Patricia Jones – författare

Like a glass of lemonade that is both sweet and tart, writer Patricia Jones mixes up a refreshing blend of deep emotion and raw truth, tempered by a grounded dose of wisdom.

To Lila Giles, the term "passing" refers to those pale-hued folks who take advantage of their creamy shade by crossing into the white world. Descended from a long line of an elite Baltimore family awash with "high-colored" skin just right for "passing", family lore told Lila that not one of them would have thought to deny their true selves and rich history in such a way. It is this sense of pride that bonds the Giles family together -- a bond strongly enforced by Lila''s controlling stepmother Eulelie. But the delicate balance of this branch of the family Eulelie has so carefully engineered is threatened when Lila''s brother decides to marry a woman from an oh-so-very-wrong family.

A proud though severe matriarch, Eulelie Giles has ruled her four grown stepchildren with a heavy self-righteousness that could break the spirit of the most sound opponent, let alone the nearly thirty-year-old Lila. Relentlessly loyal to her privileged world, Eulelie has ingrained upon Lila and her three other stepchildren the importance of distinguishing between acceptable and unacceptable blacks. Despite her strident belief in an unyielding class line, Eulelie has kept a secret about her own past that manages to affect, in more ways than a few, anyone who enters her life. As the wedding day draws closer, Lila begins to look at her reality versus Eulelie''s, and what Lila finds leads to a confrontation between stepmother and stepdaughter that could finally shatter Eulelie''s reign over Lila and the family, but ultimately, one that will lead Eulelie back to the truth.

Filled with multi-dimensional characters and rich with atmosphere, Passing is a story of tangled family relationships; the secrets, misunderstanding, and deceptions that hold them together.

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A complete full-color guide to medical laboratory test selection and test result interpretation for disorders and diagnoses specific to pediatric and neonatal populations

Laboratory medicine practiced at a pediatric institution has unique characteristics specific to infants and children, who differ both metabolically and biochemically from adults.  Many aspects of laboratory medicine are affected by these differences, from basic, day-to-day operational issues through test selection for pediatric-specific disorders. However, most references in laboratory medicine merely touch upon pediatrics – and offer little if any coverage of variations in testing and results for different age groups, or the many diseases and disorders most common in infants and children. Pediatric Laboratory Medicine is specifically written to fill this critical void in the literature.

Now, for the first time, all important reference material concerning pediatric laboratory medicine is available in one convenient, up-to-date resource. Pediatric Laboratory Medicine teaches the effective operation of a pediatric clinical operation, and also provides guidelines for teaching trainees. This unique text delivers the how-to instruction necessary to ensure proper handling and testing of pediatric specimens to ensure accurate diagnosis. Valuable learning aids include learning objectives, end-of-chapter review questions, and references for further study.

Written by experienced clinicians, the book’s seventeen chapters cover virtually every important topic – from daily issues in the practice of pediatric laboratory medicine to common tests and considerations to inborn errors of metabolism and therapeutic drug monitoring. Enhanced by numerous tables and high-quality full-color images, this authoritative resource delivers everything necessary for effective pediatric laboratory medicine training and practice.  

A young widow''s rite of passage and need for redemption...

The family moved into an old farmhouse in the pretty village of Eden Bridge but Kitty Munroe''s hopes are shattered after her husband, Tom, is accidentally killed underneath his beloved classic car. Kitty and her two young children must come to terms with the tragedy and rebuild their lives.

However, when Kitty discovers that Tom was having an affair with Melissa, his brother''s wife, she decides on redemption for all the family''s pain and grief through the discovery of an extraordinary and valuable English Delftware plate.

Kitty and the children are helped towards a new life by selling the car and the plate. Through the support of friends and a stranger discovered squatting in the garden bothy, as well as by providing a home for an abandoned donkey and, finally, the friendship of helpful architect Alex.

Kitty becomes strong enough to control her life and to take herself and her children forward.