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47,382 public-domain books, summarised. Page 587 of 988.

Cover of The Shadow

The Shadow

Mary White Ovington

A young woman discovers her racial identity is not what she believed, forcing a journey of self-reckoning that challenges the social boundaries of the American South and North. This story traces the quiet, agonizing process of unmaking a life built on a foundation of silence.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The silver blade: The true chronicle of a double mystery

The silver blade: The true chronicle of a double mystery

Charles Edmonds Walk

When a Mexican national is stabbed to death with a physician’s paper-knife in a locked suite of offices, a quiet Southern family finds itself ensnared in a web of murder, missing papers, and long-buried greed.

Crime, Thrillers and Mystery6 min read
Cover of The sociable Sand Witch

The sociable Sand Witch

Thomas Lambert Sappington

A collection of whimsically dark fairy tales, this volume explores the absurd consequences of magic, where children and creatures alike find themselves trapped by their own wishes and the strange rules of enchanted worlds.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The Steam-Shovel Man

The Steam-Shovel Man

Ralph Delahaye Paine

An enterprising teenager chases his fortune to the Panama Canal, finding himself caught between the monumental machinery of progress and the dangerous schemes of a bitter soldier of fortune.

Adventure5 min read
Cover of The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew

William Shakespeare

A headstrong woman meets her match in a volatile suitor, sparking a battle of wills that forces both to confront the nature of their own identities and their roles in marriage.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Timeless Ones

The Timeless Ones

Frank Belknap Long

Beyond the reach of Earth’s familiar skies, a peaceful world hides a terrifying secret: a family trapped in a cycle of eternal, unchanging youth. This story explores the unsettling price of immortality and the mysterious, ancient forces that demand it.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The Vicissitudes of Bessie Fairfax

The Vicissitudes of Bessie Fairfax

Holme Lee

The Vicissitudes of Bessie Fairfax is a quiet, contemplative portrait of an independent young woman navigating the rigid social expectations of Victorian England. It explores the tension between duty to one’s ancestry and the pull of the heart.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of The woman's way

The woman's way

Charles Garvice

A young woman living in poverty finds her life irrevocably entwined with a man hiding a dangerous secret. What follows is a journey of identity, sacrifice, and the enduring power of character.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Tieck's Essay on the Boydell Shakspere Gallery

Tieck's Essay on the Boydell Shakspere Gallery

George H. (George Henry) Danton

The Boydell Shakespeare Gallery represents a collision between eighteenth-century British commercial ambition and the emerging sensibilities of German Romanticism. This monograph examines how a young Ludwig Tieck attempted to reconcile those forces.

Art6 min read
Cover of Tom Temple's Career

Tom Temple's Career

Alger, Horatio, Jr.

A spirited teenager discovers that true wealth lies in resilience, integrity, and the unexpected kindness of strangers after his inheritance vanishes overnight.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Twenty Talks to Teachers

Twenty Talks to Teachers

Thomas E. Sanders

Success in the classroom is rarely a matter of raw intellect, but rather a triumph of character, self-governance, and the steady application of practical habits.

Teaching & Education6 min read
Cover of Two Royal Foes

Two Royal Foes

Eva Annie Madden

A young girl’s flight across a war-torn landscape mirrors the crumbling of a kingdom, as the quiet dignity of a besieged Queen stands against the crushing ambition of a conqueror.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of Under the desert stars

Under the desert stars

Frank Koester

The modern world is a fragile illusion, but for those who hold fast to truth and love, the desert stars offer a guiding light. This narrative traverses the globe to untangle the bonds of passion and the constraints of society.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Vautrin: A Drama in Five Acts

Vautrin: A Drama in Five Acts

Honoré de Balzac

A master of the criminal underworld attempts to forge a legitimate noble identity for his protégé, only to find that the rigid hierarchies of the French aristocracy are as cold and unforgiving as the prisons he narrowly escapes.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of War Stories for my Grandchildren

War Stories for my Grandchildren

John Watson Foster

HOOK A soldier chronicles his journey through the American Civil War not for history books, but for the descendants who will never hear his voice.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Wise Saws and Modern Instances, Volume 1 (of 2)

Wise Saws and Modern Instances, Volume 1 (of 2)

Thomas Cooper

This collection of narratives captures the sharp, unvarnished realities of 19th-century English life, giving voice to the struggles, intellectual vitality, and hard-won wisdom of the working class.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Wizard Will, the wonder worker

Wizard Will, the wonder worker

Prentiss Ingraham

Young Will Raymond balances the dangerous life of a streetwise detective with the desperate need to protect his ailing mother and sister from a web of past secrets.

Adventure5 min read
Cover of Zero Hour

Zero Hour

Alexander Blade

A young boy sneaks onto a government rocket, convinced he is destined for the moon with his father. He discovers too late that imagination and reality occupy vastly different orbits.

Science-Fiction & Fantasy5 min read
Cover of A Canterbury Pilgrimage

A Canterbury Pilgrimage

Elizabeth Robins Pennell

Two Americans swap horses for a tricycle, embarking on a playful, pedal-powered journey to trace the ancient route to Canterbury.

Travel Writing6 min read
Cover of A few days in Athens: being the translation of a Greek manuscript discovered in Herculaneum

A few days in Athens: being the translation of a Greek manuscript discovered in Herculaneum

Frances Wright

An inquisitive young man travels to Athens to confront a notorious philosopher, only to find that his own rigid preconceptions are the primary obstacle to his discovery of wisdom and truth.

Novels6 min read
Cover of A Hive of Busy Bees

A Hive of Busy Bees

Effie Mae Hency Williams

The farm is a sanctuary of lessons where the rhythm of nature teaches children that goodness, like honey, is gathered one diligent act at a time.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of A Journal of the Disasters in Affghanistan, 1841-2

A Journal of the Disasters in Affghanistan, 1841-2

Florentia Wynch Sale

A bracing, unvarnished account of the First Anglo-Afghan War, this journal documents the catastrophic collapse of British forces in Kabul and the harrowing captivity of the officers’ families caught in the crossfire.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of A Merchant Fleet at War

A Merchant Fleet at War

Archibald Hurd

Behind the fame of the British Royal Navy lay the vulnerable, indispensable merchant fleet. This account chronicles how one shipping company transformed its civilian vessels into a vital lifeline for a nation at war.

History - British6 min read
Cover of A Prince to Order

A Prince to Order

Charles Stokes Wayne

A New York stockbroker wakes up in Paris with a full beard and a memory that has been wiped clean, only to discover he is trapped in a global conspiracy involving a lost royal crown.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Ameboid movement

Ameboid movement

Asa A. (Asa Arthur) Schaeffer

The movement of a single cell is a microcosm of all biological motion, revealing that even the simplest organisms follow complex, predictable geometric laws.

Science - Biology6 min read
Cover of Arminell: A Social Romance, Vol. 3

Arminell: A Social Romance, Vol. 3

S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould

A high-born woman abandons her privileged sphere to navigate the complexities of life among the middle class, testing whether true happiness depends on status or the simple, often absurd, realities of human connection.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of At the back of the world

At the back of the world

George Pugh

The sea is a magnet for the restless, a vast and unpredictable school that promises both the wonders of the world and the harsh realities of survival.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Bernardin de St. Pierre

Bernardin de St. Pierre

Arvède Barine

This literary portrait captures the life and erratic brilliance of a writer who defined a generation’s sentimentality. It reveals the man behind the famous pastoral myth, grounding his complex legacy in the real, often difficult person who authored it.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Birds Illustrated by Color Photography, Vol. 3, No. 5

Birds Illustrated by Color Photography, Vol. 3, No. 5

Various

This collection captures the Victorian fascination with the natural world, blending scientific observation, sentimental fiction, and urgent advocacy for the preservation of avian life.

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of Bonanza: A story of the Gold Trail

Bonanza: A story of the Gold Trail

William MacLeod Raine

The Nevada mining frontier tests the mettle of two brothers, whose loyalty to each other and pursuit of justice anchor them amidst a world of lawless ruffians and shifting fortunes.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Brothers and sisters

Brothers and sisters

Abbie Farwell Brown

The world is large enough for every child to find a corner of wonder, yet small enough that a single act of kindness can bridge the distance between two different lives.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of By Canadian Streams

By Canadian Streams

Lawrence J. (Lawrence Johnstone) Burpee

The rivers of Canada are more than mere waterways; they are the veins of a continent, carved by the ambition of explorers and the resilience of those who called these banks home.

Environmental Issues6 min read
Cover of Clergymen and Doctors: Curious Facts and Characteristic Sketches

Clergymen and Doctors: Curious Facts and Characteristic Sketches

Anonymous

A collection of historical anecdotes, this work preserves the wit, vanity, and professional idiosyncrasies of those who tended to the spiritual and physical health of past generations.

History - Other6 min read
Cover of Copyright Renewals 1978

Copyright Renewals 1978

Library of Congress. Copyright Office

This catalog serves as an official ledger of intellectual property maintenance, documenting the formal extension of rights for works published decades prior. It acts as a primary historical record for scholars, librarians, and researchers navigating the twentieth-century American literary and technical landscape.

Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference6 min read
Cover of Domnei: A Comedy of Woman-Worship

Domnei: A Comedy of Woman-Worship

James Branch Cabell

A knight and his lady are separated by years of violence and obsession, proving that love is not merely a romance, but a dangerous, transformative religion.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Edith and Her Ayah, and Other Stories

Edith and Her Ayah, and Other Stories

A. L. O. E.

Little ones often possess a faith that outshines the wisdom of their elders, serving as quiet guides toward spiritual truth. This collection of moral tales uses the everyday experiences of children to illustrate profound lessons in Christian conduct and character.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Ethics and Modern Thought: A Theory of Their Relations

Ethics and Modern Thought: A Theory of Their Relations

Rudolf Eucken

The erosion of traditional moral certainty in the modern age requires a conscious, active leap toward a deeper, spiritual reality. This work argues that human life finds its true significance only by transcending mere natural impulse.

Philosophy & Ethics7 min read
Cover of Euphorion - Vol. II: Being Studies of the Antique and the Mediaeval in the Renaissance

Euphorion - Vol. II: Being Studies of the Antique and the Mediaeval in the Renaissance

Vernon Lee

A journey through the Renaissance reveals that our rigid categories of "realism" and "idealism" are merely shifting shadows in a centuries-long conversation between the medieval spirit and the antique world.

Art6 min read
Cover of Faith Gartney's Girlhood

Faith Gartney's Girlhood

A. D. T. (Adeline Dutton Train) Whitney

The search for purpose often begins with the quiet realization that one’s current life is too small to hold one’s aspirations. Faith Gartney’s journey from a constrained city existence to a life of meaning reflects this timeless tension.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Famous mystery stories

Famous mystery stories

Unknown

This collection gathers ten classic tales of the strange and the supernatural, serving as a gateway to the eerie traditions of nineteenth-century European and American literature. It offers a window into a time when mystery meant more than just a crime to be solved; it meant an encounter with the inexplicable.

Short Stories6 min read
Cover of From the Easy Chair, Volume 3

From the Easy Chair, Volume 3

George William Curtis

These essays offer a refined, observant window into the late nineteenth-century American conscience, capturing a world in transition through the eyes of a thoughtful, wry, and deeply humane narrator.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Gabriel: A Story of the Jews in Prague

Gabriel: A Story of the Jews in Prague

S. (Salomon) Kohn

A man returns to the shadows of the Prague ghetto to settle a haunting debt of honor and love, only to find the threads of his past woven into a wider, tragic tapestry of war and betrayal.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of God's Playthings

God's Playthings

Marjorie Bowen

HOOK History is not a tapestry of grand designs, but a collection of frantic, fragile lives caught in the gears of power and circumstance.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Gods of Space

Gods of Space

Ray Cummings

A desperate mission to a distant asteroid leads a young pilot to a mysterious "goddess" and a terrifying biological plague that threatens both an alien race and the future of medicine on Earth.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Gospel Themes: A Treatise on Salient Features of "Mormonism"

Gospel Themes: A Treatise on Salient Features of "Mormonism"

Orson F. (Orson Ferguson) Whitney

The path to human exaltation, as envisioned in Latter-day Saint theology, is a structured journey from a pre-mortal council to a final, glorious restoration of all things. This treatise serves as a foundational guide for those seeking to understand the historical and doctrinal architecture of "Mormonism" as it was…

Religion/Spirituality6 min read
Cover of Grace Harlowe with the American Army on the Rhine

Grace Harlowe with the American Army on the Rhine

Josephine Chase

The Great War has ended, but for a courageous young woman on the Rhine, the most dangerous work of protecting the American Army of Occupation is just beginning.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Harper's Young People, October 4, 1881: An Illustrated Weekly

Harper's Young People, October 4, 1881: An Illustrated Weekly

Various

This weekly periodical captures the Victorian spirit of childhood adventure and moral instruction, weaving together serialized fiction, historical sketches, and a vibrant community of young readers writing in from across the globe.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of In Savage Africa

In Savage Africa

Verney Lovett Cameron

Young Frank Baldwin, a British youth, sets sail on his father’s ship, the Petrel, hoping for adventure. He finds far more than he bargained for when he is kidnapped by a rogue trader and thrust into the heart of an Africa defined by the cruelties of the slave trade and the resilience of those trapped within it.

Adventure6 min read