Family life fiction / Stories about family
Central Avenue Publishing The Edge of Nowhere
Book Synopsis"Refreshing and devastating"—The OklahomanDespised and feared by her sprawling family, Victoria Hastings Harrison Greene refuses to go quietly from her long life without revealing the secrets she's held locked away for more than fifty years—the same secrets consistent with the rumors her grandchildren whisper behind her back during family gatherings.Widowed with nine children during the one-two punch of The Great Depression and the Oklahoma Dust Bowl, Victoria made harsh choices—desperate choices that reduced a once soft and loving young woman into the reviled matriarch she is today. Hers is the story of one woman's courage in the midst of overwhelming adversity, and her absolute conviction to never stop fighting...no matter what it takes.
£13.46
Guernica Editions,Canada A Day in June
Book SynopsisWhen thirty-two-year-old Eric Boulanger returns to his Vermont hometown to care for his mother, he attempts to revive the town's failing economy by drumming up a contest that will offer a free wedding. The winner is Bostonian Ryan Toscano whose fiancé has left to become a Jesuit, but whose beloved, outspoken, Jewish grandmother insists she find a substitute in time for the gala affair. Eric's well-intentioned brainstorm sets three millennials on an –at times hilarious at times painful– odyssey of self-discovery, one, full of surprises amid deceptions, that forces them and an entire town to confront their notions of faith and death, love and acceptance.
£16.16
Guernica Editions,Canada Mother's Genius
Book SynopsisSet in the small town of Grenville, Ontario, a setting perhaps familiar to the reader from the author's previous novel Cadillac Road, this story progresses from the 1950s through the 1980s. In 1940, five-year-old Martin Thorton fell from the family's apartment balcony, suffering catastrophic and permanent injuries. His accident plays a role in everything that happens afterwards -- his marginalization growing up a disabled person, his mother's guilt and unfailing devotion, his sister's alienation. Told from the point of view of his sister Gretchen, and his friend Donna, this is Martin's story.
£19.76
Guernica Editions,Canada An Idea About My Dead Uncle
Book SynopsisA young, mixed-race composer, raised without meaningful connections to his Chinese heritage and struggling with identity issues, travels to China in search of his long-missing uncle, an uncle who vanished in the aftermath of Tiananmen Square. An Idea About My Dead Uncle--winner of the inaugural Guernica Prize for the best unpublished novel manuscript--is about the identities we choose and the ones that are imposed on us. It is about being on the outside looking in. It is about dealing with pain through the artistic process. It is about delusion and healing. It is about the power of narrative. According to Gabriella Goliger, winner of the 2011 City of Ottawa Literary Award for Fiction for her novel Girl Unwrapped and a juror for the Guernica Literary Prize: A witty, sharp-edged, finely-crafted story about a young man struggling with identity issues, which causes relationship disasters and a quest for his long lost uncle in China. The introspective but straightforward narrative eventually plunges into the surreal, mirroring the madness that can result from an uncompromising search for self.Trade Review"Wilson's story is what every novel should bea portal to the imagination of its creator.we can expect much more from this talented author". -- Ian Thomas Shaw, Ottawa Review of Books"K.R. Wilsons remarkable novel is smart, funny, unpredictable and engaging. Imbued with insights on family, identity, relationships and music, An Idea About My Dead Uncle brims with suspense and adventure, intriguing characters and fine storytelling". -- Cora Siré, author of Behold Things Beautiful"K.R. Wilson turns the usual quest-for-identity tale on its head in this bold and compelling novel of a young man struggling with ambivalence towards his ethnic heritage and the traumas of family dysfunction. The story begins with beguiling lightness and irony, swerves into tragi-farce and descends into fantastical chaos as the narrator literally loses himself through his obsessive search for his dead uncle. Wilsons prose is playful, vivid, richly layered and poignant. A story that throws many curve balls at the reader, including big questions about the meaning and/or absurdity of life". -- Gabriella Goliger, winner of the 2011 City of Ottawa Literary Award for Fiction
£16.16
Guernica Editions,Canada Sleepless Nights and Days of Glory
Book SynopsisTragedy at Montreal's End of the World restaurant. A little marriage fatigue, a cottage to sell and a woman in cashmere: suddenly twenty seven years of conjugal life are swept away. Jean-Charles has left his wife. And with her goes the charm the restaurant possessed, where simple food was served to simple people. Sleepless Nights and Days of Glory, the third volume in Hélène Rioux's Fragments of the World series, opens with the theme of abandonment and betrayal, and then takes the reader around the world.Trade Review"The End of the World is the restaurant on St. Zotique Street in Montreal, where the fascinating adventure of the Fragments of the World began. Hélène Rioux has added a third part: summer solstice. On this longest day of the year, we follow the trajectory of characters encountered in Wednesday Night at the End of the World and Wandering Souls in Paradise Lost. Passing through these same places Montreal, Bulgaria, Mexico City, Spain they will be guided through the spectrum of life by a writer in stunning form." -- Monique Roy, Châtelaine"A breathless race with pauses exactly when you need to catch your breath. But were anxious to discover what awaits just around the corner dénouements, amusing situations, overlapping stories, and unexpected recurrences leading to other avenues. Eyes, ears, and taste: all the senses are awakened in this feast of this novel, as in the previous ones. A must-read." -- Hans Jürgen Grief, Entre les lignes"Nuits blanches et jours de gloire reminds us that the novelist is a fine observer of history, the current state of the world, and the human condition in all its complexity." -- Suzanne Giguère, Le Devoir
£16.16
Biblioasis Damages: Selected Stories 1982-2012
Book Synopsis“If you really want to journey into the heart of darkness, you'd be advised to travel with Vancouver writer Keath Fraser, a man of extraordinary talents.” —Bronwyn Drainie An icon of Canadian short fiction, Keath Fraser has exerted a wide and trenchant influence since the publication of his first collection Taking Cover in 1982. Damages: Selected Stories 1982–2012 gathers the finest of his work across decades. Combining the craftsmanship of the form’s greatest masters with the idiosyncratic voices and music of our contemporary moment, the stories selected here travel from the richly peopled worlds of Fraser’s Vancouver to the Gulf of Thailand, a Phnom Penh bone-house embassy, and the Rajasthan desert, and demonstrate remarkable diversity of character and effortless storytelling across a range of modes. Featuring an introduction by John Metcalf, and including the novella “Foreign Affairs,” called by the Oxford Companion of Canadian Literature “one of the masterpieces of Canadian short fiction,” Damages showcases Keath Fraser as one of the best and most enduring story writers of the last fifty years.Trade ReviewPraise for Charity “A powerful work of philosophical and moral inquiry, rooted in skilfully wrought characters and sly storytelling.”—Toronto Star “Charity—for all its brevity—[is] a dense, deliberately paced work … a sincere examination of family in all its moral ambiguity, including its barbed and occasionally corrosive aspects … Fraser is adept at pulling the rug out from under a reader’s moral surety.”—Steven W. Beattie Praise for Keath Fraser “The sheer exuberance of language, the sureness with which Fraser captures the movements of the working mind, makes this book a joy to read.”—Ottawa Citizen “Fraser’s controlled and confident writing gives us a rich sense of the longing of his fully drawn characters…a remarkable, bittersweet celebration.”—Quill & Quire (starred review) "Great fun." —Chicago Tribune "The range of Fraser's characters is astonishing…not an author who can be ignored.”—January Magazine “If you really want to journey into the heart of darkness, you'd be advised to travel with Vancouver writer Keath Fraser, a man of extraordinary talents.” —Bronwyn Drainie “Keath Fraser is one of the most intelligent writers working in Canada.” —The Malahat Review
£14.39
Biblioasis You Are Here
Book SynopsisGathering the best twenty stories from Cynthia Flood’s career, these spare, stylistically inventive stories explore subjects ranging from the domestic to the political.In this collection, Flood navigates a wide range of subject matter with a writing style which gradually becomes more intense, tighter, and sometimes experimental with each story. Most themes are familiar—love, hate, children, the natural world, parents, failure, despair, anger, regret. Other stories are more unusual, dealing with topics such as far-left political activity. Containing what may be some of Flood’s most poignant work, You Are Here is a sharp and engaging exploration of the world today.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR YOU ARE HERE"These stories defy categorization; they are wonderful, layered, powerful, and imbued with clear senses of their often-Canadian settings and eras ... And they infuse bursts of joy into their cadences and descriptions of people’s literal and mental landscapes ... You Are Here is a rich and beautiful short story collection via which the voice of an era can be savored."—Foreword Reviews (starred)"You Are Here presents insightful, often incisive, glances into fictional lives ... Cynthia Flood employs a realistic style to glances into characters who are products of their respective time and place, while at the same time surprising, sometimes jarring, us with unpredictability."—BC ReviewPRAISE FOR CYNTHIA FLOOD“The prose of short story writer Cynthia Flood is sharp, minimalist and concise. Her 2013 collection Red Girl Rat Boy was shortlisted for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. Her latest book, What Can You Do, is a collection of 12 short stories that features flawed characters who are emotionally broken and adrift.”—Ryan B. Patrick, CBC Books"As the fifth collection of short stories from an award-winning author, it’s no surprise that What Can You Do is an exceptionally written and thought-provoking read. The twelve stories make up just under 150 pages, and in each one Flood does a masterful job creating a sense of existence for her characters that extends beyond the pages of their story."—Joanna Graham, The Winnipeg Review“Cynthia Flood scatters fleeting moments of personal insight throughout the dozen intriguing stories of What Can You Do, her fifth collection. Funnily, though, they’re sporadic, unreliable, and not what Flood’s characters (or readers) might expect. With characters muddling through or getting by with what life hands them, wisdom of the transcendent clarity variety turns out to be a rare commodity. In understated yet nuanced pieces that are bittersweet, sobering, or chuckle-inducing, the Vancouver-based author introduces a gallery of figures for whom paths fork unexpectedly, plans go awry, and expectations require extensive revising. Still, Flood’s characters are managing. And committed to their decisions, as on-the-fly as they might be.”—Brett Josef Grubisic, Vancouver Sun“Her latest collection, What Can You Do? cements her reputation as a gifted and observant storyteller. Technically superb, demonstrating Flood’s unstinting grasp of complex, subterranean emotion, these twelve stories tread familiar territory. The haunting “Struggle,” about a disturbed woman’s memories of her activist past, mines the rivalries and chauvinism of far-left politics in 1970s Vancouver.”—Trevor Corkum, Toronto Star“With rapid-fire narration, power-point prose, and darts of minimalist description, Flood nails her subject. Her characters are impatient to be heard, grabbing your attention, word bullets flying, hope and despair spilling over the pages.”—M.A.C. Farrent, The Vancouver Sun
£12.34
Biblioasis Charity
Book SynopsisDenise’s stepdaughter Greta is a med student who swims ocean marathons and runs off to Africa with a family friend four times her age—and also battles an eating disorder. When Judy, Greta’s birth mother, returns from Japan (to which she ran off herself, with a Mexican tennis pro) and tries to ingratiate herself with the husband and daughter she left, Denise must navigate their complicated relationships with each other while attempting to bring Greta’s addiction to light—and learning how to live more charitably.Trade ReviewPraise for Charity “Like Carol Shields’ Unless, and its meditation on goodness, Charity is a powerful work of philosophical and moral inquiry, rooted in skilfully wrought characters and sly storytelling.”—Toronto Star "Keath Fraser is a master storyteller."—The Malahat Review “Charity—for all its brevity—is] a dense, deliberately paced work … What Fraser is after in Charity is a sincere examination of family in all its moral ambiguity, including its barbed and occasionally corrosive aspects ... Fraser is adept at pulling the rug out from under a reader’s moral surety. That he manages all this in such a compact form proves that the novella is capable of detonating shock waves in a way other genres may have to work harder to achieve—if they are able to do so at all.”—Quill & Quire “Readers in the market for a fiction short might enjoy this comic novella…in which a stepmother navigates the complex relationships between her husband, his ex and their daughter.”—Globe & Mail "Fraser has crafted a conflict and characters so nuanced that the book could triple in length without feeling inflated. Charity reminds us of the power of a novella, the feel of the narrative straining against the borders of itself, the discipline in not allowing the story to be a single line longer than it needs to be ... Fraser’s characters slyly and unobtrusively rise out of the deceptively slim volume and exist in the room alongside you. It is always a mini-miracle when this happens; and the fact that it happens in such a mini book is a miracle all the more."—Richard Kelly Kemick, Malahat Review Praise for Keath Fraser “The sheer exuberance of language, the sureness with which Fraser captures the movements of the working mind, makes this book a joy to read.”—Ottawa Citizen “Fraser’s controlled and confident writing gives us a rich sense of the longing of his fully drawn characters ... a remarkable, bittersweet celebration.”—Quill & Quire (starred review) The range of Fraser’s characters is astonishing…not an author who can be ignored.”—January Magazine “If you really want to journey into the heart of darkness, you’d be advised to travel with Vancouver writer Keath Fraser, a man of extraordinary talents.”—Bronwyn Drainie “Keath Fraser is one of the most intelligent writers working in Canada.” —The Malahat Review
£10.44
Biblioasis Love Novel
Book Synopsis
£13.56
Talon Books,Canada Rite of Passage
Book SynopsisAt the crossroads at the end of childhood, Nana faces the hectic passing of her adolescence and the arrival of new responsibilities as her grandmother Joséphine approaches her last hours. To calm the storm, Nana reads the enthralling tales of Josaphat-the-Violin a returning character in Tremblay's Plateau-Mont-Royal Chronicles. Three of Josaphat's fantastical stories contain revelations whose full influence in her own existence Nana cannot yet measure. In parallel, Nina's rebellious mother Maria languishes back in Montréal. She is torn between her desire to gather her young family around her and her deep uncertainty about being able to care for them properly. Always in search of what's "best" and what's "elsewhere," will Maria seize the opportunity "which only hits the door of life once"? However, the most difficult passage in the lives of Tremblay's characters is that of time, inexorable, irrevocable, altering and often breaking everything in its path: the feelings and souls it binds and unbinds, sometimes for the better, and too often for the worse. Rites of Passage is the awaited fourth instalment in Michel Tremblay's enthralling and intensely moving Desrosiers Diaspora series of novels, translated from French by the critically acclaimed and long-time Tremblay specialist Linda Gaboriau. Novels Crossing the Continent (2008 Prix du grand public Salon du livre de Montréal / La Presse), Crossing the City (2009 Prix du grand public Salon du livre de Montréal / La Presse), and A Crossing of Hearts, instalments one, two, and three in Tremblay's saga, were all published by Talonbooks.
£12.34
Talon Books,Canada Wanting Everything: The Collected Works
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£19.79
Talon Books,Canada The Grand Melee
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£10.44
Anvil Press Publishers Inc The Loop
Book SynopsisWinner of the 41st International 3-Day Novel Writing Contest Alan is unsure if he is dead or dreaming, he only knows that he is stuck in a loop. He finds himself being forced to walk along a straight path through an unending pine forest where any deviation from the path causes him to black out and begin again. Dipping in and out of an endless purgatorial walk, Alan relives key moments in his life where he missed the opportunity to learn, escape, and change: The death of his mother, an abusive relationship with his father, and the opportunity to connect with his only real friend, a neighbour he never speaks to named Edgar. The Loop chronicles the life of an alcoholic who is unable to escape his past to explore the ways in which abuse can shape someone into their abuser and the ways trauma can transfer from one generation to the next. How much of who we are is who we are? How much of it is someone else? What if this has all happened before?
£12.59
Signature Editions Finding Callidora
Book Synopsis
£19.80
University of Calgary Press East Grand Lake
Book SynopsisShayne won’t get out of the car. It’s the summer of 1972 and the whole family has come up to Grandpa Murphy’s cottage for their annual trip. Three generations are out on the property, swimming, wandering through the forest, fixing up the clubhouse, getting ready to sing around the fire, and having a lovely time. And Shayne won’t get out of the car.A novel in sixteen stories, East Grand Lake is a lovely, thoughtful, warm-hearted tale of life at the lake with a big family. Following the Murphy Clan from one evening to the next, Tim Ryan captures the many tiny, important dramas that occur simultaneously, sometimes invisibly, when everyone gets together. A pair of brothers hunt frogs. The girl cousins make a bid for supremacy. A boy is afraid of the end of the dock. Over one sun-soaked day, the Murphy family wrestles with grief, aging, betrayal, mental illness, and the many small fictions that occur when people share their lives.Written with humour, compassion, and authenticity, East Grand Lake welcomes readers into the complex inner world of a large and loving family. This is a book for everyone who misses or wishes for summer vacation.
£35.06
NeWest Press Rose Addams
Book SynopsisRose Addams is hitting her sixties, but these days it feels like they''re starting to hit back. Her daughter, Morgan, has ditched her thesis program and moved back home to Vancouver, while her son Jason''s partner has never seen eye to eye with his mother. Her husband Charles has decided to take early retirement from the university to work on his long-gestating book, and his rakish best friend Garnet has a new mistress who is way too young for their social circle. When Rose encounters a young man panhandling outside of her library office though, a chain of events is set in motion whereby Rose will have to confront all the facets of her rapidly-complicating life.Recalling the work of Caroline Adderson, Krista Foss, and Marie-Renée Lavoie, Margie Taylor''s Rose Addams is an insight into the life of a woman who is in the process of beginning her third act, an empathetic and incisive look at the problems of those just exiting middle age while attempting to keep up with a rapidly-changing world.
£14.99
NeWest Press Uncontrolled Flight
Book SynopsisWildfire season in the British Columbia Interior. Experienced firefighting pilot Rafe Mackie loses control of his airplane while doing a routine drop and plummets to his death.The investigation that follows unleashes revelations that forever change the lives of three people: Will, the pilot who watched his mentor crash; Sharon, the widow struggling to come to terms with her loss; and Nathalie, an accident investigator with shadowy connections to the incident. As a form of the truth emerges, these three are drawn into a tangle of secrets and lies, passion and grief, blame and forgiveness that forces them to confront the actions that brought one man''s life crashing to an end.In her second novel, Frances Peck creates another explosive literary page-turner, one that probes love, loyalty, and the ways we try to conceal and redeem our lives.
£14.99
Nimbus Publishing Limited Nosy Parker
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£17.33
Vagrant Press Amazing Grace
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£19.51
Vagrant Press The Remembering
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£16.16
Vagrant Press Some There Are Fearless
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£18.95
Vagrant Press The Pregnant Pause
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£16.16
Vagrant Press What Comes Echoing Back
Book SynopsisA poignant novel imbued with music from the Giller Prize ? shortlisted author of Like This and Twenty-Six that follows two social outcasts as they navigate through their traumatic pasts.The worst moment of Sam''s life was captured on video and shared across the Internet for all to gawk at. This is something she has in common with Robot, who just wants to move past the mistakes he''s made, if only his small town will let him. When the two meet in a high school music class, they start to find their way to each other. Music might offer a way not only forward, but forward together, if Sam and Robot can overcome the echoes of the moments that made them infamous.The past reverberates in ways we don''t expect, in this new novel by Giller Prize ? shortlisted author Leo McKay, Jr. From family secrets and old relationships that resurface, to the tape loops that endlessly replay private moments of trauma and despair, What Comes Echoing Back travels back and forth in time to get to what''s true, with humour, humanity, and the healing power of music.
£17.05
Orion Publishing Co American Dervish: From the winner of the Pulitzer
Book SynopsisTHE EXPLOSIVE NOVEL FROM PULITZER PRIZE WINNER AYAD AKHTAR'Terrific' The Times'Extraordinary' Sunday Express'A great American story' MetroHOW OFTEN DOES SOMEONE YOU MEET TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE?Hayat Shah was captivated by Mina long before he met her: his mother's beautiful, brilliant friend is a family legend. When he learns that Mina is leaving Pakistan to live with the Shahs in America, Hayat is thrilled.Hayat's father is less enthusiastic. Ever wary of fundamentalism, he doesn't relish the idea of Mina's fervid devotion under his roof. What no one expects is that when Mina shows Hayat the beauty of the Quran, it will utterly transform him.Mina's real magic may be that the Shah household becomes a happy one. But when Mina catches the eye of a Jewish doctor and family friend, Hayat's jealousy is inflamed by the community's anti-Semitism - and he acts with catastrophic consequences for those he loves most. A DEVASTATINGLY MOVING NOVEL FROM ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST EXCITING WRITERSA Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the YearA Globe and Mail Best Book of the YearA Shelf Awareness Best Book of the YearAn O, the Oprah Magazine Book of the YearTrade ReviewA terrific first novel, warm and wise. -- Kate Saunders * THE TIMES *this book is prescient and timely in both recognising and dramatically exploring this increasingly unbreachable social divide. * ENTERTAINMENT FOCUS *his dialogue is free-flowing and natural, and he has a good eye for small visual details within a scene that colour the mood of the action around them. -- Alan Morrison * THE HERALD *Both extremists and the ambivalent are accorded even-handed coverage and the characterisation is strong -- Catherine Taylor * THE GUARDIAN *American Dervish is an extraordinary novel and one you certainly won't regret reading -- Roddy Ashworth * SUNDAY EXPRESS *Akhtar proves the capacity of the great American stories to be endlessly renewed by each generation of writers -- Claire Allfree * METRO *There are themes here reminiscent of The Go-Between by L.P.Hartley and Ian McEwan's more recent Atonement, of a life scarred by chame at a childish act that has catastrophic consequences in adult life. * TLS *American Dervish is about the collision of cultures, identity and religion in 1980s America. * BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH *a pleasing read * THE SUNDAY BUSINESS POST *Ayad Akhtar's first novel is deftly plotted, with a frame narrative that shows how Hayat's sense of shame pursues him into adulthood. There are shades of Ian McEwan's Atonement, but Akhtar's writing has a crisp, imagistic quality all its own. * THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *
£8.54
Oneworld Publications The Night Stages
Book Synopsis'Jane Urqhuart charts the restless weather of the human heart in the same observant, inventive way the ancient Greeks mapped the constellations.' Washington Post A magnificent, elegiac novel of intersecting memories that explores the meaning of separation and reunion, the sorrows of fractured families, and the profound effect of Ireland's harshly beautiful landscape on lives lived in solitude After a tragic accident leaves Tamara alone on the most westerly tip of Ireland, she begins an affair with a charismatic meteorologist named Niall. It’s the 1950s, and Tamara has settled into civilian life after working as an auxiliary pilot in World War II. At first her romance is filled with passionate secrecy, but when Niall’s younger brother, Kieran, disappears after a bicycle race, Niall, unable to shake the idea that he may be to blame, slowly falls into despondency. Distraught and abandoned after their decade-long relationship, Tamara decides she has no option but to leave. Jane Urquhart’s mesmerizing novel opens as Tamara makes her way from Ireland to New York. During a layover in Gander, Newfoundland, a fog moves in, grounding her plane and stranding her in front of the airport’s mural. As she gazes at the nutcracker-like children, missile-shaped birds, and fruit blossoms, she revisits the circumstances that brought her to Ireland and the family entanglement that has forced her into exile. Slowly she interweaves her life story with Kieran’s as she searches for the truth about Niall. Trade Review'Wise and psychologically astute'. * The Tablet *'A skilful and sophisticated novel, enriched by Urquhart's gift for evoking landscape and by her precise, poetic prose'. * The Sunday Times (Culture) *‘Urquhart's poetic, almost ethereal writing invites readers to revisit certain passages and marvel. This book about unquenchable longing is a lovely addition to her distinguished, award-filled oeuvre.’ * Library Journal *‘Jane Urquhart’s writing compellingly depicts the sense of place in human lives.’ * Alice Munro *'Urquhart writes forcefully; her imagery is vivid, and her evocation of time and place is accomplished and assured.' * Times Literary Supplement *‘A rich, lush novel with much to mine … for its language alone, The Night Stages will quickly earn its place among Urquhart's other globally acclaimed and award-winning novels … The Night Stages is another tour de force by this exceptional author.’ * Toronto Star *'Jane Urqhuart charts the restless weather of the human heart in the same observant, inventive way the ancient Greeks mapped the constellations.' * Washington Post *‘Thoughtful, multifaceted work … Urquhart-whose prose at times flows from the same hand that has written four volumes of poetry-reveals her characters slowly, placing them within or privy to smaller narratives, vignettes, anecdotes that are themselves small marvels of storytelling and serve the several themes of love's pain, family turmoil, and the elusive sense of home and place, especially in light of Ireland's immigrant history … Masterful. * Kirkus Reviews *‘Urquhart has masterfully captured the thoughts of two damaged young men … a powerful, observant novel that builds quietly to a fever pitch.’ * Vancouver Sun *'‘By the time one finishes reading The Night Stages, all kinds of knowledge will have imperceptively crept up – knowledge about weather, flight and, most of all, the landscape of Ireland's gorgeous, rugged County Kerry … In Urquhart's hands, even the most troubled spaces contain the potential for redemption.' * Winnipeg Free Press *
£8.54
Benediction Classics The Complete Little Women - Little Women, Good Wives, Little Men, Jo's Boys
£36.04
Quercus Publishing Meet Me on the Beach: An emotional drama of love
Book SynopsisWhere do you run when your heart's breaking all the rules?When pillar-of-the-community Harry Stewart dies of a sudden heart attack, the whole village is devastated - except for his wife Karen, the only one who really knew the abusive alcoholic Harry had become. Suddenly freed from this oppressive marriage, Karen is nonetheless wracked with guilt about the circumstances of her husband's death, and sees the presence of her spoiled step-daughter, Sophie, as a suitable purgatory. Her only comfort in her grief and isolation is William, the sympathetic local vicar. As Karen shares her secret, William's listening ear soon becomes a shoulder to cry on, and before long Karen realises she is falling in love. But William has a wife and teenaged daughter, not to mention a parish to watch over - and be watched by. As the pressure becomes too much to bear, Karen flees to the seaside and to Mike Best's beach café. But when William suddenly turns up again in her life, can they persuade each other to take one final leap of faith together?Trade ReviewBoyd is as canny as Joanna Trollope at observing family life - and better than Trollope at jokes - Daily MailPoignant, well-observed and wonderfully written ... a heartstring-puller - Closer (on Tangled Lives)A smart emotional drama, you will race through this - Daily Mirror (on A Most Desirable Marriage)
£9.49
Pushkin Press Nails and Eyes
Book SynopsisTense, subtly disturbing literary horror from a prize-winning Japanese writer A young girl loses her mother, and her father blindly invites his secret lover into the family home to care for her. As she obsessively tries to curate a pristine life, this new interloper remains indifferent to the girl, who seems to record her every move - and she realises only too late all that she has failed to see. With masterful narrative control, Nails and Eyes builds to a conclusion of disturbing power. Paired with two additional stories of unsettled minds and creeping tension, it introduces a daring new voice in Japanese literature.Trade ReviewTaut and entrancing * CrimeReads *
£8.54
Pushkin Press The Wolf Hunt
Book Synopsis'Gundar-Goshen is adept at instilling emotional depth into a thriller plot' New York Times Ayelet Gundar-Goshen, the award-winning author of Waking Lions and Liar, returns with a powerfully compelling novel about a mother who begins to suspect her teenage son of committing a terrible crime Lilach seems to have it all: a beautiful home in the heart of Silicon Valley, a community of other Israeli immigrants, a happy marriage and a close relationship with her teenage son, Adam. But when aa local synagogue is brutally attacked, her shy, reclusive son is compelled to join a self-defense class taught by a former Israeli Special Forces officer. Then a Black teenager dies at a house party, and rumours begin to circulate that Adam and his new friends might have been involved. As scrutiny begins to invade Lilach's peaceful home, and her family's stability is threatened, will are her own fears be the greatest danger of all? This psychologically astute, timely and page-turning literary novel is perfect for fans of Leïla Slimani, Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha, and We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver PRAISE FOR AYELET GUNDAR-GOSHEN 'It's not every day a writer like this comes our way' Guardian 'Gundar-Goshen is interested in examining the messy grey areas between right and wrong, good and bad, victim and perpetrator' Financial Times 'Deliciously enticing... a plot that thrills at every twist and turn' Irish Times on Liar 'A classy, suspenseful tale... shine[s] a penetrating light into the dark corners of our safe lives' The Times on Waking Lines 'This is storytelling that feels instinctive... both moving and satisfying' Guardian on One Night, MarkovitchTrade Review'It's not every day a writer like this comes our way' - Guardian'Flawed but relatable characters and off-the-charts emotional intensity with a sharply evoked Israeli cultural perspective' - Kirkus Reviews'A moral mystery for the thinking reader' - Financial Times on Liar'Gundar-Goshen is interested in examining the messy grey areas between right and wrong, good and bad, victim and perpetrator' - Financial Times'Deliciously enticing... a plot that thrills at every twist and turn' - Irish Times on Liar'Gundar-Goshen carefully peels back her plot like an onion . . . I loved the novel' -Jewish Chronicle'A meditation on paranoia and belonging. Gundar-Goshen, a clinical psychologist and author of the acclaimed Waking Lions and Liar, shows how a tragedy exposes problems in seemingly happy lives. She is adept at drawing out the fragility of identity' -Financial Times'[The Wolf Hunt] reaches out and wraps itself around the issues - parenting, antisemitism, masculinity - and exemplifies them in character and dialogue' -Observer'Gundar-Goshen ensnares her characters in some heart-stopping moral dilemmas in this sharp, compassionate tale of race, identity and a mother's fears' -Mail on Sunday'As focused as we are on protecting our children, The Wolf Hunt questions our certainties about who and what we want to protect them from' -Spectator'The Wolf Hunt succeeds thanks to the sheer strength and complexity of Lilach's fraught, acutely self-critical character, racked by the competing demands of motherhood and morality... lithe, observant prose' -Literary Review'The manipulation of tension here is exquisite' -Strong Words'Gundar-Goshen does an excellent job in setting up the privilege and paranoia in her character's lives as their lives slowly unravel' -Marie Claire, best books of 2023
£15.29
Atlantic Books Secrets of the Sea House
Book Synopsis***Shortlisted For Historical Writers' Association's Debut Crown For Best First Historical Novel***Scotland, 1860. Reverend Alexander Ferguson, naïve and newly-ordained, takes up his new parish, a poor, isolated patch on the Hebridean island of Harris. His time on the island will irrevocably change the course of his life, but the white house on the edge of the dunes keeps its silence long after Alexander departs. It will be more than a century before the Sea House reluctantly gives up its secrets. Ruth and Michael buy the grand but dilapidated building and begin to turn it into a home for the family they hope to have. But their dreams are marred by a shocking discovery. The tiny bones of a baby are buried beneath the house; the child's fragile legs are fused together - a mermaid child. Who buried the bones? And why? Ruth needs to solve the mystery of her new home - but the answers to her questions may lie in her own past. Based on a real nineteenth-century letter to The Times in which a Scottish clergyman claimed to have seen a mermaid, Secrets of the Sea House is an epic, sweeping tale of loss and love, hope and redemption, and how we heal ourselves with the stories we tell.Trade ReviewSecrets of the Sea House is an arresting tale of the things that haunt us. But the real pleasure in this debut novel is Elisabeth Gifford's finely wrought prose; at turns acute, delicate and fierce -- Liza Klaussmann, author of TIGERS IN RED WEATHERGifford moves nimbly between the centuries and voices of her intriguing tale. She is a singular and poetic writer -- Rhidian Brook, author of THE AFTERMATHSure to ignite an interest in sea mythology partnered with real-life ground-breaking sightings and discoveries, this is the perfect read if you're heading to a British beach this summer * Red Magazine *Fans of historical fiction, folklore and Scotland will all enjoy this wonderful debut; Gifford is a writer to watch * We Love This Book *A sweeping summer read, packed with an epic tale of loss, love and hope * Irish News *This is a book that you'll remember, long after the last page has been turned * Daily Express *Anything this good deserves the largest readership possible and we readers deserve to be treated to novels like this from time to time too; symbiosis in action * Bookbag *
£9.49
Atlantic Books Return to Fourwinds
Book Synopsis***Shortlisted Author For Historical Writers' Association's Debut Crown For Best First Historical Novel***What will it cost to hide your deepest secrets from those you love most? At Fourwinds they gather: Alice and Ralph, Patricia and Peter, to celebrate the marriage of their children. But the bride is nowhere to be seen. What could have caused Sarah to vanish? As both families search for the answer, the past floods through the corridors of the old house. What secret has Ralph been keeping from his wife? What is it about Alice's wartime encounter with Peter that has haunted her ever since? Return to Fourwinds is a sweeping, lyrical story of the things we choose to tell and the secrets that we keep.Trade ReviewBeautifully written, brilliantly observed... a wonderful and intriguing book -- Barbara ErskineA moving novel of great sweep and depth -- Tim PearsSecrets of the Sea House is an arresting tale of the things that haunt us. But the real pleasure in this debut novel is Elisabeth Gifford's finely wrought prose; at turns acute, delicate and fierce -- Liza Klaussmann on SECRETS OF THE SEA HOUSEGifford moves nimbly between the centuries and voices of her intriguing tale. She is a singular and poetic writer -- Rhidian Brook on SECRETS OF THE SEA HOUSESure to ignite an interest in sea mythology partnered with real-life ground-breaking sightings and discoveries, this is the perfect read if you're heading to a British beach this summer * Red Magazine on SECRETS OF THE SEA HOUSE *Fans of historical fiction, folklore and Scotland will all enjoy this wonderful debut; Gifford is a writer to watch * We Love This Book on SECRETS OF THE SEA HOUSE *
£8.54
Atlantic Books Treason's Daughter
Book SynopsisLove, betrayal and a family divided amid the turmoil of the English Civil War.London, 1640. Fifteen-year-old Henrietta Challoner dreams of adventure, of a life lived at the gallop, of the opportunities afforded to her brothers, Ned and Sam. She cannot know how devastatingly real these dreams will become, as the country slides towards vicious civil war...The crisis threatens to tear Henrietta's family apart. As religious and political tensions spill into the streets, they all must decide what comes first - their family, their country or their desires. But while she strives to maintain the peace at home, Henrietta becomes embroiled in a deeper plot: to hand London over to the King.Trade ReviewSenior's fresh, forceful writing breathes new life and relevance into the most destructive, dangerous era in English history. Totally gripping -- Kate Saunders * The Times *This study of a family divided by the Civil War is powerfully engaging. Senior is equally convincing on the fast-moving, 'male' world of politics and war and the more pragmatic (but equally painful) battles fought by the women who must somehow live with the results. Hen is a delightful heroine; I was rooting for her right up to the novel's heartbreaking conclusion. -- Maria McCann, bestselling author of THE WILDINGSenior's prose is as fresh as a country walk in spring, and arrestingly original... This is a compelling book that truly gets under the skin of its characters, and does so with compassion and passion... I predict a glittering future for its hugely talented author -- Angus Donald, bestselling author of THE OUTLAW CHRONICLES
£7.59
Atlantic Books The Good House
Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR MOVIE STARRING KEVIN KLINE AND SIGOURNEY WEAVER LONGLISTED FOR THE IMPAC DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2014_______________________________________Hildy Good has reached that dangerous time in a woman's life - middle-aged and divorced, she is an oddity in her small but privileged town. But Hildy isn't one for self-pity and instead meets the world with a wry smile, a dark wit and a glass or two of Pinot Noir. When her two earnest grown-up children stage an 'intervention' and pack Hildy off to an addiction centre, she thinks all this fuss is ridiculous. After all, why shouldn't she enjoy a drink now and then?But we start to see another side to Hildy Good, and to her life's greatest passion. Soon, a cluster of secrets become dangerously entwined, with devastating consequences...Trade ReviewFresh, sharp and masterfully told. Hildy's tale is as intoxicating as it is sobering. * People *Ann Leary's The Good House creates a one-of-a-kind character in Hildy Good... By the end you'll be flipping pages, trying desperately to piece together what happened as much as the narrator is doing herself. * Jodi Picoult, author of A Spark of Light *Leary writes with humor and insight, revealing both the pure pleasure of drinking and the lies and justifications of alcoholism, the warmth Hildy feels toward others when she drinks and the desperation that makes her put alcohol before the people she loves. The result is a layered and complex portrait of a woman struggling with addiction, in a town where no secret stays secret for long. * J. Courtney Sullivan, New York Times Book Review *Hildy is an original, irresistibly likable and thoroughly untrustworthy....A genuinely funny novel about alcoholism. * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *Leary's genius is to give us a true original: Hildy, a not-so-recovering alcoholic/realtor who crashlands among a colorful cast of New England neighbors, but Leary also says a great deal about the houses we choose to live in, the people we're compelled to love, and the addictions we don't want to give up. So alive, I swear the pages of this wickedly funny and moving novel are breathing. * Caroline Leavitt, author of Pictures of You *A good read. * USA Today *Atmospheric, funny, poignant, gritty, and romantic, and Hildy Good is refreshingly candid and lovably flawed. * Kate Christensen, author of The Last Cruise *Superstition, drama, and intrigue unspool at a perfect pace in Ann Leary's irresistible new novel, The Good House, a tale steeped in New England character and small-town social tumult. * Redbook *One of the best works of Massachusetts fiction in recent memory. * Boston Magazine *
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Atlantic Books The Beautiful Screaming of Pigs: Author of the
Book SynopsisFROM THE BOOKER PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE PROMISESHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE, 2003A year ago Patrick Winter was in Namibia completing his military service. Now, during the first free elections, Patrick has returned to the country he defended; the place where he fell in love for the first and only time. With the country poised to change forever, Patrick is forced to revisit his past and scale the wall that he has built around his painful memories of love, war and loss.'An astonishingly sensitive writer.' Irish Times'Engaging and enduring... devastating in the lucidity and austere assurance of its prose.' TLS'A work whose psychological observation is as subtle as its political analysis.' The Times'A beautifully written and thoughtful meditation on love, loss and longing.' AttitudeTrade ReviewAn astonishingly sensitive writer. * Irish Times *Engaging and enduring... devastating in the lucidity and austere assurance of its prose. * TLS *A work whose psychological observation is as subtle as its political analysis. * The Times *A beautifully written and thoughtful meditation on love, loss and longing. * Attitude *
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Atlantic Books A Better Man
Book SynopsisMaya wants Nick to be less of a workaholic, to come home earlier, to spend some time with his children. Nick wants a divorce.With his mind made up, Nick is determined to leave. But it comes as a shock to realize how much it will cost him to walk away. As a stay-at-home mum, Maya is entitled to everything.Then an unlikely solution presents itself: Nick needs to act like a better man. If he plays the part of a good husband and father, Maya will become happier and more self-sufficient - and Nick's pay-out to her will be far cheaper. But as Nick pretends to be a better man he becomes one. He remembers why he fell in love with Maya, and what a great couple they can be. Everything seems to be back on track. Until Maya finds out exactly what Nick had been planning...Trade ReviewThis brilliantly written read is original, surprising, funny and clever. I raced to the end, totally engrossed by McLaren's forensic examination of the demise of this very modern marriage. Wonderful - I loved it. -- Sara Lawrence * Daily Mail *A crisply written satire. -- Marian Ryan * Mail on Sunday *McLaren's deft prose crackles... A Better Man is unexpectedly beautiful * Globe and Mail *A gripping, intimate book that will thrill with its juicy plot and win you over with its powerful insight into relationships. * Book Page *Inside every couple's marriage is a secret known only to them. One of the many pleasures of Leah McLaren's novel is the way she opens a window onto that secret, with great heart and wit. Wince in recognition then laugh out loud, just like life. -- Elizabeth Renzetti, author of BASED ON A TRUE STORYIn this engrossing new novel, Leah McLaren deftly balances humour and pathos to weave a touching, entertaining portrait of a marriage in crisis. A great read! -- Terry Fallis, bestselling author of NO RELATIONA brilliant fresh take on the collapse of a modern marriage. Well-observed, beautifully written but mostly screechingly funny. I laughed, I gasped. Give it to all your friends. -- Camilla Long
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Atlantic Books Bone by Bone: A psychological thriller so
Book SynopsisLaura loves her daughter more than anything in the world. But nine-year-old Autumn is being bullied. Laura feels helpless. When Autumn fails to return home from school one day, Laura goes looking for her. She finds a crowd of older children taunting her little girl. In the heat of the moment, Laura makes a terrible choice. A choice that will have devastating consequences for her and her daughter...Trade ReviewA powerful and compelling story about the lengths a mother will go to to protect her child. What begins as a worrying situation quickly escalates into a nightmare as the result of a single bad decision. I found myself wondering what I would have done in that situation and the ending had me holding my breath. -- C.L. TaylorOnce I picked it up, I could not stop reading - I literally raced to the end. Laura's fierce love for her daughter Autumn, mixed with her desperation in the face of her powerlessness to prevent her daughter being bullied, made for a riveting and unsettling read. Bone by Bone is a tense, dark novel. Dread seeps from each page as Laura and her daughter descend deeper and deeper into a living nightmare and the story spirals towards an ending that is both unexpected and deeply satisfying. Sanjida is such a wonderful, assured writer. -- Luana LewisA page turner but also a book that explores with chilling realism the insidious nature of bullying and how helpless parents can feel in the face of damage being done to their child; I can imagine this will appeal to many parents. -- Jane ShemiltThis novel about the insidious nature of bullying escalates into a tale of violence, fear and suspense. * Daily Mail *
£11.69
Atlantic Books Akram's War: a novel of one young Muslim's
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.
£12.99
Atlantic Books Akram's War: a novel of one young Muslim's
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.
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Atlantic Books Conrad & Eleanor: a drama of one couple’s
Book SynopsisA BBC Radio 4 Book at BedtimeWhen Conrad fails to return home from a science conference, Eleanor guesses he may at last be reacting to her infidelity. Or has he finally tired of his stagnating job in transplant research? Eleanor's own scientific career has forged ahead, while Conrad played main carer to their children. The four children, now adult, fear for their father but seem to have little sympathy for their tough ambitious mother.Meanwhile, a long way from home, Conrad is alone, scared and on the run.Trade ReviewThis is an extraordinary novel about an ordinary situation; the unravelling of a marriage. Jane Rogers writes with delicacy and insight about the death throes of a long relationship... This is a dissection of a relationship that cuts to the bone. * The Times *Rogers recognises the coincidences of opposites, of irreconcilable drives, at the quick of human experience. It is this that powers Conrad & Eleanor and keeps the reader engrossed... The sequence is a microcosm of the novel's structure, the roiling tempest in Conrad's mind coming to rest in exhausted affirmation. It's brilliantly done - a sustained exploration of the polarities at the enduring heart of love. * Guardian *Her observation of our species is tender, precise, illuminating. -- Hilary Mantel'Rogers displays a knack for drawing on life's subtle and uncanny parallels' (praise for Hitting Trees with Sticks) * Times Literary Supplement *'Roger's prose flows elegantly and with effortless power.... Intricately plotted, with the ability to repeatedly surprise' (praise for The Voyage Home) * Observer *Warm, wise, insightful, sharply observed and beautifully written. -- Marina LewyckaA really clever, reflective and dispassionate scrutiny of a marriage in trouble * Daily Mail *This is a portrait of modern middle-class matrimony, well-crafted and full of insight into the compromises and imbalances of long-standing relationships. * Mail on Sunday *A gripping account of a marriage based on role-reversal... Throughout this fast-paced, thriller-like narrative, dialogue both external and internal crackles with authenticity... And the issues they tackle give the story terrific momentum. * Book Oxygen *Jane Rogers' Conrad and Eleanor [has a] strong narrative vivid characters and a twist of the unexpected... * Spectator *
£8.54
Atlantic Books If I Forget You
Book SynopsisWhen Margot and Henry meet, they fall deeply in love. And then they lose each other.But Henry can't forget Margot and Margot is haunted by her memories of Henry. They live in each other's minds. Twenty-one years later, they meet, by chance, on a Manhattan street. And that's where their story truly begins...If I Forget You is a beautiful exploration of what it means to find the person you are destined to be with, but then spend a lifetime apart.Trade ReviewThomas Christopher Greene's If I Forget You is the most moving and beautifully-written love story I've read since Cold Mountain. -- Howard Frank Mosher, author of God's KingdomRomantic, full of yearning, and hopeful, this is an unapologetically passionate tale about the kind of enduring love we dream about when we are young. -- Robin Oliveira, New York Times bestselling authorThis love story makes for a perfect beach read. * Real Simple *A powerful, emotionally moving love story. * Library Journal *Hypnotic. -- Eric da Costa, author of Seven DaysBeautifully written... addictive -- Civilian ReaderIncredibly beautiful and compulsively readable, The Headmaster's Wife will keep you mesmerized into the wee hours. A master storyteller, Greene's biggest achievement is proving that the most complex mystery of all is how and why we love. * Kimberly McCreight, bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia on The Headmaster's Wife *Nothing is what it appears in this brilliant story of a life gone awry... The author's true intentions make this tale even more remarkable, for the book is, at its core, a trenchant examination of one family's terrible loss and how the aftermath of tragedy can make or break a person's soul. * Publishers Weekly on The Headmaster's Wife *Greene's haunting tale tracks the unraveling of a marriage. It starts, eerily, with a naked man's arrest... then twists back in time through love, grief, betrayal, and love again. * Good Housekeeping US on The Headmaster's Wife *
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Atlantic Books All of Us and Everything
Book SynopsisEsme: eldest child, control-freak, perfect wife. In fact, her husband has run off with his dentist and their teenage daughter is live-tweeting the entire mess to her 3,000 followers. Liv: middle child, fiancé stealer, squatter. Holed up in her ex-husband's apartment with her acupuncturist and a bottle of whiskey.Ru: youngest child, writer, runaway. Hopes to find inspiration for her second novel whilst fleeing her fiancé. One-by-one the siblings return to the family home, where a box of old letters awaits them containing the answer to the mystery they have all lived with, until now: who was their father, and why the hell did he disappear?Trade ReviewSimilar to Nick Hornby... Asher's novel rewards readers with an engrossing plot rich in witty and frank dark humor... Thoughtful and provoking. * Booklist *Asher's newest title spotlights her unique voice plus an affinity for quirky, wounded characters that are both realistic and likeable... An entertaining yet astute look at family, self, story and connections. * Kirkus *The Rockwell siblings... won me over completely, and their story twists and turns in such fascinating, hilarious, heartfelt ways, that it left me in awe of Asher's abilities. -- Kevin Wilson, author of The Family Fang
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Transworld Publishers Ltd The Heart's Invisible Furies
Book Synopsis'A bold, funny epic' Observer'Compelling and satisfying . . . At times, incredibly funny, at others, heartrending' Sarah Winman, author of Still Life___Cyril Avery is not a real Avery. At least, that's what his parents make sure to remind him. Adopted as a baby, he feels more and more disconnected with the family that treats him more as a curious pet, rather than a beloved son.So, as a young adult, Cyril decides to embark on a quest to find his place in the world. Sometimes misguided and often in the wrong place at the wrong time, life has dealt him a difficult hand but Cyril is resolute that he can change things, and find the courage to be himself.And in doing so, his story will come across that of Catherine Goggin, a young, pregnant woman finding herself alone and isolated at only sixteen. There is a place in the world for both of them, and Cyril is determined to find it.The new novel by John Boyne, WATER, is available for pre-order now.___What readers are saying:'The story of the life of one man, told against the backdrop of twentieth century Ireland' 'Simultaneously heart-breaking, funny and life-affirming.''Fantastic eccentric characters and dark humour is underpinned by a touching love story, perfect.''The saddest and happiest book I have read . . . told with great compassion and ultimately a great love of life.'Trade ReviewTender, dark, hilarious, heartbreaking—I loved it * Vogue *It’s been a long time since I read anything so compelling and satisfying. At times, incredibly funny, at others, heartrendingthe most beautifully written and crafted novel ... heartbreaking * Santa Montefiore *By turns savvy, witty and achingly sad . . . This is a novelist at the top of his game. * The Mail on Sunday *I ran through the whole range of human emotions while reading this brilliant novel. It's a masterpiece. -- Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of The Last Act of LoveScreamingly funny one minute and heartbreaking the next. * Daily Express *A special read * BBC Radio 4 Front Row *Boyne creates lightness out of doom, humour out of desperately sad situations, creating a compelling page-turner… a terrific read. * The Press Association *An epic novel…. Worthy of the great master of the Irish comic novel, Flann O’Brien. The Heart’s Invisible Furies proves that John is not just one of Ireland’s best living novelists but also one of the best novelists of Ireland. * Sunday Express *Written with verve, humour and heart…at its core, The Heart’s Invisible Furies aspires to be not just the tale of Cyril Avery, a man buffeted by coincidence and circumstance, but the story of Ireland itself * Irish Times *
£9.49
Transworld Publishers Ltd Strange Flowers: The Number One Bestseller
Book SynopsisWinner of the An Post Irish Novel of the Year 2020Longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award'You have to truly love people to write like this' RACHEL JOYCE'One of the greatest novels of this century' SUNDAY INDEPENDENT'Gorgeously wrought' GUARDIANIn 1973, twenty-year-old Moll Gladney takes a morning bus from her rural home and disappears.Bewildered and distraught, Paddy and Kit must confront an unbearable prospect: that they will never see their daughter again.Five years later, Moll returns. What - and who - she brings with her will change the course of her family's life forever.Beautiful and devastating, this exploration of loss, alienation and the redemptive power of love reaffirms Donal Ryan as one of the most talented and empathetic writers at work today._________'Outstanding ... Tender and beautifully written' INDEPENDENT'All the beauty and sorrow of life can be found in these pages' KATHLEEN MACMAHON'Exquisite . . . Beautiful' ANNE GRIFFIN, author of WHEN ALL IS SAID'Ryan gathers together the fragments of broken lives and makes us something new and beautiful from them' RÓNÁN HESSION, author of LEONARD AND HUNGRY PAULTrade ReviewHere is love as a weapon and a balm. Love as faith, fate and redemption ... a gorgeously wrought book - compassionate without dissolving into nostalgia * Guardian *Endlessly surprising and incredibly moving * David Nicholls *A triumph ... Ryan slowly and beautifully reveals the way that even broken people can open the door fully to the truth of themselves * Independent, Best Books of 2020 *His moving story of love and loss deserves to win a host of awards. It's an outstanding read * Sunday Express *I think you have to truly love people to write like this * Rachel Joyce *A triumph of quiet but devastating power, by some distance the best novel I've read so far this year -- Joseph O'ConnorA big-hearted, beautiful work of art, full of truth and intensity * Kit de Waal *Classic Ryan; poignant and atmospheric storytelling ... quiet but intermittently explosive * Observer *I knew Donal Ryan's latest would be good and I was right - it's a risky act of imagination that works, and the sentences are as beautiful as ever -- Sarah Moss * The Times *The lyricism of Ryan's prose, laced with compassion, is astonishing -- Best Irish Novels of the Year * Irish Independent *With each new novel Donal Ryan's ink seems to sink deeper into the page. In Strange Flowers he gathers together the fragments of broken lives and makes us something new and beautiful from them * Rónán Hession, author of Leonard and Hungry Paul *A book so exquisite in its language it pushes me to want to write better ... you will love the quiet world of Paddy & Kit Gladney and all it is their daughter Moll brings to their door. Beautiful * Anne Griffin, author of When All Is Said *A beautiful, almost unbearably moving novel. Donal Ryan's compassion shines through every word he writes * Louise O’Neill *This is a novel to savour, for its mastery of language, its power of storytelling and its sure hand as it covers the sweep of time. Irish fiction was in a great place already, but Donal Ryan has gone and raised the bar again. All the beauty and sorrow of life can be found in these pages -- Kathleen MacMahonThe lyricism of the prose can be pitch perfect, placing Ryan among the great writers of rural Ireland such as John McGahern and Mary Lavin * Sunday Times *It is the sweetest, gentlest story of love ... each character so tenderly evoked * Saga Magazine *Ryan's beautifully written story reads like coming home and is a breath of fresh air -- Best Novels of 2020 * Image Magazine *Tender and beautifully written ... We read this outstanding book in one sitting and will definitely return to it again * Independent *What a beautiful book, I loved it * Sinéad Morrissey *Beautifully observed Tipperary setting and tenderly created characters telling a story of loss and redemption ... Love permeates Ryan's work * Irish Times *
£8.54
Transworld Publishers Ltd The Second Wife
Book Synopsis‘A mesmerising, beautifully-written domestic thriller that really stands out from the crowd. I flew through it.’ Mark Edwards, author of HERE TO STAY‘A domestic noir to race through’ Sunday Mirror'Enjoyably twisty, this is most impressive for its chilling insights into obsession and where it can lead' Observer ******Everyone brings baggage to a new relationship.When Alex met Natalie she changed his life. After the tragic death of his first wife, which left him a single parent to teenage daughter Jade, he’s determined to build a happy family.But his new-found happiness is shattered when the family home is gutted by fire and his loyalties are unexpectedly tested. Jade insists she saw a man in the house on the night of the fire; Natalie denies any knowledge of such an intruder.Alex is faced with an impossible choice: to believe his wife or his daughter? And as Natalie’s story unravels, Alex realises that his wife has a past he had no idea about, a past that might yet catch up with her.But this time, the past could be deadly . . . *******************‘Beautifully written and well-crafted. I read it in two days, though I would have read it in one if I could’ Sandie Jones, author of THE OTHER WOMAN'Engrossing, original and hugely enjoyable' Emma Curtis, author of THE NIGHT YOU LEFTPraise for Rebecca Fleet:‘This is very much a heart-thumping, read-in-one-sitting story, and absolutely delivers on its smart and original hook’ Heat‘A fantastic thriller – dead-on domestic noir, full of tension and surprises. I loved it.’ Lee Child‘An enthralling thriller that lives up to its chilling premise.’ Renee Knight, author of Disclaimer‘Rebecca Fleet has created a perfectly contained cast of credible characters in a story so intriguing that you will be guessing right up to the last page. And it’s beautifully written too. I loved this book.’ Liz Nugent, author of Lying in Wait'Dark, smart, sexy, gripping, totally brilliant.’ Erin Kelly, author of He Said She Said'Sinister and compelling' Woman & Home'You'll be whipping through the pages' StylistTrade ReviewBeautifully written and well-crafted, the characters of Natalie, Rachel, Sadie and Alex stayed with me long after I finished reading and I resented anything that stopped me from getting back to them. I read it in two days, though I would have read it in one if I could! * Sandie Jones, author of THE OTHER WOMAN *A mesmerising, beautifully-written domestic thriller that really stands out from the crowd. I flew through it. * Mark Edwards, author of FOLLOW YOU HOME *Engrossing, original and hugely enjoyable. * Emma Curtis, author of THE NIGHT YOU LEFT *A fabulous read. * Woman & Home *A menacing new thriller . . . Expect to be gripped! * That's Life! *
£7.59
Transworld Publishers Ltd The Whispering House
Book Synopsis'Shimmering, lush...will keep you up all night' - Rene Denfeld, author of THE ENCHANTED'Eerie and addictive' - New York TimesWhen I think of Byrne Hall - which I do more often than I'd like - it's the dead weight of the heatwave that comes back to me, and the smell of things going rotten.Freya Lyell is struggling to move on from her sister Stella's suicide five years ago. Visiting the bewitching Byrne Hall, only a few miles from the scene of the tragedy, she discovers a portrait of Stella - a portrait she had no idea existed, in a house Stella never set foot in. Or so she thought.Driven to find out more about her sister's secrets, Freya is drawn into the world of Byrne Hall and its owners: charismatic artist Cory and his sinister, watchful mother. But as Freya's relationship with Cory crosses the line into obsession, the darkness behind the locked doors of Byrne Hall threatens to spill out.Trade ReviewShimmering, lush, with prose that beats at the heart, The Whispering House will keep you up all night -- Rene Denfeld, author of THE ENCHANTEDEerie and addictive...A chilling, masterly study in all the ways love can lead to misery. Like Wuthering Heights...terrifying yet wholly believable * New York Times *A spellbinding gothic story ...an exquisitely creepy page-turner * Publishers Weekly *A slow-simmering, psychological, gothic novel about grief and longing * Booklist *A gothic romance for the contemporary age * Kirkus Reviews *
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Transworld Publishers Ltd House with No Doors: A creepy and atmospheric
Book SynopsisAt first glance, Leonard Graves’ death was unremarkable. Sleeping pills, a bottle of vodka, a note saying goodbye. But when Detective Henry Hobbes discovers a grave in the basement, he realizes there is something far more sinister at work. Further investigation unearths more disturbing evidence. Scattered around the old house are women’s dresses. All made of the same material. All made in the same colours. And all featuring a rip across the stomach, smeared in blood. As the investigation continues and the body count rises, Hobbes must also deal with the disappearance of his son, the break-up of his family and a growing sense that something horrific happened in the Graves’ household. And he’s running out of time to find out what.Trade ReviewFizzes with tension fused with underlying creepiness...you'll be hooked * Peterborough Telegraph *Unsettling [and] largely successful in stirring the supernatural into the brew as beleaguered detective Henry Hobbes investigates a series of bloody slayings. * Financial Times *
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Transworld Publishers Ltd Three Women and a Boat: A BBC Radio 2 Book Club
Book SynopsisTender and humorous novel of second chances and life-changing new friendship for fans of Rachel Joyce, Clare Chambers and Barbara Pym'Life-affirming and funny' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING'Anne Youngson's witty and elegant novel is a celebration of friendship and a timely reminder that it is never too late to take on a life-changing new challenge' DAILY MAILMeet Eve, who has departed from her thirty-year career to become a Free Spirit; Sally, who has waved goodbye to her indifferent husband and two grown-up children; and Anastasia, a defiantly independent narrowboat-dweller, suddenly vulnerable as she awaits a life-saving operation.Inexperienced and ill-equipped, Sally and Eve embark upon a journey through the canals of England, guided by the remote and unsympathetic Anastasia. As they glide gently - and not so gently - through the countryside, the eccentricities and challenges of canalboat life draw them inexorably together, and a tender and unforgettable story unfolds. Disarmingly truthful and narrated with a rare wit, THREE WOMEN AND A BOAT is a journey over the glorious waterways of England and into the unfathomable depths of the human heart by an inspirational new talent now in her seventies.**********What customers are saying:'Moving, tender and just a balm for the soul' *****'Perfect for those in need of an uplifting read' ****'A warm and enjoyable read' *****Trade ReviewA gentle meander down England's waterways with bittersweet charm * Mail on Sunday *Life-affirming and funny * Good Housekeeping *A tender story of friendship amidst the challenges and glory of canal-boat life * Woman's Weekly *A joy to read * CultureFly *Gentle and charming. A chance to think about what really matters * Reader's Digest *
£8.99
Transworld Publishers Ltd Separation Anxiety: ‘Exactly what I needed for a
Book Synopsis'Quirky, comic, honest' MARIAN KEYES'Funny and charming' JUDY BLUME'Wise and wonderful' ALICE HOFFMAN'Written with such humour and heart' STYLIST 'A must read' REDIf you've ever wondered whether you love your dog more than your partner...Life hasn't gone according to Judy's plan. Her career as a children's book author has taken a nose dive. Her teenage son Teddy treats her with a combination of embarrassment and indifference. She has 'separated' from her husband, Gary, who is living in the basement as they can't afford a divorce. And every day she has to write content for an uplifting self-help website while stalking her nemesis online - a creativity-lifestyle-coach guru with a social media following the size of Jupiter. All Judy wants is to not feel invisible. All she wants is to fill that space inside her. And when she decides to declutter the house, she hits on a radical solution... Gleefully irreverent, tender, funny and uplifting, Separation Anxiety is a book filled with happiness and heart. A novel about the connections we make, the people we love and the joyful messiness of life.___________________________________________________Praise for Separation Anxiety 'I adored this wise, funny, sad, quirky story...It's brilliant on the stories we tell ourselves and others in order to resist change, while beating ourselves up about not taking steps towards a happier future. Heartbreaking and life-affirming.' Daily Mail'Separation Anxiety was exactly what I needed for a change of pace, funny and charming' - Judy Blume'What a gem of a novel...It's laced with moments of self-doubt and marital mayhem, but also the many small daily acts of mercy and heroism that love inspires.' - Diane Ackerman'I enjoyed Separation Anxiety very much... It has a real freshness of voice and though it is very poignant, several parts also made me laugh out loud' - Laura Barnett, author of The Versions of Us'So sweetly funny, so very touching.' Sainsburys magazine'My advice: Start reading and don't stop until you get to the last page of this wise and wonderful novel.' - Alice Hoffman '[A] novel about stress, release, and the unlikely places we turn to for comfort in uncertain times' - Vogue'Laura Zigman is able to home in on the most tender, revealing, exquisitely painful aspects of our relationships with others and with ourselves. And somehow she manages to come out the other end with hope.' - Chelsea Handler'[Separation Anxiety] is compassionate and funny, articulating with gentle humor the terrible things that we're all grappling with. To steal a phrase from my daughter, it made me happy-cry.' - Laura LippmanTrade Review‘I adored this wise, funny, sad, quirky story…It’s brilliant on the stories we tell ourselves and others in order to resist change, while beating ourselves up about not taking steps towards a happier future. Heartbreaking and life-affirming.' * DAILY MAIL *Written with such humour and heart that’ll make you laugh out loud and have a little sob simultaneously. * STYLIST *Incisive, acerbic, but also a book that’s kind to its characters… a must-read. * RED magazine *‘So sweetly funny, so very touching.’ * SAINSBURYS magazine *‘Both poignant and giggle-inducing, this is a wry look at what happens when life doesn’t quite pan out as you’d hoped’ * FABULOUS magazine *What a gem of a novel. Separation Anxiety is wickedly funny, heartrending, poignantly wise, and hopeful. he main character, Judy, is hilariously offbeat, yet very easy to identify with, honest and thoughtful, and I loved spending time with her. * Diane Ackerman, author of The Zookeeper's Wife *I enjoyed Separation Anxiety very much... It has a real freshness of voice and though it is very poignant, several parts also made me laugh out loud * Laura Barmett, author of The Versions of Us *Sometimes a book finds its way to you and you just know instantly that this is the book you need now. That’s how I feel about Separation Anxiety. I think it’s the book everyone needs right now. It is compassionate and funny, articulating with gentle humor the terrible things that we’re all grappling with. To steal a phrase from my daughter, it made me happy-cry. * Laura Lippman *Separation Anxiety is as hilarious and painful as life itself...a joy to read * Claire Messud, bestselling author of The Burning Girl and The Emperor’s Children *The light from Laura Zigman’s new novel, “Separation Anxiety,” is generated by a kind of literary nuclear fusion: an intense compression of grief and humor.... [Zigman] has a great humorist’s eye for the comedy we’ve seen but overlooked * Washington Post *'A hilarious yet thought-provoking exploration of the middle-aged limbo.... With wit and tenderness, Zigman explores life's most important relationships as they develop and change over time.' * EMMA STRAUB *There are some very funny moments, but it’s also insightful about midlife disappointment and starting over. * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *
£8.54
