Showing results by author "Ruth Finnegan" in All Categories

The lovely Queen Sophia has to submit to her conqueror, King Francis, to save her people from slaughter. As a result, she falls passionately in love with him—and he with her. But after just one night together, he gives her away to his son, Corin. Before Sophia can win Corin's love, she has to free him from his demons—only then can they fully love. She bears a child—whose name we are not told—who is to inherit the kingdom. She, in turn, withdraws in favor of his lovely young bride and acts as revered advisor to the kingdom, in an intriguing tale of love and sacrifice. 

No one loved artistic-longing little Safia. Even her parents thrust her away from the listed-for piano, then ignored and belittled her. Unloved her. But she was determined. Could she, in the end...?

A little angel, thrilled with his certificate, now formally awarded in Heaven’s Great Hall, goes through his memories of creation - how it came out of nothing and how God did not forget anything even the little ants in the high cathedral rafters. But he is only little, and naïve, and inexperienced, and very nervous about what lies before him and his journey alone through the universe, and if he could take his trumpet - surely? 

A wonderful retelling of and new insight ino the familiar biblical tales in wonderfully rich and telling language (a delight in itself), written by the 19th-century American author Roark Bradford. For a while devalued due to its supposedly demeaning and patronising use of "blackie" speech, it is now recognised as a serious contribution to American literature. As later adapted by Marc Connelly it forms the original text for the successful ( but in some views less robust) play Green Pastures.

A revelation of the hidden wealth of the "ordinary" people and activities that we see so often and are so familiar with that we never stop to notice. From poems in hiding, the secrets of music, personal stories, dreams, and names, to the surprising source of familiar quotations Ruth’s anthropological eye brings us to see, perhaps for the first time, some of the many amazing wonders that surround us.

The little angel, on his way to carry out his scary “very responsible” tasks on earth now he has his certification, meets terrifying adventures in space. Would he, could he ever get to earth? Or just have to return useless, his record book empty, to heaven to face the Archangels, and, worse, his darling little sister - ohhh!

As an innocent teenager, Kate rejected her first kiss - but not the man who offered it. But when he left, he took with him a piece of her heart - one that a wisdom greater than her own urges Kate to reclaim many years later. So begins Kate's lifelong journey to find what she once lost; taking her from the magical mists of her native Ireland to the beating heart of Africa and beyond....

Storms, cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes - a ferocity of nature gathered across the sea, the stuff of folklore, art, and literature, an inspiration, challenge, and deadly strike to humans. Listen about the great hurricanes of history and their disastrous effects, hear of the storms personally experienced - and survived - by the authors, blow by blow as if you were there. You will not forget. Enthralling and accessible. 

In this enthralling little book, renowned novelist Ruth Finnegan adapts the work of the heliogeologist Claudio Vita-Finzi to introduce young (and older!) listeners to the workings of the sun and its many threats and mysteries. In accessible language, it tackles such difficult matters as neutrinos, cosmic rays, and the solar corona in the belief that all its listeners will thereby  be better equipped to deal with our dangerous star and a few may even be inspired to become solar phycisists, cancer specialists, and astronauts themselves. 

The dragon is alone. More miserable than anyone has ever ever been. Covered in boils and bumps and sins and self-hate and horrible scales. No one loves him, he’s too ugly. Deserved. Alone and ugly. And his lovely universe has gone - he had destroyed it. Can anything save him? A little girl? Should he eat her (that’s what dragons do)? Or - wonder - will she help him use a tiny spark to - oh! - to re-create the universe? And, and - love him. Yes! look again! He is shining and - beautiful!

A beautiful rendering of the famous age old verse also known as ‘’The Dilly Song’’ and "The Ten Commandments". Uniquely, this edition also contains expert notes on the many variants, distribution (across many lands), centuries old history, and still debated, predominantly religious meanings. Altogether, a most fascinating and inspiring work.

A preview and foretaste of the forthcoming (late. 2021) Knowledge, the Hidden Lives of Taxi Drivers, third volume of Ruth Finnegan’s authoritative ethnographies of Milton Keynes. 

The moving true story, caught by the author from a shining star, of a little girl who died too young. Then, of her bravery as, all alone but for her parents’ love and the kind eyes of a dog, she at last found her way through the thickets in the valley of the shadow of death to heaven. And who do you think was there to welcome her?

This is at root the same story and style as in the twin previous (prize-winning) novels Black Inked Pearl and its fairy-tale prequel Voyage of Pearl of the Seas. But this time, it is told from a different perspective - that of the garrulous sounding, wine-dark Homeric one, the sea. It is thus companion and complement (but not sequel) to Black Inked Pearl, with the same number of parts and (sometimes identically titled) chapters. 

An award-winning unput-downable tale of two children building a boat from a log they find buried in the sand and sailing off to far-off fantastic lands in a stormy sea-driven adventure with their faithful - but accident-prone - dog Holly. There they learn much wisdom from a king who, like God, has many names. After an incredible sacrifice of his dearest dream by the boy (now growing up) they return - another dream - to a family tea with their loved ones. 

It’s all about love - again. She runs away from him into the Donegal wind, then finds she has to seek him, afraid and alone, through the airless air of outer space. How, tossed and tangled in the winds, will they ever find each other in the unrelenting void? This newest volume in the remarkable Kate Pearl series recycles the same mythic story as in earlier novels (The Black Inked Pearl, Voyage of Pearl of the Seas, and The Helix Pearl), this time told from the perspective of the fleeting flighting breathing wind, the soul, the butterfly-psyche.

Ever wondered what the thieves in the Ali Baba story were really like? Where they came from and how they were recruited and what exactly they did? And were they all the same? You don’t know? Find the amazing answers in the story of an ordinary little boy, a newly discovered version now for the first time revealed. An absorbing fairy tale for children of all ages, young or not, with an unexpected twist and an ecological and human ending.

A story of love as the little angel does everything to save his guitar-playing little sister from the ultimate sin, as she insists on taking her wild music and even wilder love to hell. Heaven’s Rocker is the most recent volume in the Ruthfinn little angel romances and the prequel to the stunning The Lady and the Dragon.