Family saga / generational saga fiction

Book SynopsisThe tale of two Liverpool sisters and their search for happiness.When Kate and Rose Drew are orphaned, they are heartbroken to discover they are to be separated.Kate must go to Aunt Mildred, a hard woman who runs a Liverpool boarding house, who puts her to work at once. But Rose gets the wealthy widow Aunt Beattie, who lavishes her with gifts and attention.As one sister experiences hardship alongside friendship, while the other is spoilt and isolated, which will find happiness? For, eventually, it is not what Kate and Rose have in life that counts, but what they choose to make of it…A truly memorable saga that will charm readers of Helen Forrester, Katie Flynn and Pam Howes.

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Book SynopsisA deeply moving saga based in 20th-century Liverpool.From a young age Laura Redmond resents the way her father speaks to her mother. She does not understand that despite his heated outbursts, John Redmond is a loyal and devoted husband.As Laura grows up her protective love for her mother, Anne, leads to a love/hate relationship between father and daughter. Many think this is because they are so alike – both uncompromising and determined. Only Laura’s great-grandmother recognises the truth.It takes many years filled with triumph and tragedy for the family, and the arrival of a special man in Laura’s life, before she can properly grasp the true nature of her father.An absolute triumph, perfect for fans of Katie Flynn, Helen Forrester and Lyn Andrews.

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Book SynopsisShe is determined to live the life she wants…Cassandra Trent does not like being told what to do. So when she is forced to leave behind her beloved Bardsley and join her aunt in London, she is furious. She wants nothing to do with polite society and useless noblemen.But Cassandra finds some comfort in the friendship she forms with her kind and gentle cousin, Susannah Berrinden. Despite being destined to marry Simeon Giffard, a charming and – more importantly – wealthy young man, Susannah has other ideas…And it seems Simeon does too. He has eyes only for Cassandra – but winning her over might prove to be a near impossible task.A heartwarming historical saga perfect for fans of Elisabeth McNeill, Rosie Goodwin and Gloria Cook.

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Book SynopsisShe must find the courage to accept her fate. At the age of eleven young Lizzie Mudie’s life changes forever. With the death of her mother in the most shocking disaster Dundee has ever seen, Lizzie is forced to grow up quickly. She discovers a strength beyond her years and when an unexpected legacy bestows her the dilapidated Green Tree Mill she is determined to turn things around. Lizzie becomes a formidable mistress, but is she prepared for the price she – and those she loves – will have to pay for her success?A page-turning saga of hope in the face of adversity for fans of Dilly Court and Tessa Barclay. Trade ReviewThere are currently no reviews for this title/product

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Book SynopsisA tragic death brings good fortune to an orphaned child – but at what cost?Liverpool, 1928. Fifteen-year-old Annie Anderson was adopted by Sylvia and Hugh after the death of their own daughter. Annie is told that her own mother died in childbirth and her father died before she was born.A chance encounter introduces Annie to local lad Andrew Fraser. Their friendship blossoms, but once Annie’s adoptive parents learn of it they forbid her from seeing him. When Annie asks why, it sets her on a path to discover more about her origins – but will what she learns bring heartache or joy?Don’t miss this rich and vivid saga by one of Liverpool’s best-known novelists, perfect for fans of Kitty Neale and Katie Flynn.

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Book SynopsisTwo sisters. Only one can follow their heart.Swansea, 1941. When her home is bombed, Meryl Jones is evacuated to Carmarthen. Hating it there, she runs away.She is found by Michael, a half German farmer, and falls deeply in love with him – but he is already smitten with Meryl's beautiful older sister Hari.When the military police come for Michael, Meryl helps him escape, their relationship blossoming in the process. But with the end of the war in sight, Meryl knows that the man she loves must make a choice: between her and her sister…A heart-breaking saga of the Second World War, perfect for fans of Pam Howes, Katie Flynn and Lyn Andrews.

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Book SynopsisIt all seemed too good to be true… The moment artist Riana Evans sees the dilapidated mansion in Wales, she determines to buy it, despite its unhappy past – twenty years ago, five maids died there in mysterious circumstances.The house’s 'ghosts' prove good for business – inspiring her paintings and providing atmosphere at a series of ghost-spotting weekends. Her romantic life begins to look up too in the form of handsome airman Tom Maybury.But the mystery of the girls’ deaths hangs over everything. Riana soon discovers that the house holds a secret, and there’s someone – or something – who’ll do anything to make sure she never discovers it.A heart-wrenching Welsh drama, perfect for fans of Pam Howes, Dilly Court and Linda Finlay.

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Book Synopsis‘If you’re looking for this century’s Ulysses, look no further … a stunningly lyrical novel’ Alex Preston, Observer‘Pitched – deliriously – between high modernism and folk magic, between gorgeous free-verse and hilarious Irish vernacular, Poguemahone is a stunning achievement … profoundly affecting’ David Keenan‘A blistering, brilliant ballad of mad tales from rural Ireland to London Town. The characters are electric, the narrative fuelled with a brilliant frenetic energy. McCabe is truly original’ Elaine FeeneyDan Fogarty, an Irishman living in England, is looking after his sister Una, now seventy and suffering from dementia in a care home in Margate. From Dan’s anarchic account, we gradually piece together the story of the Fogarty family. How the parents are exiled from a small Irish village and end up living the hard immigrant life in England. How Dots, the mother, becomes a call girl in 1950s Soho. How a young and overweight Una finds herself living in a hippie squat in Kilburn in the early 1970s. How the squat appears to be haunted by vindictive ghosts who eat away at the sanity of all who live there. And, finally, how all that survives now of those sex-and-drug-soaked times are Una’s unspooling memories as she sits outside in the Margate sunshine, and Dan himself, whose role in the story becomes stranger and more sinister. Poguemahone is a huge, shape-shifting epic from one of modern Ireland's greatest writers. It is a wild, free-verse monologue, steeped in music and folklore, crammed with characters, both real and imagined, on a scale Patrick McCabe has never attempted before. Trade Review ‘If you’re looking for this century’s Ulysses, look no further … a stunningly lyrical novel’ Alex Preston, Observer ‘Pitched – deliriously – between high modernism and folk magic, between gorgeous free-verse and hilarious Irish vernacular, Poguemahone is a stunning achievement … profoundly affecting’ David Keenan ‘A blistering, brilliant ballad of mad tales from rural Ireland to London Town. The characters are electric, the narrative fuelled with a brilliant frenetic energy. McCabe is truly original’ Elaine Feeney ‘A tremendous pitch-black multi-layered epic. This exhilarating ride of madness, hauntings, lost weekends and fractured memory is a lyrical poem, novel, ballad and drama all in one … one of the most original literary works in recent times. I bloody loved it’ Adelle Stripe 'A difficult reading experience, to be sure, but a rich one, too, with a skin-pricking ambience that’s both gritty and ethereal' Daily Mail 'McCabe draws the reader into a rambling web replete with Gaelic folklore, IRA agitation, and a soundtrack of glam and progressive rock. Lively and ambitious in form, this admirably extends the range of McCabe’s career-long examination of familial and childhood trauma’ Publishers Weekly, US 'Patrick McCabe's hippie satire is like Flann O'Brien on drugs' Sean O'Brien, The Telegraph 'Modernist and eager to push the boundaries of his own art and the art form of the novel, here is a novelist and novel to celebrate in all their ribald, audacious, outrageous, and compelling brilliance' Paul Perry, Irish Sunday Independent 'The vernacular, drunken verse format may be daunting at first, but after a few pages the narrative develops a hypnotic rhythm, as if one is sitting on a barstool listening to the narrator unspool his story over a pint (or three). At this point, the reader has merely to hang on and enjoy the ride. A moving saga of youth, age, and memory—by turns achingly poetic, knowingly philosophical, and bitterly funny' Kirkus Reviews 'McCabe may be right when he claims that Poguemahone is his best book: it is startlingly original, moving, funny, frightening and beautiful’ The Guardian '“Poguemahone,” living up to its author’s reputation, is daring, studded with brilliance, raucous and exhausting. It might overstay its welcome, but you’ll remember its visit’ The New York Times ‘Like listening to a friend confess their life story after one too many pints, Poguemahone is a rustic and irreverent atragedy of tormented souls and macabre humour’ Noah Katz, Hot Press ‘I warn you, like all good books, Poguemahone is a mind-altering drug’ BBC 4 Front Row 'There are plenty of outrageous stories, all delivered with unflagging flair, but prospective readers are advised to equip themselves like that cornered pub-goer: with a tall glass of whiskey at hand' Wall Street Journal 'Poguemahone is a stunning novel, one of those exceedingly rare books that deserve to be described as a masterpiece' Locus Magazine 'With few exceptions, the novel in verse doesn’t much appeal to today’s mainstream publishers, and this is not only because verse novels are often awful, but also because even the good ones rarely find a large audience. One can only hope Poguemahone attracts a readership beyond its crowdfunding backers on Unbound because, in its haunting strangeness and blazing originality, it deserves far more than a cult following' Times Literary Supplement

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Book SynopsisTold from four different perspectives, At the Breakfast Table is a story of hidden histories and family secrets, from the author of The Silence of Scheherazade. Buyukada, Turkey, 2017. In the glow of a late summer morning, family gather for the 100th birthday of the famous artist Shirin Saka. It ought to be a time of fond reminiscence, looking back on a long and fruitful artistic career, on memories spanning almost a century. But the deep past is something Shirin has spent a lifetime trying to conceal. Her grandchildren, Nur and Fikret, and great-grandchild, Celine, do not know what she's hiding, though they are intimately aware of the secret's psychological consequences. The siblings invite family friend and investigative journalist Burak along to interview Shirin – in celebration of her centenary, and also in the hope of persuading her to open up. Eventually Shirin begins to express her pain the only way she knows how. She paints a story onto her dining room wall, revealing a history wiped from public consciousness and generations of her family's history. 'Fiercely intelligent, finely textured and achingly beautiful.' Elif ShafakTrade ReviewIn At the Breakfast Table, Defne Suman, one of Turkey's most popular writers, writes about family secrets, people's inner problems, love and the losses through life. Suman builds on Eastern philosophy and yoga, among other things, when she is to shed light on the book's great secret -- Anne Buset Vassbotn (Norway)It is very easy for Greek readers to love Suman, to identify with her heroes, to look for their own ancestral memories among the memories of her heroes. But the most important thing about a novel is that it hides a beautiful story, and the author knows how to tell it -- Erika Athanasiou (Greece)The image of the Prinkipo island with its carriages, bicycles, the blue sea that surrounds it, its blooming flowers and purple bougainvillea, give a brilliant tone to the novel. The historical touch offers realism and mystery * Lefki Sarantinou (Greece) *At the Breakfast Table is an excellent novel in the footsteps of modern Turkish literature as defined by Livaneli and Pamuk. It is a well-written book which reminds us that history is not necessarily what we learn in school -- Angelos Koutsoukis (Greece)Suman listens and understands a wounded geography with an open heart – a trait that is rarely found among Turkish intellectuals. She challenges the common belief and narrates beautifully -- Derya Beyatli, Yeni Düzen Newspaper (Turkey)In At the Breakfast Table Suman continues to explore the themes and tropes that prevail in her previous novels, presenting them to the reader in new dimensions... Altogether, these premises establish a narrative network of signification, through which the philosophical core of Suman's work can be discerned' -- Ülker Gökberk, Reed CollegeDefne Suman brings lightness to the hearts of her readers as the characters of At the Breakfast Table reclaim their identity and freedom from the burden of family secrets and the false pretense of living as if no sin has been committed in this land -- Yaprak Çetinkaya, Pozitif Magazine (Turkey)Captivates readers with its plot but engages them on a deeper level with its historic and psychological detail * Asymtote Journal *A nuanced, beautifully paced novel, featuring an attentively drawn cast of characters and an immersive sense of place * The Age *Cleverly done... The story is set on a beautiful holiday island whose ambience is expertly conveyed * Historical Novel Society *

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Book SynopsisHome is where you hang your hat…When Patsy talks her way into a job on the Champion Street Market millinery stall, the Higginson sisters get more than they bargained for.Riddled with insecurities, Patsy’s impudence wins her new enemies as well as friends and her determination to solve the riddle of her own past starts to unravel secrets Annie and Clara would much rather keep hidden.Meanwhile, Molly Poulson hasn’t a care in the world until her two daughters both fall in love with the wrong man. But the more Molly interferes, the more danger looms.An enthralling saga of secrecy and sisterhood set around an elegant hat stall in 1950s Manchester, perfect for fans of Ellie Dean and Pam Howes.Praise for Fools Fall in Love 'You can’t put a price on Freda Lightfoot’s stories from Manchester’s 1950s Champion Street Market. They bubble with enough life and colour to brighten up the dreariest day and they have characters you can easily take to your heart’ Northern Echo‘As expected, another excellent book from Freda Lightfoot’ 5* Reader review‘Devoured every word of it’ 5* Reader review‘Did not want to put this book down’ 5* Reader review

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Book Synopsis'Oh, you're not crazy, Denise. I think this is probably the sanest you've ever been...'Two women. An open road. The trip of a lifetime.Thea is confident, sorted, determined to have fun, but there are sorrows beneath the surface of her life.Denise is struggling under the weight of her many commitments and in desperate need of some excitement.When these polar opposites meet, and unexpectedly become friends, they realise they're both looking to escape.So begins a road trip that leads them far from home and yet closer to their true selves.But they can't outrun their pasts forever and when things start to become complicated, both women have an important decision to make. Do they give up or keep going? Turn around or drive on?Trade ReviewSharply observed and empathetic, many women will see themselves in this excellent novel * Elizabeth Buchan *There is a raw realism to all of Caroline Bond's novels ... Redemptive and satisfying -- Carol Mason on 'The Legacy'Absolutely captures the challenges of being a certain age - the characters jump off the page! * Sam Blake *A beautifully crafted exploration of family resentments and vulnerability. Caroline Bond writes with a keen eye for human frailty, bringing her characters vividly to life, flaws and all. -- Charity Norman on 'The Legacy'Caroline Bond has a gift for weaving heart-rending tales of impossible decisions and The Forgotten Sister is no exception. A beautifully written story that will stay with me for quite some time. -- Amanda Brooke on 'The Forgotten Sister'A deftly written novel [and] a moving exploration of love between sisters and the tangled, often complex emotions that exist in families. -- Madeleine Reiss on 'The Forgotten Sister'Compassionate, wry and packed with acute observations on human behaviour. Like wrapping yourself in a warm shawl. -- Charity Norman

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Book SynopsisIn this sweeping saga, Yvonne Harris tells the poignant stories of Robert and Alice, two young people who join the 1846 wagon train to cross North America on their way to the West Coast. Seeking a better life, thirteen-year-old Robert leaves his impoverished family in Iowa and accompanies the main group as it follows the well-established Oregon Trail to the Pacific Northwest. Alice, a lovely young widow, is forced to follow a husband she despises on the difficult trek even when he insists on taking the Hastings Cutoff with a small party from the wagon train who forego the longer route for a virtually unknown trail touted as a short cut to the West Coast. Alice''s husband''s hasty decisions dramatically alter the course of their lives; instead of reaching the green fields of California, the party finds themselves trapped on the wrong side of the snow and ice-capped Sierra Nevada with almost nothing left in the way of supplies. Both eventually make their way to Victoria and the BC Interior in search of gold. They encounter the American militia, intent on taking over the Fraser River from the tribes, and Chief Spintlum, who chooses peace over war and saves his people from a massacre. The story is based on the historical accounts of settlers traveling west on the Oregon Trail, the tragic account of the Donner Party and the search for gold on the Fraser River. In preparing to write this narrative, the author climbed the Donner Pass and traveled the Oregon Trail and the Fraser River attempting to recreate the passage across a virtually unknown land.

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Book Synopsis"Gripping, hugely involving, and very satisfying" KATE MOSSE"A dramatic story of family intrigue, religious passions and riproaring romance" MICHELE ROBERTSTyphoon is set in Chiragpur, a Pakistani village warped in time, space and guilt, whose inhabitants are still traumatised by what happened some twenty years earlier in a courtroom (kacheri). With the arrival of a beautiful stranger from the city, the villagers are helplessly swept along by a typhoon-like series of events and become buried under the burden of their guilt.Closely guarding their small silk parcels containing a lock of a woman's hair, they all hope to return it to its rightful owner and beg her forgiveness. Typhoon is a tragic tale of three young women, each one demonised by their past: Naghmana - the glamorous stranger from the city; Chaudharani Kaniz - the village land baron, and Gulshan - the innocent wife. One is caught in the arms of another woman's husband in the middle of the night; another was raped in her youth; and the third woman's world fell apart as she lost her husband, before her eyes, to a total stranger and her mother vowed revenge. For all three there is no escape from what fate has in store.Trade Review'Gripping, hugely involving and very satisfying to read' - Kate Mosse'Gripping, involving and satisfying read' - Indie Magazine'You enter room after inner room in this book so full of vivid detail about the lives and loves, the duties and desires in Muslim family life living in Chiragpur, a village on the subcontinent. These are rooms and stories few people in the west know, care to enter or understand. They could begin that adventure with this novel' - Yasmin Alibhai-Brown'Qaisra Shahraz received wide critical praise for her first novel , The Holy Woman which became a best seller. Her second novel Typhoon... set in Chiragpur, a Pakistan village. With the arrival of a beautiful stranger from the city, the villagers are helplessly swept along by typhoon like series of events and become buried under the burden of their guilt' - Area News Today'Qaisra Shahraz made a mark with her first novel Holy Woman about a privileged young woman in Pakistan who following a family tragedy is bound to the Qu'ran and a life of celibacy to keep her family's fortune secure. Its follow up Typhoon goes to rural Pakistan to pick up the stories of the first book's minor characters' - Metro'Author of best selling novel The Holy Woman Qaisra Shahraz is back with her long awaited second work about love, jealousy, adultery and rape' - Asian News'A tale of love and deceit set in Pakistan' - The Kahleej Times Online'A stormy new second novel' - Chorlton, Whalley Range and Fallowfield'Typhoon is a tragic tale of three young women each one demonised by their past' - Desi'The book is a riveting family saga' - Bradford Telegraph & Argus

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Book SynopsisWhen Tito is a child, his grandmother teaches him how to weave magic around the ones you love in order to keep them close. She is the master and he is the pupil, exasperating Tito's put-upon mother who, although exhausted from working long hours, is usually the focus of their mischief. As Tito grows older and his grandmother's mind becomes less sound, their games take a dangerous turn. They both struggle with a particular spell, one that creates an illusion of illness to draw in love. But as the lines between magic and childish tales blur, so too do those between fantasy and reality. In this beautifully told drama of the bond between grandson and grandmother, JT Torres delicately explores the complexities of family bonds - in which love is need, and need becomes manipulation, along with the pain and difficulties of dementia and mental ill health.Trade Review'Torres's masterful prose, and his inspired confrontation with grief and alienation, will linger in my mind for a long time' —Amy Kurzweil, author of 'Flying Couch: a graphic memoir'; 'The exquisite writing of JT Torres is on full display in this deftly told and spellbinding tale... [He] has crafted a masterpiece amidst the sweat drenching heat of Florida to the chilling darkness found in the shadows of rugged Alaskan mountains' —Don Rearden author of 'The Raven's Gift'; 'JT Torres' story is a masterful work written in the style of magic realism that slowly peels apart the passing down of the "immigrant experience" from one generation to the next, even when younger generations do not directly experience immigration itself' —Jill Flanders Crosby, Professor of Theatre and Dance, University of Alaska Anchorage; 'Taking Flight is a not-to-be missed coming of age story that ranges from Miami to Orlando to Alaska as its hero learns to create his own galaxy, his own known world' —Karen Salyer McElmurray, author of 'Wanting Radiance'

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Book SynopsisMary has a secret that she mustn't tell. But in a care home, with her mind wandering, she's starting to slip up. Clearing out her grandmother's old room, Lucy finds something hidden that wasn't supposed to be found - a locket sheltering a shameful family secret. She can't tell her mother. Not with their father gone, one brother absent and another acting up. Her mother was struggling with her mental health just a few years ago. Lucy will have to make sense of it all herself. In a beautifully told drama of family secrets, Helen Stancey once again picks through the everyday of life to uncover poetry, pain and ultimately love.Trade Review'In the poised assurance of its writing...one has a sense of a writer gifted with an instinctive sense of how to tell a story' —The Spectator; 'Writing so accomplished...' The Tablet; 'Palpable excellence' —The Literary Review; 'A beautifully observed exploration of the power and pain of family secrets' —Emma Timpany, author of 'Travelling in the Dark'; 'Helen Stancey's style is beautifully immediate and natural, as if you were looking over the author's shoulder, watching and listening, rather than reading. In this gripping saga of family secrets, Helen displays the storyteller's gift of creating lively, sympathetic characters, and a plot that flows with a well-crafted rightness and inevitability. A highly relatable book' —Fiona Vigo Marshall, author of 'The House of Marvellous Books'; 'A tender, and uplifting exploration of the mysteries and meaning of family, for three generations of women striving to fulfil their destinies' —Rebecca Fraser, author of 'The Mayflower Generation' and journalist

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Book SynopsisA Times Book of the Month for readers of Golden Hill and Cloud Atlas. It is 1800, and the future of Chicago hangs in the balance, to be decided on the outcome of a game of chess. Win or lose, the result will reverberate through the next 100 years of history, and the players’ lives, the lives of their descendants, and the city itself will never be the same again … Trade Review‘A sprawling epic … An absorbing fictional chronicle of a city and its place in American history.’ -- Antonia Senior * The Times ‘Book of the Month’ *‘There is much of the panache of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas here: it is an epic story that sweeps the reader from a single log-house to a mass of steel-frame skyscrapers. It moves from bloody tragedy to financial skulduggery and farce, all through a subtle variety of narrative voices and perspectives. A notably rich, rewarding read.’ -- Fanny Blake * Daily Mail *‘Daring and unruly … Jonathan Carr ambitiously attempts a reconstruction of the development of Chicago … Often entertaining and very readable.’ -- Sean Hewitt * The Irish Times *‘A wondrous, bold and playful first novel. Seductively fascinating characters, real and imagined, populate this fiction with their interweaving and intergenerational stories. But the hero’s journey belongs to the city itself … An exhilarating ride.’ -- Linda Jaivin * The Saturday Paper *‘Carr's debut novel is an impressive literary experiment blending epistolary narratives, fragmented journal entries, and historical book chapters into a sprawling chronicle about the founding and development of Chicago in the 19th century … An ambitious literary debut that occupies a liminal space between alternative history and experimental literature.’ -- Joshua Finnell * Library Journal *‘Carr's kaleidoscope debut embroiders fact with fiction to tell an alternative history of Chicago's 19th Century in a symphony of voices. Using real-life historical figures, colorful stories and fictional journal entries, Carr traces Chicago's rise to an industrial titan and all-time great American city.’ -- Barbara VanDenburgh * USA TODAY *‘Make Me A City is a thrillingly ambitious and ingeniously accomplished first novel. This is a stunning debut by a new and instantly important literary voice.’ -- Robert Olen Butler, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction‘Jonathan Carr’s brilliant novel could not be more relevant to today’s world. Make Me A City explores the nature of history itself — both the official record and the suppressed stories that lie beneath. Covering a century, from mid-western wilderness to the bustling modern city of Chicago, it has a correspondingly large cast, but incidents and characters are interwoven to create not just a satisfying narrative but a working model of how civilisation comes into being, for better or worse. This novel itself is a city, one that contains the myriad hopes, ambitions, disappointments and loves of its citizens, as they work like coral insects to build the structure in which they live and die.’ -- Richard Francis, author of The Old Spring and Crane Pond‘These mini biographical sketches impart serious commentary on aspects of history such as racism, greed, and love.’ * Press Association *‘Carr’s prose is often amusing and heartfelt and pulls readers through the joys and pains of the people who made Chicago a city … if you are looking for a gritty, unapologetically unique “alternative” history of the Windy City, this is the place to start.’ -- Bryan Dumas * Historical Novel Society *‘Make Me A City is a multitude of novels all rolled into one — a wonderfully sprawling epic about Chicago’s founding fathers (and mothers), a searching exploration of colonialism in action, and a compelling collection of stories about people and places. But it is something else too, the one thing that is known to all of us, namely a single, tender map of the human heart. In Make Me A City Jonathan Carr draws on his considerable talent to tell the story of Chicago through the eyes of its many inhabitants, exploring life, death and what is left behind with admirable deftness and style. This is a bold, thrilling debut from a seriously good writer.' -- Francesca Rhydderch, author of The Rice Paper Diaries‘Absolutely magnificent. Carr grasps the complexity of a city’s history, the individuals who shape it, those who gain and those who suffer. The prose is graceful and vibrant, the gradual unfolding of the interrelated lives of these people is superbly done. This is an elegant, richly enjoyable book.’ -- Tricia Wastvedt, author of The River‘Make Me A City’s scope and scale is quite breathtaking. It digs deep into the history of Chicago to uncover hidden stories about the people who built it. Its clever way of dealing with competing historical narratives is very exciting. A real pleasure to read!’ -- Gerard Woodward, author of I’ll Go To Bed at Noon‘The rise of Chicago in the 19th century provides the frame for a trove of colorful stories and characters in this entertaining debut novel … Carr has a sure touch, and in many extended anecdotes, his narrative skills show exceptional detail, pacing, and tension. A solid storyteller enlivens a rich patch of American history.’ * Kirkus *‘An enticing debut ... a gritty and entertaining fictional history of a great American city.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘I've had the pleasure of reading this novel through its draft stages. An epic tale of the foundation of Chicago. A must-read for historical fiction fans!’ -- James Aitcheson, author of the Conquest series‘Carr’s intricately woven debut evokes the history of nineteenth-century Chicago while showcasing important but little-known historical figures and fictional people from different walks of life who contribute to its development. The chronologically arranged chapters vary in style, from straightforward narrative to spot-on pastiches of news articles and diaries to excerpts from a compiled ‘alternative history’ text whose contents are cleverly self-referential … Ambition, injustice, and opportunity all play roles as Chicago expands outward and upward. Over time, the disparate stories, which span the entire century, intersect in delightfully unexpected ways.’ -- Sarah Johnson * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisThe four translations assembled here are intended to supplement the early Bishops Sagas that are already easily available in translation. The texts included are Hungrvaka (Foretaste), Páls saga byskups (The Saga of Bishop Páll Jónsson), Oddaverja þáttr (An Account of the People at Oddi) and Prestssaga Guðmundar góða (The Priesthood of Bishop Guðmundr Góði). All have been dated to the first years of the thirteenth century. Together with the Viking Societys edition of þorláks saga byskups (2013), they typify the first emergence of saga writing and show how the evolution of saga composition began. The texts are translated by Theodore M. Andersson who also provides a full introduction. The book includes a bibliography and index of names.

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Book SynopsisDisappearing Moon Cafe was a stunning debut novel that has become a Canadian literary classic. An unflinchingly honest portrait of a Chinese Canadian family that pulses with life and moral tensions, this family saga takes the reader from the wilderness in nineteenth-century British Columbia to late twentieth-century Hong Kong, to Vancouver''s Chinatown.Intricate and lyrical, suspenseful and emotionally rich, it is a riveting story of four generations of women whose lives are haunted by the secrets and lies of their ancestors but also by the racial divides and discrimination that shaped the lives of the first generation of Chinese immigrants to Canada.Each character, intimately drawn through Lee''s richness of imagery and language, must navigate a world that remains inexorably double: Chinese and Canadian. About buried bones and secrets, unrequited desires and misbegotten love, murder and scandal, failure and success, the plot reveals a compelling microcosm of the history of race and gender relations in this country.

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 1930, fifteen-year-old Matthew Clayton''s mother dies, leaving him alone in Vancouver. Using the Union Steamship ticket she gave him, he sets out in search of his father, who is logging somewhere on the rugged West Coast. Matt boards the SS Cardena and begins an incredible voyage up the Inside Passage and through the isolated coastal communities the ship services.On board he befriends fellow passengers Monica James and the high rigger Will Cameron, both intent on finding a new life, and Emily Carr, a soon-to-be-famous painter searching for a new direction in her art. What each of them finds comes as a surprise as they journey aboard the legendary steamship Cardena.

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Book Synopsis“I will probably be clutching Flowers in the Attic…on my deathbed.” —Gillian Flynn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Gone Girl Forbidden passions have shaped and haunted the Dollanganger family since their first novel—Flowers in the Attic—debuted forty years ago. Now discover how twisted the family roots truly are, and witness the clan’s origins as a result of one wild and complicated relationship. In this evocative and thrilling tale from New York Times bestselling author V.C. Andrews, see Corrine Dixon as a young girl and discover the fascinating family history of the Dollanganger clan.Two generations before Corinne Foxworth locked her children in an attic, her grandmother, a gorgeous young girl named Corrine Dixon, is swept away by the charms of rich, sophisticated, and handsome Garland Foxworth. After discovering that she’s pregnant, Garland does what appears to be the honorable thing and marries her in a huge ceremony on the luxurious Foxworth Hall grounds. Both families fervently overlook the pregnancy, happy for a suitable resolution. Now the mistress of a labyrinthine estate, Corrine discovers that nothing is what is seems. Garland is not the man once captivated by her charms, and she’s increasingly troubled by his infatuation with memories of his departed mother. Can Corrine survive this strange new life? Or is her fate already sealed? Explore the origins of the legendary Dollanganger family in this page-turning, gripping gothic thriller.Trade Review“I will probably be clutching Flowers in the Attic in my gnarled hands on my deathbed.” —Gillian Flynn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Gone Girl

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Book SynopsisLonging is the yearning of Kathanjali, the chief protagonist caught in the vicious cycle of life and death. Her encounters with a conglomeration of people, both of little and major significance chisel her character in particular, and her life in general.

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Book SynopsisMorkinskinna is a thirteenth-century Icelandic saga that portrays the kings who ruled Norway in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. It emerged during a particularly fertile period of composition of Icelandic kings'' sagas, and marks a key moment in the genre''s development, being the first extant work in Old Norse in which the reign of many kings is narrated in detail. Its structure has long been considered idiosyncratic among Old Norse kings'' sagas.

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Book SynopsisThe reality of the fantastic combines a ''new philological'' close study of a fifteenth-century Icelandic manuscript compilation of fifteen fornaldarsögur and riddarasögur, AM 343a 4to, with an historically-based analysis of the manuscript''s various contents, demonstrating how fictions that are in many respects non-realistic can be made to yield up insights into the real-world concerns and interests of a group of fifteenth-century Icelanders. Both the methodology of this study and its conclusions should interest readers from diverse fields, including literature, history and manuscript studies.

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Book SynopsisThere was something unusual in the air. There was no sound, no breeze and time seemed to have stopped as the world waited with bated breath. The eerie silence was unnerving and unsettling. What was this anticipation for? What was the world waiting for? In the stillness of the infinite silence, a mother was waiting in anticipation to give the world its elements. Indra was about to be born. Indra, most popularly known for his power over the rains, has been considered to be a cosmic, dragon-killing hero and a warrior god. So, what makes this warrior hero fall from grace? What makes him insecure, powerless and given toust and merriment in the post-Vedic era? Indrathe Rise and Fall of a Hero is an attempt toook closely at an erstwhile human-hero'', much maligned in theater period due to the wheel of time, which doesn''t even spare the gods.

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Book SynopsisShakuntala, born in Dalhousie, inherits a secret on her wedding night in 1946. The secret follows her through the tumultuous events of 1947 Punjab, 1950s Delhi, and 1970s hippie culture, causing destruction as it is passed down through generations.

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Book SynopsisMedhat is an orphaned boy who grows up shuttling between various farming families in the beautiful province of Sharkia, east of the Nile Delta. What was intended to be a brief visit for the five-year-old to Ismailia, a beautiful and cosmopolitan city in the Suez Canal zone, ends up being the beginning of a nomadic life no one could have imagined. Medhats journey takes him across the many landmarks of Egypt and beyond, all the way to Vienna where he discovers that his feelings of displacement still haunt him to the core. In a narrative that interweaves aspects of Egyptian folklore, epic prose, and classical literature, the author skillfully presents the conflict between the man in exile who reflects longingly on his history and origins, and the village boy who belonged nowhere.

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Book SynopsisSheelagh Kelly’s famous first novel is also the first volume of her bestselling ‘Feeney’ saga.Trade Review‘Genuinely perceptive portrayals of human relationships’Irish Independent ‘Sheelagh Kelly surely can write’Sunderland Echo

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Book SynopsisA powerful new novel, heart-breaking but ultimately uplifting, from the author of the classic Twopence to Cross The Mersey.Trade Review‘Records of hardship during the Thirties or earlier are not rare; but this has features that make it stand apart’Observer ‘Remarkable that from so bleak and unloving a background came a writer of such affectionate understanding and unsettling honesty’Sunday Telegraph ‘…should be long and widely read as an extraordinary human story and social document’Observer

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Book SynopsisThe new novel from the author of A SCENT OF LAVENDER and ONE SUMMER AT DEER''S LEAP follows the secrets and passions of the Sutton family as Britain tries to find its way following the end of World War 2.The war is over, but the battle for happiness has just begun After six long years the Second World War is finally finished. Rationing may remain, but hopes and dreams are in good supply.At Rowangarth, deep in the Yorkshire countryside, there is more good news for the Sutton family and wedding preparations are underway. Lyndis Carmichael has finally won the heart of Drew Sutton, the man she has secretly cherished for years. Still, Lyndis has doubts. Haunted by the memory of Drew''s fiancée Kitty killed during the Blitz she wonders if she can ever take her place in Drew''s heart, and if she truly belongs in the close-knit Sutton clan.And other ghosts still linger. Keth Purvis, back from France after a high-risk mission, is compelled to return overseas to search for the young girl who sTrade ReviewPraise for Elizabeth Elgin: 'A story of passion, faith and class in Yorkshire. Unforgettable characters.'Daily Express 'A poignant, powerful saga that will stay in your memory long after you've read it.'Woman and Home

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Book SynopsisA heartrending and heartwarming saga of the Birmingham blitz, from the author of DANNY BOY.Trade Review‘[Anne Bennett is] blessed with a vivid imagination and a natural aptitude for writing’ Daily Post ‘The beauty of Anne’s books is that they are about normal people and are sewn through with human emotions which affect us all’ Birmingham Post

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Book SynopsisThe dramatic new Ravenscar novel from the international bestselling author of Woman of Substance.Trade Review Praise for Barbara Taylor Bradford: 'Queen of the genre.' Sunday Times ‘Few novelists are as consummate as Barbara Taylor Bradford at keeping the reader turning the page. She is one of the world’s best at spinning yarns.’ Guardian ‘A classic saga of loyalty, secrets, passion and intrigue…if you’ve been suffering withdrawal symptoms from Downton, this is for you’ Daily Mail ‘As romantic and thrilling as the rest’ Independent on Sunday ‘Another great yarn from the ultimate storyteller’ The Sun ‘The storyteller of substance.’ The Times

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Book SynopsisForbidden love and family secrets In World War Two Liverpool in the heartrending new saga from the author of Goodnight Sweetheart.Rosie has grown up in the heart of Liverpool''s Italian community, treated as one of their own. With a father away at sea and a mother more interested in other men than her only daughter, the bighearted Grenellis are the closest thing Rosie has to a proper family.But when war breaks out, and Italy becomes the Allies'' adversary, everything changes. The community is torn in two: friends become enemies, neighbours become traitors and Rosie is left uncertain of just who she can trust.As war intensifies, and Liverpool is subjected to relentless bombings, things become more perilous. When a devastating attack leaves her mother dead, Rosie is sent to live with her aunt in Edge Hill. Her father is feared missing at sea and her aunt lets slip a family secret which has unimaginable consequencesFleeing her cruel aunt, Rosie becomes a Land Girl and falls in love with Trade ReviewPraise for Annie Groves: ‘An engrossing story.’ My Weekly ‘A stirring and heartrending family saga…Against a backdrop of change when the suffragette movement was coming to the fore, the choices and dreams of a generation of women combine to create this passionate story.’ Liverpool Daily Post ‘Heartwrenching and uplifting in equal measure – a tragic indictment of what can happen when you swap passion for duty. Roll on the sequel!’ Take a Break ‘Exceptionally good within this area, well written and beautifully developed characters.’ Sarah Broadhurst Bookseller ‘This novel [Some Sunny Day] adds to Annie Groves’ growing reputation as a storyteller…This is an absorbing story, with a delightful heroine’ Historical Novels Review

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Book SynopsisThe new Liverpool-based World War Two saga from the author of Goodnight Sweetheart is a tale of four very different young women thrown together by war. A unique bond is formed as the hostilities take their toll on Britain.Trade ReviewPraise for Annie Groves: ‘An engrossing story.’ My Weekly ‘A stirring and heartrending family saga…Against a backdrop of change when the suffragette movement was coming to the fore, the choices and dreams of a generation of women combine to create this passionate story.’ Liverpool Daily Post ‘Heartwrenching and uplifting in equal measure – a tragic indictment of what can happen when you swap passion for duty. Roll on the sequel!’ Take a Break ‘Written from the heart’ My Weekly

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Book SynopsisThe mesmerizing bestseller from Josephine Cox – the nation’s favourite storyteller. Some secrets can haunt a whole lifetime.Trade Review ‘Cox’s talent as storyteller never lets you escape the spell’ Daily Mail ‘Irresistible storytelling’ Books Magazine ‘Driven and passionate’ Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisA heartrending saga of a sister separated from her baby brother by tragedy and prejudice, who will brave the Blitz to bring him to safetyTrade Review‘[Anne Bennett] is blessed with a vivid imagination and a natural aptitude for writing.’ Daily Post ‘The beauty of Anne’s books is that they are about normal people and are sewn through with human emotions which affect us all.’ Birmingham Post ‘Powerfully written.’ The Woman Book Club ‘Anne Bennett draws on her own background to give emotional depth to an affecting story populated with rich, beautifully drawn characters.’ Choice

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of The Grafton Girls comes the story of one Liverpool family preparing for the onslaught of World War Two, but feuding amongst themselves…Trade ReviewPraise for Annie Groves: ‘An engrossing story.’ My Weekly ‘A stirring and heartrending family saga…Against a backdrop of change when the suffragette movement was coming to the fore, the choices and dreams of a generation of women combine to create this passionate story.’ Liverpool Daily Post ‘Heartwrenching and uplifting in equal measure – a tragic indictment of what can happen when you swap passion for duty. Roll on the sequel!’ Take a Break ‘Written from the heart’ My Weekly

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Book SynopsisAn evocative and heartrending saga set in Liverpool during World War Two, from the bestselling author of As Time Goes ByTrade ReviewPraise for Annie Groves: ‘An engrossing story’ My Weekly ‘A stirring and heartrending family saga…Against a backdrop of change when the suffragette movement was coming to the fore, the choices and dreams of a generation of women combine to create this passionate story’ Liverpool Daily Post ‘Heartwrenching and uplifting in equal measure – a tragic indictment of what can happen when you swap passion for duty. Roll on the sequel!’ Take a Break ‘Written from the heart’ My Weekly

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Book SynopsisThe second title in Sheelagh Kelly’s bestselling ‘Feeney’ saga tells how one treacherous act can turn a brother’s love into a murderous rage…Trade Review‘Sheelagh Kelly surely can write’Sunderland Echo ‘Genuinely perceptive portrayals of human relationships’Irish Independent

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Book SynopsisThe fourth and final title in Sheelagh Kelly’s bestselling ‘Feeney’ saga follows the story of Richard William Feeney – ‘Dickie’.Trade Review‘Sheelagh Kelly can surely write’Sunderland Echo

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