Short Stories Learn English

This sharp, funny collection of stories begins in the 1950s in an insular northern village 'scoured by bitter winds and rough gossip tongues.' The title story sees our narrator ironing out her northern vowels with the help of an ex-actress with one lung and a Manchester accent. In Third Floor Rising' she watches, dazzled, as her mother carves out a stylish new identity. With a deceptively light touch, Mantel locates the transforming moments of a haunted childhood.

This volume is a sweet romance book that can help you regain faith in real love. The story unfolds with the meet cute of Laura and Vincent Weissman, a powerful businessman who is generous and kind enough to offer to help with the lady’s punctured car tire. From this amazing encounter, there’s only a small step to true love.

Adapted from the story by Thomas Hardy. A woman and a man... words of love whispered on a summer night. Later, there is a child, but no wedding-ring. And then the man leaves the first woman, finds a younger woman, marries her - it’s an old story. Yes, it’s an old, old story. It happens all the time – today, tomorrow, a hundred years ago. People don’t change. But this story, set among the green hills of southern England, has something different about it.

Timmy thinks he is tough, until he goes to prison. His actions disrespect the guards who throw him to the wolves. Newly incarcerated, Timmy doesn't know much about prison politics but quickly realizes if he isn’t the tough guy he thought he was, and if he is to survive, he will have to submit.