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The Red Coat: A Novel of Boston
By Dolley Carlson. 2018
Think Downton Abbey, set in the heart of Boston Irish domestic worker Norah King's decision to ask her wealthy employer,…
Caroline Parker, for an elegant red coat that the Beacon Hill matriarch has marked for donation ignites a series of events that neither woman could have fathomed. The unlikely exchange will impact their respective daughters and families for generations to come, from the coat's original owner, marriage-minded collegian Cordelia Parker, to the determined and spirited King sisters of South Boston, Rosemary, Kay, and Rita. As all of these young women experience the realities of life – love and loss, conflict and joy, class prejudices and unexpected prospects – the red coat reveals the distinction between cultures, generations, and landscapes in Boston during the 1940s and 50s, a time of change, challenge, and opportunity. Meet the proud, working-class Irish and staid, upper-class Brahmins through the contrasting lives of these two families and their friends and neighbors. See how the Parkers and the Kings each overcome sudden tragedy with resolve and triumph. And witness the profound impact of a mother’s heart on her children’s souls. Carlson brings us front and center with her knowing weave of Celtic passion – both tragic and joyful – words of wisdom, romance, humor, and historical events. Dive into Boston feet first! The Red Coat is a rich novel that chronicles the legacy of Boston from both sides of the city, Southie and the Hill.The City and the House: A Novel
By Natalia Ginzburg, Cynthia Zarin. 2019
A sophisticated new package for Natalia Ginzburg's classic fiction This powerful novel is set against the background of Italy from…
1939 to 1944, from the anxious months before the country entered the war, through the war years, to the Allied victory with its trailing wake of anxiety, disappointment, and grief.The city is Rome, the hub of Italian life and culture. The house is Le Margherite, a home where the sprawling cast of The City and the House is welcome. At the center of this lush epistolary novel is Lucrezia, mother of five and lover of many. Among her lovers-and perhaps the father of one of her children-is Giuseppe. After the sale of Le Margherite, the characters wander aimlessly as if in search of a lost paradise.What was once rooted, local, and specific has become general and common, a matter of strangers and of pointless arrivals and departures. And at the edge of the novel are people no longer able to form any sustained or sustaining relationships. Here, once again, Ginzburg pulls us through a thrilling and true exploration of the disintegration of family in modern society. She handles a host of characters with a deft touch and her typical impressionist hand, and offers a story full of humanity, passion, and keen perception.The Manzoni Family: A Novel
By Natalia Ginzburg. 2019
Winner of the Bagutta Prize, The Manzoni Family set in ducal Italy and post-revolutionary France, captures the story of Alessandro…
Manzoni—celebrated Milanese nobleman, man of letters, and author of the masterpiece of nineteenth-century Italian literature, I promessi sposi (The Betrothed)—and the women of his life. The dynastic tale begins with the matriarchal figure of Giulia, the mother whom the young Alessandro Manzoni found in Paris after she had abandoned him as an infant. Following her, there is Enrichetta, the woman he and his mother chose to be his wife, and the many children she had by him until her death; literary friends from the beau monde in Italy and Paris; and Alessandro's second wife, Teresa, and her children. Against the background of Napoleonic occupation, the reestablishment of Austrian hegemony, and the stirrings of the revolutionary urge for unification and independence, Ginzburg gracefully weaves the story of the Manzoni dynasty, a family that seems to grow autonomously around the life of the writer, effortlessly incorporating the epic tumult and emotion of the age. Ginzburg explores this fascinating true story and celebrated author with the elegance that has assured her rightful place among history’s acclaimed literary titans.The Little White Horse
By Elizabeth Goudge. 1974
When orphan Maria arrives at Moonacre Manor, she feels like she's come home. Her new guardian is kind, like an…
old friend. However, beneath the beauty and comfort lies a tragedy. Maria is determined to find out about it, change it, and give her own life story a happy ending.The Delivery Room: A Novel
By Sylvia Brownrigg. 2006
It is 1998. In the safe haven of her London office—a room her husband jokingly calls "The Delivery Room"—therapist Mira…
Braverman listens to the stories of her troubled patients, including an aristocratic woman going through an intense infertility drama, an American journalist who is eager to have a baby, and an irritable divorcé who likes to taunt Mira about her Serbian nationality. As the novel unfolds, Mira discovers she is not as distant from her patients' pain as she might once have been: her husband Peter struggles with illness, NATO's threats against her country grow more serious, and submerged truths from her own past seem likely to erupt.Compelling, complex, and always deeply human, The Delivery Room is an engaging examination of the incomplete understandings that course between therapist and patient, and a set of variations on the theme of motherhood—as well as a timely meditation on the meanings of wars fought from a distance, when ordinary citizens have to measure their personal griefs against the outrages experienced by those under attack.The Gate
By Natsume Soseki, Pico Iyer, William F. Sibley. 2013
An NYRB Calssics OriginalA humble clerk and his loving wife scrape out a quiet existence on the margins of Tokyo.…
Resigned, following years of exile and misfortune, to the bitter consequences of having married without their families' consent, and unable to have children of their own, Sōsuke and Oyone find the delicate equilibrium of their household upset by a new obligation to meet the educational expenses of Sōsuke's brash younger brother. While an unlikely new friendship appears to offer a way out of this bind, it also soon threatens to dredge up a past that could once again force them to flee the capital. Desperate and torn, Sōsuke finally resolves to travel to a remote Zen mountain monastery to see if perhaps there, through meditation, he can find a way out of his predicament. This moving and deceptively simple story, a melancholy tale shot through with glimmers of joy, beauty, and gentle wit, is an understated masterpiece by one of Japan's greatest writers. At the end of his life, Natsume Sōseki declared The Gate, originally published in 1910, to be his favorite among all his novels. This new translation captures the oblique grace of the original while correcting numerous errors and omissions that marred the first English version.Take This Man: A Give & Take 3.5 Novella (Give & Take)
By Kelli Maine. 2014
Return to the irresistibly seductive setting of Turtle Tear Island in this sexy new novella in Kelli Maine's bestselling Give…
& Take series.Taken to paradise. Given to passion. A man never wanted a woman as much as he wants her.Merrick Rocha is the kind of man who makes a woman yearn for more. And for Rachael DeSalvo, he's the kind of man who could easily fit into her picture of happily-ever-after. With each touch, each kiss, her body is thrilled as she never knows what to expect next. Their wedding day - and night - are no exception. Now, as they come together as one, free to trust as deeply as their bodies connect, Rachael is finally ready to...take this man.Don't miss the rest of the sensual series: Taken, No Takebacks, Taken By Storm, Take Me Back and Given.For All Time: Nantucket Brides Book 2 (Nantucket Brides)
By Jude Deveraux. 2014
For All Time continues New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux's breathtaking Nantucket Brides trilogy, introducing characters from a new…
generation of Montgomery-Taggerts, the beloved family from her classic novels.At the wedding of Alix Madsen and Jared Montgomery, Jared's cousin Graydon can't look away from bridesmaid, Toby Wyndam. It's not just her quiet beauty or humour - Toby possesses the truly remarkable ability of being able to distinguish Graydon from his identical twin brother, Rory. According to family legend, such a gift marks her as Graydon's True Love.Graydon is heir to the Lanconian throne and must to marry a noble woman who has been chosen for him. Yet, intrigued by Toby, he asks her to help him hide on Nantucket for a week away from regal responsibilities. Knowing their union to be impossible, they promise to simply be friends.But there are forces at work beyond their control, which are ruled by time itself and a seductive spell is cast over Graydon and Toby. If they are to be together, they must change what once was, as well as what will be.Jude Deveraux. Love stories to enchant you.Read Alix and Jared's unforgettable love story in True Love, the first in the Nantucket Brides trilogy and look for the third gorgeous romance in Ever After.Defiant: MacKinnon's Rangers 3 (MacKinnon's Rangers)
By Pamela Clare. 2012
Pamela Clare brings her expert plotting, sizzling chemistry and thrilling adventure to her sweeping MacKinnon's Rangers series, in the grand…
tradition of The Last of the Mohicans, perfect for fans of Maya Banks, Monica McCarty and Zoe Archer.They were a band of brothers, their loyalty to one another forged by hardship and battle, the bond between these Highland warriors, rugged colonials, and fierce Native Americans stronger even than blood ties.Major Connor MacKinnon despises his commander, Lord William Wentworth, beyond all other men. Ordered to rescue Wentworth's niece after the Shawnee take her captive, he expects Lady Sarah Woodville to be every bit as contemptible as her uncle. Instead, he finds a brave and beautiful lass in desperate peril. But the only way to free Sarah is for Connor to defeat the Shawnee warrior who kidnapped her - and claim her himself.Torn by tragedy from her sheltered life in London, Lady Sarah is unprepared for the harshness of the frontier - or for the attraction she feels toward Connor. When they reach civilization, however, it is she who must protect him. For if her uncle knew all that Connor had done to save her, he would surely kill him. But the flames of passion, once kindled, are difficult to deny. As desire transforms into love, Connor will have to defy an empire to keep Sarah at his side.Be swept away by the other sexy MacKinnon's Rangers in Surrender and Untamed. Or take a wildly romantic ride with Pamela Clare's I-Team: Extreme Exposure, Hard Evidence, Unlawful Contact, Naked Edge, Breaking Point, Striking Distance, Seduction Game.This Wedding Is Doomed!
By Stephanie Draven, Jeannie Lin, Shawntelle Madison, Amanda Berry. 2015
If you adore Tracy Bloom, Cathy Bramley, Holly Martin and Lindsey Kelk, then this delighfully fun and flirty book is…
for you. At this wonderfully wacky wedding, you'll be treated to stolen kisses, saucy secrets, and happy endings when you least expect them... A perfectionist wedding planner and a troublemaking uncle end up in a sticky situation, and more than sparks fly...Two lifelong best friends are accidentally trapped in a wine cellar, and resort to sampling the wine - and each other...After years of covering the groom's many misdeeds, the best man must choose between loyalty and the love of a wedding singer.And a runaway bride, a hunky caterer and a stolen wedding cake hit the road in a hijacked van, and head towards a happy-ever-after. Don't miss the wedding of the year, where everyone has the chance of falling in love.Corregidora (Virago Modern Classics #785)
By Gayl Jones. 1975
'No novel about any black woman could ever be the same after this' TONI MORRISON'Corregidora is the most brutally honest…
and painful revelation of what has occurred, and is occurring, in the souls of Black men and women' JAMES BALDWINUpon publication in 1975, Corregidora was hailed as a masterpiece, winning acclaim from writers including James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison and John Updike. Exploring themes such as race, sexuality and the long repercussions of slavery, this powerful novel paved the way for Beloved and The Colour Purple. Now, this lost classic is published for a new generation of readers.Blues singer Ursa is consumed by her hatred of Corregidora, the nineteenth-century slave master who fathered both her mother and grandmother. Charged with 'making generations' to bear witness to the abuse embodied in the family name, Ursa Corregidora finds herself unable to keep alive this legacy when she is made sterile in a violent fight with her husband. Haunted by the ghosts of a Brazilian plantation, pained by a present of lovelessness and despair, Ursa slowly and firmly strikes her own terms with womanhood.AS HEARD ON THE BACKLISTED PODCAST'A literary giant, and one of my absolute favourite writers' TAYARI JONES, author of AN AMERICAN MARRIAGEAlso new to the VMC list: Eva's Man and The Healing by Gayl Jones.'An American writer with a powerful sense of vital inheritance, of history in the blood' JOHN UPDIKE'Gayl Jones's first novel, Corregidora (1975), was both shocking and ground-breaking in its probing of the psychological legacy of slavery and sexual ownership through the life of a Kentucky blues singer ... it predated Alice Walker's The Color Purple and Toni Morrison's Beloved, revealing an unfinished emancipation and the power of historical memory to shape lives. It also marked a shift in African-American literature that made women, and relationships between black people, central' MAYA JAGGI, Guardian'Corregidora's survey of trauma and overcoming has become even better and more relevant with the passage of time. It remains an indispensable point of entry into the tradition of African American writing that Gayl Jones reshaped and enriched' PAUL GILROYHow It Happens (Great Lakes Books Series)
By Jean Alicia Elster. 2021
How It Happens follows the story of author Jean Alicia Elster’s maternal grandmother, Dorothy May Jackson. Born in Tennessee in…
1890, Dorothy May was the middle daughter of Addie Jackson, a married African-American housekeeper at one of the white boardinghouses in town, and Tom Mitchell, a commanding white attorney from a prominent family. Through three successive generations of African-American women, Elster intertwines the fictionalized adaptations of the defining periods and challenges—race relations, miscegenation, sexual assault, and class divisions—in her family’s history. A continuation of the plots begun in Elster’s two novels Who’s Jim Hines? and The Colored Car, How It Happens continues the story for an older audience and begins with Addie’s life before the turn of the century in the South as a married Black woman with three biracial daughters navigating the relationship between her husband and Tom Mitchell. Later the story shifts to Addie’s daughter Dorothy May’s experiences both as a child and later, as a teacher who, choosing between her career and marriage to a man she barely knows, moves to Detroit. The story moves along with Dorothy May’s daughter Jean, who, with the support of her mother and the memory of her grandmother, confronts and comes to terms with her role in society and the options available to her as a college-educated Black woman in the post–World War II industrial North. While there is struggle and hardship for each of these women, they each build off one other and continue to demand space in the world in which they live. Written for young adult readers, How It Happens carries the heart through the obstacles that still face women of color today and persists in holding open the door of communication between generations.Amelina Carrett: Bayou Grand Coeur, Louisiana, 1870 (American Diaries)
By Kathleen Duey. 1999
Bayou Grand Coeur, Louisiana, 1863. I wonder if the Confederates think of this war as their own? Or the Yankees?…
Who would want a war to be their own? Amelina is frightened. She is used to being alone while her Nonc Alain is away trading, but now Yankee soldiers are so close that she can sometimes hear the rumble of gunfire. Just because her close-knit Cajun community has for the most part been uninvolved in the war doesn't mean Nonc Alain's farm would be spared if the Yankees swept through the area. When Amelina makes a startling discovery that challenges everything she's been told about the Yankees, she is forced to make her own decision about what is right and what is wrong. Can she find the courage to face the danger that her decision brings?Enter the illustrious world of Jessica Clare's billionaires and bridesmaids. Fans of J.S. Scott, Louise Bay and Melody Anne will…
addicted to this sizzling, coveted New York Times bestseller. You met the six bachelors of the Billionaire Boys Club... Now it's time to pair up some filthy-rich billionaires with lucky ladies in waiting and enjoy the spoils... Billionaire Sebastian Cabral loves his family, he just doesn't love their reality TV show, The Cabral Empire. So when his ex-girlfriend tries to rekindle their relationship on camera, Sebastian decides that drastic measures are in order. By day, Chelsea Hall is a happy-go-lucky, rough and tumble roller derby skater. By night, she's still living in fear of her past. Most of all, she just doesn't want to be alone. And she really, really doesn't want to date. So when their mutual friends' upcoming wedding turns Chelsea and Sebastian into fast friends, they realize they can solve both of their problems with one life-changing lie: a quick trip down the aisle. But with one kiss, Chelsea and Sebastian suddenly realize that their pretend relationship is more real than either of them expected...After more divine romance? Look out for the rest of the Billionaire and Bridesmaids series starting with The Billionaire And The Virgin or take a spin with the steamy Billionaire Boys Club starting with Stranded With A Billionaire.The Encyclopedia of Me
By Karen Rivers. 2012
A is for "Tink Aaron-Martin," "Aardvark," and "Amazing" in this wonderful alphabetical novel! Tink Aaron-Martin has been grounded AGAIN after…
an adventure with her best friend Freddie Blue Anderson. To make the time pass, she decides to write an encyclopedia of her life from "Aa" (a kind of lava--okay, she cribbed that from the real encyclopedia) to "Zoo" (she's never been to one, but her brothers belong there). As the alphabet unfolds, so does the story of Tink's summer: more adventures with Freddie Blue (and more experiences in being grounded); how her family was featured in a magazine about "Living with Autism," thanks to her older brother Seb--and what happened after Seb fell apart; her growing friendship, and maybe more, with Kai, a skateboarder who made her swoon (sort of). And her own sense that maybe she belongs not under "H" for "Hideous," or "I" for "Invisible," but "O" for "Okay." Written entirely in Tink's hilarious encyclopedia entries, THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ME is both a witty trick and a reading treat for anyone who loves terrific middle-grade novels.The General's Cook: A Novel
By Ganeshram Ramin. 2018
Philadelphia 1793. Hercules, President George Washington’s chef, is a fixture on the Philadelphia scene. He is famous for both his…
culinary prowess and for ruling his kitchen like a commanding general. He has his run of the city and earns twice the salary of an average American workingman. He wears beautiful clothes and attends the theater. But while valued by the Washingtons for his prowess in the kitchen and rewarded far over and above even white servants, Hercules is enslaved in a city where most black Americans are free. Even while he masterfully manages his kitchen and the lives of those in and around it, Hercules harbors secrets-- including the fact that he is learning to read and that he is involved in a dangerous affair with Thelma, a mixed-race woman, who, passing as white, works as a companion to the daughter of one of Philadelphia's most prestigious families. Eventually Hercules’ carefully crafted intrigues fall apart and he finds himself trapped by his circumstance and the will of George Washington. Based on actual historical events and people, The General's Cook, will thrill fans of The Hamilton Affair, as they follow Hercules' precarious and terrifying bid for freedom.Discover the gorgeous new summertime must-read from Sunday Times bestseller Veronica Henry - a holiday for the heart and soul!'A…
lush, inviting read that lifts the heart and spirits!' Adele Parks, bestselling author of Just My Luck---------------------------------Escape to Everdene Sands, where the sun is shining - but is the tide about to turn?Robyn and Jake are planning their dream wedding at the family beach hut in Devon. A picnic by the turquoise waves, endless sparkling rosé and dancing barefoot on the golden sand . . . But Robyn is more unsettled than excited. She can't stop thinking about the box she was given on her eighteenth birthday, and the secrets it contains. Will opening it reveal the truth about her history - and break the hearts of the people she loves most?As the big day arrives, can everyone let go of the past and step into a bright new future?---------------------------------Your favourite authors love to escape with Veronica Henry's feel-good stories!'As uplifting as summer sunshine' - Sarah Morgan'A delicious treat of a book' - Milly Johnson'An utter delight' - Jill Mansell'Truly blissful escapism' - Lucy Diamond'A heartwarming story combined with Veronica's sublime writing' - Cathy Bramley---------------------------------Praise for A Wedding at the Beach Hut!'Escape to a world where it's OK to dance barefoot on the sand - the latest feel-good instalment in the Beach Hut series' Heat'Wonderful' Daily Mail Veronica Henry really does excel in creating hugely entertaining, captivating and uplifting reads . . . Vibrant and sparkling - LoveReading'We read this brilliant book in one sitting' Bella'Another poignant, touching and feel-good book about family life from the much loved author' Women's Weekly'The perfect feel-good summer read' Fabulous, The Sun'Veronica Henry is brilliant at writing about family relationships and she's on top form here. Her descriptions of seaside life will make you yearn to move to the coast, while the intertwining story of Robyn's birth mother will bring a tear to your eye' S mag, Sunday Express'Gloriously summery' Best'The Beach Hut series is a slice of pure sunshine' Good Housekeeping'Lashings of romance...A lovely read' The Lady'A breezy, sunny tale that will whisk you away to a happy place' Sunday Mirror'Veronica Henry's descriptions of life by the sea will make you yearn to move to the coast, while the story behind Robyn's adoption will bring a tear to your eye' Sunday Express---------------------------------And other readers adore Veronica's irresistibly uplifting bestselling books too:'Amazingly heartwarming, full of families, friends and romance''Packed full of wit and charm''I loved all the rich and vibrant characters''Buy it, read it, you'll love it''One of those stories you hope will never end!'Hazard at the Nineteenth
By April Hardy. 2017
Meet the Hazards:When Stella’s future mother-in-law ‘accidentally’ feeds her a nut-filled cake, her night disastrously ends in A&E. Stella knows…
that Joyce doesn’t like her, but murder by allergy is just one step too far. And don’t even mention ally, Cordelia, ‘the girl next door’.Charity committee member Joyce worries that Stella doesn’t like her. She tries to put the quiet, bookish girl at ease, but everything she does backfires. When she enlists a family friend’s help, she’s sure things will run more smoothly. But Cordelia has other ideas…Will Stella ever make it down the aisle or is she destined not to fit in with the Hazards?Discover the gorgeous new summertime must-read from Sunday Times bestseller Veronica Henry - a holiday for the heart and soul!'A…
lush, inviting read that lifts the heart and spirits!' Adele Parks, bestselling author of Just My Luck---------------------------------Escape to Everdene Sands, where the sun is shining - but is the tide about to turn?Robyn and Jake are planning their dream wedding at the family beach hut in Devon. A picnic by the turquoise waves, endless sparkling rosé and dancing barefoot on the golden sand . . . But Robyn is more unsettled than excited. She can't stop thinking about the box she was given on her eighteenth birthday, and the secrets it contains. Will opening it reveal the truth about her history - and break the hearts of the people she loves most?As the big day arrives, can everyone let go of the past and step into a bright new future?---------------------------------Your favourite authors love to escape with Veronica Henry's feel-good stories!'As uplifting as summer sunshine' - Sarah Morgan'A delicious treat of a book' - Milly Johnson'An utter delight' - Jill Mansell'Truly blissful escapism' - Lucy Diamond'A heartwarming story combined with Veronica's sublime writing' - Cathy Bramley---------------------------------Praise for A Wedding at the Beach Hut!'Escape to a world where it's OK to dance barefoot on the sand - the latest feel-good instalment in the Beach Hut series' Heat'Wonderful' Daily MailVeronica Henry really does excel in creating hugely entertaining, captivating and uplifting reads . . . Vibrant and sparkling - LoveReading'We read this brilliant book in one sitting' Bella'Another poignant, touching and feel-good book about family life from the much loved author' Women's Weekly'The perfect feel-good summer read' Fabulous, The Sun'Veronica Henry is brilliant at writing about family relationships and she's on top form here. Her descriptions of seaside life will make you yearn to move to the coast, while the intertwining story of Robyn's birth mother will bring a tear to your eye' S mag, Sunday Express'Gloriously summery' Best'The Beach Hut series is a slice of pure sunshine' Good Housekeeping'Lashings of romance...A lovely read' The Lady'A breezy, sunny tale that will whisk you away to a happy place' Sunday Mirror'Veronica Henry's descriptions of life by the sea will make you yearn to move to the coast, while the story behind Robyn's adoption will bring a tear to your eye' Sunday Express---------------------------------And other readers adore Veronica's irresistibly uplifting bestselling books too:'Amazingly heartwarming, full of families, friends and romance''Packed full of wit and charm''I loved all the rich and vibrant characters''Buy it, read it, you'll love it''One of those stories you hope will never end!'You'll Be Mine: Green Mountain Novella 4.5 (Green Mountain)
By Marie Force. 2015
The popular series from the New York Times bestselling author and creator of the beloved McCarthys of Gansett Island and…
thrilling Fatal series continues in this a special novella in the Green Mountain series. Fans of Bella Andre, Jill Shalvis and Kristen Proby will fall madly in love with the Abbotts and the heartwarming, sexy romance of the Green Mountain series.A wedding on Butler Mountain... After a whirlwind romance that began suede-boot deep in Vermont mud season, Will Abbott and Cameron Murphy are ready to tie the knot - as long as family, friends and a love-struck moose don't get in the way.***Originally published in the ASK ME WHY? anthology***For more spellbinding Green Mountain romance, check out the whole series: Your Love Is All I Need, Let Me Hold Your Hand, I Saw You Standing There, And I Love You, You'll Be Mine, It's Love, Only Love and Ain't She Sweet.