Historical Fiction Books

Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ? From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ava Reid comes a ?masterful reimagining? (Publishers Weekly) of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare?s most famous villainess, giving her a voice, a past, and a power that transforms the story men have written for her.?Lady Macbeth doesn?t retell Shakespeare so much as slice cleanly through it, revealing what was hidden beneath. I couldn''t look away.??Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House A CRIMEREADS BEST BOOK OF THE YEARThe Lady knows the stories: how her eyes induce madness in men.The Lady knows she will be wed to the Scottish brute, who does not leave his warrior ways behind when he comes to the marriage bed.The Lady knows his hostile, suspicious court will be a game of strategy, requiring all of her wiles and hidden witchcraft to survive. But the Lady does not know her husband has occult secrets of his own. She does not know that prophecy girds him like armor. She does not know that her magic is greater and more dangerous, and that it will threaten the order of the world. She does not know this yet. But she will.

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Book SynopsisStruggling with the long-term fallout of the accident that killed their father when they were boys, two brothers are catalyzed by a nephew''s thoughtless prank and discover heartbreaking deceptions and losses that inform both their personal and professional lives. By the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Olive Kitteridge. Reprint.

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Book SynopsisCormac McCarthy was the author of many acclaimed novels, including Blood Meridian, Child of God and The Passenger. Among his honours are the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. His works adapted to film include All the Pretty Horses, The Road and No Country for Old Men the latter film receiving four Academy Awards, including the award for Best Picture. McCarthy died in 2023 in Santa Fe, NM at the age of 89.Trade ReviewA darkly shining work . . . executed with consummate skill and much subtlety - the effect is magnificent -- John Banville, author of The Sea * Observer *An exhilarating, exceptional novel * Spectator *All the Pretty Horses is indisputably a masterpiece. * Financial Times *One of the greatest American novels of this or any time * Guardian *[A] totalizing reality, where meditation and resistance are two components of one reality, a destiny of wandering the borderlands of the U.S. and Mexico in the postwar twentieth century -- Rachel Kushner, author of The Mars Room

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Book SynopsisCormac McCarthy was the author of many acclaimed novels, including Blood Meridian, Child of God and The Passenger. Among his honours are the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. His works adapted to film include All the Pretty Horses, The Road and No Country for Old Men the latter film receiving four Academy Awards, including the award for Best Picture. McCarthy died in 2023 in Santa Fe, NM at the age of 89.

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Book SynopsisLucinda Riley was born in 1965 in Ireland and, after an early career as an actress in film, theatre and television, wrote her first novel aged twenty-four. Her books have been translated into thirty-seven languages and continue to strike an emotional chord with cultures all around the world. The Seven Sisters series specifically has become a global phenomenon, creating its own genre.Her books have been nominated for numerous awards, including the Italian Bancarella Prize, the Lovely Books Award in Germany and the Romantic Novel of the Year Award. In 2020, she received the Dutch Platinum Award for sales over 300,000 copies for a single novel in one year a prize last won by J. K. Rowling for Harry Potter.In collaboration with her son Harry Whittaker, she also devised and wrote the Guardian Angels series of books for children.Though she brought up her four children mostly in Norfolk, England, she fulfilled her dream in 2015 of buying a remote farmhouse in West

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Book Synopsis The long-awaited reissue of the classic Vertigo miniseries Uncle Sam by Steve Darnall and Alex Ross is a sharp political fever dream praised by Kirkus as a “truly subversive graphic novel” and “a damning account of American political history that also affirms basic democratic ideals”Uncle Sam: Special Election Edition is a vibrant, hallucinatory tour of modern America—the story of a star-spangled, ragged vagrant named Sam who is guided by the voices in his head and his own fractured memories. Absorbed by history-traveling visions of America’s dark past, Uncle Sam struggles to remember his true identity and piece together the scattered clues of his own experiences in this deep and thoughtful look at America’s checkered past. Meticulously researched by Steve Darnall and fully painted by Alex Ross, Uncle Sam returns in print just when it is needed most—in time for th

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Book SynopsisA moving love story inspired by a true story and perfect for fans of The Help In a time of hate, would you stand up for love? Shalerville, Kentucky, 1939. A world where black maids and handymen are trusted to raise white children and tend to white houses, but from which they are banished after dark. Sixteen-year-old Isabelle McAllister, born into wealth and privilege, finds her ordered life turned upside down when she becomes attracted to Robert, the ambitious black son of her family’s housekeeper. Before long Isabelle and Robert are crossing extraordinary, dangerous boundaries and falling deeply in love. Many years later, eighty-nine-year-old Isabelle will travel from her home in Arlington, Texas, to Ohio for a funeral. With Isabelle is her hairstylist and friend, Dorrie Curtis - a black single mother with her own problems. Along the way, Isabelle will finally reveal to Dorrie the truth of her painful past: a tale of forbidden loTrade Review‘Before I started reading Calling Me Home, I knew that this was Pan Macmillan’s lead fiction debut of 2013, and that Warner Bros had snapped up the film rights, but nothing prepared me for the overwhelming roller coaster of emotions induced by the astonishingly talented Julie Kibler’s debut novel . . . I cried, and I cried, and after I’d finished crying I cried a bit more. And when people asked what was wrong when I arrived at Fabulous HQ the next day, complete with puffy eyes and blotchy skin, I muttered something incomprehensible about a book that I’d finished reading the night before. In short: Calling Me Home left me speechless. So be prepared to embark on a heart-rending journey during which you will laugh, cry and stare astonished at the very words on the page. No words can quite pinpoint the magic and resonance of this incredible novel, so all that I can say is: you must read this!’ Fabulous magazine'A beautiful story, beautifully told. The quality of the writing is first class. Whenever I put it down, I always looked forward to coming back to it and I'm sad to have finished it. What I particularly liked was the lack of mawkishness in the book. Both the main characters are very likeable and not in the least martyred despite all they've been through. By the end, they felt like friends to me; two women whose company and whose stories I thoroughly enjoyed. The difficult subject of racism was dealt with face-on, but at the same time handled with the lightest of touches.I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am already recommending it to friends' Louise Douglas, Bestselling Author‘You’d never guess that Calling Me Home is a debut novel, Julie Kibler’s writing is so wise and assured. Although the two strong women she’s created come from completely different backgrounds, the bond that grows between them is extraordinary, touching and believable. I laughed out loud in places and had tears in my eyes as I turned the last page. I can’t wait to watch Julie Kibler’s star rise!’ Diane Chamberlain‘If Julie Kibler's novel Calling Me Home were a young woman, her grandmother would be To Kill a Mockingbird, her sister would be The Help and her cousin would be The Notebook. But even with such iconic relatives, Calling Me Home stands on her own; this novel uncovers a painful past that tells us so much about who we are, where we're going, and the people who are traveling with us’ Wiley Cash, bestselling author of A Land More Kind Than Home'A wonderful debut; thought provoking, heart breaking yet redemptive. Utterly compulsive' Irish Examiner‘This touching tale covers the same difficult subject of racism and segregation in 20th-centuary America as The Help. But it’s a much more human and personal book… A sad but life-affirming book’ Bella‘Based on a true story, fans of the The Help will be enthralled by this emotional read' Prima'A devastating tale of forbidden love' Woman & Home

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Book SynopsisA tale of family secrets and forgotten pasts from the international number one bestselling author of the Seven Sisters series, Lucinda Riley.Trade ReviewThe Angel Tree packs a real psychological punch, exploring the fall-out from troubled childhoods and how events in the past impact on not just our perception of the world but on how we handle our relationships with other people . . . Sweeping, absorbing, beautifully written and utterly compelling, this is a saga to sit back and savour on long winter nights * Lancashire Evening Post *A brilliant page-turner just soaked in glamour and romance -- Daily Mail, on The Seven SistersA masterclass in beautiful writing -- The Sun, on The Sun Sister

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Book SynopsisWinner of the HWA Sharpe Gold Crown for Best Historical Novel.An international bestseller, To Die in Spring is a beautiful and devastating novel of a friendship tragically interrupted by war, by German author Ralf Rothmann.Walter Urban and Friedrich 'Fiete' Caroli work side by side as hands on a dairy farm in northern Germany. By 1945, it seems the War's worst atrocities are over. When they are forced to 'volunteer' for the SS, they find themselves embroiled in a conflict which is drawing to a desperate, bloody close. Walter is put to work as a driver for a supply unit of the Waffen-SS, while Fiete is sent to the front. When the senseless bloodshed leads Fiete to desert, only to be captured and sentenced to death, the friends are reunited under catastrophic circumstances.In a few days the war will be over, millions of innocents will be dead, and the survivors must find a way to live with its legacy.'To Die in Spring holds its own against Günter Grass and Erich Maria Remarque; it is an excellent work, and one deserving of its wide readership' – GuardianTrade ReviewTo Die in Spring holds its own against Günter Grass and Erich Maria Remarque; it is an excellent work, and one deserving of its wide readership. -- Rachel Seiffert * Guardian *A Bosch-like vision of hell... The horror of war and the deep damage it does to people... is not always handled as well, or as powerfully, as this. * Sunday Times *A wonderful, precise, very moving novel. -- Roddy DoyleA remarkable and memorable book, about the nastiness, fear, dirt and brutality of war . . . Few novels, in any language, have conveyed them better. -- Caroline Moorehead * Times Literary Supplement *Yes, you’ve already read Remarque, but you should read this one because it’s not just the story of wartime trauma, but also the story of how that trauma affects the future. Walter Urban and his friend Friedrich Caroli are just 17 years old when they’re drafted from their dairy-farm duties into the trenches. Today, right now, we all need to read the chilling section in which very young men are hectored into military service. * LitHub *Rothmann's work [is] one of the most substantial of contemporary German literature. * Tagesspiegel *In this masterpiece, Ralf Rothmann manages the seemingly impossible. He describes the guilt of their fathers' generation from the viewpoint of the post-War generation without betraying it to a moralising know-it-all attitude. * Badische Zeitung *In contemporary German literature, there is nothing that can be compared to this book. * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *Searing, haunting, incandescent: Rothmann’s new novel is a vital addition to the trove of wartime fiction. * Kirkus (starred review) *A sublime novel of damaged lives - and of fathers and sons. * Der Spiegel *With his powerful poetics, Ralf Rothmann belongs to the most important German authors, and as a narrator, he is possibly the most sensitive of his generation. He visualises thoughts, gestures and noises masterfully. * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *As a critic, one should use superlatives cautiously, but this novel is a sensation, a literary and political event. Rothmann's scenes and imagery are so impressive that readers experience the sensation of standing on the battlefield themselves. The author always finds the appropriate words for the horror, for this life damaged by war . . . Rothmann poses the question of guilt, without moralising . . . Apart from the prizes that this powerful and smart novel will receive, one wishes the text one thing first and foremost: many readers. From all generations, in Germany and abroad, because in belligerent times like these, the sad story of Walter and Friedrich is a strong, timeless beacon against war. * SWR *He imagines the characters, landscapes, dialogues with hallucinatory precision, doesn't spare the reader any detail of the brutality . . . [He] lets objects - a footstool, a coat, the hem of a dress - speak. * Süddeutsche Zeitung *One can justifiably say that To Die in Spring heralds the post-Grass era with force. * Die ZEIT *Rothmann tells a story which, without resorting to a hyper-realistic description of catastrophe, narrates the destruction of human beings who seek to remain untouched by evil, who strive with very different intensities to preserve the traces of their humanity . . . Moving, with exquisite prose, suffused with a sense of poetry, in the face of human and collective desolation. * Diario Vasco *To Die in Spring by Ralf Rothmann, is the best novel about the end of the Second World War in years, and a beautiful anti-war tale of universal importance . . . With its lyrical realism, the text reaches new heights. Not a word is out of place. * El País *The war is almost over, the Russians are getting nearer and two young men join the SS. A bad career move, but To Die in Spring is a wonderful, precise, very moving novel by German author Ralf Rothmann. -- Roddy Doyle * Guardian *In To Die in Spring Ralf Rothmann finds a way to describe German suffering without succumbing to self-pity or overlooking guilt. An extraordinary novel. * La Nueva España *Brilliant . . . Spare and elegant, [To Die in Spring] paints a quietly harrowing picture of the lasting effects of human violence . . . Directly confronting issues of responsibility, accountability, and legacy, this is an undeniably powerful work. * Publishers' Weekly (starred review) *

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Book Synopsis'Here ends one of the finest achievements of recent crime fiction' - Sunday Telegraph'Outstanding' - The Times*Winner of the 2022 CWA Historical Dagger and Gold Dagger*Los Angeles. Christmas, 1967. A devil is loose in the City of Angels . . .A young nurse, Kerry Gaudet, travels to the City of Angels desperate to find her missing brother, fearing that something terrible has happened to him: a serial killer is terrorising the city, picking victims at random, and Kerry has precious few leads.Ida Young, recently retired Private Investigator, is dragged into helping the police when a young woman is discovered murdered in her motel room. Ida has never met the victim but her name has been found at the crime scene and the LAPD wants to know why . . .Meanwhile mob fixer Dante Sanfelippo has put his life savings into purchasing a winery in Napa Valley but first he must do one final favour for the Mob before leaving town: find a bail jumper before the bond money falls due, and time is fast running out.Ida’s friend, Louis Armstrong, flies into the city just as her investigations uncover mysterious clues to the killer’s identity. And Dante must tread a dangerous path to pay his dues, a path which will throw him headlong into a terrifying conspiracy and a secret that the conspirators will do anything to protect . . .Completing his American crime quartet, Ray Celestin's Sunset Swing is a stunning novel of conspiracy, murder and madness, an unforgettable portrait of a city on the edge.Trade ReviewCelestin’s debut The Axeman’s Jazz immediately attained cult status, and successive books also impressed. But this is his most dizzying accomplishment, a truly epic crime chronicle. Set in a pulsing 1960s Los Angeles, Celestin creates a joint picture of the histories of organised crime and jazz, full of coruscating detail. -- Barry Forshaw * Financial Times *Sunset Swing concludes Ray Celestin's outstanding City Blues quartet . . . Celestin's most perfectly wrought portrait, however is of the City of Dreams itself, soaked in corruption and empty of heart. Sunset Swing may be an ode to the classics of hard-boiled noir, but it has more than enough rhythm of its own to take its place beside them * The Times *Magnificent and moving * Sunday Times Crime Club *Over four books, beginning with The Axeman’s Jazz in 2014, Ray Celestin has constructed a riveting saga of music, the mafia and murder in four American cities from 1919 to the 1960s. Sunset Swing, unfolding in Los Angeles in 1967, brings his City Blues Quartet to a triumphant conclusion . . . Brilliantly combines the page-turning tension of the best crime fiction with a panoramic portrait of a city in the midst of profound social change -- Nick Rennison * Sunday Times *Here ends one of the finest achievements of recent crime fiction, Ray Celestin’s City Blues Quartet . . . Throughout this series, the counterpoint to Celestin's stark portrayal of a fundamentally corrupt and gangster-ridden America has been his rare ability to capture in prose something of the glory of the music made by Armstrong and his fellow jazz-men. Here he rises to the final challenge of Armstrong's last comeback . . . Few artists have combined greatness and lovability to the extent Armstrong did, and these outstanding hard-boiled thrillers double as a worthy tribute to him -- Jake Kerridge * The Sunday Telegraph *Sunset Swing brings Ray Celestin’s brilliant City Blues Quartet to an end in quite some style. This outstanding series has tracked its characters across four major American cities and over half a century . . . Each of the four books is an epic in its own right, but here, as winter wildfires rage at the end of the continent, the feel is almost apocalyptic . . . The section . . . where Amstrong is first confounded by, then finds a new way to understand and interpret, Bob Thiele’s lyrics for ‘What A Wonderful World’, is as fine and nuanced a piece of writing about music as you’ll find anywhere. It’s one of several superb and moving moments in the best book in a quite remarkable series. Start here if you want, but to get the full effect, put The Axeman’s Jazz, Dead Man's Blues, and The Mobster's Lament on your Christmas list as well. It would almost be a crime not to. * The Quietus *Celestin’s crime quartet – set against the evolution of jazz in 20th-century America – comes to a superb close in this final volume, which also serves as tribute to the genius of Louis Armstrong * The Daily Telegraph *The series is a delight * The Times *This lively, jazz-based series can only be cause for celebration * Sunday Times *Not only a satisfying and multi-layered mystery, but also a well researched and dynamic portrait of a teeming city, rife with corruption * Guardian *A vividly written crime thriller which is a contender for book of the year -- Daily Mirror on The Mobster's LamentOne of the most ambitious and riveting works of crime fiction in years . . . -- Sunday Express on The Mobster's LamentCaptivating -- Spectator on Dead Man's BluesAn absolute must for true crime fanatics * Refinery 29 *Outstanding -- Daily Telegraph on The Axeman's Jazz

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Book SynopsisInspired by a true story, set against the heady backdrop of jazz-filled, mob-ruled New Orleans, The Axeman’s Jazz by Ray Celestin is a gripping thriller announcing a major talent in historical crime fiction.Winner of the CWA New Blood Dagger for Best Debut Crime Novel of the YearRecommended on the Radio 2 Arts Show with Claudia WinklemanShortlisted for Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year AwardNew Orleans, 1919. As a dark serial killer – the Axeman – stalks the city, three individuals set out to unmask him:Detective Lieutenant Michael Talbot – heading up the official investigation, but struggling to find leads, and harbouring a grave secret of his own.Former detective Luca d’Andrea – now working for the mafia, his need to solve the mystery of the Axeman is every bit as urgent as that of the authorities.And Ida – a secretary at the Pinkerton Detective Agency. Obsessed with Sherlock Holmes and dreaming of a better life, she stumbles across a clue which lures her and her musician friend, Louis Armstrong, into the case – and into terrible danger . . .As Michael, Luca and Ida each draw closer to discovering the killer’s identity, the Axeman himself will issue a challenge to the people of New Orleans: play jazz, or risk becoming the next victim.'A fascinating portrait of a vibrant and volatile city and a riveting read' – GuardianThe Axeman's Jazz is the first book in Ray Celestin's prize-winning City Blues quartet. It is followed by the second installment, Dead Man's Blues.Trade ReviewA rewarding crime novel, swinging its way to a terrifying denouement with all the panache of a New Orleans marching band * The Times *A fascinating portrait of a vibrant and volatile city and a riveting read * Guardian *Gripping . . . Celestin smartly evokes the atmosphere of 1919 New Orleans, and a city dominated by music and the mob * Sunday Times *Based on a true story . . . this thriller blends voodoo, gangsters and jazz into an intoxicating mix * Sunday Mirror *The evocative prose brings the jazz-filled, mob-ruled ‘Big Easy’ of pre-prohibition America to life in glorious effect with a story full of suspense and intrigue. Stunning * Sunday Express *Outstanding * Daily Telegraph *A clever and utterly believable procedural with a suitably grisly killer, set in a brilliant and vibrant historical background * Crime Review *The best debut I’ve read this year * Scotsman, Crime Books of the Year *Celestin has skilfully woven around the facts a clever story of three detectives who, in different ways and for different motives, set out to find the murderer. He brilliantly portrays the mood of a city under a siege of fear. Fictional musicians mix with the real jazz artists of the period, not least Louis Armstrong. * The Times, Crime Books of the Year *An absolute must for true crime fanatics * Refinery29 *

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Book SynopsisUnderworld opens – famously – at the Dodgers-Giants 1951 National League final, where Bobby Thomson hits The Shot Heard Round the World and wins the pennant race for the Giants. But on the other side of the planet, another highly significant shot was fired: the USSR's first atomic detonation. And so begins a masterpiece of gloriously symphonic storytelling.Don DeLillo loosely follows the fate of the winning baseball as the book swells and rolls through time. He offers a panoramic vision of America, defined by the overarching conflict of the cold war.This is an awe-inspiring story, seen in deep, clear detail, of men and women, together and apart, as they search for meaning, survival and connection in the toughest of times.Part of the Picador Collection, a series showcasing the best of modern literature.Trade ReviewA literary colossus, equal to any (and surpassing most) of the vaulting novels which strive for the immensity of the American mythic. -- Geoff Dyer * Sunday Telegraph *A rousingly impressive achievement in almost every novelistic department - dialogue, structure, timing, precise description, heartfelt veracity and the rest. -- William Boyd * Observer *Every decade or so the real thing comes along - a work of literature so overwhelmingly good that you know it is a masterpiece which will endure . . . huge sections sweep you along in a way that only the greatest books can. -- Michael Shelden * Daily Telegraph *His longest, most ambitious, and most complicated novel - and his best . . . Underworld is the black comedy of the Cold War; it is full of sentences that capture, with the choice of the odd word, a moment in American history. * New Yorker *Astonishing . . . an amazing performance . . . Mr DeLillo's most affecting novel yet . . . This bravura master of cerebral pyrotechnics also knows how to seize and rattle our emotions . . . In this remarkable novel, [DeLillo] has taken the effluvia of modern society, all the detritus of our daily and political lives, and turned it into a dazzling, phosphorescent work of art. * New York Times *Don DeLillo's latest epic, Underworld, brilliantly interweaves voices, incidents and telling details into a moving, empowering people's history. If Libra, White Noise and Mao II hadn't already done enough to persuade British readers that DeLillo ranks with the best of contemporary American novelists, Underworld surely will. -- Blake Morrison * Independent on Sunday *DeLillo suddenly fills the sky. Underworld renders DeLillo a great novelist . . . [it] surges with magisterial confidence through time (the last half-century) and through space (Harlem, Phoenix, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Texas, the Bronx) . . . It isn't every day, or even every decade, that one sees the ascension of a great writer. -- Martin Amis * Esquire *Among other things, the new novel from Don DeLillo is a remarkable feat of engineering . . . he chisels and carves until he has made something that cannot help but lift your heart: a cathedral of prose . . . He has built a towering structure and I recommend you climb to the top. The view is sensational. -- Allison Pearson * Evening Standard *With Underworld, DeLillo confirms himself in the select group of great American writers truly equal to the temper of very strange times. * Times Literary Supplement *Underworld is nothing less than the story of the States in the Cold War; an epic to set alongside Moby Dick or Augie March. -- Tim Adams * Observer *

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Book Synopsis"First published in 1956, Zama is now universally recognized as one of the masterpieces of modern Argentinean and Spanish-language literature. Written in a style that is both precise and sumptuous, Zama takes place in the last decade of the eighteenth century and describes the solitary, suspended existence of Don Diego de Zama, a highly placed servant of the Spanish crown who has been posted to Asunciâon, the capital of remote Paraguay. Eaten up by pride, lust, petty grudges, and paranoid fantasies, DonDiego does as little as he possibly can while plotting an eventual transfer to Buenos Aires, where everything about his hopeless existence will, he is confident, be miraculously transformed and made good. Don Diego''s slow, nightmarish slide into the abyss is not just a tale of one man''s perdition but an exploration of existential, and very American, loneliness. Zama''s stark, dreamlike prose and spare imagery make every word appear to emerge from an ocean of things left unsaid"--

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Book SynopsisHer beauty saved her life - and condemned her.In 1942 Cilka Klein is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. The Commandant at Birkenau, Schwarzhuber, notices her long beautiful hair, and forces her separation from the other women prisoners. Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly given, equals survival.After liberation, Cilka is charged as a collaborator by the Russians and sent to a desolate, brutal prison camp in Siberia known as Vorkuta, inside the Arctic Circle. Innocent, imprisoned once again, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar, each day a battle for survival. Cilka befriends a woman doctor, and learns to nurse the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under unimaginable conditions. And when she tends to a man called Alexandr, Cilka finds that despite everything, there is room in her heart for love.Based on what is known of Cilka Klein's time in Auschwitz, and on the experience of women in Siberian prison camps, Cilka's Journey is the breathtaking sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz. A powerful testament to the triumph of the human will, this novel will move you to tears, but it will also leave you astonished and uplifted by one woman's fierce determination to survive, against all odds. 'She was the bravest person I ever met'Lale Sokolov, The Tattooist of Auschwitz

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Book Synopsis'Gripping, heartbreaking and uplifting.' Christy Lefteri, author of the million-copy bestseller The Beekeeper of AleppoTHEIR STORY WILL BREAK YOUR HEARTTHEIR JOURNEY WILL FILL YOU WITH HOPEYOU WILL NEVER FORGET THEIR NAMESWhen they are little girls, Cibi, Magda and Livia make a promise to their father - that they will stay together, no matter what. Years later, at just 15, Livia is ordered to Auschwitz by the Nazis. Cibi, only 19 herself, remembers their promise and follows Livia, determined to protect her sister, or die with her. Together, they fight to survive through unimaginable cruelty and hardship.Magda, only 17, stays with her mother and grandfather, hiding out in a neighbour's attic or in the forest when the Nazi militia come to round up friends, neighbours and family. She escapes for a time, but eventually she too is captured and transported to the death camp.In Auschwitz-Birkenau the three sisters are reunited and, remembering their father, they make a new promise, this time to each other: That they will survive.Three Sisters is a beautiful story of hope in the hardest of times and of finding love after loss. Heather Morris is the global bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey, which have sold eight million copies worldwide. Three Sisters is her third novel, and the final piece in the phenomenon that is the Tattooist of Auschwitz series.Trade ReviewAt the heart of this unbearably sad, but ultimately uplifting novel is the unbreakable bond shared between three sisters . . . A gruelling read, but the vivid resilience of the girls, their constant care and affection for each other, is immeasurably comforting * Daily Mail *Offers a fascinating glimpse into life after the horrors of Auschwitz. And that's what makes this book stand out . . . A story of hope, spirit and sheer human resilience * Sunday Express *Emotionally affecting storytelling * Top page-turners selection for Daily Telegraph *Another heart-wrenching, deftly told tale . . . it is hard not to be moved by such a chronicle * Mail on Sunday *Heartbreaking yet inspiring, this is a moving tale of bravery, the power of love and survival against the odds * My Weekly *A stunning novel * People Magazine *Morris skillfully chronicles the lives of the sisters from childhood to old age, balancing fictional invention with extensive research and immersion into the Mellers' lives. Readers will be greatly inspired by this story of resilience * Publishers Weekly starred review *Readers of historical and World War II fiction will be gripped by the conclusion to Morris's trilogy * Library Journal *Emotional and inspiring * Platinum Magazine *This book! I loved it. The fact that this is a true story means a lot, but the author is so skilled that you really live through the experiences of these girls. Each of them comes to life and is very much her own person. If I could give it more than five stars, I would. * 5* Netgalley review *I really enjoyed this book because it was very different to the others as this was about the bond of three sisters and not giving up on the others, about sticking together no matter what and getting through the war and staying safe. There is a lot to be taken from these incredible women stories. I highly recommend this book to everyone!! * Steph Reads Blog *Heather Morris's books are written with such care and feeling. This is the story of three sisters and how they coped with the horrors they witnessed in the camps during WW2 and their fight and determination to survive. Excellent book and very emotional. * 5* Netgalley review *This novel is testament to the power that love and devotion can get you through everything. Just like Heather Morris' other works this is also well-written, you get sucked in and before you know it you have read 50 pages in an afternoon! It is interesting that this book doesn't just end with the sister's release from Auschwitz like most other WWII memoirs but carries on and explains how the sisters slowly heal and move on with the rest of their lives. * 5* Netgalley review *An incredible book from start to finish, so emotional and so powerful, every chapter left me desperate to read on. I felt so invested in the lives of the three sisters, and as a reader you become so connected to them, especially as this book spans more than just their lives in Auschwitz, looking at both before and after, meaning they become the three-dimensional people they deserve to be. This was just as excellent as Heather Morris' previous books! * Emma is Reading a Book blog *I absolutely adored Heather's two previous novels - The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey - so I was more than excited to see she'd written another book. I love that these stories are real, and Heather has been chosen as the guardian of them. She manages to portray the joy amongst the pain, fear, and desperation. What they went through was terrible, but she's managed to ensure we don't forget the beauty the sisters experienced too. * Books by my Bedside blog *I was deeply moved and an emotional wreck for great chunks of this book. If you have read and been moved by Heather Morris's previous books, this is a must read. If you've never read anything in this genre, this is a must read. A dark and bleak but ultimately life-affirming journey, with hope in the darkest days, a determination to survive and to care for those that you love. A vitally important book to never forget, and a reminder of the depth of human hope, love, and the will to survive. * Avid Reader blog *I am not normally one for historical reads, however, this has completely changed my perspective! I loved it! Incredibly gripping and heart-wrenching, would definitely recommend it. * Partridge Pages Blog *This book! I loved it. It was one of those that I was so sorry when I was finished it. The author is so skilled that you really live through the experiences of these girls. And each of them comes to life and is very much her own person. If I could give it more than five stars, I would. * 5* Review from Netgalley *Having read Heather Morris' previous two books, I could not wait to read Three Sisters and it really did not disappoint. Incredibly well written and atmospheric. Everything was handled sensitively and in an inspiring way. I would happily read more from Heather Morris in the future, and I can't wait to see what she does next. * 5* Review from Netgalley *The book is an honest, powerful, at times hard hitting recollection of what the Meller family went through. Once again Heather has taken the dreadful memories of Auschwitz survivors and created an amazing book. The way Heather writes these stories you feel like you have been on a journey and as you read you are almost an eyewitness to the atrocities survivors had to endure. * 5* Review from Netgalley *Prior to reading this book, I had read Heather Morris' The Tattooist of Auschwitz and found it incredibly moving. Three Sisters unveils a different, yet equally brutal side to the concentration camps, through the eyes of three fiercely loyal and brave sisters. Morris does such a wonderful job with such harrowing subject matter. Instead of highlighting or lingering on the horrors that occurred, she focuses on the sisters and their mother and grandfather. Their bond, courage and will to survive is astounding to read about and this is made all the more poignant by the strength of Morris' craft. The authors care for the real sisters' stories is evident throughout; her respect for them filters through the pages. It is no easy task to take someone's life story, particularly one so tragic, and craft it into a book like this. It takes a special person to do it. * 5* Netgalley review *My words are really not going to do this book justice. Heather Morris has (not surprisingly) delivered yet another deeply moving story of bravery, loyalty, survival and love, in defiance of the inconceivable horror and brutality faced at Auschwitz-Birkenau. A complete emotional rollercoaster, we follow sisters Cibi, Magda and Livi; their harrowing, eye opening story of resilience and strength shown throughout their journey and the story of their survival together. * 5* Netgalley review *Wow. I'm absolutely blown away. An extremely heart-breaking but wonderfully written book. What I say here will not do this book justice. Having read both The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey; I had to of course read Three Sisters too. I think this is possibly my favourite book of the three. I loved how there was so much detail into their lives afterwards, survival, love and family. I would highly recommend that if you do read this book, to read the authors note at the end along with the afterwords. * 5* Netgalley review *Wow, this is such an incredible read. Ciba, Magda and Livia have an indescribable story to tell. They live through so much and Morris gives them a voice and retells everything they endured; good and bad. The three sisters are such strong women and I loved getting to know them, reading about their life and seeing what happened to them and those around them. Three Sisters is an absolute must read. It is powerful, moving and thought-provoking. * 4* review on Netgalley *A heart wrenching, emotional, sad and poignant read. I think the author has captured her characters feelings, thoughts and emotions very eloquently and as a reader you can't help but be affected by their story which had me in tears a few times. A very powerful and poignant read that will stay on my mind for a while. * 4* Netgalley review *If you enjoyed the first two books (`The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey), then I think you'll equally enjoy this book. The three sisters fill the pages with bravery, family love and the ability to endure. At the end of the book, I had a lump in my throat as you see the large legacy that the three sisters grew: they endured, survived, and thrived which makes for a rewarding and inspiring read. * Between my Lines Blog *

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Book SynopsisAshes of Berlin is shortlisted for the CWA Endeavour Historical Dagger World War II is over, and former German intelligence officer Captain Gregor Reinhardt has returned to Berlin. He's about to find that the bloodshed has not ended - and that for some, death is better than defeat. A year after Germany's defeat, Reinhardt has been hired back onto Berlin's civilian police force. The city is divided among the victorious allied powers, tensions are growing, and the police are riven by internal rivalries as factions within it jockey for power and influence with Berlin's new masters. When a man is found slain in a broken-down tenement, Reinhardt embarks on a gruesome investigation. It seems a serial killer is on the loose, and matters only escalate when it's discovered that one of the victims was the brother of a Nazi scientist. Reinhardt's search for the truth takes him across the divided city and soon embroils him in a plot involving the Western Allies and the Soviets. And as he comes under the scrutiny of a group of Germans who want to continue the war - and faces an unwanted reminder from his own past - Reinhardt realizes that this investigation could cost him everything as he pursues a killer who believes that all wrongs must be avenged...Trade ReviewLet's not mince words: historical thrillers don't come any better than The Ashes of Berlin -- Barry Forshaw * The Financial Times *Reinhardt is a terrific creation -- Marcel Berlins * The Times *Sunday Times Crime Club name Ashes of Berlin their Star Pick for December reads * The Sunday Times *Luke McCallin's best Reinhardt novel yet. It's dark, brooding and raw. Also, impeccably researched -- Jon Courtenay GrimwoodA compelling, addictive narrative that had me turning the pages into the small hours. Superlative -- CJ Carver

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Book SynopsisMartina Devlin's enthralling new novel Charlotte weaves back and forth through Charlotte Brontë's life, reflecting on the myths built around her by those who knew her, those who thought they knew her, and those who longed to know her. Above all, this is a story of fiction: who creates it, who lives it, who owns it.

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Book SynopsisA deluxe hardcover edition of the world''s greatest fantasy classic--part of Penguin Galaxy, a collectible series of six sci-fi/fantasy classics, featuring a series introduction by Neil Gaiman T. H. White''s masterful retelling of the saga of King Arthur is a fantasy classic as legendary as the sword Excalibur and city of Camelot that are found within its pages. This magical epic takes Arthur from the glorious lyrical phase of his youth, through the disillusioning early years of his reign, to maturity when his vision of the Round Table develops into the search for the Holy Grail, and finally to his weary old age. With memorable characters like Merlin and Owl and Guinevere, beasts who talk and men who fly, wizardry and war, The Once and Future King has become the fantasy masterpiece against which all others are judged, a poignant story of adventure, romance, and magic that has enchanted readers for generations. Penguin Galaxy Six of our greatest masterworks of science fiction and fantasy, in dazzling collector-worthy hardcover editions, and featuring a series introduction by #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman, Penguin Galaxy represents a constellation of achievement in visionary fiction, lighting the way toward our knowledge of the universe, and of ourselves. From historical legends to mythic futures, monuments of world-building to mind-bending dystopias, these touchstones of human invention and storytelling ingenuity have transported millions of readers to distant realms, and will continue for generations to chart the frontiers of the imagination. The Once and Future King by T. H. White Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein Dune by Frank Herbert 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin Neuromancer by William Gibson For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators--

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Book SynopsisT.H. White's masterful retelling of the saga of King Arthur is a fantasy classic as legendary as Excalibur and Camelot, and a poignant story of adventure, romance, and magic that has enchanted readers for generations.

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Book SynopsisNow a major TV seriesWinner of the Man Booker PrizeWinner of the Costa Book of the YearShortlisted for the Women's Prize for FictionSimply exceptionalI envy anyone who hasn't yet read it'Daily MailA gripping story of tumbling fury and terror'Independent on SundayBring Up the Bodies unlocks the darkly glittering court of Henry VIII, where Thomas Cromwell is now chief minister. With Henry captivated by plain Jane Seymour and rumours of Anne Boleyn's faithlessness whispered by all, Cromwell knows what he must do to secure his position. But the bloody theatre of the queen's final days will leave no one unscathed Heralded as the greatest English novels of this century, the Wolf Hall trilogy has won two Booker Prizes and been adapted into hugely successful stage plays. The first two books, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, were transformed into a BAFTA- and Golden Globe-winning BBC television series, starring Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis. The cast now returns in the long-awaited concluding series, Wolf Hall: The Mirror & the Light.

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Book SynopsisNow a major TV seriesWinner of the Man Booker PrizeShortlisted for the Women''s Prize for FictionShortlisted for the Costa Novel AwardDizzyingly, dazzlingly good'' Daily MailOur most brilliant English writer'GuardianIn this brilliant novel, Hilary Mantel brings the opulent, brutal world of the Tudors to bloody, glittering life. It is the backdrop to the rise and rise of Thomas Cromwell: lowborn boy, charmer, bully, master of deadly intrigue and, finally, most powerful of Henry VIII's courtiers, determined to bring England into a modern age.Heralded as the greatest English novels of this century, the Wolf Hall trilogy has won two Booker Prizes and been adapted into hugely successful stage plays. The first two books, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, were transformed into a BAFTA- and Golden Globe-winning BBC television series, starring Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis. The cast will return in the long-awaited concluding series, Wolf Hall: The Mirror & the Light.

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Book SynopsisOnly the Brave is a powerful wartime tale of courage and compassion, from billion-copy bestseller Danielle Steel.

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Book SynopsisEnthralling and ambitious, Sunday Times bestseller Jeffrey Archer’s As The Crow Flies brings to life one man’s rise from rags to riches - a boy who inherits a barrow and ends up with the biggest supermarket chain in the world.Growing up in the slums of East End London, Charlie Trumper dreams of someday running his grandfather’s fruit and vegetable stall. That day comes all too suddenly when his grandfather dies, leaving him his legacy: his barrow.The onset of World War I takes Charlie far from home to the trenches of Normandy, where he learns to deal with any enemy. Returning to the East End, he finds his barrow stolen – and comes straight into conflict with a dangerous enemy, whose legacy of evil will follow him and his family for generations, even as Charlie strives to fulfil the dream his grandfather inspired.In an epic journey set against the turbulent backdrop of a changing century, spanning three continent

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Book SynopsisMiyamoto Musashi was the child of an era when Japan was emerging from decades of civil strife. Lured to the great Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 by the hope of becoming a samurai--without really knowing what it meant--he regains consciousness after the battle to find himself lying defeated, dazed and wounded among thousands of the dead and dying. On his way home, he commits a rash act, becomes a fugitive and brings life in his own village to a standstill--until he is captured by a weaponless Zen monk. The lovely Otsu, seeing in Musashi her ideal of manliness, frees him from his tortuous punishment, but he is recaptured and imprisoned. During three years of solitary confinement, he delves into the classics of Japan and China. When he is set free again, he rejects the position of samurai and for the next several years pursues his goal relentlessly, looking neither to left nor to right. Ever so slowly it dawns on him that following the Way of the Sword is not simply a matter of finding a target for his brute strength. Continually striving to perfect his technique, which leads him to a unique style of fighting with two swords simultaneously, he travels far and wide, challenging fighters of many disciplines, taking nature to be his ultimate and severest teacher and undergoing the rigorous training of those who follow the Way. He is supremely successful in his encounters, but in the Art of War he perceives the way of peaceful and prosperous governance and disciplines himself to be a real human being He becomes a reluctant hero to a host of people whose lives he has touched and been touched by. And, inevitably, he has to pit his skill against the naked blade of his greatest rival. Musashi is a novel in the best tradition of Japanese story telling. It is a living story, subtle and imaginative, teeming with memorable characters, many of them historical. Interweaving themes of unrequited love, misguided revenge, filial piety and absolute dedication to the Way of the Samurai, it depicts vividly a world Westerners know only vaguely. Full of gusto and humor, it has an epic quality and universal appeal. The novel was made into a three-part movie by Director Hiroshi Inagai.

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Book Synopsis'A dazzling portrait of Norah Barnacle' Lisa Harding

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Book SynopsisTender, riveting and inventive is Clear, the newest offering and masterpiece from the brilliant Carys Davies. It will take your breath away Sarah Jessica ParkerAn exquisite, hopeful masterpiece Rachel JoyceA poignant, profound depiction of both solitude and connection. Carys Davies has written a masterful, discreetly sublime book Hernan Diaz1843. On a remote Scottish island, Ivar, the sole occupant, leads a life of quiet isolation until the day he finds a man unconscious on the beach below the cliffs. The newcomer is John Ferguson, an impoverished church minister sent to evict Ivar and turn the island into grazing land for sheep. Unaware of the stranger's intentions, Ivar takes him into his home, and in spite of the two men having no common language, a fragile bond begins to form between them. Meanwhile, on the mainland, John's wife, Mary, anxiously awaits news of his mission. Against the rugged backdrop of this faraway spot beyond Shetland, Carys Davies's intimate drama unfolds with tension and tenderness: a touching and crystalline study of ordinary people buffeted by history and a powerful exploration of the distances and connections between us. Perfectly structured and surprising at every turn, Clear is a marvel of storytelling, an exquisite short novel by a master of the form.

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Book SynopsisA heart-wrenching and unforgettable story of courage, friendship and resistance, inspired by the incredible true story of a Jewish ballroom dancer in Paris during WWII, perfect for fans of The Paris Library.Paris, 1938. Annie Mayer arrives in France with dreams of becoming a ballerina. But when the war reaches Paris, she''s forced to keep her Jewish heritage a secret. Then a fellow dancer offers her a lifeline: a ballroom partnership that gives her a new identity. Together, Annie and her partner captivate audiences across occupied Europe, using her newfound fame and alias to aid the Resistance.New York, 2012. Miriam, haunted by her past, travels from London to New York to settle her great-aunt Esther's estate. Among Esther's belongings, she discovers notebooks detailing a secret family history and the story of a brave dancer who risked everything to help Jewish families during the war.As Miriam uncovers Esther's life in Europe, she realises the story has been left for her to finish. Grappling with loss and the possibility of new love, Miriam must find the strength to reconcile her past and embrace her future.

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Book SynopsisKate Foster has been a national newspaper journalist for over twenty years. Growing up in Edinburgh, she became fascinated by its history and often uses it as inspiration for her stories. Her previous novels include The Maiden, which won the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year in 2023 and was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2024, and The King's Witches. The Mourning Necklace is her third novel. She lives in Edinburgh with her two children.

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Book SynopsisThe second book in the Lonesome Dove quartet, set in the American West.

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Book SynopsisElaine Everest, author of bestselling novels The Woolworths Girls, The Butlins Girls, Christmas at Woolworths and The Teashop Girls, was born and brought up in north-west Kent, where many of her books are set. She has been a freelance writer for twenty-five years and has written widely for women's magazines and national newspapers, both short stories and features. Her non-fiction books for dog owners have been very popular and led to her broadcasting on the radio about our four-legged friends. Elaine has been heard discussing many topics on the airwaves, from canine subjects to living with a husband under her feet when redundancy looms.

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Book SynopsisEva Ibbotson was born in Vienna in 1925 and fled to England with her family when the Nazis came to power. She became a writer while bringing up her four children in Newcastle. Her bestselling novels have been published and loved by readers around the world.Her novels for adults, all rich historical romances, convey her deep love of the arts, the Austrian countryside, and the importance of belonging.In 2001, her children's novel Journey to the River Sea won the Nestle Gold Award and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize.Eva passed away peacefully in October 2010 at the age of eighty-five.

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Book SynopsisKate Morton was born in South Australia and grew up in the mountains of south-east Queensland. She has degrees in dramatic art and English literature, specializing in nineteenth-century tragedy and contemporary gothic novels. She is the author of The House at Riverton, The Forgotten Garden, The Distant Hours, The Secret Keeper, The Lake House, The Clockmaker's Daughter and Homecoming, which have all been global number one bestsellers.

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