Whether your passion is The Ancient Greeks, The Wars of The Roses or The Russian Revolution, you'll find stories of life during these eras and every other, often using factual accounts to build a fictional narrative.
Historical Fiction Books
Everyman Beloved
Book SynopsisIt is the mid-1800s. At Sweet Home in Kentucky, an era is ending as slavery comes under attack from the abolitionists. The worlds of Halle and Paul D. are to be destroyed in a cataclysm of torment and agony. The world of Sethe, however, is to turn from one of love to one of violence and death - the death of Sethe's baby daughter Beloved, whose name is the single word on the tombstone, who died at her mother's hands, and who will return to claim retribution.Trade ReviewShe's a masterful craftsperson, which people tend to overlook. She is as great and as innovative as Faulkner and Garcia Marquez and Woolf. * New York Times *Mercurial imagination and brilliantly elegant prose...She has the ability to shock and entrance, episode by episode, which is the hallmark of a genuine writer * The Guardian *Toni Morrison's writing is a train that knows where it's going, fierce and fast-moving in narrative, lyrically showy in description * Sunday Times *
£13.49
Brewin Books Nine Witnesses for the Colonel: King Charles'
Book SynopsisDesperate, exhausted after the Battle of Worcester and hunted by Cromwell's troops, King Charles II was helped by the courageous and resourceful Colonel Careless, who in one of history's most enthralling incidents, hid with him in an oak tree. Who was this brave officer risking his life for his Monarch? Where was he from and what became of him after these dramatic events? This thoroughly researched book reveals the life and character of Colonel William Careless as witnessed by his family, his friends and even the King himself! It gives an insight into the lives and hardships of some of Staffordshire's ordinary people in the seventeenth century, who were so convinced of their beliefs and loyalties they were prepared to face the dangers of imprisonment or even death. Above all, this is the story of an honourable man who, in one of England's most troubled and momentous times, acted as a trustworthy and loyal hero.
£11.97
Brewin Books Trio of Devotion: The Schumanns and Brahms: A
Book SynopsisRobert Schumann and Clara Wieck were drawn to each other the moment they met, but there were obstacles in the way. Clara was ten years younger and her domineering father, Friedrich Wieck, Robert's piano teacher, was against their relationship as it developed over the years. He saw Robert as a dissolute womaniser, and he saw his own reflected glory disappearing if Clara's career prospects as a pianist diminished. But the couple did marry, with help from the judiciary, and had a happy life together, so happy that their increasing number of children did indeed hamper Clara's performing opportunities. Then a young composer, Johannes Brahms, came into their household as a disciple of Schumann and nothing would ever be the same again. About The Author Christopher Morley is Chief Music Critic of the Birmingham Post, and contributes to several international magazines. Schumann has always been very special to him, and a visit to the asylum in which the composer died made a huge impression upon him.
£9.33
Brewin Books Vikrin Fire
Book SynopsisThree gallant young men set off on a quest to uncover the identity of a traitor behind a deadly explosion, unlocking a secret that sparked a civil war and another that ultimately ended it. Lord Henry Morton, Sir Arlen Barlett and Kian Munro are fiercely loyal to the Crown and each other. Their quest takes them halfway across Mercia following a dangerous trail of murder, deception, longlost secrets, love, and betrayal, entwined with their own personal journey of unequivocal friendship and discovery.Set in a fictional, medievalesque world the men relentlessly race
£11.97
Garnet Publishing Sins & Innocents
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£12.00
Vintage Publishing Reunion
Book Synopsis'A brilliant work of art that deserves a far wider readership' Ian McEwanFROM THE PUBLISHERS OF STONER AND REVOLUTIONARY ROAD COMES REUNIONReunion is a little-known novel. But it is also a universal story of friendship. It is a book of great power, waiting to be discovered.On a grey afternoon in 1932, a Stuttgart classroom is stirred by the arrival of a newcomer. Middle-class Hans is intrigued by the aristocratic new boy, Konradin, and before long they become best friends. It’s a friendship of the greatest kind, of shared interests and long conversations, of hikes in the German hills and growing up together. But the boys live in a changing Germany. Powerful, delicate and daring, Reunion is a story of the fragility, and strength, of the bonds between friends.'Exquisite' Guardian'I loved Reunion and found it very moving' John BoyneWITH AN AFTERWORD BY RACHEL SEIFFERTTrade ReviewA brilliant work of art that deserves a far wider readership -- Ian McEwanI loved Reunion and found it very moving. It’s a rediscovered novella, only 80 pages long, a real gem about how friendship can be challenged by historical circumstance -- John BoyneQuite simply, a perfect work of art. With the utmost delicacy and care, Uhlman distils all the rage and tragedy of the second world war into one brief childhood friendship, and the final line is the most shattering of any novel I know. It is one of those books that is an unfailing test of character: if you give it to someone, and they don’t like it, you should sever all ties, and possibly call the police -- Sarah Perry * Guardian, Book of the Year *I read it in a gulp...very powerful -- Deborah MoggachA perfect little gem of a story with a kick in the tail — and a resonance that rings louder than ever just when you think the story is over -- Meg Rosoff
£8.54
Vintage Publishing Ports of Call
Book SynopsisA graceful story of love across an insuperable gulf and a powerful allegory for the conflict that has beset the Middle East for the last half century.To call your son Ossyane is like calling him Rebellion. For Ossyane’s father it is a gesture of protest by an excited Ottoman prince, for Ossyane himself it is a burdensome responsibility. At eighteen he leaves Beirut to study in Montpellier, far away from his father’s revolutionary aspirations for him. But it is 1938, and when war breaks out in Europe, Ossyane is drawn into the Resistance. His return to Beirut is a rebel hero’s welcome after all, and a joyful reunion with Clara, whom he first met in France. But if one war has brought the Jewish-Muslim couple together, another, much closer to home, is destined to separate Ossyane from the people and the world that he loves.Trade ReviewMaalouf is a master storyteller -- David Robinson * Sunday Telegraph *A simple and touching love story...limpid and delicate in the telling * Times Literary Supplement *A beautiful work of fiction -- Pierre Robert Leclerco * Le Monde *Maalouf's novels recreate the thrill of childhood reading, that primitive mixture of learning about something unknown or unimagined and forgetting utterly about oneself. His is a voice which Europe cannot afford to ignore -- Claire Messud * Guardian *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Sally Hemings
Book SynopsisThe story, told in alternating time narratives, begins in 1831 when Sally is aproximately sixty years old and is visited by a census taker called Nathan Langdon. With encouragement, Sally recounts her past to him. A past that begins when she passes into the ownership of her half-sister Martha Wyles who marries Thomas Jefferson. After Martha dies, Jefferson goes to Paris where he is joined by his two daughters. Elizabeth Hemings volunteers Sally as their maid, seeing it as Sally's chance for freedom as slavery has been abolished in France. Jefferson and Sally fall in love and she returns to America with him, on the promises that they will go back to France someday and that she will be the only mistress of his estate in Monticello. Both promises are broken when Jefferson accepts political office and allows his daughter to live at Monticello after her marriage breaks down. Sally realises that nothing has or ever will change for her. A fact borne out when Jefferson dies and his will does not free her, only her last two sons, from bondage.She has not only been held in bondage by the fact of slavery, but by love as well. She has been a possession of both and only she can free herself.Trade ReviewA successful novel by an experienced and gifted writer. * HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW *One of the great American stories ... Vastly enjoyable. * THE NEW YORK TIMES *Unforgettable ... Extremely affecting and poetic. * THE NEW REPUBLIC *Sally Hemings is noble and mysterious- a female cult object. * Mary McCarthy *
£999.99
Ringwood Publishing The Memoirs of Franz Schreiber: Berlin Between the Wars: 2018
Book SynopsisThe Memoirs of Franz Schreiber gives a unique perspective on the trials and turmoil of life in Germany during the First World War, its aftermath and the lead-up to the Second World War. When Franz Schreiber and his mother get the news that his beloved father would not be returning to their home in Berlin from the battle fields of the First World War, their lives changed in unimaginable ways. Following Franz as he grows into a man, the effects of war are endless, and the story of his life is littered with love, tragedy and danger.
£9.49
Ringwood Publishing Raise Dragon
Book SynopsisIn the year of 1306, Scotland is in turmoil. Robert the Bruce and the fighting Bishop Wishart's plans for rebellion put the Scottish kingdom at risk, whilst the hostile kingdom of England seems more invincible than ever. But Bishop Wishart has got a final card left to play: four brave Scottish knights set off in search of a mysterious ancient treasure that will bring Scotland to the centre of an international plot, changing both the kingdoms of Europe and the course of history once and for all. In the first of eight novels, L.A. Kristiansen skillfully narrates an epic past filled with historical figures as you've never seen them before. Only History can reveal the fate of those whom the Dragon banner was Raised against.
£999.99
Ecole Alouette Ask Not Why: Can one child fulfil the dreams of a
Book SynopsisKilbackie on the Isle of Skye weaves its way in the lives of Donny, Angus and Katherine with devastating results. The island exists deep within their souls, they have been hewn out of its volcanic rock and moulded by its wind and rain. Returning from WW1 Angus seeks answers to the countless questions that fill his mind. He finds intellectual satisfaction in Sir Hugh Hollister's library at Shottenden Park where he works as a stockman. His family's subsistence living on Skye and unquestioning belief in God no longer appeals to him and he decides never to return. Donny, on the other hand, returns to Skye crippled and angry. He struggles to control his demons and becomes a fundamentalist minister bringing him in direct conflict with his daughter, Katherine and his friend Angus. Katherine and Angus' enlightened thinking causes a tragedy from which no-one recovers. Can one small child fulfil the dreams of a lost generation?
£9.25
Wrecking Ball Press J SS Bach
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£12.60
Persephone Books Ltd The Two Mrs Abbotts
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£16.00
Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie Publishers Emilys Journal
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£8.54
Eland Publishing Ltd Holding on
Book SynopsisThis is the story of a street in London's docklands and of the family who lived on it. The street was built in the 1880s, and the Wheelwright family (originally dockers) lived there until its demolition in the 1960s, when it was replaced with tower blocks. As a social document, the book rings with truth, but it is much more than that: its compelling narrative brings the reader right into the life of the Wheelwright family and their neighbours.
£12.59
Dedalus Ltd Mother Pleaides
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£8.99
The Godstow Press The Albios Way
£14.99
Chiselbury Publishing Seaton's Orchid
Book SynopsisCaptain Ainsley Seaton, a retired professional soldier, amateur explorer and talented artist, finds his well-buried past unexpectedly resurrected, who seems to know more about Seaton's history than he does, as his association with a young girl's fatal accident in the depths of the Amazon is revealed.
£9.99
Chiselbury Publishing Spanish Practices
Book SynopsisSpanish Practices weaves together nearly half a century of observations by Rico, an Englishman married into an eccentric family who run a wine business in a left-behind corner of Spain. It illuminates the idiosyncrasies of Spanish ways and exemplifies the travails of a society in the throes of wholesale transformation.
£9.49
Luath Press Ltd Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe: Newly Adapted for the
Book SynopsisIvanhoe follows Wilfred of Ivanhoe, part of one of the few Saxon families at a time when English nobility was dominated by the Normans, who is out of favour with his father for his allegiance to the Norman king, Richard the Lionheart. The gripping storyline beautifully captures the 12th century tensions between Saxons and Normans, Nobility and Commonality and Jews and Gentiles, with a whole host of well-known characters from Robin Hood to Friar Tuck.Trade ReviewA curious exemplification of the power of a single book for good or harm is shown in the effects wrought by Don Quixote and those wrought by Ivanhoe. The first swept the world's admiration for the meiaeval chivalry-silliness out of existence; and the other restored it. - MARK TWAIN [Ivanhoe] may have been badly wounded in combat – only to recover and save the day – but he has never been sliced up like this. - SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY This is exactly what is needed in order to rescue Sir Walter Scott. - ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH I applaud this new, shorter version of Ivanhoe which makes this wonderful novel, once so popular, accessible to a new generation of readers who will be able to enjoy its classic blend of history and romance. - PROFESSOR GRAHAM TULLOCH, Editor of the Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley novels Professor David Purdie's meticulous adaption has made Sir Walter Scott's classic much more accessible to the modern reader... Purdie has managed to conserve Scott's masterly evocation of the 'sights, colours and sounds' of the Middle Ages. - EDINBURGH LIFE David Purdie’s inspired reworking of its complex characters, romance and high drama is an engrossing page-turner. - SCOTTISH REVIEW OF BOOKS Ivanhoe re-emerges alive for the modern age. - SCOTTISH REVIEW OF BOOKS
£9.49
Luath Press Ltd Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe: Newly Adapted for the
Book SynopsisA special hardback edition of David Purdie's controversial adaptation of Scott's classic historical novel.Ivanhoe follows Wilfred of Ivanhoe, part of one of the few Saxon families at a time when English nobility was dominated by the Normans, who is out of favour with his father for his allegiance to the Norman king, Richard the Lionheart. The gripping storyline beautifully captures the 12th century tensions between Saxons and Normans, Nobility and Commonality and Jews and Gentiles, with a whole host of well-known characters from Robin Hood to Friar Tuck.Trade ReviewA curious exemplification of the power of a single book for good or harm is shown in the effects wrought by Don Quixote and those wrought by Ivanhoe. The first swept the world's admiration for the meiaeval chivalry-silliness out of existence; and the other restored it. - MARK TWAIN [Ivanhoe] may have been badly wounded in combat – only to recover and save the day – but he has never been sliced up like this. - SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY This is exactly what is needed in order to rescue Sir Walter Scott. - ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH I applaud this new, shorter version of Ivanhoe which makes this wonderful novel, once so popular, accessible to a new generation of readers who will be able to enjoy its classic blend of history and romance. - PROFESSOR GRAHAM TULLOCH, Editor of the Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley novels Professor David Purdie's meticulous adaption has made Sir Walter Scott's classic much more accessible to the modern reader... Purdie has managed to conserve Scott's masterly evocation of the 'sights, colours and sounds' of the Middle Ages. - EDINBURGH LIFE David Purdie’s inspired reworking of its complex characters, romance and high drama is an engrossing page-turner. - SCOTTISH REVIEW OF BOOKS Ivanhoe re-emerges alive for the modern age. - SCOTTISH REVIEW OF BOOKS
£16.99
Myriad Editions Belonging
Book Synopsis
£8.54
Saraband The Physic Garden
Book SynopsisMoving, poetic and quietly provocative' – The Independent. City life in the early nineteenth century was never short of drama: poverty and pollution preyed on all but the lucky few, and ‘resurrection men’ prowled the streets to procure corpses for anatomists to experiment on. Life is improving, however, for young William Lang, who begins courting Jenny, a fine needlewoman, and forms an unlikely friendship with botanist Dr Thomas Brown while working in the physic garden for a leading professor of surgery.At first, William relishes the opportunity to extend his knowledge of plants and their healing properties while foraging in the countryside in the service of his new friend. The young couple’s relationship blossoms, until seeds of trouble threaten to grow out of control.Trade Review“Powerful” * John Burnside *“Moving, poetic and quietly provocative” * The Independent *“Heart-warming, realistic and page-turning” * Lorraine Kelly *
£8.54
Saraband Paris Kiss
Book Synopsis"An intense and satisfying story." - Sara Sheridan. Bohemian Paris in the 1880s. Exotic, strange and exciting – especially to young English sculptress Jessie Lipscomb, who joins her friend Camille to become a protégée of the great Auguste Rodin. Jessie and Camille enjoy a passionate friendship and explore the demi-monde of the vibrant city, meeting artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec and the boldly unconventional Rosa Bonheur. But when Rodin and Camille embark on a scandalous affair, Jessie is cast as their unwilling go-between and their friendship unravels. Years later she tracks her down to an insane asylum where Camille tells her an explosive secret – can their friendship survive the betrayal?Trade Review"Flows from the page like a piece of art."A touching tale of friendship, love and betrayal set against a colourful backdrop of the Paris art world.Compelling and seductive… a rather lovely taleJessie's adventures as a woman artist in 1880s Paris completely captivated me. A wonderful story." -- Carmen Reid"An intense and satisfying story - an insight into the constraints on passionate and talented women in the Parisian art world at the turn of the century. It will haunt you." -- Sara SheridanA beautifully written evocation of the Parisian art scene of the late 1800s... it is a mesmerising canvas of love, friendship and betrayal. -- Laura MarneyAn assured debut novel that keeps the reader fascinated from start to finish. - Bethany’s Book Reviews blog.
£8.54
Peirene Press Ltd Winter Flowers
Book SynopsisIt's October 1918 and the war is drawing to a close. Toussaint Caillet returns home to his wife, Jeanne, and the young daughter he hasn't seen growing up. He is not coming back from the front line but from the department for facial injuries at Val-de-Grace military hospital, where he has spent the last two years. For Jeanne, who has struggled to endure his absence and the hardships of war, her husband's return marks the beginning of a new battle. With the promise of peace now in sight, the family must try to stitch together a new life from the tatters of what they had before.Trade Review“An astonishing, compelling, slow-burn of a novel – full of understated power and devastating insight.”- William Boyd, author of Any Human Heart ; “In 1918, Paris is awash with rumours: about the war, about the Spanish flu, and about the lack of food. In shining prose, Villeneuve describes terrible losses, national, familial, and personal, and how one small family must learn to live together again. Affecting, moving, and compelling.” – Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled Ground ; “Unflinchingly examining the visible and invisible wounds inflicted by war, this tenderly told story simultaneously reveals how courageous lovers find ways to repair each other's damage.” – Michèle Roberts, author of Ignorance and The Walworth Beauty ; “Meticulously researched, Villeneuve describes the brutal emotional consequences of war. In her gorgeous writing she conveys the couple’s silences and communicates the inexpressible. Readers will take comfort in this family’s journey from estrangement to connection.” – Janet Skeslien Charles, New York Times Bestselling author of The Paris Library ; “Exquisite. Winter Flowers felt like an intake of breath, held, then slowly released. Angelique Villeneuve has observed the fragility of the human soul and rendered it with truth and compassion. Like her protagonist, Jeanne, the wife who has spent the long war recreating the beauty of flowers in paper and cloth, Villeneuve is a master of her craft.” - Pip Williams, author of The Dictionary of Lost Words
£10.80
Pan Macmillan Demelza: A Novel of Cornwall, 1788–1790
Book SynopsisThis stunning Macmillan Collector's Library edition of Demelza features an afterword by novelist Liz Fenwick.Demelza Carne, the impoverished miner's daughter rescued from a fairground rabble, is now Ross Poldark's wife. But events are set to test their marriage and their love . . . Demelza's efforts to adapt to the ways of the gentry - and of her husband - bring her confusion and heartache, despite her joy at the birth of their first child. Meanwhile, Ross begins a bitter struggle for the rights of the mining communities, sowing the seed of an enduring enmity with the powerful George Warleggan. Demelza is the second novel in Winston Graham's sweeping saga of Cornish life in the eighteenth century. First published in 1945, the Poldark series has enthralled readers ever since.Designed to appeal to the book lover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.Trade ReviewRoss is one of literature's great heroes ... [with] elements of Darcy, Heathcliff, Rhett Butler and Robin Hood -- Debbie Horsfield
£11.04
Pan Macmillan Ross Poldark
Book SynopsisThis beautiful Macmillan Collector's Library edition of Ross Poldark features an afterword by novelist Liz Fenwick.Ross Poldark is the first novel in Winston Graham's sweeping saga of Cornish life in the eighteenth century. First published in 1945, the Poldark series has enthralled readers ever since serving as the inspiration for hit BBC TV series, Poldark,Returning home from grim experiences in the American Revolutionary War, Ross Poldark is reunited with his beloved Cornwall and family. But the joyful homecoming he had anticipated turns sour; his father is dead, his estate derelict, and the girl he loves has become engaged to his cousin. However, his sympathy for the destitute miners and farmers of the district leads him to rescue a half-starved urchin girl from a fairground brawl and take her home - an act which will change the entire course of his life . . .Ross Poldark is the first novel in Winston Graham's sweeping saga of Cornish life in the eighteenth century. First published in 1945, the Poldark series has enthralled readers ever since.Designed to appeal to the book lover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift-editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.Trade ReviewRoss is one of literature's great heroes . . . [with] elements of Darcy, Heathcliff, Rhett Butler and Robin Hood -- Debbie Horsfield
£11.69
Barbican Press Lost Gospel of Lazarus
Book SynopsisOne of the Best Books of the Year a Must Read Sunday Times In the New Testament, we are told that Jesus resurrected a beloved friend named Lazarus from the dead. Yet the Gospel of John which contains this episode does not tell us how Jesus accomplished this miracle or if he had a special purpose for saving his companion. In The Gospel According to Lazarus, Richard Zimler narrates this mysterious and influential story from Lazarus' own point of view. After he is awakened from death, Lazarus has difficulties regaining his previous identity and confidence. His experience of death has left him fragile and disoriented, and his newfound fame is a burden he does not want. Worse, his faith has been shattered because he remembers nothing of any afterlife. In compelling flashbacks, we learn of Lazarus' initial meeting with Jesus during their boyhood in Nazareth and discover how he came to earn his friend's trust and gratitude. Back in the present time during the Passion Week Jesus tells him, however, that their meeting as young boys was no accident and offers a surprising explanation for why he brought them together. After Jesus' arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, Lazarus concludes that his whole life may have been a test for this chance to save his beloved friend from crucifixion. But will Jesus accept Lazarus' final sacrifice? In Zimler's impeccably researched and highly moving novel, Jesus is presented as a mystical healer within the context of ancient Jewish practice and tradition. Indeed, one of the objectives of this novel was to restore to him and the other characters their Judaism. AUTHOR: Richard Zimler's eleven novels have been translated into twenty-three languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in twelve different countries, including the UK, United States, Australia, Brazil, Italy and Portugal. Five of his works have been nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award, the richest prize in the English-speaking world, and he has won prizes for his fiction in the UK, America, France and Portugal. Richard has explored the lives of different branches and generations of a Portuguese-Jewish family in four highly acclaimed historical novels, starting with The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon, now in development as a major film. He grew up in New York and since 1990 has lived in Porto, Portugal. For his contributions to Portuguese culture he was awarded the city's highest distinction, the Medal of Honour.Trade Review'Novels based on Bible narratives are thin on the ground in our secular times, and can be hit-or-miss affairs, but Richard Zimler’s The Gospel According to Lazarus is both engaging theology and literary thriller. How amazing to be Lazarus and get a second bite at life, I used to think, until I read this reverent and subtle meditation on the ways in which the dead can interact with the living, chronicling a profound friendship between Yeshua (Jesus) and Lazarus, in which each saves the other’s life.'- Church Times'Rich in detail and perception and grounded in the sensual compulsions of life such as hunger, pain, interpersonal relations and psychological eccentricities... Zimler’s tone is compassionate. His audience may find, in its evocation of intrigue, passion and trauma, aspects of a biblical thriller.'- Jewish Chronicle'A very human tale of rivalry, betrayal, power-grabbing and sacrifice . . . Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this brave and engaging novel is that Zimler manages to make the best-known narrative in western culture a page-turner. I simply had to keep going to the end to know what would happen.'- The Observer
£999.99
Muddy Pearl The Medallion
Book SynopsisIn Nazi-occupied Poland, Rosa Dunovich faces a terrifying reality: to save her daughter, she must send her into hiding. Her only hope of finding her again - if they survive - is her medallion. A tale of courage, sacrifice and survival, inspired by true events of Poland's darkest days and brightest heroes.
£14.24
Sandstone Press Ltd Where the River Parts
Book SynopsisIn the final days of the British Raj a young Hindu woman, Asha, finds herself deeply in love with Firoze, a Muslim, but when Asha and Firoze's newly independent nation is brutally cleaved into India and Pakistan Asha and her family must flee. She loses her father, mother and brother, as well as the secret baby she carries in her womb, arriving in a Delhi of cramped, diseased refugee camps. In 1998, as India and Pakistan race to join the nuclear club, a newly widowed Asha travels to New York to visit her daughter Priya and her granddaughter Lana, who is to marry a Pakistani Muslim called Hussain. When Asha meets Hussain, she discovers his grand-uncle is Firoze. Will they put family before self, or choose a love that might destroy all they have so painstakingly created?Trade Review'A perceptive story of love swept aside by history, packed with insight, compassion and piercing detail.'-Isabelle Grey, Good Girls Don't Die; 'A chapter of South Asian history that has often been deemed too painful to be explored fully.'-Nayomi Munaweera, Island of 1000 Mirrors; 'The aroma of saffron, cumin, turmeric and a sprinkle of dried ginger embraces Where the River Parts with history, sorrows and an ultimate understanding of love .a love that goes beyond the borders of war and threats of hopelessness. Dhanyavaad, Radhika Swarup, thank you.'-Michele Zackheim, The Last Train to Paris; 'Spanning continents and generations, Where the River Parts is an epic tale of love, loss and longing. It is also a paean to hope and friendship. It is undoubtedly a mature and confident literary offering from a writer who has announced her arrival in the world of quality fiction with a great new novel. Simply put, "Where the River Parts" is a delightful read. '-India Strategic; 'It's an examination of the choices a woman might make to survive in a world that's hostile towards her. While the men fight, organise and do business, Asha has to work out how to make it to tomorrow. The book also considers how the choices made - by society as well as parents - affect the beliefs and actions of future generations.'-Naomi Frisby
£8.54
Saraband The Jewel
Book SynopsisA luscious historical novel, The Jewel brings to glorious life the dramatic years of Jean Armour and Robert Burns’s courtship, and their tempestuous, passionate married life, against a background simmering with political intrigue and turmoil. Jean, a beautiful young woman with the voice of a nightingale, set young Rab’s heart aflame from the first. Jean’s father tried to protect her from the advances of the mercurial ploughman-poet, whose roving eye was notorious. But she would not be kept from him. Their marriage endured against all odds, its rocky course revealing Jean’s indomitable strength and character. How Jean lived with – and frequently without – her famous husband is surely Scotland’s greatest love story.Trade Review"Beguiling and enchanting ... I enjoyed this book so much that I read it twice." - Scottish Review. "Finally gives voice to Jeany Armour, the girl who sang as sweetly as the nightingale, who was muse, mother, wife and lover to Scotland's national poet. This is her song." - Sunday Mail. "Uplifting ... The reader finds themself deeply immersed... superbly researched." - Undiscovered Scotland.
£8.54
Persephone Books Ltd The Call
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£16.00
Persephone Books Ltd Sofia Petrovna
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£999.99
Haus Publishing We Have Buried the Past
Book SynopsisAbd Al-Karim Ghallab s postcolonial "We Buried the Past," originally published in 1966, was the first breakthrough Moroccan novel written in Arabic instead of French. Newly translated into English, this edition brings Ghallab s most widely read and lauded work to a new audience. Written after the country gained independence, the historical novel follows two generations of al-Tihamis, a well-to-do family residing in Fez s ancient medina. The family members lives reflect the profound social changes taking place in Morocco during that time. Bridging two worlds, "We Buried the Past" begins during the quieter days of the late colonial period, a world of seemingly timeless tradition, in which the patriarch, al-Haj Muhammad, proudly presides over the family. Here, religion is unquestioned and permeates all aspects of daily life. But the coming upheaval and imminent social transition are reflected in al-Haj s three sons, particularly his second son, Abderrahman, who eventually defies his father and comes to symbolize the break between the old ways and the new.Noted for marrying classical Arabic style and European literary form, this book also offers insight into the life of Ghallab himself, who was deeply involved in the nationalist movement that led to Moroccan independence. A pioneering work, "We Buried the Past" beautifully characterizes an influential period in the history of Morocco."
£11.69
Bluemoose Books Ltd The Moss House
Book SynopsisTwo hundred years ago, neighbouring Yorkshire landowners Miss Lister and Miss Walker find their lives become entwined in a passionate, forbidden relationship and retreat to the Moss House, their private sanctuary away from an unaccepting world. Their tranquillity does not last long as they are drawn into the turmoil of a changing society and a divided family, testing their love for each other, eventually driving them from their home. The world was not yet ready for the likes of Miss Lister. Landowner, scholar, traveller, mountaineer and non-conformist but in The Moss House we discover her lifelong battle to be her true self as she finds Ann Walker and together they try to live life on their own terms.
£8.54
Bluemoose Books Ltd Moss House, the Hb
Book Synopsis
£13.50
Claret Press Daisy Chain
Book SynopsisIt's the Great Depression. The world is tilting towards war. In the White House, nothing is as it seems.Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the married president of the United States, has started a long and passionate affair with his cousin Daisy, and moves her into the West Wing.Daisy is one of FDR's band of unconventional women: Eleanor Roosevelt, the fiery labour organiser, Frances Perkins, the first female Secretary of Labour, and his secretary Missy LeHand, a political operative in her own right. Middle-aged spinster Daisy becomes FDR's secret wife. That's not her only secret.This fictional biography written by a family member who knew Daisy is the untold true story of a hidden love and hidden contributions, and of a presidency that benefitted from both.Winner of the PageTurner Award and Longlisted for the Historical Fiction Company Best Book 2022.Trade Review"Daisy Chain was well researched andinformative and I could hear the voice of Daisy as I was reading it." -- EimearLawlor, author of Dublin's Girl; A revelation"Justine Gilbert is a master storyteller.Highly recommended." -- Historical Fiction Company 5-Star Award"Justine Gilbert shines new light on thetender side of one of America's legendary figures, President Franklin Rooseveltwith a passionate and illuminating retelling of a seismic era from theperspective of 'the other woman.'" -- Louise Dean, award-winning authorand founder of The Novelry
£999.99
Gallic Books The Lady Agnès Mystery - Volume 1: The Season of
Book SynopsisAndrea Japp uses her remarkable knowledge of French history to tell an intricate and spellbinding story of a battle between church and state. 'An excellent read' Historical Novels Review 1304. The Church and the French Crown are locked in a power struggle. In the Normandy countryside, monks on a secret mission are brutally murdered and a poisoner is at large at Clairets Abbey. Young noblewoman Agnès de Souarcy fights to retain her independence but must face the Inquisition, unaware that she is the focus of an ancient quest. Trade Review'Japp has written an intricate, dark, and riveting tale; a compelling book that I found difficult to put down ... highly recommended for any medieval mystery fan' The Medieval Magazine 'An excellent read' Historical Novels Review 'Captivating characters … and vivid descriptions' Le Figaro 'Perfect for those looking for a compelling medieval mystery' J Swisko, NetGalley Reviewer 'Enthralling, page after page' Encre Noir 'The plot was clever, the mystery tantalising and the pacing excellent. I will be moving straight on to the second volume' T.Rogers, NetGalley Reviewer 'Readers will eagerly look forward to the next installment in this historical series... Japp does a fine job conveying the state of forensic science of the age... suspenseful medieval whodunnit' Publishers Weekly
£9.49
Gallic Books Wild Dog: Sinister and savage psychological
Book Synopsis[A] deservedly award-studded delight Strong Words Magazine ‘A smart, scathing and bleakly funny cross of folk horror, satire and historical fiction’ Toronto Star ‘Reads like a modern fairy tale’ New York Journal of Books 'Eerie and sensual' The Guardian 'So original, so beautifully done, and sinister and savage. I didn’t want it to end' Chris Whitaker Franck and Lise, a French couple in the film industry, rent a cottage in the quiet hills of the French Lot to get away from the stresses of modern life. In this remote corner of the world, there is no phone signal. A mysterious dog emerges, looking for a new master. Ghosts of a dark past run wild in these hills, where a German lion tamer took refuge in the First World War … Franck and Lise are confronted with nature at its most brutal. And they are about to discover that man and beast have more in common than they think. A literary sensation in France, Wild Dog is a dark, menacing tale of isolation, human nature and the infinite savagery of the wild. Trade Review[A] deservedly award-studded delight Strong Words Magazine ‘A smart, scathing and bleakly funny cross of folk horror, satire and historical fiction’ Toronto Star ‘Reads like a modern fairy tale’ New York Journal of Books WINNER OF THE PRIX LANDERNEAU DES LECTEURS 2018 'Wild Dog details a disturbing continuum of savagery, both animal and human. At once eerie and sensual, it’s a timely reminder that, no matter how sophisticated we believe ourselves to be, we are no match for nature' The Guardian 'The suspense seeps from each exquisitely crafted sentence, taking the reader into a world replete with complex emotional and moral dilemmas . . . a raw, brutal and magnificent literary experience' European Literature Network 'Whether you are a regular reader or just looking for your 2020 holiday reading I urge you to take a look at Wild Dog. It is a true five star read' Whispering Stories ‘Holds the reader in suspense until the very last page’ L’Express ‘A magnificent allegory for the ways in which the modern world wears us down … A unique voice’ Le Figaro ‘A hymn to space and calm’ Libération ‘Proof of Serge Joncour’s immense talent and understanding of human subtleties’ Marie Claire ‘An ode to nature’ Le Point ‘Joncour is a magician’ Le Temps
£8.54
Nine Elms Books INTO THE FIRE: One Photograph Can Change A Nation
Book SynopsisPhilip Trotter's debut novel is an exhilarating and original take on the Vietnam theme, exploring less familiar aspects of the country's painful history through the generation-defining image of the Burning Monk. Saigon, 1963. With the tensions of war starting to swirl, rookie photographer Ned Rivers lands in South Vietnam, hungry for the iconic shot that will make his name. But a shocking and violent act of protest by a local Buddhist monk quickly draws Ned's focus from the battlefields and the Viet Cong. Behind the front pages, a different conflict is churning - political, religious, and cultural - which threatens to tear this fragile nation even further apart. As Ned learns more about the Buddhist community's suffering at the hands of the state, his journalistic detachment becomes harder to justify. New friendships turn to solidarity and action, leaving him open to the government's wrath. President Diem sends out his ruthless attack dog Colonel Tung to manage the interfering journalist. Meanwhile, Diem faces mounting criticism from his American allies as their stake in Vietnam deepens. With political pressures at home driving US policy, the regime seems increasingly like a liability. For Ned, caught at the centre of this international chessboard, the adventure becomes too real. With friendships, love and a career in balance, can he hope to protect it all from the conspiracy of violence, arrest and war that surrounds him?
£7.59
Merlin Unwin Books Ovington's Bank
Book SynopsisA forgotten masterpiece from consummate story-teller Stanley Weyman (1855-1928) who was once the Charles Dickens of his day yet 25 years ago all his books were out of print. Graham Greene described Weyman's novels as key books in my life'.
£14.39
ACA Publishing Limited The Elm Tree (Volume 1): Seeds of Change
Book SynopsisWill the newest branch of a decaying house be bent or broken by these uncertain times? It has been six years since China threw off imperial rule, yet Beijing seems largely unchanged. The city is a chaotic, roiling sea of humanity inhabited by merchants, hawkers and street urchins. In the midst of it all, Qi Yuexuan, the sole scion of a distinguished family, lives a life of indolence. But change is coming. Forces from within and without are becoming increasingly influential, while the new ideas they bring are shaking the foundations of the nation. Reappraising his entrenched values, Qi is torn between tradition and the new order. The Elm Tree paints an intimate, yet vivid picture of an extraordinary cast of characters associated with the Qi household. It documents a forgotten way of life before it was swept away by the turmoil of foreign occupation and civil war...
£16.99
ACA Publishing Limited The Ciphermaster
Book Synopsis1927. CHINA IS IN TURMOIL.The Communist Party and the Kuomintang government, long at each others’ throats, are now locked into a conflict set to claim the lives of millions. History remembers the bodies and battlefields, but for some, fate was decided between the ciphers.Ji Zhenren’s mind is the Red Army’s prize asset. His task: to break the enemy’s near-impenetrable codes. With Ji’s genius at the helm the retreating Red Army might just be able to turn the tables, but only if forbidden romance and political controversy don’t bring him crashing down first.From the dark alleys of Shanghai to hidden paths carved through snowclad mountains, an invisible war rages. In the silent world of the codebreaker, cracking the cipher means breaking the enemy. Anything less spells certain death.
£14.39
ACA Publishing Limited The Mountain Whisperer
Book SynopsisIn a cave high in the ageless mountains of China's desolate interior, an ancient funeral singer awaits the end. From his deathbed he gives voice to the generations of villagers to whom he devoted his life's work, and four all-too-human souls whose struggles defined an era. A soldier, a peasant, a revolutionary and a politician. When revolt and reform take hold of the wartorn plains, all play their debased roles in the mythic cycle of avarice, vengeance and suffering. As his four tragedies interweave, the cracked lips of the dying sage conjure a stark vision: a retelling of the forging of the People's Republic from turbulent birth to absurd reversal whispered from its uncharted margins.
£12.59
Silk Road Media Heirs to the Great Sinner Sheikh San'on
Book Synopsis
£999.99
Scotland Street Press The Price of Eyes
Book SynopsisThe fourth book in The Empress Irini Series, charting the extraordinary rise to power of Irini of Athens.In the final book, Irini returns to the throne. She tricks Constantine into divorcing Maria and exiles her and Constantine's two daughters to Abbess Thekla's island convent where Maria goes mad. Irini misleads Constantine into taking revenge on the soldiers who arrested her and the empire erupts into civil war, army against army, Irini against Constantine. Fearing for her life, Irini traps Constantine, wounding his eyes, but Thekla rescues him. Irini is finally empress in her own right. But will Thekla help her hold the throne?More from the Empress Irini SeriesBetrothal and BetrayalPoison is a Woman's WeaponSeizing Power
£9.49
Derek Birks The Last Shroud
Book Synopsis
£999.99
Derek Birks Britannia: World's End
Book Synopsis
£11.12
