Family Life Classics

Tommy is four years old, and he loves visiting the home of his grandmother, Nana Downstairs, and his great-grandmother, Nana Upstairs. But one day Tommy's mother tells him Nana Upstairs won't be there anymore, and Tommy must struggle with saying good-bye to someone he loves. This classic story will continue to win the hearts of listeners of all ages.

A heartwarming classic tale that has been enjoyed by generations of children and adults alike, Heidi tells the story of a young orphan whose innocent and boundless love transforms the lives of all she encounters. Having to adapt to new and uncomfortable surroundings more often than most by her age, Heidi finds joy in the mundane, beauty in the outcasts, and hope in the most dismal of situations.

Mary Lennox is sent to Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire England after her parents die from Cholera. Also living in the manor house is her sickly cousin Colin, who is every bit as spoiled as she. Mary and Colin are like two peas in a pod, closed up in a gloomy old manor on the Yorkshire moors, until a secret garden captures their imaginations. As spring brings new life to the Earth, Mary and Colin's sour natures begin to change.

Spinky is convinced that his family hates him and goes off to sulk in his hammock. His brother and sister try to make amends. His mom even brings him a beautiful tray of food. But nothing can get Spinky to stop sulking - not even a circus passing by on his street! Will Spinky ever cheer up?

Anne Shirley has come a long way since her days as a mischievous orphan living in the house at Green Gables. She is now 18 and headed to faraway Redmond College in Kingsport. Anne's college years are sure to be full of fun, but they will also be a time for soul-searching and big decisions. When her longtime friend Gilbert Blythe proposes, Anne feels they can never be more than friends. But is her new admirer, the handsome and wealthy Roy Gardner, really the man of her dreams?

In this classic story, first published in 1906, a false accusation places the father in jail, leaving his wife and three children on their own. Circumstances force mother and the children to leave their ideal life in London to live near a train station in a rustic cottage. As the good natured children work to rescue their father, they befriend and help others along the way.

The only friend Emmie Hatton has ever had at the Craven Home for Orphaned Children is Lucy, the little black kitten that visits her on the fire escape every day. But when the children of Craven Home are evacuated out of London because of the war, heartbroken Emmie is forced to leave sweet Lucy behind. The children are sent to Misselthwaite Manor, a countryside mansion full of countless dusty rooms and a kind, if busy, staff. Emmie even finds a gruff gardener and an inquisitive little robin that just might become new friends.

Wenn ein großer Intellektueller wie Walter Benjamin über das frühe Werk eines 27-jährigen Schriftstellers sagt, er habe eines der "allerbesten Bücher des Jahrhunderts" verfasst, muss das schon etwas heißen: In einer kleinen Villa in der französischen Provinz wächst Adrienne Mesurat mit ihrer todkranken Schwester bei ihrem herrischen Vater auf. Ihr Alltag ist minutiös getaktet, kleinste Regelverstöße werden vom Vater unerbittlich geahndet. Eines Nachts stößt sie ihn von der Treppe in den Tod. Doch auch dieser Befreiungsakt kann Adrienne nicht retten. Julien Greens 1927 veröffentlichte Tragödie wird meisterlich gelesen von Udo Samel.

If you're a fan of mid-19th Century melodramas with many twists and turns you will love this book. Acclaimed as Holmes greatest commercial success the charming heroine of this tale is Lena Rivers whose mother died when she was a baby. The father is unknown, and she is brought up by her grandparents in the New England mountains. When the grandfather dies, she and her grandmother are uprooted to live with her uncle in Kentucky. His wealthy wife and 3 spoiled children are not at all happy about taking in these poor relations and do all they can to make them feel unwelcome.

Howard's End is about three families in England at the beginning of the twentieth century. The three families represent different gradations of the Edwardian middle class: the Wilcoxes, who are rich capitalists with a fortune made in the Colonies; the half-German Schlegel siblings (Margaret, Tibby, and Helen), who represent the intellectual bourgeoisie and have a lot in common with the real-life Bloomsbury Group; and the Basts, a couple who are struggling members of the lower-middle class. The Schlegel sisters try to help the poor Basts and try to make the Wilcoxes less prejudiced.

Um die Gerüchte zu verdrängen, dass seine geliebte Tochter Klara in der fernen Stadt auf die schiefe Bahn geraten sei, erfindet Jan Andersson eine wahnhafte Scheinwelt: Dort ist die Tochter eine Kaiserin, er selbst der "Kaiser von Portugallien". Als Klara nach fünfzehn Jahren in die Heimat zurückkehrt, erträgt sie ihren geisteskranken Vater nicht – ein Familiendrama beginnt. Es sind Romane wie dieser, mit denen Selma Lagerlöf berühmt wurde. 1909 erhielt sie als erste Frau den Literaturnobelpreis.

Pubblicato a Zurigo nel 1880, Heidi è un tipico romanzo di formazione la cui protagonista, rimasta orfana in tenera età, viene affidata da una zia alle cure del nonno paterno, il burbero e misantropo Zio dell'Alpe che si è ritirato a vivere in una baita alpina. Tra le alpi svizzere la bambina cresce libera e spensierata fino al giorno in cui la zia viene a riprenderla per affidarla ad una ricca famiglia di Francoforte la cui figlia, Clara, è immobilizzata su di una sedia a rotelle. Le bambine diventano subito molto amiche.

The book opens with Neville celebrating her 43rd birthday and contemplating middle age now that her children are grown. Her mother, in her 60s, seeks answers to her melancholy in Freudianism. Her sister, Nan, a writer who has hitherto led a single and carefree life in London, experiences the loss of love and with it her plan for the future. And Neville's principled daughter, Gerda, who is determined not to follow her mother's generation into the institute of marriage, finds herself at an impasse with the man she loves.

“To help mother”: that was the goal of each and every one of the five Pepper children. Yet even as “Mamsie” struggles hard to feed and educate her brood, she still manages to fill the house with joy. The adventures of this poor but loving family - Ben, Polly, Joel, Davie, and the adored youngest, Phronsie - have charmed young listeners for more than a century. Overflowing with warmth, suspense, and many delightful surprises, this classic remains as compelling as ever.

Better known for her novels Little Women and Little Men, Louisa May Alcott continues the story of her feisty protagonist Jo in this final novel chronicling the adventures and misadventures of the March family. Entertaining, surprising, and overall a joy to hear, Jo's Boys is nevertheless shaded by a bittersweet tone, for with it Alcott brought her wonderful series to an end.

Jane, ich begehre von Ihnen, daß Sie mein Weib werden; nur Sie beabsichtige ich zu heiraten...

За миниатюру Гольбейна, известную как Дама с букетом гвоздик, разворачивается настоящее сражение на лондонском аукционе. Кэтрин Лоример удается обойти соперников, однако вместо триумфа она чувствует тревогу и опустошенность. Затея с миниатюрой — это огромная авантюра, и если она не удастся, Кэтрин окажется на грани разорения. К тому же Кэтрин одинока: самый дорогой ей человек, племянница, вскоре выйдет замуж и покинет ее. Портрет красивой, но несчастной женщины завораживает новую владелицу… Но не случится ли так, что она сама повторит судьбу гольбейновской модели?

Ethan Frome (1911), relata la vida de un hombre rodeado de condiciones adversas que demuestran su amargo destino. Él se convierte en un fantasma viviente que deambula su pena por el pueblo de Starkfield. Ethan se encuentra atrapado en un matrimonio sin amor y resignado a su aciaga existencia, hasta la llegada de la prima de su esposa, Mattie Silver, a quien comienza a amar en silencio. En 1993 se realizó una adaptación cinematográfica con el mismo título, protagonizada por el actor Liam Neeson.

Uno dei grandi romanzi di Dickens, scritto tra il 1855 e il 1857, pubblicato in fascicoli mensili Esso è diviso in due libri: Povertà, in cui si parla delle misere condizioni della famiglia Dorrit, la cui madre è morta e il padre è in carcere per debiti, e della bontà della piccola Amy; compare inoltre tutta una folla di piccoli personaggi, seconda la tradizione di Dickens, che si ritroveranno poi nel corso di tutto il libro.

Isabel Archer is a young American orphan who receives an inheritance from an uncle. Taken under her aunt's wings, she meets Madame Merle, her aunt's worldly friend, who instills in Isabel a sense of European sophistication, a trait that comes to overpower her own common sense. Isabel marries widower Gilbert Osmond, who projects refined tastes and intellectual detachment. Isabel is utterly captivated by Osmond's languid charm, and he is thrilled to have his superior prize.