Best Selling Books by Marianne Monson

Uncover the fantastic secrets of the fairy world through real-world mythology and how-tos (including crafts, recipes, songs, and games) for befriending the fay folk. Finding Fairies offers kids (of all ages) a distinctive, comprehensive guide to imaginatively engage with the hidden, magickal world we live in. Finding Fairies is a lush, colorful, comprehensive guide that has charmed and intriguied kids and adults alike for over twenty years. This fully expanded and updated paperback edition of this perennial favorite once again brings the gorgeous illustrations of fay folk, their legends, their habits, and the secrets to befriending them all into a fun, interactive package for a new generation of fairy believers. You’ll discover how to play fairy games, make fairy food, plant a fairy garden, even throw a fairy party. This enchanting collection offers you over thirty unique ways to commune with our fairy neighbors, because if you know how to hobnob with a goblin or party with a sprite, you''ll find yourself in good company! Authors and world travelers Michelle Roehm McCann and Marianne Monson detail the fairy lore spanning six continents, while the original illustrations of David Hohn meld with a fully updated design to reflect the distinctive beauty and traditions of each culture’s fairies. Delve into the rich folklore and mythologies of many cultures, from the remote jungle waterfalls of Mexico to the scented peach groves of China to the hot savannas of Africa, reader''s will learn that fairies can be discovered in every corner of the world, even in your own home.

Discover the stories of twelve women who "heard the call" to settle the west and who came from all points of the globe to begin their journey. When she was enslaved, Clara watched as her husband and children were trafficked, only to be reunited with her youngest daughter, as a free woman, six decades later. As a young girl, Charlotte hid her gender to escape a life of poverty and became the greatest stagecoach driver that ever lived. As a Yankton-Nakota Sioux, Gertrude fought to give her Indigenous people a voice and to educate others about the ways and importance of her culture. These are gripping miniature dramas of good-hearted and courageous women, selfless providers, courageous immigrants and migrants, and women with skills too innumerable to list. Many were crusaders for social justice and women''s rights. All endured hardships, overcame obstacles, broke barriers, and changed the world. The author ties the stories of these pioneer women to the experiences of women today with the hope that they will be inspired to live boldly and bravely and to fill their own lives with vision, faith, and fortitude. To live with grit.

While participating in Passover meals and observances is not a part of designated Latter-day Saint rituals, many participants see the activity as a way to re-enact the observance as it was structured in Old Testament times, and tie it to their modern-day Easter celebrations of the atoning sacrifice and glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. With this in mind, many have expressed a desire for more information on how to combine the two events effectively. To meet this need, Celebrating Passover recounts the history of the Passover feast, including its importance, origins, symbolism, and developments through time. Then, it correlates the Passover observance with Christ''s life and LDS beliefs and prophecies, explaining differences in the emphasis and showing how to prepare a modern Latter-day Saint Passover observance that truly is Christ-centered. Celebrating Passover provides all the information needed for modern LDS families to hold a gospel-oriented Passover celebration that respects the Old Testament Passover instructions but still focuses on the mission and gospel-centered message of salvation through Jesus Christ. This well-written, highly informative book provides a complete script, recipes, music and all the instructions needed for a meaningful, joyous celebration.

Nearer to Thee continues the beautifully written account of young musician Mima Hough, based on the true story of a nineteenth century pioneer from England. In this thrilling sequel to The Water is Wide, Mima and her mother turn their eyes westward to the Salt Lake Valley, but to get there, they must follow a trail marked with cholera graves, treacherous rivers, and Native American tribes weary of invaders. Mima''s journey across the plains is one of courage and self-discovery, of heartache and love. This long-awaited sequel continues the epic adventure of a young woman who experiences the life of a Mormon pioneer as an outsider.

An historically rich novel that brings to life the fascinating story of America''s first female state senator, Martha Hughes Cannon, who was also a doctor, suffragist, and champion of public health in the frontier territory of Utah in the late 19th century. As a young girl traveling to Utah by wagon in 1861, Martha, or Mattie as she was called, was deeply influenced by the early struggles her family endured as frontier pioneers, including the premature deaths of her baby sister and father. From those early experiences, she found her calling. Alleviating physical suffering and healing became her goals, and Mattie worked with astounding dedication and resolve to achieve those goals. She began teaching school at age fourteen and worked as a typesetter for the influential Women''s Exponent newspaper to pay for college where she graduated with a degree in chemistry. In 1880, Mattie stepped into the lecture hall of the University of Michigan medical school, the only woman in the class and one of a handful of women to attend the school in its history. The room erupted at her entrance--laughter, scoffing, voices calling out, and more than one person muttering about the "hen medic." Many male professors, thinking it indelicate, refused to discuss anatomy if women students were in the room, and they were often forced to observe from an annex area outside the regular classroom. Resolved and single-minded, Mattie graduated from medical school at the age twenty-three, the only female in her class. As a doctor, she returned to frontier Utah, set up a medical practice, and established classes for midwives where she lectured on obstetrics. As a suffragette, she was outspoken at the Columbia Exposition of Chicago, where she delivered a rousing speech on behalf of women''s rights. She married in secrecy at age twenty-seen, and later lived in exile for two years because her husband practiced plural marriage, which was illegal, and she didn''t want to testify against him. She returned to Utah in 1888 and took an active part in politics and women''s suffrage. She ran for office as a Democrat against the Republican candidate, who was her husband and won, becoming the first woman ever elected as a state senator in the US. This is the first historical fiction novel based on the real life of Martha Hughes Cannon, a woman whose extraordinary life as a pioneer woman paralleled the life of the nation, struggling to grow and expand westward, wrestling with the rights and freedoms guaranteed to all its citizens, including women, and overcoming tremendous odds and roadblocks by forging the uniquely American spirit of the west: independence, innovation, dedication, and stick-to-itiveness which defined her generation and this chapter in American history.

Hidden amongst the photographs, uniforms, revolvers, and war medals of the Civil War are the remarkable stories of some of the most unlikely heroes--women. North, South, black, white, Native American, immigrant--the women in these micro-drama biographies are wives, mothers, sisters, and friends whose purposes ranged from supporting husbands and sons during wartime to counseling President Lincoln on strategy, from tending to the wounded on the battlefield to spiriting away slaves through the Underground Railroad, from donning a uniform and fighting unrecognized alongside the men to working as spies for either side. This book brings to light the incredible stories of women from the Civil War that remain relevant to our nation today. Each woman''s experience helps us see a truer, fuller, richer version of what really happened in this country during this time period.

Aria and Nathan return to the Enchanted Tunnel, and find themselves in Jerusalem at the time of Christ.

Twins Nathan and Aria discover that tunnels under the stage in their church''s cultural hall lead, magically, to another time when they find themselves on the pioneer trail with Joseph, a boy their age, and must find their way back home.

Twins Nathan and Aria use the tunnels under the stage in their church''s cultural hall to travel back to ancient Egypt and witness the exodus of Israel led by Moses.

Based on the true story of the Cook sisters, who smuggled valuables out of 1930s Nazi Germany to finance a daring, secret operation to help Jews find hope for a new life in England British sisters Ida and Louise Cook enjoy their quiet, unassuming lives in south London. Ida writes romance novels, and Louise works as a secretary. In the evenings, the sisters indulge in their shared love for opera, saving their money to buy records and attend performances throughout England and Europe, becoming well-known by both performers and fellow opera lovers. But when Hitler seizes power in 1933, he begins targeting and persecuting German Jews, passing laws that restrict their rights and their lives. The sisters continue their trips to the German opera houses, but soon, Jewish members of the opera community covertly approach the sisters, worried that they will be stripped of their wealth and forced to leave their homes and the country. Danger looms on the horizon, threatening to spill across all of Europe''s borders. Ida and Louise vow to help, but how can two ordinary working-class women with limited means make a difference? Together with their beloved opera community, the sisters devise a plan to personally escort Jewish refugees from Germany to England. The success of the plan hinges on Ida and Louise''s ability to smuggle contraband jewelry and furs beneath the watchful eyes of the SS soldiers guarding various checkpoints. But how many trips can they make before someone blows a whistle? Or before the final curtain falls on Germany''s borders? The Opera Sisters is a riveting and inspiring novel of two unlikely heroines whose courage and compassion gave hope to many Jews desperate to escape Nazi persecution.

Aria and Nathan return to the Enchanted Tunnel and soon find themselves in Book of Mormon times, with Lehi and his family, wandering in the wilderness.

When Mima''s mother meets a pair of Mormon missionaries in the small English town of Wood Box in 1844, Mima prays that the townspeople won''t treat them any differently. But when her mother chooses to be baptized, Mima''s worst fears are realized. Even her best friend refuses to stand by her. So when her mother decides to leave for America, Mima is faced with some hard decisions.