Hogarth (Oltre 18.000 risultati)

Paperback. Condizione: Fair. Reprint. The item might be beaten up but readable. May contain markings or highlighting, as well as stains, bent corners, or any other major defect, but the text is not obscured in any way.

Hardcover. Condizione: Very Good. First Edition. With dust jacket. It's a well-cared-for item that has seen limited use. The item may show minor signs of wear. All the text is legible, with all pages included. It may have slight markings and/or highlighting.

Hardback. Condizione: Very Good. Shortlisted for the 2017 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year From critically acclaimed and Baileys Prize-nominated author Sara Taylor comes a dazzling new novel about youth, identity, and family secrets   After a fight with Alex's father, Ma pulls Alex out of bed and onto a pilgrimage of self-discovery through her own enthralling past. Guided by a memory map of places and people from Ma's life before motherhood, the pair travels from Virginia to California, each new destination and character revealing secrets, stories, and unfinished business. As Alex's coming-of-age narrative unfolds across the continent, we meet a cast of riveting and heartwarming characters including brilliant Annie, who seeks the help of Ma and Alex to escape the patriarchal cult in which she was raised, and the tragic young Marisol, whose dreams of becoming a mother end in heartbreak.   Slowly, Alex begins to realizes that the road trip is not a string of arbitrary stops, but a journey whose destination is perhaps Ma's biggest secret of all. Told from the perspective of Alex, a teenager who equates gender identification with unwillingly choosing a side in a war, and written with a stunningly assured lyricism, The Lauras is a fearless study of identity, set against the gorgeously rendered landscape of North America.&nbsp.…

Paperback. Condizione: Good. Lawrence Osborne brings one of literature's most enduring detectives back to life--as Private Investigator Philip Marlowe returns for one last adventure.   NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW AND NPR * NOMINATED FOR THE EDGAR AND SHAMUS AWARDS The year is 1988. The place, Baja California. And Philip Marlowe--now in his seventy-second year--is living out his retirement in the terrace bar of the La Fonda hotel. Sipping margaritas, playing cards, his silver-tipped cane at the ready. When in saunter two men dressed like undertakers, with a case that has his name written all over it.    For Marlowe, this is his last roll of the dice, his swan song. His mission is to investigate the death of Donald Zinn--supposedly drowned off his yacht, and leaving behind a much younger and now very rich wife. But is Zinn actually alive? Are the pair living off the spoils?  Set between the border and badlands of Mexico and California, Lawrence Osborne's resurrection of the iconic Marlowe is an unforgettable addition to the Raymond Chandler canon.   Praise for Only to Sleep   "A new case for Philip Marlowe and--have a smell from the barrel, all you gunsels and able grables --it crackles."--The New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice)   "Brilliant. Osborne and Chandler are a perfect match."--William Boyd, author of Any Human Heart   "A Marlowe we at once know, but have never met before. As much a meditation on aging and memory as it is a crime thriller."--Los Angeles Times   "It's the kind of book where, when you read it, it turns the world to black and white for a half-hour afterward. It leaves you with the taste of rum and blood in your mouth. It hangs with you like a scar."--NPR.…

Condizione: Very Good. Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc.

Hardback. Condizione: Very Good. Man Booker Prize-winner Howard Jacobson brings his singular brilliance to this modern re-imagining of one of Shakespeare's most unforgettable characters: Shylock Winter, a cemetery, Shylock. In this provocative and profound interpretation of The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is juxtaposed against his present-day counterpart in the character of art dealer and conflicted father Simon Strulovitch. With characteristic irony, Jacobson presents Shylock as a man of incisive wit and passion, concerned still with questions of identity, parenthood, anti-Semitism and revenge. While Strulovich struggles to reconcile himself to his daughter Beatrice's betrayal of her family and heritage - as she is carried away by the excitement of Manchester high society, and into the arms of a footballer notorious for giving a Nazi salute on the field - Shylock alternates grief for his beloved wife with rage against his own daughter's rejection of her Jewish upbringing. Culminating in a shocking twist on Shylock's demand for the infamous pound of flesh, Jacobson's insightful retelling examines contemporary, acutely relevant questions of Jewish identity while maintaining a poignant sympathy for its characters and a genuine spiritual kinship with its antecedent--a drama which Jacobson himself considers to be the most troubling of Shakespeare's plays for anyone, but, for an English novelist who happens to be Jewish, also the most challenging. …

Hardback. Condizione: Good. Man Booker Prize-winner Howard Jacobson brings his singular brilliance to this modern re-imagining of one of Shakespeare's most unforgettable characters: Shylock Winter, a cemetery, Shylock. In this provocative and profound interpretation of The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is juxtaposed against his present-day counterpart in the character of art dealer and conflicted father Simon Strulovitch. With characteristic irony, Jacobson presents Shylock as a man of incisive wit and passion, concerned still with questions of identity, parenthood, anti-Semitism and revenge. While Strulovich struggles to reconcile himself to his daughter Beatrice's betrayal of her family and heritage - as she is carried away by the excitement of Manchester high society, and into the arms of a footballer notorious for giving a Nazi salute on the field - Shylock alternates grief for his beloved wife with rage against his own daughter's rejection of her Jewish upbringing. Culminating in a shocking twist on Shylock's demand for the infamous pound of flesh, Jacobson's insightful retelling examines contemporary, acutely relevant questions of Jewish identity while maintaining a poignant sympathy for its characters and a genuine spiritual kinship with its antecedent--a drama which Jacobson himself considers to be the most troubling of Shakespeare's plays for anyone, but, for an English novelist who happens to be Jewish, also the most challenging. …

Hardback. Condizione: Good. Shortlisted for the 2017 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year From critically acclaimed and Baileys Prize-nominated author Sara Taylor comes a dazzling new novel about youth, identity, and family secrets   After a fight with Alex's father, Ma pulls Alex out of bed and onto a pilgrimage of self-discovery through her own enthralling past. Guided by a memory map of places and people from Ma's life before motherhood, the pair travels from Virginia to California, each new destination and character revealing secrets, stories, and unfinished business. As Alex's coming-of-age narrative unfolds across the continent, we meet a cast of riveting and heartwarming characters including brilliant Annie, who seeks the help of Ma and Alex to escape the patriarchal cult in which she was raised, and the tragic young Marisol, whose dreams of becoming a mother end in heartbreak.   Slowly, Alex begins to realizes that the road trip is not a string of arbitrary stops, but a journey whose destination is perhaps Ma's biggest secret of all. Told from the perspective of Alex, a teenager who equates gender identification with unwillingly choosing a side in a war, and written with a stunningly assured lyricism, The Lauras is a fearless study of identity, set against the gorgeously rendered landscape of North America.&nbsp.…

Hardback. Condizione: Very Good. NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE - A veteran journalist in Hong Kong is caught in a shadowy web of truth and betrayal as he investigates the disappearance of a student protester in this menacing, atmospheric novel written with shades of Graham Greene and Patricia Highsmith (Sunday Times) from the celebrated author of The Forgiven--now a major motion picture starring Jessica Chastain and Ralph Fiennes. Osborne is a startlingly good observer of privilege, noting the rites and rituals of the upper classes with unerring precision and an undercurrent of malice.--Katie Kitamura, The New York Times Book Review, on Beautiful Animals ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, CrimeReads After two decades as a journalist in Hong Kong, ex-pat Englishman Adrian Gyle has very little to show for it. Evenings are whiled away with soup dumplings and tea at Fung Shing, the restaurant downstairs from his home on Java Road, watching the city--once overflowing with wine dinners and private members' clubs--erupt in violence as pro-democracy demonstrations hit ever closer to home. Watching from the skyrises is Adrian's old friend Jimmy Tang, the scion of one of Hong Kong's wealthiest families. Just as Gyle prepares to turn his back on Hong Kong, he finds one last intrigue: the mysterious Rebecca, a student involved in the protests, and the latest of Jimmy's reckless dalliances. But when Rebecca goes missing and Jimmy hides, Gyle feels that old familiar urge to investigate. Piecing together Rebecca's final days and hours, Gyle must tread carefully through a volatile world of friendship and betrayal where personal loyalties vanish like the city he once knew so well. On Java Road tells the story of a man between the fault lines of old worlds and new orders in pursuit of the truth.…

Hardback. Condizione: Fair. NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE - A veteran journalist in Hong Kong is caught in a shadowy web of truth and betrayal as he investigates the disappearance of a student protester in this menacing, atmospheric novel written with shades of Graham Greene and Patricia Highsmith (Sunday Times) from the celebrated author of The Forgiven--now a major motion picture starring Jessica Chastain and Ralph Fiennes. Osborne is a startlingly good observer of privilege, noting the rites and rituals of the upper classes with unerring precision and an undercurrent of malice.--Katie Kitamura, The New York Times Book Review, on Beautiful Animals ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, CrimeReads After two decades as a journalist in Hong Kong, ex-pat Englishman Adrian Gyle has very little to show for it. Evenings are whiled away with soup dumplings and tea at Fung Shing, the restaurant downstairs from his home on Java Road, watching the city--once overflowing with wine dinners and private members' clubs--erupt in violence as pro-democracy demonstrations hit ever closer to home. Watching from the skyrises is Adrian's old friend Jimmy Tang, the scion of one of Hong Kong's wealthiest families. Just as Gyle prepares to turn his back on Hong Kong, he finds one last intrigue: the mysterious Rebecca, a student involved in the protests, and the latest of Jimmy's reckless dalliances. But when Rebecca goes missing and Jimmy hides, Gyle feels that old familiar urge to investigate. Piecing together Rebecca's final days and hours, Gyle must tread carefully through a volatile world of friendship and betrayal where personal loyalties vanish like the city he once knew so well. On Java Road tells the story of a man between the fault lines of old worlds and new orders in pursuit of the truth.…

Hardback. Condizione: Good. NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE - A veteran journalist in Hong Kong is caught in a shadowy web of truth and betrayal as he investigates the disappearance of a student protester in this menacing, atmospheric novel written with shades of Graham Greene and Patricia Highsmith (Sunday Times) from the celebrated author of The Forgiven--now a major motion picture starring Jessica Chastain and Ralph Fiennes. Osborne is a startlingly good observer of privilege, noting the rites and rituals of the upper classes with unerring precision and an undercurrent of malice.--Katie Kitamura, The New York Times Book Review, on Beautiful Animals ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, CrimeReads After two decades as a journalist in Hong Kong, ex-pat Englishman Adrian Gyle has very little to show for it. Evenings are whiled away with soup dumplings and tea at Fung Shing, the restaurant downstairs from his home on Java Road, watching the city--once overflowing with wine dinners and private members' clubs--erupt in violence as pro-democracy demonstrations hit ever closer to home. Watching from the skyrises is Adrian's old friend Jimmy Tang, the scion of one of Hong Kong's wealthiest families. Just as Gyle prepares to turn his back on Hong Kong, he finds one last intrigue: the mysterious Rebecca, a student involved in the protests, and the latest of Jimmy's reckless dalliances. But when Rebecca goes missing and Jimmy hides, Gyle feels that old familiar urge to investigate. Piecing together Rebecca's final days and hours, Gyle must tread carefully through a volatile world of friendship and betrayal where personal loyalties vanish like the city he once knew so well. On Java Road tells the story of a man between the fault lines of old worlds and new orders in pursuit of the truth.…

Hardcover. Condizione: Very Good.

Hardcover. Condizione: As New.

Paperback. Condizione: Good. A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2018 Shakespeare's dark and tragic play retold in a heart-pounding New York Times bestselling thriller from the author of The Snowman and The Thirst.   Set in the 1970s in a run-down, rainy industrial town, Jo Nesbo's Macbeth centers around a police force struggling to shed an incessant drug problem. Duncan, chief of police, is idealistic and visionary, a dream to the townspeople but a nightmare for criminals. The drug trade is ruled by two drug lords, one of whom--a master of manipulation named Hecate--has connections with the highest in power, and plans to use them to get his way.    Hecate's plot hinges on steadily, insidiously manipulating Inspector Macbeth: the head of SWAT and a man already susceptible to violent and paranoid tendencies. What follows is an unputdownable story of love and guilt, political ambition, and greed for more, exploring the darkest corners of human nature, and the aspirations of the criminal mind. …

Paperback. Condizione: Fair. A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2018 Shakespeare's dark and tragic play retold in a heart-pounding New York Times bestselling thriller from the author of The Snowman and The Thirst.   Set in the 1970s in a run-down, rainy industrial town, Jo Nesbo's Macbeth centers around a police force struggling to shed an incessant drug problem. Duncan, chief of police, is idealistic and visionary, a dream to the townspeople but a nightmare for criminals. The drug trade is ruled by two drug lords, one of whom--a master of manipulation named Hecate--has connections with the highest in power, and plans to use them to get his way.    Hecate's plot hinges on steadily, insidiously manipulating Inspector Macbeth: the head of SWAT and a man already susceptible to violent and paranoid tendencies. What follows is an unputdownable story of love and guilt, political ambition, and greed for more, exploring the darkest corners of human nature, and the aspirations of the criminal mind. …

paperback. Condizione: Fair.

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good.

Hardback. Condizione: Very Good. William Shakespeare s The Taming of the Shrew retold asVinegar Girl by Anne Tyler, Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times bestseller Anne Tyler s retelling of The Taming of the Shrew asks whether a thoroughly modern, independent woman like Kate would ever sacrifice herself for a man. Its answer is as individual, offbeat, and funny as Kate herself. Kate Battista feels stuck. How did she end up running house and home for her eccentric scientist father and her uppity, pretty younger sister, Bunny? Plus, she s always in trouble at work her preschool charges adore her, but their parents don t always appreciate her unusual opinions and forthright manner. Dr. Battista has his own problems. After years in the academic wilderness, he is on the verge of a breakthrough. His research could help millions. There s only one problem: his brilliant young lab assistant, Pyotr, is about to be deported. And without Pyotr, Dr. Battista s work may not ever be realized. When Dr. Battista cooks up an outrageous plan that will enable Pyotr to stay in the country, he s relying as usual on Kate to help him. Kate is furious: this time he s really asking too much. Will she be able to resist the two men s touchingly ludicrous campaign to bring her around? From the Hardcover edition.…

Hardback. Condizione: Good. William Shakespeare s The Taming of the Shrew retold asVinegar Girl by Anne Tyler, Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times bestseller Anne Tyler s retelling of The Taming of the Shrew asks whether a thoroughly modern, independent woman like Kate would ever sacrifice herself for a man. Its answer is as individual, offbeat, and funny as Kate herself. Kate Battista feels stuck. How did she end up running house and home for her eccentric scientist father and her uppity, pretty younger sister, Bunny? Plus, she s always in trouble at work her preschool charges adore her, but their parents don t always appreciate her unusual opinions and forthright manner. Dr. Battista has his own problems. After years in the academic wilderness, he is on the verge of a breakthrough. His research could help millions. There s only one problem: his brilliant young lab assistant, Pyotr, is about to be deported. And without Pyotr, Dr. Battista s work may not ever be realized. When Dr. Battista cooks up an outrageous plan that will enable Pyotr to stay in the country, he s relying as usual on Kate to help him. Kate is furious: this time he s really asking too much. Will she be able to resist the two men s touchingly ludicrous campaign to bring her around? From the Hardcover edition.…

Paperback. Condizione: Fair.

Paperback. Condizione: Good. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The darkly suspenseful tale of two families struggling to make the hardest decision of their lives--all over the course of one meal. Now a major motion picture. "Chilling, nasty, smart, shocking, and unputdownable."--Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl   It's a summer's evening in Amsterdam, and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant for dinner. Between mouthfuls of food and over the scrapings of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum of polite discourse. But behind the empty words, terrible things need to be said, and with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened.   Each couple has a fifteen-year-old son. The two boys are united by their accountability for a single horrific act--an act that has triggered a police investigation and shattered the comfortable, insulated worlds of their families. As the dinner reaches its culinary climax, the conversation finally touches on their children, and as civility and friendship disintegrate, each couple shows just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love.   A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK   "A European Gone Girl . . . A sly psychological thriller."--The Wall Street Journal "Brilliantly engineered . . . The novel is designed to make you think twice, then thrice, not only about what goes on within its pages, but also the next time indignation rises up, pure and fiery, in your own heart."--Salon   "You'll eat it up, with some fava beans and a nice Chianti."--Entertainment Weekly "[Koch] has created a clever, dark confection . . . absorbing and highly readable."--New York Times Book Review  "Tongue-in-cheek page-turner."--The Washington Post "[A] deliciously Mr. Ripley-esque drama."--O: The Oprah Magazine.…

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The darkly suspenseful tale of two families struggling to make the hardest decision of their lives--all over the course of one meal. Now a major motion picture. "Chilling, nasty, smart, shocking, and unputdownable."--Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl   It's a summer's evening in Amsterdam, and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant for dinner. Between mouthfuls of food and over the scrapings of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum of polite discourse. But behind the empty words, terrible things need to be said, and with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened.   Each couple has a fifteen-year-old son. The two boys are united by their accountability for a single horrific act--an act that has triggered a police investigation and shattered the comfortable, insulated worlds of their families. As the dinner reaches its culinary climax, the conversation finally touches on their children, and as civility and friendship disintegrate, each couple shows just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love.   A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK   "A European Gone Girl . . . A sly psychological thriller."--The Wall Street Journal "Brilliantly engineered . . . The novel is designed to make you think twice, then thrice, not only about what goes on within its pages, but also the next time indignation rises up, pure and fiery, in your own heart."--Salon   "You'll eat it up, with some fava beans and a nice Chianti."--Entertainment Weekly "[Koch] has created a clever, dark confection . . . absorbing and highly readable."--New York Times Book Review  "Tongue-in-cheek page-turner."--The Washington Post "[A] deliciously Mr. Ripley-esque drama."--O: The Oprah Magazine.…

Paperback. Condizione: Fair. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The darkly suspenseful tale of two families struggling to make the hardest decision of their lives--all over the course of one meal. Now a major motion picture. "Chilling, nasty, smart, shocking, and unputdownable."--Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl   It's a summer's evening in Amsterdam, and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant for dinner. Between mouthfuls of food and over the scrapings of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum of polite discourse. But behind the empty words, terrible things need to be said, and with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened.   Each couple has a fifteen-year-old son. The two boys are united by their accountability for a single horrific act--an act that has triggered a police investigation and shattered the comfortable, insulated worlds of their families. As the dinner reaches its culinary climax, the conversation finally touches on their children, and as civility and friendship disintegrate, each couple shows just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love.   A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK   "A European Gone Girl . . . A sly psychological thriller."--The Wall Street Journal "Brilliantly engineered . . . The novel is designed to make you think twice, then thrice, not only about what goes on within its pages, but also the next time indignation rises up, pure and fiery, in your own heart."--Salon   "You'll eat it up, with some fava beans and a nice Chianti."--Entertainment Weekly "[Koch] has created a clever, dark confection . . . absorbing and highly readable."--New York Times Book Review  "Tongue-in-cheek page-turner."--The Washington Post "[A] deliciously Mr. Ripley-esque drama."--O: The Oprah Magazine.…

hardcover. Condizione: Very Good.

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good.

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good.

Paperback. Condizione: Fair.

Paperback. Condizione: Fair. The haunting novel of love and survival that inspired Mexico's official submission for International Feature Film--now shortlisted for the 94th Academy Awards® and streaming on Netflix   "Prayers for the Stolen gives us words for what we haven't had words for before, like something translated from a dream in a secret language. . . . Beguiling, and even crazily enchanting."--Francisco Goldman, New York Times Book Review FINALIST FOR THE PEN/FAULKNER PRIZE * AN IRISH TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR Ladydi Garcia Martínez is fierce, funny, and smart. She was born into a world where being a girl is a dangerous thing. In the mountains of Guerrero, Mexico, women must fend for themselves, as their men have left to seek opportunities elsewhere. Here in the shadow of the drug war, bodies turn up on the outskirts of the village to be taken back to the earth by scorpions and snakes. School is held sporadically, when a volunteer can be coerced away from the big city for a semester. In Guerrero the drug lords are kings, and mothers disguise their daughters as sons, or when that fails they "make them ugly"--cropping their hair, blackening their teeth, anything to protect them from the rapacious grasp of the cartels. And when the black SUVs roll through town, Ladydi and her friends burrow into holes in their backyards like animals, tucked safely out of sight.   While her mother waits in vain for her husband's return, Ladydi and her friends dream of a future that holds more promise than mere survival, finding humor, solidarity, and fun in the face of so much tragedy. When Ladydi is offered work as a nanny for a wealthy family in Acapulco, she seizes the chance, and finds her first taste of love with a young caretaker there. But when a local murder tied to the cartel implicates a friend, Ladydi's future takes a dark turn. Despite the odds against her, this spirited heroine's resilience and resolve bring hope to otherwise heartbreaking conditions.   An illuminating and affecting portrait of women in rural Mexico, and a stunning exploration of the hidden consequences of an unjust war, Prayers for the Stolen is an unforgettable story of friendship, family, and determination.…

Paperback. Condizione: Good. The haunting novel of love and survival that inspired Mexico's official submission for International Feature Film--now shortlisted for the 94th Academy Awards® and streaming on Netflix   "Prayers for the Stolen gives us words for what we haven't had words for before, like something translated from a dream in a secret language. . . . Beguiling, and even crazily enchanting."--Francisco Goldman, New York Times Book Review FINALIST FOR THE PEN/FAULKNER PRIZE * AN IRISH TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR Ladydi Garcia Martínez is fierce, funny, and smart. She was born into a world where being a girl is a dangerous thing. In the mountains of Guerrero, Mexico, women must fend for themselves, as their men have left to seek opportunities elsewhere. Here in the shadow of the drug war, bodies turn up on the outskirts of the village to be taken back to the earth by scorpions and snakes. School is held sporadically, when a volunteer can be coerced away from the big city for a semester. In Guerrero the drug lords are kings, and mothers disguise their daughters as sons, or when that fails they "make them ugly"--cropping their hair, blackening their teeth, anything to protect them from the rapacious grasp of the cartels. And when the black SUVs roll through town, Ladydi and her friends burrow into holes in their backyards like animals, tucked safely out of sight.   While her mother waits in vain for her husband's return, Ladydi and her friends dream of a future that holds more promise than mere survival, finding humor, solidarity, and fun in the face of so much tragedy. When Ladydi is offered work as a nanny for a wealthy family in Acapulco, she seizes the chance, and finds her first taste of love with a young caretaker there. But when a local murder tied to the cartel implicates a friend, Ladydi's future takes a dark turn. Despite the odds against her, this spirited heroine's resilience and resolve bring hope to otherwise heartbreaking conditions.   An illuminating and affecting portrait of women in rural Mexico, and a stunning exploration of the hidden consequences of an unjust war, Prayers for the Stolen is an unforgettable story of friendship, family, and determination.…

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. The haunting novel of love and survival that inspired Mexico's official submission for International Feature Film--now shortlisted for the 94th Academy Awards® and streaming on Netflix   "Prayers for the Stolen gives us words for what we haven't had words for before, like something translated from a dream in a secret language. . . . Beguiling, and even crazily enchanting."--Francisco Goldman, New York Times Book Review FINALIST FOR THE PEN/FAULKNER PRIZE * AN IRISH TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR Ladydi Garcia Martínez is fierce, funny, and smart. She was born into a world where being a girl is a dangerous thing. In the mountains of Guerrero, Mexico, women must fend for themselves, as their men have left to seek opportunities elsewhere. Here in the shadow of the drug war, bodies turn up on the outskirts of the village to be taken back to the earth by scorpions and snakes. School is held sporadically, when a volunteer can be coerced away from the big city for a semester. In Guerrero the drug lords are kings, and mothers disguise their daughters as sons, or when that fails they "make them ugly"--cropping their hair, blackening their teeth, anything to protect them from the rapacious grasp of the cartels. And when the black SUVs roll through town, Ladydi and her friends burrow into holes in their backyards like animals, tucked safely out of sight.   While her mother waits in vain for her husband's return, Ladydi and her friends dream of a future that holds more promise than mere survival, finding humor, solidarity, and fun in the face of so much tragedy. When Ladydi is offered work as a nanny for a wealthy family in Acapulco, she seizes the chance, and finds her first taste of love with a young caretaker there. But when a local murder tied to the cartel implicates a friend, Ladydi's future takes a dark turn. Despite the odds against her, this spirited heroine's resilience and resolve bring hope to otherwise heartbreaking conditions.   An illuminating and affecting portrait of women in rural Mexico, and a stunning exploration of the hidden consequences of an unjust war, Prayers for the Stolen is an unforgettable story of friendship, family, and determination.…