Family life fiction / Stories about family
Hodder & Stoughton The Truth About You
Book SynopsisWhat sort of parent would abandon their child?Trade ReviewPraise for Melissa Hill * : *'A gulp-in-one-go page-turner' * Evening Herald *'A thriller of a novel that will keep you turning the pages until the very end' * Woman *'The kind of book that you can't put down' * Sunday Independent *'Be warned, you won't want to put it down' * Sunday World *'Laugh-out-loud humour and a thrill to read' * B *'More twists and turns than a rollercoaster - a cracker of a read' * Mail on Sunday on The Last to Know *
£8.99
Little, Brown Book Group Victory on Ten Bells Street The Spitalfields
Book SynopsisTogether they triumphed, but what does the future hold? 1950, the East End of London.With the war finally behind them, the Ten Bells Street girls are building new lives. Best friends from childhood, the three of them are there for each other through thick and thin, but the struggle isn''t over yet...Of the three best friends, Becky is the only one to remain in the East End. Even though the war is over, she still finds great purpose in her work as a nurse - despite her father''s longing for her to settle down and find a husband to support her.Now happily married, Rose has escaped the troubles of the city and lives with her husband and son in Essex, slowly building a happier life than the one she has previously known.And adventurous Bernie has travelled to Israel to join her long-term lover and continue her work as a photographer.But despite their separation, the girls
£9.99
Little, Brown Book Group Love Letters from Paris the most enchanting read
Book Synopsis''Enchanting. Reading Barreau is like having me-time with your best friend'' NINA GEORGE, author of The Little Paris Bookshop''Heart-breaking . . . touching and magical until the very last page'' ELLEJulien Azoulay is famous around the world for his beautiful romance novels. But last year, he stopped believing in love. When his beloved wife Hélène died, leaving him alone to raise his young son, Julien lost his faith in the happier side of life - and with it his ability to write. But Hélène was clever. Before she died, she made Julien promise to write her one letter for each year of her life . . . and now, in this moment, in the most famous cemetery in Paris, Julien stands with his painful first letter in his hand. Here, even though Julien wouldn''t believe it, something wonderful is going to happen . . . Come with us down the narrow streets, past the cosy red bistro on Rue Gabrielle, all t
£13.29
WW Norton & Co Mrs. Dalloway
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£14.22
Random House USA Inc The Wedding Dress
Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In Danielle Steel’s epic new novel, the lives of four generations of women in one family span fortune and loss, motherhood, tragedy and victories. From the glamorous San Francisco social scene of the 1920s, through war and the social changes of the ’60s, to the rise of Silicon Valley today, this extraordinary novel takes us on a family odyssey that is both heartbreaking and inspiring, as each generation faces the challenges of their day. The Parisian design houses in 1928, the crash of 1929, the losses of war, the drug culture of the 1960s—history holds many surprises, and lives are changed forever. For richer or for poorer, in cramped apartments and grand mansions, the treasured wedding dress made in Paris in 1928 follows each generation into their new lives, and represents different hopes for each of them, as they marry very different men. From inherited fortunes at th
£8.99
Penguin Putnam Inc Dreams of Falling
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£21.59
Penguin Putnam Inc Dreams of Falling
Book SynopsisThree lifelong friends share a devastating secret that will have repercussions for all their lives.
£13.49
Random House USA Inc Alternate Side
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£14.40
Penguin Putnam Inc Sea Prayer
Book SynopsisThe #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Kite Runner presents an evocatively illustrated tribute to the tragic human realities of today''s refugee crisis in the form of a father''s letter to his young son on the eve of a dangerous journey.
£12.75
Random House USA Inc My Sister the Serial Killer A Novel
Book SynopsisONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME • BOOKER PRIZE NOMINEE • “A taut and darkly funny contemporary noir that moves at lightning speed, it’s the wittiest and most fun murder party you’ve ever been invited to.” —MARIE CLAIRE Korede’s sister Ayoola is many things: the favorite child, the beautiful one, possibly sociopathic. And now Ayoola’s third boyfriend in a row is dead, stabbed through the heart with Ayoola’s knife. Korede’s practicality is the sisters’ saving grace. She knows the best solutions for cleaning blood (bleach, bleach, and more bleach), the best way to move a body (wrap it in sheets like a mummy), and she keeps Ayoola from posting pictures to Instagram when she should be mourning her “missing” boyfriend. Not that she gets any credit. Korede has long been in love with a kind, handsome d
£14.00
Penguin Putnam Inc Strangers I Know
Book SynopsisDurastanti casts the universal drama of the family as the sieve through which the self—woman, artist, daughter—is filtered and known. —Ocean Vuong A work of fiction about being a stranger in your own family and life.Every family has its own mythology, but in this family none of the myths match up. Claudia’s mother says she met her husband when she stopped him from jumping off a bridge. Her father says it happened when he saved her from an attempted robbery. Both parents are deaf but couldn’t be more different; they can’t even agree on how they met, much less who needed saving. Into this unlikely yet somehow inevitable union, our narrator is born. She comes of age with her brother in this strange, and increasingly estranged, household split between a small village in southern Italy and New York City. Without even sign language in common – their parents have not bothered to teach them – family commun
£14.80
Penguin Putnam Inc The Mostly True Story of Tanner Louise
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£21.24
Random House USA Inc Nightcrawling
Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • AN OPRAH BOOK CLUB PICK • A dazzling novel about a young Black woman who walks the streets of Oakland and stumbles headlong into the failure of its justice system. This debut of a blazingly original voice “bursts at the seams of every page and swallows you whole” (Tommy Orange, author of There There).A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, TIME, GOODREADSKiara and her brother, Marcus, are scraping by in an East Oakland apartment complex optimistically called the Regal-Hi. Both have dropped out of high school, their family fractured by death and prisonBut while Marcus clings to his dream of rap stardom, Kiara hunts for work to pay their rent—which has more than doubled—and to keep the nine-year-old boy next door, abandoned by his mother, safe and fed. One night, what begins as a drunken misunderstanding with a stranger turns into the job Kiara never imagined wanting but now desperately needs: nightcrawling. Her world breaks open even further when her name surfaces in an investigation that exposes her as a key witness in a massive scandal within the Oakland Police Department.Rich with raw beauty, electrifying intensity, and piercing vulnerability, Nightcrawling marks the stunning arrival of a voice unlike any we have heard before.
£9.98
Random House USA Inc The Rainbow
Book SynopsisAvailable in English for the very first time, a powerful, poignant novel about three half sisters in post-war Japan, from the Nobel Prize-winning author of Snow Country.With the Second World War only a few years in the past, and Japan still reeling from its effects, two sisters—born to the same father but different mothers—struggle to make sense of the new world in which they are coming of age. Asako, the younger, has become obsessed with locating a third sibling, while also experiencing love for the first time. While Momoko, their father’s first child—haunted by the loss of her kamikaze boyfriend and their final, disturbing days together—seeks comfort in a series of unhealthy romances. And both sisters find themselves unable to outrun the legacies of their late mothers. A thoughtful, probing novel about the enduring traumas of war, the unbreakable bonds of family, and the inescapability of the past, The Rainbow is a searing, m
£14.00
Random House USA Inc The Nursery
Book SynopsisAbrilliant...essential and surprisingly thrilling book about motherhood (The New York Times) and the early postpartum days, followinga woman struggling with maternal fear and its looming madnessandshowing how difficult and fragile those days can be?and how vital love is to pull anyone out from the dark?A radical novel...I?m obsessed with this book.??JessamineChan, New York Times bestselling author of The School for Good MothersThere is the before and the after. Withering in the maternal prison of her apartment, a new mother finds herself spiraling into a state of complete disaffection. As a translator, she is usuallyhappy to spend her days as the invisible interpreter. But now home alone with her newborn, she is ill at ease with this state of perpetual giving, carrying, feeding. The instinct to keep her baby safe conflicts with the intrusive thoughts of causing the baby harm, and she struggles to reclaim her identity just as it seems to dissolve from underneath her.Feeling isolated from her supportive but ineffectual husband, she strikes up a tentative friendship with her ailing upstairs neighbour, Peter, who hushes the baby with his oxygen tank in tow. But they are both running out of time; something is soon to crack. Joyful early days of her pregnancy mingle with the anxious arrival of the baby, and culminate in a painful confrontation ? mostly, between our narrator and herself. Striking and emotive, The Nursery documents the slow process of staggering back towards the simple pleasures of life and reentering the world after post-partum depression.
£11.48
Random House USA Inc The Bandit Queens
Book SynopsisGOOD MORNING AMERICA BUZZ PICK • A young Indian woman finds the false rumors that she killed her husband surprisingly useful—until other women in the village start asking for her help getting rid of their own husbands—in this razor-sharp debut. A radically feel-good story about the murder of no-good husbands by a cast of unsinkable women.”—The New York Times Book ReviewLonglisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Shondaland, She Reads, CrimeReadsFive years ago, Geeta lost her no-good husband. As in, she actually lost him—he walked out on her and she has no idea where he is. But in her remote village in India, rumor has it that Geeta killed him. And it’s a rumor that just won’t die. It turns out that being known as a “self-made” widow comes with some perks. No one messes with her, harasses her, or t
£11.70
Alfred A. Knopf Held
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE GILLER PRIZE ? SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE ? A NEW YORK TIMES BEST HISTORICAL NOVEL OF THE YEAR ? A breathtaking and ineffable new novel from the author of the international bestsellers Fugitive Pieces and The Winter Vault?anovel of love and loyalty across generations, at once sweeping and intimate1917. On a battlefield near the River Escaut, John lies in the aftermath of a blast, unable to move or feel his legs. Struggling to focus his thoughts, he is lost to memory as the snow falls?a chance encounter in a pub by a railway, a hot bath with his lover on a winter night.1920. John has returned from war to North Yorkshire, near a different river. He is alive but still not whole. Reunited with Helena, an artist, he reopens his photography business and tries to keep on living. But the past erupts insistently into the present, as ghosts begin to surface in his pictures: ghosts with messages he cannot understand.So begins a narrative that spans four generations of connections and consequences that ignite and reignite as the century unfolds. In radiant moments of desire, comprehension, longing, and transcendence, the sparks fly upward, working their transformations decades later.Held is affecting and intensely beautiful, full of mystery, wisdom, and compassion, a novel by a writer at the height of her powers.
£999.99
Hachette Australia After the Rain
Book Synopsis''A stirring, magical, and emotional novel about family, belonging, marriage, race, and culture ... The best novels are never long enough, and you won''t want After the Rain to end'' The Australian''A staggering soulful achievement'' The Australian Women''s WeeklyMalti Fortune is uneasy. She has turned away from her birthplace of Fiji to make a new life in Melbourne. But all that she thought was certain is now in danger of being swept away. Her husband, Benjamin, a linguist, is a conundrum. He has changed. Or has she? The stories and superstitions of her childhood are telling her something she knows but doesn''t want to hear - about being a trespasser, about not belonging.In the years to come, Malti and Benjamin''s daughters are also to learn some hard truths. For Ellery, the hands-on father of her memories vanishes for months on end and the remembered fragments of good times aren''t enough to sustain her anymore. Verona, on the
£14.24
Penguin Putnam Inc The Immortalists
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£13.88
Headline Publishing Group Evie A young womans search for love and adventure
Book SynopsisEvie Grayson has always had a flair for fashion, so when she is promoted to the General Office at Dawson''s hosiery factory in Leicester, she rises to the challenge. But then Evie stumbles upon sinister goings-on in the accounts department and, to her surprise and confusion, she realises her spiteful sister Florrie could be involved...Despite her career success, romance has always eluded Evie, and it is not until she meets Edward Bradshaw that she falls deeply in love. But why are their families so opposed to the union? And what is Evie''s mother trying to conceal about the past?
£9.99
Headline Publishing Group Annie A moving saga of poverty fortitude and
Book SynopsisWhen Charlie Higgins is unfairly dismissed from his job in a Leicester shoe factory his family become crippled by poverty. Refusing to surrender to her husband''s misfortunes, Annie manages to keep food on the table and faith in their hearts. Until tragedy strikes again. With the threat of the workhouse looming over them, Annie and her young son Georgie seek refuge with their only relatives: the Burbages - a family they have never met and know nothing about. Adapting to farmlife is a gruelling experience for Annie and Georgie, but hard work and cheerfulness earn them respect. But at the back of Annie''s mind, she knows that one day she must return to Leicester to confront the memories she has left behind and begin a new life for herself and her son...
£9.99
Headline Publishing Group Josie
Book SynopsisFor Josie Rawlings, caring for her cantankerous old grandmother and running her vegetable stall in Leicester''s market square is hard work. But then things get a whole lot worse when Josie''s inheritance is stolen and her granddmother''s death brings eviction from the only home she''s ever known.Determined to rise above these bitter blows, Josie struggles to support herself, and, desperate for affection, stumbles into an ill-fated love affair. But there are those around who do recognise Josie''s worth, and, although she is unaware of it, one man in particular is keeping a close eye on her progress...
£9.99
Headline Publishing Group Hannah of Hope Street A gripping saga of youthful
Book SynopsisHannah Miller is a young girl who has had to grow up fast. Since the death of her parents she has taken responsibility for her sister Alice, determined to provide her with the love and stability they''ve both been denied. But when a violent incident with their bullying guardian finds the girls cold and hungry on the teeming streets of East London, Hannah realises she is out of her depth. She has little option but to accept the help of the strange old woman Maudie whose ramshackle home at the end of Rotherhithe''s bustling Hope Street, Hannah soon realises, is a den of young thieves.Alice loves their new life, the companionship of the lively household and the gruff affection of the enigmatice, warm-hearted Maudie. But despite the fact that she is growing increasingly fond of Jack, one of the most long-standing of Maudie''s brood, Hannah can never be happy living outside the law. As she battles for respectability, Hannah begins to see she is creating an ever-widening rif
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Headline Publishing Group Peggie One womans struggle to fulfil her dreams
Book SynopsisAn unexpected windfall gives Peggie Cartwright the lucky break she deserves. At last she can save her family from financial ruin. Ever since Cyrus Crabbe stole her father Septimus''s brake and claimed it as his own vehicle, Sep has dreamed of the day he would run a bus service for the villagers of Leicester to put the Crabbes out of business once and for all. It now looks like that day is in sight. But Cyrus Crabbe is a dangerous man, determined to stop the Cartwrights from succeeding. A wicked remark from his acid tongue forces Septimus to abandon his beloved brood, and as Sep''s absence stretches from weeks to months, Peggie watches her mother sink into a deep decline. Peggie''s brothers and sisters are used to heartache but when Billy is beaten black and blue and Cyrus''s son Reginald turns his attentions to young Letty it seems that none of the family is to be spared... Peggie knows it''s up to her to keep the business afloat and spirits raised. For no matter what obstacles are thr
£9.99
Headline Publishing Group Sally of Sefton Grove A young womans search for
Book SynopsisThough she is still grieving the death of her mother, nineteen-year-old Sally Fuller has little choice but to carry on with the everyday business of life in 1930s Rotherhithe, caring for her father and young brother and sister, spending as much time with her boyfriend Pete as he can spare from his moneymaking schemes. But at the back of her mind she feels a nagging dissatisfaction - her matter-of-fact relationship with Pete, for instance, bears little resemblance to the romances of her movie-star idols, or even to the colourful liaisons of some of her more adventurous friends. And what about her more modest hopes for marriage and a baby of her own? Once again, Pete shows little interest. As war grows closer, Sally sees she must focus her mind on keeping those she loves safe and put her own selfish longings behind her. But war changes things ...
£9.99
Headline Publishing Group Women Talking Dirty
Book SynopsisEllen Quinn kept her sanity in the suffocating Edinburgh suburb where she grew up by imagining it was a hotbed of intrigue. A neglected child, she''s still looking for love as an adult; and so she finds herself married to Daniel. How could she know that he would misbehave?Cora O''Brien is the total opposite; outrageous and outspoken, she inspires the children she teaches with her enthusiasm. The city can''t soften her Highland lilt but her lifestyle would raise a few eyebrows back home. But her vividness is a façade: most of her secrets she''s still keeping to herself.Fast friends from the start, Ellen and Cora may have plenty to learn about life, but they always have vodka and each other to talk to when the unexpected happens...Trade ReviewAppealingly spirited... Sparkiness, freshness and verve * Mail on Sunday *'Appealingly spirited... Sparkiness, freshness and verve' Mail on Sunday
£9.99
Headline Publishing Group Two Moons
Book SynopsisIn a house overlooking Dublin Bay, Mimi and her daughter Grace are disturbed by the unexpected arrival of Grace''s daughter Polly, and her striking new boyfriend. The events of the next few days will lead both of them to reassess the shape of their lives. For while Grace''s visitors focus her attention on an uncertain future, Mimi, who receives a messenger of a very different kind, must begin to set herself to rights with the betrayals and disappointments of the past.Trade ReviewSuperbly executed... by turns funny, revealing and sad, the novel is both enchanted and enchanting' Daily TelegraphCool, crafted poise and sly wit' Penny Perrick, The Times'Jennifer Johnston's latest novel is a modern fairy tale with a dark theme... she handles [her material] so delicately, so deftly and wittily that we willingly suspend disbelief' Margaret Walters, Sunday Times'Jennifer Johnston spins her yarn into a shimmering confection whose surface limpidity conceals layer upon layer of narrative meaning, yet whose overall effect is of simplicity, lightness and ease... This is a novel of immense sophistication, familiar yet distant as the moon of the title' Irish Times
£9.99
Headline Publishing Group The Jagged Window A dramatic saga of family and
Book SynopsisEdward Maichin is the golden boy of the Chapels. But at home, Edward''s hidden darkness runs riot: his Irish Catholic mother, has no control over him since his father, Ellis, fled to America; his two brothers, Rhys and Caspar, live in fear of him. Only Theo, his imaginative younger sister, dares defy him. A suspicious death halts Edward''s rise, forcing the family out of the valley, to the mines of the North-East, where Theo''s talent for writing begins to match her brother''s skills in social climbing. But when Theo takes a position as companion to a strange old woman, she discovers a family even more complex and vulnerable than her own...Trade ReviewWendy Robertson tells a good tale and her characters have a depth and life; even apparently ordinary people are made fascinating by the events around them * Northern Echo *Very good stuff * Darlington Echo *Her work is inspiring and challenging * Sunderland Echo *If you like a homespun yarn, you'll love this * Belfast Telegraph *
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Headline Publishing Group Now or Never A moving saga of escapism and new
Book SynopsisWhen Maddie Ashman is tricked into giving up her baby for adoption she is utterly devastated. Her mother has convinced Maddie that she has no choice, as the child is illegitimate and the father has deserted her. But this is the final straw for Maddie and she knows she must leave home. It''s now or never. But who can she to turn for help? Catching the train to Leicester, she goes in search of the one person who might take her in - even though she has no idea where they live. And when she gets a job in a funeral parlour she discovers that life is full of surprises - for love and laughter can be found in the most unlikely places!Trade ReviewIn Lynda Page, we have an author who writes with skill and style; her characters are strongly drawn and thoroughly believable and her settings are just that little bit different...it keeps the reader enthralled from start to finish. Mark my words, on this showing Leicester's Lynda Page is destined to share the limelight - and bestseller lists - with the likes of Catherine Cookson * Hull Daily Mail *'If you want an enthralling saga read Lynda Page' Martina Cole'Cookson/Cox aficionados who've missed her should grab this. Romantic and gripping' Peterborough Evening TelegraphYou'll be hooked from page one * Woman's Realm *'Filled with lively characters and compelling action' Books'Lynda Page creates strong characters and is a clever and careful storyteller... She has the stamina not to alienate you as a reader and to keep the story going on a constant flow of purpose and energy... A great writer who gives an authentic voice to Leicester... A formidable talent' LE1
£9.99
Headline Publishing Group Two Kinds of Wonderful
Book SynopsisWhen Roz''s silent, compulsive husband refused to discuss his problem, when her children seemed embroiled in their own lives, Roz did the unthinkable - she walked out. She did not know that her children would not understand, would not forgive her. She had one moment of joy, shutting the door, leaving, followed by ten years of guilt.Then the death of the family matriarch Nan reunites Roz, now with a career, a flat and a lover, with her family. Histrionic Zoe and infuriatingly laid-back Jamie arrive on her doorstep. Suddenly Roz is a mother again. A human soup is stirred, and dark family secrets are revealed. But Roz soon realises that her children have only returned to her so that, in the proper scheme of things, they can leave her. Rather than she leaving them.Trade ReviewDewar writes with enjoyably sharp humour about the tribulations of family life, making some thoughtful points about what growing up means along the way * Times Metro *Crackling with wit, and shot through with sharp observations * Woman & Home *Dewar writes with humour and tenderness, and she's terrific at engaging her readers' interest * Ham & High *Captures the turbulence and ever-changing dynamics of family life... A witty, fast-moving novel with a cast of characters I would love to meet * Fiona Kennedy, Tesco *'Frank, funny writing * Big Issue in Scotland *Powerful, provocative and sharply witty * Publishing News *Dewar has a very sharp sense of humour and writes with a great deal of wit * Newcastle Evening Chronicle *
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Headline Publishing Group The Loveday Fortunes Loveday series Book 2
Book SynopsisCornwall: 1791. As the civil unrest in France gathers force, ripples of conflict are also reaching across the Channel, for the Loveday family are fighting their own private battles. Charles Mercer - Edward Loveday''s brother-in-law - has been found dead, the reputation of his eminent bank in tatters. Charles has left the Lovedays facing emotional trauma and financial ruin. But risk comes as second nature to the Lovedays. Adam Loveday finds refuge from the pressures of keeping the family boatyard solvent in the arms of gypsy-bred Senara - whom he is determined to marry despite his father''s threats of disinheritance. And his twin, St John, angry at having to curb his spending, throws in his hand with the Sawle brothers - the notorious smugglers who rule Penruan by intimidation and violence. Each one of the Lovedays must sacrifice personal ambition in the face of adversity. But to some of them, sacrifice does not come easily...Trade Review'Thrilling family saga... A fast-moving and exciting read and leaves the reader breathless for the next book in the series' Historical Novels ReviewA fast-moving and exciting read and leaves the reader breathless for the next book in the series' * HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW *PRAISE FOR ADAM LOVEDAY:'The whole spectrum of society is present in this fast-moving and exciting story' Historical Novels Review'First-class' West Briton'Fans of costume dramas and 18/19th century literature will enjoy ADAM LOVEDAY, a story of warring brothers and forbidden love' Chester Evening Leader'Rich in drama and passion, with the atmosphere and flavour of eighteenth century Cornwall, ADAM LOVEDAY...is a story of family relationships that transcends time, and heralds the emergence of an exciting new storyteller' North Cornwall Advertiser
£9.99
Headline Publishing Group All or Nothing
Book SynopsisFrancine Champion loves her life working as a mechanic at her uncle''s Leicester garage. But when Eddie Taylor starts seeing her best friend, Stella, Frankie can''t help feeling uneasy. Eddie''s certainly charming, but Frankie can see he''s a bad lot. She''s shocked, then, when she finds out it''s she, Frankie, that Eddie wants. Within days he''s broken up her relationship with her steady boyfriend, ruined her friendship with Stella and started pursuing her so relentlessly that before she knows it, Frankie has agreed to marry Eddie. After a year the marriage is going well and Frankie can''t think why she had doubts about her husband. But she should have trusted her first instincts, because Eddie is far more dangerous than she ever imagined...Trade Review'Heartwarming Leicester-based '50s saga of working folk and their passions. She's good' Bookseller * the Bookseller *'It's a story to grip you from the first page to the last' Coventry Evening Telegraph * Coventry Evening Telegraph *
£9.99
Headline Publishing Group Towelhead
Book SynopsisA dark, deliciously grown-up take on Judy Blume - the story of a young girl''s challenging coming-of-age that is funnier than it ought to be.Jasira, a teenaged Arab-American girl, is sent away by her mother to live with her father, after the mother''s boyfriend begins paying her too much attention. But Jasira''s father is unable to show her the affection she craves, or to handle her feelings about her rapidly changing body. America is about to go to war in Kuwait, and Jasira becomes ever more isolated at school, and begins to look for love in all the wrong places. Mr Vuoso, a neighbour and army reservist who catches her looking at his copy of Playboy while she is babysitting his son, is quick to take advantage of her vulnerability. Things look very bad for Jasira until a pregnant neighbour, Melina, offers her a lifeline, and in the novel''s hilarious, and heartbreaking climax, manages to bring father and daughter, finally, a little closer to one another.Trade Review'An arch, coyly sexy book that's as nervy as its title... Erian gives this gutsy book its full share of unthinkable questions' * New York Times *'Sexy, sad and subtly written... a ferociously funny, tartly individual voice' * Scotland on Sunday *'At once innocent and knowing, childlike and sinister' * Independent *'As funny, disturbing and gripping a coming-of-age story as I can imagine' * Alan Bissett *
£9.99
Headline Publishing Group Grace and Truth
Book SynopsisSally, a successful actress, returns to her house in Goatstown from a European tour, just wanting to rest and to see her husband, Charlie, again. When Charlie announces that he''s leaving her, Sally angrily forces him to pack his bags at once. But maybe, she wonders later, she really is too hard to live with? Hoping for some glimmer of insight into the family secrets that have always dogged her, Sally turns to her grandfather, the frosty old Bishop she has never really known.Trade Review'Johnston is 75 this year; would that more writers - regardless of age - had her restraint, her succinct way with character and her flair for language' * The Times *Praise for GRACE AND TRUTH: A deceptively simple piece [which takes] the reader, in a spirit of compassion, towards the very heart of darkness * Sunday Telegraph *Jennifer Johnston is a brilliant storyteller...The reader is instantly hooked...Don't miss it * Literary Review *Masterly -- Penelope Lively * Sunday Times *
£9.99
Little, Brown Book Group For One More Day
Book SynopsisIn his highly anticipated new novel, Albom tenderly explores the themes of family, divorce and regrets, and the wish that we could have just one more day with a lost loved one.Trade ReviewMitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary -- Cecilia AhernPowerful . . . Albom has touched the lives of a lot of people he never even knew * Time *Compelling and uplifting * Independent *A writer with soul * Los Angeles Times *Albom breaks hearts with his stories * Mirror *Mitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary * Cecilia Ahern *Mitch Albom, in this new book, once again demonstrates why he is one of my favourite writers . . . FOR ONE MORE DAY will make you smile. It will make you wistful. It will make you blink back tears of nostalgia * James McBride, author of THE COLOR OF WATER *Another very touching page-turner * STAR magazine *A warm and tender tale * IRISH EVENING HERALD *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Greyfriars House
Book SynopsisSecrets will be uncovered . . .''I was absolutely gripped . . . the atmospheric setting of Greyfriars intertwined with the grim reality of the war camps of Singapore was inspirational.'' Linda Finlay''A thought-provoking and atmospheric read.'' Evie GraceAn epic, sweeping drama about a family with secrets and a house shrouded in mystery, Greyfriars House is perfect for fans of Rachel Hore, Kate Morton, Kate Riordan and Tracey Rees. On a remote Scottish island sits Greyfriars House1939Nine-year-old Olivia Friel is delighted to be spending the summer at Greyfriars House, a place where her parents, their family and friends are always happy. But this year thTrade ReviewI was absolutely gripped . . . the atmospheric setting of Greyfriars intertwined with the grim reality of the war camps of Singapore was inspirational. -- Linda Finlay * author of The Flower Seller *A thought-provoking and atmospheric read. I loved the gradual unfolding of the family's secrets and descriptions of the mysterious Greyfriars House. -- Evie Grace * author or The Maids of Kent trilogy *An epic tale of one woman's determination to follow her dreams * People's Friend on The Shipbuilder's Daughter *A powerful tale of love and loss . . . a great, insightful read * Novelicious on We Shall Remember *Touching and thought-provoking * Lancaster Guardian on We Shall Remember *
£7.99
Little, Brown Book Group The Missing Pieces of Me The hopeful
Book SynopsisWillow and Dustin are the perfect couple.Or so he thought, until she disappeared . . . ''Amelia Mandeville is an author to watch'' EMMA COOPER Meet the couple you''ll fall for head over heels, and discover the novel that will break your heart and put it back together again I felt ALL the emotions reading this book ***** The characters were so relatable ***** You never want it to end ***** Putting this book down will be your only challenge ***** The romance was magical ***** ________________________Willow and Dustin. They''re the perfect couple, everyone says so. And since the birth of their baby daughter, Dustin is sure his little family is all he will ever need. So his world is shattered wTrade ReviewAmelia Mandeville has painted a beautiful coming of age story filled with colourful characters . . . she is definitely an author to watch - Emma Cooper, author of The Songs of UsA wonderful story that shows that you never truly know what someone is going through. Amelia writes so vividly . . . remarkable - Michelle Elman, author of Am I Ugly?Every Colour of You is a cleverly built saga between Zoe and Tristan's perspectives that leaves you heavily invested in their lives . . . Amelia writes with a perceptive and soulful hand that keeps you interested until the last page - Magic Radio Book Club
£10.98
Headline Publishing Group Secrets of a Family Album
Book SynopsisA warm, perceptive and drily humorous new novel from the wonderful Isla Dewar, who gets under the skin of both her characters and her readersTrade Review'Dewar draws characters with acerbic wit, and also love - recommended' * West Australian *'Her characters and situations are so real-life and having been born and brought up in Edinburgh, I particularly appreciated the setting' * Hilary Carmichael *
£9.99
Headline Publishing Group A Small Town Affair
Book SynopsisA delicious recipe for domestic disaster!Take one small town where everyone thinks they know everyone else''s business. Add three households: MP Mike Andrews, his wife Gill and two young children; Church of Scotland minister Tom Graham, his wife Ali, two teenage daughters and an afterthought; Sixty-something local businessman Jack Caldwell, and his childless wife Phyllis.Mix in several large dollops of scandal, some secrets and a tragedy.Turn up the heat and bring to the boil.Season with one eccentric old lady - Minty Oliver - and serve with the tabloid press and a big helping of local gossip.Trade Review'Wallace gleefully exposes the gossipy thought bubbles of the self-righteous and genteel...consistently wry and often joyously funny' * Herald *'A rollicking read...with a good eye for what lies beneath the surface' * Australian Women's Weekly *'Neatly observed...enjoyably witty' * Scotsman *'An easily inhaled, colourful tale...with moments of poignancy and humour' * Courier Mail *'Hugely entertaining' * Sunday Post *'Hilarious...a tale of quaint country folk peppered with smatterings of bigotry, raunchiness and intrigue' * Orkney Today *'Her observations about women's lives are sharply pointed and pertinent' * Sydney Morning Herald *'Rosie Wallace captures the small town perfectly...a very funny and authentic novel' * forargyll.com *
£9.99
Headline Publishing Group Getting Out Of The House
Book SynopsisA delicious and unputdownable read from the irresistible Isla DewarTrade Review'Beautifully told and a thoroughly enjoyable read' * Sun *
£9.99
Headline Publishing Group Bright Lights and Promises A poignant novel about
Book SynopsisIt''s not easy being the mother of a twelve-year-old boy who''s in love with his babysitter and having trouble at school. Nor are matters helped by the unexpected arrival of an elderly mother who''s suddenly footloose and fancy free. At least Susie Vine feels secure at Arland & Shaw, London''s leading theatrical agency, where her clients love her almost as much as they love themselves. Then the man who broke her heart comes back into her life and she''s forced to ask herself whether she was right to leave him all those years ago. Or is someone else waiting in the wings...?Trade Review'A winner. Pauline McLynn brings the same comic touches to her writing as she brought to the wonderful Mrs Doyle' * Daily Express *'With her own brand of fierce intelligence and deft humour...McLynn delivers an elegant turn of phrase throughout and has a great ear for witty dialogue... An engaging and rewarding read' * Irish Mail on Sunday *'Her writing, laced with an innate and very natural sense of humour, catches the smallest nuances of human behaviour and speaks straight to the heart' * Irish World *
£8.99
Headline Publishing Group Foolish Mortals
Book SynopsisAll families are complicated, but some are more complicated than others. And Christmas can only make matters worse. After Ciara''s estranged father is nearly killed by his second wife in a car accident - or was it an accident? - Ciara begins, gingerly, to reenter his life. As her troubled family gather for the holidays, is it too much to hope that they begin to find peace at last? Of course it is. With cross-dressing twins, new loves and an unpredicatably monstrous matriarch, Christmas was never going to be easy. But it proves both more disastrous and happier than any of them could have guessed.Trade Review'Johnston is one of the most revered Irish writers, and this, her fifteenth novel, makes us understand why. Her style is simple and colloquial...there are no literary pretensions: story and characters take priority...Foolish Mortals is essentially an uplifting read' * Time Out - Book of the Week *'A complex, wry domestic drama; a writer of the highest order' * Sunday Telegraph *'The writing is witty and subtly nuanced and the book is as much about the new Ireland - modern, forward-looking, practical and tolerant - as about the individual characters' * Daily Mail *Her writing is a joy: dialogue snaps with life while Johnston's distinctive prose is at once supremely comfortable and delightfully brisk * Daily Mail *
£9.99
Headline Publishing Group The Woman Who Drew Buildings A moving saga of
Book SynopsisA powerful portrayal of the unbreakable bond between a mother and her son.As Adam Matheve walks towards his mother''s house, to see her for the first time in two years, he has just one hope - to forge the bond with her for which he''s always yearned. Enigmatic Marie Matheve has spent her life indulging her passion for drawing buildings. Now, after a dangerous fall, she lies unconscious, her life slipping away. All Adam can do is wait in desperate hope for her recovery. But as time passes Adam begins to unravel the mystery of his mother''s past and discovers how little he really knows about the woman who raised him.
£8.50
Headline Publishing Group The Infinite Wisdom of Harriet Rose
Book SynopsisHarriet Rose, like any other teenager, is naïve, overconfident and has always felt she has something important to say. However, unlike most of her peers, her hero is Marcus Aurelius, in imitation of whom she has been composing philosophical reflections on life for some time. When Harriet''s father dies, the urge to write these meditations is greater than ever. Then, on her fourteenth birthday, she receives a unique gift. Her doting mother and grandmother have had her by-now-substantial collection of meditations published. Having appointed themselves roles - Mother: publicist; Nana: sales rep; Harriet: esteemed author - they vow to get the book into the hands of a wide readership. Once this formidable team gets into gear, there''s no holding back, and Harriet is hurled into a lifestyle that not even she, in all her infinite wisdom, could have been prepared for. Bookshop orders soon stack up, and Harriet is plunged into a whirlwind of launch parties, newspaper coverageTrade ReviewHarriet is a great character - fantastically clever, arrogant, socially inept and likely to refer to Kant at inopportune moments. There should be lots more books for teenagers with heroines who idolise Marcus Aurelius. * Observer *A lovely fantasy on stardom spotted with her philosophy and the sad knocks of life. A good, unusual read' * Bookseller *Diana Janney creates in Harriet Rose a young heroine who is beautiful, confident, clever, successful...the young author's attempts to publicise her book maintain interest as well as providing more than a few laughs...refreshing' * Independent *'Adrian Mole for girls' * Elle *'this is the sort of book that keeps a girl's world sane * Independent *'Wonderfully naive...quirky and clever' + four stars * Company *
£9.99
Headline Publishing Group Smart Vs Pretty
Book SynopsisFrancesca and Amanda are in trouble. When they took over their parents'' coffee bar in Brooklyn Heights, they thought they''d have a business for life. Now, they''ve managed to run it into the ground, and emergency action is required. Clever, thoughtful Francesca thinks that brainpower is the key to starting over, whereas Amanda firmly believes that a sweet smile and great hair get one a lot further in life. Who is right?
£9.99
Headline Publishing Group The Tideway Girls A thrilling wartime saga of
Book SynopsisA heartrending saga of sisters separated by shame from much-loved author Pamela Evans.It''s 1912, and, like all fisher folk in the village of Tideway, the Bow family live a simple life. Edie Bow loves her children dearly: handsome Henry, sensible Bessie, spirited May and little Sam. But one night tragedy strikes, and Henry is lost at sea. And when May falls pregnant out of wedlock, shamed Edie sends her daughter to London for an abortion. Determined to keep her child, May stays on in the city, away from her beloved sister Bessie. Torn apart, the girls must face their own struggles without each other, but through even the darkest night, a light burns strong: the love of a sister...Trade ReviewPraise for Pamela Evans's previous sagas: 'A good traditional romance, and its author has a feeling for the atmosphere of postwar London * Sunday Express *Very readable * Bella *The leading characters are finely drawn...crisp prose...a superb and heartwarming read * Irish Independent *A compelling book * Woman's Realm *Well peopled with warm personalities * Liverpool Post *There's a special kind of warmth that shines through the characters in Evans' novels... An uplifting love story with all the right ingredients * Lancashire Evening Post *This book touched me very, very much. It's lovely * North Wales Chronicle *
£9.99
Headline Publishing Group Kissing Mr Wrong
Book SynopsisA warm and sexy romance from the author of A SINGLE TO ROMELu Edwards may write and illustrate books for children, but she''s certain she doesn''t want children of her own. She believes in travelling light, with not even a goldfish to tie her down, until Nick - a WWI expert with more baggage than Heathrow, right down to the kids, ex-wife and hamster - blows into her life. He''s absolutely not Mr Right, but as he helps Lu trace a strand of her family history, she finds herself being drawn into his chaotic but warm world. Being the wicked step-mother was never a role Lu fancied playing, though, and she''s not sure that loving Nick will be enough for a happy ever after together...Trade Review'a heartwarming story' * Daily Express *'The perfect summer read - relax and enjoy' * Weight Watchers magazine *
£7.99
Headline Publishing Group Ember Fury
Book SynopsisA sassy and entertaining illustrated debut from Cathy Brett Pyromania: A mental derangement, excitement or excessive enthusiasm for fire. Having celebrity parents isn''t as hot as it sounds. Yes, there''s money to burn, fame and some totally smoking guys...But when your dad''s more interested in blazing a trail to the top of the charts than why you got kicked out of school, again, it can make you seriously angry. And if there''s one thing Ember knows, it''s that the smallest spark of anger can ignite a whole heap of trouble...
£9.99
