Climbing The Stairs

Author : Padma Venkatraman
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2010-02-04
Category : Young Adult Fiction
ISBN : 9781101650547

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Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman Pdf

During World War II and the last days of British occupation in India, fifteen-year-old Vidya dreams of attending college. But when her forward-thinking father is beaten senseless by the British police, she is forced to live with her grandfather’s large traditional family, where the women live apart from the men and are meant to be married off as soon as possible. Vidya’s only refuge becomes her grandfather’s upstairs library, which is forbidden to women. There she meets Raman, a young man also living in the house who relishes her intellectual curiosity. But when Vidya’s brother makes a choice the family cannot condone, and when Raman seems to want more than friendship, Vidkya must question all she has believed in. Padma Venkatraman’s debut novel poignantly shows a girl struggling to find her place in a mixedup world. Climbing the Stairs is a powerful story about love and loss set against a fascinating historical backdrop. Read Padma Venkatraman's posts on the Penguin Blog.

Author : Frieda Annette Adkins
Publisher : Frieda Adkins
Page : 380 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2014-04
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9780615253657

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Climbing the Broken Stairs, a Memoir by Frieda Annette Adkins Pdf

Frieda and her five brothers (each of whom had different fathers) grew up within the inner cities of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvanian. Thier wayward mother had an admitted "drinking problem," and spent most of her days in liquor bars. This neglect often left the five siblings to fend for themselves amongst often harsh and unforgiving elements of their city's urban streets. At age seven, as Frieda walked home one late-Spring afternoon, she felt the presence of God, forewarning her of difficult trails ahead. This presence encouraged the child to persevere, despite pending obstacles. Soon, Frieda's faith was tested, as the world around her turned into a series of relentless nightmares ... most of which occurred within the families. A disturbling, though ultimately inspiring, true life account of a young girl's struggle to maintain faith, overcome abuse, sexual assault and the host of demons these crimes introduced. Faith that a better life is possible, if she could escape her dysfunctional environment, was all she had.

Author : Margaret Powell
Publisher : Pan Macmillan
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2011-10-07
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9781447208174

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Climbing the Stairs by Margaret Powell Pdf

From the grand houses of Brighton to imposing London mansions, life as a kitchen maid could be exhausting and demoralising. It’s not just being at the beck and call of the people upstairs, when even the children of the family can treat you like dirt, but having to deal with temperamental cooks, starchy butlers and chauffeurs with a roving eye. Marriage is the only escape, but with one evening off a week Margaret has no time to lose. Between Perce the bus conductor (who brings his mother on dates) and Mr Hailsham the fishmonger (who looks – and smells – a bit like his wares), her initial prospects are hardly the stuff of dreams. But then she meets Albert; a butcher boy-turned-milkman. Could he be the perfect husband? And can she make the perfect wife when, as she soon discovers, years spent serving others don't prepare you for managing your own life? Soon Margaret begins to wonder – how can someone like her ever improve their station? Told with her trademark wit and warmth, Climbing the Stairs is a unique, sharp-eyed tale of a time when the idea of masters and servants began to lose its sway, and of a remarkable woman who grasped the opportunities of this brave new world with both hands. 'Margaret Powell was the first person outside my family to introduce me to that world, so near and yet seemingly so far away, where servants and their employers would live their vividly different lives under one roof. Her memories, funny and poignant, angry and charming, haunted me until, many years later, I made my own attempts to capture those people for the camera. I certainly owe her a great debt' Julian Fellowes

Author : Chris Rushbrooke
Publisher : Nightingale Books
Page : 30 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 2021-06-24
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1838752269

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You Can't Climb the Stairs in a Princess Dress by Chris Rushbrooke Pdf

Have you ever tried to climb the stairs in a princess dress? I have, and I can tell you, that it's really quite a stress. But is it an impossible thing for us to do? This lot don't think so, how about you? Will they succeed, can they endure? There's only one way to know for sure...

Author : Margaret Powell
Publisher : Pan Macmillan
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2011-03-04
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9781447200406

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Below Stairs by Margaret Powell Pdf

Arriving at the great houses of 1920s London, fifteen-year-old Margaret’s life in service was about to begin... As a kitchen maid – the lowest of the low – she entered an entirely new world; one of stoves to be blacked, vegetables to be scrubbed, mistresses to be appeased, and even bootlaces to be ironed. Work started at 5.30am and went on until after dark. It was a far cry from her childhood on the beaches of Hove, where money and food were scarce, but warmth and laughter never were. Yet from the gentleman with a penchant for stroking the housemaids’ curlers, to raucous tea-dances with errand boys, to the heartbreaking story of Agnes the pregnant under-parlourmaid, fired for being seduced by her mistress’s nephew, Margaret’s tales of her time in service are told with wit, warmth, and a sharp eye for the prejudices of her situation. Brilliantly evoking the long-vanished world of masters and servants, Below Stairs is the remarkable true story of an indomitable woman, who, though her position was lowly, never stopped aiming high. 'Enormous gusto, salty humour, wisdom' Evening Standard 'Shrewd, unabashed, wickedly funny, a unique front-line report of her life's experiences' Jack De Manio, BBC

Author : Padma Venkatraman
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 167 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2011-08-04
Category : Young Adult Fiction
ISBN : 9781101517628

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Island's End by Padma Venkatraman Pdf

From the acclaimed author of Climbing the Stairs comes a fascinating story set on a remote island untouched by time. Uido is ecstatic about becoming her tribe's spiritual leader, but her new position brings her older brother's jealousy and her best friend's mistrust. And looming above these troubles are the recent visits of strangers from the mainland who have little regard for nature or the spirits, and tempt the tribe members with gifts, making them curious about modern life. When Uido's little brother falls deathly ill, she must cross the ocean and seek their help. Having now seen so many new things, will Uido have the strength to believe in herself and the old ways? And will her people trust her to lead them to safety when a catastrophic tsunami threatens? Uido must overcome everyone's doubts, including her own, if she is to keep her people safe and preserve the spirituality that has defined them. Drawing on firsthand experience from her travels to the Andaman Islands, Padma Venkatraman was inspired to write this story after meeting natives who survived the 2004 tsunami and have been able to preserve their unique way of life. Uido's transformation from a young girl to tribal leader will touch both your heart and mind.

Author : Lynn Bradley
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2004-07
Category : Religion
ISBN : 1418427365

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Climbing the Heavenly Stairs by Lynn Bradley Pdf

Beloved Reader, Pictorial History of IRAN, Ancient Persia is about one of the oldest nations and civilizations in the world. I hope the information provided in this book will give you better insight into Persian culture and history, which has survived through the centuries and has withstood the test of time. As a focal point of the crossroad between East and West, the Persian Empire had a tremendous relevance in the development of human culture. Persians dedicated their lives to the cultivation of ideas, cultural exchange, and human development. Like Iran's night sky, the ancient history of Iran is full of shining stars. Large cities in Elam, Hamadan, Pasargardae, and Persepolis were established. The union of Medes and Persians laid the foundation for the Achaemenian Empire, which organized, administered, and governed with justice and order the great Persian nation from the Jaxates river (Sir Darya) to Nile, Asia Minor to Persian Gulf, and east as far as the Hindu river. This great nation enjoyed prosperity, vast communication systems, practice of humanitarian equality, and a well-balanced system of government. Cyrus the Great issued the first declaration of Human Rights, after capturing the Babylonian Empire and freeing the Jews held in captivity there and allowing them to return to Jerusalem. The Persian Empire reached one of its pinnacles during the Mesopotamia era. With the profound influence of Zoroastrian convictions, with "pure thought," "good deeds" and "noble words," the Persian Empire flourished throughout Asia Minork Lydia, all the way to Greece. Up to this point in history, there were no significant scientific and cultural achievements in Greece. Many inscriptions found in Persepolis prove that the Persian Empire was the key in cultivation and spread of civilization, as we know it today. The Persian civilization and the first declaration of human rights by Cyrus the Great has had a lasting impression on all the nations. This humanitarian concern has eventually become a universal principle. I hope human rights and the promotion of human development will prevail in the 21st century.

Author : Margarita Engle
Publisher : Henry Holt and Company (BYR)
Page : 176 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2008-04-01
Category : Young Adult Fiction
ISBN : 9781429917445

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The Surrender Tree/El árbol de la rendición by Margarita Engle Pdf

The Surrender Tree is a lyrical, Newbery Honor-winning historical tale in poems, and this edition has the Spanish and English text available in one book. It is 1896. Cuba has fought three wars for independence and still is not free. People have been rounded up in reconcentration camps with too little food and too much illness. Rosa is a nurse, but she dares not go to the camps. So she turns hidden caves into hospitals for those who know how to find her. Black, white, Cuban, Spanish—Rosa does her best for everyone. Yet who can heal a country so torn apart by war? Using the true story of the folk hero Rosa la Bayamesa, acclaimed poet Margarita Engle gives us another gripping, breathtaking account of a tumultuous period in Cuban history. A 2009 Newbery Honor Book Winner of the 2009 Pura Belpré Medal for Narrative Winner of the 2009 Bank Street - Claudia Lewis Award A 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year

Author : Fatimah Ibrahim,Jadeera Phaik Geok Cheong,Juliana Usman,Mohd Yazed Ahmad,Rizal Razman,Victor S Selvanayagam
Publisher : Springer
Page : 176 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2017-01-20
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9789811037375

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3rd International Conference on Movement, Health and Exercise by Fatimah Ibrahim,Jadeera Phaik Geok Cheong,Juliana Usman,Mohd Yazed Ahmad,Rizal Razman,Victor S Selvanayagam Pdf

This volume presents the proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Movement, Health and Exercise 2016 (MoHE2016). The conference was jointly organized by the Biomedical Engineering Department and Sports Centre, University of Malaya. It was held in Malacca, from 28-30 September 2016. MoHE 2016 provided a good opportunity for speakers and participants to actively discuss about recent developments in a wide range of topics in the area of sports and exercise science. In total, 83 presenters and 140 participants took part in this successful conference.

Author : Michael S. Broder, Ph.D.
Publisher : Gildan Media LLC aka G&D Media
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2019-01-23
Category : Self-Help
ISBN : 9781722521219

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Seven Steps to Your Best Life: The Stage Climbing Solution For Living The Life You Were Born to Live by Michael S. Broder, Ph.D. Pdf

Within you is a zone of genius that contains everything you need to live the life you were born to live! Would you like to be living your best life and operate at your highest potential in one or more pivotal areas of your life? Do you consider yourself a High Achiever, or would you like to become one? Seven Steps to Your Best Life gives you the roadmap, tools and strategies to be operating at your absolute best. It is your step by step, paint by the numbers guide for getting the results you want in the shortest time possible. This is the book for anyone who: • Is or aspires to be a high achiever • Needs new direction in their career • Would like to develop the mojo to finally get control of their destiny! • Wants to find a stronger spiritual connection and inner peace • Needs help fine-tuning their purpose in this stress-filled world • Is ready to make important and carefully chosen life changes • Wants to master self-discipline • Wants to replace fear and anxiety with courage • Would like to discover, follow and enhance strong passions in any life area • And much more!

Author : Karen Armstrong
Publisher : Vintage Canada
Page : 363 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2010-06-04
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780307368348

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The Spiral Staircase by Karen Armstrong Pdf

The moving story of her own search for God by the highly-acclaimed author of the bestselling A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam; The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism; and Islam: A Short History. In 1969, after seven years as a Roman Catholic nun -- hoping, but ultimately failing, to find God -- Armstrong left her convent. She knew almost nothing of the changed world she was entering, and she was tormented by panic attacks and inexplicable seizures. Her struggle against despair was fueled by a string of discouragements -- failed spirituality, doctorate and jobs, fruitless dealings with psychiatrists -- but finally, in 1976, she was diagnosed with epilepsy and given proper treatment. She then began the writing career that would become her true calling, and as she focused on the sacred texts of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, her own true inner story began to emerge. She would come to experience brief moments of transcendence through her work -- the profound fulfillment that she had not found in the long hours of prayer as a young nun. Powerfully engaging, often heart-breaking, but lit with bursts of humour, The Spiral Staircase is an extraordinary history of self.

Author : Robert Douglas
Publisher : Hachette Scotland
Page : 407 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2011-12-08
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9780755388516

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Whose Turn for the Stairs? by Robert Douglas Pdf

This is an utterly charming story about twelve families and their tightly knit street in 1950s Maryhill. Following the end of the war, the close rebuilds its ties and the strong sense of community and friendly neighbourhood bonds are soon back in place. There is young love for Rhea and Robert; a surprising new start for James; a change of direction for George; and all overseen by the matriarch of the street - Granny Thomson. And of course, all buoyed up by a big helping of Scottish humour and strength of spirit. Yet it is all not perfect in their world: the families have to deal with poverty, religious bigotry, racism, heartbreak, lies, violence and death. But the powerful friendships cannot ultimately be broken. In Robert Douglas's first novel, he recreates a time and place particular to Glasgow but to which everyone will relate.

Author : David Ryan
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2010-03-01
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 0977696812

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The Gentle Art of Wandering by David Ryan Pdf

Author : Padma Venkatraman
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 40,7 Mb
Release : 2014-05-01
Category : Young Adult Fiction
ISBN : 9780698158269

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A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman Pdf

Padma Venkatraman’s inspiring story of a young girl’s struggle to regain her passion and find a new peace is told lyrically through verse that captures the beauty and mystery of India and the ancient bharatanatyam dance form. This is a stunning novel about spiritual awakening, the power of art, and above all, the courage and resilience of the human spirit. Veda, a classical dance prodigy in India, lives and breathes dance—so when an accident leaves her a below-knee amputee, her dreams are shattered. For a girl who’s grown used to receiving applause for her dance prowess and flexibility, adjusting to a prosthetic leg is painful and humbling. But Veda refuses to let her disability rob her of her dreams, and she starts all over again, taking beginner classes with the youngest dancers. Then Veda meets Govinda, a young man who approaches dance as a spiritual pursuit. As their relationship deepens, Veda reconnects with the world around her, and begins to discover who she is and what dance truly means to her.

Author : Joe Simpson
Publisher : Direct Authors
Page : 318 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2012-12-12
Category : Sports & Recreation
ISBN : 9780957519305

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Touching the Void by Joe Simpson Pdf

The 25th Anniversary ebook, now with more than 50 images. 'Touching the Void' is the tale of two mountaineer’s harrowing ordeal in the Peruvian Andes. In the summer of 1985, two young, headstrong mountaineers set off to conquer an unclimbed route. They had triumphantly reached the summit, when a horrific accident mid-descent forced one friend to leave another for dead. Ambition, morality, fear and camaraderie are explored in this electronic edition of the mountaineering classic, with never before seen colour photographs taken during the trip itself.