Family life fiction / Stories about family

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne night, Akram Khan walks out of his house towards an appointed time and place where he is supposed to detonate a bomb that will end his life and that of many innocent bystanders. As he wanders through the town he encounters Grace, whose life has been marred just as his has, forming an unlikely closeness borne of need and necessity.Akram tells Grace about his seemingly inexorable journey towards radicalization: a childhood within the tight-knit Pakistani community, his complex friendships among outcasts, his disastrous years in the army, and his empty arranged marriage to a woman who remains a stranger. Delicately drawn, Akram's War is an honest and shocking kaleidoscopic portrait of contemporary Britain, and of the ways in which the twists and turns of fate can scar and mark a life.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA gritty, heartwarming family saga for fans of Dilly Court, Sheila Newberry and Maggie Hope.All they have left is each other...Life has always been tough for May and Gus Lavender. Their father went away to sea never to return, and then their mother falls victim to the typhus sweeping through Liverpool. Regarded as orphans by the authorities, May and Gus are sent to the Brownlow Hill Workhouse. Like all workhouses, Brownlow is the last resort for the poor and the destitute. May and Gus will have to rely on each other more than ever if they are to survive the hardships to come...________________________________Make sure you've read all the books in the Workhouse series:1. Workhouse Orphans2. Workhouse Angel3. Workhouse Nightingale4. Workhouse GirlAnd don't miss Holly Green's new series about wartime nurses:1. Frontline Nurses2. Frontline Nurses On Duty3. Secrets of the Frontline Nurses

Read more less

Book Synopsis'A pageturner packed with family secrets and Arctic adventure' Dundee Courier How do you solve the mysteries of a love frozen in time?Caroline Gillan and her new husband Alasdair have moved back to Kelly Castle, his family estate in the wilds of Scotland. Stuck caring for their baby and trying to avoid her opinionated mother-in-law, Caroline feels lonely and adrift.But while sorting through old papers, Caroline stumbles across a century-old mystery which sparks her back to life. There is one Gillan bride who has disappeared from history. No photos or records of her exist. The only certainty is that she had a legitimate child: Alasdair's grandmother.As Caroline unearths a strange love story that stretches as far as the Arctic circle, her curiosity about the missing bride turns into an obsession. And when a body is found in the grounds of the castle, Caroline begins an investigation which could change the course of her life forever . . .From the wilds of Scotland to the glaciers of the Arctic, A Woman Made of Snow is a mesmerising tale of how one woman's past might hold the key to another's future.*Praise for Elisabeth Gifford's gorgeously atmospheric, uplifting novels:'Gorgeously written and devastating' Kate Riordan'One of the best novels I've read' Gill Paul'Desperately romantic' Katie Fforde'Compelling' Sarah Maine 'Gorgeous, melancholy' The Times'A glorious novel. You won't be able to put it down for a minute' Suellen Dainty'An undeniably haunting love story' Sunday Times'A moving story, beautifully told' Tim PearTrade ReviewThe perfect mix of gripping plot and lyrical writing * Good Housekeeping *Absorbing * Prima *Secrets come creeping back to the surface in this chilling tale * Woman’s Own *Mesmerising * Herald *A thought-provoking, satisfying and enjoyable story to read ... [a] captivating, frequently moving story * New Books Magazine *A gorgeous, melancholy love story * The Times, praise for The Lost Lights of St Kilda *Desperately romantic, lyrically written and with a fascinating plot. * Katie Fforde, praise for The Lost Lights of St Kilda *I loved this book. Beautifully written and descriptive... The twisted threads weave an engaging plot which takes us on a trail of human courage and measures the cost of betrayal. Set in the last poignant years of life on remote St Kilda and in war-torn Europe, it paints both worlds with a vividness that is wholly convincing. * Sarah Maine, praise for The Lost Lights of St Kilda *The characters are exquisitely drawn, and the slowly emerging love story rings entirely true. This is one of the best novels I've read in a long while, a real jewel. * Gill Paul, praise for The Lost Lights of St Kilda *

Read more less

Book SynopsisMishaps at work, mayhem at home...It'll get easier when he starts school... That's what Lucy was told, and she believed it. But now that her autistic son Stanley has joined Reception, his obsession with Africa and daily screaming fits at the school gates haven't exactly won him or Lucy any popularity contests.So for Stanley's fifth birthday Lucy plans an extravagant party to help him connect with his classmates. But her autistic husband Ed knows how his son's mind works better than anyone, so instead of a big bash, they travel to Wales to eat a Libya-shaped birthday cake with Lucy's family. And suddenly Lucy is faced with the truth about what her loved ones really need, and how they can finally find their tribe...Readers love The Mother Load'Best thing I've read all year' *****'Funny, warm and touching' *****'As a mother of two autistic children so much of it speaks to me on a personal level' *****'Gavin and Stacey eat your heart out ... this is comedy gold and should be on the screen!' *****Trade ReviewFunny, touching and a little bit mad - it's Motherland on acid -- Laura VaughanFunny and relatable * Heat *An ethralling dedication to both motherhood and autism ... Cox's writing style is engaging * Buzz Magazine *A funny and touching insight into music, autism and motherhood * Dawn French on M is for Mummy *A truthful book that dives headfirst into the realities of motherhood that will make you laugh out loud and touch your heart in equal measure * Izzy Judd on M is for Mummy *A relatable yet original read you won't be able to put down ... will make you laugh out loud. Simply brilliant! * Vicki Broadbent (The Honest Mum) on M is for Mummy *

Read more less

Book Synopsis"Dazzling. A novel that holds up to scrutiny a world of claustrophobic war zones, virulent social media and cities collapsing upon themselves, and then sets it down again, transformed by the grace of storytelling." - Siddartha Deb, author of The Point of ReturnAnita lives in Karachi's biggest slum. Her mother is a maalish wali, paid to massage the tired bones of rich women. But Anita's life will change forever when she meets her elderly neighbour, a man whose shelves of books promise an escape to a different world.On the other side of Karachi lives Monty, whose father owns half the city and expects great things of him. But when a beautiful and rebellious girl joins his school, Monty will find his life going in a very different direction. Sunny's father left India and went to England to give his son the opportunities he never had. Yet Sunny doesn't fit in anywhere. It's only when his charismatic cousin comes back into his life that he realises his life could hold more possibilities than he ever imagined. These three lives will cross in the desert, a place where life and death walk hand in hand, and where their closely guarded secrets will force them to make a terrible choice.Trade ReviewFatima Bhutto vividly renders the seductions of Islamic radicalization in such a way that we understand both its historical specificity and its universal roots in idealism and desire, rage and romance, youth and rebellion. Drawn from the headlines but plunging much deeper, The Runaways is a novel for our difficult times. -- Viet Thanh NguyenAn astute and searing take on anomie and radicalization. * Kirkus Reviews *Stunning ... Bhutto's descriptions trade between stark beauty and restrained horrors, encompassing the damp of a rain-soaked slum, the wonder of self-caging birds, and the pure brightness of moonshine over the desert ... Her pages are brutal and surprising, and their revelations stand to unmake and rebuild their audiences. -- Michelle Anne Schingler * Foreword Reviews (Starred Review) *Dramatic. ... With poetic writing, Bhutto slowly reveals the characters' connections as well as some compelling twists, and makes a convincing case that extremism, especially for young people, is driven more by feelings of alienation than religion. -- Kathy Sexton * Booklist *Told in alternate chapters from the points of view of all three protagonists, the book moves forward and backward, explaining their motivations in spare, almost jaunty prose that elicits empathy for the troubled teens and stands in stark contrast to the seriousness of the plot. Bhutto's penetrating character study convinces all the way to the inevitable bloody end. * Publishers Weekly *The Runaways is an extraordinary novel by an author whose attention to detail [and] exceptionally effective narrative storytelling style has created the kind of book that will linger in the mind and memory long after it has been finished. * Midwest Book Review *A meticulous psychological study of who turns to radicalism and why. ... A provocative investigation of courage, and how it can foment either salvation or damnation. -- Anjali Enjeti * Minneapolis Star Tribune *The Runaways, with its complex fusion of ideas-personal, national, and transnational identity; the relationship between fervor and self-destruction; and the nature of the matrix within which we live-generates a complex fictional topography. The sensibilities of the novel's protagonists suggest a new dynamic of power relations in which politics and selfhood, empire and psychology prove to be profoundly interrelated. -- Nyla Ali Khan * World Literature Today *The Runaways is a finely wrought novel. ... Both thought-provoking and humane. -- Ron Jacobs * CounterPunch *[The characters'] alternating voices give a kaleidoscopic feel to the plot, and yield a panoramic look at the roots of radicalism. -- Adeel Hassan * New York Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisMichael Merriweather's carefully planned life is blown off course when he receives a call to tell him that his father has cremated himself. Michael then learns from a small-town lawyer that he stands to inherit a small fortune he previously knew nothing about, but only if he sacrifices his accountancy career to take over the family funeral business with his brother, Jack, whom he despises. Sucked back into the small provincial world and the family funeral firm he has rejected, Michael can no longer avoid his loathsome sibling. Jack Merriweather has no idea what he's done to deserve his brother's hostility, but he's about to suffer the consequences. Then, when his patience finally breaks, he will exact delicious revenge. The Better Brother is a darkly comic tale of sibling rivalry laced with the power, passion, revenge and everyday friction of family business. It explores what happens when two warring brothers are forced to work together. Will Michael and Jack learn to love and respect each other? Or will their acrimony escalate? If so, who will come out on top? Who is the better brother?

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA very unusual family saga written with unusual intelligence and compassion. Erica Witsell has a gift for depicting complex relationships. - Phyllis Rose, author of Parallel Lives, The Year of Reading Proust, and The Shelf Every summer, Jessie and Emma leave their suburban home in the Central Valley and fly north to Baymont. Nestled among Mendocino's golden hills, with ponies to love and endless acres to explore, Baymont should be a child's paradise. But Baymont belongs to Laurel, the girls' birth mother, whose heedless parenting and tainted judgement cast a long shadow over the sisters' summers---and their lives. Caught in a web of allegiances, the girls learn again and again that every loyalty has its price, and that even forgiveness can take unexpected turns. Luminous and poignant, Give is the story of one family's troubled quest to redeem the mistakes of the past and a stirring testament to the bonds of sisterhood. This is a gripping narrative about family, identity, and loyalty . . . Beautifully written! - Kate Rademacher, author of Following the Red Bird At times subtle and at times cutting to the quick Give digs deep into the heart and soul of a family as connected as it is torn apart. Give pulls no punches, delivering an honest look into the lengths we will go for family. - Amy Willoughby-Burle, author of The Lemonade YearTrade Review"I met Erica at a conference and after hearing her speak, I couldn't wait to read her bookI was not disappointed. Jessie and Emma are the product of a broken marriage between Len and Laurel." Andrea, reviewer at Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, VA"Erica is a superb story teller, and her book deserves to be read by as many book lovers as possible." Jon Mayes, book blogger, https://advancereadingcopy-jon.blogspot.com/2019/05/erica-witsells-give.html"In its earnest, unrestrained exploration of sisterhood, Give is a groundbreaking approach to the timeless themes of loss, love, and loyalty." Wesleyan University NewsletterA very unusual family saga written with unusual intelligence and compassion. Erica Witsell has a gift for depicting complex relationships. -- Phyllis Rose, author of Parallel Lives, The Year of Reading Proust, and The ShelfThis is a gripping narrative about family, identity, and loyalty... Beautifully written! -- Kate Rademacher, author of Following the Red BirdAt times subtle and at times cutting to the quick Give digs deep into the heart and soul of a family as connected as it is torn apart. Give pulls no punches, delivering an honest look into the lengths we will go for family. -- Amy Willoughby-Burle, author of The Lemonade Year

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Loyal Daughter is a novel in stories, told from the perspective of mother, daughter, and granddaughter and spans the 1940s to modern day. A young woman in a village in Communist China finds herself scrapping her way through the crowded streets of Hong Kong. She immigrates to an isolated Northern Ontario city and finally settling in Toronto. When she finds herself stuck in a small apartment above a clothing store, with four kids, her mother, two siblings, and a husband who is never home, the promise of a new beginning fades. Filled with heart-breaking sacrifices, struggles, and secrets that shape her identity, The Loyal Daughter stands testament to a woman''s true resilience.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less