‘This moment is perfect.’
When Michelle meets Jonny for the first time, she thinks he is an odd and strange character. She finds him guarded, difficult to read, unpredictable, and temperamental. He isn’t impressed with her either. He thinks of her as childish and annoying, with a lot of growing up to do. They both don’t like each other and struggle to get on because they are very different. But as spring turns into summer, they warm up to each other and go camping in New Forest together. During their adventure, they start to open up and become friends. A mutual level of care, respect, and trust develops between them.
They grow closer.
Feelings deepen.
Then, in a sudden twist of fate, they have to separate.
‘Come on, Seashell, be strong,’ is the last thing she hears him say. And then, just like that, he is gone.
Will they end up together?
Journey into the heart of captivating and quirky Brighton, in the south of England, with Pickle Mist—a tale inspired by a true story of two strangers meeting and finding themselves helplessly swept up into the currents of the universe.
LET ME TELL YOU A SECRET.
Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs. You either know one, are related to one, want to be one, or are one. OFWs are so ubiquitous to the Philippines that we think we’re familiar with the kind of lives they lead. We presume we know who they are, what they’re like, or perhaps even what secrets they keep. But do we?
From mananangals to aswangs, engkantos to mambabarangs, oryols to andudunongs, and even the great Bakunawa—The Secret Lives of OFWs follows eight different stories of Filipino migrant workers who happen to be supernaturals. Forced to embark on their own migratory sojourns to seek a better life and provide for their loved ones, these stories delve into the struggles faced by OFWs and their families—and how even feared creatures of Philippine folklore are not spared from the hardships of the diaspora.
This collection tells moving narratives of love and resilience. Of enduring against the monstrosity of abuse, assault, isolation and fractured family dynamics. A speculative exploration that answers the question: can the horrors and challenges of the Filipino migration experience surpass even the darkest realms of the supernatural?
“If one is strong, one loves the more strongly.”
Set in 19th century, Isabel Archer is a spirited, intelligent and independent young American woman who inherits a fortune and embarks on a journey to Europe.
She always believed she’d live life on her own terms and ‘affront her destiny.’ However, during her travel, she realizes that an enduring relationship and a woman’s sense of self don’t go hand in hand. She had various encounters with suitors and manipulative individuals, including the enigmatic and cunning Gilbert Osmond, which challenged her idealistic notions. Isabel though stood fast on her believes and always chose herself first.
Through Isabel’s story we are compelled to wonder, should love to be this complicated? And more importantly, why are women, who are layered and complexed individuals, reduced to such singular roles?
The Portrait of a Lady is a deeply moving, romantic and sensitive story reflecting complex human emotions which will resonate with all readers alike.
‘To love another person is to see the face of God.’
How crushing and dizzying the hunger must be, that you’re led to steal a bite of bread only to pay for it with your entire life.
Jean Valjean, an ex-convict who is released from prison after serving nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread. Struggling to find redemption and live an honest life, he is constantly pursued by the relentless Inspector Javert. On this journey he meets Fantine, a woman who is forced to sell her hair and her teeth to support her daughter, Cosette. Both Valjean and a young student Maris are in love with Cosette, but their lives require bigger miracles, and this is a tiny problem.
But love is their saviour, Valjean’s love for Cosette helps him to find redemption, and Marius’s love for Cosette helps him to find courage.
Les Misérables is a complex story that displays how unequal wealth dictates lives, and the power of love.
‘I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.’
Their father is at war, no one knows when he’ll be back. The four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, with their Marmee set out to live a life which is full of gratitude, love, compassion, and family.
Jo March is rebellious and creative, Meg longs for a marriage and home of her own, Beth has the softest heart whose tunes can be heard in the angelic music she plays, and Amy dreams of a refined existence and home.
They face trials on the daily basis as women living alone in the 19th century, but with compassion, love and the spirit to find joy in the smallest chores, they make every day a celebration.
Marmee fills their lives with wisdom as underneath the joy they are all nursing a deep ache.
Little women is a heartwarming, sensitive and inspiring story of female strength, compassion and their ability to spread love.
“Know your own happiness. You want nothing but patience – or give it a more fascinating name, call it hope.”
Does one love from the heart or see the merit of someone’s love through their mind?
Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are two sisters navigating the challenges of romance and societal expectations. Elinor represents the ‘sense’, personifying rationality and practicality. Marianne, on the other hand is governed by her emotions and spontaneity. The sisters’ differing approaches to life and love make a heartwarming narrative through which the story explores relationships, love, family and the idea of self.
Elinor’s practicality is tested as she conceals her true feelings for Edward Ferrars, while Marianne’s open-hearted sensibility leads her into a passionate and potentially risky romance with the dashing John Willoughby.
Which will prove to be the best route to love, caution and mindfulness, or complete abandon and surrender to one’s feelings?
“You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope… I have loved none but you.”
The power of sincere love often brings miraculous second chances.
Anne Elliot, a thoughtful and introspective woman initially rejects the marriage proposal of Captain Frederick Wentworth eight years earlier. Anne, secretly harbouring affection for Frederick, regrets this decision taken under the influence of her family.
One fine day Frederick re-enters Anne’s life as a successful naval officer, now she grapples again with her desires and the opinions of others.
Captain Frederick Wentworth an honourable man, has hopeful and lingering affection for Anne, but won’t persuade her with tricks but only his character.
Will the power of Frederick’s love and sincerity win? Will Anne be able to look past society’s expectations and follow her heart?
“She wanted something else…something better. Passion and perfection were out there somewhere. All she had to do was find them.”
Emma Bovary is a young woman who wants a life complete opposite to that which she lives, every day for her is a reminder of that perfection seeking her elsewhere. Her marriage to Charles Bovary, a kind but dull country doctor, falls short of her fantasies.
As Emma becomes increasingly depressed with her reality, she embarks on a series of adulterous affairs, seeking the fulfilment that eludes her. The elegant prose of the writing perfectly shows Emma’s inner turmoil and the stark contrast between her illusions and the harsh realities of life.
Will Emma be proven right in her quest? Or will she ultimately learn that satisfaction only comes from within, and our circumstances are ultimately nothing but perception.
“The soul, fortunately, has an interpreter – often an unconscious but still a faithful interpreter – in the eye.”
Jane Eyre, a simple and solid young woman, grew from an orphaned child to a responsible adult with an immense sense of independence and self-worth. With the ambition to work as a house manager she reached Thornfield Hall.
As fate would have it, she falls in love with her handsome, quiet and intimidating employer Edward Rochester. Jane brings to Edward a sense of calmness and being at home, which his mansion could never give him. But their happiness is threatened by a terrible secret that Rochester is hiding. Edward Rochester passionately in love with Jane, is haunted by his past.
When the truth comes out will Edward be able to save their love, keep Jane from leaving? Can Jane learn to trust the love, and that newfound home will be hers forever?
A Rei of Sunshine is a coming-of-age tale that weaves together the threads of two former lovers separated by circumstance over many years. When the recently divorced Ari receives an invitation from Fyra to attend her wedding, he jumps on the chance. But as Ari arrives at the wedding, all is not as it seems, and he is catapulted into what he already knew would be a difficult and complicated situation.
With the addition of a mysterious dream world and strange occurrences happening around Fyra’s daughter Rei, it seems that where Ari’s found himself is even more supernaturally complex than he can comprehend.
