"In a village in a medieval fiefdom buffeted by natural disasters, a motherless shepherd boy finds himself the unlikely pivot of a power struggle that puts all manner of faith to a savage test, in a spellbinding novel that represents Ottessa Moshfegh's most exciting leap yet Little Marek, the abused and delusional son of the village shepherd, never knew his mother; his father told him she died in childbirth. One of life's few consolations for Marek is his enduring bond with the blind village midwife, Ina, who suckled him when he was a baby, as she did so many of the village's children. Ina's gifts extend beyond childcare: she possesses a unique ability to communicate with the natural world. Her gift often brings her the transmission of sacred knowledge on levels far beyond those available to other villagers, however religious they might be. For some people, Ina's home in the woods outside of the village is a place to fear and to avoid, a godless place. Among their number is Father Barnabas, the town priest and lackey for the depraved lord and governor, Villiam, whose hilltop manor contains a secret embarrassment of riches. The people's desperate need to believe that there are powers that be who have their best interests at heart is put to a cruel test by Villiam and the priest, especially in this year of record drought and famine. But when fate brings Marek into violent proximity to the lord's family, new and occult forces upset the old order. By year's end, the veil between blindness and sight, life and death, the natural world and the spirit world, will prove to be very thin indeed"--

Jamal and Bibi have a dream to lead Australia to football glory in the next World Cup. But first they must face landmines, pirates, storms and assassins.

Can it really be true that there's an ancient curse on the town of Lamonic Bibber? And you guessed it, that old roo-de-lally Mr Gum and his trusty sidekick Billy William the Third have something to do with it.

This is what happened during Little Lunch: Debra-Jo began acting very weird after a mysterious truck arrived at school, Rory was put in charge of the class when playlunch was rained out, and Tamara Noodle started a game of kiss-chasey just so she could chase and kiss Battie. A lot can happen in fifteen minutes!

Larkswood House. The very name suggests birdsong, peace and elegance. It is home to the Hamilton children - Edward, Cynthia and Harriet - who enjoy the freedom and excitement of privilege. But in the glorious summer of 1896, with absent parents and a departed governess, disaster strikes the family, leaving it cruelly divided. More than 40 years later, on the eve of the Second World War, Louisa Hamilton, newly presented at court but struck down with glandular fever, is sent to Larkswood to recuperate. There, for the first time, she meets her grandfather, Edward, home after decades in India. But as Louisa begins to fall under the spell of Larkswood, she realises it holds the key to the mystery that shattered her family two generations before. Will she find the courage to unravel the dark secrets of the past?

For Dick and Tammy, life was a struggle. With both finances and marriage failing Tammy turns to a family friend, Adam, for support when she realizes that baby Richard is not responding as he should. They are devastated to learn that baby Richard is severely deaf. Will this be the final straw, or will their love for their son keep Dick and Tammy together?

Gina and Charles Martin are young and passionately in love. Their marriage is perfect until Gina learns that she cannot have children. Her husband's failure to understand the effect this has on her precipitates a need for a baby which grows into an obsession. Gradually the young couple's relationship deteriorates until they are little more than strangers and their intense love little more than a memory. Gina hopes first to adopt a baby, then to foster a child, before she seeks a solution outside the law, leading to an unexpected and moving conclusion.