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The Last War: A Novel
By Ana Menéndez. 2009
"Exquisitely crafted. . . strikingly real and heartfelt." —Denver Post“[A] potent literary novel . . . A deft portrait of…
an estranged couple whose pain is veiled by the fog of war.” —PeopleA breathtaking novel of love, war, and betrayal from the critically acclaimed author of Loving Che and the New York Times Notable Book, In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd. From the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq to the strange, shimmering streets of Istanbul, The Last War is a “seductive meditation” (O, The Oprah Magazine) on cruelty and violence, love and identity from Pushcart Prize-winning author Ana Menéndez.When We Danced on Water: A Novel
By Evan Fallenberg. 2011
Fromacclaimed author Evan Fallenberg, an exquisitelycrafted debut novel tells the story of a preeminent male ballet dancer in theautumn of…
his career—a Jew whose talent once saved him from the Nazis—whosefading passion for life will flare back to life after a new romance links himto a younger woman fleeing the ghosts of her past as an Israeli Soldier. Fallenberg’s Tel Aviv-set tale that will resonate withreaders of Wladyslaw Szpilman’sThe Pianist, Dalia Sofer’sThe Septembers of Shiraz, and Thrity Umrigar’s The Space Between Us, as well as any whohave been touched by war or diaspora, as two characters’ intimate journeypoignantly explores the pain of fractured pasts, the hope for second chances, thepotency of artistic catharsis, and the certainty that love can conquer all.Play for A Kingdom: A Novel
By Thomas Dyja. 1998
In this “brilliantly imagined and neatly plotted” Civil War novel (Boston Globe), two battle-scarred companies-one Union, one Confederate-embark on a…
series of baseball games amid the carnage at Spotsylvania. “Wonderfully conceived and eloquently executed” (Caleb Carr). Maps.The Dog Fighter: A Novel
By Marc Bojanowski. 2004
The anonymous narrator of this remarkable debut novel is a young drifter in search of his future. The son of…
a passionate beauty and gentle doctor, he roams the border between the United States and Mexico, eventually settling in a sleepy Baja town on the verge of transformation. Here he learns to stand face-to-face with dogs in a makeshift ring, to fight for money and fame, and becomes involved with a powerful and corrupt entrepreneur. But when he finds friendship with a revolutionary old poet and love with a beautiful, innocent girl, everything changes. Caught between the ways of his past and the dreams of his future, he must make a devastating choice that could cost him everything.The Dog Fighter is an exhilarating tale of brutality and violence, love and wisdom, heartbreak and redemption.In The Full Light Of The Sun: A Novel
By Clare Clark. 2019
Based on a true story, this gorgeous novel follows the fortunes of three Berliners caught up in an art scandal—involving…
newly discovered van Goghs—that rocks Germany amid the Nazis&’ rise to power.In the turbulent years between the wars, nothing in Berlin is quite what it seems. Not for Emmeline, a wayward young artist freewheeling wildly through the city in search of meaning. Not for Julius, an eminent art connoisseur who finds it easier to love paintings than people. And most definitely not for Frank, a Jewish lawyer who must find a way to protect his family and his principles as the Nazis begin their rise to power. But the greatest enigma of them all is Matthias, the mercurial art dealer who connects them all. Charming and ambitious, he will provoke a scandal—involving newly discovered paintings by Vincent van Gogh—that turns all of their lives upside down. Inspired by true events, this brilliant, humane novel peels back the cherished illusions that sustain us to reveal the truths beneath. A book about beauty and justice, vanity and self-delusion, it asks: Do we see only what we want to see? Even in the full light of the sun?The Servants' Quarters
By Lynn Freed. 2008
A &“beautifully told story of love and growth&” set in post-WWII South Africa (Booklist). When disfigured soldier George Harding returns…
from the front, he moves a poor family into the servant&’s quarters of his family&’s South African estate, saving them from financial ruin—and initiating a series of events that will change all of their fates forever. Among the new tenants at Harding&’s Rest is Cressida, a young girl haunted by phantoms of World War II and the Holocaust, and terrified by Harding&’s gnarled body. Invited to the main house to help bring Harding&’s hopelessly timid nephew out of his shell, Cressida makes an impression on her family&’s benefactor. As she blossoms into womanhood, Cressida slowly becomes beguiled by what once repulsed her, in this strange and beautiful decades-spanning novel that &“blends Dickensian musings on class with a Brontë-like love story&” (San Francisco Chronicle). &“Cressida, a young girl who watches those around her patch up their wounds from the war and carry on with the weight of pretense, is as observant and as wickedly truthful as any Jane Austen character.&” —Amy TanThe Gentleman Poet: A Novel of Love, Danger, and Shakespeare's The Tempest
By Kathryn Johnson. 2010
“The Gentleman Poet is the best kind of historical novel—well researched, beautifully written, and wildly entertaining.”—Daniel Stashower, author of The…
Beautiful Cigar GirlThe Gentleman Poet, author Kathryn Johnson’s novel of love, danger, and Shakespeare’s The Tempest, is a wonderful story that imagines a series of astonishing events that just might have inspired the immortal Bard to pen his magical tale. Told from the point of view of a young servant girl who strikes up a friendship with the not yet famous playwright when they are shipwrecked in the Bermudas, The Gentleman Poet gives a delightful new spin on Shakespearean lore reminiscent of the Academy Award-winning film, Shakespeare in Love.After You've Gone: A Short Story from Fall of Poppies
By Evangeline Holland. 2014
Evangeline Holland, author of the Bledington Park series, enchants readers with this poignant short story about a woman seemingly alone…
in terrible aftermath of the Great War and the man who proves she has more than she ever realized. War stole everything from Morven Williams—her husband, her friends, her livelihood, and her home. As Paris erupts in Armistice celebrations, she stands on the precipice of her past and her future, and the arrival of a handsome, charming Harlem Hellfighter stirs her spirit. But they share an unexpected link to her past—one that may tear their burgeoning romance apart forever.Originally published in the moving collection Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War, this e-book also includes an excerpt from Holland’s novel An Ideal Duchess, available now.The Princess of Nowhere: A Novel
By Lorenzo Borghese. 2010
Prince Lorenzo Borghese, a descendant of the brother-in-law of Napoleon Bonaparte, bursts boldly onto the historical fiction scene with The…
Princess of Nowhere—a captivating and richly atmospheric re-imagining of the life of the author’s famous ancestor, Princess Pauline Bonaparte Borghese. Author Borghese—whom TV viewers will recognize for his appearance on the hit ABC series, The Bachelor—will enthrall readers of Sarah Dunant and Suzannah Dunn with this masterful blend of fact and fiction, a story of passion, betrayal, and one woman who truly conquered all…even death.Something Worth Landing For: A Short Story from Fall of Poppies
By Jessica Brockmole. 2016
The Daughter of Belgium: A Short Story from Fall of Poppies
By Marci Jefferson. 2015
An extraordinary short story from Marci Jefferson, author of Girl on the Golden Coin, about the fierce determination of one…
young mother to save her child, and her herself, as World War I comes to a perilous end. There is only patient left at the Institut Cavell. After having her life ripped apart in every imaginable way by the Germans who have occupied Brussels, having to care for this enemy soldier is Amélie’s worst nightmare. But the note of recognition in the shell-shocked man’s eyes when she speaks makes her wonder. As whispers of rebellious soldiers overthrowing the Kaiser grow louder and louder every day, Amélie will have to trust in the man she believes to be her enemy and risk everything she has to fight for the promise of a new life. Originally published in the moving collection Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War, this e-book also includes an excerpt from Jefferson’s novel Enchantress of Paris, available now.Hour of the Bells: A Short Story from Fall of Poppies
By Heather Webb. 2015
In this breathtaking short story, Heather Webb, the acclaimed author of Becoming Josephine, explores the heartbreak and devotion of a…
mother searching for peace in war-torn France. Madame Beatrix Joubert has lived her life by the rhythm of the clocks, the call of a cuckoo bird, and the gongs of bells. These once comforting sounds, accompanied by the laughter of her husband and son, now only remind her of the emptiness of her home and the anger that grows inside her. Of German birth, she is an outcast in her French village, but her homeland is the enemy that stole all she held dear. As she plots and plans, fueled by grief and the need for revenge, Beatrix will embark on upon a dangerous journey that could forever alter the life she once knew. Originally published in the moving collection Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War, this e-book also includes an excerpt from Webb’s latest novel, Rodin’s Lover, available now.Sweet Dates in Basra: A Novel
By Jessica Jiji. 2010
“In this story of love and search for identity, Jessica Jiji succeeds fully in capturing passions, depth of feeling, and…
strong relationships beyond ethnic and religious differences.”—Naim Kattan, author of Farewell BabylonJessica Jiji’s Sweet Dates in Basra is a compelling, poignant, and unforgettable tale of friendship and family, set in Iraq during the second world war. A dramatic departure from Jiji’s previous novel, Diamonds Take Forever, Sweet Dates in Basra brilliantly captures the atmosphere of a volatile Middle East during the previous century and pays tribute to the lost traditions of a once-idyllic world.Lucky Billy
By Susan Wyler, John Vernon. 2008
A myth-busting novel about America’s most infamous and beloved outlaw, Billy the Kid, from a critically acclaimed historical novelistAccording to…
legend, Billy the Kid killed twenty-one men, one for every year of his short life; stole from wealthy cattle barons to give to the poor; and wooed just about every senorita in the American Southwest.In Lucky Billy, John Vernon digs deeply into the historical record to find a truth more remarkable than the legend, and draws a fresh, nuanced portrait of this outlaw’s dramatic and violent life.Billy the Kid met his celebrated end at the hands of Pat Garrett, his one-time carousing partner turned sheriff, who tracked Billy down after the jail break that made him famous. In Vernon’s telling, the crucial event of Billy’s life was the Lincoln County War, a conflict between a ring of Irishmen in control of Lincoln, New Mexico, and a newcomer from England, John Tunstall, who wanted to break their grip on the town. Billy signed on with Tunstall. The conflict spun out of control with Tunstall’s murder, and in a series of revenge killings, an obscure hired gunman called Kid Antrim became Billy the Kid.Besides a full complement of gunfights, jail breaks, and bawdy behavior, Lucky Billy is a provocative picture of the West at a critical juncture between old and new. It is also a portrait of an American icon made human, caught in the middle, more lost than brave, more nadve than principled, more of an accidental survivor than simply the cold-blooded killer of American myth.The Girl In
By Melanie Wallace. 2017
A “soulful and exquisite” (Shelf Awareness) novel about an abandoned young woman and her infant son, the townspeople who provide…
them with shelter, and the secrets that all of them are keeping.“In this exceptional novel, Melanie Wallace conveys the depths and complexities of life in a seemingly uneventful New England village. The Girl in the Garden strikingly affirms Eudora Welty’s belief ‘that one place understood helps us understand all other places better.’?”—Ron Rash, New York Times bestselling author of SerenaWhen June arrives on the coast of New England, baby in arms, an untrustworthy man by her side, Mabel—who rents them a cabin—senses trouble. A few days later, the girl and her child are abandoned.June is soon placed with Mabel’s friend, Iris, in town, and her life becomes entwined with a number of locals who have known each other for decades: a wealthy recluse with a tragic past; a widow in mourning; a forsaken daughter returning for the first time in years, with a stranger in tow; and a kindly WWII veteran who serves as the town’s sage. Surrounded by the personal histories and secrets of others, June finds the way forward for herself and her son becoming determined by the others’ pasts, including loves—and crimes—from years ago.In vivid, nuanced prose, Melanie Wallace—“a writer with a tender regard for the marginal, the missing, and the lost” (Hilary Mantel)—explores the time-tested bonds of a small community, the healing power of friendship and love, and whether the wrongs of the past can ever be made right.“Powerful…A quiet, contemplative novel that builds slowly and leaves a lasting impact.”—Publishers WeeklyGreat Escapes #6: Across the Minefields (Great Escapes Ser. #6)
By Pamela Toler, W. Brown. 2021
Are you ready for some of the most exciting, death-defying escape stories ever told? The sixth installment in the Great…
Escapes series is here—perfect for fans of the I Survived series!June, 1942—Libya. Free French Officer Susan Travers was one of the few women on the frontlines in Africa during World War Two. After the Germans surrounded the military camp of Bir Hakeim, a shocking order was issued. The French troops were going to break out in the middle of the night—crossing through dangerous minefields and enemy territory—to reach their British allies. And Officer Travers would be leading the charge.With the lives of thousands of military men at risk, stakes were high. But Officer Travers didn’t face rejection and break gender barriers to back down now. Her country needed her to fight. And win. For reluctant readers to total bookworms, this gripping historical fiction story—featuring fascinating bonus content and captivating illustrations—will leave you eager to read the whole series!Infidelities: Stories of War and Lust
By Josip Novakovich. 2005
Tragicomedy of the highest order, this stellar collection is Croatian writer Novakovich's best ever. Hailed as one of the best…
short story writers of the 1990s, Josip Novakovich was praised by the New York Times for writing fiction that has "the crackle of authenticity, like the bite of breaking glass." In his new collection, he explores a war–torn Balkan world in which a schoolchild's innocence evaporates in a puff of cannon smoke, lust replaces love, and the joy of survival overrides all other pleasures. As Serb, Croat, and Bosnian Muslim armies clash in the cities and countryside of the former Yugoslavia, it's hard to tell the front lines from the home front. The characters in Infidelities––soldiers and civilians alike––are caught in the ridiculous, often cruelly whimsical contradictions of war and the paranoia and folly of those who conduct it. In "Ribs," a Croatian woman whose husband has already been taken by the war will go to any length to keep her son out of the army, including sleeping with the draft officer, a tryst that leads to an unexpected, and disturbing, spiritual vision. A Buddhist soldier in the Bosnian Muslim military isly accused of being an informer to the enemy Serbs after his detachment ambushes itself in "Hail." A draft dodger is in the hospital for a transplant, in "A Purple Heart," when a high–ranking Croatian general steals the heart for himself (and dies) while the dodger suddenly discovers a new thirst for life. In "Spleen," a Bosnian émigré in America learns that even in the throes of passion she cannot find release from the haunting memories of her homeland. These stories cover a broad sweep of time, reaching back to the first shots of World War I in Sarajevo and forward to the plight of Balkan immigrants in contemporary America. Throughout, acts of compassion, gallows humour, even desire arise from a landscape devastated by tragedy.The Last Blue Mile
By Kim Ponders. 2007
18-year-old Brook Searcy has just begun her first year at the Air Force Academy. Abandoned by her mother and raised…
by a loving yet distant father, Brook has surprised her traditional East Coast family by deciding to enter a completely foreign world -- the military. At the Academy she encounters both friends and terrifying foes, and experiences both first love and terrible loss as her relationships with her fellow cadets grow. Commandant John Waller, a former fighter pilot, has made the Air Force his life for nearly twenty years. His career couldn-t be in better shape, but he finds himself drifting away from his wife and daughters. And when a new (and female) Superintendent who-s never flown a plane becomes Waller-s new boss, he worries that the institution that he-s shaped his life around might be slipping away as well.Over the course of two years, terrible scandals and heartbreaking tragedy touch both Brook and Waller-s lives -- forcing them to make wrenching decisions that will shape both their careers and their lives.Our Lady of the Night: A Novel
By Mayra Santos-Febres. 2009
From internationally-acclaimed novelist Mayra Santos-Febres comes a carnal, epic novel about the life of Isabel “La Negra” Luberza--a legendary Puerto…
Rican madam who, by the end of World War II, became the most powerful woman on the island.Born into poverty and then abandoned by her mother, Isabel "La Negra" Luberza blossoms into a supremely sensual young woman. Obsessed with attaining aristocratic status—armed with incredible physical presence, indomitable ambition, and keen intelligence—she meets Fernando Fornarís, the man who will forever change her life. With a parcel of land given to her by her rich, white married lover, Isabel transforms herself into a hard-edged and merciless businesswoman—abandoning her own newborn son to become Puerto Rico's most feared and respected madam, a collector of society's secrets, a queen of the notorious brothel that emerges as the island's true political and economic heart.Set against the rich backdrop of the Caribbean and the United States during the tumultuous years of World War II, Mayra Santos-Febres's Our Lady of the Night is a breathtaking novel of passion, power, and the devastating price of achieving everything one wishes for.Displaced Persons: A Novel
By Ghita Schwarz. 2010
“This is an amazing novel. The writing is piercing and clear, and the humanity of the author and her characters…
will inhabit my thoughts for years to come.”—Anne Roiphe, National Book Award-winning author of FruitfulAn astonishing tale of grief and anger, memory and survival, Displaced Persons marks the arrival of a supremely gifted new literary talent, Ghita Schwarz. Schwarz’s powerful story of a group of Holocaust survivors—“displaced persons”—struggling to remake their lives and cope with the stigma of their pasts in the wake of the monumental Nazi horror is beautiful, tragic, moving, and unforgettable, chronicling the lives of ordinary people who have suffered under extraordinary circumstances.