"A life-affirming tale of optimism and family togetherness, even as the ground shifts under their feet." From a vacation to a one-way trip, we escaped Czechoslovakia and the Iron Curtain. Fourteen, naive, stranded in West Germany - I saw only high adventures as my Father kept the mission together, my kid brother yearned to buy another Matchbox car and my Mother kept slowly unraveling under the stress of uncertain change. Yet America awaited, perfect and invincible, right beyond the ocean.

A good dog died. Her smell. Her cheer. Her soft doggy ears. A heartwarming tale of a dog that joined her human on their last walk through the old neighborhood. Because our best friends never truly leave us.

Buffeted by the winds of fate, Jesse Hightower drifted far from his Crow reservation. Family issues, foster homes, and living hard on the street. Now his computer-jockey job makes him out of shape, and a tough split with Renata threw him into depression. Even worse -- to keep his job, he has to train for a mandatory, company-wide triathlon. An heir to an ice cream empire, Sebastian Gillen was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and family expectations of an executive career. A brilliant swimmer, Sebastian had given up his shot at the Olympics for the sake of business. Meeting Jesse at the...