paul negotiating the dangerous political currents of the Roman Empire, making converts, & writing the great epistles that define our understanding of Christ & of the sublime paradoxes of his teaching. What drove Paul? What would he think of what his church has become? The answers lie in this biography, which lays bare the psychological journey of Christianity's true inventor.

In this exhilarating novel, two friends—often in love, but never lovers—come together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and, ultimately, a kind of immortality. On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn't heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won't protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.

From the bestselling author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius , What Is the What is the epic novel based on the life of Valentino Achak Deng who, along with thousands of other children —the so-called Lost Boys—was forced to leave his village in Sudan at the age of seven and trek hundreds of miles by foot, pursued by militias, government bombers, and wild animals, crossing the deserts of three countries to find freedom. When he finally is resettled in the United States, he finds a life full of promise, but also heartache and myriad new challenges. Moving, suspenseful, and unexpectedly funny, What Is the What is an astonishing novel that illuminates the lives of millions through one extraordinary man. -back cover

Tense and heartbreaking to its last page, 'The Cellist of Sarajevo' shows how life under seige creates impossible moral choices. When the everyday act of crossing the street can risk lives, the human spirit is revealed in all its fortitude - and frailty.

Sometimes I whisper it over to myself: Murderess. Murderess. It rustles, like a taffeta skirt along the floor.' Grace Marks. Female fiend? Femme fatale? Or weak and unwilling victim? Around the true story of one of the most enigmatic and notorious women of the 1840s, Margaret Atwood has created an extraordinarily potent tale of sexuality, cruelty and mystery.

Ludo's mother, Sibylla, is obsessed with Kurosawa's famous film, "The Seven Samurai" and it plays as a bizarre running backdrop to his childhood. His search for his real father ends in disappointment but he does find out more than he needs about his mother's shaky past.

Throughout his life Mozart was inspired, fascinated, amused, aroused, hurt, disappointed and betrayed by women; and he appeared equally fascinating to them. But, first and last, Mozart loved and respected women. His mother, his sister, his wife, her sisters, his patrons, his friends, his lovers and his artists all figure prominently in his life. Jane Glover introduces us to Mozart’s mother, Maria Anna and his beloved and talented sister, Nannerl. We meet, too, Mozart’s ‘other family’, the Webers: Constanze, his wife, much maligned by history, and her sisters Aloysia, Sophie and Josepha. This is their story. But it is also the story of the women in his operas, all of whom were – like his sister, his mother, his wife and entire female acquaintance – restrained by the conventions and strictures of eighteenth-century society. Yet through his glorious writing, he identified and released the emotions of his characters. They hold up the mirror to their audiences and offer inestimable insight, together constituting yet further proof of Mozart’s true genius and phenomenal understanding of human nature. Rich, evocative and compellingly readable, Mozart's Women illuminates the music and the man, but above all, the women who inspired him.

Nine-year-old Oskar Schell is an inventor, amateur entomologist, Francophile, letter writer, pacifist, natural historian, percussionist, romantic, Great Explorer, jeweller, detective, vegan, and collector of butterflies. When his father is killed in the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Centre, Oskar sets out to solve the mystery of a key he discovers in his father's closet. It is a search which leads him into the lives of strangers, through the five boroughs of New York, into history, to the bombings of Dresden and Hiroshima, and on an inward journey which brings him ever closer to some kind of peace.

'Byatt has contrived a masterly ending to a fine work; intelligent, ingenious and humane, Possession bids fair to be looked back upon as one of the most memorable novels of the 1990s' Times Literary Supplement

After the sinking of a crago ship, a solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild blue Pacific. The only survivors from the wreck are a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi, a hyena, a wounded zebra, and orangutan-and a 450-pound Royal Bengel tiger.

'Immersive, satisfying, tense-and timely' Lee Child 'A knockout of an international thriller' Chris Pavone, author of The Expats 'Whip smart and fraught with tension...Brilliant.' Mary Kubica, author of The Good Girl 'Kept me guessing until the very last page. I couldn't tear myself away' Janelle Brown, author of Watch Me Disappear 'A gripping, twisty thriller that asks how well we really know the people closest to us' Alafair Burke, author of The Wife The only thing worse than finding out that your husband is dead Is discovering the secrets he left behind. Annabel's seemingly perfect ex-patriate life in Geneva is shattered when her banker husband Matthew's plane crashes in the Alps. When Annabel finds clues that his death may not be all it seems, she puts herself in the crosshairs of powerful enemies and questions whether she really knew husband at all. Meanwhile, journalist Marina is investigating Swiss United, the bank where Matthew worked. But when she uncovers evidence of a shocking global financial scandal that implicates someone close to home, she is forced to make an impossible choice.

A cloth bag containing ten copies of the title, that may also include a folder with miscellaneous notes, discussion questions, biographical information, and reading lists to assist book group discussion leaders.

`Ik heb van kindsbeen af één ding over mezelf geweten: ik ben de dochter van de minnares. Mijn moeder was jong en alleenstaand, mijn vader ouder en getrouwd, en hij had kinderen. Toen ik in december 1961 werd geboren, belde een advocaat mijn adoptieouders op en zei: Uw pakje is gearriveerd en er zit een roze strik omheen. Wanneer A.M. Homes in 1992 naar haar ouderlijk huis gaat om met haar familie kerst te vieren, krijgt ze de schrik van haar leven: haar biologische moeder heeft gebeld. A.M. Homes was al voor haar geboorte geadopteerd en nu, na eenendertig jaar stilte, zoekt de vrouw die haar het leven geschonken heeft contact. Na lang aarzelen spreekt A.M. Homes met haar af. In De dochter van de minnares vertelt ze met meedogenloze precisie over haar ontmoeting met haar biologische ouders en de moeizame, bizarre relatie die ontstaat. Langzaamaan past ze de teruggevonden stukjes van haar verleden in elkaar en dat levert een confronterend en soms pijnlijk portret op. Met haar virtuoze talent weet Homes zelfs haar eigen leven te vertalen naar een geestig, markant en diep ontroerend literair meesterwerk

Tamil Nadu, 1968. Landlords rule over a feudal system that forces peasants to break their backs in the fields or be punished. As a small spark of defiance begins to spread among communities, the landlords vow to break them; party organizers suffer grisly deaths and the flow of food into the marketplaces dries up. But it only strengthens the villagers' resistance. Finally, the landlords descend on one village to set an example for the others. An exciting new release from this Chennai-based poet, writer and activist.

'A sublime reading experience- delicate, restrained, surpassingly intelligent, uncommonly poised and truly beautiful' Zadie Smith **WINNER OF THE BETTY TRASK AWARD 2020** Midhat Kamal - dreamer, romantic, aesthete - leaves Palestine in 1914 to study medicine in France, under the tutelage of Dr Molineu. He falls deeply in love with Jeannette, the doctor's daughter. But Midhat soon discovers that everything is fragile- love turns to loss, friends become enemies and everyone is looking for a place to belong. Through Midhat's eyes we see the tangled politics and personal tragedies of a turbulent era - the Palestinian struggle for independence, the strife of the early twentieth century, and the looming shadow of the Second World War. Lush and immersive, and devastating in its power, The Parisian is an elegant, richly-imagined debut from a dazzling new voice in fiction. *SHORTLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2020* *SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDWARD STANFORD FICTION AWARD 2019*

Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small town in the west of Ireland, but the similarities end there. In school, Connell is popular and well-liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation - awkward but electrifying - something life-changing begins. Normal People is a story of mutual fascination, friendship and love. It takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find they can't.

Includes supplement: "P.S. insights, interviews & more ..."--Cover.

The Wilderness Years are over! But not for long. At the end of Bridget Jones"s Diary, Bridget hiccuped off into the sunset with man-of-her-dreams Mark Darcy. Now, in the Edge of Reason, she discovers what it is like when you have the man of your dreams actually in your flat and he hasn't done the washing up, not just the whole of this week, but ever.

From the award-winning, bestselling author of The Circle comes an exciting new follow-up. When the world's largest search engine/social media company, the Circle, merges with the planet's dominant ecommerce site, it creates the richest and most dangerous--and, oddly enough, most beloved--monopoly ever known: the Every.Delaney Wells is an unlikely new hire at the Every. A former forest ranger and unwavering tech skeptic, she charms her way into an entry-level job with one goal in mind: to take down the company from within. With her compatriot, the not-at-all-ambitious Wes Makazian, they look for the Every's weaknesses, hoping to free humanity from all-encompassing surveillance and the emoji-driven infantilization of the species. But does anyone want what Delaney is fighting to save? Does humanity truly want to be free?Studded with unforgettable characters, outrageous outfits, and lacerating set-pieces, this companion to The Circle blends absurdity and terror, satire and suspense, while keeping the reader in apprehensive excitement about the fate of the company--and the human animal.

Feeling overshadowed by his more-successful younger brother, Harold is shocked by his brother's violent act that irrevocably changes their lives, placing Harold in the role of father figure to his brother's adolescent children and caregiver to his aging parents.

Richard leidt een comfortabel maar leeg bestaan. Op een dag raakt hij na een heftige pijnaanval doordrongen van een diep besef: hij wil iets betekenen voor de mensen om hem heen. Het enige wat vanaf nu voor hem telt is de liefde voor zijn dierbaren, die hij lange tijd heeft verwaarloosd: zijn ouders, zijn briljante broer, zijn geliefde ex-vrouw en bovenal zijn van hem vervreemde zoon. Zal hij het ooit nog goed kunnen maken? Zal hij er eindelijk in slagen zinvolle relaties aan te knopen met de mensen om hem heen?

The debut novel from the bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love On two remote islands off the coast of Maine, the local lobstermen have fought savagely for generations over the fishing rights to the ocean waters between them. Young Ruth Thomas is born into this feud, the daughter of one of the greediest lobstermen in Maine. Eighteen years old, as smart as a whip, and irredeemably unromantic, Ruth returns home from boarding school determined to throw her education overboard and join the ‘stern-men’. As the feud escalates, she helps work the lobster boats, brushes up on her profanity, and eventually falls for a handsome young lobsterman. A funny, sparkling novel of unlikely friendships and family ties, Stern Men captures a feisty American spirit through this unforgettable heroine who is destined for greatness despite herself. Stern Men was a New York Times Notable Book.

Roadnovel over een 18-jarige jongen die samen met een vriend en een vriendin in een auto Amerika doorkruist, op zoek naar zijn onbekende vader.

Startlingly radical, dazzlingly witty, unlike anything that has come before - this is the most exciting novel you will read this year. `Nell Zink is a writer of extraordinary talent and range. Her work insistently raises the possibility that the world is larger and stranger than the world you think you know.' Jonathan Franzen

This novel features a woman who embarks on a transformative journey, challenging societal norms and expectations. With a blend of humor and tenderness, it explores themes of self-discovery and reinvention. The narrative is marked by the author's signature irreverent style, promising both laughter and poignant moments as the protagonist navigates her new path. Expect a compelling mix of wit and emotional depth in this literary work.

In the spring of her final year, Madeleine Hanna has enrolled in a semiotics course 'to see what all the fuss is about'. She falls in love with Leonard Bankhead - charismatic loner and college Darwinist - who introduces her to the ecstasies of immediate experience. Then Mitchell Grammaticus resurfaces, and wants her to be his wife.

The Circle ist das weltweit größte Internet Unternehmen – Google, Facebook, Apple und Twitter, alles in einem – und auf dem Weg, ein alles überwachendes Netz zu erschaffen. In dieses Unternehmen steigt die 24jährige Mae ein und lernt nach und nach die Machenschaften ihres Arbeitgebers kennen.

As summer 2004 ends, Archy Stallings and Nat Jaffe, longtime friends and co-owners of Brokeland Records, navigate life in the borderlands of Berkeley and Oakland. Their wives, Gwen and Aviva, are renowned midwives known as the Berkeley Birth Partners, who have welcomed countless new lives into their community centered around Brokeland, a unique blend of tavern and temple. When ex-NFL quarterback Gibson Goode, one of the wealthiest black men in America, plans to build a Dogpile megastore nearby, Nat and Archy fear for the future of their beloved record store. Simultaneously, Gwen and Aviva face challenges that threaten their professional lives and test their friendship. Complicating matters further is the unexpected arrival of Titus Joyner, Archy’s estranged teenage son, who is also the object of affection for fifteen-year-old Julius Jaffe. This intimate epic unfolds like a NorCal Middlemarch, infused with the rhythms of classic vinyl soul-jazz and a distinctive, vibrant narrative style. It captures the essence of friendship, community, and the trials of modern life, showcasing Michael Chabon's most dazzling storytelling yet.

The first nine months of Donald Trump's term were stormy, outrageous - and absolutely mesmerising. Now, thanks to his deep access to the West Wing, bestselling author Michael Wolff tells the riveting story of how Trump launched a tenure as volatile and fiery as the man himself. In this explosive book, Wolff provides a wealth of new details about the chaos in the Oval Office. Among the revelations: - What President Trump's staff really thinks of him - What inspired Trump to claim he was wire-tapped by President Obama - Why FBI director James Comey was really fired - Why chief strategist Steve Bannon and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner couldn't be in the same room - Who is really directing the Trump administration's strategy in the wake of Bannon's firing - What the secret to communicating with Trump is - What the Trump administration has in common with the movie The Producers Never before has a presidency so divided the American people. Brilliantly reported and astoundingly fresh, Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury shows us how and why Donald Trump has become the king of discord and disunion.

In a West Virginia girls' camp in July 1963, a group of children experience an unexpected rite of passage. "Shelter is an astonishing portrayal of an American loss of innocence as witnessed by a drifter named Parson, two young sisters, Lenny and Alma, and a feral boy. Like Buddy, the wide-eyed boy so at home in the natural bower of the forest, Lenny and Alma are forever transformed by violence, by family secrets, by surprising turns of love. What they choose to remember, what they meet within and around the boundaries of the camp, will determine the rest of their lives. In a leafy wilderness undiminished by societal rules and dilemmas, Lenny and Alma confront a terrible darkness and find in themselves a knowledge never lent to them by the adult world.

From internationally bestselling author Benedict Wells comes a sweeping, heartbreaking novel about friendship, memory, and the lives we never get to live. At eleven, Jules Moreau's world shatters when he loses his parents in a tragic accident. He and his siblings, Marty and Liz, are sent to a bleak boarding school, where they begin to drift apart. Marty immerses himself in academics, Liz seeks dark escapism, and Jules, once vibrant, becomes a shadow of his former self until he meets Alva. Shy and intelligent, Alva, hiding her own troubled past, helps Jules reconnect with himself through their shared love of books and writing. As their friendship deepens, Alva suddenly withdraws, leading them to separate paths after graduation. As adults, the siblings remain estranged, grappling with their identities. Jules feels lost, yearning to be a writer and to reconnect with Alva. When Liz hits rock bottom, the siblings begin to reunite, prompting Jules to reach out to Alva fifteen years after their last encounter. Invited to her home in Switzerland, Jules rekindles his passion for writing and their friendship. Just as life seems to align, the past resurfaces, reminding them of the unpredictable forces that shape their lives. This kaleidoscopic family saga meditates on memory's power and questions whether a lifetime spent running in the wrong direction could somehow lead to the right one.

Een ambitieuze oudere zakenman in het Amerikaanse Atlanta wordt geconfronteerd met corruptie, racisme en andere problemen die het hem niet makkelijk maken aan de top.

Man Booker Prize for Fiction - 2016 Winner. Born in the 'agrarian ghetto' of Dickens - on the southern outskirts of Los Angeles - the narrator of The Sellout is raised by his single father, a controversial sociologist, and spends his childhood as the subject in racially charged psychological studies.