Showing results by narrator "Cindy Hardin Killavey" in All Categories

This superlative work by Sarah Orne Jewett, a late 19th century writer, shows great literary skill, artistry and charm. The Country of the Pointed Firs depicts the close personal and family relationships in a small New England village. In its appreciation of the natural beauty and restorative powers of a small community, it is similar to Thoreau's Walden.

Lewis Carroll was a minister in the Church of England and a Professor of Mathematics at Christ Church College. In his diary he described "An expedition up the river to Godstowe with the three Liddells", daughters of the college Dean, "on which occasion I told them the fairy tale of 'Alice's Adventures Underground', which I undertook to write out for Alice".

Washington Irving was an American author of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories, with his two most famous being "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip van Winkle".

O. Henry wrote many stories, but this, the story of two "ultimate gifts", is his most famous.

In this story, an old witch takes pity on a poor soldier and gives him a box with remarkable powers. As a result, he has many astounding adventures.

Guy de Maupassant is considered one of the fathers of the modern short story as well as one of the form's finest writers. His stories are characterized by their economy of style and efficient, seemingly effortless dénouements

This is the timeless tale of Dorothy and her friends, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, and the Cowardly Lion, in the enchanting land of OZ. Those who have only seen the movie are in for a real treat, as much of the book did not make it into the classic 1939 film.

A Christmas Carol is undoubtedly the most famous supernatural story in English. However, it was not the only supernatural story of the season that Charles Dickens wrote. In Victorian England, Christmas was the time to explore the supernatural in stories, and Charles Dickens was one of the best at it. Included in this volume are a full-cast dramatization of A Christmas Carol, plus three more of Dickens' best stories of the season.

In this story, the friendship between a young German girl and a mysterious French prisonero pen a world of possibilities for them both. When a mysterious prisoner arrives at her father's post young Gretchen's life is changed forever. What shadowy figure protects the mysterious prisoner from harm? Little Gretchen believes she knows and the thought of it opens her mind to the belief that love and loyalty can live beyond the grave.

Hester Prynne commits adultery in a Puritan settlement and, as a result, is "branded" for the rest of her life by having to wear a scarlet letter "A" on her breast. Throughout the story, a complex relationship develops between Hester, her lover, her husband, and her daughter.

"The Lady, or the Tiger?" (1882) is about a man sentenced to an unusual punishment for having a romance with a king's beloved daughter. Taken to the public arena, he is faced with two doors, behind one of which is a hungry tiger that will devour him. Behind the other is a beautiful lady-in-waiting, whom he will have to marry, if he finds her.

Everyone knows about Santa Claus of course and his wonderful trip around the world on the night before Christmas. But what about his early life? Where was he born? What was he like as a youth? How did he come to be such a wonderful toymaker? When did he start using the Reindeer? And, most importantly, how has he been able to live so very long?

In this delightful tale, three animals who have been cast out by their masters, a dog, a cat, a rooster and a donkey decide to form a musical group together.Their first "concert" turns out to be not what they expeced when they run into a gang of criminals.

Lady Susan, a clever and ruthless widow, determines that her shy and intimidated teenaged daughter will going to marry a man whom both detest but who will make a good financial "catch". Lady Susan sets her own sights on her sister-in-law's brother, all the while keeping an old affair simmering on the back burner.

Oscar Wilde was one of the most versatile writers who ever lived. He wrote classic plays, including The Importance of Being Ernest; one wildly popular and influential novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray; and a number of inventive and moving stories in The Happy Prince and Other Tales.

Stories included in this volume are: "The Nightingale and the Rose", "The Devoted Friend", "The Happy Prince", "The Remarkable Rocket", and "The Selfish Giant".

A king, a queen, a baby's christening, an overlooked guest and a curse. Author George McDonald takes the classic motiff and turns it on it's ear when the newborn princess loses....her gravity!

Rip Van Winkle was known as a good neighbor, a friend to animals and children, and a regular as the discussions held at the town tavern. His sudden disappearance causes consternation in the small town. Where did he go? What happened to him? When a lean, white bearded old man appears 20 years later, claiming to be Rip, he has a tale to tell that is quite incredible.

Here is Twain's humorous, but also touching, look at Adam and Eve, in which he presents two very different interpretations of Eden.

"The Adventure of the Speckled Band" is the 8th of 12 stories collected in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. It was originally published in Strand Magazine in 1892. Doyle thought that this was his best Holmes story. In fact, he thought so much of it that he wrote and produced a play based on the story. The play, originally called "The Stonor Case," differed from the story in several details but was essentially the same.

Dot and the Kangaroo, written in 1899, is a children's book by Ethel C. Pedley about a little girl named Dot who gets lost in the Australian outback and is eventually befriended by a group of marsupials.