National Network for Equitable Library Service

Von Igelfeld is the world's leading scholar on Portuguese irregular verbs, having written a majestic, nearly 1,200-page book on the subject.

Isabel Dalhousie's life is thrown for a few loops when her cousin Mimi arrives from Dallas with her husband Joe.

The focus is squarely on precocious six-year-old Bertie this time, as the young lad with the overbearing mother learns to speak Italian, play the saxophone, and do yoga.

Professor Dr. Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld, of the Institute of Romance Philology in the Bavarian city of Regensburg, finds that life is very difficult these days.

At age 4, Thursday chooses her own name. At age 6, she falls in love with her best friend, James, with whom she happily spends all her time.

Inspired by a love of trains and the nature of love, a series of intertwined romantic tales follows the experiences of four strangers traveling from Edinburgh to London who entertain each other wit