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Queenie: British Book Awards Book of the Year
By Candice Carty-Williams. 2019
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERBOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDSSHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARDLONGLISTED FOR THE…
WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION'A deliciously funny, characterful, topical and thrilling novel for our times' Bernardine Evaristo, winner of the Booker Prize'Brilliant, timely, funny, heartbreaking' Jojo Moyes'A must-read novel about sex, selfhood, and the best friendships that get us through it all' Candace Bushnell, author of Sex and the CityQueenie is a twenty-five-year-old Black woman living in south London, straddling Jamaican and British culture whilst slotting neatly into neither. She works at a national newspaper where she's constantly forced to compare herself to her white, middle-class peers, and beg to write about Black Lives Matter. After a messy break up from her long-term white boyfriend, Queenie finds herself seeking comfort in all the wrong places.As Queenie veers from one regrettable decision to another, she finds herself wondering, What are you doing? Why are you doing it? Who do you want to be? - the questions that every woman today must face in a world that keeps trying to provide the answers for them.A darkly comic and bitingly subversive take on life, love, race and family, Queenie will have you nodding in recognition, crying in solidarity and rooting for this unforgettable character every step of the way. A disarmingly honest, boldly political and truly inclusive tale that will speak to anyone who has gone looking for love and acceptance and found something very different in its place.Bonnie and Stan: A gorgeous, emotional love story
By Anna Stuart. 2019
'A fresh, original love story, beautifully told.' RUTH HOGAN, author of The Keeper of Lost ThingsAfter 50 years together Stan…
still adores his wife... so why is he dating again?Bonnie and Stan are soulmates. They met during the Swinging Sixties, to the soundtrack of The Beatles and the Merseybeat scene. Now they've grown up and grown old together, had children and grandchildren. They are finally building their dream home, when disaster strikes.Stan is running out of time, and can't bear the thought of leaving Bonnie alone. Alongside his teenage granddaughter Greya, he forms a plan to find Bonnie a new love of her life. And she must never find out...Bonnie & Stan is a poignant, surprising love story set during the Swinging Sixties and the present day. Ultimately feel-good and full of emotion, Bonnie & Stan will make your heart sing.When the Lights Go Down: The glamour of the cinema heals the heartbreak of war...
By Pamela Evans. 2016
It is 1938 and the threat of war looms on the streets of London. But, when the lights go down…
in the cinema aisles, usherette Daisy Blake is transported to a world of glamour and romance. Among the staff there is much merriment and Daisy soon falls in love with the handsome organist, Al Dawson. Then war is declared and, just after Al leaves for the frontline, Daisy discovers she's pregnant. Her mother is distraught; she doesn't think Al is right for her daughter and when Daisy's letters to him go unanswered, her mother encourages her to marry John, the cinema's projectionist, to spare her further heartache.As the blitz rages over London and disaster strikes, Daisy's morale is boosted by her work and her young son, Sam, brings her comfort and joy in the troubled times ahead...(P)2016 Headline Digital'Denise writes with great warmth and wisdom' - Marian Keyes'A really cracking read' - Martina Cole on If They Could…
See Me Now'Thought-provoking and moving' - Susan Lewis on If They Could See Me NowHow far would you go to hide a past that would destroy your future?The new novel from much-loved actress and presenter Denise Welch is heart-breaking, page-turning and moving - perfect for readers who love family dramas by Amanda Prowse, Amanda Brooke, Susan Lewis and Kelly Rimmer.******************************Could a teenage mistake change everything?Kathryn Casey has a secret past. But these days she barely notices the little daily lies she tells to keep it hidden. She has a new identity now. All she wants is an orderly, predictable life that revolves around her beloved husband and children. Kathryn was once Kelly, a girl who lived on one of the roughest estates in the north and got pregnant as a teen. When she moved away, she left the past behind. Now there's a stranger in her kitchen, and he knows more about her than he is letting on. What does he want? Has he come for help or is he planning to wreck her life?Will Kathryn finally have to admit to her family that she isn't who they think she is?What A Mother's Love Don't Teach You: 'An outstanding debut' Cherie Jones
By Sharma Taylor. 2022
'An outstanding debut' CHERIE JONES, author of How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps her House'Vivid and authentic' LEONE ROSS, author of…
This One Sky Day'Cacophonic, alive and heartbreaking' KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE, author of The MerciesAt eighteen years old, Dinah gave away her baby son to the rich couple she worked for before they left Jamaica. They never returned. She never forgot him.Eighteen years later, a young man comes from the US to Kingston. From the moment she sees him, Dinah never doubts - this is her son.What happens next will make everyone question what they know and where they belong.A powerful story of belonging, identity and inheritance, What a Mother's Love Don't Teach You brings together a blazing chorus of voices to evoke Jamaica's ghetto, dance halls, criminal underworld and corrupt politics, at the beating heart of which is a mother's unshakeable love for her son.'Irresistible' CURDELLA FORBES, author of A Tall History of Sugar'Arresting' LISA ALLEN-AGOSTINI, author of The Bread the Devil Knead'Wonderful' JACOB ROSS, author of The Bone Readers'Exciting' YEWANDE OMOTOSO, author of An Unusual Grief'Thrilling' CELESTE MOHAMMED, author of PleasantviewThe Way Back: The funny, insightful and hopeful family adventure you need in 2021
By Jamie Fewery. 2020
A moving, funny, sweeping and emotional family drama perfect for fans of David Nicholls, Beth O'Leary, Mike Gayle and Caroline…
Hulse.* * * * * * *If you're reading this, my funeral must have just finished. I've got something to ask of you...Who knows, you might even enjoy it?The Cadogan children haven't spoken to each other for three years. But their father, Gerry, has a plan to bring them together. To scatter his ashes, they must first drive his old camper van up to Scotland...For the trip, Gerry has provided them with three family photo albums and a bottle of single malt whisky.But will the journey help banish their ghosts and turn them back into a family? Or will it show them exactly why they've stayed apart for so long?* * * * * * *Praise for Jamie Fewery:'Moving, honest, sad and hopeful' MIRANDA DICKINSON'Will melt your heart' VERONICA HENRY'Clever, moving, funny, insightful' ZOE FOLBIGG'Made me do a proper ugly cry' DOMESTIC SLUTTERYNo Return: A novel of the Canadian election that vanished in Muskoka's backwoods
By Gordon Aiken. 2010
Canadians took politics seriously in the years following Confederation and Gordon Aiken’s novel about pioneer Muskoka and the fledgling nation’s…
capital shows why. Unique events in the Dominion’s second election, in 1872, inspired Aiken to write about Muskoka’s returning officer, Richard Bell, who refused to declare Liberal candidate A.P. Cockburn elected, even though he got the most votes. Consequent ground-breaking events included Bell’s summons to give an accounting of himself to the House of Commons, the first and only time an MP would be elected to parliament by members of the Commons itself, and reforms in Canadian election law including introduction of the secret ballot. Privately published as Returning Officer in 1982, and long since out of print, this Blue Butterfly edition is re-titled No Return. Completely reset and redesigned, with added maps and period photographs, this new edition also features J. Patrick Boyer’s afterword, "Gordon Aiken’s Quest and the Genesis of No Return." The political intrigues woven into Gordon Aiken’s rich tale of local and national affairs from 140 years ago will resonate with readers today, if its essential plots and human ambitions were simply updated by new technology and a fresh cast of characters to re-enact timeless dramas of mismatched lovers, a local judge fighting the newspaper editor, lumber barons playing both sides to keep their timber licences, and contractors changing political sides to win road jobs (or what today are termed "infrastructure projects"). Aiken, Member of Parliament for the same district a century later, wrote with deep understanding about Muskoka and its people and acute knowledge of parliamentary politics. No Return tells of one man’s struggle to support his chosen party, maintain his independence, confound his enemies, and hold his family together under duress.The Dublin Girls: A powerfully heartrending family saga of three sisters in 1950s Ireland
By Cathy Mansell. 2020
Dramatic, emotional and romantic, if you love Lorna Cook, Tracy Rees and Jenny Ashcroft, you'll love this gripping and heartrending…
novel from Cathy Mansell, author of A Place to Belong.In 1950s Dublin, life is hard and jobs are like gold dust.Nineteen-year-old Nell Flynn is training to be a nurse and planning to marry her boyfriend, Liam Connor, when her mother dies, leaving her younger sisters destitute. To save them from the workhouse, Nell returns to the family home - a mere two rooms at the top of a condemned tenement.Nell finds work at a biscuit factory and, at first, they scrape through each week. But then eight-year-old Róisín, a delicate from birth, is admitted to hospital with rheumatic fever and fifteen-year-old Kate, rebellious, headstrong and resentful of Nell taking her mother's place, runs away.When Liam finds work in London, Nell stays to struggle on alone - her unwavering devotion to her sisters stronger even than her love for him. She's determined that one day the Dublin girls will be reunited and only then will she be free to follow her heart.Look for more gripping, heartwrenching page-turners from Cathy Mansell - don't miss A Place to Belong, out now.(P)2020 Headline Publishing Group LtdIn her nostalgic and heart-warming new saga, Sunday Times bestselling author Lyn Andrews evokes the ups and downs of life…
in the back streets of 1930s LiverpoolLiverpool, 1935. Monica Savage is delighted when new neighbours move in next door, and she and Joan Copperfield quickly become firm friends. While Monica's father has a good job as a guard on the railway, Joan's family are harder up, with her sailor dad Billy mostly off at sea, and restless when he's home - Mersey View is no substitute for the exotic places he sails to. Though money's tight, the Copperfield women are spirited and independent, and it's her friendship with the more confident Joan that gives Monica the courage to challenge her parents and pursue her dream of becoming a hairdresser. Joan is lucky enough to get a job at Crawford's biscuit factory, where she's even allowed to buy broken biscuits cheaply as a perk.But there are dark secrets lurking. When an abandoned child arrives unexpectedly on the Copperfields' doorstep, her arrival will change everything. As war clouds gather, can the girls make their back street dreams reality, or will the families of Mersey View be torn apart?(P)2020 Headline Publishing Group LtdA Mother's Sacrifice: The most moving and page-turning saga you'll read this year
By Jennie Felton. 2020
'One of the nation's favourite saga writers' Lancashire PostIn the grand tradition of Josephine Cox, Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin,…
comes a powerfully heartrending new saga from Jennie Felton. A Mother's Sacrifice is a story of family secrets, romance, and triumph in adversity.Will she be able to save her children? Martha Packer is much loved by everyone in the village of Hillsbridge. As the landlady of The Three Feathers, she runs a respectable establishment and is known for her generosity and care for her family and others around her - she even took in two orphan girls to save them from a life of cruelty in the workhouse. So when Martha announces that she has killed her son, Garth, the community is shocked. Garth was undoubtedly a bad seed, but they knew how much Martha adored her first-born. What could have driven Martha to such extreme actions?Martha refuses to give a reason but her other children cannot believe their mother is capable of murder and they begin to believe that she is protecting someone - maybe even one of them... For more heartwrenching, heartwarming saga, look our for The Stolen Child, out now! And don't miss Jennie's Families of Fairley Terrace series, which began with Maggie's story in All The Dark Secrets and continued with Lucy's story in The Miner's Daughter, Edie's story in The Girl Below Stairs, Carina's story in The Widow's Promise and Laurel's story in The Sister's Secret.(P)2020 Headline Publishing Group LtdThe Secrets of Ashmore Castle: a gripping and emotional historical drama for fans of DOWNTON ABBEY (Ashmore Castle #1)
By Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. 2021
The brand new series, perfect for fans of DOWNTON ABBEY, from the author of the hugely successful MORLAND DYNASTY novelsBehind…
the doors of the magnificent Ashmore Castle, secrets are waiting to be uncovered . . .1901. When the Earl of Stainton dies in a tragic hunting accident, Giles, the eldest son of the noble Tallant family, must step forward to replace him as the head of the family. But Giles has avoided the Castle and his stifling relatives for years, deciding instead to forge his own path away from the spotlight. Now, he must put aside his ambitions and honour his duty to the family.With their world upended, the Tallants and their servants struggle to find their place in the house - and society - once again. And Giles realises that, along with the title and the castle, he's also inherited his father's significant financial troubles that threaten the security of his entire family.In Kensington, Kitty Bayfield, the painfully shy but moneyed daughter of a Baronet, has just left school with her penniless companion Nina. Nina captures the new Earl's heart, but only Kitty can save his family from their debts, and soon Giles must choose between his duty and his heart . . .The Secrets of Ashmore Castle is the first in a brand new historical family drama series, filled with heartbreak, romance and intriguing secrets waiting to be uncovered. The perfect read for fans of Downton Abbey, Bridgerton and rich period dramasWhispering Hearts
By V. C. Andrews. 2020
A desperate young woman&’s bargain with a wealthy couple is not what it seems. From the #1 New York Times…
bestselling author and literary phenomenon V.C. Andrews—whose books are now major Lifetime TV movies (Flowers in the Attic, Heaven, Ruby)—comes a gothic tale of big city dreams gone wrong.The English countryside is beautiful, but for Emma Corey it cannot compare with the bright lights of New York City. Tired of performing only in pubs and at church, she announces she&’s moving to America—and her conservative father disowns her on the spot. Distraught but undeterred, Emma will become a Broadway star—or die trying. Leaving the comforts of her youth is a thrilling adventure. The largeness of the city, her new friends, the boundless opportunities make everything shine with promise. However, New York has a way of chipping away at a newcomer&’s resolve. First a robbery. Then a low-wage job. Then the realization that such a city attracts the young and the talented—competitors all. Just when it seems like Emma might have to admit defeat and return to the UK, she is introduced to a peculiar couple: a wife that cannot bear children of her own, and a husband who would pay Emma to solve that problem. Emma&’s father once told her, &“Money is life.&” But when Emma trades one for the other and moves into the couple&’s remote estate to participate in an elaborate ruse, there&’s no telling what kind of life she&’ll have once she&’s taken the money.Whitethorn Woods
By Maeve Binchy. 2006
The town of Rossmore is a special place, full of character and charm. Nestled beside the Whitethorn Woods, the town…
has grown since the days when it was small and friendly and everyone knew everyone else. But it still has the woods, with the well dedicated to St Ann, where generations have come to pray or make wishes or just to look back at the pretty little town. Which is why there is going to be such a fuss about the plans for the new road, cutting through Whitethorn Woods.The people of Rossmore are divided. No one is more concerned than the curate, Father Brian Flynn, who has no idea which faction to support. Surely Neddy Nolan's family should take the compensation being offered for their land? But wasn't Neddy's mother given a cure at the well many years ago? And what about the childless London woman who came to Whitethorn Woods begging the saint for help, with unexpected consequences?Read by Caroline Lennon and Steven Armstrong(p) 2007 Audible LtdMinding Frankie: An uplifting novel of community and kindness
By Maeve Binchy. 2010
Baby Frankie is born into an unusual family. Her mother is desperate to find someone to take care of her…
child and she doesn't have much time.Noel doesn't seem to be the most promising of fathers but despite everything, he could well be Frankie's best hope. As for Lisa, she is prepared to give up everything for the man she loves; surely he's going to love her back?And Moira is having none of it. She knows what's right, and has the power to change the course of Frankie's life . . . but Moira is hiding secrets of her own.MINDING FRANKIE is a story about unconventional families, relationships which aren't quite what they seem, and the child at the heart of everyone's lives...Read by Kate Binchy(p) 2010 Audible LtdPrivilege
By Guinevere Glasfurd. 2022
18th century France - a world of fountains and gilded porcelain, literary salons and spies... where the right to live…
and think freely could cost you your life....I thought of the books we carried and the hands that would one day hold them. The pages read, turned and discussed. The book returned to the shelf, taken down to be read again. The book become thought and the thought become the person and the person gone out into the world. Let Gilbert try and put a stop to that...Privilege is set in the 18th century France of an Enlightenment at odds with the absolute power of the King determined to suppress opposition on pain of death.Delphine Vimond flees to Paris after being cast out from her home in Rouen when her father is disgraced. Into her life tumbles Chancery Smith, apprentice printer from London, sent to discover the mysterious author of potentially seditious papers marked only D.In a battle of wits with the French censor, Henri Gilbert, Delphine and Chancery set off in a frantic search for D's author. But who is he - and does he even exist?A novel in defence of reason, humanism and hope.(P) 2022 Hodder & Stoughton LimitedTHE SECOND NOVEL IN THE BRAND NEW SAGA SERIES BY MAGGIE MASON - MEET THE HALFPENNY GIRLS. . . 'In…
the grand tradition of sagas set down by the late and great Catherine Cookson ' Jean Fullerton on Blackpool LassWill their prayers be answered at the most wonderful time of the year?/font>As Christmas approaches, Alice, Edith and Marg continue to face hardships growing up on one of the poorest streets in Blackpool. Penniless, their friendship has helped them survive this far, but it'll take more than that to see them through the dark days that lie ahead . . .Newly married Alice receives shocking news about her pregnancy that threatens the future she's always dreamed of, Marg is struggling to care for her ailing mother and ensure her little sister receives the education she deserves, and Edith is grieving the loss of her family while preparing to marry her sweetheart. The Halfpenny Girls once again are faced with a struggle, but with the festive season upon them will family, friendship and Christmas spirit see them through?The second in a brand new series from reader favourite Maggie Mason, The Halfpenny Girls is the perfect heart-warming family saga about overcoming hardship and the value of friendship. Perfect for fans of Val Wood, Kitty Neale and Rosie Goodwin.Readers LOVE Maggie Mason's Blackpool sagas:'5 stars - I wish I could give it more. Wonderful read.''Another must read book''What a brilliant book. I couldn't put it down!''I was hooked from the first page . . . this author is a must read''A totally absorbing read'What A Mother's Love Don't Teach You: 'An outstanding debut' Cherie Jones (Karen Pirie #77)
By Sharma Taylor. 2022
'An outstanding debut' CHERIE JONES, author of How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps her House'Vivid and authentic' LEONE ROSS, author of…
This One Sky Day'Cacophonic, alive and heartbreaking' KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE, author of The MerciesAs featured on BBC's Cultural Frontline podcast At eighteen years old, Dinah gave away her baby son to the rich couple she worked for before they left Jamaica. They never returned. She never forgot him.Eighteen years later, a young man comes from the US to Kingston. From the moment she sees him, Dinah never doubts - this is her son.What happens next will make everyone question what they know and where they belong.A powerful story of belonging, identity and inheritance, What a Mother's Love Don't Teach You brings together a blazing chorus of voices to evoke Jamaica's ghetto, dance halls, criminal underworld and corrupt politics, at the beating heart of which is a mother's unshakeable love for her son.'Delicate but gut-wrenching' JOSIE D'ARBY, broadcaster'Irresistible' CURDELLA FORBES, author of A Tall History of Sugar'Arresting' LISA ALLEN-AGOSTINI, author of The Bread the Devil Knead'Wonderful' JACOB ROSS, author of The Bone Readers'Exciting' YEWANDE OMOTOSO, author of An Unusual Grief'Thrilling' CELESTE MOHAMMED, author of PleasantviewThe Gown: Perfect for fans of The Crown! An enthralling tale of making the Queen's wedding dress
By Jennifer Robson. 2019
Perfect for anyone who's captivated by The Crown, The Gown 'will dazzle and delight' (Independent)!The Gown is an enthralling historical…
novel about one of the most famous wedding dresses of the twentieth century - Queen Elizabeth's wedding gown - and the fascinating women who made it. London, 1947: Besieged by a harsh winter, burdened by shortages and rationing, the people of post-war Britain are suffering despite their nation's recent victory. For Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin, embroiderers at the famed Mayfair fashion house of Norman Hartnell, a glimmer of brightness comes in the form of their unlikely friendship and being chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime honour: taking part in the creation of Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown. Toronto, 2016: Heather Mackenzie seeks to unravel the mystery of a legacy from her late grandmother. How did her beloved nan, who never spoke of her old life in Britain, come to possess the priceless embroideries that so closely resemble the motifs on the stunning gown worn by Queen Elizabeth II at her wedding almost seventy years before? And what was her nan's connection to the celebrated textile artist and Holocaust survivor Miriam Dassin?With The Gown, Jennifer Robson takes us inside the workrooms where one of the most famous wedding gowns in history was created to tell a story of women whose lives are woven together by the pain of survival, the bonds of friendship, and the redemptive power of love.'Robson succeeds in creating a riveting drama of female friendship, of lives fully lived despite unbearable loss, and of the steadfast effort required to bring forth beauty after surviving war' Independent'A great tale of female friendship' The People's FriendChina Coup: The Great Leap to Freedom
By Roger Garside. 2021
An expert’s take on how a coup in China could launch a transition to democracy. This short book predicts—contrary to…
the prevailing consensus—that China’s leader Xi Jinping will very soon be removed from office in a coup d’état mounted by rivals in the top leadership. The leaders of the coup will then end China’s one-party dictatorship and launch a transition to democracy and the rule of law. Long-time diplomat and development banker author Roger Garside draws on his deep knowledge of Chinese politics and economics first to develop a detailed scenario of how these events may unfold, and then—in the main body of the book—to explain why. His gripping, persuasive account of how Chinese leaders plot and plan away from the public eye is unique in published literature. Garside argues that under Xi’s overconfident leadership, China is on a collision course with an America that is newly awakened out of complacency. As Xi’s rivals look abroad, they are alarmed that he is blind to the reactions that China’s actions have provoked from the world’s strongest power and its allies. In domestic affairs, Xi’s rivals recognize that economic and social change without political reform have created problems that require not just new leaders but a new system of government. Security abroad and stability at home demand a revolution to which Xi is implacably opposed. To save China—and themselves—from catastrophe, they must remove him and end the dictatorship he is determined to defend. But their will and capacity to do so depend crucially on how liberal democracies act. Garside’s scenario shows America leading its allies in creating the conditions in which Xi’s rivals move against him.'Full of intrigue, fascinating historical detail and brilliant characterisation . . . A truly fabulous novel!' LOUISE FEIN, author of…
PEOPLE LIKE US'Nikola Scott is the queen of dual narrative fiction. The Orchard Girls takes us on a beautifully twisty journey . . . It's like unwrapping a pass-the-parcel with a wonderful gift at its heart' LIZZIE PAGE, author of WHEN I WAS YOURS'The Orchard Girls is such a clever, wonderful, expertly woven story. I enjoyed every second of it!' LORNA COOK, author of THE GIRL FROM THE ISLANDLondon, 2004. Frankie didn't always have it easy. Growing up motherless, she was raised by her grandmother, who loved her - and betrayed her. For years, the rift between them seemed irreparable. But when their paths suddenly cross again, Frankie is shocked to realise that her grandmother is slowly losing control of her memory. There is a darkness in her past that won't stay buried - secrets going back to wartime that may have a devastating effect on Frankie's own life.Somerset, 1940. When seventeen-year-old Violet's life is ripped apart by the London Blitz, she runs away to join the Women's Land Army. She wants nothing more than to leave her grief behind. But as well as the terror of enemy air raids, the land girls at Winterbourne Orchards face a powerful enemy closer to home. One terrible night, their courage will be put to the test - and the truth of what happened must be kept hidden, for ever . . .PRAISE FOR NIKOLA SCOTT: 'Intriguing, twisting... I loved it' Dinah Jefferies, author of The Tuscan Contessa'An atmospheric and gripping read.' My Weekly'A well-written, intriguing read full of family secrets... Brilliant' Fabulous'Characters you won't forget' Sunday Express