Books with title Postcards from Ireland

In the summer of 2001, Michael Harling goes on a two-week vacation to Ireland. Here, the future author of Postcards From Across the Pond experiences life in Europe for the first time, and discovers he is ill-suited to the challenge. Along the way he finds himself at odds with the Irish climate, traversing treacherous terrain and in desperate need of a Laundromat. But he is on a mission, a pilgrimage of sorts, to uncover the elusive mystique that is the real Ireland. And while this ideal continues to elude him, he finds the one thing he was determined to avoid.Postcards From Ireland is a humorous ramble through the bogs and backlands of Ireland via the bewildered musings of the author who, while displaying his trademark ineptitude at dealing with life beyond the borders of the US of A, is unknowingly being drawn into an even greater adventure.

For successful lawyer Mimi, 1980s Washington, DC, is a far cry from the war-torn Vietnam of her childhood. Time and sheer force of will have allowed Mimi to put those turbulent years behind her - that is, until the postcards begin to arrive. Postmarked from Thailand, each card is simply yet beautifully rendered in the hand of an artist identified only as "Nam". Mimi can't imagine who Nam might be, a prickly problem considering his brief notes make it clear he knows her quite well. Determined to unmask him, Mimi begins what will become a decade-long search for Nam. Her quest eventually leads her back to her childhood home in a small alley in pre-communist Saigon. For there she was beloved by a boy who dreamed of one day being an artist, a boy whose path diverged tragically from Mimi's when the Vietnam War ended, in 1975. Yet, as she digs deeper into Nam's painful past, Mimi uncovers an inspiring story of courage, survival, and the indomitable strength of the human spirit.

Award-Winning Finalist in the Fiction: Multicultural category of the 2012 International Book AwardsMimi (the protagonist of Mimi and Her Mirror) is a successful young Vietnamese immigrant practicing law in Washington, D.C. when the postcards begin to arrive. Postmarked from Thailand, each hand-drawn card is beautifully rendered and signed simply "Nam." Mimi doesn't recognize the name, but Nam obviously knows her well, spurring her to launch what will become a decade-long quest to find him. As her search progresses, long-repressed memories begin to bubble to the surface: her childhood in 1970s Vietnam in a small alley in pre-Communist Saigon. Back then, who was her best friend as well as her brother's playmate, and what did art have anything to do with the alleys of her childhood? What was the dream of these children then? What happened when these children were separated by the end of the Vietnam war, their lives diverged onto different paths: one to freedom and opportunity, the other to tragedy and pain? Now Mimi must uncover the mystery of the postcards, including what might have happened to the people who where less fortunate: those who escaped the ravaged homeland by boat after the fall of Saigon. When the mystery is solved, Mimi has to make a resolution: what can possibly reunite the children from the alley of her childhood even when the alley exists no more?

Award-Winning Finalist in the Fiction: Multicultural category of the 2012 International Book AwardsMimi (the protagonist of Mimi and Her Mirror) is a successful young Vietnamese immigrant practicing law in Washington, D.C. when the postcards begin to arrive. Postmarked from Thailand, each hand-drawn card is beautifully rendered and signed simply "Nam." Mimi doesn't recognize the name, but Nam obviously knows her well, spurring her to launch what will become a decade-long quest to find him. As her search progresses, long-repressed memories begin to bubble to the surface: her childhood in 1970s Vietnam in a small alley in pre-Communist Saigon. Back then, who was her best friend as well as her brother's playmate, and what did art have anything to do with the alleys of her childhood? What was the dream of these children then? What happened when these children were separated by the end of the Vietnam war, their lives diverged onto different paths: one to freedom and opportunity, the other to tragedy and pain? Now Mimi must uncover the mystery of the postcards, including what might have happened to the people who where less fortunate: those who escaped the ravaged homeland by boat after the fall of Saigon. When the mystery is solved, Mimi has to make a resolution: what can possibly reunite the children from the alley of her childhood even when the alley exists no more?

Eleven-year-old Becca Williams is feeling down after successfully organizing a 5K race, described in Mosquito Madness. She is told that she has to travel with her Aunt Abby during her summer break, making her uneasy and angry. Before they even start their journey, Becca takes a dangerous dare with serious consequences. The girl messes up an important homework assignment and fights with good friends. Once on the journey, she experiences more emotional turbulence before getting caught in a real storm. Through it all, Becca is supported by friends and family, old and new, and she learns the importance of staying connected to people, far and near.