Historical Fiction Books

Book SynopsisEntertaining and movingI came to love these four women as though they were my sisters' TRACY CHEVALIERI ADORED it. What a fantastic read. My book of the year' JILL MANSELL-They knew they were changing history. They didn't know they would change each other. Oxford, 1920. For the first time in its 1000-year history, the world's most famous university has admitted female students. Giddy with dreams of equality, education and emancipation, four young women move into neighbouring rooms on Corridor Eight. They have come here from all walks of life, and they are thrown into an unlikely, life-affirming friendship.Dora was never meant to go to university, but, after losing both her brother and her fiancé on the battlefield, has arrived in their place. Beatrice, politically-minded daughter of a famous suffragette, sees Oxford as a chance to make her own way and her own friends for the first time. Socialite Otto fills her room with extravagant luxuries but fears they won't be enough to distract her from her memories of the war years. And quiet, clever, Marianne, the daughter of a village vicar, arrives bearing a secret she must hide from everyone even The Eights if she is to succeed.But Oxford's dreaming spires cast a dark shadow: in 1920, misogyny is still rife, influenza is still a threat, and the ghosts of the Great War are still very real indeed. And as the group navigate this tumultuous moment in time, their friendship will become more important than ever.The Eights is a captivating debut novel about sisterhood, self-determination, courage, and what it means to come of age in a world that is forever changed.-''Beautifully captures the power of friendship ... A pleasure to read'' PIP WILLIAMS, author of A Dictionary of Lost Words''I so enjoyed The Eights'' CLARE CHAMBERS, author of Small Pleasures

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO BOOK AWARDS 2023A best historical fiction book of 2023 (The Sunday Times)Unbearably moving.Financial TimesEnthralling.Victoria HislopCompelling, atmospheric and raw.Ruth Jones, writer, actor and comedianIsolated from society, Emily Brontë and her siblings spend their days inventing elaborate fictional realms or roaming the wild moors above their family home in Yorkshire. When the time comes for them to venture out into the world to earn a living, each of them struggles to adapt, but for Emily the change is catastrophic. Torn from the landscape to which she has become so passionately bound, she is simply unable to function.To the outside world, Emily Brontë appears taciturn and unexceptional, but beneath the surface her mind is in a creative ferment. A violent phenomenon is about to burst forth that will fuse her imaginary wo

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Book Synopsis''One of the best books I''ve ever read'' Richard Osman''Tender and elegant'' Guardian''Unlike anything else in modern English literature'' D.J. Taylor, SpectatorA damaged survivor of the First World War, Tom Birkin finds refuge in the quiet village church of Oxgodby where he is to spend the summer uncovering a huge medieval wall-painting. Immersed in the peace and beauty of the countryside and the unchanging rhythms of village life he experiences a sense of renewal and belief in the future. Now an old man, Birkin looks back on the idyllic summer of 1920, remembering a vanished place of blissful calm, untouched by change, a precious moment he has carried with him through the disappointments of the years. Adapted into a film starring Colin Firth, Natasha Richardson and Kenneth Branagh, A Month in the Country traces the slow revival of the primeval rhythms of life so cruelly disorientated by the Great War.With an introduction by Penelope FitzgeraldTrade ReviewThe book I keep coming back to, it's one of the best books I've ever read. I've never met anyone who didn't love it. -- Richard OsmanTender and elegant * Guardian *Unlike anything else in modern English Literature -- D.J. Taylor * Spectator *Carr's blessedly small tale of lost love is also a small hymn about art and the compensating joy of the artist, both in giving and receiving. It stays with us, too, and is oddly haunting * New Yorker *Carr has the magic touch to re-enter the imagined past -- Penelope Fitzgerald

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Book SynopsisNOW A SMASH HIT AMAZON PRIME TV STARRING SAM CLAFLIN, RILEY KEOUGH AND CAMILA MORRONETHE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFrom the author of THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO and the bestselling MALIBU RISING'I LOVE it . . . I can't remember the last time I read a book that was so fun' DOLLY ALDERTONEverybody knows Daisy Jones and the Six.Their sound defined an era. Their albums were on every turntable. They sold out arenas from coast to coast.Then, on 12 July 1979, Daisy Jones walked barefoot onto the stage at Chicago Stadium. And it all came crashing down.Everyone was there.Everyone remembers it differently.Nobody knew why they split. Until now . . .'The verdict: Daisy Jones steals the limelight' STYLIST'New obsession, incoming' TELEGRAPH'I didn't want this book to end' FEARNE COTTON'Utterly believable . . . fantastically enjoyable' THE TIMES'Pitch perfect' SUNDAY TIMES'Reads like an addictive Netflix documentary meets A Star Is Born - despite being utterly fictional. It's also a call-to-arms that when you find your niche, don't doubt, embrace it' EMERALD STREET'Well observed, sensitively told . . . a great read' BBC'A tremendously engaging, and completely believable tale of rock and roll excess... inventive, persuasive and completely satisfying' DYLAN JONES'I spent a lost weekend in this book. Daisy Jones is an instant icon' ERIN KELLY'DAISY JONES & THE SIX is a transporting novel - at once a love story, a glimpse into the combustible inner workings of a rock-and-roll band, and a pitch-perfect recreation of the music scene of the Fleetwood Mac era. You'll never want it to end' CECILIA AHERN'Once in a blue moon you get to discover a book you end up pressing upon many other people to read. Taylor Jenkins Reid has got every nuance, every detail exact and right. I loved every word' PAUL REES'So brilliantly written I thought all the characters were real . . . I couldn't put it down' EDITH BOWMAN'Explosive . . . a gorgeous novel and a ravishing read' SUNDAY EXPRESS'The characters leap off the page, seducing you with their dramas, and making you wish the band was real' HEAT'The heady haze of the 70s music scene, and a perfectly flawed Daisy, combine to create a fresh, rock n roll read. I loved it' ALI LAND, author of Good Me Bad MeTrade Review[T]his absorbing novel is full of irresistible characters, and brilliantly evokes its time and place. It's my favourite novel of the year. * Daily Mirror *Unique, inventive and stylish...It's exciting and intoxicating, and I loved the effortlessly cool Daisy Jones. It is a novel I'll revisit regularly. * Woman & Home *I totally fell for Taylor Jenkins Reid’s engaging recreation of the 70s rock 'n' roll scene . . . this novel has a lot of heart. * Good Housekeeping *Part juicy celebrity tell-all, part A Star Is Born . . . Be prepared to read it in a single night. * Vogue, Best New Books 2019 *I devoured DAISY JONES AND THE SIX in a day, falling head over heels for it. Taylor Jenkins Reid transported me into the magic of the 70's music scene in a way I'll never forget. The characters were beautifully layered and complex... Daisy and the band captured my heart, and they're sure to capture yours too. * Reese Witherspoon *Fascinating . . . you can't wait to find out what happens next . . . Everyone should read this. * Claudia Winkleman, RADIO 2 *The heady haze of the 70s music scene, and a perfectly flawed Daisy, combine to create a fresh, rock n roll read. I loved it. * Ali Land *Taylor Jenkins Reid is a stunning writer whose characters are unforgettable and whose stories are deeply emotional. Her new book is her most gripping yet. * Emily Giffin *Utterly believable . . . fabulously entertaining. * The Times *I spent a lost weekend in this book. Daisy Jones is an instant icon. * Erin Kelly *A tremendously engaging, and completely believable tale of rock and roll excess, one made all the more enjoyable by being written as an oral biography. It's inventive, persuasive and completely satisfying. * Dylan Jones *I LOVE it . . . I can't remember the last time I read a book that was so fun. * The High Low *The characters leap off the page, seducing you with their dramas, and making you wish the band was real. Five stars. * Heat *Once in a blue moon you get to discover a book you end up pressing upon many other people to read. Taylor Jenkins Reid has got every nuance, every detail exact and right. I loved every word. * Paul Rees *A book that reads like an addictive Netflix documentary meets A Star Is Born - despite being utterly fictional . . . It's also a call-to-arms that when you find your niche, don't doubt, embrace it. * Emerald Street *With Daisy Jones, Taylor Jenkins Reid has conjured up a legend both on the page and off. A zeitgeist book for 2019, read it before the series becomes the next must-see. * Stylist *DAISY JONES & THE SIX is a transporting novel - at once a love story, a glimpse into the combustible inner workings of a rock-and-roll band, and a pitch-perfect recreation of the music scene of the Fleetwood Mac era. You'll never want it to end. * Cecelia Ahern *So brilliantly written I thought all the characters were real . . . I couldn't put it down. * Edith Bowman *Brace for 2019's first pop-culture sensation . . . we're not exaggerating . . . new obsession, incoming . . . If you liked Almost Famous, you'll love it. * Stella Magazine, Telegraph *Prepare to be obsessed. * Stylist *Brilliantly gripping. * Reader's Digest *With wonderfully layered and complex characters, Reid's latest novel is brilliantly written and hard to put down. * Psychologies *Utterly refreshing - and too charming not to love * Image *I completely forgot that Daisy Jones and The Six was a fictional book and not a real story. The cast of characters with different narrators portraying them made it feel so real. One of my favourite audiobooks of all time. * Pop Sugar *Chances are that by the end of the year you’ll want to track down Daisy’s music and play it, even though the fabulous 1970s songbird never existed. * Writing Magazine *A compelling read that opens the lid on the music industry's dark side * Sunday Times Magazine *

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Book SynopsisA dazzling historical debut set in eighteenth-century Venice, about the woman written out of the story of one of history's greatest musical masterpieces

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Book SynopsisCathryn Kemp is a Sunday Times bestselling ghostwriter and author, with a prolific career writing celebrity, inspirational, true crime, addiction and nostalgia titles. Her personal memoir Coming Clean won the Big Red Read Prize for Non-Fiction.A Poisoner's Tale is her first foray into historical fiction. When not researching dark, dangerous and beguiling women from history, Cathryn can be found on the south coast with her son and her familiar, a ginger cat called Gingey.

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Book SynopsisCormac McCarthy was the author of many acclaimed novels, including Blood Meridian, Child of God and The Passenger. Among his honours are the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. His works adapted to film include All the Pretty Horses, The Road and No Country for Old Men the latter film receiving four Academy Awards, including the award for Best Picture. McCarthy died in 2023 in Santa Fe, NM at the age of 89.Trade ReviewNo Country for Old Men is a compelling, harrowing, disturbing, sad, endlessly surprising and resonant novel. -- Robert Edric * Spectator *No Country for Old Men is a severed head and shoulders over anything else written in America this year. * Independent on Sunday *A fast, powerful read, steeped with a deep sorrow about the moral degradation of the legendary American West. * Financial Times *A Western thriller with a racy plot and punchy dialogue, perfect for a lazy Sunday. * The Times *[An] utterly absorbing, chilling tale . . . One of the most sinister characters in modern American fiction. * Herald *It's hard to think of a contemporary writer more worth reading. * Independent *

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Book SynopsisWelcome to Lapvona. In a village in a medieval fiefdom buffeted by natural disasters, a motherless shepherd boy finds himself at the centre of a power struggle that puts all manner of faith to a savage test . . .Discover the Sunday Times bestselling novel from the author of TikTok sensation My Year of Rest and Relaxation.'One of the most provocative reads of the year'i NEWSPAPER'Disturbingly funny'OBSERVER, BOOKS OF THE YEAR'An addictive read . . . with a chequered cast of misfits, despots and unholy souls'THE FACE'One of America's most exciting - and most provocative - young novelists'FINANCIAL TIMES'Lapvona deserves all the hype it's received and more'i-D'Brace yourselves'STYLISTTrade ReviewCompelling... Moshfegh's bold venture beyond her comfort zone in Lapvona is a welcome promise of how much more she has to offer American literature today. * Financial Times *What impresses here is not so much Moshfegh's abilities with character or narrative, or even her language . . . as the qualities Lapvona shares with a Francis Bacon painting: depicting in blood-red vitality, without morals or judgment, the human animal in its native chaos. * Guardian *Moshfegh expertly creates a world with its own superstitions and laws, both timeless and topical. * Oprah Daily *Moshfegh's genius is her ability to rip away the veil, revealing the horrors beneath, in writing so compelling, and bleakly funny, that we can't bear to look away. * i *A witty, vicious novel.. . Moshfegh is one of our most thrilling chroniclers of the abject * Observer (USA) *

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Book SynopsisA dazzling new standalone novel set in the Roman world about the daughter of one of Britain's most powerful heroines, from the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Wolf Den Trilogy.

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Book SynopsisFROM THE GLOBALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRINGBittersweet dazzling' GuardianDeeply pleasurable the ending made me cry' The TimesTold with a wealth of detail and narrative intensity' Penelope LivelyViolet is 38.The First World War took everything from her. Her brother, her fiancé and her future. She is now considered a surplus woman'.But Violet is also fiercely independent and determined. Escaping her suffocating mother, she moves to Winchester to start a new life a change that will require courage, resilience and acts of quiet rebellion. And when whispers of another world war surface, she must live with a secret that could change everythingTrade Review‘Bittersweet … dazzling’ Guardian ‘Tracy Chevalier shows once again her ability to illuminate ordinary lives and to pay attention to those most often ignored … movingly examines hidden depths beneath quiet exteriors’ Sunday Times ‘Writing with quiet but devastating empathy, Tracy Chevalier pinpoints Violet’s predicament as a single woman, her unexpected emotional crisis and her struggle to give her life depth and meaning. I loved it’ Daily Mail ‘A well-woven story of love … Chevalier has such a sure eye for details, whether she is describing the loveliness of the cathedral or the dismal interior of a 1930s boarding house. Reading this is deeply pleasurable’ The Times ‘I enjoyed A Single Thread enormously. Tracy Chevalier wonderfully evokes the social climate of the nineteen thirties – this is the intriguing story of a young woman facing the conventions and prejudices of the day, told with a wealth of detail and narrative intensity’ Penelope Lively ’Tracy Chevalier’s quietly moving story of a woman finding freedom in the 1930s is a gem’ Stylist ‘Evocative and beautifully written’ Sunday Express Magazine ‘I loved it. So compelling and warm and subtle, and very moving’ Bridget Collins, author of The Binding ‘Evocative, beautifully written’ Daily Mirror ‘Beautifully written … utterly immersive’ Red ‘Atmospheric … wonderful’ Good Housekeeping ‘I loved it! Enchanting and full of hope. Absolutely needed in this political climate’ Laura Purcell, author of The Silent Companions ‘A fierce and moving book about the great courage of a small life’ Sadie Jones ‘It’s a chance encounter that sets Violet on an unexpectedly rewarding path in this pleasant, leisurely paced novel’ i Paper ‘Absorbing, empathetic, poignant’ Daily Mail

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Book Synopsis''A great adventure, powerfully told'' (Philippa Gregory) A sumptuous tale of passion and danger in the medieval court, Anya Seton''s Katherine is an all-time classic.Katherine comes to the court of Edward III at the age of fifteen. The naïve convent-educated orphan of a penniless knight is dazzled by the jousts and the entertainments of court. Nevertheless, Katherine is beautiful, and she turns the head of the King''s favourite son, John of Gaunt. But he is married, and she is soon to be betrothed.A few years later their paths cross again and this time their passion for each other cannot be denied or suppressed. Katherine becomes the prince''s mistress, and discovers an extraordinary world of power, pleasure and passion.Trade ReviewA great adventure, powerfully told * Philippa Gregory *Miss Seton's enthusiasm for both character and period is infectious. Katherine emerges a glowing, vital figure * Daily Telegraph *Anya Seton takes us into other worlds, making us live for a few hours on a grand scale * Women's Journal *Perhaps the greatest gifts Anya Seton brings to her historical novels are the zest of her narrative, the life she breathes into the most insignificant characters, and the atmosphere of the era she evokes around them * Books and Bookmen *Brilliant historical construction * Evening News *Wonderful historical novels * Alison Weir *

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Book SynopsisThe extraordinary and enchanting novel tracing a centuries-old curse back to its beginning from the author of PRACTICAL MAGIC and THE DOVEKEEPERS For centuries, the women of the Owens family have been cursed: any man who loves an Owens woman will die. It begins with a baby abandoned in a snowy English field in the 1600s. Gentle Hannah Owens takes the baby in, and as the child grows, Hannah teaches little Maria about the 'Unnamed Arts'. Maria has a gift for them – a gift that may well prove her undoing. When Maria is abandoned by the man she loves, she invokes the curse that will haunt her family for centuries. Because magic has rules, and they must be obeyed.PRAISE for ALICE HOFFMAN ‘Beautiful, harrowing, a major contribution to twenty-first century literature’Toni Morrison ‘I am still reeling from The Dovekeepers – from the history AliceTrade Review'Enticing... conjures up spells, herbal lore and romance in harsh, historical times' Daily Mail 'We first met the Owens in the brilliant novel Practical Magic, then we discovered the tragedy of the siblings in Rules of Magic. Now, we learn how it all began…' Bella 'A vivid and evocative tale – prepare to be spellbound’ Woman 'Storytelling is in Hoffman’s bones, and the skill with which she dispenses information and compresses time, so that a year passes in a sentence, so that a tragedy witnessed becomes the propeller for a hundred-page subplot, is (forgive me) bewitching' New York Times Book Review 'Vivid and enchanting, with a can’t-miss-it foray into the Salem Witch Trials, Magic Lessons is another sublime entry in an arresting series' Esquire 'Hoffman writes deftly, and often beautifully, about nature, and she can plot like, well, a witch, casting a spell on her reader' Boston Globe 'A gorgeous new novel you won't want to miss' Bustle 'In Hoffman’s luminous prose, all characters, even the villains, are not only vividly, but also compassionately, rendered... Hoffman adeptly highlights that how one uses a talent, selflessly or selfishly, has a sweeping impact on many lives' Booklist

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2017A STORY OF LOVE AFTER DEATHA masterpiece' Zadie SmithExtraordinary' Daily MailBreathtaking' ObserverA tour de force' Sunday TimesThe extraordinary first novel by the bestselling, Folio Prize-winning, National Book Award-shortlisted George Saunders, about Abraham Lincoln and the death of his eleven year old son, Willie, at the dawn of the Civil WarThe American Civil War rages while President Lincoln''s beloved eleven-year-old son lies gravely ill. In a matter of days, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returns to the crypt several times alone to hold his boy''s body.From this seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of realism, entering a thrilling, supernatural domain both hilarious and terrifying. Willie Lincoln finds himself Trade ReviewA masterpiece -- Zadie Smith * New York Times *Must be one of my favourite novels. What a warm, kindhearted and radical piece of writing. Such delicacy, such serious wit. I love it -- Max PorterAn early contender for 2017's Man Booker, a highly affecting novel about Abraham Lincoln's grief at the loss of his young son * Sunday Times *The much anticipated long-form debut from the US short-story maestro does not dissapoint * Guardian *The debut novel by the short-story supremo George Saunders. Set in 1862 in a cemetery in Washington, it has drawn high praise * New Statesman *A cacophonous, genre-busting book inspired by the death of Abraham Lincoln's young son * Metro *Filled with wit and sadness … It is an immensely powerful work. In the hands of the right imagination, the horror of individual loss can become an extraordinarily humane exploration of the beauty and the value of life, however painful * Guardian *An original father-son tale that expertly blends history and fiction (and even the supernatural), Lincoln in the Bardo explores grief, loss, life, death * Buzzfeed Year Ahead in Books *George Saunders makes you feel as though you are reading fiction for the first time * Khaled Hosseini *A morally passionate, serious writer ... He will be read long after these times have passed * Zadie Smith *He makes the all-but-impossible look effortless. We're lucky to have him * Jonathan Franzen *An astoundingly tuned voice – graceful, dark, authentic and funny * Thomas Pynchon *Saunders is a writer of arresting brilliance and originality, with a sure sense of his material and apparently inexhaustible resources of voice ... Scary, hilarious and unforgettable * Tobias Wolff *There is no one better, no one more essential * Dave Eggers *Few people cut as hard or deep as Saunders does * Junot Diaz *Saunders is a true original - restlessly inventive, yet deeply humane * Jennifer Egan *Reading George Saunders is, it's safe to say, like no other literary experience * Observer *No one writes more powerfully than George Saunders about the lost, the unlucky, the disenfranchised -- Michiko Kakutani * New York Times *Surreal and puncturing -- Margaret AtwoodFunny, poignant – in flashes, deeply moving – light as a feather and consistently weird -- Hari KunzruThere is really no one like him. He is an original – but everyone knows that -- Lorrie MoorePart of the reason it’s so hard to talk about him is the shared acknowledgment among writers that Saunders is somehow a little more than just a writer. . . . [He] writes like something of a saint. He seems in touch with some better being -- Joshua FerrisStunning ... Lincoln in the Bardo is a triumph ... In Lincoln in the Bardo Saunders has reinvented the form * Bookseller *A strange but brilliant study of grief and bereavement * Mail on Sunday, ‘Sizzling summer reads’ *

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Book SynopsisA BBC TWO BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICKAN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERSHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZEWINNER OF THE MAN ASIAN LITERARY PRIZE AND THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZETeoh Yun Ling was seventeen years old when she first heard about Aritomo and the garden. But a war would come to Malaya, and a decade pass before she would travel to see him. A man of extraordinary skill and reputation, Aritomo was once the gardener for the Emperor of Japan, and now Yun Ling needs him. She needs him to help her build a memorial to her beloved sister, killed at the hands of the Japanese. She wants to learn everything Aritomo can teach her, and do her sister proud, but to do so she must also begin a journey into her own past, a past inextricably linked with the secrets of her troubled country.A story of art, war, love and memory, The Garden of Evening Mists captures a dark moment in history with richness, power and incredible beauty.Trade ReviewComplex and powerful . . . sophisticated and satisfying * * Sunday Times * *It is impossible to resist the opening sentence of this sumptuously produced novel . . . It showcases Tan Twan Eng as a master of cultural complexities * * Guardian * *Elegant and atmospheric * * The Times * *An elegant and haunting novel of war, art and memory . . . its beauty never comes to rest * * Independent * *Tantalisingly evocative . . . Suffused with a satisfying richness of colour and character, it still abounds in hidden passageways and occult corners. Mysteries and secrets persist. Tan dwells often on the borderline states, the in between areas, of Japanese art: the archer's hiatus before the arrow speeds from the bow; the patch of skin that a master of the horimono tattoo will leave bare; or the "beautiful and sorrowful" moment "just as the last leaf is about to drop" . . . An elegant and haunting novel of war, art and memory * * Independent * *A beautiful, dark and wistful exploration of loss and remembrance, that will stay with you long after reading * * Daily Telegraph * *War, art and memory join in a subtle story, notable for its ravishing prose, glorious sense of place, and mature alertness to the deceptive vistas of history -- Boyd Tonkin * * Independent * *With ravishing sensuousness, it conjures up the lush landscapes and tea estates of Malaya during the 1950s Emergency, as reflections on Japanese aesthetic refinements in gardening and art intersect with recollections of Japanese wartime atrocities in a haunting novel about memory -- Peter Kemp * * The Sunday Times * *This beautifully written book is full of arresting images . . . Achieved with the seemingly effortless poise of a remarkable fictional artistry, Tan Twan Eng's winning novel will be prized by all those who cannot resist the mastery of language * * Good Book Guide * *This book is to be kept and re-read and revered for its elegant, lyrical prose * * Red * *

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Book Synopsis**AS SEEN ON BBC BETWEEN THE COVERS**AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4**THE NUMBER ONE IRISH BESTSELLER**When the Nazis take Rome, thousands go into hiding. One priest will risk everything to save them.September 1943: German forces occupy Rome. SS officer Paul Hauptmann rules with terror.An Irish priest, Hugh O'Flaherty, dedicates himself to helping those escaping from the Nazis. His home is Vatican City, a neutral, independent country within Rome where the occupiers hold no sway. He gathers a team to set up an Escape Line.But Hauptmann's net begins closing in and the need for a terrifyingly audacious mission grows critical. By Christmas, it's too late to turn back.Based on a true story, My Father's House is a powerful thriller from a master of historical fiction. It is an unforgettable novel of love, sacrifice and what it means to be human in the most extreme circumstances.'A spectacular, thrilling novel...suspense crackles...celebrates triumphant against-the-odds camaraderie' Sunday Times'A masterwork... so urgent, so incredibly alive... A searing and beautiful example of storytelling's infinite importance' Donal Ryan'Impressive and pleasurable...the diverse ventriloquism of O'Connor's novel evokes a city in peril with wonderful vitality' Financial TimesLONGLISTED FOR THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2024Trade ReviewA spectacular, thrilling novel...suspense crackles...celebrates triumphant against-the-odds camaraderie. * Sunday Times *O'Connor is on stellar form with this ensemble thriller ...while the story's inbuilt tension urges you on, it's the sheer vigour of O'Connor's beautifully turned phrases that really makes the book sing...an expert storyteller * Daily Mail *A literary thriller of the highest order. The incarnation of O'Flaherty, the Irish Oskar Schindler, is sublime. What often elevates a writer is compassion, and O'Connor has it in spades... Beautifully crafted, his razor-sharp dialogue is to be savoured, and he employs dark humour to great effect. The plot twists keep on coming * Observer *Breathtakingly good writing - O'Connor puts you right there, centre stage in the story and never lets you goThe novel's evocative scene-setting, its propulsive narration and its powerful depiction of bravery and unity in extremis, all make for an engrossing read. * Telegraph *Thrilling... Based on true events, this tense, gripping narrative is rendered in beautifully evocative prose * Mail on Sunday *Impressive and pleasurable...the diverse ventriloquism of O'Connor's novel evokes a city in peril with wonderful vitality * Financial Times *A tale worth re-telling, adorned as it is by the brilliants of O'Connor's impressionistic writing * The Times *A powerful portrait of extraordinary courage * Irish Independent *Precisely choreographed... We eagerly follow the characters through uncertainty and disappointment as well as high-stakes jeopardy. O'Connor is playing with the possibilities of multiple narrators, and thinking also about plurality, reliability and the historical record * Guardian, Book of the Day *Gripping...a hugely satisfying book, from its explosive opening to its bittersweet end * Washington Post *So beautifully written, a masterclass in 'voices' and an extremely tense thriller. It's magnificent.A masterwork... so urgent, so incredibly alive... A searing and beautiful example of storytelling's infinite importanceFor all its thrills...primarily-and triumphantly-an intimate drama that illuminates both the fragility and the wonder of unlikely human connections forged in adversity and, in some cases, enduring for a lifetime * Wall Street Journal *I cannot say enough good things about this World War II thriller... Told from different perspectives of people in the movement, as well as the Gestapo villain, readers will hold their breath if the Choir will fulfill their critical mission. It's the first of a trilogy and a must read * BookRiot *O'Connor's work is hugely impressive and utterly haunting * Sunday Mirror *Riveting, immersive, synesthetic, linguistically dazzling, funny and dark, this novel is blessed with a kind of magical grace. Sprezzatura springs from every page * SMF Bookclub *O'Connor's writing is always intensely atmospheric...O'Connor succeeds in integrating into the suspenseful plot numerous narrative voices that intersect class, gender, nationality and religion * Literary Review *Gripping, compelling and utterly brilliant. O'Connor's gift for exquisite language shines throughA thriller of engrossing urgency * Irish Independent *Joseph O'Connor is a very great artist and storyteller

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Book SynopsisA brilliant modern translation by Christine Donougher of Victor Hugo''s thrilling masterpiece, with an introduction by Robert Tombs. This is the best translation of the novel available in English, as recommended by David Bellos in The Novel of the Century. Victor Hugo''s tale of injustice, heroism and love follows the fortunes of Jean Valjean, an escaped convict determined to put his criminal past behind him. But his attempts to become a respected member of the community are constantly put under threat: by his own conscience, and by the relentless investigations of the dogged policeman Javert. It is not simply for himself that Valjean must stay free, however, for he has sworn to protect the baby daughter of Fantine, driven to prostitution by poverty. ''A magnificent achievement. It reads easily, sometimes racily, and Hugo''s narrative power is never let down ... An almost flawless translation, which brings the full flavour of one of the Trade ReviewA magnificent achievement. It reads easily, sometimes racily, and Hugo's narrative power is never let down ... An almost flawless translation, which brings the full flavour of one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century to new readers in the twenty-first * The Times Literary Supplement *Christine Donougher's seamless and very modern translation of Les Misérables has an astonishing effect in that it reminds readers that Hugo was going further than any Dickensian lament about social conditions ... The Wretched touches the soul * Herald Scotland *

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Book SynopsisFrom the frenetic atmosphere of Manhattan to the magnificent wide-open plains of Africa, The Sun Sister is the sixth epic tale in the Seven Sisters series by the number one bestseller Lucinda Riley. A breathtaking story of love and loss, inspired by the mythology of the famous star constellation.To the outside world Electra D’Aplièse, in her mid-twenties, seems to have it all: as one of the world’s top models, she is beautiful, rich and famous.Yet Electra’s already tenuous control over her state of mind has been rocked by the death of her father, Pa Salt, the elusive billionaire who adopted his six daughters from across the globe. Struggling to cope, she turns to alcohol and drugs. As those around her fear for her health, Electra receives a letter from a stranger claiming to be her grandmother . . .In 1939, Cecily Huntley-Morgan arrives in Kenya from New York to nurse a broken heart. Staying with her godmother, a member of the infamous Happy Valley set, she meets Bill Forsythe, a notorious bachelor and cattle farmer with close connections to the proud Maasai tribe. But after a shocking discovery, and with war looming, Cecily has few options. Moving up into the Wanjohi Valley, she is isolated and alone. That is, until she meets a young woman in the woods – and makes her a promise that will change the course of her life forever . . .The epic, multi-million selling series continues with The Missing Sister.Praise for the Seven Sisters:'A masterclass in beautiful writing' – The Sun'Heart-wrenching, uplifting and utterly enthralling' – Lucy Foley, author of The Hunting Party'A breathtaking adventure' – Lancashire Evening PostFive-Star Reader Reviews:'Absolutely incredible''Totally addictive''Ideal for when you need to escape'Trade ReviewLucinda Riley turns up the heat – in more ways than one – in the sixth, sizzling and penultimate installment of her thrilling Seven Sisters series. The Sun Sister is her most dazzling, daring, and deeply insightful novel yet. -- Lancashire Evening PostA masterclass in beautiful writing. -- The SunEvery book by Lucinda Riley is a journey in technicolour through space and time -- La Stampa (Italy)This novel, like most of Riley’s books, reveals a great passion for history and research. Lucinda weaves together details from various locations, cultures and epochs and gives the reader a deep impression of the different characters -- NRK (Norway)The Sun Sister is amazing, brilliant and wonderful to read. The Seven Sisters Series just gets better and more ambitious. -- Bookliterati (UK)A brilliant page-turner just soaked in glamour and romance -- Daily Mail, on The Seven Sisters

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Book SynopsisSister. Pawn. Liar. Traitor. Her words sent two queens to the scaffold. Her secrets shaped a kingdom. But her true story was hidden. Until now. Philippa Gregory brings the Boleyn traitor out of the shadows in a groundbreaking tale of love, betrayal and survival.

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Book SynopsisDiscover the heartwarmingly witty new historical novel about changing (sometimes reluctantly) with the times in the aftermath of WW2, perfect for fans of Maggie O'Farrell and Rachel Joyce. A deeply pleasurable postwar tale' Guardian'Generous, touching and romantic' Clare ChambersOne of our finest writers of literary entertainment' Spectator'Sometimes books that are this funny are easy to underestimate, but Small Bomb at Dimperley is wiser than a good many ponderously serious tomes. An absolute joy to read' The Times__________It's 1945, and Corporal Valentine Vere-Thissett, aged 23, is on his way home. But home' is Dimperley, built in the 1500s, vast and dilapidated, up to its eaves in debt and half-full of fly-blown taxidermy and dependent relatives, the latter clinging to a way of life that has gone forever. And worst of all - following the death of his heroic older brother - Valentine is now Sir Valentine, and is responsible for the whole bloody place. To Valentine, it's a millstone; to Zena Baxter, who has never really had a home before being evacuated there with her small daughter, it's a place of wonder and sentiment, somewhere that she can't bear to leave. But Zena has been living with a secret, and the end of the war means she has to face a reckoning of her ownFunny, sharp and touching, Small Bomb at Dimperley is both a love story and a bittersweet portrait of an era of profound loss, and renewal. ____________More praise for Small Bomb at DimperleyA future classic' Woman&Home'This is Lissa Evans at the peak of her mighty powers' India KnightBrilliantly written, gloriously funny... a heart-warming read about learning to live again' Sun'Incredibly assured and affecting... the perfect novel to be read in such dark times' Graham NortonPerfectly pitched, funny tale, sprinkled with peppery observations and speckled with a poignant bitter-sweetness' Daily Mail

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Book SynopsisJames Clavell's most famous and best-loved novel repackaged for a new generationTrade ReviewMy bet for the most satisfyingly popular novel of the year . . . It has power, it has violence, subtlety and lots, lots more . . . Clavell never puts a foot wrong . . . Get it, read it, you'll enjoy it mightily * Daily Mirror *SHOGUN is a huge exotic, blood-stained canvas of sixteenth century but still medieval Japan, rival warlords and proselytising Jesuits, geishas, seppuku, samurai with the death-with and a shipwrecked Elizabethan * Guardian *SHOGUN is a huge exotic, blood-stained canvas of sixteenth century but still medieval Japan, rival warlords and proselytising Jesuits, geishas, seppuku, samurai with the death-with and a shipwrecked Elizabethan * Guardian *Unquestionably the best historical novel of its kind since Anthony Adverse * Los Angeles Times *I can't remember when a novel has seized my mind like this one. It's irresistable, maybe unforgettable. Clavell ... creates a world so enveloping you forget who and where you are * New York Times *Mr Clavell tells his story brilliantly * The Times *One of the great page turners of all time * Good Book Guide *One of the great page turners of all time * Good Book Guide *I can't remember when a novel has seized my mind like this one. It's irresistable, maybe unforgettable. Clavell ... creates a world so enveloping you forget who and where you are * New York Times *My bet for the most satisfyingly popular novel of the year . . . It has power, it has violence, subtlety and lots, lots more . . . Clavell never puts a foot wrong . . . Get it, read it, you'll enjoy it mightily * Daily Mirror *Mr Clavell tells his story brilliantly * The Times *

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Book SynopsisChanging times at Harpers Emporium - catch up with the ladies, their lives and loves...London Spring 1920 Harpers is beginning to flourish once more after the end of the war but for Sally Harper the problems continue. Husband Ben is moody, sometimes distant, and she feels he is shutting her out at home and at work, but why? It takes a terrible tragedy to make them realise their love and respect is still true. The ladies and girls who work at Harpers continue to battle with problems in their own lives. Marion is still trying to reach her war-damaged husband and Lilly is battling with her pain and shame. It’s a period of transition for all. The doors of Harpers are busy welcoming new and returning staff whilst bidding a fond farewell to others. This is the beginning of a new era and there is a fresh buzz of excitement in the air.

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind'Based on a lecture given at Cambridge and first published in 1929, A Room of One's Own' interweaves Woolf's personal experience as a female writer with themes ranging from Austen and Brontë to Shakespeare's gifted (and imaginary) sister. Three Guineas', Woolf's most impassioned polemic, came almost a decade later and broke new ground by challenging the very notions of war and masculinity.This volume combines two inspirational, witty and urbane essays from one of literature's pre-eminent voices; collectively they constitute a brilliant and lucid attack on sexual inequality.Trade Review‘Brilliant interweaving of personal experience, imaginative musing and political clarity’Kate Mosse ‘Achingly relevant’Natasha Walter, Guardian

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023.In Stone Blind, the instant Sunday Times bestseller, Natalie Haynes brings the infamous Medusa to life as you have never seen her before.'Witty, gripping, ruthless' – Margaret Atwood via Twitter'Beautiful and moving' – Neil Gaiman‘So to mortal men, we are monsters. Because of our flight, our strength. They fear us, so they call us monsters’Medusa is the sole mortal in a family of gods. Growing up with her Gorgon sisters, she begins to realize that she is the only one who experiences change, the only one who can be hurt.When Poseidon commits an unforgiveable act against Medusa in the temple of Athene, the goddess takes her revenge where she can: on his victim. Medusa is changed forever – writhing snakes for hair and her gaze now turns any living creature to stone. She can look at nothing without destroying it.Desperate to protect her beloved sisters, Medusa condemns herself to a life of shadows. Until Perseus embarks upon a quest to fetch the head of a Gorgon . . .‘A fierce feminist exploration of female rage, written with wit and empathy’ – GlamourTrade ReviewWitty, gripping, ruthless -- Margaret Atwood via TwitterBeautiful and moving -- Neil Gaiman via TwitterThe rollicking narrative voice that energises Stone Blind . . . is a voice that feels at once bitingly (post)modern and filled with old wisdom * Observer *Stone Blind is an exceptionally powerful retelling of Medusa's story, an emotional gut punch of a novel. Haynes brilliantly pulls off the feat of seamlessly alternating humour and heartbreak, creating characters that stay with you long after the novel's end. It is a dazzling achievement -- Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den trilogyWith this, her third novel based on ancient myth, [Haynes] has found a way of using all her classical erudition and her vivid sense of the ambiguous potency of the ancient stories, while being simultaneously very, very funny * Guardian *A fierce feminist exploration of female rage, written with wit and empathy. Haynes makes the classics brutally relevant, and we reckon this one is going to be huge * Glamour *It is no exaggeration to say that Haynes is the modern embodiment of the best of Homer. She is a proper, classic storyteller, whose linguistic skills and wit will have you hanging on every word * Radio Times *Stone Blind is inventive and playful . . . [and] very funny -- Antonia Senior * The Times *Natalie Haynes’s genius is to not just focus on the female experience of Greek myth but also to add zest, humour and more than a little mischief. * Metro *What makes a monster is the central question in Natalie Haynes’ wry, spry feminist take on the Medusa myth . . . an earthy, playful yet rage-filled upending of the Greek hero trope * Mail Online *Natalie Haynes has made a contemporary classic out of a classic . . . and it should win prizes -- Monique Roffey, author of The Mermaid of Black ConchWith wit, humanity and extraordinary imagination, Haynes breathes life and meaning into myths as she has done so brilliantly before (most famously with A Thousand Ships). She also shows that monsters can be divine or mortal. Not all heroes wear capes – and not all villains have snakes * The i *Haynes’ clever, empathetic writing transforms Medusa from Gorgon into a girl, who’s a victim of the cruel machinations of the gods and of circumstance -- Sarra Manning * Red Magazine *There’s real tenderness in Haynes’s portrait of Medusa, a mortal abomination born into a family of divinities, and the efforts of her immortal Gorgon sisters to protect her from herself -- Daisy Dunn * The Spectator *

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Book SynopsisAn award-winning first novel about art, sisterhood and madness, inspired by the two daughters of painter Thomas Gainsborough, who spent their lives trying and failing to live up to the perfect image the world so admired in their portraits

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Book SynopsisItalo Calvino (Author) Italo Calvino was born in Cuba in 1923 and grew up in Italy. He was an essayist and journalist and a member of the editorial staff of Einaudi in Turin. One of the most respected writers of the twentieth century, his best-known works of fiction include Invisible Cities, If on a Winter's Night a Traveller, Marcovaldo and Mr Palomar. In 1973 he won the prestigious Premio Feltrinelli. He died in 1985. A collection of Calvino's posthumous personal writings, The Hermit in Paris, was published in 2003. William Weaver (Translator) William Weaver has translated Umberto Eco, Italo Svevo, Primo Levi, Italo Calvino and Roberto Calasso, among others. He is a professor at Bard College.Trade ReviewInvisible Cities changed the way we read and what is possible in the balance between poetry and prose... The book I would choose as pillow and plate, alone on a desert islandWhole chapters of unforced poetic prose in which insight and fantasy are perfectly matched-an exquisite world * Observer *'Invisible Cities is perhaps his most beautiful work-the artist seems to have made peace with the tension between man's ideas of the many and the one * New York Review of Books *The most beautiful of his books throws up ideas, allusions, and breathtaking imaginative insights on almost every page. Each time he returns from his travels, Marco Polo is invited by Kublai Khan to describe the cities he has visited-Although he makes Marco Polo summon up many cities for the Khan's imagination to feed on, Calvino is describing only one city in this book. Venice, that decaying heap of incomparable splendour, still stands as substantial evidence of man's ability to create something perfect out of chaos * Times Literary Supplement *So important for thinking about the rich layers of life around us, our frailties, how we question and how we find meaning. * Red *

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Book SynopsisA BEST FICTION BOOK OF 2025 FOR THE HERALD, THE OBSERVER, THE GUARDIAN AND THE BBC''A novel that brims over with generosity and warmth'' OBSERVER*He will stay like this forever, Robert''s arm draped round him. They will be forever twenty. Scotland, 1933. Bobby MacBryde is on his way. After years grafting at Lees Boot Factory, he''s off to the Glasgow School of Art, to his future. On his first day he will meet another Robert, a quiet man with loose dark curls - and never leave his side.Together they will spend every penny and every minute devouring Glasgow - its botanical gardens, the Barras market, a whole hidden city - all the while loving each other behind closed doors. With the world on the brink of war, their unrivalled talent will take them to Paris, Rome, London. They will become stars as the bombs fall, hosting wild parties with the likes of Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon and Elizabeth Smart. But the brightest stars burn fastest. Stunningly reimagined, The Two Roberts is a profoundly moving story of devotion and obsession, art and class. It is a love letter to MacBryde and Colquhoun, the almost-forgotten artists who tried to change the way the world sees - and paid a devastating price.

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Book Synopsis**The mesmerising retelling from the woman at the heart of one of Ancient Greece''s most famous myths.**''I absolutely adored this book and am encouraging everyone I know to buy a copy.'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ READER REVIEW''The last few pages will easily become tear soaked. I loved every minute of this book'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ READER REVIEW''A lyrical, insightful re-telling'' - Daily Mail''If you like Madeline Miller''s Circe and Song of Achilles, you will eat up Ariadne [. . .] Saint makes it a page-turner'' - Glamour''Exquisitely written and exceptionally moving, this is a mythical retelling to savour.'' - Elodie Harper, author of THE WOLF DEN''ARIADNE gives voice to the misused Princess of Crete who betrayed her father to save Theseus from the Minotaur. Relevant and revelatory.'' - StylistTrade ReviewARIADNE gives voice to the misused Princess of Crete who betrayed her father to save Theseus from the Minotaur. Relevant and revelatory. * Stylist *What happens after the monster is defeated and the princess leaves with the hero? Jennifer Saint's Ariadne is a shimmering tapestry of two sisters bound by deceit and the shadows of family history. One marries a hero, the other a god. As their lives criss-cross through girlhood and womanhood, the secrets that their husbands keep become a monstrous backdrop to their relationship. With a fresh voice and keen insight, Saint adds flesh and bone to an ancient myth, drawing the reader into an uneasy world of ever-afters. * Yangsze Choo, New York Times bestselling author of THE NIGHT TIGER *With her wonderfully executed debut that reimagines the classic tale of Theseus, Adriane and the Minotaur, Jennifer Saint joins the likes of Madeline Miller and Pat Barker in forging mesmerising retellings of ancient Greek myths from a female -perspective. * Waterstones.com *Saint's immersive novel thrusts the reader straight into the heart of Greek mythology with this wonderful reimagining of the story of Ariadne. * iPaper *An ancient story of love and sisterhood reimagined, Jennifer Saint's ARIADNE is a truly masterful debut - compulsive, absorbing and lyrical. Saint breathes new life into the forgotten women of Greek mythology with a novel that's both incredibly absorbing, and full of heart. * Katie Lowe, author of THE FURIES *In ARIADNE, Jennifer Saint places women centre stage. It is a beautiful exploration of the bond of sisterhood, the challenges of womanhood and the desire to forge one's own destiny in a world dominated by the will of heroes and gods. Utterly absorbing and brought to life in lyrical prose, ARIADNE is a joy from start to finish. * Elizabeth Lee, author of CUNNING WOMEN *Saint's enchanting debut retells the myth of the minotaur through the eyes of Ariadne . . . As the women navigate their changing positions of power, they court disaster at the hands of both gods and men. Saint expertly highlights how often the women of this world pay the price for the actions of the men around them. Lovers of mythology should snap this up. * Publishers Weekly *In a world ruled by temperamental, petulant gods, Ariadne is a shining beacon of female strength and courage - making this a story that's impossible to forget. * Culturefly *The story is well known, of course, but Saint tells it skilfully and, like Miller and Haynes, gives a twist to familiar myth by offering the perspective of women characters * The Sunday Times *Here, Ariadne takes centre stage in a lyrical, insightful re-telling that explores her motivations and emotions and the grievances caused by grumpy, cold-hearted gods and warm-blooded men, who are equally vengeful and self-interested * Daily Mail *If you like Madeline Miller's Circe and Song of Achilles, you will eat up Ariadne, a retelling of yet another engrossing and horrifying classic Greek myth . . . Saint makes it a page-turner * Glamour *Exquisitely written and exceptionally moving, this is a mythical retelling to savour. * Elodie Harper, author of THE WOLF DEN *

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Book SynopsisThe new novel from Susan Fletcher, author of the bestselling ‘Eve Green’ and ‘Oystercatchers’.Trade Review‘Corrag's descriptions combine the oblique originality of a child with the precision and control of a poet…the novel is crowded with images stunning in their freshness and simplicity…there are moments when the sheer beauty of the prose takes one's breath away…it is a novel of extraordinary beauty and quiet power that is impossible, having read it, not to look at the world anew' Guardian 'Corrag is a beguiling and sensitive heroine and Fletcher's powers of description are as strong as ever in her third novel' Financial Times 'Fletcher gives Corrag a lyrical narrative voice…a fascinating aspect of history' Daily Mail 'Susan Fletcher's lyrical, poetic style is burnished to a rare shine in her third book…her descriptions of the Scottish landscape are breathtaking, as is her depiction of the lonesome girl who is enraptured by the beauty of the Highlands…Incredibly moving' Marie Claire 'As compelling as it is heartbreaking…Fletcher's powerful prose will stay with you long after you finish the last page. Highly recommended' Image Magazine

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Book SynopsisBook of the Year 2023 according to New York Times, New Yorker, Guardian, Economist, Observer, The Spectator, Financial Times, Vogue, The Times, The Oldie, i Paper, The Standard, Washington Post, Independent, Daily ExpressSHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023SHORTLISTED FOR THE WRITERS' PRIZE FOR FICTION 2024ONE OF SARAH JESSICA PARKER'S BEST BOOKS OF 2023LONGLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2024A writer at the peak of her powers' The TelegraphTruth and fiction. Jamaica and Britain. Who gets to tell their story? Zadie Smith returns with her first historical novel.Kilburn, 1873. The ''Tichborne Trial'' has captivated the widowed Scottish housekeeper Mrs Eliza Touchet and all of England. Readers are at odds over whether the defendant is who he claims to be - or an imposter.Mrs Touchet is a woman of many interests: literature, justice, abolitionism, class, her novelist cousin and his wives, this life and the next. But she is also sceptical. She suspects England of being a land of façades, in which nothing is quite what it seems.Andrew Bogle meanwhile finds himself the star witness, his future depending on telling the right story. Growing up enslaved on the Hope Plantation, Jamaica, he knows every lump of sugar comes at a human cost. That the rich deceive the poor. And that people are more easily manipulated than they realise.Based on real historical events, The Fraud is a dazzling novel about how in a world of hypocrisy and self-deception, deciding what''s true can prove a complicated task.It's difficult to give any idea of how extraordinary this book is. One of the great historical novels, certainly. But has any historical novel ever combined such brilliantly researched and detailed history with such intensely imagined fiction? Or such a range of living, breathing, surprising characters with such an idiosyncratically structured narrative?' Michael FraynAs always it is a pleasure to be in Zadie Smith's mind, which, as time goes on, is becoming contiguous with London itself. Dickens may be dead, but Smith, thankfully, is alive' New York TimesZadie Smith's Victorian-set masterpiece holds a mirror up to Britain . . . The Fraud is the genuine article' IndependentSmith's dazzling historical novel combines deft writing and strenuous construction in a tale of literary London and the horrors of slavery' GuardianInstant Sunday Times bestseller, September 2023Trade ReviewNo one understands humans better. As this novel shows, there is no better guide to people and their bottomlessness than Smith herself * iNews *This was really delightful. 10/10. Zadie Smith is a genius -- Brandon Taylor author of The Late AmericansA novel full of people, ideas, humour, feeling and something like moral truth – the stuff of life * Evening Standard *Searingly original [and] virtuosic . . . the book masterfully depicts post-emancipation Britain as it ruptures along faultlines of class and race * Vogue *Brilliant. A Dickensian delight * Los Angeles Times *The Fraud is unlike anything you’ll read this year: a charismatic, cerebral novel that asks us to consider the greatest fraud of all, that of one man claiming to hold the key to another’s freedom * Irish Times *A wonderful meditation on truth and falsehood, and the boundaries between fact and fiction * Spectator *A big, rich saga, tumbling with characters and big issues (feminism, slavery, truth) * The Times, 'Best Novels of 2023' *The Fraud is a complex mosaic of interweaving plots . . . The novel pulls off the trick of being both splendidly modern and authentically old and the characters are varied and entertaining * Independent, ‘Best Books of 2023’ *

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Book Synopsis''A coming-of-age story filled with magic in language and plot: beautiful and devastating''Observer, Books of the Year''I felt consumed by this book. I loved it, you will love it''Daisy Johnson, author of Sisters''A page-turning Appalachian coming-of-age story told in undulating prose that settles right into you''Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times ''Vivid and lucid, Betty has stayed with me''Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies''I loved Betty'' Fiona Mozley, author of Hot Stew''Breahtaking''Vogue ''A GIRL COMES OF AGE AGAINST THE KNIFE''So begins the story of Betty Carpenter. Born in a bathtub in 1954 to a white mother and a Cherokee father, Betty is the sixth of eight siblings: the world they inhabit in the rural town of BreathTrade ReviewBreathtaking. * Vogue *Despite the beauty of the landscape and the poetry of the language, this is not an easy read. Yes, it flows beautifully, but there are depths to explore and layer upon layer of meaning. It is worth the journey... At one stage, I put the novel aside but Betty kept calling me back. I wanted to know what happened. I'm glad I did. Once I had finished the book, I wanted to start again simply so that I could savour some of the language and the Cherokee wisdom. (I also wanted to give Betty a hug and tell her it would be OK.) This is a book that will stay with you. * Irish Independent *There's a good chance you haven't read a family saga like Betty... Their story is simultaneously extraordinary (they are subjected to unthinkable racism, financial hardships, and untimely deaths) and run-of-the-mill (at the heart, they are a family like any other). Each day in their life is supplanted with the mysticism and interconnectedness of their father's traditions, offering a light at the end of a very dark plot tunnel. * Entertainment Weekly *Vivid. * Los Angeles Times *So engrossing! Tiffany McDaniel's Betty is a page-turning Appalachian coming-of-age story steeped in Cherokee history, told in undulating prose that settles right into you. * Naoise Dolan, Sunday Times bestselling author of EXCITING TIMES *I felt consumed by the ambitious enormity and sadness of this book. Betty is about the power of words and the language it is written in rings with this. I loved it, you will love it. * Daisy Johnson, Booker Prize shortlisted author of EVERYTHING UNDER and SISTERS *I loved Betty: I fell for its strong characters and was moved by the story it portrayed. McDaniel deals with the passage of time with subtlety and skill and the descriptions of the rolling hills of Ohio were really beautiful. * Fiona Mozley, Booker Prize shortlisted author of ELMET *Betty is woven of many things, light and dark, and most of all it is life in all its shades: all its brilliances and disappointments, sadnesses and hopes. Vivid and lucid, Betty has stayed with me. * Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of THE MERCIES *Tiffany McDaniel has given us a vivid and haunting portrait of the writer as a young girl. Betty Carpenter survives the brutality of her childhood through her father's stories and his steadfast belief in her own. A novel of tragedy and trouble, poetry and power, not a story you will soon forget.Magical, densely lyrical and often disturbing. Tiffany McDaniel follows in the tradition of The Color Purple with her unflinching portrayal of the generational ripples of racism, poverty, and abuse. Shot through with moonshine, Bible verses, and folklore, Betty is about the cruelty we inflict on one another, the beauty we still manage to find, and the stories we tell in order to survive. * Eowyn Ivey, author of THE SNOW CHILD *This novel broke my brain. The lush, hypnotic prose, the voice, so authentic and compelling, as Betty Carpenter holds your hand and leads you through a world filled with familial tragedy. Each more haunting than the last, until you're left holding your breath, with a tourniquet on your heart. This is powerful, relentless storytelling at its best. * Jamie Ford, author of HOTEL AT THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET *Betty is Betty Carpenter's gripping coming of age story and is bold, inventive and profoundly moving. It is not a story blind to the character's abuse, but also reveals the love, sweetness, and magic in her life. Betty is too brown, too female and too poor for the world, but her story reminds us that despite all obstacles there are those blessed times when we can still manage to find our voices and sing. A triumph! * Stephanie Powell Watts, author of NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE US *A painful, powerful, transcendent story . . . Tiffany McDaniel's distinctive, poetic prose lets us know at the outset that something unique is going on in these pages. Bit by bit, she draws us into her 'other world' with amazing skill; and, before we realize it, we are like wide-eyed children, enthralled as we once were, as we listened to a story from Grimm's Fairy Tales. Yet, this is no fairytale for children. Rather, it is an intricate, complex mosaic of myths that explores the ways in which the imagination can bring hope into our lives during difficult times. With her depth as a poet and her boldness as a storyteller, the author has created an unforgettable novel. It stays in our imagination, long after we've read the last word. * Gwyn Hyman Rubio, author of THE WOODMAN'S DAUGHTER *Tiffany McDaniel gives voice to those on the fringes. Betty is a coming-of-age novel that has the courage to look into the darkness and to find the light. Betty Carpenter tells the story of her family with empathy and passion and heart. This is a book for anyone who's ever stood on the outside looking in, or for anyone who's ever scorned the unfortunate. It's a book for our uncertain times, one that has much to show us about family, about want, about love. * Lee Martin, author of THE BRIGHT FOREVER *Betty is an unforgettable story about the bonds that bind families and the power of words when it feels like all hope is lost. * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisTorn between two nations, she will risk everythingSeventeen-year-old Elise Bouchard has always called Northern France home. But when her English father, Sidney Cooper, is captured by the Nazis, her world is shattered. Fearing for her safety, Elise is forced to abandon the only life she has ever known - her beloved grandmother, her brother fighting in the Resistance, and the comfort of her maternal homeland. With the help of Nathan Hawkes, a British soldier, she escapes from Dunkirk on a small boat, seeking sanctuary across the Channel where unknown family ties are her only hope.Yet East London''s Silvertown is far from a refuge, and amid the chaos of war, Elise is plunged into a dangerous new reality when she is recruited as a spy by the Special Operations Executive. With her heart divided between two nations, Elise must summon all her courage to survive.Suspenseful, atmospheric, and deeply moving, The Englishman''s Daughter is a gripping tale of love and resilience in the face of unimaginable odds.Praise for Kay Brellend:''Vividly rendered'' Historical Novel Society''A fantastic cast of characters'' Goodreads''Thoroughly absorbing'' Goodreads

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Book SynopsisThe classic, heartrending story of a British boy's four year ordeal in a Japanese prison camp during the Second World War. Newly reissued with an introduction by John Lanchester.Based on J. G. Ballard's own childhood, this is the extraordinary account of a boy's life in Japanese-occupied wartime Shanghai a mesmerising, hypnotically compelling novel of war, of starvation and survival, of internment camps and death marches. It blends searing honesty with an almost hallucinatory vision of a world thrown utterly out of joint.Rooted as it is in the author's own disturbing experience of war in our time, it is one of a handful of novels by which the twentieth century will be not only remembered but judged.This edition is part of a new commemorative series of Ballard's works, featuring introductions from a number of his admirers (including Zadie Smith, Rivka Galchen, Hari Kunzru and Martin Amis) and brand-new cover designs from the artist Stanley Donwood.Trade Review‘An extraordinary achievement’ Angela Carter ‘A remarkable journey into the mind of a growing boy … horror and humanity are blended into a unique and unforgettable fiction’ Sunday Times ‘Remarkable … form, content and style fuse with complete success … one of the great war novels of the 20th century’ William Boyd ‘Gripping and remarkable … I have never read a novel which gave me a stronger sense of the blind helplessness of war … unforgettable’ Observer ‘A brilliant fusion of history, autobiography and imaginative speculation. An incredible literary achievement and almost intolerably moving’ Anthony Burgess

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Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERStriking, darkly funny and heartfelt Grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go' Ferdia Lennon, author of Glorious ExploitsCrisp, transportive, uplifting I loved it!' Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in ChemistryA bold, funny and imaginative journey through Tudor England A real treat' Joanna Quinn, author of The Whalebone TheatreBorn a vagabond, Tibb Ingleby has never had a roof of her own. Her mother has taught her that if you're not too bound by the Big Man's rules, there are many ways a woman can find shelter in this world. But now her ma is gone.As she journeys through the fields and forests of medieval England, Tibb discovers that there are people who will care for her, as well as those who mean her harm. And there are a great many others who are prepared to believe just about anythingSo, when the opportunity presents itself to escape the shackles society has placed on them, Tibb and her new friends conjure an audacious plan: her greatest trickerie yet. But before they know it, their hoax takes on a life of its own, drawing crowds - and vengeful enemies - to their door.A tale of belief and superstition, kinship and courage, A Little Trickerie introduces a ragtag cast of characters and an unforgettable, endearing and distinctly unangelic heroine.Joyful and highly original Rosanna Pike absolutely nails Tibb's voice' The TimesAbsolutely raucous and vividly alive' India Knight[Written] with great panache ... A book [that] is unapologetically itself ... Lovable, fun and emotionally juicy' Guardian

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