NCW Libraries

Classic tales of changing lives and loves from one of Russia's greatest playwrights, a master of the modern short story. Morality, philosophy, and science merge in "The Duel," the classic tale of transformation in which educated Russian aristocrat Ivan Andreitch Laevsky falls in love with the married Nadya Fyodorovna and runs off to the Black Sea with her. As their passion wanes, Nadya turns to other men for comfort, while Ivan indulges in heavy...

At Mouse's house, Elliot the elephant finds more than a friend--he finds a family.

Undine Spragg is a beautiful and ambitious, yet vain and socially dense young woman with dreams of marrying a rich man. Hoping for a life of prominence and luxury, Undine convinces her family to relocate to New York. The Spragg family, who have earned their modest wealth from shady practices, are happy to accommodate Undine's request. When Undine meets Ralph Marvell, an aspiring poet from a family of old New York high society, she is determined to...

A group of Chinese rural women who want to get rid of difficulties, after entering the city, something unexpected happened... It takes Zheng Jinhua, a rural woman in Fujian and eastern Fujian as the main line. It tells about her experiences when she was young, after marriage and "working in the city", and describes her tragic childhood, humiliating youth, difficult marriage, and emotional life. At the same time, it depicts the fate of 12 rural...

Shadows of Deception is a gripping tale of love, danger, and deceit set in a conservative society. The story follows Trudy, who holds a flash drive containing secrets that bind her to Wambui, the woman she secretly loves. As Juma, an informant, calls for police backup to dismantle Mzee's drug empire, the guests inside the mansion are lost in their own web of deceit. Aisha's guilt and Katana's desperation to escape poverty add to the tension, while...

New York City is unique, vibrant, exciting and a melting pot of cultures and values. But sometimes, living in the Big Apple can lead to twists, turns, and unexpected outcomes. The Big Apple Bites Back portrays life in NYC-the people, neighborhoods, the workplace, dashed dreams, and life on the street. The stories attempt to capture the city's spirit, with tales about how things occasionally go awry and how even the unexpected can enliven...

Dive deep into the vibrant and multifaceted world of the German language, framed by everyday situations that are both relatable and intriguing. This carefully curated reader is designed for students at the B1 level and is brimming with tales that revolve around common scenarios like visits to the post office, airports, restaurants, and much more.Set in diverse locales from bustling Berlin cafes to the serene landscapes of Salzburg, each chapter offers...

Los personajes de esta historia se aferran a la amistad en un mundo que les ha arrebatado su futuro, mientras habitan una Barcelona vibrante donde predominan las drogas, la violencia y los desafíos psicológicos. La protagonista enfrenta el desafío de amar a Lorena porque, al contrario de lo que imagina, el amor a los veinte no es un cuento de hadas, sino una herida abierta que supura celos, abandono y frustraciones. Con un ritmo vertiginoso y una...

Latchkey Ladies opens in 1918 in the Mimosa Club, a women's hostel in central London where young women office workers and ladies on declining incomes find refuge from the tedium of war work and the chilliness of impending poverty. Anne Carey is twenty-five. She is engaged to a young lieutenant in the army, but she is bored of him and bored of the war. When she meets Dampier, a man unlike anyone she has ever met before, they begin an affair, and then,...

Calder, reclusive by nature, gives his color TV set away (to break free of his addiction to it). In an effort to fill the void in his humble digs he decides to pick up a parrot at the local pet store. Instead of the bonding that he was receptive to and expected to take place, this bird-lover's life is turned into a certified nightmare. Following a month's worth of assaults by this evil freaking "lovebird," he takes it back to the shop. But then inexplicably...