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La Petite Fadette: Opéra-comique En 3 Actes (classic Reprint)
By George Sand. 2017
Set in the French countryside of George Sand’s childhood and narrated in the unique voice of a Berrichon peasant, La…
Petite Fadette is a beloved 1848 novel about identical twin brothers and Fadette, the mysterious waif with whom they both fall in love. The brothers, Landry and Sylvinet, belong to a highly respected farm family. When young Landry meets Fadette, whose very name suggests that she is a witch, he is captivated by the girl despite her lowly status and disreputable family. Sylvinet soon follows suit. Fadette’s relationship with the twins defies the patriarchal norms of French society as well as the expectations of the village, resulting in a tale of love, courage, and clever strategy winning out over superstition and prejudice.Often regarded as a simple country tale, Sand’s novel is layered with meaning, including subtle nods to the burgeoning desire for political and sexual equality in nineteenth-century France. This thoughtful critical translation by Gretchen van Slyke brings the complexity of the original story to life. Her introduction explores the autobiographical and political dimensions of the novel, and her translation preserves the rustic charm and archaic flavor of Sand’s language.An invaluable contribution to French literary studies and nineteenth-century literature studies, this new edition ensures that La Petite Fadette will be read by generations to come.*An Oprah Magazine Most Anticipated Book of 2021**A Woman & Home Top Four Literary Read**A lovereading.co.uk Star Book* And they…
lived happily ever after . . . didn't they?Cinderella married the man of her dreams - the perfect ending she deserved after diligently following all the fairy-tale rules. Yet now, two children and thirteen-and-a-half years later, things have gone badly wrong. One night, she sneaks out of the palace to get help from the Witch who, for a price, offers love potions to disgruntled housewives. But as the old hag flings the last ingredients into the cauldron, Cinderella doesn't ask for a love spell to win back her Prince Charming. Instead, she wants him dead. Endlessly surprising and wildly inventive, The Charmed Wife is a sophisticated literary fairy tale for the twenty-first century that weaves together time and place, fantasy and reality, to conjure a world unlike any other. Nothing in it is quite what it seems, and the twists and turns of its magical, dark, swiftly shifting paths take us deep into the heart of romance, marriage and the very nature of storytelling.'Dark and dreamy. Inside the plot, magic comes and goes. But inside the reader, it's all magic - all of us happily caught in Grushin's hypnotic spell.' - Karen Joy Fowler, author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves and The Jane Austen Book Club'Fall under its charms, I dare you' - Gregory Maguire, author of WickedA powerful, provocative and quite wonderful modern literary fairy tale. I danced through the deep dark magic of The Charmed Wife - long live the fairy tale that lives beyond "happily ever after".' - lovereading.co.uk'Surprising, darkly comedic and enchanting' - CNN'Genre-bending and darkly comic, Grushin's fourth novel is a weird and wonderful triumph.' - Oprah Magazine*An Oprah Magazine Most Anticipated Book of 2021**A Woman & Home Top Four Literary Read**A lovereading.co.uk Star Book* And they…
lived happily ever after . . . didn't they?Cinderella married the man of her dreams - the perfect ending she deserved after diligently following all the fairy-tale rules. Yet now, two children and thirteen-and-a-half years later, things have gone badly wrong. One night, she sneaks out of the palace to get help from the Witch who, for a price, offers love potions to disgruntled housewives. But as the old hag flings the last ingredients into the cauldron, Cinderella doesn't ask for a love spell to win back her Prince Charming. Instead, she wants him dead. Endlessly surprising and wildly inventive, The Charmed Wife is a sophisticated literary fairy tale for the twenty-first century that weaves together time and place, fantasy and reality, to conjure a world unlike any other. Nothing in it is quite what it seems, and the twists and turns of its magical, dark, swiftly shifting paths take us deep into the heart of romance, marriage and the very nature of storytelling.'Dark and dreamy. Inside the plot, magic comes and goes. But inside the reader, it's all magic - all of us happily caught in Grushin's hypnotic spell.' - Karen Joy Fowler, author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves and The Jane Austen Book Club'Fall under its charms, I dare you' - Gregory Maguire, author of WickedA powerful, provocative and quite wonderful modern literary fairy tale. I danced through the deep dark magic of The Charmed Wife - long live the fairy tale that lives beyond "happily ever after".' - lovereading.co.uk'Surprising, darkly comedic and enchanting' - CNN'Genre-bending and darkly comic, Grushin's fourth novel is a weird and wonderful triumph.' - Oprah MagazineThe Stolen Child: The most heartwrenching and heartwarming saga you'll read this year
By Jennie Felton. 2019
'One of the nation's favourite saga writers' Lancashire Post'A real heartbreaker' Peterborough Telegraph'Brimming with high drama, anguish, love, loss, tragedy,…
and gripping twists and turns, this is an absorbing and poignant story... Felton, a born storyteller, has a warm and compassionate heart...and an eye for the rich period detail that brings the past to life' Lancashire PostA powerful new saga from Jennie Felton in the grand tradition of Josephine Cox, Dilly Court, Maggie Hope and Rosie Goodwin of love, loss, tragedy, drama, secrets and twists and turns.Readers are hooked by The Stolen Child!'Like the twists and turns...a great read' 5* reader review'Keeps you on the edge...could not put it down' 5* reader review'A heartbreaking read. 5 stars' 5* reader review'A must read' 5* reader reviewWill anyone believe her baby is gone?When Stella Swift is discovered holding a shard of broken glass near her newborn baby boy, fears that she might harm William result in her being taken to Catcombe - the local asylum. Although the regime is not as harsh as it once was, it's not somewhere that Tom wants to send his wife - but he has no choice.Turning to his kind-hearted sister-in-law Grace for help taking care of his other three children whilst he keeps working at the mine seems like the simplest solution until Stella is well - if only there wasn't the shared history between Tom and Grace...At first Catcombe seems to offer the respite Stella needs - until one day she becomes convinced that the baby the nurses have given to her is not William. Is Stella losing her mind? Or is it true that a mother will always know her own child?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.The Dark Affair: Mad Passions Book 3 (Mad Passions)
By Maire Claremont. 2014
A richly romantic and enthralling novel of beauty, passion and scandalous secrets from Maire Claremont, the acclaimed author of The…
Dark Lady and Lady In Red. Perfect for fans of Sherry Thomas, Johanna Lindsey and Lisa Kleypas.Lady Margaret Cassidy left a life of nobility behind in Ireland, forsaking her grieving homeland to aid war-ravaged men in England. Still, she never expected a cruel turn of fate to lock her into an unwanted betrothal with one of her English patients - much less one as broken and dangerous as Viscount Powers.Wrecked by his tragic past, Powers' opiate-addled sanity hangs precariously in the balance, leaving him poised to destroy anyone who dares to utter the names of the wife and child he still so deeply mourns. So when he is forced to marry Margaret in exchange for freedom, he is shocked by the desire to earn her trust, her body, and - most alarming of all - her heart...For more deliciously dark Victorian romance, try all the titles in the Mad Passions series: The Dark Lady, Lady In Red, A Lady Undone and The Dark Affair, and check out Maire's alter-ego Eva Devon for sexy and laugh-out-loud funny Regencies.A Lady Undone: A Mad Passions Novella 2.5 (Mad Passions)
By Maire Claremont. 2014
In this dazzling novella from the award-winning author of The Dark Lady and Lady In Red, comes a story of…
fatal plots, seductive spies, and irresistible passions... Perfect for fans of Sherry Thomas, Lisa Kleypas and Stephanie Laurens.Duchess Clare Ederly is lucky to be alive. Having outlived her violent, abusive husband, she decides to put her significant inheritance to good use helping other battered women by opening a refuge for those seeking to escape. But not everyone is pleased with her work. Someone wants to see her sanctuary torn down - at any cost. Her only hope of protecting her home and tenants is a former spy, whose skill at tracking deadly men is matched only by his dangerous charm...The Earl of Wyndham has done his part for Queen and country; he has had his fill of plotting and politics and simply wants to retire to the pleasant life of his club. But Duchess Clare's razor-sharp wit and fierce determination awaken new purpose and admiration in him. To protect her, he will once again delve into the treacherous world of espionage. To win her love, he will do almost anything...For more deliciously dark Victorian romance, try all the titles in the Mad Passions series: The Dark Lady, Lady In Red, A Lady Undone and The Dark Affair, and check out Maire's alter-ego Eva Devon for sexy and laugh-out-loud funny Regencies.The Dark Lady: Mad Passions Book 1 (Mad Passions)
By Maire Claremont. 2013
The first thrilling and passionate novel of mad passions and scandalous secrets for fans of Grace Burrowes, Tessa Dare, Elizabeth…
Hoyt and Sarah MacLean.Lord Ian Blake has returned from India a broken man. Years ago, he pledged to Lady Eva Carin - his childhood companion and first love - that he would bring her husband back alive. His failure haunts him. But even his jaded soul can't anticipate the shocking sight of beautiful, independent Eva confined to a madhouse. Locked in an asylum, forgotten by society, Eva is adrift in both body and mind. For Ian to break her free, they must cross a powerful enemy - and prove her sanity to England's unforgiving aristocracy. But the biggest danger of all may come when the secrets of Eva's tragic past are finally unlocked...For more deliciously dark Victorian romance, try all the titles in the Mad Passions series: The Dark Lady, Lady In Red, A Lady Undone and The Dark Affair, and check out Maire's alter-ego Eva Devon for sexy and laugh-out-loud funny Regencies.The Sweetness of Life
By Paulus Hochgatterer. 2006
It is Christmas in the alpine town of Furth am See and a six-year-old girl is playing ludo with her…
grandfather. The doorbell rings, and the old man goes to answer. The next time the girl sees him, he is lying with his skull broken, his face a red pulp against the white snow. From that time on, she does not speak a single word. Raffael Horn, the psychiatrist engaged to treat the silent child, reluctantly becomes involved in solving the murder along with Detective Superintendent Ludwig Kovacs. Their parallel researches sweep through the town: a young mother who believes her new-born child is the devil; a Benedictine monk who uses his iPod to drown the voices in his head; a high-spending teenager who tortures cats. The psychological profile of this claustrophobic, winter-held town is not reassuring - which, if any, of its inhabitants was the brutal night-time slayer of the suffering girl's grandfather?A gripping mystery about a woman trying to find out the truth behind the death of her best friend and…
introducing a brilliant detective duo - perfect for fans of Peter James, Angela Marsons and James Oswald. A DEAD GIRLA vulnerable young woman, fresh out of the care system, is trying to discover the truth behind the sudden death of her best friend.A MURDERED POLICE OFFICERThe charred body of a policeman - currently the subject of an internal investigation - is found in the burnt-out-shell of his car on the Southend seafront.A CRIME WORTH KILLING FOR?To DS Frank Pearson and DC Catherine Russell of the Essex Police Major Investigation Team, the two events seem unconnected. But as they dig deeper into their colleague's murder, dark secrets begin to emerge.Can Pearson and Russell solve both cases, before more lives are destroyed?A twisty, gripping novel that introduces a brilliant new detective duo. If you like Peter James, Angela Marsons and James Oswald, then you'll love this crime debut. TRULY EVIL, the gripping second book in the series is out now. ****Praise for Burned and Broken:'Immensely impressive' The Times'The investigation into a copper's dramatic death in downbeat Southend scoops a cast of equally downbeat characters into its net, and tensions rise as their stories fold around each other. An accomplished debut' Sunday Times'Emotional, intelligent, sensual and with such a strong voice, Burned and Broken by Mark Hardie is a crime debut that deserves huge success' Harry Illingworth (Goldsboro Books)'I absolutely LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book and I would recommend it to anybody. I can't wait to read more investigations led by DS Frank Pearson and DC Cat Russell' Amanda Oughton (Ginger Book Geek)'The story is easy to follow without being too simple, and the novel really manages to evoke a sense of atmosphere and reality within its pages. I didn't find myself becoming distracted whilst reading at all, and raced through it in hours. I will certainly be reading any future novels, particularly in this series which I wholeheartedly enjoyed' Laura Naz (Snazzy Books)The Sweetness of Life
By Paulus Hochgatterer. 2006
It is Christmas in the alpine town of Furth am See and a six-year-old girl is playing ludo with her…
grandfather. The doorbell rings, and the old man goes to answer. The next time the girl sees him, he is lying with his skull broken, his face a red pulp against the white snow. From that time on, she does not speak a single word. Raffael Horn, the psychiatrist engaged to treat the silent child, reluctantly becomes involved in solving the murder along with Detective Superintendent Ludwig Kovacs. Their parallel researches sweep through the town: a young mother who believes her new-born child is the devil; a Benedictine monk who uses his iPod to drown the voices in his head; a high-spending teenager who tortures cats. The psychological profile of this claustrophobic, winter-held town is not reassuring - which, if any, of its inhabitants was the brutal night-time slayer of the suffering girl's grandfather?Two sisters parted. Two women blamed. Two stories reclaimed.'Required reading for fans of Circe . . . a remarkable, thrilling…
debut' - Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue'Fluent and persuasive. I admire the ambition with which Heywood tackles the subject, to which she brings freshness and verve. I enjoyed it very much' - Elizabeth Buchan, bestselling author of The Museum of Broken PromisesFor millennia, two women have been blamed for the fall of a mighty civilisation - but now it's time to hear their side of the story . . .As princesses of Sparta, Helen and Klytemnestra have known nothing but luxury and plenty. With their high birth and unrivalled beauty, they are the envy of all of Greece.Such privilege comes at a high price, though, and their destinies are not theirs to command. While still only girls they are separated and married off to legendary foreign kings Agamemnon and Menelaos, never to meet again. Their duty is now to give birth to the heirs society demands and be the meek, submissive queens their men expect.But when the weight of their husbands' neglect, cruelty and ambition becomes too heavy to bear, they must push against the constraints of their sex to carve new lives for themselves - and in doing so make waves that will ripple throughout the next three thousand years.Perfect for readers of Circe and Ariadne, Daughters of Sparta is a vivid and illuminating retelling of the Siege of Troy that tells the story of mythology's most vilified women from their own mouths at long last.Helen of Troy and her sister Klytemnestra are reimagined in this gorgeous retelling of the classic Greek myth - not as women defined by their husbands and lovers but as battle-weary survivors of a patriarchal society who take control of their own destiny. Absolutely riveting!' - Alka Joshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Henna ArtistLady In Red: Mad Passions Book 2 (Mad Passions)
By Maire Claremont. 2013
A richly romantic and enthralling novel of beauty, passion and scandalous secrets from the acclaimed author of The Dark Lady.…
Perfect for fans of Grace Burrowes, Tessa Dare, Elizabeth Hoyt and Sarah MacLean.Lady Mary Darrel should be the envy of London. Instead, all society believes her dead. For Mary holds a secret so dangerous, her father chose to keep her locked away...and have a grave made for her near her mother's. Driven to the edge of desperation, Mary manages to escape the asylum, only to find that her fate yet again rests in the hands of a man...Edward Barrons, Duke of Fairleigh, longs for some way to escape the torment of his father's crimes. In Mary's warrior spirit and haunted gaze - which so mirrors his own - he finally sees his path to redemption. He will stop at nothing to keep her safe, even as she seeks revenge. But will the passion they discover in each other be enough to save them from their demons?For more deliciously dark Victorian romance, try all the titles in the Mad Passions series: The Dark Lady, Lady In Red, A Lady Undone and The Dark Affair, and check out Maire's alter-ego Eva Devon for sexy and laugh-out-loud funny Regencies.Lady In Red: Mad Passions Book 2 (Mad Passions)
By Maire Claremont. 2013
A richly romantic and enthralling novel of beauty, passion and scandalous secrets from the acclaimed author of The Dark Lady.…
Perfect for fans of Grace Burrowes, Tessa Dare, Elizabeth Hoyt and Sarah MacLean.Lady Mary Darrel should be the envy of London. Instead, all society believes her dead. For Mary holds a secret so dangerous, her father chose to keep her locked away...and have a grave made for her near her mother's. Driven to the edge of desperation, Mary manages to escape the asylum, only to find that her fate yet again rests in the hands of a man...Edward Barrons, Duke of Fairleigh, longs for some way to escape the torment of his father's crimes. In Mary's warrior spirit and haunted gaze - which so mirrors his own - he finally sees his path to redemption. He will stop at nothing to keep her safe, even as she seeks revenge. But will the passion they discover in each other be enough to save them from their demons?For more deliciously dark Victorian romance, try all the titles in the Mad Passions series: The Dark Lady, Lady In Red, A Lady Undone and The Dark Affair, and check out Maire's alter-ego Eva Devon for sexy and laugh-out-loud funny Regencies.The period of 1830–1950 was an age of unprecedented innovation. From new inventions and scientific discoveries to reconsiderations of religion,…
gender, and the human mind, the innovations of this era are recorded in a wide range of literary texts. Rather than separating these texts into Victorian or modernist camps, this collection argues for a new framework that reveals how the concept of innovation generated forms of literary newness that drew novelists, poets, and other creative figures working across this period into dialogic networks of experiment. The 14 chapters in this volume explore how inventions like the rotary print press or hot air balloon and emergent debates about science, trade, and colonialism evolved new forms and genres. Through their examinations of a wide range of texts and writers—from well-known novelists like Conrad, Dickens, Hardy, and Woolf, to less canonical figures like Charlotte Mew, Elías Mar, and Walter Frances White—the chapters in this collection re-read these texts as part of an age of innovation characterized not by division and divide, but by collaboration and community.The Shadow of Perseus
By Claire Heywood. 2023
History remembers him as a hero. But the women who knew him best remember a different man...Perseus grows up wanting…
to be a hero, but he cannot become one if his mother Danae still sees him as a boy. When his stepfather Polydektes casts him away on a voyage across the sea, Perseus is determined to fulfil the great destiny of the son of a god and the grandson of a king. But the line between heroism and monstrosity is thin, and when Perseus attempts to seduce first gentle Medusa and then beautiful Andromeda, before finally reuniting with Danae, they each learn of the dangers of resisting a boy prepared to risk it all for greatness . . .The Selected Works of Margaret Oliphant, Part VI Volume 24: The Ladies Lindores (The Pickering Masters)
By Josie Billington. 2017
Margaret Oliphant (1828-97) had a prolific literary career that spanned almost fifty years. She wrote some 98 novels, fifty or…
more short stories, twenty-five works of non-fiction, including biographies and historic guides to European cities, and more than three hundred periodical articles. This is the most ambitious critical edition of her work. This volume includes her 1883 novel The Ladies Lindores with editorial notes by Josie Billington including a new introduction and headnote, giving key information about the book and its publication history.Lives of Victorian Political Figures, Part I, Volume 3: Palmerston, Disraeli and Gladstone by their Contemporaries
By Michael Partridge, Richard Gaunt, Nancy LoPatin-Lummis. 2006
Aims to bring alive, through the eyes of their contemporaries, three of the greatest political figures of the Victorian era…
- Henry, third Viscount Palmerston, Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone. This four-volume set draws together various documents including journals and diaries, pamphlets, correspondence, and other ephemeral literature. Volume 3 covers the political life of Benjamin Disraeli (Part II) and William Ewart Gladstone (Part I).Remember Me: The gripping, twisty page-turner you won’t want to put down
By Amy McLellan. 2019
'Complex, intriguing, clever, twisty, beautifully put together'MARI HANNAH, author of WITHOUT A TRACE* * * * * * *How do…
you find a killer when you can't recognise a face?Last night my sister was murdered. The police think I killed her.I was there. I watched the knife go in. I saw the man who did it.He's someone I know. But he won't be caught.Because he knows I have prosopagnosia - I can't recognise faces.But if I don't find him, I'll be found guilty of murder.* * * * * * *Praise for REMEMBER ME:'Had me hooked from the very beginning, a gripping premise and such a deliciously flawed cast of characters' JENNY BLACKHURST'Beautifully written...Truly shocking, this is a book that will have everyone talking about it' MARY TORJUSSEN'Loved the protagonist from the first chapter and was rooting for her until the end' SARAH WARD'Hooks you from the start, with a twisty, page-turning pace that keeps you guessing' JAMES SWALLOWThe Stolen Child: The most heartwrenching and heartwarming saga you'll read this year
By Jennie Felton. 2019
'One of the nation's favourite saga writers' Lancashire Post'A real heartbreaker' PeterboroughTelegraph'Brimming with high drama, anguish, love, loss, tragedy, and…
gripping twists and turns, this is an absorbing and poignant story... Felton, a born storyteller, has a warm and compassionate heart...and an eye for the rich period detail that brings the past to life' Lancashire PostA powerful new saga from Jennie Felton in the grand tradition of Josephine Cox, Dilly Court, Maggie Hope and Rosie Goodwin of love, loss, tragedy, drama, secrets and twists and turns.Readers are hooked by The Stolen Child!'Like the twists and turns...a great read' 5* reader review'Keeps you on the edge...could not put it down' 5* reader review'A heartbreaking read. 5 stars' 5* reader review'A must read' 5* reader reviewWill anyone believe her baby is gone?When Stella Swift is discovered holding a shard of broken glass near her newborn baby boy, fears that she might harm William result in her being taken to Catcombe - the local asylum. Although the regime is not as harsh as it once was, it's not somewhere that Tom wants to send his wife - but he has no choice.Turning to his kind-hearted sister-in-law Grace for help taking care of his other three children whilst he keeps working at the mine seems like the simplest solution until Stella is well - if only there wasn't the shared history between Tom and Grace...At first Catcombe seems to offer the respite Stella needs - until one day she becomes convinced that the baby the nurses have given to her is not William. Is Stella losing her mind? Or is it true that a mother will always know her own child?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.Remember Me: The gripping, twisty page-turner you won't want to put down
By Amy McLellan. 2019
'Complex, intriguing, clever, twisty, beautifully put together'MARI HANNAH, author of WITHOUT A TRACE* * * * * * *How do…
you find a killer when you can't recognise a face?Last night my sister was murdered. The police think I killed her.I was there. I watched the knife go in. I saw the man who did it.He's someone I know. But he won't be caught.Because he knows I have prosopagnosia - I can't recognise faces.But if I don't find him, I'll be found guilty of murder.* * * * * * *Praise for REMEMBER ME:'Had me hooked from the very beginning, a gripping premise and such a deliciously flawed cast of characters' JENNY BLACKHURST'Beautifully written...Truly shocking, this is a book that will have everyone talking about it'MARY TORJUSSEN'Loved the protagonist from the first chapter and was rooting for her until the end' SARAH WARD'Hooks you from the start, with a twisty, page-turning pace that keeps you guessing' JAMES SWALLOW