Historical Fiction Books

Book SynopsisAN OBSERVER BEST DEBUT NOVELIST OF 2021'Seductive . . . Gorgeous' The Times'Gives voice to one of fiction's most conspicuously absent women' iWord has come. King Lear is dead. His three daughters too, broken in battle. But someone has survived: Lear's queen.Though her grief and rage threaten to crack the earth open, she knows she must seek answers. Why was she exiled? What has happened to Kent, her oldest friend? And what will become of her now? To find peace she must reckon with her past and make a terrible choice - one upon which her destiny rests.Trade ReviewPoetic . . . Distinctive and compelling . . . Thorp's poignant and surprising narrative allows a character absent from the original play to obtain her long overdue agency * * Observer * *Seductive . . . Gorgeous * * The Times * *Gorgeously written . . . artful and moving . . . a beautiful triumph * * New York Times * *Thorp's vivid debut novel gives voice to one of fiction's most conspicuously absent women . . . Lyrical . . . Thorp's distinctive style is heady and evocative . . . Learwife slots into a strong alternative canon of feminist retellings of classic stories * * i * *Original, intriguing . . . Thorp's novel is beautifully written in rich, imaginative prose * * Sunday Times, Best New Historical Fiction * *The wife of King Lear is given a powerful voice in this haunting narrative of her life . . . The writing in this novel is pitch-perfect: lyrical, imaginative and there to savour . . . Fascinating and heart-wrenching * * Daily Mail * *This vivid reimagining of King Lear's wife shows Shakespearean scholars what they are missing . . . An original and highly accomplished debut that reimagines the life of a woman written out of literary history . . . A fresh perspective on an age-old tale . . . With Learwife, Thorp also joins the ranks of authors such as Pat Barker, Natalie Haynes and Madeline Miller, who have in recent times successfully depicted female characters omitted from myth and literary history . . . Thorp is a stylish writer, who blends old and new worlds in prose that is elegant, rhythmic and innovative * * Irish Times * *Thorp's prose is sweepingly lyrical; studded with jewels, wrapped in rich fabrics, blooming with resonant images: light of all sorts - sun, moon, torches, conflagration; the changing face of water. She finds mystery in the everyday, locates the poison that lurks within * * Spectator * *Tells the story of King Lear's wife in a blistering reimagination . . . A must for fans of Margaret Atwood, Sarah Waters, Pat Barker and Natalie Haynes * * Irish Independent * *The chronicle of love, rage and grief that Shakespeare never wrote * * Daily Mail * *

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Book SynopsisAS READ ON BBC RADIO 4A SPECTATOR BEST OF THE YEAR - AS CHOSEN BY REVIEWERSThe year is 1742. Goody Brown, saved from drowning and adopted when just a babe, has grown up happily in the smuggling town of Winchelsea. But when she turns sixteen, her father is murdered by men he thought were friends. In a town where lawlessness prevails, Goody and her brother Francis must enter the cut-throat world of her father's killers in order to find justice. Facing high seas and desperate villains, she discovers what life can be like without constraints or expectations, developing a taste for danger that makes her blood run fast. Goody was never born to be a gentlewoman. But what will she become instead?Trade ReviewImagine Daphne du Maurier crossed with Quentin Tarantino, and you will have some idea of just what a thrilling, bloody and heady ride this novel is -- TOM HOLLANDI was riveted. Winchelsea is a great read - terrific narrative drive, credible characters, and such an elegant creation of the backdrop in terms of both time and place -- PENELOPE LIVELYBoisterous . . . evocative . . . What holds the novel together as much as its driving plot are its incantatory atmosphere and spellbinding language * * Guardian * *Preston is a gifted prose cartographer, conjuring up the Sussex coastline in a crisp, clear fashion . . . He has written a bawdy, thunderous romp that echoes with cannon fire, sea shanties and the occasional plaintive cry of a nightjar * * Financial Times * *Glorious * * Spectator * *Winchelsea is a remarkable act of literary time travel: dark and gripping and soaked in blood and salt water -- EVIE WYLD[A] spellbinding read, both gory and gorgeous * * Daily Mail * *Truly epic . . . The richness and enthusiasm of the prose speaks of a novelist who loves the process of spinning an unpredictable, fabulist yarn * * i * *A rip-roaring yarn about smugglers and seafarers in Romney Marsh and its coastal hinterland in the 18th century. The energy, word play and attention to contemporary detail could not be bettered -- The Books of the Year 2022 * * Spectator * *There's a wild piratical darkness to Winchelsea which is charged by the evocative and strange wilderness of its setting on the Romney Marshes. At its heart is a gripping tale: a life-and-death struggle, set in the eighteenth century yet vibrantly heightened by a sureness of visceral detail and a vivid depth of characterisation. This is historical drama on a deft and uproarious scale, and it makes for a breathlessly exciting and engaging read -- PHILIP HOARE

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Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES BEST HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEARA BBC TWO BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK 1628. Embarking on a journey in search of her father, a young girl called Mayken boards the Batavia, the most impressive sea vessel of the age. During the long voyage, this curious and resourceful child must find her place in the ship's busy world, and she soon uncovers shadowy secrets above and below deck. As tensions spiral, the fate of the ship and all on board becomes increasingly uncertain.1989. Gil, a boy mourning the death of his mother, is placed in the care of his irritable and reclusive grandfather. Their home is a shack on a tiny fishing island off the Australian coast, notable only for its reefs and wrecked boats. This is no place for a child struggling with a dark past and Gil's actions soon get him noticed by the wrong people.The Night Ship is an enthralling tale of human brutality, providence and friendship, and of two children, hundreds of years apart, whose fates are inextricably bound together.Trade ReviewLyrical, haunting, a beautiful and elegant fictional interpretation of history, I loved it -- KATE MOSSEMajestic . . . Kidd packs the story with superb characters, high emotion and drama . . . this gripping story ebbs and bobs with surprises from Kidd's sparkling imagination * * Independent * *The ambition and execution of [Jess Kidd's] new book The Night Ship is breathtaking! Sweet and grim, epic and domestic - I loved it . . . readers are in for a treat -- GRAHAM NORTON[A] consistently gripping and impressively constructed novel . . . Kidd builds an immersive visual and olfactory world of the 17th century ship . . . since her first novel Himself [Kidd] has displayed a voracious talent for storytelling . . . [a] marvellous, spirited novel * * Financial Times * *Jess Kidd's extraordinary evocation of a place gruesome with ghosts and the stranglehold of the past is nothing short of brilliant. I loved it -- HANNAH KENTGripping . . . The Night Ship is immersive, vivid and immediate, teeming with sensory detail that could only have come from extensive and diligent research and told in beautifully assured prose * * Irish Times * *Fabulous . . . Beautifully pitched, and told in the present tense, there's a wonderful immediacy to the children's stories as they cope with the harsh reality of their worlds but yearn for the magical and mystical, in this briny, beguiling book * * Daily Mail * *Kidd's writing is beautiful, a seemingly effortless layering of small details to create a vivid sense of place and geography . . . wonderful . . . memorable * * Sunday Independent * *I absolutely loved it . . . Fantastic -- STEPHEN MANGANCompelling . . . [Possesses] great energy and originality * * Sunday Times, Historical Fiction Book of the Month * *

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Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES BEST HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEARA BBC TWO BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK1628. Embarking on a journey in search of her father, a young girl called Mayken boards the Batavia, the most impressive sea vessel of the age. During the long voyage, this curious and resourceful child must find her place in the ship's busy world, and she soon uncovers shadowy secrets above and below deck. As tensions spiral, the fate of the ship and all on board becomes increasingly uncertain.1989. Gil, a boy mourning the death of his mother, is placed in the care of his irritable and reclusive grandfather. Their home is a shack on a tiny fishing island off the Australian coast, notable only for its reefs and wrecked boats. This is no place for a child struggling with a dark past and Gil's actions soon get him noticed by the wrong people.The Night Ship is an enthralling tale of human brutality, providence and friendship, and of two children, hundreds of years apart, whose fates are inextricably bound together.Trade ReviewLyrical, haunting, a beautiful and elegant fictional interpretation of history, I loved it -- KATE MOSSEMajestic . . . Kidd packs the story with superb characters, high emotion and drama . . . this gripping story ebbs and bobs with surprises from Kidd's sparkling imagination * * Independent * *The ambition and execution of [Jess Kidd's] new book The Night Ship is breathtaking! Sweet and grim, epic and domestic - I loved it . . . readers are in for a treat -- GRAHAM NORTON[A] consistently gripping and impressively constructed novel . . . Kidd builds an immersive visual and olfactory world of the 17th century ship . . . since her first novel Himself [Kidd] has displayed a voracious talent for storytelling . . . [a] marvellous, spirited novel * * Financial Times * *Jess Kidd's extraordinary evocation of a place gruesome with ghosts and the stranglehold of the past is nothing short of brilliant. I loved it -- HANNAH KENTGripping . . . The Night Ship is immersive, vivid and immediate, teeming with sensory detail that could only have come from extensive and diligent research and told in beautifully assured prose * * Irish Times * *Fabulous . . . Beautifully pitched, and told in the present tense, there's a wonderful immediacy to the children's stories as they cope with the harsh reality of their worlds but yearn for the magical and mystical, in this briny, beguiling book * * Daily Mail * *Kidd's writing is beautiful, a seemingly effortless layering of small details to create a vivid sense of place and geography . . . wonderful . . . memorable * * Sunday Independent * *I absolutely loved it . . . Fantastic -- STEPHEN MANGANCompelling . . . [Possesses] great energy and originality * * Sunday Times, Historical Fiction Book of the Month * *

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Book SynopsisA THE TIMES BEST THRILLER OF THE YEAR 2022When a Jewish classmate is attacked by bullies, fifteen-year-old Nico just watches - earning him a week's suspension and a typed, yellowing manuscript from his frail Nonno Paolo. A history lesson, his grandfather says, and a secret he must keep from his father.Nico is transported back to the Venice of 1943, an occupied city seething under the Nazis, and to the defining moment of his grandfather's life: when Paolo's support for a murdered Jewish woman brings him into the sights of the city's underground resistance. Hooked and unsettled, Nico can't stop reading - but he soon wonders if he ever knew his beloved grandfather at all.Trade ReviewSensitively written, with a tremendous late twist, The Garden of Angels is above all a superlative re-creation of time and aqueous place * * The Times * *The plot is strong, tense and intricate with an unexpected twist in the tail, and the sense of place is haunting and powerful, but the abiding strength is in the characterisation . . . You may feel that we are sated with novels about occupied Europe in WW2, but don't miss this one * * Historical Novel Society * *I can thoroughly recommend this book . . . it has a strong message about fascism and about what happens to a country when people not only support and encourage it but also stand by and do nothing; are complicit in their silence. Masterful impassioned writing -- RICHARD ARMITAGEVivid and compelling, The Garden of Angels is at once a richly wrought thriller set in WWII Venice and a powerful exploration of the grey areas in which we live in times of fear and oppression -- SARAH PINBOROUGHGripping and powerful, The Garden of Angels richly evokes the tension and threat of Nazi-occupied Venice. A moving and important novel -- TESS GERRITSENIf you only read one book this year, read this one. Its essential truth about what happened in WWII and about what is happening now will both chill and inspire you. It's also a damn good story featuring fantastic characters - one of which is Venice herself -- BARBARA NADELWith a gallery of wonderful characters on both sides of the fence and never flinching from the atrocities committed by all parties, this is a gripping tale of pathos and heroism with a wonderful final twist that raises the book to a whole other level -- MAXIM JAKUBOWSKI * * Crimetime * *Readers [will be] gasping in surprise, and Hewson expertly balances tense action and thoughtful emotion * * Publishers Weekly * *

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Book Synopsis1926. Wuhan is in lockdown.Fourteen years ago, its heroes toppled China’s last emperor, but at great cost. Patriots became politicians. Reformers became warlords. Now at Wuchang, the ancient walled city anchoring the metropolis to the Yangtze, they fight to the death.Former comrades and broken families watch each other through iron crosshairs. For Chiang Kai‑shek’s unproven government forces camped outside, victory means a chance at national salvation. For the ragtag Beiyang soldiers and citizenry trapped within, there is but one mission: stay alive.From the banks of the Mother River, the cold stone walls have seen entire dynasties unravelled in tides of senseless destruction. Will the living fare any better?

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Book Synopsis1900. For Tianjin’s European colonists a profitable new century is dawning, but for the city’s downtrodden Chinese natives the Zodiac cycle’s end signals imminent catastrophe. Meanwhile the fearsome Boxer warriors – said by some to be bulletproof – are spilling in from the provinces.On restless streets, a dangerous liaison begins. Ouyang Jue, gentle layabout and heir to a merchant fortune, finds himself entangled with Xénia, a French officer’s daughter indulging every impulse on her first visit to China. Each sees liberation in the other; a chance to leap through the mirror and escape the mundane.Separated by the widening divide between their two worlds, the lovers were never meant to be. But as discontent sparks into all-out conflagration, will they find paradise behind the glass? Or will they join the ashes of what might have been?

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Book SynopsisHis mission to better the lot of Peking’s citizens has put Fang Meng’ao on the radar of Inspector General Zeng Keda, the fearsome and ruthless commander responsible for maintaining order in the city. Naturally suspicious of Communists, his hunt for revolutionaries ensnares the young maverick.The city has become a snake pit of treachery and double-dealing. Desperate measures, such as the currency reforms implemented by the Central Bank governor, plaster over the cracks of a fracturing society.Out on the streets, the intellectual Yang Jinglun helps organise student protests and rebellions for those accused of siding with the Reds. With the nation embroiled in full-blown civil war, the tension builds and Fang Meng’ao becomes desperate. Can he evade Zeng Keda’s suspicious eyes?* Or will he fall prey to one of the many traps set in the city?*

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Book SynopsisA not-so-civil war 1947, and the final bloody chapters of the Chinese Civil War unleash a tidal wave of Red across the nation. Qi Jing and his Communist 9th Brigade are given a near-impossible mission: ford the mighty Yellow River and cut a swathe south through the Nationalist-held Dabie mountains, regardless of cost. As the disciplinarian Qi leads his soldiers through wretched conditions, he comes to rely on the enigmatic Wang Keyu to shore up flagging morale through education and propaganda. Amid desolate bluffs and ridges, she proves to be a beacon to the peasant warriors, especially Cao Shui’er, the commander’s bodyguard. As the campaign splinters and the fighting devolves into a hand-to-hand struggle against reluctant countrymen. Cao and an injured Wang find themselves stranded at the entrance to an ethereal network of caves. Can they find their way back through this labyrinth? Or will the walls close in on them?

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Book SynopsisIn a series of beautifully illustrated short stories, author and artist Feng Jicai introduces some weird and wonderful characters from the port city of Tianjin in northeast China where he was born and raised. They include a miracle doctor, a master chicken-thief, an ill-mannered mynah bird, a smooth-talking restaurateur and an educated gangster.

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for Pageturner of the Year at the British Book Awards A Waterstones Book of the Month Winner of the 2022 Glass Bell Award 'Vivid, wise and unflinching, this is a triumph' The Times 'I loved it' Jennifer Saint 'I couldn't put it down' Claire Douglas 'Utterly spellbinding' Woman & Home 'Deeply moving' William Ryan 'Gripping' Independent 'One of a kind' Red Sold by her mother. Enslaved in Pompeii's brothel. Determined to survive. Her name is Amara. Welcome to the Wolf Den... Amara was once a beloved daughter, until her father's death plunged her family into penury. Now, she is owned by a man she despises and lives as a slave in Pompeii's infamous brothel, her only value the desire she can stir in others. But Amara's spirit is far from broken. Sharp, resourceful and surrounded by women whose humour and dreams she shares, Amara comes to realise that everything in this city has its price. But how much will her freedom cost? The Wolf Den is the first in a trilogy of novels reimagining the long overlooked lives of women in Pompeii's lupanar. Perfect for fans of Pat Barker's The Silence of the Girls and Madeline Miller's Circe. Reviews for The Wolf Den: 'This is a mesmerising, richly detailed tale of sisterhood and courage that fans of Circe will love' Red 'A deeply moving and stunningly realised start to one of the most original historical fiction trilogies of our time' Dan Jones 'A compelling story of survival, friendship and courage. Amara and her fellow she-wolves are vividly drawn in a fascinating depiction of women at the time. Utterly spellbinding' Woman & Home 'Rich in historical detail, beauty and brutality, The Wolf Den brings to vivid life the doomed city of Pompeii and the powerlessness of its women. I loved it' Caroline Lea, author of The Glass Woman 'A vivacious piece of work underpinned by a woman's longing for freedom' LoveReading 'Utterly gripping' Daisy Dunn, author of In the Shadow of Vesuvius 'Unflinching... The best book I've read in ages' Sophie van Llewyn, author of Bottled Goods 'The best historical fiction holds a mirror up to the present and The Wolf Den is a triumph. Harper transports us thousands of years and thousands of miles and yet we see ourselves reflected there' Claire McGlasson, author of The Rapture 'A riveting tale of power, love, hate, privilege, female empowerment and female friendships found in the most unlikely situations' Buki Papillon, author of An Ordinary Wonder 'It is a wonderfully clear-sighted tale seen from the viewpoint of its main protagonist, Amara, a doctor's daughter, who was sold as a slave into prostitution when she and her mother became destitute after his death. You really live and feel Pompeii in this book. An amazing achievement' Financial TimesTrade ReviewHope and humour runs through this powerful, moving story – I loved it! Elodie portrays the brutal indignities and tragedy of these women's lives with so much warmth, sensitivity and respect. I was captivated by Amara – her strength, compassion and her determination to thrive in a cruel, unequal world. I can't wait to follow the rest of her story -- Jennifer Saint, author of AriadneAn utterly gripping story. It humanises the men and women who had their humanity taken away from them, and helps to remind us that the brothels of Pompeii were far more than seedy tourist attractions -- Daisy Dunn, author of In the Shadow of VesuviusHarper's style is exhilaratingly direct, with images lingering long in the mind's eye. You smell the oil lamps and temple incense, taste sticky figs, feel physical blows, and the dialogue packs powerful punch too. It's a vivacious piece of work, and all underpinned by a woman's longing for freedom * LoveReading *A riveting tale of power, love, hate, privilege, female empowerment and female friendships found in the most unlikely situations, The Wolf Den truly delivers and you will laugh and be heartbroken alongside the women nicknamed she-wolves, whose lives were deemed disposable, and their determination to find ways to escape the brothel both in body and mind. Set in a rich and prosperous Pompeii, Amara's story takes off at a brisk pace and ultimately delivers a stunning ending that left me both satisfied and very eager for the next book in the next book in this series -- Buki Papillon, author of An Ordinary WonderWhat a book! Utterly compelling, unflinching in describing Amara's life as a slave-prostitute in Pompeii and so incredibly transporting. Best book I read in ages -- Sophie van Llewyn, author of Bottled GoodsA gripping tale, which celebrates female solidarity and empowerment in the face of oppression and adversity. Rich in historical detail, beauty and brutality, The Wolf Den brings to vivid life the doomed city of Pompeii and the powerlessness of its women. I loved it -- Caroline Lea, author of The Glass WomanThe best historical fiction holds a mirror up to the present and The Wolf Den is a triumph. Elodie Harper transports us thousands of years and thousands of miles and yet we see ourselves reflected there -- Claire McGlasson, author of The RaptureCaptivating and compelling, at times heartbreaking... Reading this, it was hard to believe that this is a debut. It is well-written and deeply researched... Full of historical detail about the city so famous for its destruction... Sprinkled with just enough detail to make the setting come to life, without overpowering the story and characters at the heart of The Wolf Den... This will appeal to readers of books like Circe or Sistersong, straddling that fine line between genre fiction and broader literature... A truly modern book telling an ancient story' * Grimdark Magazine *A compelling story of survival, friendship and courage. Amara and her fellow she-wolves are vividly drawn in a fascinating depiction of women at the time. Utterly spellbinding * Woman & Home *An entertaining firecracker blazing with wolfish verve and a woman's desire to escape the Pompeii brothel she's enslaved to * LoveReading *A gripping historical story about a slave in Pompeii's infamous brothel * Independent *A one-of-a-kind historical novel... This is a mesmerising, richly detailed tale of sisterhood and courage that fans of Circe will love' * Red Magazine *A story of survival, friendship and courage, Amara and her fellow 'she-wolves' are vividly drawn in a fascinating depiction of women at the time. Spellbinding * Woman & Home *Vivid, wise and unflinching, this is a triumph * The Times *A tale of female solidarity and sisterhood, of women having each other's backs and caring for one another when nobody else will... If you enjoyed Jennifer Saint's Ariadne then you'll be unable to put The Wolf Den down... Elodie Harper's next book will be one to look out for' * CultureFly *Elodie Harper's vibrant and thrilling story is steeped in historical detail while remaining contemporary in its concerns... Harper tells her gripping tale with conviction and wit' * Observer *Well-researched, this first book of the trilogy follows Amara's growth in character and self-determination, revealing how even the lowest of slaves can strive for a reverse in fortune * Gazette & Herald (Ryedale) *Lifts the curtain on a world full of deceit, lies, abuse, lust, and above all, hope * Waterstones *Colourful, compelling... Harper's narrative never romanticises the exploitation Amara suffers, but it leads eventually to a kind of painful redemption' * Sunday Times *Utterly spellbinding * Woman *A wonderfully clear-sighted tale seen from the viewpoint of its main protagonist, Amara, a doctor's daughter, who was sold as a slave into prostitution when she and her mother became destitute after his death. You really live and feel Pompeii in this book. An amazing achievement * Financial Times *Fab cover; fab, compelling story – this deserves to do really well, and I can't wait to read the next one * The Bookseller *The first in a trilogy of novels centring on women in Pompeii, gift this Saturday Times bestseller to the friend who fell in love with Madeline Miller's Circe and Song of Achilles * Stylist *Amara's world is vividly realised * The Times *A compelling story of survival, friendship and courage ... Utterly immersive * Woman & Home *A perfectly imagined world of characters in Pompeii -- Hilary Rose, The Times

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Book SynopsisThe haunting second novel from the author of The Night of the Flood. Two women, separated by decades, are drawn together by one, mysterious house on the North Norfolk coast. 'Part ghost story, part thriller, I loved it.' Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City DECEMBER, 1962 Desperate for a happy Christmas after a disastrous year, Malorie rents a remote house on the Norfolk coast for herself and her daughter Franny. Yet when a furious blizzard traps the pair indoors, the strained silence between them feels louder than ever. Escaping to the attic, Malorie finds the discarded diaries of Rosemary, who lived at the Marsh House through the Thirties. As she reads, she finds herself inexorably drawn into Rosemary's lonely existence – until past and present begin to blur entirely... Praise for The Marsh House: 'Zoë Somerville is a born storyteller and this page-turner delivers plenty of creepy thrills.' The Times 'A satisfyingly dark, gothic tale where the past is never far behind you.' Rhiannon Ward, author of The Quickening 'Beautifully written, atmospheric as hell, and elegantly constructed, the story of The Marsh House will draw you into its grip and never let go till the final word.' Jane Johnson, author of The Sea Gate 'Deliciously eerie and unsettling, The Marsh House had me bewitched from page one. I loved its layers of history and secrets. A haunting gem of a book.' Susan Allott, author of The Silence 'A fabulous read, deft and precise, with a satisfying mystery at its centre, based upon a beautifully compassionate reading of the tradition of English folk magic.' Amanda Mason, author of The Hiding Place 'Immersed in the landscape of the North Norfolk coast, this is a clever, suspenseful novel that kept me intrigued. Part ghost story, part thriller, I loved it.' Louise Hare, author of This Lovely CityTrade ReviewZoë Somerville is a born storyteller and this page-turner delivers plenty of creepy thrills * The Times *A satisfyingly dark, gothic tale where the past is never far behind you -- Rhiannon Ward, author of The QuickeningBeautifully written, atmospheric as hell, and elegantly constructed, the story of The Marsh House will draw you into its grip and never let go till the final word -- Jane Johnson, author of The Sea GateDeliciously eerie and unsettling, The Marsh House had me bewitched from page one. I loved its layers of history and secrets. A haunting gem of a book -- Susan Allott, author of The SilenceA fabulous read, deft and precise, with a satisfying mystery at its centre, based upon a beautifully compassionate reading of the tradition of English folk magic -- Amanda Mason, author of The Hiding PlaceImmersed in the landscape of the North Norfolk coast, this is a clever, suspenseful novel that kept me intrigued. Part ghost story, part thriller, I loved it -- Louise Hare, author of This Lovely CityPast and present merge in this eerie, compelling tale of family secrets * Woman's Own *A haunting read * Women's Weekly *Zoë Somerville's second novel is an assured and haunting blend of mystery and ghost story... An ideal read for fans of atmospheric historical fiction * Historical Novel Society *A slow-burn, atmospheric historical thriller set between two time periods * The Bookseller *

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Book Synopsis‘One of the most beautiful and profound novels I’ve read in ages’ Washington Post ‘A magical take on Africa before the arrival of the Atlantic slave ships’ Independent ‘Takes on the great riddles of existence’ New York Times By a riverbank in Africa, two lovers meet for the first time. They make a promise to meet again the next day, same time, same place, but only one of them shows up. This sounds like the beginning of a love story, but it’s more than that, for this breathtaking tale takes the reader into the heart of a vibrant world, a complex and intriguing civilisation of warriors and kings, philosophers and artists, parents and lovers. A world and culture which is about to end for, glimpsed on the horizon, seen but unsuspected, beautiful ships with white sails are waiting...Trade ReviewA magical take on Africa before the arrival of the Atlantic slave ships – a world of art and artists, lovers, storytellers and philosophers... The beauty of Okri's prose is [...] the overwhelming star of the show * Independent *Told with a bracing sincerity... and gnomic wisdom expressed in supple but sturdy prose * Daily Telegraph *'[Okri's] writing takes on the great riddles of existence — freedom and consciousness, truth and illusion, suffering and transcendence — spinning them into shimmering, allegorical texts.' -- New York TimesPRAISE FOR BEN OKRI: 'Where fiction's master of enchantments stares down a real horror, and without blinking or flinching, produces a work of beauty, grace and uncommon power' Marlon James, on The Freedom Artist. 'Ben Okri is that rare thing, a literary and social visionary, a writer for whom all three – literature, culture and vision – are profoundly interwoven' -- Ali Smith

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Book SynopsisThe BBC History 2022 Book of the Year and Richard & Judy Book Club Pick from Sunday Times bestselling author Dan Jones. July 1346. The Hundred Years' War has begun, and King Edward and his lords are on the march through France. But this war belongs to the men on the ground. Swept up in the bloody chaos, a tight-knit company from Essex must stay alive long enough to see their home again. With sword, axe and longbow, the Essex Dogs will fight, from the landing beaches of Normandy to the bloodsoaked field of Crécy. There's Pismire, small enough to infiltrate enemy camps. Scotsman, strong enough to tear down a wall. Millstone, a stonemason who'll do anything to protect his men. Father, a priest turned devilish by the horrors of war. Romford, a talented young archer on the run from his past. And Loveday FitzTalbot, their battle-scarred captain, who just wants to get his boys home safe. Some men fight for glory. Others fight for coin. The Essex Dogs? They fight for each other. Praise for Essex Dogs: 'A book that draws you in page by page. The way Dan Jones writes enemies reminds me of Cornwell at his best, turning up tension click by click.' Conn Iggulden 'A new champion has entered the front line of historical fiction to stand shoulder to shoulder with Bernard Cornwell.' Jane Johnson 'Battle-bloody, brutal and perfectly pitched.' Daily Mail 'Vital, earthy, and heart-stopping.' Suzannah Lipscomb 'The soldiers' lives are rather brilliantly recreated – the kit, the fighting, the boredom and discomfort.' The Times 'Only Dan Jones can carry you through blood, piss and vomit and leave you wanting more.' Daisy Dunn 'A cast of unforgettable characters.' Simon Sebag Montefiore 'Simply stunning.' Duff McKagan, New York Times No1 bestselling author of It’s So Easy, and founder member of Guns N' RosesTrade Review'Oddly joyous – rolling action, fast-paced, a book that draws you in page by page. The way Dan Jones writes enemies reminds me of Cornwell at his best, turning up tension click by click.' * Conn Iggulden *Battle-bloody, brutal and perfectly pitched... Jones captures the fear and frenzy of the fight and the loyalty and kinship of the Dogs in this slaughterous, sweary, swaggering debut * Daily Mail *With a cast of unforgettable characters, written with irrepressible verve and historical accuracy, Dan Jones delivers a compelling novel that thrums with swordswinging energy -- Simon Sebag MontefioreA new champion has entered the front line of historical fiction to stand shoulder to shoulder with Bernard Cornwell... A full-throated charge onto the mediaeval battlefield, a rip-roaring adventure full of blood and guts, camaraderie and inventive curses -- Jane JohnsonHorribly compelling... Only Dan Jones can carry you through blood, piss and vomit and leave you wanting more -- Daisy DunnVital, earthy, and heart-stopping... So deft and funny that you'd never guess this is Dan Jones' debut work of fiction -- Suzannah LipscombFew books manage to be as compelling on every level as Essex Dogs: it's adventure, history, and heart -- Dana SchwartzThe battles that shaped Europe from the point of view of the soldiers... Searing -- Kate WilliamsA busy, urgent little masterpiece -- Graham HurleyFascinating. Brutal. Real... Impossible to put down -- Simon TurneyWar. Looting. Junkies. Pintle-tugging. The English abroad. Dan Jones takes you to the year of Our Lord 1346 -- Tibor FischerEssex Dogs is the first in a planned trilogy by the bestselling medieval historian Dan Jones. His mastery of his subject matter is obvious. The soldiers' lives are rather brilliantly recreated – the kit, the fighting, the boredom and discomfort. Jones is excellent on the battles, too, focusing on the violence and the panic * The Times *[Essex Dogs] is the first instalment of what promises to be an epic trilogy * History Revealed Magazine *The historical detail is totally authentic... Essex Dogs shows the total brutalilty of medieval warfare, but also the camaraderie of a troop of men who fight for each other and for England * Bishop's Stortford Independent *Visceral and powerful, the reality of medieval warfare leaping from every page, it's gripping storytelling at its best... With a cast of unforgettable characters, this is historian Dan Jones's first foray into fiction and it's terrific * Choice *With its unflinching emphasis on the blood and guts of 14th-century battle, Jones's debut is not for the squeamish, but it's an enthralling, character-filled read * Sunday Times *Historian Dan Jones plunges the reader right into the medieval battlefield in this riotous retelling of the epic Hundred Years War between England and France * Metro *Packed with historical insight, bringing alive not only the war, but the lives of the common soldiers... I can hardly wait for the next instalment * Historical Novel Society *'Superb... The plot races along and there’s huge insight into a band of brothers. Humour, archery, violence – and a fundamental decency underpinning all the rest.' * Conn Iggulden *Rooted in historical accuracy, and told through an earthy cast of archers, men-at-arms and misfits, Essex Dogs delivers the stark reality of medieval war in the round – and shines a light on ordinary people caught in the storm. * Mortimer Historical Society *'Vivid characterizations and a strain of black humor add to the pointed drama... Brutal, graphic, and gory, the battle scenes viscerally hurl the reader into the heat of 14th-century combat. It’s good to know these Dogs will howl again.' * Publishers Weekly *starred review* *'On the whole a violent and bloody affair . . . [Reconceives] medieval military history as a swashbuckling Hollywood movie.' * New York Times Book Review *'An impeccably researched "you are there" novel with a real-time approach, Jones’ entertaining fiction debut moves episodically from encounter to life-threatening encounter... the book hums with black humor... An enjoyable romp through the darkest of ages.' * Kirkus Reviews *starred review* *'A high-stakes, immersive war story... Highly recommended for fans of Bernard Cornwell or Ken Follett.' * Library Journal *starred review* *Historian Dan Jones knows his stuff. You'll smell the sour wine and grin at the soldiers' rude humour... This razor-sharp motley crew... leap off the page and charge straight at you * The Sun *The Hundred Years' War with an amazingly contemporary feel... A cracking read * Richard Madeley, The Spectator *

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Book Synopsis'We are despised, yet we grow. We are tortured and crucified and yet we flourish. We are hated and still we multiply. Why is that? You must wonder, how is it we survive?' In a far corner of the Roman Empire, a radical sect is growing. Alone, unloved and battling his sexuality, Saul scrapes together a living exposing these nascent Christians, but on the road to Damascus, everything changes.Saul - now Paul - becomes drawn into this new religion and its mysterious leader, whose crucifixion leaves followers waiting in limbo for his promised return. As factions splinter and competition to create the definitive version of Christ's life grows violent, he begins to question his new faith and the man at its heart.Damascus is an unflinching dissection of doubt, faith, tyranny, revolution, cruelty and sacrifice. A vivid and visceral novel with perennial concerns, it is a masterpiece of imagination and transformation.Trade ReviewThe novel Tsiolkas was born to write * Financial Times *A visceral portrait of the life of St Paul -- Rob Doyle * Guardian *A powerful testament to spiritual yearning and the human desire to transcend the physical world. * Sunday Times *A narrative of shock and awe, fear and trembling, so large in ambition it will probably be the book for which he will be best remembered... Tsiolkas has made a career of taking sanctioned narratives and flipping them to reveal a dark human underbelly... At its best, which is miraculously often, the novel is conjugated not in the simple present but in what is knows as the "prophetic perfect". * The Weekend Australian *There are too many highlights to count in this daring, shocking, speculative work of biblical fiction by one of Australia's highest-profile authors. Captivating... * The Herald Sun *One of the most significant contemporary storytellers at work today * Colm Tóibín *A vivid novel... an insightful and sympathetic portrait of a man assailed by doubts, envy and pride, and tormented by his own homosexuality. Both insider and outsider, Tsiolkas writes with enormous respect and admiration for Christianity's message of love and equality, while recognizing all the flaws that Christianity, like any religion, is subject to - intolerance, populism and fundamentalism, and grubby worldliness. * Selina O'Grady *An enormously ambitious novel... Tsiolkas' message is ultimately one of hope and humanity... This is a brave, unflinching book. * The Listener *Hyper real. I could taste the salt of Saul's sweat as I gasped and cried my way through the book... This latest release confirms his ability to identify and describe both the best and the worst of us humans, whether we wear sandals or sneakers. * The Age *Startling... Moving and powerful... * ABC *There aren't any cinematic sandal-and-toga moments here; these people are hyper real. I could taste the salt of Saul's sweat as I gasped and cried my way through the book. * Sunday Star Time *A deeply researched, crafted fictional world created by one of Australia's greatest literary talents. * Sydney Morning Herald *Tsiolkas takes on nothing less than the birth of Christianity - and does so with rigour and grit. This is as-it-happens history, deeply immersive, yet alive to hindsight irony. It's a brave book, and sincerely spiritual. * Sydney Morning Herald *One of Australia's best writers... rough, gutsy and sometimes shocking book, but always a gripping read. * About Regional *

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Book SynopsisThe fifth book in a sweeping historical romance series set in Cornwall, perfect for fans of PoldarkCornwall, 1798. Eighteen months have passed since Midshipman Edmund Melville was declared missing, presumed dead, and Amelia Carew has mended her heart and fallen in love with a young physician, Luke Bohenna. But, on her twenty-fifth birthday, Amelia suddenly receives a letter from Edmund announcing his imminent return. In a state of shock, devastated that she now loves Luke so passionately, she is torn between the two. When Edmund returns, it is clear that his time away has changed him - he wears scars both mental and physical. Amelia, however, is determined to nurse him back to health and honour his heroic actions in the Navy by renouncing Luke. But soon, Amelia begins to question what really happened to Edmund while he was missing. As the threads of truth slip through her fingers, she doesn't know who to turn to: Edmund, or Luke?Trade ReviewA most enjoyable read set in the wild and majestic landscape of Cornwall. It will delight Poldark fans. * Ellie Dean, author of the Cliffhaven series, on Pengelly's Daughter *

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Book SynopsisNot even the Blitz can shake a mother's love.Cathy was a happy, blushing bride when Britain went to war with Germany three years ago. But her youthful dreams were crushed by her violent husband Stanley's involvement with the fascist black-shirts, and even when he's conscripted to fight she knows it's only a brief respite - divorce is not an option. Cathy, a true Brogan daughter, stays strong for her beloved little son Peter.When a telegram arrives declaring that her husband is missing in action, Cathy can finally allow herself to hope - she only has to wait 6 months before she is legally a widow and can move on with her life. In the meantime, she has to keep Peter safe and fed. So she advertises for a lodger, and Sergeant Archie McIntosh of the Royal Engineers' Bomb Disposal Squad turns up. He is kind, clever and thoughtful; their mutual attraction is instant. But with Stanley's fate still unclear, and the Blitz raging on over London's East End, will Cathy ever have the love she deserves?Jean Fullerton, the queen of the East End saga, returns with a wonderful new nostalgic novel.Trade ReviewRichly-textured and engrossing... Jean Fullerton's meticulous research and background knowledge enable her to create a wholly convincing and engaging wartime novel... Completely immersive. With humour to lighten the mood as well it can be laugh-out-loud funny as well as deeply poignant, but it is the emotional richness and heart to the book that draws the story together and makes this such a rewarding read. * Nicola Cornick, Historia, on A Ration Book Childhood *Lovely... The author's writing captures the atmosphere and emotions and difficulties of life during wartime. It is a great piece of historical fiction which centres on World War II... The book was an emotional read with a few tears along the way. * New Books Magazine, on A Ration Book Childhood *Charming and full of detail... You will ride emotional highs and lows... Beautifully written. * The Lady on Jean Fullerton *A real page-turner with larger-than-life characters and convincing period detail * Daily Express, praise for A Ration Book Christmas *A lovely, fascinating, proper treat of a read set during the Blitz of World War Two... A Ration Book Christmas is food for the soul, it's simply deliciously readable and enjoyable. * Liz Robinson, LoveReading, on A Ration Book Christmas *A delightful, well-researched story that really does depict nursing and the living conditions in the East End at the end of the war. * Lesley Pearce, on Call Nurse Millie *

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Book Synopsis'An enthralling page-turner' DILLY COURT'A heart-warming WW2 love story' ROSIE GOODWIN'The queen of East End sagas' ELAINE EVEREST Jean Fullerton, the RNA-shortlisted queen of the East End, returns with the final nostalgic and heart-warming story of the Brogan family. _____In the final days of war, only love will pull her through . . . Queenie Brogan wasn't always an East End matriarch. Many years ago, before she married Fergus, she was Philomena Dooley, a daughter of Irish Travellers, planning to wed her childhood sweetheart, Patrick Mahone. But when tragedy struck and Patrick's narrow-minded sister, Nora, intervened, the lovers were torn apart.Fate can be cruel, and when Queenie arrives in London she finds that Patrick Mahone is her parish priest, and that the love she had tried to suppress flares again in her heart.But now in the final months of WW2, Queenie discovers Father Mahone is dying and must face losing him forever. Can she finally tell him the secret she has kept for over fifty years or will Nora once again come between them?And if Queenie does decide to finally tell Patrick, could the truth destroy the Brogan family?___Praise for Jean Fullerton: 'Charming and full of detail... You will ride emotional highs and lows... Beautifully written' The Lady on A Ration Book Daughter'A delightful, well researched story' bestselling author Lesley Pearse*What are readers saying about Jean Fullerton?'I loved it. Easy to read and loveable characters. If you love novels set during WW2 then this is a must read.''A must-read story that I'd strongly recommend for readers who enjoy historical family stories.''This author never fails to keep you enthralled with each page. Hopefully this isn't the last we see of the Brogans.'THE RATION BOOK SERIESA Ration Book DreamA Ration Book Christmas A Ration Book Childhood A Ration Book WeddingA Ration Book DaughterA Ration Book Christmas KissA Ration Book Christmas Broadcast A Ration Book VictoryTrade ReviewRichly-textured and engrossing... Jean Fullerton's meticulous research and background knowledge enable her to create a wholly convincing and engaging wartime novel... Completely immersive. With humour to lighten the mood as well it can be laugh-out-loud funny as well as deeply poignant, but it is the emotional richness and heart to the book that draws the story together and makes this such a rewarding read. * Nicola Cornick, Historia, on A Ration Book Childhood *Lovely... The author's writing captures the atmosphere and emotions and difficulties of life during wartime. It is a great piece of historical fiction which centres on World War II... The book was an emotional read with a few tears along the way. * New Books Magazine, on A Ration Book Childhood *Charming and full of detail... You will ride emotional highs and lows... Beautifully written. * The Lady on Jean Fullerton *A real page-turner with larger-than-life characters and convincing period detail * Daily Express, praise for A Ration Book Christmas *A lovely, fascinating, proper treat of a read set during the Blitz of World War Two... A Ration Book Christmas is food for the soul, it's simply deliciously readable and enjoyable. * Liz Robinson, LoveReading, on A Ration Book Christmas *

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Book SynopsisAfter the sorrows of war, can Christmas wishes come true?Manchester, 1922: Nancy Pike is out of her depth at Miss Hesketh's school for surplus girls, blundering through her lessons and her job placements. Her only joy is getting to know the children at St Anthony's orphanage. And working for Mr Zachary Milner twice a week.Alone in the world since the death of his brother, Nancy's presence has brought a little sunshine back into Zachary's life. But when she makes a terrible mistake that puts his livelihood in jeopardy, he has no choice but to let her go. As she battles the prejudices around her, and her own fear, Nancy is determined to bring some Christmas cheer to the orphanage - and maybe even to Zachary Milner...The third in a quartet of sagas set during the early 1920s, following three Surplus Girls - those women whose dreams of marriage perished in the Great War, after the deaths of millions of young men - and the new lives they forged for themselves.Trade ReviewAn enjoyable read full of good friends and bad characters * People's Friend on the Surplus Girls *A real page-turner that will tug on your heart strings * Anna Jacobs on The Surplus Girls *Pleasant and engaging * NB Magazine on The Surplus Girls *

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Book SynopsisManchester, 1923: Jess Mason is determined to make her own way in the world. When she's appointed manager for Holly Lodge, a new home for old soldiers, she must convince the owner that she can run things just as well as any man - if not better.To everyone around him, Tom Watson seems a cheerful and sociable man, but he has secretly vowed to go through life alone. However, when he takes on the renovation of Holly Lodge and meets Jess, the walls he has built around himself start to crumble.As the opening of the new soldiers' home proves to be less than straightforward, Jess must fight tooth and nail to hold on to her precious new role. And with her affections for Tom growing stronger by each day, she can't help but wonder if there is room in her life for both love and the career she's always dreamt of.

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Book Synopsis'Funny, stark, fascinating' THE INDEPENDENT'An extraordinary celebration of a bygone era' KATE THOMPSON, author of The Stepney Doorstep Society'A vivid portrait of the post-war years, but also a unique community spirit that is in danger of being lost forever' Choice Magazine *** Featured on BBC RADIO, WOMAN & HOME, PEOPLE'S FRIEND, INSIDE SOAP & LONDON LIVE!***Life in Cockney London was tough in the post-war years. The government's broken promises had led to a chronic housing shortage, rampant crime and families living in squalor. But one thing prevailed: the unbeatable spirit of the East End, a tight-knit community who pulled through the dark times with humour and heart.Drawing on both family history and her own memories of growing up in the 1950s and '60s, as well as her working life as a district nurse and local police officer, Jean Fullerton vividly depicts this fascinating part of London - from tin baths, to jellied eels, to tigers in a Wapping warehouse.***Includes a bonus 8-page photo plate section!***-FIND OUT WHY READERS ARE FALLING IN LOVE WITH JEAN FULLERTON: 'Food for the soul, it's simply deliciously readable and enjoyable' LoveReading'Charming and full of detail... You will ride emotional highs and lows... Beautifully written' The Lady on A Ration Book Daughter 'A delightful, well researched story' bestselling author Lesley Pearse'A real page-turner with larger-than-life characters and convincing period detail' Daily ExpressTrade ReviewVivid, unsentimental and very funny. An extraordinary celebration of a bygone era by the Queen of the East End ... a cracking read and a golden nugget of 20th century history. * Kate Thompson, author of The Stepney Doorstep Society on A Child of the East End *Funny, stark...grimly fascinating. (...) A Child of the East End offers a powerful corrective to a romanticised, nostalgic way of looking at a past that was (...) often regressive and oppressive * The Independent *Richly-textured and engrossing... Jean Fullerton's meticulous research and background knowledge enable her to create a wholly convincing and engaging wartime novel... Completely immersive. With humour to lighten the mood as well it can be laugh-out-loud funny as well as deeply poignant, but it is the emotional richness and heart to the book that draws the story together and makes this such a rewarding read. -- Nicola Cornick * Historia, on A Ration Book Childhood *Food for the soul, it's simply deliciously readable and enjoyable * LoveReading on A Ration Book Christmas *Charming and full of detail... You will ride emotional highs and lows... Beautifully written * The Lady on a Ration Book Daughter *A delightful, well researched story -- bestselling author Lesley Pearse * on All Change for Nurse Millie *From jellied eels to tin baths . . . a richly evoked portrait of a bygone world * The Lady *A vivid portrait of the privations of the post-war years, but also a unique community spirit that is in danger of being lost forever * Choice Magazine *

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Book SynopsisThe sixth novel in a stunning series set in eighteenth-century Cornwall, perfect for fans of Poldark, Tracy Rees and Dinah JefferiesCornwall, 1800. Imprisoned on false pretences, Madeleine Pelligrew, former mistress of Pendenning Hall, has spent the last 14 years shuttled between increasingly destitute and decrepit mad houses. When a strange man appears out of the blue to release her, she can't quite believe that her freedom comes without a price. Hiding her identity, Madeleine determines to discover the truth about what happened all those years ago.Unsure who to trust and alone in the world, Madeleine strikes a tentative friendship with a French prisoner on parole, Captain Pierre de la Croix. But as she learns more about the reasons behind her imprisonment, and about those who schemed to hide her away for so long, she starts to wonder if Pierre is in fact the man he says he is. As Madeleine's past collides with her present, can she find the strength to follow her heart, no matter the personal cost?Trade ReviewA most enjoyable read set in the wild and majestic landscape of Cornwall. It will delight Poldark fans. * Ellie Dean, author of the Cliffhaven series, on Pengelly's Daughter *

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Book SynopsisParis, 1789. As the shadow of the guillotine falls over a nation at war with itself, three very different women find themselves caught up in the storm of revolution... In France under the last Bourbon king, the extravagance grows more outrageous and the unrest of the poor more dangerous. Into this ferment are swept the innocent English Sophie Luttrell, visiting France for the first time; the French aristocrat Héloise de Guinot, who hates the man her parents have arranged for her to marry; and Marie-Victoire, the loyal maid who finds herself immersed in revolutionary politics. They are the daughters of the storm which is sweeping over France - and over the world. Three women whose lives will be forever marked by this turning point in history and whose passionate struggle for love, liberty - and for life - will have unexpected consequences.Trade ReviewA terrific book * Prima *An enthralling blend of history, suspense and romance -- Laurie McBain

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Book Synopsis'An enthralling page-turner' DILLY COURT'A heart-warming WW2 love story' ROSIE GOODWIN'A great new series from the queen of East End sagas' ELAINE EVEREST A brand new historical romance series from Jean Fullerton, charting the loves, hopes and heartaches of three women who move into a rectory in Stepney, East London during WW2.*East London, 1940. Prue Carmichael never dreamed that she'd end up working at a railway yard. But when her reverend father is called up to Stepney, she and her family are uprooted from their country home for a new life in the turbulent city.Determined to help with the war effort, Prue signs up for work and soon becomes intrigued by handsome train engineer Jack Quinn. But as the spark between them grows apparent, so does his troubled past - a past that Prue's mother would certainly not approve of.In between cleaning train carriages and helping to shelter Jewish refugees, Prue manages to stay busy. But she has more than one admirer, and when Jack is recruited into Churchill's secret army, a very different suitor begins to pursue her.As air raid sirens sound overhead, Prue Carmichael is facing her own battle - the fight between her heart and her head . . .Amidst the ruins of war, will Prue and Jack's love find a way?*PRAISE FOR JEAN FULLERTON 'Food for the soul, it's simply deliciously readable and enjoyable' Liz Robinson, LoveReading'Charming and full of detail... You will ride emotional highs and lows... Beautifully written' The Lady'A delightful, well researched story' bestselling author Lesley PearseTrade ReviewAn enthralling page turner -- Dilly Court, no. 1 Sunday Times bestselling authorA heart-warming WW2 love story -- Rosie Goodwin, Sunday Times bestselling authorI can honestly say that Jean Fullerton still deserves the crown of 'The Queen of East End Sagas. A Stepney Girl's Secret - such a wonderful WW2 saga and a great start to a new series. * Elaine Everest *

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Book SynopsisFROM THE BOOKER PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE PROMISE'A masterly piece of fiction. Delicate and detailed' Daily Mail'It is a project to which Galgut, whose fiction has often covered the terrain of love, race and politics, seems perfectly suited as a writer... A remarkable, lyrical tribute' GuardianIn this literary tour de force, twice Booker shortlisted novelist Damon Galgut evokes the life and work of E. M. Forster, his travels to India, and the freedom and inspiration he found there.In 1912, the SS Birmingham approaches India. On board is Morgan Forster, novelist and man of letters, who is embarking on a journey of discovery. As Morgan stands on deck, the promise of a strange new future begins to take shape before his eyes. The seeds of a story start to gather at the corner of his mind: a sense of impending menace, lust in close confines, under a hot, empty sky. It will be another twelve years, and a second time spent in India, before A Passage to India, E. M. Forster's great work of literature, is published. During these years, Morgan will come to a profound understanding of himself as a man, and of the infinite subtleties and complexity of human nature, bringing these great insights to bear in his remarkable novel.At once a fictional exploration of the life and times of one of Britain's finest novelists, his struggle to find a way of living and being, and a stunningly vivid evocation of the mysterious alchemy of the creative process, Arctic Summer is a literary masterpiece, by one of the finest writers of his generation.Trade ReviewCould well be one of the finest literary works published this year... Damon Galgut, among the finest living writers, has not only given life to a quiet enigma who suffered in love but looked at the inspiration and need that helped that enigma write six major novels. * Irish Times *Beautifully written and utterly compelling... A vivid, moving account of the man that makes you want to read all his books again. * The Times *Galgut is extremely good on Forster's anxieties, his loneliness, his unworldliness... The portrait is beautifully nuanced, a mixture of bold, colourful strokes and delicate little flicks of the brush. * Sunday Times *With insight and seemingly effortless fluidity, Mr Galgut has written a beautiful, and at times funny, novel that movingly captures the duality of one of Britain's most thoughtful authors. * Economist *It is a project to which Galgut, whose fiction has often covered the terrain of love, race and politics, seems perfectly suited as a writer... A remarkable, lyrical tribute. * Guardian *Galgut has so seamlessly incorporated Forster's diaries, letters and novels into his narrative that it is often hard to tell which novelist is which. * Daily Telegraph *A masterly piece of fiction. Delicate and detailed. * Daily Mail *A beautifully imagined piece, getting deep inside the mind of a major English novelist. * Mail on Sunday *Galgut's gifts - of phrasing, of structure, of perception - are on faultless form in these pages... Arctic Summer is a masterpiece. * Sunday Business Post *How apt that Arctic Summer, a chronicle or a writer's longest journey to complete his masterpiece, also happens to be Galgut's finest book to date. * The Herald (Scotland) *Preoccupied by varieties of sadness - but is so crisply written, with a deceptive simplicity and directness, that it feels full of affirmations -- Summer picks * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisCornwall, 1801. In the wake of her mother's death, Pandora Woodville is desperate to escape her domineering father and finally return to Cornwall. Posing as a widow, she safely makes it across the Atlantic, bright with the dream of working at her Aunt Harriet's school for young women. But as Pandora is soon to learn, the school is facing imminent closure after a series of sinister events threatened its reputation. Acclaimed chemist Benedict Aubyn has also recently returned to Cornwall, to take up a new role as Turnpike Trust Surveyor. Pandora's arrival has been a strange one, so she is grateful when he shows her kindness. As news of the school's ruin spreads around town, everyone seems to be after her aunt's estate. Now, Pandora and Aunt Harriet must do everything in their power to save the school, or risk losing everything. However, Pandora has another problem. She's falling for Benedict. But can she trust him, or is he simply looking after his own interests?Trade ReviewA most enjoyable read set in the wild and majestic landscape of Cornwall. It will delight Poldark fans. * Ellie Dean, author of the Cliffhaven series, on Pengelly's Daughter *

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Book SynopsisAmy Chua is the John M. Duff, Jr. Professor of Law at Yale Law School. She is an internationally bestselling author of several non-fiction titles, including her 2011 memoir Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, which has been translated into over 30 languages. Chua graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and cum laude from Harvard Law School. After practicing on Wall Street for a few years, she joined the Yale Law School faculty in 2001. The Golden Gate is her fiction debut

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Book SynopsisThere is a certain hour, in the dead of night, when the orchid's scent can put you under a spell... New York City, 1923. Zia De Luca's life is about to be shattered. Having lost her husband to The Great War, she lives with her in-laws in Little Italy and works at the public library. But when a quiet poetry-lover is murdered outside the library, the police investigation focuses on Zia. After a second tragedy strikes even closer to home, Zia learns that both crimes are connected to a new speakeasy in Greenwich Village called The Orchid Hour. When the police investigation stalls, Zia decides to find her own answers. A cousin with whom she has a special bond serves as a guide to the shadow realm of The Orchid Hour, a world filled with enticements Zia has shunned up to now. She must contend with a group of players determined to find wealth and power in New York on their own terms. In this heady atmosphere, Zia begins to wonder if she too could rewrite her life's rules. As she's pulled in deeper and deeper, will Zia be able to bring the killers to justice before they learn her secret?Trade Review"Nancy Bilyeau has created a beautifully layered and utterly seductive tale... and, at its living, tender heart, a strong-willed and magnetic heroine." - Emilya Naymark, author of Behind the Lie, finalist for the 2023 Sue Grafton Award

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Book SynopsisTRAVEL FROM IRELAND TO NEW YORK IN THIS COMPELLING HISTORICAL ROMANCE OF HEARTBREAK AND SECOND CHANCES SET IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY. Aran Islands, 1898. Rose O'Neill learns that her beloved brother Donal has died fighting in the Spanish-American war. The news is followed by Donal's comrade-in-arms, Adam Blakely, who arrives a month later on Kilronan's scenic shores. He's come to return Rose's letters. Letters that Adam has re-read a hundred times. Two weeks stretch into two glorious months, then Adam's father falls ill, and he's summoned home to New York. He leaves Rose with the memory of a beautiful night and the promise of marriage. Yet Rose's eighteenth birthday comes and goes, and she doesn't hear a word. Unable to ignore the child growing inside of her, she leaves the only home she's ever known, clutching Adam's address. But in New York's crowded harbor, she's met with a cruel awakening. Penniless, pregnant, and alone in a foreign city, Rose must ford through sweatshops, Lower East Side tenements, and personal tragedy, before she can let go of her first love and hope for a second chance with a good, steady man. Then, just as Rose makes peace with her past, changes nobody could have foreseen threaten to topple the life for which she has sacrificed so much.Trade Review'An expansive, breath-taking tale . . . Rose's voice is eloquent and lyrical, the writing glorious, and the historical detail superb.' - Fiona Davis, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author

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Book SynopsisAnnie-Violet is a young servant girl working long hours at a big country house. She is happy there, but the young girls can sometimes be at the mercy of unscrupulous menfolk at night. If they complain they are often summarily dismissed. Then Annie-Violet suddenly discovers a secret which shocks her to the core. She seeks help from her beloved Aunt Florrie, but her rebellious nature does not help the situation. She has a crush on Frederick the footman and is devastated to find he loves another. But when she meets William, a handsome young foreigner, everything changes… This tale lifts the lid on life below stairs in Edwardian England – with a twist.

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Book SynopsisThis story is a work of historical fiction based on real people and events. It describes a troubled royal marriage during the course of one year in AD 675. Mercia and Northumbria have long been at war. There is an unexpected romance. King Aethelred of Mercia and Osryth of Northumbria decide to marry. Aethelred gives Osryth a wedding gift of valuable treasure gleaned from the battlefields of the past. She decides in secret to take the treasure along with the remains of her long-dead uncle to a shrine in Bardney in Lincolnshire. Osryth faces many challenges and setbacks on her long journeys to places such as Whitby, Lincoln and later York. The loss of the gold, silver and jewels causes a rift in her marriage. The mystery looks unlikely to be solved. Will the treasure ever be found and will the couple ever be reconciled?

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Book SynopsisThe Curious Enlightenment of Professor Caritat is a brilliant fictional journey through Western political philosophy by one of our most original thinkers. Professor Caritat, a middle-aged Candide, walks naively through the neighbouring countries of Utilitaria, Communitaria and Libertaria, in his quest to find the best of all possible worlds. Cut loose from the confines of his ivory tower, this wandering professor is made to confront the perplexed state of modern thinking in this dazzling comedy of ideas.Trade ReviewWritten in a beautifully clear style, full of a keen, serious wit ... Lukes achieves both lightness and weight in a way many novelists might envy. * Independent *This book is a box of delights, often wonderfully funny and always deliciously clever, a contemporary political satire to set among the best. * New Statesman *Steven Lukes's moral fable is in the tradition of tall travellers' tales from Swift and Voltaire to Lewis Carroll and Samuel Butler. * London Review of Books *Knock-out satirical humour. * Times Literary Supplement *Lukes manages to equal the pace and flair of Candide. * New York Times Book Review *Utterly magnetic. * Los Angeles Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisThis is story of Loyal Blood, a man who spends a lifetime on the run from a crime so terrible that it renders him forever incapable of touching a woman. The odyssey begins on a freezing Vermont hillside in 1944 and propels Blood across the American West for forty years. Denied love and unable to settle, he lives a hundred different lives: mining gold, growing beans, hunting fossils, trapping, prospecting for uranium and ranching. His only contact with his past is through a series of postcards he sends home – not realising that in his absence disaster has befallen his family, and their deep-rooted connection with the land has been severed with devastating consequences… ‘Postcards’ was Annie Proulx’s first novel, which received huge acclaim and marked the launch of an outstanding literary career. Her works include short story collections ‘Bad Dirt’, ‘Close Range’ (featuring ‘Brokeback Mountain’) and novels such as ‘The Shipping News’ and ‘Accordion Crimes’.Trade Review‘Proulx has come close to writing “the great American novel”.’ New York Times ‘The richness of America is portrayed with memorable effect in this remarkable first novel – Faulkner springs to mind. “Postcards” is written from the heart and – for its raspy dialogue, laconic humour and beautiful description of the natural world – deserves to be widely read.’ Independent on Sunday ‘A sweeping and dramatic tale. Not since Steinbeck has the migrant worker's life been so evocatively rendered.’ Daily Telegraph ‘A remarkable novel; poetic and yet driven by a strong narrative, tragic and yet scored with deep veins of humour. Loyal Blood is one of those rare, haunted characters who continue to live in the mind after you finish the book.’ Literary Review

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Book SynopsisIt is 48 BC.For years now the rival Roman generals Caesar and Pompey have engaged in a contest for world domination. Both now turn to Egypt, Pompey planning a last stand on the banks of the Nile, while Caesar's legendary encounter with the Egyptian queen will spark a romance that reverberates down the centuries. But Egyptitself is torn apart by the murderous rivalry between the goddess-queen and her brother King Ptolemy.Into this hothouse atmosphere of intrigue and deception comes Gordianus the Finder, innocently seeking a cure for his wife Bethesda in the sacred waters of the Nile. But soon he finds himself engaged in an even more desperate pursuit - to prove the innocence of his son, who stands accused of murder. The judgement of Caesar will determine the fate of Gordianus's son; the choice Caesar makes between Cleopatra and Ptolemy will determine the future of the world. Saylor presents a bold new vision of Caesar and Cleopatra, amid bloodshed and battle, in a setting of Egyptian mystery.Trade ReviewA compelling testament to Saylor's growth as a writer and to his seemingly effortless ability to imagine characters who feel real. * Publishers Weekly *Fans of the historical mystery couldn't do better. * Kirkus Reviews *How wonderful to have a scholar write about ancient Rome; how comforting to feel instant confidence in the historical accuracy of the novel * Sunday Times *Saylor's gifts include authentic historical and topographical backgrounds and... sombre themes set off the brilliant scenery and clever plotting. * Times Literary Supplement *Readers will find his work wonderfully (and gracefully) researched... this is entertainment of the first order. * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisOn the hottest day of the summer of 1934, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis sees her sister Cecilia strip off her clothes and plunge into the fountain in the garden of their country house. Watching her is Robbie Turner, her childhood friend who, like Cecilia, has recently come down from Cambridge. By the end of that day, the lives of all three will have been changed for ever. Robbie and Cecilia will have crossed a boundary they had not even imagined at its start, and will have become victims of the younger girl's imagination. Briony will have witnessed mysteries, and committed a crime for which she will spend the rest of her life trying to atone. "From this new and intimate perspective, she learned a simple, obvious thing she had always known, and everyone knew; that a person is, among all else, a material thing, easily torn, not easily mended.”Trade ReviewHe is this country’s unrivalled literary giant … a fascinatingly strange, unique and gripping novel * Indepentent On Sunday *A brilliant and majestic fictional panorama. -- John Updike * The New Yorker *

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Book SynopsisBlood's a Rover takes us into the 70s. RFK and MLK are dead. A kid private eye clashes with a mob goon and an enforcer for FBI director Edgar Hoover in L.A. There's an armoured-car heist and a cache of missing emeralds. Revolution brews in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Amidst all this, all three anti-heros fall for Red revolutionary Joan Rosen Klein. Each will pay 'a dear and savage price to live History'.

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Book SynopsisOSCAR AND LUCINDA is a sweeping, irrepressibly inventive novel set in nineteenth-century England and Australia where the two potential lovers lead parallel lives until chance brings them together on board ship.A narrative tangle of love, religion, gambling, commerce and colonialism culminates in a nightmare expedition – the result of a wager – to transport a glass church across the Australian wilderness. In TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG the legendary Australian outlaw Ned Kelly speaks for himself in a voice that is direct, colloquial, theatrical, and utterly magical. To his pursuers he is nothing but a monstrous criminal, but to his own people he is a hero, defying British imperial authority in support of the poor Irish settlers who are its victims. In a dazzling act of ventriloquism, Carey brings the famous bushranger unforgettably to life.Trade ReviewA novel of extraordinary richness, complexity and strength … it brings the past, in all its difference, bewilderingly into our present. It fills me with a wild, savage envy and no novelist could say fairer than that. -- Angela CarterThere is no greater triumph than fiction which engages with life’s tragedy and comedy both, and which acknowledges their inseparability. Oscar and Lucinda accomplishes this. Full of ideas – about religion, about nationhood, about individuality – it is never burdened by them: it is always fixed in the material world, in its endlessly surprising detail. -- Claire Messud * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisSet in the early decades of the twentieth century, Independent People is a masterly realist novel evoking in rich detail a family and a rural community struggling to survive in the starkest of landscapes. At the same time it is infused with an intense awareness of Iceland's saga tradition and folklore. Bjartur of Summerhouses is a hard and sometimes cruel man, but his flinty determination to achieve independence is both genuinely heroic and bleakly comic. Having spent eighteen years in humiliating servitude before managing to purchase an isolated piece of land rumoured to be cursed, Bjartur wants nothing more than to tend his flocks unbeholden to any man. But his daughter wants to live unbeholden to him, and what ensues is a battle of wills that is by turns harsh and touching, elemental in its emotional intensity and intimate in its homely detail. An utterly compelling read.Trade ReviewA saga that somehow contrives to recapture the broad, clear air of older Icelandic tales. * Observer *I love this book ... I can't imagine any greater delight than coming to Independent People for the first time. -- Jane SmileyFunny, clever, sardonic, and brilliant, Independent People is one of my Top Ten Favourite Books of All Time. -- Annie ProulxLaxness has a poet's imagination and a poet's gift for phrase and symbol ... Bjartur is a magnificent and complex symbol of peasant independence. * The New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisFirst published anonymously in 1912, this resolutely unsentimental novel gave many white readers their first glimpse of the double standards - and double consciousness - experienced by Black people in modern America. Republished in 1927, at the height of the Harlem Renaissance, with an introduction by Carl Van Vechten, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man became a pioneering document of African-American culture and an eloquent model for later novelists ranging from Zora Neale Hurston to Richard Wright and Ralph Ellison.Narrated by a man whose light skin enables him to 'pass' for white, the novel describes a journey through the strata of Black society at the turn of the century - from a cigar factory in Jacksonville to an elite gambling club in New York, from genteel aristocrats to the musicians who hammered out the rhythms of Ragtime. The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man is a complex and moving examination of the question of race and an unsparing look at what it meant to forge an identity as a man in a culture that recognized nothing but colour.

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Book SynopsisThe romantic forested landscape of southwest Germany is the setting for the birth of a friendship that will haunt sixteen-year-old Hans Schwarz for the rest of his life. Hans is Jewish, the son of a doctor who is confident that the rise of the Nazis is only 'a temporary illness' afflicting his beloved country. Hans's new classmate, Konradin von Hohenfels, is a dazzling young aristocrat whose mother keeps a portrait of Hitler on her dressing-table. Hans is immediately drawn to Konradin, and thrilled when a close bond forms between them, forged by common interests that set them apart from the other boys. But their loyalties are soon tested in ways they could not have imagined. Three decades later, from the vantage point of New York City, Hans once again confronts this life-shaping episode from his youth, through a stunning revelation that he stumbles upon by chance. In its story of friendship undone by History, Reunion combines the explosive compression of a fable with the emotional depth of an epic novel many times its length.

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Book SynopsisThe beautiful Everyman gift edition in hardback.The Lord Orlando's country seat has 365 rooms. An exquisitely beautiful youth, he is a favourite of the ageing Queen Elizabeth and enjoys all that Court and tavern have to offer. He falls passionately in love with the intriguing Sasha, an androgynous Russian princess, who jilts him. Stricken, he takes up Literature, penning huge quantities of poems and plays, 'all romantic, and all long'. A few decades later a still youthful Orlando is appointed ambassador to Constantinople by Charles II. Here he wakes up one day and finds he has the body of a woman. "Different sex, same person", she observes, unphased.In London, it is the eighteenth century, and she can hobnob with "men of genius" Pope and Swift, Johnson and Boswell. She has affairs with both women and men, but before long it is the nineteenth century, oppressively gloomy and moral and probably time to find a husband. Fortunately, in a Brontësque moment on a moor, the gender- nonconforming Marmaduke Bonthrop Shelmerdine, newly back from Cape Horn, gallops past and scoops her up into bliss.Woolf's most unusual and joyous novel was inspired by her affair with the dashing author and aristocrat, Vita Sackville West.Trade ReviewOrlando has sometimes been dismissed as a romp. As a less important book than Mrs Dalloway or To the Lighthouse. This is to misread it. It was far ahead of its time in terms of gender politics and gender progress -- Jeanette Winterson

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Book SynopsisA haunting, compelling historical novel, The Sea Road is a daring re-telling of the 11th-century Viking exploration of the North Atlantic from the viewpoint of one extraordinary woman. Gudrid lives at the remote edge of the known world, in a starkly beautiful landscape where the sea is the only connection to the shores beyond. It is a world where the old Norse gods are still invoked, even as Christianity gains favour, where the spirits of the dead roam the vast northern ice-fields, tormenting the living, and Viking explorers plunder foreign shores. Taking the accidental discovery of North America as its focal point, Gudrid's narrative describes a multi-layered voyage into the unknown, all recounted with astonishing immediacy and rich atmospheric detail.Trade Reviewa gripping historical novel...written with considerable style. * * The Bookseller * *the author cleverly interweaves Gutrin's discourse with her innermost thoughts ... the Sea Road will appeal to historian, environmentalists, anthropologists and just ordinary cruising seamen. * * Cruising * *The Sea Road offers a new take on the remarkable early seafaring adventures of the Norwegians, and on the spread of Christianity in the pagan north, and is all the more rewarding for that. * * The Scotsman * *Forget Richard Branson, the audacious female traveller Gudrid of Iceland is the original explorer's explorer ... Elphinstone has written a fine tribute to a woman whose tale is as warm and inviting as a hot spring on a clear winter day. * * The Times * *

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Book SynopsisIn the early 1800s, Rachel Greenhow, a young Quaker, goes missing in the Canadian wilderness. Unable to accept the disappearance, her brother Mark leaves his farm in England, determined to bring his sister home.What follows is a gripping account of Mark's odyssey and his travels with the voyageurs - the men who canoe Canada's fur-trade route. As adventure and discovery propel the plot forward, Elphinstone takes the reader back in time and intertwines the story with enduring themes of love, war and family ties.Trade ReviewIt's a long time since I've read a novel with more pleasure and interest. Voyaguers is a strong story, very well told. * * Sunday Herald * *The prose is crisp . . . [but] what stands out is Elphinstone's sense of a strange time and place. * * The Times * *It reminded me of Brian Moore's great novel Black Robe in the respect it plays its material. Above all it is a quest tale that dots its i's and leaves you repletely content. * * Scotsman * *The book brings the period to life with an astonishing amount of detail, which builds up a complete picture of those pioneering times, in a wonderfully gripping and emotionally involving narrative. * * Tablet * *

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Book SynopsisDulce Chacón's book has had an immense success in Spain, no doubt because the novelist speaks with a just and powerful voice, and because she has allowed women - the most anonymous, the most suppressed, the most silenced - to speak out" Le MondeIt is 1939. In the Ventas prison in Madrid a group of women have been incarcerated. Their crime is to have supported or fought on the Republican side in Spain's cruel and devastating Civil War. Chief among them are Hortensia, who fought with the militia and is pregnant by her husband Felipe - a man still at large and fighting against Franco's dictatorship - and who lives with the knowledge that she will be shot after she gives birth; sixteen-year-old Elvira, who tried to leave Spain with her mother, but was arrested by the Falangists while she was boarding their ship; Tomasa, whose husband, four sons and daughter-in-law were thrown off a bridge; and Pepita, Hortensia's sister, who from outside the prison acts as messenger between her and her husband.Dulce Chacón's deeply moving novel is based on the actual testimonies of a number of women who survived the Spanish Civil War, and suffered imprisonment under the France regime, as well as on accounts of others who died fighting for freedom. A bestseller in Spain, where it was voted 'Book of the year', The Sleeping Voice is remarkable for its combination of dramatic intensity and historical authenticity.Trade Review'Dulce Chacón's book has had an immense success in Spain, no doubtbecause the novelist speaks with a just and powerful voice, and becauseshe has allowed women - the most anonymous, the most suppressed, themost silenced - to speak out.' Martine Silber, Le Monde

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