Manon Smits Knihy

This breathtaking novel from a Booker-shortlisted, bestselling author weaves together the stories of a lost poem, two great rivers, and three remarkable lives, all linked by a single drop of water. In the ancient ruins of Nineveh, fragments of the Epic of Gilgamesh lie hidden in the sand. In Victorian London, a gifted child named Arthur, born on the banks of the Thames, escapes poverty through his exceptional memory. His talent earns him a place as an apprentice at a printing press, leading him to discover the book "Nineveh and Its Remains," which broadens his horizons. In 2014 Turkey, Narin, a Yazidi girl by the River Tigris, awaits baptism with water from the holy site of Lalish. Her ceremony is disrupted, forcing her and her grandmother to navigate war-torn lands to reach their sacred valley. In 2018 London, Zaleekhah, a hydrologist reeling from a broken marriage, moves onto a houseboat on the Thames. She anticipates a life devoid of love until an unexpected connection to her homeland transforms her perspective. This sweeping narrative spans centuries and cultures, exploring the enduring power of water: "Water remembers. It is humans who forget."

Young Arturo grows up in near-isolation on the island of Procida in the Bay of Naples. His mother died in childbirth and his wayward father, who left him as a child in the care of a servant on the island, returns only sporadically. Cut off from the island community, Arturo exists almost entirely in solitude: he roams the island with his beloved dog, sails in his boat and reads tales of virtuous heroes and adventurers whom he imagines resemble his father. The boy's world is upended when his father arrives from Naples with his new wife Nunziata, who at sixteen is only a few years older than Arturo. Their presence shatters his childhood idyll, awakening passionate feelings and drawing the family towards painful conflict

Marzo 1946. Su una lussuosa Aprilia con autista, Mrs. Giulia Masca fa ritorno a Borgo di Dentro: quarantasei anni prima, sola, incinta e senza soldi, aveva detto addio alle campagne piemontesi imbarcandosi su un piroscafo alla volta di New York. Nella filanda che l'ha vista operaia bambina il tempo dei geloni alle mani e delle guerre con i padroni si era compiuto e in mezzo alla folla di Manhattan, tra i grattacieli e il profumo di hot dog, per Giulia era iniziata una nuova vita: un marito titolare di un alimentari nel cuore di Little Italy, un figlio, un piccolo impero commerciale. L'America le aveva regalato il riscatto che aveva sempre sognato. Ma il passato la tormenta. Che ne è stato di sua madre Assunta? Dell'amica Anita Leone e della sua vivace famiglia di mezzadri? Che fine ha fatto Pietro Ferro, il fidanzato che Giulia ha abbandonato senza una parola di spiegazione quasi mezzo secolo prima? Mentre lei era lontana, le colline intorno al Borgo di Dentro e i suoi abitanti sono stati protagonisti di due guerre mondiali, dell'avvento del fascismo e della lotta per la liberazione. Di battaglie, di amori e di speranze. Quando Giulia torna in Italia, non può che guardare quei luoghi e quei volti con altri occhi se vuole chiudere i conti con il passato.

Fiorenzo, Mirko en Tiziana: drie levens die elkaar kruisen op een onwaarschijnlijke, desolate plek in de wereld: Muglione, in het Toscaanse binnenland, een streek van werkeloosheid en stilstaande wateren. Het is de plek waar Fiorenzo al jong zijn moeder verloor, waar Tiziana naar terugkeert vanuit Berlijn en waar Mirko voorbestemd lijkt voor een grote fietstoekomst.

In Odessa, Ukraine, Daria, a whip-smart engineer, spends her days underemployed as a secretary - a job she was lucky to get in this rotten economy. She spends her evenings moonlighting as an interpreter at an agency that matches lonely American men with beautiful-but-broke Ukrainian women. She spends her nights wondering if there is more. When an American client offers marriage and a one-way ticket out of poverty, Daria jumps at the chance.

The book has garnered attention from the New York Times Book Review, indicating its significance in contemporary literature. It explores complex themes and features well-developed characters, drawing readers into a compelling narrative. The author's unique voice and perspective offer fresh insights, making it a noteworthy addition to the literary landscape. The work promises to engage audiences with its thought-provoking content and emotional depth.

V románe sa opisuje život protagonistu Ultima Pariho, s ktorým sa čitateľ stretáva už ako s malým chlapcom. Žije na dedine na severe Talianska začiatkom 20. storočia a jeho osud sledujeme až do 60. rokov. Príbeh tvorí hlučný príchod prvých automobilov, vášeň k motorom a automobilovým pretekom, zvláštny vzťah syna a otca, kruté udalosti prvej svetovej vojny, príbeh lásky, ktorý sa nezačal a nikdy sa neskončí a živí sa iba náznakmi a stopami. Román, ktorý používa rozličné rozprávačské štýly a registre, je plný napätia, prekvapenia a hrôzy.

Leo je obyčajný šestnásťročný tínedžer, ktorý miluje futbal, gitaru a jazdenie na mopede. Svet vidí vo farbách. Biela je ticho, samota, prázdno… Za to červená úsvit, búrka, láska. A láska sa pre Lea rovná Beatrice – zelenooká červenovláska, ktorá študuje na rovnakej škole. Je jedným z mála dôvodov, prečo školu ako-tak zvláda. Inak je pre neho stratou času… totálna biela. Jeho letargiu a pohodlie naruší až suplujúci učiteľ, ktorý svoju prácu berie vážne. Vďaka nemu sa prvýkrát začína vážne zamýšľať nad tým, čo má v živote zmysel a ako nájsť a nasledovať svoje sny. Leovým snom je Beatrice, no všetky jeho nádeje sa zrútia vo chvíli, keď do jej života vstúpi choroba. Dokáže Leo v náročnom období svojho dospievania objaviť cenu utrpenia a význam skutočného priateľstva? Nájde odpovede na otázky, pri ktorých dospelí strácajú reč a dokonca aj internetový vyhľadávač sa zafarbí na bielo?

Nadat hij het Rijk van de Boselfen heeft bevrijd van de boosaardige macht van de Heksenkoningin, vervolgt Saturno zijn reis naar andere rijken die nog onder het juk van de Duistere Macht leven. Verzegeld door de machtige tovenaar Stellarius en zijn onafscheidelijke vrienden Regulus, Spica en Robinia bereikt de elf het Rijk van de Smidskabouters. Daar hebben de Snodo's, gemene aardmannetjes die een bondgenootschap hebben gesloten met de heksen, het trotse kaboutervolk onderworpen aan hun macht. Ook hebben ze de mijnen ingenomen waar hesperius wordt gedolven, een kostbaar metal waarmee de onoverwinnelijke harnassen van de Ridders zonder Hart worden gesmeed. De elfen weten onopgemerkt binnen te glippen in de stad Schonerots, en van daaruit zullen ze de kabouters helpen om de Snodo's te verslaan en de edelsteen van de eeuwenoude Betoverde Poort terug te vinden. Maar dan is de missie van Saturno nog niet voorbij: hij zal nog heel wat gevaren moeten trotseren want hij is de uitverkorene, de enige die de Zwarte Koningin kan verslaan en die de vrede kan herstellen in heel Fantasia.