Books with author Lisa Van Allen

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • USA TODAY BESTSELLER“Reader to reader, knitter to knitter: You’re going to love this book.”—Debbie MacomberFor fans of Jennifer Chiaverini and Sarah Addison Allen, The Wishing Thread is an enchanting novel about the bonds between sisters, the indelible pull of the past, and the transformational power of love. The Van Ripper women have been the talk of Tarrytown, New York, for centuries. Some say they’re angels; some say they’re crooks. In their tumbledown “Stitchery,” not far from the stomping grounds of the legendary Headless Horseman, the Van Ripper sisters—Aubrey, Bitty, and Meggie—are said to knit people’s most ardent wishes into beautiful scarves and mittens, granting them health, success, or even a blossoming romance. But for the magic to work, sacrifices must be made—and no one knows that better than the Van Rippers. When the Stitchery matriarch, Mariah, dies, she leaves the yarn shop to her three nieces. Aubrey, shy and reliable, has dedicated her life to weaving spells for the community, though her sisters have long stayed away. Bitty, pragmatic and persistent, has always been skeptical of magic and wants her children to have a normal, nonmagical life. Meggie, restless and free-spirited, follows her own set of rules. Now, after Mariah’s death forces a reunion, the sisters must reassess the state of their lives even as they decide the fate of the Stitchery. But their relationships with one another—and their beliefs in magic—are put to the test. Will the threads hold?BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Lisa Van Allen’s The Night Garden.Praise for The Wishing Thread “With deft needlework, a dash of folklore, and some good old-fashioned family angst, Lisa Van Allen knits together the threads of second chances, the pleasure of giving, the complications of sisterhood, and love. There’s a bit of magic in The Wishing Thread, in the words and the story as well as in the yarn.”—Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters “Rich in myth and mystery, The Wishing Thread explores the tangle that is being a woman—from family and friendship to romance and community. Prepare to be ensnared, enthralled, enchanted!”—USA Today bestselling author Christie Ridgway “The Wishing Thread is a lyrical, emotional, finely knit portrayal of three sisters struggling with love, magic and sacrifice. This is the best book I’ve read all year.”—Lisa Verge Higgins, author of The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship “An intriguing story of three sisters tied by blood and a strange inheritance, each searching for a way to belong in that place where magic and life intersect. Wonderful!”—Shelley Noble, author of Beach Colors “Van Allen knits together this pleasantly entertaining tale as easily as the Van Ripper women knit together the often unraveling threads of people’s lives. . . . Chick-lit cozy meets magical realism with inevitably warm and fuzzy results.”—Booklist “Fans of magical realism will want to pick up this enjoyable novel, which not only weaves magic through stitchery, but also weaves a realistic story about family and sisterhood and the threads that pull us back home.”—RT Book ReviewsIncludes an exclusive conversation between Sarah Addison Allen and Lisa Van Allen. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.

For fans of Sarah Addison Allen, Aimee Bender, and Alice Hoffman, The Night Garden is a luminous novel of love, forgiveness, and the possibilities that arise when you open your heart. Nestled in the bucolic town of Green Valley in upstate New York, the Pennywort farm appears ordinary, yet at its center lies something remarkable: a wild maze of colorful gardens that reaches beyond the imagination. Local legend says that a visitor can gain answers to life’s most difficult problems simply by walking through its lush corridors. Yet the labyrinth has never helped Olivia Pennywort, the garden’s beautiful and enigmatic caretaker. She has spent her entire life on her family’s land, harboring a secret that forces her to keep everyone at arm’s length. But when her childhood best friend, Sam Van Winkle, returns to the valley, Olivia begins to question her safe, isolated world and wonders if she at last has the courage to let someone in. As she and Sam reconnect, Olivia faces a difficult question: Is the garden maze that she has nurtured all of her life a safe haven or a prison? Praise for Lisa Van Allen’s The Wishing Thread “Reader to reader, knitter to knitter: You’re going to love this book.”—Debbie Macomber “Whimsical . . . great for fans of Sarah Addison Allen and Alice Hoffman.”—Library Journal Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • USA TODAY BESTSELLER“Reader to reader, knitter to knitter: You’re going to love this book.”—Debbie MacomberFor fans of Jennifer Chiaverini and Sarah Addison Allen, The Wishing Thread is an enchanting novel about the bonds between sisters, the indelible pull of the past, and the transformational power of love. The Van Ripper women have been the talk of Tarrytown, New York, for centuries. Some say they’re angels; some say they’re crooks. In their tumbledown “Stitchery,” not far from the stomping grounds of the legendary Headless Horseman, the Van Ripper sisters—Aubrey, Bitty, and Meggie—are said to knit people’s most ardent wishes into beautiful scarves and mittens, granting them health, success, or even a blossoming romance. But for the magic to work, sacrifices must be made—and no one knows that better than the Van Rippers. When the Stitchery matriarch, Mariah, dies, she leaves the yarn shop to her three nieces. Aubrey, shy and reliable, has dedicated her life to weaving spells for the community, though her sisters have long stayed away. Bitty, pragmatic and persistent, has always been skeptical of magic and wants her children to have a normal, nonmagical life. Meggie, restless and free-spirited, follows her own set of rules. Now, after Mariah’s death forces a reunion, the sisters must reassess the state of their lives even as they decide the fate of the Stitchery. But their relationships with one another—and their beliefs in magic—are put to the test. Will the threads hold?Praise for The Wishing Thread “With deft needlework, a dash of folklore, and some good old-fashioned family angst, Lisa Van Allen knits together the threads of second chances, the pleasure of giving, the complications of sisterhood, and love. There’s a bit of magic in The Wishing Thread, in the words and the story as well as in the yarn.”—Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters “Rich in myth and mystery, The Wishing Thread explores the tangle that is being a woman—from family and friendship to romance and community. Prepare to be ensnared, enthralled, enchanted!”—USA Today bestselling author Christie Ridgway “The Wishing Thread is a lyrical, emotional, finely knit portrayal of three sisters struggling with love, magic and sacrifice. This is the best book I’ve read all year.”—Lisa Verge Higgins, author of The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship “An intriguing story of three sisters tied by blood and a strange inheritance, each searching for a way to belong in that place where magic and life intersect. Wonderful!”—Shelley Noble, author of Beach Colors “Van Allen knits together this pleasantly entertaining tale as easily as the Van Ripper women knit together the often unraveling threads of people’s lives. . . . Chick-lit cozy meets magical realism with inevitably warm and fuzzy results.”—Booklist “Fans of magical realism will want to pick up this enjoyable novel, which not only weaves magic through stitchery, but also weaves a realistic story about family and sisterhood and the threads that pull us back home.”—RT Book ReviewsIncludes an exclusive conversation between Sarah Addison Allen and Lisa Van Allen. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.

For fans of Sarah Addison Allen, Aimee Bender, and Alice Hoffman, The Night Garden is a luminous novel of love, forgiveness, and the possibilities that arise when you open your heart. Nestled in the bucolic town of Green Valley in upstate New York, the Pennywort farm appears ordinary, yet at its center lies something remarkable: a wild maze of colorful gardens that reaches beyond the imagination. Local legend says that a visitor can gain answers to life’s most difficult problems simply by walking through its lush corridors. Yet the labyrinth has never helped Olivia Pennywort, the garden’s beautiful and enigmatic caretaker. She has spent her entire life on her family’s land, harboring a secret that forces her to keep everyone at arm’s length. But when her childhood best friend, Sam Van Winkle, returns to the valley, Olivia begins to question her safe, isolated world and wonders if she at last has the courage to let someone in. As she and Sam reconnect, Olivia faces a difficult question: Is the garden maze that she has nurtured all of her life a safe haven or a prison? Praise for Lisa Van Allen’s The Wishing Thread “Reader to reader, knitter to knitter: You’re going to love this book.”—Debbie Macomber “Whimsical . . . great for fans of Sarah Addison Allen and Alice Hoffman.”—Library Journal Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.

Single mother Lorraine Sky has had her son, Joey, taken away from her. Desperate to get him back, she teams up with her ex, Joey's father, to find him. Joey is found, and as he grows up, he begins to lose himself in a way, until he meets Estella James, a girl whom he falls in love with very quickly. Tragedy strikes and breaks Joey, causing him to run away to New York to make it as a musician. As he reaches international fame, an important figure from his past, a dead man named Lewis Ebbs, is brought back to life for one day to save Joey's life and return him to his family.

Nestled in the bucolic town of Green Valley in upstate New York, the Pennywort farm appears ordinary, yet at its center lies something remarkable: a wild maze of colorful gardens that reaches beyond the imagination. Local legend says that a visitor can gain answers to life's most difficult problems simply by walking through its lush corridors. Yet the labyrinth has never helped Olivia Pennywort, the garden's beautiful and enigmatic caretaker. She has spent her entire life on her family's land, harboring a secret that forces her to keep everyone at arm's length. But when her childhood best friend, Sam Van Winkle, returns to the valley, Olivia begins to question her safe, isolated world and wonders if she at last has the courage to let someone in. As she and Sam reconnect, Olivia faces a difficult question: is the garden maze that she has nurtured all of her life a safe haven or a prison?

The Van Ripper women have been the talk of Tarrytown, New York, for centuries. Some say they're angels; some say they're crooks. In their tumbledown "Stitchery," not far from the stomping grounds of the legendary Headless Horseman, the Van Ripper sisters-Aubrey, Bitty, and Meggie-are said to knit people's most ardent wishes into beautiful scarves and mittens, granting them health, success, or even a blossoming romance. But for the magic to work, sacrifices must be made-and no one knows that better than the Van Rippers. When the Stitchery matriarch, Mariah, dies, she leaves the yarn shop to her three nieces. Aubrey, shy and reliable, has dedicated her life to weaving spells for the community, though her sisters have long stayed away. Bitty, pragmatic and persistent, has always been skeptical of magic and wants her children to have a normal, nonmagical life. Meggie, restless and free-spirited, follows her own set of rules. Now, after Mariah's death forces a reunion, the sisters must reassess the state of their lives even as they decide the fate of the Stitchery. But their relationships with one another-and their beliefs in magic-are put to the test. Will the threads hold?

Nestled in the bucolic town of Green Valley in upstate New York, the Pennywort farm appears ordinary, yet at its center lies something remarkable: a wild maze of colorful gardens that reaches beyond the imagination. Local legend says that a visitor can gain answers to life's most difficult problems simply by walking through its lush corridors. Yet the labyrinth has never helped Olivia Pennywort, the garden's beautiful and enigmatic caretaker. She has spent her entire life on her family's land, harboring a secret that forces her to keep everyone at arm's length. But when her childhood best friend, Sam Van Winkle, returns to the valley, Olivia begins to question her safe, isolated world and wonders if she at last has the courage to let someone in. As she and Sam reconnect, Olivia faces a difficult question: is the garden maze that she has nurtured all of her life a safe haven or a prison?

This fun book of superpowers is perfect for young pre-teen and teen girls on the verge of becoming. Give them a road map to heroic living with this A-Z guide to confidence and empowered thinking and being. With full-color art, fun graphics, and empowering actions that activate creativity and thought, this gift book contains an easy to follow guide to superpower 'sidekick' words girls can use to develop brilliance in their lives. Give the entire book to the young girls in your life - and buy a copy for yourself as a fun journal, taking back your own childhood creativity and enthusiasm. Average life? Not here. You'll find fantastic superpowers to live by including: - I AM Enough. - I AM Mindful. - I AM Light-hearted. - I AM Unique. - I AM Focused. Each superpower comes with action steps to take, a notes page to track results, and a doodle page to help access the left and right brain while creating new habits and building neural pathways of success and happiness. The book also includes a personal note from the author and a 'how-to' for using the book to become a super hero in life.