First published in 1843, it tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a mean and unpleasant man who dislikes people generally and Christmas especially. One Christmas Eve he is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come and given a glimpse of the many homes and lives which Scrooge has touched in his wretched life to date. After their visits, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man.

When the Dickenson clan sits down for Thanksgiving dinner in 2016, it is the last holiday where their tight-knit family will ever be the same. Oldest brother Pete and his wife are expecting their first child. Youngest sibling Sophie is too busy running her restaurant. The Little Plum, to bother with any kind of social life. And middle child Charlie’s happy, uncomplicated life as a midwestern science professor is upended when his wife Annette is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Knowing this will be her last Thanksgiving, Annette asks Sophie to look after Charlie after she’s gone.

Alexis Spencer thinks she has it all figured out. Even when life gets her down, she’s never too far away from another inspirational quote to rationalize her failures and ignore all her problems. Her boyfriend breaks it off, she loses her job, her closest friends are a distant memory, and her college debt is still as high as the day she left. In typical fashion, she blames the world for her problems, including her 18-year-old self who should have just tried harder and put their life on a better track.

Overworked and underappreciated, single mom Amy Byler needs a break. So when the guilt-ridden husband who abandoned her shows up and offers to take care of their kids for the summer, she accepts his offer and escapes rural Pennsylvania for New York City. Usually grounded and mild mannered, Amy finally lets her hair down in the city that never sleeps. She discovers a life filled with culture, sophistication, and - with a little encouragement from her friends - a few blind dates.

内容紹介

琉球はすなわち現在の沖縄地域を差す地域です。
一年中を通して温暖な地域である琉球には、美しい自然の中で暮らしてきた温かい人々が語り継いできた、沢山の昔話があります。
琉球ならではのお話もあれば、交易が盛んになったことで日本列島や中国・韓国などの近隣諸国から運び込まれたものもありますので、中にはどこかで聞いたお話もあるかもしれません。

「わらしべ王子」
昔、那覇にある母子が暮らしていた。かつては王の妃として暮らしていた母だったが、ある時王を怒らせてしまって王宮を追われ、母子は貧しい暮らしをしていた。更に母は重い病気を患ってしまい、息子になけなしの財産として藁三束だけを残して先立ってしまう。息子は、母が遺してくれた藁三束をどうにか生かそうとして、味噌屋へ向かうのだが……

「サルとカメ」
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