Historical Fiction Books

Book SynopsisThe second book in the globally bestselling Bridgerton Family series, the inspiration behind the Netflix series Bridgerton. Welcome to Anthony's story . . .Trade ReviewCaptivating and alluring... Hilarious and yet incredibly heart-warming, this is a tale that will charm the most discriminating heart * Romantic Times *Quinn has a smart, funny touch...that's reminiscent of Helen Fielding * Time Magazine *Captivating...wonderful characters and a delicious sense of humor * Rocky Mountain News *Wise, witty and oh so delightful, Julia Quinn is truly our contemporary Jane AustenQuinn's witty Regency-set romantic comedies are the nest best thing to Georgette Heyer * Gloss *The most refreshing and radiant love story you'll read this yearQuinn writes delightfully fast-paced, funny, sparkling and bright romance * Romantic Times *Two more perfect characters...a quirky, irrepressible heroine...a romance readers will not want to put down...Hooray Julia! * Romance Reviews Today *

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Book SynopsisThe heroic story of the only female Argonaut, told by Jennifer Saint, the bestselling author of ATALANTA (UK, Sunday Times, April 2023) ELEKTRA (UK, Sunday Times, May 2022) and ARIADNE (UK, Sunday Times, April 2021).''Brilliantly evocative'' Women & Home ''A spirited retelling'' Times ''Beautiful and absorbing'' Fabulous ''A vivid reimagining of Greek mythology'' Harper''s Bazaar ''Jennifer Saint has done it again'' Red ''Jennifer Saint can do no wrong'' GlamourWhen a daughter is born to the King of Arcadia, she brings only disappointment.Left exposed on a mountainside, the defenceless infant Atalanta, is left to the mercy of a passing mother bear and raised alongside the cubs under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis.Swearing that she will prove her worth alongside the famed heroes of Greece, Atalanta leaves her forTrade ReviewA stunning retelling filled with breathtaking adventure, Atalanta brings to life a heroine who stands tall among the ancient gods and heroes of legend. -- Sue Lynn Tan, Sunday Times bestselling author of DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESSJennifer Saint deftly draws the reader into the legends of Atalanta, swift huntress and favorite of Artemis, bringing the world of ancient Greece alive. The detail and description is lush: you can hear the rustle of the green leaves and taste the salty spray of the sea as the Argo rides forth on its quest. A story of adventure and love against all odds, this is an ancient tale limned with gold. -- Luna McNamara, author of PSYCHE AND EROSAbsolutely beautiful. This is a retelling that fully inhabits the magical realm of myth while losing none of its human heart. The way Jennifer Saint dealt with the ending was absolutely inspired - staying true to the mythology yet giving it an emotional twist that felt completely true to the heroine she had created. Atalanta is a lyrical, exciting and deeply poignant tale of one woman's remarkable life - and I cannot wait to read it again. -- Elodie Harper, author of THE WOLF DEN and THE HOUSE WITH THE GOLDEN DOORThrough the eyes of a strong and unbending heroine, Atalanta weaves together some of the most exciting myths: the Argonauts' quest, Hypsipyle and the women of Lemnos, Hippomenes's footrace. Beautifully written and crafted with magic, this is an unforgettable retelling. -- Costanza Casati, author of CLYTEMNESTRAAtalanta is an absolute joy of a novel. As always Saint brings Ancient Greece to life with deft story-telling and lyrical imagery, but with her third outing we are drawn into a truly empowering story - a novel of strength and resilience, love and friendship, skillfully enthused with the addictive magic of timeless myth. A beautifully written retelling. -- Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of PANDORA

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Book SynopsisThe final book in The Mulberry Lane Saga series from Rosie Clarke.Sweeping changes are on the horizon and Mulberry Lane is in for a shock...London 1962At first it was a rumour that Peggy Ronaski and Maureen Hart could hardly believe. If true, it would turn the lives of everyone on Mulberry Lane upside down.Peggy could lose her beloved pub. Maggie her acclaimed restaurant. Maureen her business and her home. Everyone had something to lose.Whilst old friends try to come to terms with the shocking news, the younger generation continue to forge ahead in the swinging sixties. Relationships flourish and new opportunities blossom; the ever changing world becoming their oyster. But family bonds remain strong, after all, it's people that matter not the buildings.Could this be the end of Mulberry Lane or a new beginning for everyone?Praise for Rosie Clarke:'Brilliant read. Wonderful characters that draw you into Harpers world. Thoroughly enjoyable.' Kitty Neale'When it comes to writing sagas, Rosie Clarke is up there with some of the best in the business' Bookish Jottings'Full of drama, romance and secrets ... A perfect example of its genre' That Thing She Reads'This is wonderful historical fiction that is so character-driven you'll wish these women lived on your street' Reader Review'Absolutely loved this latest instalment and revisiting the ladies of the Lane. Another great story of love and heartache' Reader Review

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Book SynopsisOf all revenge, the greatest is this: that which cometh suddenly, without expectation. AMBITION REVENGE Power is shifting. Queen Elizabeth I is dying, James waiting to become King. Everywhere, there is opportunity to ascend. But who will thrive, and who will fail, under the new King? Will it be the scholar Francis Bacon, whose brilliant mind is the envy of the royal court? Or his hated rival the attorney Edward Coke, already acclaimed as the greatest lawyer of his generation? The Winding Stair tells the gripping story of these two founders of our modern world and their battle for power, pre-eminence - and the hand of the most eligible woman in the realm. Combining humour, wit and imagination with deep research, this novel is a dazzling synthesis of history and fiction that takes the genre to new places. It is an epic tale of jealousy and intrigue in Elizabethan and Jacobean England, which, in its lowest moments, holds a darkened mirror to our own contemporary politics.

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Book SynopsisBattlefields House is the amusing tale of the McKenzie family, and their sudden decision to move to a shared country residence not far from Bath. But soon after moving in they realise that the other residents at the Battlefields mansion are made up of an international group of individuals who have their own agendas on how Battlefields should be run

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Book Synopsis A GRIPPING HISTORICAL THRILLER SET IN INVERNESS IN THE WAKE OF THE 1746 BATTLE OF CULLODEN.'This slice of historical fiction takes you on a wild ride' THE TIMESAfter Culloden, Iain MacGillivray was left for dead on Drummossie Moor. Wounded, his face brutally slashed, he survived only by pretending to be dead as the Redcoats patrolled the corpses of his Jacobite comrades.Six years later, with the clan chiefs routed and the Highlands subsumed into the British state, Iain lives a quiet life, working as a bookseller in Inverness. One day, after helping several of his regular customers, he notices a stranger lurking in the upper gallery of his shop, poring over his collection. But the man refuses to say what he's searching for and only leaves when Iain closes for the night.The next morning Iain opens up shop and finds the stranger dead, his throat cut, and the murder weapon laid out in front of him - a sword with a white cockade on its hilt, the emblem of the Jacobites. With no sign of the killer, Iain wonders whether the stranger discovered what he was looking for - and whether he paid for it with his life. He soon finds himself embroiled in a web of deceit and a series of old scores to be settled in the ashes of war.******************PRAISE FOR THE BOOKSELLER OF INVERNESS'Fresh and intriguing . . . Her best yet' ANDREW TAYLOR'Everything you could ask for from a historical thriller' ANTONIA HODGSON'An intricately wrought, compulsively page-turning tale' CRAIG RUSSELL'A first rate historical thriller' 5* READER REVIEW'From the moment I began reading I was hooked' 5* READER REVIEW'Hugely entertaining . . . fast paced, twisting and turning' 5* READER REVIEWTrade ReviewDelivers everything you could possibly want from a historical crime novel, and then gives you a bit more on top. The Jacobites are a perennially fascinating subject, the ultimate forlorn hope of history, and MacLean provides a fresh and intriguing slant on it, clearly based on rock-solid research. She paints a memorable and densely textured picture of post-Culloden Inverness and its surroundings. She's on home ground here, and it shows. Her best yet * Andrew Taylor *The Bookseller of Inverness is everything you could ask for from a historical thriller - gripping, immersive and filled with intriguing characters. S.G. MacLean can make any period sing with life. If you've not read her before, this is the perfect place to start * Antonia Hodgson *S. G. MacLean just goes from strength to strength. The Bookseller of Inverness is an intricately wrought, compulsively page-turning tale of intrigue set in a post-Rebellion Scotland so perfectly conjured and so convincing that you can smell the heather and taste the blood * Craig Russell *Well-written and well-plotted, MacLean is gifted with a writing style that blends literary storytelling with a fast-paced mystery * Scottish Field *This is an expertly plotted crime thriller built around the complexities of Jacobite histories: Walter Scott meets tartan noir * The Times *With its superbly realised scenes and spirited narration, this slice of historical fiction takes you on a wild ride * The Times Audio Book of the Week *An excellent work of historical fiction: rooted in fact ... with the imagined characters and situations seamlessly stitched into recorded reality * Literary Review *A gripping and thought-provoking novel. Highly recommended * Historical Novel Review *A twisting, absorbing plot * Sunday Times *A triumphant return to Scotland for S. G. MacLean * Historia *

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Book SynopsisAn extraordinary work of historical imagination from the double Booker Prize-winning author of the Wolf Hall trilogy, now a major TV series, this is Hilary Mantel's epic novel of the French Revolution.Georges-Jacques Danton: zealous, energetic and debt-ridden. Maximilien Robespierre: small, diligent and terrified of violence. And Camille Desmoulins: a genius of rhetoric, charming and handsome, yet also erratic and untrustworthy. As these young men, key figures of the French Revolution, taste the addictive delights of power, the darker side of the period's political ideals is unleashed and all must face the horror that follows.Trade Review‘You could read this a dozen times and not come to the end of its originality, its moral intelligence, its gargantuan flair’ Katherine Rundell, author of Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne ‘Superbly readable…an assured and strange masterpiece’ Sunday Telegraph 'One of the best English novels of the 20th century' Diana Athill, The Oldie ‘Hilary Mantel has soaked herself in the history of the period…and a striking picture emerges of the exhilaration, dynamic energy and stark horror of those fearful days’ Daily Telegraph ‘I cannot think of a historical novel as good as this until one goes back to Marguerite Yourcenar’s “Memoirs of Hadrian”, published forty years ago.’ Evening Standard ‘Marvellous…It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. Hilary Mantel captures it all’ Time Out ‘Intriguing…She has grasped what made these young revolutionaries – and with them the French Revolution – tick’ Independent ‘Crafty tensions, twists and high drama…a bravura display of her endlessly inventive, eerily observant style’ Times Literary Supplement ‘An extraordinary and overwhelming novel…immensely detailed and yet fast-moving…she has set herself to capture the excitement and intellectual fervour of the period. She does it admirably…a tour de force’ Scotsman 'Riveting…the book overflows with a natural storyteller's energy' New Yorker ‘Much, much more than a historical novel, this is an addictive study of power, and the price that must be paid for it…a triumph’ Cosmopolitan 'This is a high-class historical blockbuster' Red Magazine ‘Hilary Mantel has pulled off the apparently impossible…an ambitious, gripping epic’ Vogue

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Book SynopsisThe Number One Sunday Times BestsellerAn immersive historical fantasy, She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan is a queer retelling of one legendary Chinese ruler's rise to power.'Magnificent in every way. War, desire, vengeance, politics – Shelley Parker-Chan has perfectly measured each ingredient' – Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange TreeIn a famine-stricken village on a dusty plain, a seer shows two children their fates. For a family’s eighth-born son, there’s greatness. For the second daughter, nothing.In 1345, China lies restless under harsh Mongol rule. And when a bandit raid wipes out their home, the two children must somehow survive. Zhu Chongba despairs and gives in. But the girl resolves to overcome her destiny. So she takes her dead brother’s identity and begins her journey. Can Zhu escape what’s written in the stars, as rebellion sweeps the land? Or can she claim her brother’s greatness – and rise, ruthlessly, to take the dragon throne?This is a glorious tale of love, loss, betrayal and triumph by a powerful new voice.She Who Became the Sun is a reimagining of the rise to power of Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu was the peasant rebel who expelled the Mongols, unified China under native rule, and became the founding Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.‘Epic, tragic and gorgeous’ – Alix E. Harrow, author of The Ten Thousand Doors of JanuaryTrade ReviewMagnificent in every way. War, desire, vengeance, politics – Shelley Parker-Chan has perfectly measured each ingredient of this queer historical epic. Glinting with bright rays of wit and tenderness, yet unafraid to delve into the deep shadows of human ambition, She Who Became the Sun, like Zhu, is unquestionably destined for greatness -- Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange TreeShe Who Became the Sun is epic, tragic, and gorgeous. It will wreck you, and you will be grateful -- Alix E. Harrow, author of The Ten Thousand Doors of JanuaryA thoroughly engrossing read with a fabulous, tragic-trickster protagonist. The exploration of gender and personhood was totally absorbing . . . I've been waiting for a book like this -- Megan Campisi, author of Sin EaterEpic, sublime and emotionally devastating, She Who Became the Sun is as brilliant as Circe, and a deft and dazzling triumph -- Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine ThroneParker-Chan unrolls the painted scroll of her epic tale with the control of a master storyteller, revealing a dazzling new world of fate, war, love and betrayal -- Zen Cho, author of Black Water SisterA gripping tale of rise to power, fate, betrayals and the bloody beginnings and endings of dynasties. Heartbreaking, stirring, haunting -- Aliette de Bodard, author of The House of Shattered WingsEvocative and heart-rending, Parker-Chan’s debut is a poetic masterpiece about war, love and identity -- S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of BrassStunning, powerful and complex -- Anna Stephens, author of GodblindShe Who Became the Sun is an intense and sweeping epic that blurs the lines between rebellion and revenge, between fate and ambition, exposing the inherent violence of gendered ideologies and the traumas they create in ourselves and the world -- Tessa Gratton, author of The Queens of Innis LearZhu is a hero unlike any other – her propulsive desire to survive at any cost powers a glorious novel that encompasses grand betrayal, love, loss and triumph. An unforgettable debut -- A. K. Larkwood, author of The Unspoken NameShe Who Became the Sun is just amazingly, blindingly good -- Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat and A Narrow DoorA cinematic tour de force that feels classic and yet utterly fresh -- C. S. Pacat, author of Captive PrinceInstantly enthralling. Zhu is canny, charming, and ruthless as she claims her own fate in a richly detailed world, challenging dynasties and gender in the process -- Malinda Lo, author of LegendThis audacious, brilliant debut is a vivid, original reimagining . . . Peopled by flawed, fearless characters and with a dramatically violent storyline, this is immersive storytelling at its finest -- Daily MailShe Who Became the Sun is an emotional rollercoaster. Highly recommended and I can’t wait for the sequel! -- Sara Rees Brennan, author of the Lynburn Legacy series

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2023LONGLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTIONA SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERA FINANCIAL TIMES, NEW STATESMAN, NEW YORKER AND WASHINGTON POST BOOK OF THE YEARWillie Somerset Maugham is one of the greatest writers of the early twentieth century. But in 1921 he is beleaguered by an unhappy marriage, ill-health and business interests that have gone badly awry. He is also struggling to write.His friend Robert Hamlyn offers an escape in the Straits Settlements of Penang, where Robert''s steely wife Lesley learns to see Willie as he is - a man who has no choice but to mask his true self.As Willie prepares to leave, Lesley confides in him secrets of her own, including how she came to know the charismatic revolutionary Dr Sun Yat Sen. And more scandalous still, her connection to an Englishwoman charged with murder in the Kuala Lumpur courts - a tragedy drawn from fact, a

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Book SynopsisA BBC Top 100 Novels that Shaped Our WorldEffia and Esi: two sisters with two very different destinies. One sold into slavery; one a slave trader''s wife. The consequences of their fate reverberate through the generations that follow. Taking us from the Gold Coast of Africa to the cotton-picking plantations of Mississippi; from the missionary schools of Ghana to the dive bars of Harlem, spanning three continents and seven generations, Yaa Gyasi has written a miraculous novel - the intimate, gripping story of a brilliantly vivid cast of characters and through their lives the very story of America itself.Epic in its canvas and intimate in its portraits, Homegoing is a searing and profound debut from a masterly new writer.''This incredible book travels from Ghana to the US revealing how slavery destroyed so many families, traditions and lives - and how its terrifying impact is still reverberating now. Gyasi has created a story of real power and insight'' Stylist, the Decade''s 15 Best Books by Remarkable WomenSelected for Granta''s Best of Young American Novelists 2017Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Best First BookShortlisted for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction Shortlisted for the Beautiful Book Award 2017Trade ReviewThis novel boldly pushes the scope and possibilities of what historical fiction can do. Intimate yet expansive . . . one of the many extraordinary achievements of Gyasi's enviable debut is the writer's ability to make all the myriad descendants here - enslaved mothers, carpenters, academics - equally worthy of the reader's sustained engagement and compassion -- Michael DonkorShows the unmistakable touch of a gifted writer * The New Yorker *I think I needed to read a book like this to remember what is possible. I think I needed to remember what happens when you pair a gifted literary mind to an epic task. Homegoing is an inspiration -- Ta-Nehisi Coates, National Book Award winning author of 'Between the World and Me'Wildly ambitious debut by a 26-year-old writer . . . It's impossible not to admire the ambition and scope of Homegoing -- Michiko Kakutani * New York Times *Remarkable, is a devastating account of America....explores horror without ever losing sight of humanity or hope * Sunday Times 3 To Watch *[A] commanding debut . . . will stay with you long after you've finished reading. When people talk about all the things fiction can teach its readers, they're talking about books like this * Marie Claire *Gyasi gives voice, and an empathetic ear, to the ensuing seven generations of flawed and deeply human descendants, creating a patchwork mastery of historical fiction * Elle *An astonishing epic debut * Observer *Homegoing is a novel I wish I could have read when I was a young woman. An intelligent, beautiful and healing read, destined to become a classic -- Zadie SmithHomegoing is one hell of a book... I recommend Homegoing without reservation. Definitely a must read for 2016. -- Roxane GayThe brilliance of this structure, in which we know more than the characters do about the fate of their parents and children, pays homage to the vast scope of slavery without losing sight of its private devastation . . . . [Toni Morrison's] influence is palpable in Gyasi's historicity and lyricism; she shares Morrison's uncanny ability to crystalize, in a single event, slavery's moral and emotional fallout. What is uniquely Gyasi's is her ability to connect it so explicitly to the present day: No novel has better illustrated the way in which racism became institutionalized in this country. * Vogue US *Homegoing is a remarkable feat - a novel at once epic and intimate, capturing the moral weight of history as it bears down on individual struggles, hopes and fears. A tremendous debut * Phil Klay, National Book Award-winning author of Redeployment *A marvellous novel * Starred Publishers Weekly *Rarely does a grand, sweeping epic plumb interior lives so thoroughly. Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing is a marvel. -- Dave Wheeler, associate editor, Shelf AwarenessHomegoing is an epic novel in every sense of the word - spanning three centuries, Homegoing is a sweeping account of two half-sisters in 18th-century Ghana and the lives of their many generations of descendants in America. A stunning, unforgettable account of family, history, and racism, Homegoing is an ambitious work that lives up to the hype. * Buzzfeed *One of the richest, most rewarding reads of 2016 * Elle *Gyasi echoes [James] Baldwin's understanding of a common culture marked by both yearning and pain, in which black people can confront each other across differences and reach a political understanding about what unites them. What distinguishes Gyasi's presentation of this idea is its scope: She does not present us with a single moment, but rather delivers a multigenerational saga in which two branches of a family, separated by slavery and time, emerge from the murk of history in a romantic embrace . . . . . Homegoing is a reminder of the tenacity of fathers and mothers who struggle to keep their kin alive. The novel succeeds when it retrieves individual lives from the oblivion mandated by racism and spins the story of the family's struggle to survive. * Bookforum *A memorable epic of changing families and changing nations * Chicago Tribune *Epic...astonishing...page-turning * Entertainment Weekly *Yaa Gyasi establishes herself as an exciting new literary voice with a powerful debut * BookPage *A hypnotic debut novel by... a stirringly gifted young writer * New York Times Book Review *Tremendous...spectacular...[Homegoing is] essential reading from a young writer whose stellar instincts, sturdy craftsmanship and penetrating wisdom seem likely to continue apace - much to our good fortune as readers * San Francisco Chronicle *[A] sprawling epic... brims with compassion... In Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi has given rare and heroic voice to the missing and suppressed * NPR *A bold tale of slavery for a new 'Roots' generation * Washington Post *Rich, epic. . . Each chapter is tightly plotted, and there are suspenseful, even spectacular climaxes * New York Magazine *Rarely does a grand, sweeping epic plumb interior lives so thoroughly. Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing is a marvel * Shelf Awareness *Terrific -- Ann PatchettSpectacular -- Taiye SelasiHomegoing is stunning - a truly heartbreaking work of literary genius * Bustle *This is, hand on heart, a completely brilliant novel...a brilliant debut. If this isn't shortlisted for some prizes next year, I'll be disappointed * Stylist's pick of the best new books for 2017 *Encompassing events major and minor, but skilfully skipping the civil war, it humanises big issues by giving us unforgettable characters. It could not be more relevant or needed -- Damian Barr * Observer Books of the Year *Gyasi imbues indigenous life with richness and dignity, in a style that owes something - though by no means everything - to Chinua Achebe...it serves as the engine for a powerful message * Daily Telegraph *A future classic and a novel that you'll want to pass on to everyone you know...the real deal...2017 is set to be the year of Homegoing * Stylist *While the issues she wrestles with are heavy, her writing is a joy....Now, more than ever, we need books like this one * Red *Hugely courageous and really important -- Sathnam SangheraHomegoing is remarkable...the writing at the end of the book is every bit as vital as that at the start...she has produced a contemporary classic - one you'll actually want to read * Daily Mail *An epic debut novel * Good Housekeeping *Intriguing debut...a noble enterprise -- Mail on SundayBrilliant * Sunday Telegraph *Vivid and ambitious debut * Sunday Express *Toni Morrison's Beloved spoke to a generation. Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing will do the same for a new one. In a word, it's brilliant. And not just "for a debut" * The Pool *The powerful narrative of Yaa Gyasi's accomplished first novel do more than reveal the history that still troubles the United States. They make that history immediate * Harper's Bazaar *A fascinating view of the history of slavery...Gyasi gives voice to suppressed stories, and that feels hugely important....it certainly deserves our attention * Sunday Times *A searing indictment of racism and a very impressive debut * Sunday Express *Ambitious, superbly written, important - don't miss this one * Woman & Home *It is written with such maturity and beauty, that it is hard to believe it is Gyasi's first published work...Gyasi has created a masterpiece which is educational, highly ambitious and extremely touching. Her writing style is raw and intense and leaves one desperate to see what work she will produce in the future * Press Association *Extraordinary * Glamour *The hype is justified * Emerald Street *This unputdownable tale spans three continents and seven generations to tell the story of a family and of America itself * Reader's Digest *A bold and ambitious debut...full of fire and youthful confidence * Daily Express *Here is a book to help us remember. It is well worth its weight * Guardian *Hands down the best book I've read in months...I can't wait to see what Yaa Gyasi does next * Grazia *Gyasi has created a masterpiece which is educational, highly ambitious and extremely touching * The i *Through her words we come to understand parts of history that are sometimes ignored * Pride *An epic saga * Scotsman *A wonderfully evocative and compassionate novel - one that shows deftness, depth and maturity. Homegoing is a gift to its readers and a treasure to cherish -- Petina Gappah * Financial Times *The structure is fantastically strong, but it would have been nothing without Gyasi's ability to bring each character alive. At every turn she resists cliché and dogma ... she deftly weaves in just enough historical information without sacrificing its complexity ... Homegoing has something better than perfection, and that is a touch of magic... [Gyasi is] the right artist at the right time -- Alice O'Keefe * New Statesman *Gyasi's debut novel has a distinctive strength and courage ... a descendent of Alex Haley's Roots and Toni Morrison's Beloved, an extended response to Joyce Carol Oates's Last Hundred Years trilogy * Times Literary Supplement *A confident, vivid, engrossingtale [that] winds towards a moving conclusion * Radio Times *Gyasi's widescreen view of history powerfully drives home her view that we are all responsible for ourselves and for each other ... a highly compassionate feat of storytelling * Metro *Entwining history, politics and personal events, this is an ambitious novel that is, and will continue to be, highly culturally relevant * Big Issue *Astoundingly ambitious * New Books *Ambition and talent don't always go hand-in-hand; here they unquestionably do * Daily Mail *Tracing the descendants of two women across seven generations, this unflinching debut from Ghanaian-American author Yaa Gyasi examines the lingering effects of slavery from the 18th-century Gold Coast to the US at the turn of the 21st century * Financial Times *Ambitious, multi-generational saga of the effects of the slave trade * Guardian Books of the Year *

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Book SynopsisRobert Harris is the author of fifteen bestselling novels: the Cicero Trilogy - Imperium, Lustrum and Dictator - Fatherland, Enigma, Archangel, Pompeii, The Ghost, The Fear Index, An Officer and a Spy, which won four prizes including the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, Conclave, Munich, The Second Sleep, V2 and Act of Oblivion. His work has been translated into forty languages and nine of his books have been adapted for cinema and television. He lives in West Berkshire with his wife, Gill Hornby.Trade ReviewHarris's best so far, rapid and compelling in narrative, copious in detail, thoroughly researched but also, which is more important, thoroughly imagined... Irresistible * Sunday Telegraph *In Harris's hands, the great game becomes a beautiful one * The Times *Genres ancient and modern have rarely been so skilfully synthesised... Gripping and accomplished * The Guardian *A joy to read in every way, and as a mirror to the politics of our present age has no equal * The Independent *Harris deploys the devices of the thriller writer to trace the perils and triumphs of Cicero's ascent ... A finely accomplished recreation of the power struggles of more than two millenniums ago * The Observer *

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Book SynopsisBrideshead Revisited is Evelyn Waugh''s stunning novel of duty and desire set amongst the decadent, faded glory of the English aristocracy in the run-up to the Second World War.The most nostalgic and reflective of Evelyn Waugh''s novels, Brideshead Revisited looks back to the golden age before the Second World War. It tells the story of Charles Ryder''s infatuation with the Marchmains and the rapidly disappearing world of privilege they inhabit. Enchanted first by Sebastian Flyte at Oxford, then by his doomed Catholic family, in particular his remote sister, Julia, Charles comes finally to recognise his spiritual and social distance from them.Evelyn Waugh (1903-66) was born in Hampstead, second son of Arthur Waugh, publisher and literary critic, and brother of Alec Waugh, the popular novelist. In 1928 he published his first work, a life of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and his first novel, Decline and Fall, which was soon followed by Vile Bodies (1930), A Handful of Dust (1934) and Scoop (1938). In 1939 he was commissioned in the Royal Marines and later transferred to the Royal Horse Guards, serving in the Middle East and in Yugoslavia. In 1942 he published Put Out More Flags and then in 1945 Brideshead Revisited. Men at Arms (1952) was the first volume of ''The Sword of Honour'' trilogy, and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize; the other volumes, Officers and Gentlemen and Unconditional Surrender, followed in 1955 and 1961.If you enjoyed Brideshead Revisited, you might like Waugh''s Vile Bodies, also available in Penguin Classics.''Lush and evocative ... Expresses at once the profundity of change and the indomitable endurance of the human spirit''The Times

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Book SynopsisKarl Ove Knausgaard (Author) Karl Ove Knausgaard's My Struggle cycle has been heralded as a masterpiece all over the world. From A Death in the Family to The End, the novels move through childhood into adulthood and, together, form an enthralling portrait of human life. Knausgaard has been awarded the Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature, the Brage Prize and the Jerusalem Prize. His work, which also includes the Seasons Quartet and the Morning Star sequence (The Morning Star, The Wolves of Eternity, The Third Realm and The School of Night) is published in thirty-six languages.Martin Aitken (Translator) Martin Aitken has translated the works of many Scandinavian writers, among them Karl Ove Knausgaard, Helle Helle, Hanne Ørstavik and Olga Ravn. He lives in Denmark.

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Book SynopsisFrom the vineyards of New Zealand to the majestic landscape of Ireland, The Missing Sister is the penultimate instalment in the multimillion-selling epic Seven Sisters from Lucinda Riley. A breathtaking story of love and loss, inspired by the mythology of the famous star constellation.They’ll search the world to find her . . .The six D’Aplièse sisters have each been on their own incredible journey to discover their heritage, but they still have one question left unanswered: who and where is the seventh sister?They only have one clue – an image of a star-shaped emerald ring. The search to find the missing sister will take them across the globe; from New Zealand to Canada, England, France and Ireland, uniting them all in their mission to at last complete their family.In doing so, they will slowly unearth a story of love, strength and sacrifice that began almost one hundred years ago, as other brave young women risked everything to change the world around them . . .The Seven Sisters series is drawn to its epic, unforgettable conclusion in Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt. 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 ReviewA masterclass in beautiful writing -- Sun on The Sun SisterDelicious reading -- Daily Mail on The Pearl SisterA breathtaking adventure brimming with cruelty, tragedy, passion [and] obsession -- Lancashire Evening Post on The Moon SisterAnother epic tale of love, loss and discovery -- My Weekly on The Pearl SisterHeart-wrenching, uplifting and utterly enthralling. The Seven Sisters series is Lucinda Riley at the top of her game: a magical storyteller who creates characters we fall in love with and who stay with us long after we finish reading. Dazzlingly good -- Lucy Foley, bestselling author of The Hunting Party, on The Sun Sister

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation. That is why I have chosen my own particular profession, or rather created it, for I am the only one in the world'In London, 1888, the razor-sharp detective skills of Sherlock Holmes are to be put to the test. Mary Morstan reports two seemingly unconnected and inexplicable events: the disappearance of her father, a British Indian Army Captain, and the arrival of pearls by post from an unknown sender. Driven on by its complexity, Holmes and Watson slowly begin to unravel an intricate web of exotic treasure, secret pacts and mysterious deaths.One of only four novels featuring Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick Watson, The Sign of the Four' will delight those who have been captivated by Arthur Conan Doyle's short stories.Trade Review‘Of all the Holmes stories it is ‘The Sign of Four’ which remains persistently in my memory.’ Graham Greene

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Book SynopsisAn erotic masterpiece of twentieth century fiction - a tale of sensual obsession and bloodlust in eighteenth century Paris''An astonishing tour de force both in concept and execution'' GuardianIn eighteenth-century France there lived a man who was one of the most gifted and abominable personages in an era that knew no lack of gifted and abominable personages. His name was Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, and if his name has been forgotten today.It is certainly not because Grenouille fell short of those more famous blackguards when it came to arrogance, misanthropy, immorality, or, more succinctly, wickedness, but because his gifts and his sole ambition were restricted to a domain that leaves no traces in history: to the fleeting realm of scent . . .''A fantastic tale of murder and twisted eroticism controlled by a disgusted loathing of humanity . .. Clever, stylish, absorbing and well worth reading'' Literary Review''A meditation on the nature of death, desire and decay . . . A remarkable début'' Peter Ackroyd, The New York Times Book Review''Unlike anything else one has read. A phenomenon . . . [It] will remain unique in contemporary literature'' Figaro''An ingenious and totally absorbing fantasy'' Daily Telegraph''Witty, stylish and ferociously absorbing'' Observer

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Book Synopsis''A startling heroine'' SARAH MOSS, author of Summerwater ''A vividly female perspective on the Wars of the Roses'' IMOGEN HERMES GOWER, author of The Mermaid and Mr Hancock''Wolf Hall for the 2020s'' MANDA SCOTT, author of Boudica ''Absorbing'' TIMES __________________________________ 1431 is a dangerous time for a woman to be defiant. England has been fighting France for 100 years. At home, power-hungry men within a corrupt government manipulate a weak king - and name Cecily''s husband, York''s loyal duke, an enemy. As the king''s grasp on sanity weakens, plots to destroy York take root... It will take all of Cecily''s courage and cunning to save her family. But when the will to survive becomes ambition for a crown, will she risk treason to secure it? Inside closed bedchambers and upon bloody battlefields, CECILY portrays war as women fight it.TO COTrade ReviewA startling heroine -- Sarah MossIn vigorous, direct prose Garthwaite grippingly resurrects a remarkable woman * Sunday Times *Utterly compelling, this brilliant novel shines a light into a dark corner of our history and reclaims the voice and story of a powerful and forgotten woman. A phenomenal read. I loved it -- Liz Hyder, author of The GiftsHas the new Hilary Mantel arrived? * Sunday Telegraph *I look forward to hearing more from Annie Garthwaite and Cecily * Times *Cecily is a vivid and compelling portrait of a formidable figure from the 15th century and a heroine for our times * Big Issue *In Garthwaite's hands, Neville proves as Machiavellian, manipulative and era-defining as any man * Noon *Cecily stalks the corridors of power like a female Thomas Cromwell. A vividly female perspective on the Wars of the Roses - what a feat -- Imogen Hermes GowarAn extraordinary achievement . . . I could touch and breathe Cecily's world as if I was walking in her shadow -- Carol McGrathCECILY is the WOLF HALL for the 2020s... marks the start of a stellar career -- Manda ScottI loved it . . . Annie Garthwaite writes about the past with a kind of restrained, earthy vim, and with the sort of intimacy and immediacy - and empathy - that can only come from graft and craft -- Toby Clements

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Book Synopsis**The spellbinding new retelling of the story of Troy drawn from the perspective of the fearless women at the heart of it all.**''The story and its characters swept me up and engulfed me, I could not put this one down'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ REAL READER REVIEW''I was glued to it from beginning to end and could not wait to recommend to my friends afterwards.'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ REAL READER REVIEW''Jennifer Saint has breathed new life into this myth and put her own stamp on it'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ REAL READER REVIEW''A brilliant read'' Women & Home ''A spirited retelling'' Times ''Beautiful and absorbing'' Fabulous ''A vivid reimagining of Greek mythology'' Harper''s Bazaar ''Jennifer Saint has done an incredible job'' RedThe House of ATrade ReviewThis book is profoundly moving, full of beautiful touches which made the story feel fresh without losing any of the magic of its classical setting. I absolutely loved it. * Elodie Harper, author of THE WOLF DEN *This book is profoundly moving, full of beautiful touches which made the story feel fresh without losing any of the magic of its classical setting. I absolutely loved it. * Elodie Harper, author of THE WOLF DEN *Elektra tells the stories of three women as each battles to forge her own destiny. Jennifer Saint explores how suffering is passed down generations in this compelling novel, told in rich and evocative prose. A truly immersive read. * Elizabeth Lee, author of CUNNING WOMEN *Elektra tells the stories of three women as each battles to forge her own destiny. Jennifer Saint explores how suffering is passed down generations in this compelling novel, told in rich and evocative prose. A truly immersive read. * Elizabeth Lee, author of CUNNING WOMEN *Completely spellbinding. The story sweeps over you like a shimmering dream. Beautifully written, cinematic in its scope and highly compelling; I flew through its pages and missed it immensely when it was over. * B. P. Walter, author of THE DINNER GUEST *Completely spellbinding. The story sweeps over you like a shimmering dream. Beautifully written, cinematic in its scope and highly compelling; I flew through its pages and missed it immensely when it was over. * B. P. Walter, author of THE DINNER GUEST *Elektra makes the world of Mycenaean Greece feel alive again. In Jennifer Saint's prose you can hear the songs of the poets, feel the floors beneath your feet, smell the wood burning in the fire and experience the story of these three very different women as if you are there. A compelling retelling of ancient legacies, betrayal and the whims of the gods. * Claire North, author of Ithaca *Elektra makes the world of Mycenaean Greece feel alive again. In Jennifer Saint's prose you can hear the songs of the poets, feel the floors beneath your feet, smell the wood burning in the fire and experience the story of these three very different women as if you are there. A compelling retelling of ancient legacies, betrayal and the whims of the gods. * Claire North, author of Ithaca *The thing that is most gorgeous about this book is the writing. * Miranda Dickinson, author of THE START OF SOMETHING *The thing that is most gorgeous about this book is the writing. * Miranda Dickinson, author of THE START OF SOMETHING *

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Book SynopsisThe bestselling Reese Witherspoon Book Club PickSoon to be a major motion picture, The Nightingale has captured the hearts of millions of readers becoming a number one bestseller across the world. It is a heart-breakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the endurance of women.This story is about what it was like to be a woman during World War II when women’s stories were all too often forgotten or overlooked . . . Vianne and Isabelle Mauriac are two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals and passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path towards survival, love and freedom in war-torn France.It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.‘A rich, compelling novel of love, sacrifice and survival’ – Kate Morton‘Movingly written and plotted with the heartless skill of a Greek tragedy, you’ll keep turning the pages until the last racking sob’ – Daily Mail‘I loved The Nightingale . . . great characters, great plots, great emotions, who could ask for more in a novel?’ – Isabel Allende, bestselling author of The House of the Spirits‘A griping tale of family, love, grief and forgiveness’ – Sunday ExpressTrade ReviewUtterly Compelling, Powerful and unforgettable Kristin Hannah is an exquisite storyteller. The Nightingale is one of those rare must read books that will forever nestle in your heart. . . -- Christy LefteriI loved The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, a talented writer of American stories; great characters, great plots, great emotions, who could ask for more in a novel? -- Isabel Allende, bestselling author of The House of the SpiritsBeautifully written . . . packed with action and emotion -- Sara Gruen, bestselling author of Water for ElephantsThe real horrors of war, the deprivations, the risks are all there . . . This is a hauntingly tragic yet sympathetic novel * Cape Times *An unforgettable portrait of love and war * People *The bestselling author hits her stride in this page-turning tale about two sisters, one in the French countryside, the other in Paris, who show remarkable courage in the German occupation during WWII . . . The author ably depicts war’s horrors through the eyes of these two women, whose strength of character shines through no matter their differences * Publishers Weekly *A respectful and absorbing page-turner * Kirkus Reviews *The suspense builds slowly in this thought-provoking and absorbing novel * Choice *

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Book Synopsis*Available to pre-order now!*Set on the glittering shores of Lake Como comes the new novel of love, second chances, and making your own fate, from the Sunday Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani Recently divorced, Jess Capodimonte Baratta is helping her Uncle Louie with his marble business from her parents' basement in Lake Como, New Jersey. When an unexpected loss within the family unearths long-buried secrets that make Jess question where her loyalties lie, she decides a change of scene is needed, and escapes to Carrara, Italy - her ancestral home. From the shadows of the majestic marble-capped mountains of Tuscany to the glittering streets of Milan and the enchanting shores of Lake Como, Jess soon feels a sense of belonging in her new country. And when she meets dreamy Angelo Strazza, a passionate artist, it feels like she is finally where she is meant to be. But as further revelations about her family history come to light, it becomes clear that Italy cannot be her hiding p

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Book SynopsisThe gripping historical debut about a family separated by the Berlin wall - perfect for fans of All the Light We Cannot See, In Memoriam and Alone in BerlinSHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2024'A tautly plotted, deeply involving novel that packs a real emotional punch I can't recommend this novel highly enough' Laura Barnett, author of The Versions of Us'A hauntingly beautiful exploration of love, family and societal unrest all set against the backdrop of the Berlin Wall' Glamour_____Imagine waking up and a wall has divided your city in two. Imagine that on the other side is your child... Lisette is in hospital with her baby boy. The doctors tell her to go home and get some rest, that he'll be fine. When she awakes, everything has changed. Because overnight, on 13 August 1961, the border between East and West Berlin has closed, slicing the city - and the world - in two. Lisette is trapped in the east, while her newborn baby is unreachable in the west. With the streets in chaos and armed guards ordered to shoot anyone who tries to cross, her situation is desperate. Lisette's teenage daughter, Elly, has always struggled to understand the distance between herself and her mother. Both have lived for music, but while Elly hears notes surrounding every person she meets, for her mother - once a talented pianist - the music has gone silent. Perhaps Elly can do something to bridge the gap between them. What begins as the flicker of an idea turns into a daring plan to escape East Berlin, find her baby brother, and bring him home.... Based on true stories, The Silence in Between is a page-turning, emotional epic that will stay with you long after you finish reading. ______BOOKSELLER LOVE for THE SILENCE IN BETWEEN:Without a doubt one of the best books I have read this year I can't recommend this book enough'Abbey RowlinsonAbsolutely heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. A must-read'Dominika A sublime story, told beautifully'Kurde, HorshamA truly compelling and moving novel with two incredible female characters I won't forget in a hurry'Tilly Fitzgerald Kind, thoughtful and poignant an uplifting and hopeful story'LaurenA powerful and emotional book'Neil Challis, Windsor A thought provoking, ultimately kind and beautifully researched debut'Beth, Chesterfield I genuinely loved this it's definitely a stand out novel of 2024'Helen, Scarborough A cracking debut from this talented new author'Jen Mackay, Windsor This truly has the potential to be the next big story, so full of heart as it is!'Libby LowA powerful story of human resilience and family bonds'Emma Smith, Bedford A beautiful but heart-breaking read from a wonderful new voice in historical fiction'Victoria, Aviemore An excellent novel a sensitive retelling of two critical and terrible periods of Berlin history'Sean FarrellAn incredible book full of heartbreak, hope, unbreakable love I don't think this book will ever leave me. I will be recommending it to customers as a must read'Hayley Ralls, St Neots

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Book SynopsisElizabeth O'Connor lives in Birmingham. Her short stories have appeared in The White Review and Granta, and she was the winner of The White Review Short Story Prize in 2020. She has a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Birmingham, on the modernist writer H.D. and her writing of coastal landscapes. Whale Fall is her first novel.

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Book SynopsisAJ Pearce grew up in Hampshire, England. Her debut novel, Dear Mrs Bird, was a Sunday Times and international bestseller and was shortlisted for the British Book Awards Debut of the Year and the Historical Writers' Association Debut Crown for best historical debut. Dear Miss Lake is the fourth and final novel in The Wartime Chronicles.

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Book SynopsisThe lives of three very different women in sixteenth-century Scotland become intertwined as the first rumours of witchcraft grip the country. From Kate Foster, the prize-winning author of The Maiden.

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Book SynopsisPRE-ORDER ETAF RUM’S NEW NOVEL, EVIL EYE, NOW – COMING SEPTEMBER 2023. A New York Times bestseller • A Washington Post 10 Books to Read in March • One of Cosmopolitan’s Best Books by POC for 2019 • A Refinery 29 Best Book of the Month Trade Review Praise for A Woman is No Man ‘A celebration of “the strength and power of our women”’ Booklist ‘Sometimes heroism is loud and dramatic. Other times, it is daring to listen to that quiet voice within and having the courage to follow it . . . Etaf Rum has done a great service by sharing these voices with us’ Shilpi Somaya Gowda, New York Times bestselling author ‘A work of literary bravery’ Nadia Hashimi ‘A spectacular debut’ Hala Alyan ‘A gripping portrait of three generations of Palestinian women whose narratives are heartfelt and unsettling. Rum gives these women what they most desire and deserve: a voice’ Frances de Pontes Peebles ‘A tale as rich and varied as America itself’’ Washington Post ‘Garnering justified comparisons to Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns… Etaf Rum's debut novel is a must-read about women mustering up the bravery to follow their inner voice’ Refinery 29 ‘A richly detailed and emotionally charged debut’ Kirkus

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Book SynopsisThe thrilling and unputdownable new novel from bestselling author of The Clockwork Girl, Anna Mazzola!''Vividly alive with menace, magic, and mystery'' ESSIE FOX''A vivid and atmospheric historical adventure'' DAILY MAIL''A writer of great variety and inventiveness. A haunting, complex work'' THE TIMESRome, 1659.Some secrets are worth dying for...Girolama Spana lives west of the river Tiber in a house marked by a lily and a garden full of herbs. Many women in Rome seek her help - although they would never admit it - eager for her mysterious balms, her love potions, and her ability to predict their futures.Even against the splendour of the Eternal City, Giroloma''s secret recipes are the women''s most precious possessions - and their husbands'' most feared. So when men are reported dying in unnatural numbers, the gaze of Stefano Bracchi, p

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Book SynopsisElizabeth Jane Howard was the author of fifteen highly acclaimed novels, including the five volumes of The Cazalet Chronicles, as well as After Julius, Falling, Getting It Right, Love All, and Odd Girl Out. The Cazalet Chronicles The Light Years, Marking Time, Confusion, Casting Off and All Change have become established as modern classics and have been adapted for a major BBC television series and for BBC Radio 4. She had one child, Nicola, and married three times lastly to fellow author Sir Kingsley Amis. In 2000 she was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, and in 2002 Macmillan published her autobiography, Slipstream. She died, aged ninety, at home in Suffolk on 2 January 2014.

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Book SynopsisIt is a stunning story, compassionately reimagined' GuardianTracy Chevalier's stunning novel of how one woman's gift transcends class and gender to lead to some of the most important discoveries of the nineteenth century.A revealing portrait of the intricate and resilient nature of female friendship.In the early nineteenth century, a windswept beach along the English coast brims with fossils for those with the eyeFrom the moment she's struck by lightning as a baby, it is clear Mary Anning is marked for greatness. When she uncovers unknown dinosaur fossils in the cliffs near her home, she sets the scientific world alight, challenging ideas about the world's creation and stimulating debate over our origins. In an arena dominated by men, however, Mary is soon reduced to a serving role, facing prejudice from the academic community, vicious gossip from neighbours, and the heartbreak of forbidden love. Even nature is a threat, throwing bitter cold, storms, and landslips at her.Luckily Mary fTrade Review‘It is a stunning story, compassionately reimagined’ Guardian ‘Chevalier recently stated that making fossils sexy was one of her chief aims in writing Remarkable Creatures. With this very entertaining book, she has certainly succeeded’ Telegraph ‘Very entertaining and informative’ The Times ‘The backdrop of shifting evolutionary ideas finds a rueful echo in Chevalier’s tender portrayal of two extraordinary women who refuse to be constrained by society’ Sunday Telegraph ‘An enthralling novel of female friendship and fossil hunting’Woman & Home ‘An extraordinary tale about two 19th century women who attempt to alter ideas about creationism with their discoveries of dinosaur fossils’ Daily Mirror ‘Involving themes of friendship and the hidden world of women as much as the excitement of discovering the fossils’ significance, Remarkable Creatures is itself a find’ Metro ‘Chevalier shows her skill for working history’s lost individuals into far-reaching fiction’ Good Housekeeping

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Book SynopsisFrom the Number One bestselling author of The Four Winds and The Nightingale. Kristin Hannah's Winter Garden is a haunting and compelling novel illuminating the intricacy of mother-daughter bonds and the enduring links between past and present.‘A tearjerker . . . a journey as lovely and haunting as a snow filled winter’s night’ – PeopleMeredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her family and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and travelled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But these two estranged women come together at their father’s deathbed standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, to hear the one last promise he extracts from the women in his life.It begins with a story like no other. A captivating, mysterious love story that spans sixty-five years and moves from war torn Leningrad in the 1940s to modern-day Alaska. The three women are brought together by a story so unexpected and extraordinary that when Meredith and Nina finally learn the secret of their mother’s past and uncover a truth so terrible, it will shake the very foundation of the family and who they think they are.Trade ReviewIt’s a tear-jerker, but the journey is as lovely – and haunting – as a snow filled winter’s night * People *A gripping read * Booklist *Readers will find it hard not to laugh a little and cry a little more as mother and daughters reach out to each other just in the nick of time * Publishers Weekly *This tear-jerker weaves a convincing historical novel and contemporary family drama * Library Journal *Winter Garden is Kristin Hannah’s best written and most deeply affecting novel yet * The Huffington Post *A master storyteller -- Delia Owens, Author of Where the Crawdads SingCompelling. Moving. -- Karen Swan, Author of The Last Summer

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Book SynopsisHis best novel yet A Middlemarch-like triumph' TelegraphA pleasure bomb of a novel' VogueA true modern master' IndependentIt's 23 December 1971, and the Hildebrandts are at a crossroads. Fifteen-year-old Perry has resolved to be a better person and quit dealing drugs to seventh graders. His sister Becky, the once straight-laced high school social queen, has veered into counterculture, while at college, Clem is wrestling with a decision that might tear his family apart. As their parents Russ, a suburban pastor, and Marion, his restless wife tug against the bonds of a joyless marriage, Crossroads finds a family, and a nation, struggling to do the right thing.Funny, moving, crackling with life, it has what all great fiction should have' Financial TimesIntoxicating a luxuriant domestic drama' GuardianTHE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A GUARDIAN BEST FICTION BOOK OF 2021 AN INDEPENDENT BOOK OF THE YEAR A WHITE REVIEW BOOK OF THE YEAR A LIT HUB BOOK OF THE YEARTrade Review‘[Franzen’s] talents as a comic storyteller are such that his capacious tales are a treat to get lost in. This one is no exception … This is a novel whose momentum often derives from the altered states of its characters — obsession; intoxication; lust; religious fervour; mania — and the humour is usually of the painful variety as their lives uniformly crumble and they agonise over how — or indeed whether — to be good’ Daily Mail ‘[A] pleasure bomb of a novel … Few [writers] can take human contradiction and make it half as entertaining and intimate as Franzen does … A magnificent portrait of an American family on the brink’ Vogue ‘In Crossroads, Jonathan Franzen goes back to family-anatomising basics – and it's his best novel yet … The result is a Middlemarch-like triumph’ Telegraph ‘Franzen has laid the ground beautifully, and his first act is intoxicating – a luxuriant domestic drama that opens out into politics, running against the grain of the counterculture with its focus on the friction between conservatism and radicalism, Christianity and social activism’ Guardian ‘Crossroads is classic Franzen fodder: a slice of suburban life ripe not for satire but for the far deadlier scrutiny that comes from taking it seriously’ New Yorker ‘A mellow, marzipan-hued ’70s-era heartbreaker. Crossroads is warmer than anything [Franzen has] yet written, wider in its human sympathies, weightier of image and intellect’ New York Times Book Review ‘The compelling dialogue, the authenticity of place, time and character, the assured insights and the exquisite minutiae of description, all confirm that the reader is in the hands of a true modern master … a simply stunning novel’ iNews ‘A firecracker’ Irish Times ‘A mesmerising tale … he writes sentences that are as addictive as opioids’ Herald

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Book SynopsisWINNER of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for FictionLonglisted for the Booker PrizeOne of Barack Obama's Favourite Books of the YearThe Sunday Times BestsellerTrust is a sweeping puzzle of a novel about power, greed, love and a search for the truth that begins in 1920s New York.Can one person change the course of history?A Wall Street tycoon takes a young woman as his wife. Together, they rise to the top in an age of excess and speculation. Now a novelist is threatening to reveal the secrets behind their marriage. Who will have the final word in their story of greed, love and betrayal?Composed of four competing versions of this deceptive tale, Trust by Hernan Diaz brings us on a quest for truth while confronting the lies that often live buried in the human heart.**Soon to be an HBO Limited Series starring Kate Winslet**'One of the great puzzle-box novels . . . a page-turner' – The Telegraph'Genius' – The Observer'I've never read anything quite like this' – Natalie Portman'Metafiction at its best, unpredictable, clever and massively enjoyable' – The Sunday Times'Enthralling' – Daily MailTrade ReviewBrilliant . . . Destined to be known as one of the great puzzle-box novels, it’s the cleverest of conceits, wrapped up in a page-turner * Telegraph *Fascinating . . . Diaz could master any genre and Trust is metafiction at its best, unpredictable, clever and massively enjoyable * Sunday Times *Genius . . . You’re propelled forward by the twists and turns of the novel’s form, the conviction that Diaz has another trick up his sleeve * Observer *Diaz is a narrative genius whose work easily encompasses both a grand scope and the crisp and whiplike line. Trust builds its world and characters with subtle aplomb. What a radiant, profound and moving novel -- Lauren Groff, author of Fates and FuriesSharp and affecting . . . In this literary Rubik’s Cube, Diaz provides a viable, and hugely entertaining, argument that once a pen is put to paper an element of veracity is always lost. And when money is thrown into the mix, then the lies really multiply * Financial Times *A tricksy, tantalising delight . . . Enthralling — delicate, detailed and deliciously stealthy * Daily Mail *Intricate, cunning and consistently surprising . . . Diaz has the whole literary past at his fingertips . . . [an] exhilarating and intelligent novel * New York Times Book Review *A sublime, richly layered novel. A story within a story within a story. -- Roxane Gay, author of Bad FeministExquisite . . . A clever, literary kaleidoscope that constantly challenges the realities it puts forward, requiring you to step back, and look again * i *Destined to become one of the great novels of our time . . . A literary page-turner that offers compulsive reading with exquisite prose . . . Surprising, engrossing and beautifully executed * Irish Times *Engrossing . . . Diaz perfects different voices with remarkable agility * The Herald *Through perfectly formed sentences and the skilful unpicking of certainties, Trust creates a great portrait of New York across an entire century of change . . . A work possessed of real power and purpose . . . It’s a testament to Diaz’s cunning abilities as a writer that you end his book thinking that – if truth is your goal – you might be better off relying on a novelist than a banker * Guardian *Trust glints with wonder and knowledge and mystery. Its plotlines are as etched and surreal as Art Deco geometry, while inside that architecture are people who feel appallingly real. This novel is very classical and very original: Balzac would be proud, but so would Borges. -- Rachel Kushner, Man Booker-shortlisted author of The Mars RoomA rip-roaring, razor-sharp dissection of capitalism, class, greed, and the meaning of money itself that also manages to be a dazzling feat of storytelling on its own terms . . . Uniquely brilliant . . . exhilarating . . . a novel for the ages. * Vogue *Immaculate. TRUST is a work of assured virtuosity, lightly-worn wisdom, and immense impact. -- Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Sunday Times bestselling author of The MerciesThat rare jewel of a book - jaw-dropping storytelling against the backdrop of beautiful writing. Amidst all the noise in the world, whole days found me curled up on the couch, lost inside Diaz’s brilliance -- Jacqueline Woodson, author of Red at the BoneA virtuoso performance . . . A spellbinding tale that illuminates the impact of money on all of our lives . . . Trust is that rare thing: a beautifully crafted novel that dares to confront some of our deepest socioeconomic schisms * Oprah Daily *Like four exquisite dioramas, Diaz has set up all of these stories with great precision to present two fundamental questions: Why do we tell stories? And at what cost are those stories told? . . . A remarkably accessible treatise on the power of fiction. This unquestionably smart and sophisticated novel not only mirrors truth, but helps us to better understand the truth. * Boston Globe *For all its elegant complexity and brilliant construction, Diaz's novel is compulsively readable . . . A captivating tour de force that will astound readers with its formal invention and contemporary relevance. -- Booklist, starred reviewDiaz's Trust exposes the wild power that narrative holds . . . over the economy, historiography, hierarchies, over a person's life, truth, over the reader. A powerful, sinister tale in the form of a nesting doll, around which the modern economy fashions larger and larger macho casings -- Caoilinn Hughes, author of The Wild LaughterRich and prismatic . . . Excellent * Wall Street Journal *An elegant, irresistible puzzle * Washington Post *Riveting story of class, capitalism, and greed. The result is a mesmerizing metafictional alchemy of grand scope and even grander accomplishment * Esquire *Trust speaks to matters of the most urgent significance to the present day . . . Cleverly constructed and rich in surprises, this splendid novel offers serious ideas and serious pleasures on every beautifully composed page -- Sigrid Nunez, author of The FriendLike a tower of gifts waiting to be unwrapped, Trust offers a multitude of rewards to be discovered and enjoyed . . . compelling . . . engrossing . . . a beautifully composed masterpiece * BookPage *Trust proves that Diaz is a writer of singular talent. This book is a kaleidoscopic dazzler that works as both an engrossing literary mystery and a capitalistic takedown for the ages. Don't miss it. * Chicago Review of Books *Diaz cleverly weaves the disparate strands together while showing how our shifting perception of the story relates to wealth’s ability to “bend and align reality” to its own motives * New Yorker *Gripping . . . Trust is about the bigger lies we tell about capitalism and individual ability, about our society and ourselves, and about the price we are willing to pay to maintain such illusions * Vulture *In this glorious puzzle of a novel, perspectives keep shifting and the wealth of one early-twentieth-century family keeps changing its origin-story. What a joy this is to read, suspenseful at every turn, the work of a rare and impressive talent. -- Joan Silber, author of Secrets of HappinessThe audacity and scope of Hernan Diaz’s extraordinary novel - a prism, a mystery, a revelation - are brilliantly matched by the quality of his prose. -- Jean Strouse, author of Morgan: American FinancierThis masterpiece of a book-within-a-book explores how public perception and reality can get twisted * Good Housekeeping *Wondrous . . . a kaleidoscope of capitalism run amok in the early 20th century, which also manages to deliver a biography of its irascible antihero and the many lives he disfigures during his rise to the cream of the city’s crop. Grounded in history and formally ambitious, this succeeds on all fronts * Publishers Weekly *Diaz has organized his nesting-doll novel so ingeniously that the tricks merely thrum in the background as the intricate plot unfolds, following a tycoon couple forward to a novel about their “history,” then back and forth through diaries, recriminations and reversals. The result shouldn’t be missed. * LA Times *Engrossing . . . Diaz's ingenious new fiction, told in four overlapping parts, challenges conventional story lines of another favorite American theme: capitalism and the accumulation of vast wealth. * Star Tribune *A dazzling novel about wealth, capitalism and who exactly gets to tell the story. * The Bookseller *Ingenious, thrilling . . . the novel brilliantly weaves its multiple perspectives to create a symphony of emotional effects . . . A clever and affecting high-concept novel * Kirkus, starred review *A uniquely layered novel . . . Each page peels back another mystery, making for an utterly riveting read * Buzzfeed *A novel that unpeels like an onion, upending the story you first hear. The Pulitzer Prize-finalist explores wealth, power, the dynamics of American capitalism, and the nature of truth in an inventive way that stacks up to one engaging, beautiful whole * Daily Beast *Trust makes a surprisingly un-postmodern case for what the novel can do * The New Yorker *This is now part of my collection of books that I must read more than once. Hernan Diaz keeps the reader engaged by playfully architecting individual and collective narratives of power, love and the meaning of financial success. -- Dan Houston, Chairman, president and CEO, Principal Financial Group, Bloomberg, Top Business Leaders Pick the Year’s 58 Must-Reads

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Book SynopsisFrom the international bestselling author comes an unmissable new untelling of the life of one of the most captivating and misrepresented female figures in history. Cleopatra, Egyptian Princess, grows up the favoured daughter of the Pharoah, hiding amongst the scrolls in the great library of Alexandria with her beloved slave Charmain, longing for the chance one day to write her own story. Then when her father dies, willing that Cleopatra rule with her selfish brother Ptolemy, danger stirs. As the young Egyptian Queen sails the Nile to greet her people, he plots to destroy her and take the throne for himself. But while Ptolemy has the power of Egypt behind him, Cleopatra has her wits. And when the great Caesar arrives from Rome, she realises he could be the key to her salvation - though courting this powerful man could cost her everything. Can Cleopatra save her life, her throne and her beloved Egypt and finally write her own history?Told from the perspectives of both Cleopatra and Caesar's mistress Servilia, CLEOPATRA is a powerful, unmissable new retelling, drawing out the real woman behind the great legend. A captivating story of female power and vulnerability, of love and loss, fierce friendship and terrible betrayal: it's finally time to meet the real Cleopatra. Praise for Natasha Solomons'Irresistible. An excellent spin on a timeless classic' Jennifer Saint'Gripping, spellbinding and wonderfully immersive' Elodie Harper'A thought-provoking reimagining of the classic tragedy. This is a rich and atmospheric work that, despite its historical setting, feels intensely relatable thanks to Solomons' resilient heroine' Katherine J. Chen, author of Joan'A revelatory feminist retelling' Anya Bergman, international bestselling author of The Witches of Vardo'Brilliant and beguiling. A terrific novel - very clever and alluring' William Boyd'Vivid, turbulent and compelling' The Independent'A deliciously dark take on the iconic love story' Woman & Home'Immersive, original and thought-provoking, this is brilliantly done' Best Magazine

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisTHE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED DEBUT ADULT NOVEL BY LOUIS SACHAR, THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF CHILDREN''S FICTION AND AUTHOR OF CLASSIC NOVEL, HOLES. ****Is true love the greatest form of magic?Long ago, in a kingdom far away, the magician of tiger castle is on thin ice. Once the greatest in the land, Anatole''s spells have dried up. He can''t even turn sand into gold anymore. The only one who still believes in him is kind Princess Tullia, and he hopes - for the sake of their friendship - that he can soon redeem himself and stay within the king''s court. When the opportunity arises, Anatole is faced with an impossible decision. Princess Tullia is betrothed to the prince of a rich neighbouring kingdom, an alliance which will save bankrupt Esquaveta and all its citizens. But, Tullia has secretly fallen in love with a lowly apprentice scribe and refuses to wed the prince. The King tasks Anatole with the most difficult magic of all: an anti-love potion. Anatole can save everything and everyone if he can shatter the young lovers'' romance. But, with the fate of the kingdom hanging in the balance, can he achieve it? Can he even bring himself to try? After all, is true love not the purest form of magic?Told with the same wit and warmth that has made Louis Sachar''s books classics of children''s literature, The Magician of Tiger Castle is a colourful and enigmatic tale of adventure, love, loss and triumph. ''Wise and whimsical . . . I loved it'' Alix E. Harrow, bestselling author of Starling House''The kind of book that lodges itself in your heart!'' Sarah Beth Durst, bestselling author of The Spellshop

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