Showing titles in Classics & Allegories

Overtired, overworked, and increasingly irritable, Ester Ried has been relying solely on her own dwindling strength, hoping desperately for a day that might bring change. Inadvertently neglecting her walk with God, she finds herself not only unhappy, but also to be spreading that unhappiness to those around her. Upon receiving a letter from her wealthy cousin inviting her to visit, Ester is finally able to experience change in her life. This begins a course that alters more than she ever dreamed.

This Yuletide collection of stories, poems, and essays has been rescued from obscurity by the editor, who has also edited and annotated them to make these wonderful classics more easily accessible to modern listeners. While some of these authors may be unknown to you, their works have been included in this collection because of their capacity to instantly intrigue and delight. Give them a try, and don't be surprised if a few of them make their way onto your list of all-time personal Christmas favorites!

Alice Augustine runs the oldest bookstore in the historic district of Natchitoches and believes technology is the root of most problems. If only more people would turn off the TV and shut down the computer, the world wouldn't be in the mess it's in. She wishes she could get the teens she loves to step away from the screens and hold on to their Creole culture. The only person who seems to understand her passion for classic literature is the mysterious website owner, Browning Wordsworth Keats.

Two men sit in a twenty-four hour diner discussing Life, Death, Redemption and...pie.

Liz Benjamin has lost her place in the world. With her closest friends both preoccupied by a sport she has no interest in and her father having recently remarried a woman she loathes, it's enough to make Liz pack her bags and leave Anchorage for good. That is, until a handsome stranger arrives in town and starts asking all the wrong questions. Investigative reporter Dorian Whitley is on the verge of a career-making discovery. But he hadn't counted on a beautiful, spirited, infuriating woman thwarting him at every turn. Could she somehow be the key to uncovering his story?

Stone the builder who erects a house that falls on its occupants. Sever the hands of the criminal who pilfers livestock or grain or another's garment. Whip the child who defies an elder. For such is the law and the law must be obeyed. For generations, these ironclad rules had governed the people. Nobody ques-tioned whether it was right to humiliate a child or execute a murderer. An eye for an eye was the way of the world. But was there another way?

In the midst of long-held secrets, extramarital affairs, and addictions, a supernatural force visits the small community of Holly and awakens hearts that were once threatened by destruction. The trials of life chose their victims at random. Lies knew no boundaries. And neither did the grace of God. An unseen presence pursued the resurrection of the dead and the sight of the blind. Local pastor, Dylan Vanberg, battles his own torment as he comes to realize the power of grace while the town newspaper reporter, Jackson Sawyer, begins to understand the power of words.

As a guide, Luke has helped countless new arrivals journey from the old train station in the valley to the city beyond, in a strange and wondrous land. Once a new arrival himself, he aids visitors in healing old wounds and confronting life’s greatest mysteries while awaiting a long-lost friend. When an elderly woman named Anna arrives, familiar yet unknown, Luke embarks on what will be his final journey as a guide, unaware of the profound connection about to unfold. The Ones We Wait For is a novel about loss, love, faith, and heaven.

Kahlil Gibran was a profound Lebanese-American poet, philosopher, and artist whose work transcended cultural boundaries and touched the hearts and minds of millions worldwide. Born on January 6, 1883, in the mountain village of Bsharri, in what was then part of the Ottoman Empire (now Lebanon), he rose to become one of the most influential literary figures of the 20th century. His profound prose had impacted the lives of countless people, and his works have never been out of print.

Watson is stunned that his sister abandoned her family and joined the enemy. So, even as she accepts defeat, he’s determined to overcome every obstacle and stage a daring rescue. But as he and his friends stride forth, powerful foes send epic floods to drown all hope. Abigail knows she made a terrible mistake and fights to escape the tainted paradise strangling her soul. But just when freedom seems within reach, the rescue effort takes a catastrophic turn.

Bob Noone and his dog, Blink, are happy to be off the streets. They refuse to be intimidated by the bizarre happenings taking place inside their new home. However, when patches of eerie fog appear out of nowhere, hovering heavily over random guests, Bob asks God to reveal the meaning behind the foggy mist that comes and goes. Bob is astonished as the spiritual unrest soon reveals a gift only God can give.

A revolution in heaven ignites before the creation of man.

He's given up on love. She's a romance writer. When they are thrown together at a cottage on the beach, will love bloom or sparks fly? Justin and Ava must decide if it's time to create their own fairy tale ending, even if it's not real. A fictional relationship for two people who are ready to escape reality sounds like the perfect plan, until it isn't. Real feelings can get hurt, even when you're fake dating someone. Image isn't everything, and Ava and Justin have to choose. Is love real, or make believe?

Millions of readers around the world have followed the story of the gentle wood-carver and carpenter who was first introduced in 1983 in Joseph Girzone’s beloved parable, Joshua. In Joshua's Family, Girzone travels back in time, painting a captivating portrait of the mother and father who nurtured Joshua, and of the friends and neighbors who viewed the unusually precocious child with an uneasy balance of wonder and skepticism.

There is a deep, rich vein of spirituality running through The Scribe, a novel that resurrects the life of Luke the Evangelist. After the crucifixion of Jesus, in its immediate aftermath, a young widower and member of the Sanhedrin becomes disillusioned with the high priests and begins to adopt a Christian way of thinking. Forced to leave Jerusalem, he finds himself in a time that heralded the birth of the gospels.

In this allegorical short story, Nathaniel Hawthorne parodies John Bunyan’s famous book, The Pilgrim’s Progress. Rather than take the long and arduous road to the Celestial City, Hawthorne’s narrator hops on the express train to paradise. As he gets closer to his destination, however, he realizes that the clever-talking Mr. Smooth-It-Away may not be who he claims. While a caricature of Bunyan’s original tale, “The Celestial Railroad” ultimately drives home a similar point: there is no easy road to Heaven, so tough it out on the straight and narrow.

With a vast and callous army pressing down on them fast, there is nowhere else for Desire and the other Young Revolutionaries to run. Her situation is desperate. This is not how her journey is supposed to end, certainly not before it has even truly begun. The legend is strong. Desire knows it offers escape and hope. More than that, it promises fullness and abundance. That is, after all, why she set out. But what will Desire do when faced with the choice of pursuing her dreams when some close to her stop and settle?

Come meet John the Apostle. You may know he was the last living apostle of Jesus. You may know he was exiled on Patmos where he composed the Book of Revelation. But, that was just part of his story. Author David Stoeckl created a compelling and entertaining story to bring you into the Christian church near the end of the first century AD. After 2 failed execution attempts by Cæsar Domitian, Jesus’ last living apostle was sentenced to arduous labor in a penal colony on a remote Greek island.

"Through Santa's Eyes" is the best-selling autobiographical account of Coz Green's experience of becoming "Santa Coz," a real-life Santa Claus who embodies the spirit of Christmas year-round. The book chronicles his journey from a personal crisis to a call from Santa Claus, urging him to embrace the "Be Less Selfish, Be More Elfish" message and spread it globally. This message emphasizes love, service, and giving as the true spirit of Christmas, encouraging listeners to cultivate these values throughout their lives.

The year is 2056, and at age 43, Paul “ProV” Player has lost his way. His dreams of being a star on the PGA tour are gone. His ex-wives and two kids don’t much like him. He has run out of money and friends. Except one man, Lucas Friend, who invites ProV to Scotland for his first experience with links golf. Both of them get more than they ever imagined. A mysterious Voice in the Dornoch Cathedral says there may be a “wisdom in the sand” which could change everything.