Who am I? That is the question always on the minds of the seven orphans who were raised together in the Sylvan cottage. War had separated them from their parents and as it once again threatens to consume all of Ilia they must choose the path they will walk. They all must fight in order to survive but only one road leads to a heroic destiny filled with grace, hope, truth and love. The other ways are one in the same for they are replete with empty promises and enticing lies that will only lead to desolation and despair. Only when they embrace the truth can they find the answer to the question of who they really are. Only when they embrace the truth can they find redemption. This is the story of where that journey begins.

A compelling narrative of the trials and triumphs of tennis champion Althea Gibson, a key figure in the integration of American sports and, for a time, one of the most famous women in the world. From her start playing paddle tennis on the streets of Harlem as a young teenager to her eleven Grand Slam tennis wins to her professional golf career, Althea Gibson became the most famous black sportswoman of the mid-twentieth century. In her unprecedented athletic career, she was the first African American to win titles at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. In this comprehensive biography, Ashley Brown narrates the public career and private struggles of Althea Gibson (1927-2003). Based on extensive archival work and oral histories, Serving Herself sets Gibson's life and choices against the backdrop of the Great Migration, Jim Crow racism, the integration of American sports, the civil rights movement, the Cold War, and second wave feminism. Throughout her life Gibson continuously negotiated the expectations of her supporters and adversaries, including her patrons in the black-led American Tennis Association, the white-led United States Lawn Tennis Association, and the media, particularly the Black press and community's expectations that she selflessly serve as a representative of her race. An incredibly talented, ultra-competitive, and not always likeable athlete, Gibson wanted to be treated as an individual first and foremost, not as a member of a specific race or gender. She was reluctant to speak openly about the indignities and prejudices she navigated as an African American woman, though she faced numerous institutional and societal barriers in achieving her goals. She frequently bucked conventional norms of femininity and put her career ahead of romantic relationships, making her personal life the subject of constant scrutiny and rumors. Despite her major wins and international recognition, including a ticker tape parade in New York City and the covers of Sports Illustrated and Time, Gibson endeavored to find commercial sponsorship and permanent economic stability. Committed to self-sufficiency, she pivoted from the elite amateur tennis circuit to State Department-sponsored goodwill tours, attempts to find success as a singer and Hollywood actress, the professional golf circuit, a tour with the Harlem Globetrotters and her own professional tennis tour, coaching, teaching children at tennis clinics, and a stint as New Jersey Athletics Commissioner. As she struggled to support herself in old age, she was left with disappointment, recounting her past achievements decades before female tennis players were able to garner substantial earnings. A compelling life and times portrait, Serving Herself offers a revealing look at the rise and fall of a fiercely independent trailblazer who satisfied her own needs and simultaneously set a pathbreaking course for Black athletes.

This book will not only help you reduce your stress levels but will also bring passion and fun into your life. Internationally renowned stress coach and consultant Loretta LaRoche's techniques are a brilliant blend of good old-fashioned common sense and the most contemporary research into brain chemistry, psychology and mind-body studies. Filled with easy-to-follow exercises this book gives readers dozens of proven techniques for developing the most important character traits needed to live an intense, happy, successful life: Life is Short will help you shift your focus away from the self-destructive towards the truly important things in life. It will help you learn not to take yourself too seriously and to enjoy your life, each and every day. During her work as stress coach Loretta has seen thousands of people live their lives as if they are in a waiting room, hoping that their turn will come up next. This book teaches you how to grab life by the horns, right now. It's the perfect book for anyone who is still waiting for that special occasion before they will wear their favourite shoes, use their best wine glasses or allow themselves a bite of their favourite pudding. Remember that every day you are alive is a special occasion!