Service Alert
Delay in delivery of Direct to Player materials
You may experience a delay in delivery of Direct to Player materials. All requests for materials will be delivered as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.
You may experience a delay in delivery of Direct to Player materials. All requests for materials will be delivered as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.
Showing 1 - 16 of 16 items
By Ruth Zylberman. 2017
A startling debut novel about the burden of Holocaust memory and the implacable zest for life. Thirty-six years after her…
mother was liberated from Bergen-Belsen, the unnamed narrator lives a comfortable life in Paris. Her mother sees ghosts at every turn, longing to find the family that disappeared behind the miasma of the Holocaust, but she cannot reconcile her mother’s trauma to the cheery bustle of daily life that surrounds them. The pain of memories that are not hers haunt her, weighing all too heavily until she is incapacitated by them, unable forge her own future. As our narrator becomes further entrenched in the past, a letter is sent by the Department of Missing Persons suggesting that her grandfather is not dead, though details of his survival and current situation are unknown. Along with her mother, the narrator begins a desperate hunt, fighting through the past and present, love and loss, and her own vulnerabilities to find the truth and rid them both of their lingering ghosts.By Jenny Ashcroft. 2019
'An epic love story full of exotic charm and rich historical detail . . . Meet Me In Bombay will…
sweep you away to another time and place.' Red Magazine'Powerful and evocative' Woman & HomeAll he needs is to find her. First he must remember who she is. An injured soldier has lost everything, even his past. His dreams hint at his old life; flashes of a woman. His only wish is to return to her, but will his broken mind let him? And will she still be waiting for him, if it does?Back at the start of 1914, at a party on the shores of Bombay, Madeline Bright and Luke Devereaux meet. Strangers in a foreign world, in the sweltering heat and colour of colonial India they fall in love. They want to believe nothing can come between them, not even the disapproval of Maddy's mother. But war looms and Luke, like so many, has no choice but to fight.Maddy's mother urges her to move on. Yet still she clings to the promise Luke left her with: that the two of them will meet again in Bombay...Meet Me in Bombay is a story of fierce love set against the exotic and colourful world of colonial Bombay and the tragedy of the First World War. Perfect for fans of Dinah Jefferies, Lucinda Riley and Kate Furnivall. 'Moving and beautifully written, this enchanting story of love and loss touched my heart' DINAH JEFFERIES'Emotional, evocative and enthralling' KATE FURNIVALL'An epic, bittersweet love story that will draw you in and grip you to the last page' GILL PAUL'An exquisite love story, sumptuous and so moving. A WONDERFUL book!!' TRACY REESBy Jenny Ashcroft. 2019
'An epic love story full of exotic charm and rich historical detail . . . Meet Me In Bombay will…
sweep you away to another time and place.' Red Magazine'Powerful and evocative' Woman & HomeAll he needs is to find her. First he must remember who she is. An injured soldier has lost everything, even his past. His dreams hint at his old life; flashes of a woman. His only wish is to return to her, but will his broken mind let him? And will she still be waiting for him, if it does?Back at the start of 1914, at a party on the shores of Bombay, Madeline Bright and Luke Devereaux meet. Strangers in a foreign world, in the sweltering heat and colour of colonial India they fall in love. They want to believe nothing can come between them, not even the disapproval of Maddy's mother. But war looms and Luke, like so many, has no choice but to fight.Maddy's mother urges her to move on. Yet still she clings to the promise Luke left her with: that the two of them will meet again in Bombay...Meet Me in Bombay is a story of fierce love set against the exotic and colourful world of colonial Bombay and the tragedy of the First World War. Perfect for fans of Dinah Jefferies, Lucinda Riley and Kate Furnivall. 'Moving and beautifully written, this enchanting story of love and loss touched my heart' DINAH JEFFERIES'Emotional, evocative and enthralling' KATE FURNIVALL'An epic, bittersweet love story that will draw you in and grip you to the last page' GILL PAUL'An exquisite love story, sumptuous and so moving. A WONDERFUL book!!' TRACY REESIt's the most wonderful time of the year - but can the East End Angels keep London safe?Meet The East…
End Angels, the newest members of Station Seventy-Five's ambulance crew . . .Frankie is trying hard to keep everything together. She can count on the support of the East End Angels, even in the face of family trouble.Winnie's beloved husband, Mac, is putting himself at risk every day in the bomb disposal unit and she's finding it hard while he's away.Bella is growing in confidence and happiness. Her friendship with Winnie's brother, James, is getting closer all the time.Christmas on the Home Front is a hard time with loved ones far away - but the women of the Auxiliary Ambulance service are making do and mending.The third novel in the acclaimed East End Angels series, following Bella, Winnie and Frankie and their lives as members of Station Seventy-Five's ambulance crew. Perfect for fans of Sheila Newberry and Katie Flynn.Readers love the East End Angels series . . . 'Wonderfully written by one very talented author . . . highly recommended''I loved reading this book . . . so looking forward to the next in the series''Reminded me of Call the Midwife''Absolutely brilliant for recreating life in London during the Blitz''A very well-written and researched, warm-hearted book . . . with a bit of romance!'*Don't miss Rosie Hendry's brand new novel, THE MOTHER'S DAY CLUB, coming 18th February 2021 and available now to pre-order*By Kelly Rimmer. 2019
'Emotional, satisfying, sweet, and oh so good' Kylie ScottUnexpected is a unforgettable new friends-to-lovers romance from bestselling author Kelly Rimmer,…
in her Start Up in the City series, perfect for fans of Jill Shalvis and Nora Roberts.Co-parenting with her best friend. What could go wrong?Abby Herbert has her life carefully planned out. Best career ever? Check. Great friends and a stunning TriBeCa apartment? Check. Perfect man to share her dream family? Surely just a matter of time. But then she gets devastating news from her doctor - if she wants a baby, she needs to get started on that by...well, yesterday.Tech entrepreneur Marcus Ross has been harbouring decidedly more-than-friends feelings toward Abby. When he learns of her predicament, he promises to be there for her however she wants him to be, even if the idea of fatherhood is a little complicated for him right now. But it isn't long until boundaries start to blur, and a deal struck between friends starts to turn into something perilously close to feelings that could change everything...'Rimmer...showcases her talent with this sweet, lively contemporary set in New York City...the characters are wildly entertaining. This will delight fans of extremely modern romance' Publishers WeeklyBy Magda Szabó. 1970
A teenage girl's difficult journey towards adulthood in a time of war."A school story for grownups that is also about…
our inability or refusal to protect children from history" SARAH MOSS"Of all Szabo's novels, Abigail deserves the widest readership. It's an adventure story, brilliantly written" TIBOR FISCHEROf all her novels, Magda Szabó's Abigail is indeed the most widely read in her native Hungary. Now, fifty years after it was written, it appears for the first time in English, joining Katalin Street and The Door in a loose trilogy about the impact of war on those who have to live with the consequences. It is late 1943 and Hitler, exasperated by the slowness of his Hungarian ally to act on the "Jewish question" and alarmed by the weakness on his southern flank, is preparing to occupy the country. Foreseeing this, and concerned for his daughter's safety, a Budapest father decides to send her to a boarding school away from the capital. A lively, sophisticated, somewhat spoiled teenager, she is not impressed by the reasons she is given, and when the school turns out to be a fiercely Puritanical one in a provincial city a long way from home, she rebels outright. Her superior attitude offends her new classmates and things quickly turn sour.It is the start of a long and bitter learning curve that will open her eyes to her arrogant blindness to other people's true motives and feelings. Exposed for the first time to the realities of life for those less privileged than herself, and increasingly confronted by evidence of the more sinister purposes of the war, she learns lessons about the nature of loyalty, courage, sacrifice and love.Translated from the Hungarian by Len Rix'Darkly voyeuristic but with heart - as funny as it is painful and true. We loved it' GRAZIA'I don't think…
I've ever turned the pages of a book so quickly. So sharp, so tender... truly excellent storytelling' DAISY BUCHANAN'Entertaining and playful but with huge depth, meaning and heart. I raced through it' EMMA GANNON'Thrilling, exhilarating, devastating. A must-read' LAURA JANE WILLIAMS'Engrossing, fantastically written and painfully real. I laughed, sobbed and got the chills' JESSICA RYNUNDERBELLY[n.] singular The soft underside or abdomen of a mammal. An area vulnerable to attack.A dark, hidden part of society.Lo and Dylan are living parallel lives, worlds apart. Lo is the ultimate middle-class mother, all perfectly polished Instagram posts and armchair activism. Dylan is just about surviving on a zero-hours telemarketing job from her flat, trying to keep food on the table.But when they meet at the school gates, they are catapulted into each other's homes and lives - with devastating consequences . . . Explosive, sharply humorous and unflinchingly honest, Underbelly slices through the filtered surface of modern women's lives to expose the dark truth beneath.Coming August 2021!Praise for Anna Whitehouse:'Painful and funny - and painfully funny' Emma Freud'Thank God there is none of that smug, married-couple twattery in this book. I loved it' Jane Garvey'Fantastically unsmug' Woman's Hour'This book is a hoot - hilarious and heartfelt' Emma Gannon'Snort-tea-through-nose funny' Cherry Healey'This book left me laughing so very hard and equally blubbing with tears' Jools OliverBy Jenny Ashcroft. 2019
THE BRAND NEW NOVEL FROM BESTSELLER JENNY ASHCROFT'Moving and beautifully written, this enchanting story of love and loss touched my…
heart' DINAH JEFFERIES'Emotional, evocative and enthralling'KATE FURNIVALL'An epic, bittersweet love story that will draw you in and grip you to the last page'GILL PAUL****All he needs is to find her. First he must remember who she is. An injured soldier has lost everything, even his past. His dreams hint at his old life; flashes of a woman. His only wish is to return to her, but will his broken mind let him? And will she still be waiting for him, if it does?Back at the start of 1914, at a party on the shores of Bombay, Madeline Bright and Luke Devereaux meet. Strangers in a foreign world, in the sweltering heat and colour of colonial India they fall in love. They want to believe nothing can come between them, not even the disapproval of Maddy's mother. But war looms and Luke, like so many, has no choice but to fight.Maddy's mother urges her to move on. Yet still she clings to the promise Luke left her with: that the two of them will meet again in Bombay...Meet Me in Bombay is a story of fierce love set against the exotic and colourful world of colonial Bombay and the tragedy of the First World War. Perfect for fans of Dinah Jefferies, Lucinda Riley and Kate Furnivall. Praise for Jenny Ashcroft: Praise for Jenny Ashcroft:'Beautifully described . . . a moving love story.' Tracy Rees 'An evocative, absorbing story... A rich and satisfying read..' Gill Paul'This lushly detailed debut is a summer-must read.' Red'Impossible to put this book down.' Kate RiordanEnter 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... Greer has always been there for Asher, but she wishes she could break through her shyness and show how much she truly loves him. But after a steamy, mindless fling at Hunter and Gretchen's engagement party, Greer finds herself tossed aside and forced to admit that you can't love someone who doesn't acknowledge you exist.It's a shame he got her pregnant.After his fiancee betrayed him and tanked his business in one fell swoop, Asher has spent his time trying to rebuild his wealth and forget the past. But he doesn't understand why Greer blew him off after their night together - until he catches a glimpse of her belly.Now Asher is willing to do whatever it takes to convince Greer she belongs with him. And he's very skilled at the art of persuasion.After more dazzling 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.By Lauren Fox. 2021
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*A Today Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick* *An Indie Next Great Read*'[A] vivid depiction of a…
family's heartbreak, its rending and rebuilding.' - Clare Lombardo, New York Times Book Review 'Spanning generations and continents, from pre-WWII Germany to current day midwestern America, Send For Me is a richly imagined testament to the ties that bind.' Whitney ScharerGermany 1930s. Annelise is a dreamer: imagining her future while working at her parents' popular bakery in Feldenheim, Germany, anticipating all the delicious possibilities yet to come. There are rumours that anti-Jewish sentiment is on the rise, but Annelise and her parents can't quite believe that it will affect them; they're hardly religious at all. But as Annelise falls in love, marries, and gives birth to her daughter Ruthie, the dangers grow closer: a brick thrown through her window; a childhood friend who cuts ties with her; customers refusing to patronise the bakery. Luckily Annelise and her husband are given the chance to leave for America, but they must go without her parents, whose future and safety are uncertain.Two generations later, in a small Midwestern city, Ruthie's daughter and Annelise's granddaughter, Clare, is a young woman newly in love. But when she stumbles upon her grandmother's letters from Germany, she sees the history of her family's sacrifices in a new light, and suddenly she's faced with an impossible choice: the past, or her future. A novel of dazzling emotional richness that is based on letters from Lauren Fox's own family, Send for Me is an epic and intimate exploration of mothers and daughters, duty and obligation, hope and forgiveness.By Suzanne Kelman. 2019
1941, Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. An unforgettable story of love, hope and betrayal, and a testament to the courage of humanity in…
history’s darkest days. University professor Josef Held has never recovered from the loss of his beloved wife – and has no intention of ever letting anyone new into his quiet, safe world. It is a world where the clock ticks steadily in his mathematics classroom, even as the sinister beat of Nazi soldiers’ boots threaten to drown it out. Terrified, Josef tries to keep his eyes on the ground as Jews across the city are forced into ghettos. But then Michael Blum, his most reluctant, infuriating pupil, tells Josef Jews like him will no longer be allowed to study at all. Josef can ignore the situation no longer. And, after the shock of seeing his neighbour killed on his own doorstep, he offers Michael a place to hide in an impulsive act of courage. Michael is everything Josef is not: spontaneous, poetic, and unafraid to love. Even though his passionate relationship with a Dutch girl is strictly forbidden – for he is Jewish, and she is not. Somehow, in the quiet gloom of the attic, Josef doesn’t mind things about Michael that annoyed him in the classroom, and a bond begins to grow. Remembering the pain of his own heartbreak, Josef is desperate to give Michael and his girlfriend a chance. He must go on as if nothing has changed: teaching his class, bowing to the Nazis. Beneath the fear, a thrill of defiance begins to bloom. But then Michael becomes perilously ill, and there is no way to get him the help he desperately needs. As the dark days of war continue, with danger and betrayal at every turn, no-one can be trusted. If Michael is to survive and get back to the woman he loves, it will be down to Josef – to find the hero inside himself, and do whatever it takes to keep Michael alive. Even if it means putting his own life on the line. A heartbreakingly beautiful story about love, trust, and courage against the odds, perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Lilac Girls, and The Nightingale. Readers are loving A View Across the Rooftops:‘Oh my goodness... Hauntingly beautiful… Incredibly powerful… I cried, I grieved and I hoped… I was left both heartbroken and satisfied.’ Robin Loves Reading ????? ‘Heart-wrenching… It is an emotional journey of heartache and love that will leave you in tears. One of the finest books I have ever read.’ NetGalley Reviewer ????? ‘I’ve read many books on WW2… but I’ve never read one like this before. Mesmerising, emotional and beautifully written.’ NetGalley Reviewer ????? ‘The rollercoaster of emotions I went through while reading this book is amazing… For an author to make me literally cry… The story is just incredible.’ Goodreads Reviewer ????? ‘If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would…The perfect Christmas gift full of warmth and nostalgia, for fans of ITV's Emmerdale, and readers who love heartwarming and…
heartbreaking stories set during World War II.Britain is at war once again and the families of Emmerdale are trying their best to cope with a new way of life.Rationing has been introduced across the country, two million more men have been called up for service, and blackouts, evacuees and military training camps have become the norm. In Beckindale, three young women are about to find their lives changed forever...Annie Pearson is working on Emmerdale Farm, while her love, Edward Sugden is at the front line. Lily Dingle has found purpose in joining the ATS, though she may get more than she bargained for. And Meg Warcup, now teaching at the local school, has taken in two children evacuated from Hull. They've adjusted to their new way of life until one day a German plane comes crashing down in the village... and changes everything in the village of Beckindale.The third novel in the Emmerdale series transports us to the Yorkshire Dales in the midst of World War II, exploring the lives of Emmerdale's much-loved families. Will the nation's favourite village overcome adversity to deal with the loves and lives lost?By Karen Dickson. 2021
A wartime family saga, perfect for fans of Rosie Goodwin and Val Wood Shaftesbury, 1936. Mansfield House Hotel has…
been a refuge for Emily ever since she was orphaned at the age of 16. Not only did they give her employment as a chambermaid, but it&’s also where she met her fiancé Tom. When theatre agent Roland stays at the hotel and hears Emily singing, he is determined to take her away to Bristol and make her a star. But knowing she'd never leave her fiancé, he hatches a plan to get Emily away from Tom. Six years later, Emily has made a name for herself as 'The Bristol Songbird'. Her love for Tom is still as strong as ever, but she's not heard from him since that fateful night so long ago. And with the world enveloped in a war, it seems unlikely the two will ever meet again. Will Emily and Tom ever find their way back to one another? Or will the war – and Roland – succeed in keeping them apart? Praise for Karen Dickson: &‘A compelling saga that will hold you fast from the first page to the last. Loved it&’ VAL WOOD, author of The Lonely Wife 'This rollercoaster of a novel draws you in from the first page… I devoured this in one sitting and look forward to more from this author. In short a gem of a read' FIONA FORD, author of Wartime at Liberty's 'A delight to read... Lily Hayter is a wonderful heroine whose resilience and integrity shine through as she struggles to claim a life of her choosing and find a family. At the heart of the story is a warmth and humanity that makes it a truly uplifting read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was sorry when I reached the end because I wanted to linger in Dickson&’s world. I eagerly await more from Karen Dickson' VICKI BEEBY, author of The Ops Room Girls &‘An exciting, fresh and talented new voice – a five-star read!&’ CAROL RIVERS, author of Molly&’s Christmas Orphans'The characters in this novel are so believable that I cared deeply about them from the first chapter. A heartfelt, hopeful account of one young woman&’s fight to keep her child safe when all the odds are against her. Atmospheric and beautifully written' JAN CASEY, author of The Women of Waterloo BridgeBy Clare Chambers. 2020
LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2021'A WORD-OF-MOUTH HIT' Evening Standard 'A very fine book... It's witty and sharp…
and reads like something by Barbara Pym or Anita Brookner, without ever feeling like a pastiche'David Nicholls'Perfect'India Knight 'Beautiful' Jessie Burton'Wonderful'Richard Osman 'Miraculous'Tracy Chevalier 'A wonderful novel. I loved it'Nina Stibbe 'Effortless to read, but every sentence lingers in the mind' Lissa Evans 'This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. I honestly don't want you to be without it'Lucy Mangan'Gorgeous... If you're looking for something escapist and bittersweet, I could not recommend more' Pandora Sykes'Remarkable... Small Pleasures is no small pleasure'The Times'An irresistible novel - wry, perceptive and quietly devastating'Mail on Sunday'Chambers' eye for undemonstrative details achieves a Larkin-esque lucidity' Guardian'An almost flawlessly written tale of genuine, grown-up romantic anguish' The Sunday Times 1957, the suburbs of South East London. Jean Swinney is a journalist on a local paper, trapped in a life of duty and disappointment from which there is no likelihood of escape. When a young woman, Gretchen Tilbury, contacts the paper to claim that her daughter is the result of a virgin birth, it is down to Jean to discover whether she is a miracle or a fraud. As the investigation turns her quiet life inside out, Jean is suddenly given an unexpected chance at friendship, love and - possibly - happiness. But there will, inevitably, be a price to pay.Book of the Year for: The Times, Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard, Daily Express, Metro, Spectator, Red Magazine and Good HousekeepingThe perfect Christmas gift full of warmth and nostalgia, for fans of ITV's Emmerdale, and readers who love heartwarming and…
heartbreaking stories set during World War II.Britain is at war once again and the families of Emmerdale are trying their best to cope with a new way of life.Rationing has been introduced across the country, two million more men have been called up for service, and blackouts, evacuees and military training camps have become the norm. In Beckindale, three young women are about to find their lives changed forever...Annie Pearson is working on Emmerdale Farm, while her love, Edward Sugden is at the front line. Lily Dingle has found purpose in joining the ATS, though she may get more than she bargained for. And Meg Warcup, now teaching at the local school, has taken in two children evacuated from Hull. They've adjusted to their new way of life until one day a German plane comes crashing down in the village... and changes everything in the village of Beckindale.The third novel in the Emmerdale series transports us to the Yorkshire Dales in the midst of World War II, exploring the lives of Emmerdale's much-loved families. Will the nation's favourite village overcome adversity to deal with the loves and lives lost?By Ben Elton. 2012
Bestselling author Ben Elton's most personal novel to date, Two Brothers transports the reader to the time of history's darkest…
hour.Berlin 1920Two babies are born.Two brothers. United and indivisible, sharing everything. Twins in all but blood.As Germany marches into its Nazi Armageddon, the ties of family, friendship and love are tested to the very limits of endurance. And the brothers are faced with an unimaginable choice... Which one of them will survive?