"Nazi-occupied Holland, 1944. As soldiers patrol the streets, nursing student Ilse is only just surviving the terrible famine and increasingly violent German occupation. Though exhausted by her demanding work at a hospital far from home, she can’t help but notice Levi, a young man with dark eyes watching the world silently from the abandoned house next door. Then, early one morning, she finds him terrified and trembling on the back doorstep. Levi’s Jewish family has been arrested and sent to a concentration camp, their likely fate all too clear. And now he needs her help. So Ilse makes the most dangerous decision of her life and takes Levi in. Hiding him away in her tiny attic room, he must remain concealed or risk almost certain death. But as the war worsens, keeping Levi a secret becomes even more difficult, even as their mutual affection grows. And when a local German soldier becomes obsessed with Ilse, they fear their time—and luck—has run out... London, present day. When Anna’s father dies, he leaves her a ticket to Amsterdam, a bent silver sixpence on a delicate silver chain, and a note begging her to complete the journey he was never able to. Based on the author’s incredible family history, this novel is a devastating, but ultimately uplifting, story about a girl who risked everything, including her life, to save the man she loved."

Wartime Holland

The Boy in the Attic

A powerful and intensely moving true-life account from two sisters who were among the very few children to survive Auschwitz. On 28 March 1944, Italian sisters Tati (six) and Andra (four) were roused from their sleep and taken to Auschwitz, to the infamous Kinder Block presided over by Josef Mengele, the Angel of Death. By the time Auschwitz was liberated, 230,000 children had been murdered, and the sisters were among only 70 child survivors. Throughout their ordeal in the camp and the liberation of Auschwitz, their long journey from Poland to Czechoslovakia and finally to Lingfield House in Britain, they hung on to their promise to their mother to 'always remember your name'. They never forgot they were Tati and Andra Bucci, and it was this connection to their heritage that brought them miraculously back to their parents, years later and many countries away. The sisters overcame their trauma to live long lives, bearing witness as survivors of the Holocaust. Always Remember Your Name is an unforgettable story of the power of sisterhood, and of how a mother's love triumphed over impossible odds.

Always Remember Your Name

Good parents everywhere know the tension of wanting our kids to be curious, to have rich experiences and friends...but to be perfectly safe while doing it. Little Fox knows all about it! His father warns him of the danger everywhere. But Little Fox still frolics with butterflies, scavenges for food, and searches for new friends. Then one day he takes a tumble, bumps his head, and starts dreaming of things that reflect both the beauty he's seen and the scary things he's heard. And when Little Fox wakes up, he's perhaps a little wiser, but still every bit as curious and full of life.

Little Fox

Berlin, 1933. Leah and Magda have been inseparable for as long as they can remember, and one beautiful summer’s day in their courtyard, they vow nothing will ever come between their friendship. But Leah could never have predicted the darkness looming just around the corner… As Hitler comes to power and the Nazi Party gain even more influence, Magda proudly tells Leah she has decided to join the Hitler Youth. Leah’s blood runs cold before she begs Magda to change her mind—because Leah is Jewish. Magda refuses, and heartbroken Leah knows this will not only destroy their friendship but also put her life in mortal danger. Suddenly, the only light in her life is Magda’s brother Markus, who is furious at his sister and vows to do everything he can to keep Leah safe. As Magda becomes more entrenched in the Nazi Party, Leah’s life starts to shatter as the Gestapo raid her home, sending her beloved brother Aaron to a concentration camp. Devastated, Leah and her parents are forced to flee and hide. Desperate to save Leah, Markus decides the only way he can help stop the Nazis and his sister is to infiltrate the party as an undercover resistance fighter. But will Magda see through his lie, and how far will she go to prove her loyalty to her Führer? This powerful and heartbreaking novel about love, family, betrayal, and sacrifice perfect for fans of The Alice Network, The White Rose Network, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and The Nightingale.

The Children of Berlin

Alice’s husband is missing. Has he left her for another woman, or has something more sinister happened? In a world that is becoming increasingly muddled, Alice is unsure whom she can trust. Even her daughter appears to be lying to her. How much heartache can one person endure? As strange things begin to happen, Alice struggles to separate reality from fantasy—and to make sense of a mystery surrounding Millie, her beautiful five-year-old granddaughter. Sometimes it takes a stranger to help. And sometimes you need a detective...

The Pharmacist

They are England's most eligible bachelors, with the most scandalous reputations. But for the right woman, even an unrepentant rogue may mend his ways . . . Born to the street but raised within the aristocracy, Drake Darling can't escape his sordid beginnings. Not when Lady Ophelia Lyttleton snubs him at every turn, a constant reminder he's not truly one of them. But after rescuing her from a mysterious drowning, he realizes she doesn't remember who she is. With plans to bring her to heel, he insists she's his housekeeper—never expecting to fall for the charming beauty. While Ophelia might not recall her life before Drake, she has little doubt she belongs with him. The desire she feels for her dark, brooding employer can't be denied, regardless of consequences. So when Ophelia's memory returns, she is devastated by the depth of his betrayal. Now Drake must risk everything to prove she can trust this rogue with her heart once more.

Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James Place

Once More, My Darling Rogue

They are England's most eligible bachelors, with the most scandalous reputations. But for the right woman, even an unrepentant rogue may mend his ways . . . Lady Grace Mabry's ample inheritance has made it impossible for her to tell whether a suitor is in love with her— or enamored of her riches. Who better to distinguish beau from blackguard than her notorious childhood friend, the Duke of Lovingdon? With no interest in marriage, Lovingdon has long lived only for pleasure. He sees little harm in helping Grace find a proper match. He simply has to teach the lovely innocent all the ploys a scoundrel uses to gain a woman's favor— by demonstrating his wicked ways. But as lessons lead to torrid passion and Grace becomes ensnared in another man's marriage plot, Lovingdon must wage a desperate gamble: Open his heart fully—or risk losing the woman he adores . . .

When the Duke Was Wicked

The son of a duke and an infamous mother, Alistair Mabry, Marquess of Rexton, fought his way to respectability. Now, the most eligible bachelor in London, marriage-shy Rexton will take only a wife with an impeccable reputation, good breeding, and a penchant for staying out of the gossip sheets. But when he strikes a deal to be seen “courting” a sweet young debutante whose notorious older sister has blemished her chances for marriage, Rexton is unexpectedly drawn to the highly inappropriate, calamitous Tillie, Lady Landsdowne herself. After a scandalous incident that sent shockwaves throughout society and disgraced her, Tillie refuses to cower in the face of the ton. Instead, she will hold her head high as she serves as chaperone for her younger sister, but Tillie is convinced Rexton’s courtship is shrouded with secrets—ones she vows to uncover. However, doing so requires getting dangerously close to the devilishly handsome and forbidden marquess…

An Affair with a Notorious Heiress

From the world-renowned authority and internationally bestselling author of The Highly Sensitive Person, comes an indispensable guide for the significant number of parents who are unusually attuned to their children. The Highly Sensitive Parent is the only book of its kind, written specifically for parents who think deeply about every issue affecting their kids, experiencing strong emotions as a result, and face unique stressors that do not impact parents without high sensitivity. Parenting is the most valuable and rewarding job in the world, and also one of the most challenging. This is especially true for highly sensitive people. The good news is that sensitivity can also be a parent’s most valuable asset, leading to increased personal joy and a closer, happier relationship with their child. Dr Elaine Aron, world-renowned author of the classic The Highly Sensitive Person and other bestselling books on the trait of high sensitivity, has written an indispensable guide for these parents. Drawing on extensive research and her own experience, she helps highly sensitive parents identify and address the implications of their heightened sensitivity, offering: • A self-examination test to help parents identify their level of sensitivity • Tools to cope with over-stimulation • Advice on dealing with the negative feelings that can surround parenting • Ways to manage the increased social stimulation and interaction that comes with having a child • Techniques to deal with shyness around other parents • Insight into the five big problems that face highly sensitive parents in relationships – and how to work through them Highly sensitive people have the potential to be not just good parents but great ones. Practical yet warm and positive, this groundbreaking guide will show parents how to build confidence, awareness, and essential coping skills so that they – and their child – can thrive on every stage of the parenting journey.

The Highly Sensitive Parent

'A gorgeous and funny story about family and acceptance' Nina Pottell (Prima) 'Laugh out loud funny yet poignant at heart' Frances Quinn, author of That Bonesetter Woman 'A real treat of a book' Eleni Kyriacou, author of The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou 'Another gem from Nicola Gill' Jessica Ryn, author of The Imperfect Art of Caring Twenty-nine-year-old teacher Emily needs her father to believe her life is a success. He may have walked out on the family when she was a child and let her down when she needed him most, but her life is perfect despite him. Or it was until last Friday, when her fiancé dumped her. Now she's facing a frighteningly empty future, and she's unravelling at work. And just when she thought things couldn't get worse, her father turns up on her doorstep. Ed knows he's got it wrong, and he wants to make amends, even if his motives aren't entirely selfless. What better way to do that than to show Emily how much he cares about her wedding? He'll even shell out for the dress if that's what it takes. Emily can't bear to tell her father that her life has fallen apart. So she doesn't. Before she knows it, they're planning – and booking – a wedding that's totally perfect. Except for one small fact…

That's Just Perfect

‘I went for a walk around the garden. A great tit warbled above a patch of coltsfoot. I felt a thousand discoveries awaited…' Notes from a Summer Cottage by Nina Burton is a beautifully written nature memoir about the time spent renovating a cottage in the Swedish countryside, and all the species that she encountered her during her stay. Did you know that there are more ants altogether than the number of seconds that have passed since the Big Bang? And that in relation to their size, their anthill cities can be larger than London and New York? Or, that a bird’s migratory instinct is so strong that an injured stork once escaped captivity and was found six weeks later having walked 150 kilometres, following the migratory path of his flock on foot? What begins with a renovation of a an old summer cottage swiftly turns into an exploration of nature, life and philosophy, in which Nina Burton reveals the inner lives and hitherto unknown habits of the animals with which she shares. Within the walls, the ceiling and the floor of the cottage and its surrounding garden, she encounters a host of animals—ants, honey bees, foxes, squirrels, blackbirds, badgers, pigeons, deer and many more—all of whom have made her house and garden their home, and all of whom cause Nina to reflect on their role within our world.

Notes from a Summer Cottage

The hilarious and feel-good novel about escaping the rat race, friendship and new beginnings When Nicola's husband, Dominic, retires they decide not to spend their days finding hobbies to fill the time until Countdown is on channel 4. Instead, they fulfil their life-long fantasy of buying a house in the French countryside and filling it with their dearest friends. Reliving their youth and spending their children's inheritance. Joined by seven of their friends they club together to invest in a château in Normandy. Group dinners, fine wine, beautiful scenery - they're living the dream! But la vie en rose is harder than it first appears. Is there a reason why only teenagers take gap years? The perfect read for fans of Jo Thomas, Cathy Bramley and Veronica Henry!

A Year in the Château

A corpse in a cupboard. Four likely suspects. One visually-impaired seventy-something sleuth. It’s nearly Christmas in the small English town of Little Wittering, and retired teacher Sally Smith is enjoying an afternoon in the hair salon. Until she sniffs out a corpse. With a body in the broom cupboard and a police-imposed lock-in until the culprit is caught, it doesn’t take long to deduce someone in the salon is a cold-blooded killer. Sally’s most challenging former pupil may have scraped through Police College but he’s as incompetent as ever, so when the cops think they’ve collared the criminal, Sally’s not sure they’ve made the right cut. Can a blind woman identify the true culprit or will Sally’s sleuthing make her the chief suspect – or the next victim? Claude, Gord, Alice, and Maud is the first of Jinny Alexander’s new British small-town cosy mystery series, Mrs Smith’s Suspects, and introduces a thoroughly entertaining modern-day version of a Golden Age locked room mystery.

Mrs Smith's Suspects

Claude, Gord, Alice, and Maud

Machiavellis observation om ledarskapets svåra balansgång är lika relevant i vår tid med förnyade militära, ekonomiska och kulturella konflikter, som den en gång var i 1500-talets Florens. Kinas framväxt, Rysslands attack mot Ukraina och den växande politiska och ekonomiska närvaron i den globala södern har aktualiserat frågan om vikten av kompetent ledarskap inom politiskt styre. Denna ljudbok utforskar utmaningarna för ledarskap och statskonst i en allt mer komplex värld och ställer frågan huruvida vi kan skapa politiska eliter som är kapabla att på ett säkert vis vägleda väst genom de många prövningar vi står inför? Genom att se till vårt förflutna såväl som till vår samtid undersöker världsledande forskare och skribenter hur ledarskapsidéerna har utvecklats genom historien för att ge oss en större förståelse för statskonsten och för vilka färdigheter och organisationer som krävs för att driva små stater, stora imperier och allt däremellan.

Leadership and Statecraft

This audiobook is read by a full cast, led by actress Pauline Chalamet (The Sex Live of College Girls, The King of Staten Island). From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Library and Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade comes a charming and cinematic multi-cast audiobook following a young woman from Montana who lands a job in the American Library in Paris, where she discovers the power of storytelling and writes her own Parisian chapter. Paris, 1995: It’s been five years since Lily Jacobsen and her best friend Mary Louise arrived from their small town of Froid, Montana. Determined to establish themselves as artists—Lily, a novelist, and Mary Louise, a painter—they share a tiny sixth-floor walkup and survive on brie and baguette. When Mary Louise abruptly moves out, Lily feels alone in the City of Light for the first time and is in need of a new way to support herself. She lands a job as the programs manager at the American Library in Paris, following in the footsteps of her French neighbor Odile, who infused her childhood with tales of heroic World War II librarians. Here in the storied halls of the ALP, Lily meets an incredible cast of characters—her favorite author, quirky coworkers, broke students, and high society trustees—each with their own stories...and agendas. Personal dramas sometimes take precedence over books and patrons. Between her hard-nosed boss not letting up and her best friend letting go, Lily is stressed and bewildered. When it becomes clear that the Library is facing serious financial struggles and its future is uncertain, she must look beyond her own problems in order to protect the ALP and the precious memories it holds. This moving, propulsive story features twelve different voices, led by French-American actress Pauline Chalamet (The Sex Lives of College Girls), and offers a panoramic view of a real historic institution, revisiting characters from both of Charles’s beloved novels. Lily’s story is a love letter to the artist’s life, the importance of friendship, and leaving home only to find it again.

The Parisian Chapter

They were the unsung heroines of World War II; the wives and mothers and teenage girls who clocked in daily to work in vast munitions factories, helping to make explosives, bullets, shells, bombs and war machines that would ensure victory. It was dangerous, dirty and exhausting work. They worked round the clock, often exposed to toxic, lethal chemicals. A factory accident could mean blindness, loss of limb - or worse. Many went home with acid burns, yellow skin or damaged hair, others were forced to leave their loved ones and move to live with strangers in unfamiliar surroundings. Frequently, their male bosses were coarse and unsympathetic. Yet this hidden army of nearly two million women toiled on regardless through the hardest years of the war, cheerfully ignoring the dangers and the exhaustion, as bombing, rationing and the heartbreak of loss or separation took their toll on everyone in the country. Here, in their own words, are the vivid wartime memories of the 'secret army' of female munitions workers, whose resilience and sheer grit in the face of danger has only started to emerge.

Bomb Girls - Britain's Secret Army: The Munitions Women of World War II

'The pride in who we are is not part of our past, it defines our present and our future' - The Queen From Big Ben to James Bond, from the Battle of Hastings to the Beatles, from William Shakespeare to the Royal Family, our tiny island nation has a famed and varied history. But we are special as a country not just because of those who have gone down in history, but for those who haven't. In Great British Spirit, we celebrate the incredible British national character, our sense of community and the superhuman efforts of ordinary people across the United Kingdom, providing the perfect antidote to the turbulent times we live in. This book will champion our nation and its incredible people, while remembering other incredible struggles we have overcome as a nation in the last century. Great British Spirit will remind us all why being British is something not just to be proud of, but to celebrate.

Great British Spirit

Tuesday, 8 May 1945: Victory in Europe Day. A day of joyous celebration, as the end of a conflict which had engulfed the world came within touching distance. Millions of people celebrated in the streets throughout Britain. Yet not all was right in the world. Struggles remained ahead - war still raged on between the Allies and Japan. Agreements and treaties were yet to be forged. Lives continued to be lost around the world. Meanwhile in Britain, although the pressure of supporting active military campaigns was reduced, lives were irrevocably changed in other ways. Bonds forged by the momentum of struggle, by hardship, unity and common purpose would begin to fade, and give way to the wounds of sorrow, upheaval and trauma that six years of conflict had riven. What was it really like to be living in Britain as the war drew to a close, giving way to a new era of hope, but also of deep uncertainty? In The Day the War Ended, bestselling author Jacky Hyams delivers a sweeping story, weaving together illuminating untold stories with contemporary records and photographs. The result is a moving, personal insight into hearts and minds across the home front right through the momentous year of 1945, as war ended and 'everything after' took root, shaping the world we know today.

The Day The War Ended

A celebration of the life of Queen Elizabeth II, showing us that the Queen's qualities of duty, self-sacrifice and love of country were present in her from an early age. 'The moments in life of "knowing". On Bognor Beach, with Grandpa England, she had "known" that he, and Papa, and she, would carry something on, something given, something bigger than themselves.' Lilibet: a carefree child, a lover of horses and dogs, devoted to her family. And the girl who would be Queen. A.N. Wilson, one of England's most beloved writers, imagines the Queen reflecting on her early life. We watch as she discovers, at the tender age of ten, that she is heir to the throne. We witness her meet the dashing Prince Phillip of Greece, who she loved steadfastly from the age of fifteen, and see their friendship blossom into passionate love. Above all, we learn of her astonishing sense of vocation and public duty, which grew during the dark years of WWII and her father's subsequent years of ill health. Honouring the life of Her Majesty the Queen and her illustrious reign, Lilibet: The Girl Who Would be Queen is by turns funny, tender and heartfelt. 'Superb... captures our Queen better than any biography' - Sunday Telegraph 'It's packed with detail and conversations that bring to life all those who have been most important to her.' - Daily Mail

Lilibet: The Girl Who Would be Queen

For years, Abigail Linton devoted herself to caring for her parents and her siblings’ children. Now, eager to create a life of her own, Abby seizes upon a position as a governess on a neighboring estate. Unfortunately, her absentee employer is Maxwell Bryce, the Duke of Rothwell, the notorious rake who once broke her youthful heart. But since he hasn’t set foot on his estate for fifteen years, Abby assumes she’ll never have to lay eyes on him ever again. Then, from out of nowhere, Max appears. He is stunned to come face-to-face with the girl he fell for years ago—before he went away and she stopped writing to him...even though Abby swears that he is the one who left her without a word. Could it be that this spirited, witty spinster has won Max’s heart all over again—and that they may have a second chance at love?

Unlikely Duchesses

The Duke I Once Knew

From Sunday Times bestselling author Fern Britton comes an epic tale. Three generations of women, their lives, their loves and their longing to come home to Cornwall. ‘A heartfelt novel about family secrets and atonement’ Fanny Blake, Woman & HomeThree women. A lifetime of secrets. The only place to be is home. Ella comes back to the beautiful Cornish coast to heal her heart after the death of her beloved grandmother, Adela. There she finds her home again and discovers a new life, but she also opens a treasure trove of secrets. Twenty years ago Ella’s mother Sennen ran away from Cornwall. Sennen had been a young single mum and, unable to cope, had left their children with her mother Adela…and a part of her with them. She’s spent the years since hiding from her past, hiding from herself. Now it’s time to come back to Cornwall. To face her mistakes. To pray for forgiveness. And to hope for a future with her long-lost daughter and son. Will she be welcomed back with open hearts? They say home is where the heart is. It’s time to come home… Pendruggan: A Cornish village with secrets at its heart

Coming Home

‘Cutting between past and present, Stopps has written a tense page-turning thriller that is also a powerful study of old age and disability’ The Times ‘I devoured Hello, My Name is May…May is a brilliant character. Spiky and very funny, and the setting of the care home is superbly realised…a masterful feat of storytelling’ Tim Pears, author of The West Country trilogy * * * * * * They wrote it on the wall above my bed. Hello, it said, my name is May. Please talk to me. May has been moved to a care home after her stroke. She can’t communicate, all her words are kept inside. If she tries to point, her arms swing in wild directions, if she tries to talk, strange noises come out of her mouth. May is sharp, quick, and funny, but only her daughter Jenny sees this, and Jackie, a new friend at the home who cares enough to look and listen closely. When May discovers that someone very familiar, from long ago, is living in the room opposite hers she is haunted by scenes from her earlier life, when she was a prisoner of her husband’s unpredictable rages. Bill, the man in the opposite room seems so much like her husband, though almost a lifetime has passed, and May’s eyesight isn’t what it was. As Bill charms his way through the nursing home, he focuses his romantic attention on Jackie, while all May can do is watch. She is determined to protect Jackie and keep herself safe, but what can she do in her vulnerable, silent state? * * * * * Readers highly recommend Hello, My Name is May:‘A masterpiece of tension . . . An expert exploration of ageing, and mental health, and what happens to our faculties as we get older . . . Highly recommended’ ‘A lovely book and one I found hard to put down . . . a recommended read’ ‘I dived in without knowing much about the story and I ended up loving it. It was one the best reads’ ‘I wasn't able to put it down once I started it and I certainly wasn't expecting the ending. I shall be recommending this book’

The Stranger She Knew

The Wicked Wit of Queen Elizabeth II is a celebration of the Queen's reign through some of her wittiest, most sarcastic and humorous observations, revealing a fascinating side of her personality that often remains hidden from the public. When thinking of the Queen, our perception is often one of dignity and authority. She is seen as a serious figure: the British monarch, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and the head of the Commonwealth. But as anyone who has ever met her will tell you, in person she has wicked sense of humour. Occasionally unintentional, like asking guitar legend Eric Clapton, 'Have you been playing a long time?,' sometimes sarcastic, and at other times downright silly, royal humour touches on every aspect of life, while always retaining a strong sense of dignity.

The Wicked Wit

The Wicked Wit of Queen Elizabeth II

One summer night, Edward Alcott gives in to temptation and kisses Lady Julia Kenney in a dark garden. However, the passion she stirs within him is best left in the shadows as she weds his twin, the Earl of Greyling. But when tragedy strikes, to honor the vow he makes to his dying brother, Edward must pretend to be Greyling until the countess delivers her babe. After her husband returns from a two-month sojourn, Julia finds him changed. Bolder, more daring, and more wicked—even if he does limit their encounters to kisses. With each passing day, she falls more deeply in love. For Edward the embers of desire sparked on that long-ago night are quickly rekindled. He yearns to be her husband in truth. But if she discovers his ruse, she will despise him—and English law prevents him from marrying his brother’s widow. Yet he must dare to risk everything and reveal his secrets if he is to truly take all.

The Hellions of Havisham

The Earl Takes All

USA Today Bestseller Sparks fly in the finale of the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James Place series, as the last wicked rogue meets his match. When Rosalind Sharpe gains the attention of the deliciously wicked Duke of Avendale, she’s torn between her distracting attraction to the notorious rogue and the knowledge that he—rich as Croesus—is the perfect target for a deception that will put her swindling days behind her. However, Avendale is no fool. After he discovers the tantalizing lady packing up to leave London with his coins in tow, he confronts her with a scandalous proposition: she can have all the money she requires…for a week in his bed. Desperate for the funds, Rose agrees, but on one condition: he must never question her motives. Avendale quickly sees beneath her mask and discovers she is more than passion and pleasure—she is everything he has ever desired. But claiming her requires he unveil her secrets and lose her forever. Unless he can put his own dark past aside and risk everything for a chance at love.

The Duke and the Lady in Red

USA Today Bestseller In the first in a dazzling new series, New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath introduces the Hellions of Havisham—three charismatic rogues destined to lose their hearts . . . After six unsuccessful Seasons, Miss Minerva Dodger chooses spinsterhood over fortune-hungry suitors. But thanks to the Nightingale Club, she can at least enjoy one night of pleasure. At that notorious establishment, ladies don masks before choosing a lover. The sinfully handsome Duke of Ashebury is more than willing to satisfy the secretive lady's desires—and draws Minerva into an exquisite, increasingly intimate affair. A man of remarkable talents, Ashe soon deduces that his bedmate is the unconventional Miss Dodger. Intrigued by her wit and daring, he sets out to woo her in earnest. Yet Minerva refuses to trust him. How to court a woman he has already thoroughly seduced? And how to prove that the passion unleashed in darkness is only the beginning of a lifetime's pleasure

Falling Into Bed with a Duke

‘An important contribution to our recent history’ ANDREW MARR ‘Absorbing and important’ JOAN BAKEWELL ‘One of my favourite reads of 2021’ GARETH RUSSELL Poignant and inspiring, Women in the War tells the first-hand stories of ten of the last surviving female members of Britain's 'Greatest Generation'. Whether flying Spitfires to the frontline, aiding code breaking at Bletchley Park, plotting the Battle of the Atlantic or working with Churchill in the Cabinet War Rooms, each of these women made a crucial contribution to the conflict overseas and helped to buttress the home front. Here they recount their remarkable experiences during the Second World War, recalling how their formative years were shaped by danger and trauma, and how friendship and romance fortified their spirits. Drawing on the insight that comes with age, they contemplate how the conflict helped women prove their worth, transforming society and sparking the later battles for equal rights. With a reporter’s eye for detail, Lucy Fisher artfully weaves together moving contemporary interviews with gripping wartime diaries and letters. This is a vivid oral history that will stay with you long after you've put it down.

Women in the War

The year was 1935: the twilight of the English aristocracy. It was a time of wealth and glamour; of lavish balls and evening gowns; of tiaras and a coronation. As personal maid to Lady Coventry, Hilda Newman had a unique insight into the leisured life of one of Britain's most noble families. In her fascinating memoir of life upstairs and down, Hilda takes us back to this period between the wars; a gilded era which would soon be dramatically changed by the Second World War. Transplanted from a tiny house with no bath or hot water to an eighteenth-century Neo-Palladian mansion, Hilda's life changed beyond recognition. But in a time when the very foundations of British society were being shaken to their core, the luxurious life of the country nobility couldn't last. The Second World War brought more turbulence with it, and Croome Court, where Hilda had lived and worked, became a haven for the Dutch Royal Family fleeing Nazi occupation, whilst also home to a top-secret RAF base. The lavish banquets and decadent parties had become a thing of the past. Hilda's story takes us back to a bygone era, showing us what life was really like in England's classic country manors of old - and uncovers the real lives of the people who occupied them, from wealthy lord to lowly servant.

Upstairs & Downstairs

Love begets madness. Viscount Locksley watched it happen to his father after his cherished wife’s death. But when his sire arranges to marry flame-haired fortune hunter Portia Gadstone, Locke is compelled to take drastic measures to stop the stunning beauty from taking advantage of the marquess. A marriage of mutual pleasure could be convenient, indeed . . . as long as inconvenient feelings don’t interfere. Desperation forced Portia to agree to marry a madman. The arrangement will offer the protection she needs. Or so she believes until the marquess’s distractingly handsome son peruses the fine print . . .and takes his father’s place! Now the sedate—and, more importantly, secure—union Portia planned has been tossed in favor of one simmering with wicked temptation and potential heartbreak. Because as she begins to fall for her devilishly seductive husband, her dark secrets surface and threaten to ruin them both—unless Locke is willing to risk all and open his heart to love.

The Viscount and the Vixen

Brought to you by Penguin. The heartwarming and moving new Wartime Midwives story of three fascinating women fighting to keep the doors of Mary Vale Home open to mothers and their children . . . Perfect for fans of Katie Flynn, Nancy Revell and Call the Midwife Lake District, 1942, the women at Mary Vale Mother and Baby Home must pull together during their darkest hour . . . But this is not easy when three very different women walk through its doors. Sybil would rather be anywhere else. She hoped to spend the season in London but an unexpected pregnancy soon put paid to those plans. While poor Rosie arrives with her two children in tow - their lives torn apart after their house was bombed. And when new midwife Edith joins it's clear she has her own secrets to hide. Then one day Mary Vale faces the ultimate threat, requisition by the army and the mothers and midwives must find comfort and friendship in one another. But can they also find the strength to fight for their Home? Praise for Daisy Styles 'An absolute joy to read' Kate Thompson 'Will tug at the heart strings of readers everywhere!' Fiona Ford 'Truly endearing characters' Annie Murray © Daisy Styles 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Wartime Midwives Series

Keep Smiling Through

Tessa James has worked and planned tirelessly to open her own millinery shop. All she needs now is a loan from the lord who sired and abandoned her. The only problem is she doesn’t know his name. What’s a woman to do to find him but enter the aristocratic world by becoming a governess? Guy Whitby, the new Duke of Carlin, has returned to London after years abroad to discover that his young daughter Sophy has become a wild-child known for scaring away every governess who's crossed his doorstep. When Tessa James applies for the job, he hires her in desperation, despite his misgivings that she’s too bold and beautiful—and that she might be fibbing about her qualifications. Their blooming attraction leads them on a completely unexpected path to love that neither wants to deny. But when an old enemy threatens Guy's family, their forbidden romance goes up in flames. Can they still learn to love and trust each other as forces try to tear them apart?

When a Duke Loves a Governess

For years, Abigail Linton devoted herself to caring for her parents and her siblings’ children. Now, eager to create a life of her own, Abby seizes upon a position as a governess on a neighboring estate. Unfortunately, her absentee employer is Maxwell Bryce, the Duke of Rothwell, the notorious rake who once broke her youthful heart. But since he hasn’t set foot on his estate for fifteen years, Abby assumes she’ll never have to lay eyes on him ever again. Then, from out of nowhere, Max appears. He is stunned to come face-to-face with the girl he fell for years ago—before he went away and she stopped writing to him...even though Abby swears that he is the one who left her without a word. Could it be that this spirited, witty spinster has won Max’s heart all over again—and that they may have a second chance at love?

“A vivid, haunting mix of horror and fantasy woven together through a complex fugue of short stories” from the award-winning author of Kissing Carrion (Entertainment Weekly). One of Canada’s most acclaimed horror writers, Gemma Files presents a mosaic of interconnected stories about interconnected families. After fleeing Scotland, five clans settled in the fictional town of Dourvale in northern Ontario. Known as the Five-Family Coven, they are the descendants of witches and witch-children, none of whom were spared persecution in their native country. Now shamans, spellcasters, singers, and thieves, the members of the Devize, Druir, Glouwer, Roke, and Rusk families survive by trading their occult powers and talents—though few can really afford their price …

We Will All Go Down Together

After the defeated Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte goes into exile on tiny St. Helena Island in the remote South Atlantic, he and his lover, Albine de Montholon, plot to escape and rescue his young son. Banding together African slaves, British sympathizers, a Jewish merchant, a Corsican rogue, and French followers, they confront British opposition?as well as treachery within their own ranks?with sometimes subtle, sometimes bold, but always desperate action. When Napoleon and Albine break faith with one another, ambition and Albine’s husband threaten their reconciliation. To survive, Albine must decide whom to betray. To succeed, Napoleon must learn whom to trust. With its delightful adaptation of Napoleon’s real attempt to write a novel, Finding Napoleon offers a fresh take on Europe’s most powerful man after he’s lost everything. A forgotten woman of history?the audacious Albine de Montholon?narrates their tale of intrigue, love, and betrayal.

Finding Napoleon

Violet Bellamy is surprised to ­ find herself a ghost because, as a rational person, she doesn't believe in them. After a life of timid conformity, she now wants influence. She also wants to complicate the lives of people with empty charm and unshakeable self-belief, like her local MP and rising star minister, Maximus Biggs-Dickson. And care manager Verena Crookham, a ruthless seductress who will despatch her sweet-natured stepson to keep their big house for herself. A Back to Great Britannia campaign has been thrust upon the British, to the alarm of those on the other side of the Channel. There, in Belgium speci­fically, a beautiful journalist is writing an article: Integrity and Power – Impossible Bedfellows? She has Minister Biggs-Dickson in her sights as an interesting subject for research. Events align and it will take the interference of someone with nothing to lose to bring them all to a head. This fast-paced quirky mystery takes a wry swipe at characters with dangerous charisma.

Shade of Violet

Penelope Lively has always been a keen gardener. This book is partly a memoir of her own life in gardens: the large garden at home in Cairo where she spent most of her childhood, her grandmother's garden in a sloping Somerset field, then two successive Oxfordshire gardens of her own, and the smaller urban garden in the North London home she lives in today. It’s also a wise, engaging exploration of gardens in literature, from Paradise Lost to Alice in Wonderland.

Life in the Garden

You’re never too old to try something new! When octogenarian Olive Turner is persuaded by her son to move into a retirement home, she congratulates herself on finding the secret to an easy life: no washing up, cooking or cleaning. But Olive isn’t one for mindless bingo with her fellow residents, and before the first day is over she's already hatching a plan to escape back to her beloved beach hut and indulge in her secret passion for a very good gin & tonic. Before long Olive’s secret is out and turning into something wonderful and new. Only a select few are invited, but word spreads quickly about the weekly meetings of The Gin Shack Club. Soon everybody on the beach wants to become a gin connoisseur and join Olive on her journey to never being forced to grow older than you feel. A journey of friendship, defiance and a quest for the perfect G&T.

Gin Shack on the Beach

The Gin Shack on the Beach

The wicked, bawdy Restoration court is no place for a child princess. Ten-year-old Anne cuts an odd figure, but as King Charles's niece, Anne is also a political pawn, who will be forced to play her part in the troubled Stuart dynasty. Forced to overcome grief for her lost children, the political manoeuvrings of her sister and her own betrayal of her father, she becomes one of the most fascinating figures of English history.

A Want of Kindness

On a frozen January evening in 1944, Nancy Levin and her three-year-old daughter, Emily, flee their East London home as an air raid siren sounds. Not far away, Diana Meadows and her own three-year-old daughter, Abigail, are lost in the black-out as the air raid begins. They hurry to the safety of the underground tube station, but in wartime people will do anything to survive – even at the expense of others.

The Safest Place in London

The uplifting new novel from Sunday Times bestseller Caroline Day. Friendship can bloom in the unlikeliest of places . . . Kiki grew up in New Zealand, dreaming of one day going to Glastonbury Festival. Now, mourning the loss of her beloved Yaya - the woman who raised her - she travels to the UK to follow that dream. It is only when she leaves home that she realises just how sheltered her life has been up until now. Ned lives an active and exciting life. Well, he did until the accident. Now, he's woken from his coma, except no one knows. He can hear everything happening around him but can't make his body respond. Still grieving for her best friend, the one person who'd known how difficult her marriage was, Mrs Malley, finds herself lonely and isolated with only her dog, Wordsworth, to keep her company. These three strangers are each in need of a little kindness in their lives, and this beautifully poignant novel shows us the world through their eyes whilst highlighting the power of human connection.

Small Acts of Kindness

Brought to you by Penguin. *THE #3 IRISH BESTSELLER* Three generations. More than a century of famine, war, violence and love. At sixteen Nancy, the only member of her family to survive the Great Famine, leaves her small island for the mainland. Finding work in a grand house on the edge of Cork City, she feels irrepressibly drawn to the charismatic gardener Michael Egan, sparking a love affair that soon throws her into a fight for her life. In 1920, Nancy's son Jer has lived through battles of his own as a soldier in the Great War. Now drunk in a jail cell, he struggles to piece together where he has come from, and who he wants to be. And in the early 1980s, Jer's youngest child Nellie is nearing the end of her life in a council house, moments away from her childhood home; remembering the night when she and her family stole back something that was rightfully theirs, she imagines what lies in store for those who will survive her. 'Brilliantly immerses us in its respective time periods' SUNDAY TIMES 'Momentous and epic' BERNARD MACLAVERTY 'Superb and moving' JOHN BANVILLE 'A lovely, piercing book' SEBASTIAN BARRY © Billy O'Callaghan 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Life Sentences

Detective Constable Connie Childs is dragged from her bed to the fire-wrecked property on Cross Farm Lane. Three bodies discovered, a family obliterated, their deaths all seem to point to one conclusion - one mother, one murderer. But D.C. Childs realises it is the fourth body, the one they cannot find, that holds the key to the mystery. Her determination to unmask the murderer might cost her the thing she cares about most: her career.

DC Childs Mysteries

A Patient Fury

Maeve Maloney may be nearing eighty, but she keeps Sea View Lodge as shipshape as her parents did during Morecambe’s heyday. But now, only her employees recognise the heartbreak hidden beneath her spikiness. Until, that is, Vincent shows up. He is the only man alive to have known her twin sister, Edie. If only Maeve could confront the secret past she shares with Vincent, she might finally see what it means to love and be loved – a lesson that her twin may have been trying to teach her all along.

Owl Song At Dawn

Dan Ranscombe is clever and good-looking, but he resents the wealth and easy savoir faire of fellow guest, Paul Latimer. Surely a shrewd girl like Meg Slater would see through that, wouldn't she? And what about Diana, Paul's beautiful sister; Charles Asher, the Jewish outsider; Madeleine, the children’s nanny; and artist Henry Haddon? As these guests gather at a country house party, none has any inkling that the choices they make will have fateful consequences, lasting through the war and beyond.

The Summer House Party

During the Second World War, life in the iconic Bryant & May match factory is grimy and tough. Annie, Rose, Pearl and Millie carry on making matches for the British Army, with bombs raining down around them. Inspired by the Dig for Victory campaign, Annie persuades the owners to start Bryant & May allotment in the factory grounds. With plenty of sweat and toil, the girls eventually carve out a corner of the yard into a green plot full of life and colour. In the darkest of times, the girls find their allotment a tranquil, happy escape. Using pierced dustbin lids to sieve through the shrapnel and debris, they bring about a powerful change, not just in the factory, but their own lives. As the war rages on, the garden becomes a place of community, friendship – and deceit. As the garden thrives and grows, so do the girls' secrets . . .

The Allotment Girls

The East End streets are grimy and brutal, but in one corner of Bethnal Green it’s forever Hollywood. Stella and Winnie work in Herbie's studio; their best friend Kitty works next door as an apprentice dressmaker. All life passes through the studio, wishing to capture that perfect moment in time. As clouds of war brew on the horizon, danger looms over the East End. Will the wedding girls find their happy ever after?

The Wedding Girls

Brought to you by Penguin. The heartwarming and moving story of three fascinating women finding their strength in World War II, perfect for fans of Katie Flynn, Call the Midwife and Downton Abbey It is June 1940, and as the bombs fall, the women at home must dig deep . . . Tucked on the edge of the Lake District lies Mary Vale, a Mother and Baby Home open to unmarried women and their children. But tensions arise when three very different mums-to-be walk through the doors. Plucky shipyard worker Gracie must overcome her shame when her lover turns out to be married. Newly engaged Diana's fiancé tragically goes missing in action days before the wedding, while isolated and bedraggled Zelda turns heads when she arrives from the ghettos of Germany. At Mary Vale, unity is key as the bombs keep falling. But can these very different women put their differences aside to fight a common foe? Praise for Daisy Styles 'Will tug at the heart strings of readers everywhere. Wonderful!' Fiona Ford, author of The Liberty Girls 'Well done Daisy for creating characters that are real women in the best sense. Funny, scheming, loyal and witty, but about all, hardworking and proud. An absolute joy to read' Kate Thompson, bestselling author of Secrets of the Home Front Girls 'Truly endearing characters' Annie Murray, bestselling author of Now The War Is Over © Daisy Styles 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

Home Fires and Spitfires

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson, read by Helen Lloyd and Lars Knudsen. Sometimes it takes a stranger to really know who you are When Tina Hopgood writes a letter of regret to a man she has never met, she doesn’t expect a reply. When Anders Larsen, a lonely museum curator, answers it, nor does he. They’re both searching for something, they just don’t know it yet. Anders has lost his wife, along with his hopes and dreams for the future. Tina is trapped in a marriage she doesn’t remember choosing. Slowly their correspondence blossoms as they bare their souls to each other with stories of joy, anguish and discovery. But then Tina’s letters suddenly cease, and Anders is thrown into despair. Can their unexpected friendship survive? The Observer Promising first-time British novelists 2018: 'A novel about self-discovery and second chances' 'Warm-hearted, clear-minded, and unexpectedly spellbinding, Meet Me at the Museum is a novel to savour' ANNIE BARROWS, co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society ‘A beautiful, affecting novel of late love, by an extraordinary new writer’ NINA STIBBE 'A quirky, wise and tender novel. Proof that the richest fruits come on the edge of autumn' SARAH DUNANT 'Quietly intriguing, beautifully observed, full of powerful emotions' RUTH HOGAN, Author of The Keeper of Lost Things ‘Tender, wise and moving, Meet Me at the Museum is a novel to cherish.’ JOHN BOYNE ‘A moving tribute to friendship and love, to the courage of the ordinary, and to starting again’ RACHEL JOYCE 'I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that makes you think and wonder and quietly hope. I loved it' TAMMY COHEN 'Insightful, emotionally acute and absorbing' Daily Express 'The loveliest short novel of late love you'll ever read. Whenever I talk about it, I simply cry with joy' JAMES HAWES 'Meet Me at the Museum starts so quiet and small like a bud tightly closed against the winter then it unfurls into something so alive and truly beautiful. I was immensely moved by it' TOR UDALL, author of A Thousand Paper Birds 'Precise, clear, funny, poignant and truthful. This is a work of art, dear readers. Revel in its beauty' ADRIANA TRIGIANI

Meet Me at the Museum

Kirstie lives in exile on the small Shetland island of Yell after the end of yet another torrid affair. This time, she knows she went too far. Her desperate behavior caused the breakdown of her lover’s marriage. Taking up residence in her grandparents’ croft, which has lain empty since their deaths, wanting time to reflect on her life and disastrous relationships, Kirstie begins to write about her obsessive behavior. What she hasn’t realized is that the island is full of relatives she never knew she had. Kirstie has spent her life feeling unloved, hurt, and angry. She wonders what part this plays in the obsessive way she is drawn into relationships. As Kirstie allows some of the local people into her life, she learns of her mother's tragic story and begins to reassess her mother’s behavior. As she grapples with her past and begins to settle into her present, her mother, Morag, decides to visit, throwing Kirstie into turmoil once again—and revealing even more shocking truths.

Exile

Hadrian Ames, the Duke of Clayton, needs a bride. He even has the perfect one picked out...that is, until he meets the lovely, free-spirited Natalie Fanshawe. She’s the opposite of what a man of his high rank should desire in a wife?an outspoken American who has never even set foot in a London ballroom.But Natalie doesn’t have time to be swept off her feet by a handsome duke who’s probably a spoiled scoundrel like every other British lord. And she couldn’t care less about Hadrian’s title. After all, it’s not as if he actually worked to attain his wealth and status. He surely can’t understand what it’s like to be a busy woman, planning to open a school while trying to reunite a six-year-old orphan with his English relatives. Nevertheless, Hadrian launches his campaign to win her heart. Can the utterly delightful American beauty ever find a way to love him…despite his being a duke?

Forever My Duke

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