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By Heather Morris. 2023
This program is read by Laura Carmichael, who plays Lady Edith Crawley in Downton Abbey. It also includes a dedication,…
author's note, and two afterwords, all read by the author, as well as two songs by the Sydney Women's Vocal Orchestra with clips from both songs throughout the narration. A phenomenal novel of resilience and survival from bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz , Heather Morris. In the midst of World War II, an English musician, Norah Chambers, places her eight-year-old daughter Sally on a ship leaving Singapore, desperate to keep her safe from the Japanese army as they move down through the Pacific. Norah remains to care for her husband and elderly parents, knowing she may never see her child again. Sister Nesta James, a Welsh Australian nurse, has enlisted to tend to Allied troops. But as Singapore falls to the Japanese she joins the terrified cargo of people, including the heartbroken Norah, crammed aboard the Vyner Brooke merchant ship. Only two days later, they are bombarded from the air off the coast of Indonesia, and in a matter of hours, the Vyner Brooke lies broken on the seabed. After surviving a brutal 24 hours in the sea, Nesta and Norah reach the beaches of a remote island, only to be captured by the Japanese and held in one of their notorious POW camps. The camps are places of starvation and brutality, where disease runs rampant. Sisters in arms, Norah and Nesta fight side by side every day, helping whoever they can, and discovering in themselves and each other extraordinary reserves of courage, resourcefulness and determination. Sisters under the Rising Sun is a story of women in war: a novel of sisterhood, bravery and friendship in the darkest of circumstances, from the multimillion-copy bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz , Cilka's Journey and Three SistersBy Melanie Maure. 2024
In the spirit of Heather Morris, Kate Quinn, and Pam Jenoff, an enthralling and deeply moving story that begins during…
World War II, about orphaned twin sisters in Ireland whose lives diverge for decades, until fate—and faith—reunite them in the twilight of their lives. Orphaned during the Second World War, Aelish and Isabel McGuire—known as the twins of Belfast—are given over to the austere care of the Sisters of Bethlehem. Though they are each all the other has, the girls are propelled in opposite directions as they grow up. Rebellious Isabel turns her back on the church and Ireland, traveling to Newfoundland where she pursues a perilous yet independent life. Devout Aelish chooses to remain in Northern Ireland and takes the veil, burying painful truths beneath years of silence. For decades the two are separated, each unaware of the other's life. But after years of isolation Aelish is unexpectedly summoned to Newfoundland, where she and her estranged sister begin to bridge the chasm between them. Reunion brings to light the painful secrets and seismic deceptions that have kept these sisters apart, leaving the McGuire twins to begin reconstructing their understanding about themselves as women and as family–what they know of love, hope, and above all, forgiveness. A story of faith—in religion, in the world, and in one another—Sisters of Belfast is a heartbreaking, tragic, and deeply moving novel about survival and the enduring power of sisterhoodBy Sara Cassidy. 2022
By Jacques Goldstyn. 2018
Jules et Jim sont inséparables. Depuis leur enfance, ils forment un duo complice. Quand la Grande Guerre éclate, Jules et…
Jim s'engagent dans l'armée. Devenus frères d'armes, ils combattent avec courage et puisent leurs forces dans leur amitié.By Maurice Carlos Ruffin. 2024
A gripping historical novel about a spirited girl who joins a sisterhood working to undermine the Confederates—from the award-winning author…
of We Cast a Shadow "A genius conceit . . . thoughtful, courageous, exciting . . . a splendid work."—Robert Jones, Jr., author of The Prophets Ady, a curious, sharp-witted girl, and her fierce mother, Sanite, are inseparable. Enslaved to a businessman in the French Quarter of New Orleans, the pair spend their days dreaming of a loving future and reminiscing about their family’s rebellious and storied history. When mother and daughter are separated, Ady is left hopeless and directionless until she stumbles into the Mockingbird Inn and meets Lenore, a free Black woman with whom she becomes fast friends. Lenore invites Ady to join a clandestine society of spies called the Daughters. With the courage instilled in her by Sanite—and with help from these strong women—Ady learns how to put herself first. So begins her journey toward liberation and imagining a new future. The American Daughters is a novel of hope and triumph that reminds us what is possible when a community bands together to fight for their freedomBy Roxanne Veletzos. 2018
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER A sweeping family saga and love story that offers a vivid and unique portrayal of life in war-torn…
1941 Bucharest and life behind the Iron Curtain during the Soviet Union occupation—perfect for fans of Lilac Girls and Sarah's Key . On a freezing night in January 1941, a little Jewish girl is found on the steps of an apartment building in Bucharest. With Romania recently allied with the Nazis, the Jewish population is in grave danger, undergoing increasingly violent persecution. The girl is placed in an orphanage and eventually adopted by a wealthy childless couple who name her Natalia. As she assimilates into her new life, she all but forgets the parents who were forced to leave her behind. They are even further from her mind when Romania falls under Soviet occupation. Yet, as Natalia comes of age in a bleak and hopeless world, traces of her identity pierce the surface of her everyday life, leading gradually to a discovery that will change her destiny. She has a secret crush on Victor, an intense young man who as an impoverished student befriended her family long ago. Years later, when Natalia is in her early twenties and working at a warehouse packing fruit, she and Victor, now an important official in the Communist regime, cross paths again. This time they are fatefully drawn into a passionate affair despite the obstacles swirling around them and Victor's dark secrets. When Natalia is suddenly offered a one-time chance at freedom, Victor is determined to help her escape, even if it means losing her. Natalia must make an agonizing decision: remain in Bucharest with her beloved adoptive parents and the man she has come to love, or seize the chance to finally live life on her own terms, and to confront the painful enigma of her pastBy Naseem Hrab. 2022
By Katherine Arden. 2024
During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that…
suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale . &“A wonderful clash of fire and ice—a book you won&’t want to let go of.&”—Diana Gabaldon, author of Outlander January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, Laura receives word of Freddie&’s death in combat, along with his personal effects—but something doesn&’t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital, where she soon hears whispers about haunted trenches and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something—or someone—else? November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear. As shells rain down on Flanders and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura&’s and Freddie&’s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging—or better left behind entirelyBy Erin Hunter. 2023
A thrilling new arc in Erin Hunter's bestselling Bravelands series! Set in the African highlands and told from three different…
animals' points of view, this is a perfect adventure for dedicated fans and readers new to the Bravelands world. Echo, a water buffalo, is chosen by the Great Spirit to lead after a horrific accident—but can't command the respect of any of his herd. Stride the cheetah is keeping secrets from his coalition that could get him killed for disloyalty. And Tailgrabber, a young hyena, is desperate to find peace between her clan and the lions of Noblepride—even though it marks a betrayal of the hyenas' longstanding allegiance to the Great Devourer. As the structures that once guided their lives begin to crumble, can each of these three unlikely allies hold their own against the coming storm? Full of epic adventure and thrilling intrigue, this adventure will thrill readers who love the Spirit Animals and Wings of Fire series, as well as the legion of dedicated fans who've made Erin Hunter a bestselling phenomenonBy Erin Hunter. 2024
A thrilling new arc in Erin Hunter's bestselling Bravelands series! Set in the African highlands and told from three different…
animals' points of view, this is a perfect adventure for dedicated fans and readers new to the Bravelands world. Cast out of his coalition, Stride the cheetah embarks on a perilous mission for the Great Parent, accompanied by a honey badger burdened with a dark and mysterious past. Whisper the water buffalo has been searching desperately for her brother Echo, presumed dead after a terrible fall. And the hyena now known as Breathstealer finds herself courted by the Great Spirit at one moment and other times tempted by the Great Devourer, who sends her compelling visions of power and plenty. The balance of power in Bravelands rests on a knife's edge, and the Great Devourer waits hungrily in the shadows. Will these unlikely heroes be able to restore their home? Full of epic adventure and intrigue, this adventure will thrill readers who love the Spirit Animals and Wings of Fire series, as well as the legion of dedicated fans who've made Erin Hunter a bestselling phenomenonBy Kate Quinn. 2024
From bestselling authors Janie Chang and Kate Quinn, a thrilling and unforgettable narrative about the intertwined lives of two wronged…
women, spanning from the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake to the glittering palaces of Versailles. San Francisco, 1906. In a city bustling with newly minted millionaires and scheming upstarts, two very different women hope to change their fortunes: Gemma, a golden-haired, silver-voiced soprano whose career desperately needs rekindling, and Suling, a petite and resolute Chinatown embroideress who is determined to escape an arranged marriage. Their paths cross when they are drawn into the orbit of Henry Thornton, a charming railroad magnate whose extraordinary collection of Chinese antiques includes the fabled Phoenix Crown, a legendary relic of Beijing's fallen Summer Palace. His patronage offers Gemma and Suling the chance of a lifetime, but their lives are thrown into turmoil when a devastating earthquake rips San Francisco apart and Thornton disappears, leaving behind a mystery reaching further than anyone could have imagined . . . until the Phoenix Crown reappears five years later at a sumptuous Paris costume ball, drawing Gemma and Suling together in one last desperate quest for justiceBy Talia Carner. 2024
From acclaimed author of The Third Daughter comes an epic historical novel of ingenuity and courage, of love and loss,…
spanning postwar France when Israeli agents roamed the countryside to rescue hidden Jewish orphans—to the 1969 daring escape of the Israeli boats of Cherbourg . 1942: As the Vichy government hunts for Jews across France, Claudette Pelletier, a young and talented seamstress and lover of romance novels, falls in love with a Jewish man who seeks shelter at the château where she works. Their whirlwind and desperate romance before he must flee leaves her pregnant and terrified. When the Nazis invade the Free Zone shortly after the birth of her child, the disabled Claudette is forced to make a heartbreaking choice and escapes to Spain, leaving her baby in the care of his nursemaid. By the time Claudette is able to return years later, her son has disappeared. Unbeknown to his anguished mother, the boy has been rescued by a Youth Aliyah agent searching for Jewish orphans. 1968: When Israeli naval officer Daniel Yarden recruits Sharon Bloomenthal for a secret naval operation in Cherbourg, France, he can't imagine that he is the target of the agenda of the twenty-year-old grieving the recent loss of her fiancé in a drowned submarine. Sharon suspects that Danny's past in Youth Aliyah may reflect that of her mysterious late mother and she sets out to track her boss's extraordinary journey as an orphan in a quaint French village all the way to Israel. As Danny focuses on the future of his people and on executing a daring, crucial operation under France's radar, he is unaware that the obsessed Sharon follows the breadcrumbs of clues across the country to find her answers. But she is wholly unprepared for the dilemma she must face upon solving the puzzle.By Maika Harper. 2021
"A lively #ownvoices romp into the power of intention—and the hilarity of trial and error." — Kirkus Reviews When the…
earth was new, words had the power to breathe life into the world. But when creating animals from breath, sometimes one does not get everything right on the first try! Based on a traditional Inuit story passed forward orally for generations in the South Baffin region of Nunavut, this book shares with young readers the origin of the caribou and the walrus—and tells of how very different these animals looked when they were first conceivedBy Cj Wray. 2024
"Irresistible...Filled with surprise, poignancy, and excitement, this is a surefire winner." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) A brilliant and witty drama…
about two brave female World War II veterans who survived the unthinkable without ever losing their killer instinct...or their joie de vivre. Meet the Williamson sisters, Britain's most treasured World War II veterans. Now in their late nineties, Josephine and Penny are in huge demand, popping up at commemorative events and history festivals all over the country. Despite their age, they're still in great form—perfectly put together, sprightly and sparky, and always in search of their next "excitement." This time it's a trip to Paris to receive the Légion d'honneur for their part in the liberation of France. And as always, they will be accompanied by their devoted great-nephew, Archie. Keen historian Archie has always been given to understand that his great aunts had relatively minor roles in the Women's Royal Navy and the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, but that's only half the story. Both sisters are hiding far more than the usual "official secrets". There's a reason sweet Auntie Penny can dispatch a would-be mugger with an umbrella. This trip to Paris is not what it seems either. Scandal and crime have always quietly trailed the Williamson sisters, even in the decades after the war. Now armed with new information about an old adversary, these much decorated (but admittedly ancient) veterans variously intend to settle scores, avenge lost friends, and pull off one last, daring heist before the curtain finally comes down on their illustrious careersBy Jennifer Rosner. 2023
This program features a bonus conversation between the author and narrators. From Jennifer Rosner, National Jewish Book Award Finalist and…
author of The Yellow Bird Sings , comes a novel based on the true stories of children stolen in the wake of World War II. Ana will never forget her mother's face when she and her baby brother, Oskar, were sent out of their Polish ghetto and into the arms of a Christian friend. For Oskar, though, their new family is the only one he remembers. When a woman from a Jewish reclamation organization seizes them, believing she has their best interest at heart, Ana sees an opportunity to reconnect with her roots, while Oskar sees only the loss of the home he loves. Roger grows up in a monastery in France, inventing stories and trading riddles with his best friend in a life of quiet concealment. When a relative seeks to retrieve him, the Church steals him across the Pyrenees before relinquishing him to family in Jerusalem. Renata, a post-graduate student in archaeology, has spent her life unearthing secrets from the past—except for her own. After her mother's death, Renata's grief is entwined with all the questions her mother left unanswered, including why they fled Germany so quickly when Renata was a little girl. Two decades later, they are each building lives for themselves, trying to move on from the trauma and loss that haunts them. But as their stories converge in Israel, in unexpected ways, they must each ask where and to whom they truly belong. Beautifully evocative and tender, filled with both luminosity and anguish, Once We Were Home reveals a little-known history. Based on the true stories of children stolen during wartime, this heart-wrenching novel raises questions of complicity and responsibility, belonging and identity, good intentions and unforeseen consequences, as it confronts what it really means to find home. A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron BooksBy Elana K Arnold. 2024
This audiobook features music and special effects. Listen along and enjoy the fun that is The Fish of Small Wishes.…
Fall in love with a modern fairy tale inspired by a Jewish family memory in this magical picture book by award-winning picture book creators Elana K. Arnold and Magdalena Mora. Once, there was a girl named Kiki, who found a fish on the asphalt. The fish was very hot and very dry. But when Kiki put it in the bathtub, it started swimming, and growing, and . . . speaking? "I want to grant you a wish for saving me," it said. A wish-granting fish! Alas, this fish was only a fish of small wishes, and Kiki's wish was too big. Unless . . . there was a way for both their dreams to come true. Follow Kiki and the wish-granting fish in this contemporary fairy-tale perfect for fans of A Big Mooncake for Little Star and Carmela Full of Wishes. A Macmillan Audio production from Roaring Brook PressBy Dave Eggers. 2023
From the award-winning author of The Every comes an endearing story of a dog who unwittingly becomes a hero to…
a park full of animals. Johannes, a free dog, lives in an urban park by the sea. His job is to be the Eyes—to see everything that happens within the park and report back to the park&’s elders, three ancient Bison. His friends—a seagull, a raccoon, a squirrel, and a pelican—work with him as the Assistant Eyes, observing the humans and other animals who share the park and making sure the Equilibrium is in balance. But changes are afoot. More humans, including Trouble Travelers, arrive in the park. A new building, containing mysterious and hypnotic rectangles, goes up. And then there are the goats—an actual boatload of goats—who appear, along with a shocking revelation that changes Johannes&’s view of the world. A story about friendship, beauty, liberation, and running very, very fast, The Eyes & the Impossible will make listeners of all ages see the world around them in a wholly new wayBy Vanessa Miller. 2024
In 1869 a kingdom rose in the South. And Louella was its queen. Over the twenty-four years she's been enslaved…
on the Montgomery Plantation, Louella learned to feel one thing: hate. Hate for the man who sold her mother. Hate for the overseer who left her daddy to hang from a noose. Hate so powerful there's no room in her heart for love, not even for the honorable Reverend William, whom she likes and respects enough to marry. But when William finally listens to Louella's pleas and leads the formerly enslaved people out of their plantation, Louella begins to replace her hate with hope. Hope that they will find a place where they can live free from fear. Hope that despite her many unanswered prayers, she can learn to trust for new miracles. Soon, William and Louella become the appointed king and queen of their self-proclaimed Kingdom of the Happy Land. And though they are still surrounded by opposition, they continue to share a message of joy and goodness—and fight for the freedom and dignity of all. Transformative and breathtakingly honest, The American Queen shares the unsung true history of a kingdom built as a refuge for the courageous people who dared to dream of a different way of lifeBy Olivia Horrox. 2024
'Oh my gosh! What a beautifully written story!... I totally loved it... I literally could not stop reading... This is…
a must if you like historical fiction!!' Reader review 5 stars 'A beautifully written and evocative story of love and loss, of family and redemption, that swept me away.' Rachel Burton, author of The Last Party at Silverton Hall When their father loses the family fortune, and their mother locks herself away, sisters Grace and Clementine are left to raise themselves in a grand London house that is slowly falling apart around them. Each of them is determined to one day restore their fortunes and their family name and make a promise to do just that. Clementine dreams of being a star on stage, a celebrated ballerina who will tour the world, earning fame and fortune. She is adamant she won't put her fate into a man's hands but take charge of it herself. Grace, in contrast, sees security in a good marriage. Their eligible new American neighbour, with wealth, charm and looks, seems like the perfect match. But when Clementine falls unexpectedly in love, it throws both sisters' lives into turmoil and forces each of them to ask if they are prepared to break their promise for a chance at true love... A beautifully imagined historical novel about the bond between sisters and a changing world. Perfect for fans of Tracy Rees, Lucinda Riley and Kate Morton. Readers love The Dancer's Promise : ' Brilliant ... I loved the characters Grace and Clementine a true story of sisterly love and support in such difficult times... Truly memorable read ... touching and inspiring' Reader review 5 stars ' What a treat! With its mystery element thrown in to enhance the plot, I found the time sped by and I was lost in another time and place ' Reader review 5 starsBy Suzie Napayok-Short. 2021
Akuluk is not excited about visiting her grandparents in Nunavut. She would rather head south for summer vacation, somewhere with…
roller coasters and cotton candy. There can't be much to do way up there, Akuluk figures. But as soon as she steps off the plane and sees all the exciting animals that the tundra has to offer, Akuluk forgets all about her dreams of going south. On her first full day in Nunavut, she can't wait to travel out on the land with her grandfather to hunt for wild eggs. As she learns about the different types of eggs, how to collect them properly, and the delicious meals that can be prepared with them, Akuluk knows that this is just the beginning of the exciting things she'll learn about the Arctic