Alan Connor is a young man who was born in Utah; the son of a farmer, he isn't certain what the future holds for him. He decides to set out to find a brighter future in Los Angeles as an accountant. His story begins as he is leaving his family to start his travels. But before he leaves his family to begin his travels, he receives a parcel from an anonymous source-a book called Purgatory Train. He boards the train for California anyway; as he begins reading the book, he soon discovers that the final pages of the book are blank. The book contains three stories and an injunction to take lessons from history. The first story tells the tale of Amytis, a princess of Media, and her tragic love story. The second story shares the confession of Antonio, a clergyman. In the third and final story, Salma, an Algerian girl, tells the story of the war raging in her country. Each of the three has narrated his or her story while travelling on the purgatory train as it moves toward an unknown destination-and then passed the book along to the next storyteller. Telling tales of love, religion, and politics, Purgatory Train makes clear the idea that those who learn from history can change the future.

Say goodbye to squashed sandwiches and hard-boiled eggs with the mouthwatering recipes in The Picnic Book. These meals-on-the-move range from simple ideas you can sling in your backpack to a feast for a big family gathering. With suggestions for perfect picnic spots and great menu ideas, this book will inspire you to create a fantastic spread, whatever your outdoor adventure. Ali Ray brings her bright and breezy style to this cook book for people who love the outdoors. She has created more than 70 recipes for great meals on the move; from simple ideas that you can sling in your rucksack to a picnic plan for a big family gathering. Ali has also selected some very special places for your al fresco feast. Each location is designed to match the type of picnic you're having, such as quiet forests and secret coves as well as big forest spaces with barbecues for party picnics. The chapters are divided into different types of picnics, for example Cool Boxes is all about gatherings and big groups, whereas Hampers is for high days and holidays. There's also chapters on Rucksacks, Hampers and Barbecues, and lots more.

Alan Connor is a young man who was born in Utah; the son of a farmer, he isn't certain what the future holds for him. He decides to set out to find a brighter future in Los Angeles as an accountant. His story begins as he is leaving his family to start his travels. But before he leaves his family to begin his travels, he receives a parcel from an anonymous source-a book called Purgatory Train. He boards the train for California anyway; as he begins reading the book, he soon discovers that the final pages of the book are blank. The book contains three stories and an injunction to take lessons from history. The first story tells the tale of Amytis, a princess of Media, and her tragic love story. The second story shares the confession of Antonio, a clergyman. In the third and final story, Salma, an Algerian girl, tells the story of the war raging in her country. Each of the three has narrated his or her story while travelling on the purgatory train as it moves toward an unknown destination-and then passed the book along to the next storyteller. Telling tales of love, religion, and politics, Purgatory Train makes clear the idea that those who learn from history can change the future.