Second World War fiction

Book SynopsisThe bestselling Reese Witherspoon Book Club PickSoon to be a major motion picture, The Nightingale is a multi-million copy 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.Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale 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, author of The House of the Spirits‘A gripping tale of family, love, grief and forgiveness’ - Sunday ExpressTrade ReviewI 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 * The Cape Times *An unforgettable portrait of love and war. * People *The suspense builds slowly in this thought-provoking and absorbing novel. * Choice *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 *

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Book SynopsisWill her past ruin her future, or could this be the start of something new?When Olive receives a letter in the post from the father of her daughter American soldier, Joe she is shocked. Not only is he losing his sight and, after years of no contact, suddenly wanting to reconnect, but Olive has to decide whether or not to reveal that she has been lying all these years to the man she married who believes himself to be Joanna's father.Luckily for Olive, Theo is angling for a divorce so he can marry his mistress. But between her mother's judgement and buying her own home, Olive is facing hardships from every angle.When her old friend, Josh, comes back into her life, they rekindle a spark Olive thought was long-dormant. But can she trust the man who kept so many secrets from her in the past?A compelling and dramatic family saga, perfect for fans of Kitty Neale, Anna Jacobs and Dilly Court.

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Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR NETFLIX SERIESWINNER OF THE 2015 PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTIONNATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALISTNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR FICTIONA beautiful, stunningly ambitious novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War IIOpen your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.'For Marie-Laure, blind since the age of six, the world is full of mazes. The miniature of a Paris neighbourhood, made by her father to teach her the way home. The microscopic layers within the invaluable diamond that her father guards in the Museum of Natural History. The walled city by the sea, where father and daughter take refuge when the Nazis invade Paris. And a future which draws her ever closer to Werner, a German orphan, destined to labour in the mines until a broken radio fills his life with possibility and brings him to the notice of the Hitler Youth.In this magnificent, deeply moving novel, the stories ofMarie-Laure and Werner illuminate the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another.Trade Review'Far more than a conventional war story, It's a tightly focused epic … Doerr paints with a rich palette, using prose that resonates deeply and conveys the ephemera of daily existence along with high drama, sadness and hope … A bittersweet and moving novel that lingers in the mind' Daily Mail ‘An epic work about bravery and the power of attachment’ Rose Tremain, Observer, Books of the Year ‘An epic and a masterpiece’ Justin Cartwright, Observer ‘This novel will be a piece of luck for anyone with a long plane journey or beach holiday ahead. It is such a page-turner, entirely absorbing… magnificent’ Guardian ‘Doerr can bring a scene to life in a single paragraph … Delicate and moving … the novel takes hold and will not easily let go’ The Times ‘Boy meets girl in Anthony Doerr’s hauntingly beautiful new book, but the circumstances are as elegantly circuitous as they can be’ The New York Times ‘I’m not sure I will read a better novel this year … Enthrallingly told, beautifully written and so emotionally plangent that some passages bring tears’ Washington Post ‘This jewel of a story is put together like a vintage timepiece … Doerr’s writing and imagery are stunning. It’s been a while since a novel had me under its spell in this fashion.’ Abraham Verghese ‘A dazzling, epic work of fiction. Anthony Doerr writes beautifully about the mythic and the intimate, about snails on beaches and armies on the move, about fate and love and history and those breathless, unbearable moments when they all come crashing together.’ Jess Walter

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Book SynopsisIt's 1945, and the world is in the grip of war. Hideki and Ray are on opposite sides, each fighting to survive. Butthen the two of them collide in the middle of battle... Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee, returnswith this high-octane story of how hope and redemption can tie ustogether.

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Book Synopsis**AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIME**FROM THE NOBEL PRIZE WINNING, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF NEVER LET ME GOSHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZEWINNER OF THE COSTA BOOK OF THE YEAR1948: Japan is rebuilding her cities after the calamity of World War II, her people putting defeat behind them and looking to the future. The celebrated painter Masuji Ono fills his days attending to his garden, his two grown daughters and his grandson, and his evenings drinking with old associates in quiet lantern-lit bars. His should be a tranquil retirement. But as his memories continually return to the past - to a life and a career deeply touched by the rise of Japanese militarism - a dark shadow begins to grow over his serenity. An exquisite novel.' ObserverPitch-perfect. . . a tour de force of unreliable narration.' GuardianA work of spare elegance: refined, understated, economic.' Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisYoung Adult edition - including new foreword and Q+A by the author plus further additional materialThe incredible bestselling true story. For readers of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Diary of Anne Frank Heart-breaking - a tale of love and survival amidst the horrors of AuschwitzHuman - the real story behind one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust - the blue numbers tattooed on prisoners' armsInspirational - the very best of humanity in the very worst of circumstancesUnforgettable - a story untold for over seventy years is finally sharedLife-affirming - one man's determination to survive and live a full life with the woman he lovedFully verified - Lale Sokolov's background and story has been fact-checked against all available documentary evidenceThe StoryThe Tattooist of Auschwitz is based on the true story of Lale and Gita Sokolov, two Slovakian Jews who survived Auschwitz. When Lale, given the job of tattooing the prisoners, saw Gita waiting in line, it was love at first sight. In that moment he determined to keep them both alive. This is a story of hope and of courage.Trade ReviewExtraordinary - moving, confronting and uplifting . . . a story about the extremes of human behaviour: calculated brutality alongside impulsive and selfless acts of love. I recommend it unreservedly * Graeme Simsion, author of The Rosie Project *What an extraordinary and important book this is. A moving and ultimately uplifting story of love, loyalties and friendship amidst the horrors of war * Jill Mansell *a sincere...moving attempt to speak the unspeakable * The Sunday Times *

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Book Synopsis*Kazuo Ishiguro's new novel Klara and the Sun is now available*Kazuo Ishiguro's highly acclaimed debut, first published in 1982, tells the story of Etsuko, a Japanese woman now living alone in England, dwelling on the recent suicide of her daughter.Retreating into the past, she finds herself reliving one particular hot summer in Nagasaki, when she and her friends struggled to rebuild their lives after the war. But as she recalls her strange friendship with Sachiko a wealthy woman reduced to vagrancy the memories start to take on a disturbing cast.A macabre and faultlessly worked enigma.' Sunday TimesOne of the outstanding fictional debuts of recent years.' ObserverA delicate, ironic, elliptical novel Its characters are remarkably convincing but what one remembers is its balance, halfway between elegy and irony.' New York Times Book ReviewAn extraordinarily

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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 SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of When the Sky Falls: The Times Children's Book of the Year, winner of the Books Are My Bag Readers Award for Children’s Fiction, winner of the British Book Award for Children's Fiction Book of the Year and shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. Nominated for the Carnegie Medal for Writing September 1939. The world is on the brink of war. As his dad marches off to fight, Noah makes him a promise, to keep their beloved family dog safe. When the government advises people to have their pets put down in readiness for the chaos of war, hundreds of thousands of people do as they are told. But not Noah. He’s not that sort of boy. With his two friends in tow, he goes on the run, to save his dog and as many animals as he can. No matter what.Trade Review"A page-turning triumph to make you laugh and cry - it’s Phil Earle at his best" -- Jacqueline Wilson"A triumph... completely engaging" -- Nicolette Jones * The Sunday Times, Children's Book of the Week *"Earle serves up ladles of jeopardy while interrogating pet love, the causes of bullying and childhood friendship. Another triumph" * The Times, Children's Book of the Week *"Funny and heart-wrenching by turns... full of courage and determination" * Guardian *"Another gritty adventure full of heart, humour and historical accuracy from the superb Earle" * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisA gripping, edge-of-your-seat historical novel from the bestselling author of The Alice Network and The Huntress! *Winner of Historical Novel of the Year in NetGalley UK's Books of 2021**Editors' Pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Amazon US*A terrific book bursting with vivid atmosphere' Dinah Jefferies, #1 bestselling author of The Tea-Planter's Wife'WonderfulA hugely satisfying and thrilling read' Fern Britton, #1 bestselling author of Daughters of CornwallImmersive, thrilling and packed with wonderful charactersI absolutely loved every page of this incredible book' Jill Mansell, bestselling author of Maybe This Time1940, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire.Three very different women are recruited to the mysterious Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes.Vivacious debutante Osla has the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, working to translate decoded enemy secrets. Self-made Mab masters the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and the poverty of her East-End London upbringing. And shy local girl Beth is the outsider who trains as one of the Park's few female cryptanalysts.1947, London. Seven years after they first meet, on the eve of the royal wedding between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, disaster threatens. Osla, Mab and Beth are estranged, their friendship torn apart by secrets and betrayal. Yet now they must race against the clock to crack one final code together, before it's too late, for them and for their country.If you loved The Crown, don't miss this riveting historical novel!Trade ReviewPraise for The Rose Code: ‘Epic in every way, brilliantly researched, beautifully written, and completely unputdownable’ Jenny Ashcroft, author of Meet Me in Bombay ‘An intricate play of love, loss, betrayal and redemption, Kate Quinn’s novel is every bit as complex and fascinating as the codes being broken at Bletchley Park… Impossibly gripping from start to finish' Celia Rees, author of Miss Graham’s War ‘Quinn's meticulous research and impeccable characterization shine through this gripping and beautifully executed novel’ –Beatriz Williams, New York Times bestselling author of Her Last Flight ‘Quinn’s page-turning narrative is enhanced by her richly drawn characters … and by the fascinating code-breaking techniques, which come alive via her historical detail’ Publishers’ Weekly ‘The Rose Code is everything you love about an unputdownable novel and more… An unforgettable war story to be sure, but also a tale of friendship, fortitude, and forgiveness’Susan Meissner ‘Capturing the events and mores of the times, this character-driven fiction is engaging and absorbing’ CHOICE ‘Weaving real-life and fiction, Quinn's storytelling is compelling and masterful’ WOMAN ‘This comes highly recommended… fascinating storylines, history and intriguing characters… it truly is an epic read’ MY WEEKLY ‘A knockout of a story, written by the reigning queen of historical fiction. Quinn’s trio of heroines practically leap off the page in this stunning novel, which melds spy-hunting with love stories that will stir your soul’ Fiona Davis ‘A tour de force . . . vibrant characters and pulse-pounding suspense combine in a riveting tale destined to be a book-club favourite. I absolutely loved it’ Kristina McMorris ‘The Rose Code is a firecracker of a novel’ Elise Hooper

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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 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 SynopsisHe is a true artist’ New York Times Book ReviewBilly Pilgrim – hapless barber's assistant, successful optometrist, alien abductee, senile widower and soldier – has become unstuck in time.Trade ReviewMarvellous...the writing is pungent, the antics uproarious, the humour suitably black, the wit sharp as a hypodermic * Daily Telegraph *Mr Vonnegut knows a great deal about what is probably the largest massacre in modern history - the fire-bombing of Dresden in 1945. Slaughterhouse Five is a reaction to the event by one of our most gifted and incisive novelists. A work of keen literary artistry -- Joseph Heller, author of 'Catch-22'The individuality of Vonnegut's style is a curious yet perfect match for the pain of the emotional content. A humane, human book that always remains a work of art rather than biography, no matter how apparent the author's presence -- Kate AtkinsonUnique...one of the writers who map our landscapes for us, who give names to the places we know best -- Doris LessingFunny, satirical, compelling, outrageous, fanciful, mordant, fecund and at the bottom-line, simply stoned-out-of-its-mind * Los Angeles Times *

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE 2022SHORTLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2022From one of our greatest living writers comes a sweeping novel of unrequited love and exile, war and family.The Magician tells the story of Thomas Mann, whose life was filled with great acclaim and contradiction. He would find himself on the wrong side of history in the First World War, cheerleading the German army, but have a clear vision of the future in the second, anticipating the horrors of Nazism.He would have six children and keep his homosexuality hidden; he was a man forever connected to his family and yet bore witness to the ravages of suicide. He would write some of the greatest works of European literature, and win the Nobel Prize, but would never return to the country that inspired his creativity.Through one life, Colm Tóibín tells the breathtaking story of the twentieth century.___________________________________''As with everything Colm Tóibín sets his masterful hand to, The Magician is a great imaginative achievement -- immensely readable, erudite, worldly and knowing, and fully realized'' - Richard Ford''No living novelist dramatizes artistic creation as profoundly, as luminously, as Colm Tóibín . . . reading him is among the deepest pleasures our literature can offer'' - Garth Greenwell''This is not just a whole life in a novel, it''s a whole world'' - Katharina VolckmerTrade ReviewThis is an enormously ambitious book, one in which the intimate and the momentous are exquisitely balanced. It is the story of a man who spent almost all of his adult life behind a desk or going for sedate little post-prandial walks with his wife. From this sedentary existence Tóibín has fashioned an epic * Guardian *I love everything Colm Tóibín has written and The Magician is another masterpiece . . . Historical fiction at its best -- Nicola Sturgeon * New Statesman, Books of the Year *Sumptuous and satisfying * The Times, A Best Fiction Book of 2021 *The Magician, recreates as biographical fiction the life, thoughts and achievements of Thomas Mann. It is dark, beautifully constructed and, I think, as near as one author can get to entering the mind of another -- Melvyn Bragg * New Statesman, Books of the Year *The Magician uses the life of Thomas Mann to explore the complex relationships between intimacy and history, public and private lives, and the slippery nature of creativity itself. I found it mesmerising -- Fintan O’Toole * New Statesman, Books of the Year *Taking on Thomas Mann is no easy task, but Tóibín's fictional account of the inner life of the great German novelist is masterful -- Frederick Studemann * FT, Best Books of 2021: Critics’ Picks *The Magician is not a biography but a work of art, an emotional reckoning with a century of change, centred on a man who tried to stand upright but was swayed by the winds of that change * The Times *In a novel of many moods, its every page rings true * Mail on Sunday *An expansive yet deeply personal exploration of the life of exiled German writer Thomas Mann . . . Containing beautiful observations on life and literature, and a sweeping sense of historical scale, The Magician remains tightly written and wryly funny * Independent *Both epic and intimate, The Magician is most successful in its moving portrait of three generations of sprawling, loving, fractious family life . . . a triumph * Financial Times *A triumph * Daily Telegraph *A sweeping overview of Thomas Mann's life -- Justine Jordan * Guardian, Best Fiction of 2021 *The Irish novelist famed for Brooklyn imagines the world of the German Nobel-winning writer Thomas Mann and his secret desire for handsome young men, in what the Times reviewer John Self says is his best novel yet * The Times, Best Books of 2021 *As with everything Colm Tóibín sets his masterful hand to, The Magician is a great imaginative achievement -- immensely readable, erudite, worldly and knowing, and fully realized -- Richard FordColm Tóibín has already written several truly extraordinary novels. The Magician may be the very best of them * Sunday Independent *The Magician is a remarkable achievement. Mann himself, one feels certain, would approve -- John BanvilleThis graceful novel is a moving and intimate portrait by one master of another . . . It is a stunning tribute to the great man, and a vital story for now -- Anna FunderA masterpiece, vast and luminous . . . witty and profound and truthful -- Tessa HadleyExtensively researched and lyrically wrought . . . a complex but empathetic portrayal of a writer in a lifelong battle against his innermost desires, his family and the tumultuous times they endure * Time, Best Books of Fall 2021 *No living novelist dramatizes artistic creation as profoundly, as luminously, as Colm Tóibín, or conveys so well the entanglement of imagination and desire . . . Reading him is among the deepest pleasures our literature can offer -- Garth Greenwell, author of Cleanness and What Belongs to YouThis is not just a whole life in a novel, it's a whole world - with all its wonders, tragedies and sacrifices. I loved every page of this beautiful and immersive journey into The Magician's mind -- Katharina Volckmer, author of The AppointmentToibin's symphonic and moving novel humanizes [Mann] . . . Maximalist in scope but intimate in feeling * New York Times *Mr. Tóibín wields a dramatically stripped-down prose style . . . epiphanies, when they come, are all the more powerful after so much restraint . . . What Mr. Tóibín's exquisitely sensitive novel gets right, in a way that biography rarely does, is its acknowledgement of unknowability * Wall Street Journal *A haunting and heartrendingly intimate portrait of its protagonist, the German writer Thomas Mann, and a richly drawn sense of place . . . [a] vast and stunningly realized world . . . you'll find yourself savouring every page * Vogue, a Most Anticipated Book of Fall *An incisive and witty novel that shows what good company the Nobelist and his family might have been * Washington Post *It's a work of huge imaginative sympathy . . . quite thrilling . . . it takes a writer of Tóibín's calibre to understand how the seemingly inconsequential details of life can be transmogrified, turned into art * New York Times Book Review *The hallmarks of Tóibín's diaphanous prose - stillness, precision, intimacy- remain intact despite the wideranging, voluminous material of Mann's biography . . . in a quietly epic tale, Tóibín expertly captures the layers of a richly multiple self and surely reasserts his own status as one of our greatest living novelists * i *Wonderful . . . a very accomplished and enjoyable novel * Scotsman *Simultaneously intimate and transnational . . . this is deeply engaging, serious and beautiful writing that carries its echoing questions with grace * Irish Times *Compelling . . . Superb characterisation and sharp insights throughout make this an immensely enjoyable novel * Daily Mirror *Intelligent and enthralling * Scotsman *The Magician, Colm Tóibín's new novel about Mann, resists the shallow gestures of Hollywood biopics, reaching for something mainstream film couldn't get at, or wouldn't bother with. How does an artist create, and can a true artist live as the rest of us do? -- Rumaan Alam * Vulture *This meticulously woven novel re-creates the life of Thomas Mann . . . An ode to a 20th-century genius and a feat of literary sorcery in its own right * Oprah Magazine *The personal and public history is compelling . . . an intriguing view of a writer who well deserves another turn on the literary stage * Kirkus Reviews, starred review *[The Magician] vibrates with the strength of Mann's visions and the sublimity of Tóibín's mellifluous prose. Tóibín has surpassed himself * Publishers Weekly, starred review *This vibrates with the strength of Mann's visions and the sublimity of Tóibín's mellifluous prose. Tóibín has surpassed himself * Publishing News *Compelling . . . Tóibín succeeds in conveying his fascination with the Magician, as his children called him, who could make sexual secrets vanish beneath a rich surface life of family and uncommon art . . . intriguing * Kirkus Reviews, starred review *Employing luxurious prose that quietly evokes the tortured soul behind these literary masterpieces, Tóibín has an unequalled gift for mapping the interior of genius * Booklist, starred review *Literary lovers will want to sink into this absorbing reimagining of the life of the Nobel Prize-winning German writer Thomas Mann . . . Mann family members have their own struggles - with each other and a world where they rarely feel at home - all vividly brought to life * AARP *You don't have to be a Thomas Mann fan to be gripped by the account of his life that author Colm Tóibín delivers in his new novel . . . [Tóibín's] his biggest triumph is in getting to the heart of Mann's dilemma * Seattle Times *A celebration of what novels can do * Observer on ‘House of Names’ *Devastatingly human . . . savage, sordid and hauntingly believable * Guardian on 'House of Names' *Tremendous, richly beautiful, wonderful . . . it does everything we ought to ask of a great novel * Tessa Hadley, Guardian, on ‘Nora Webster’ *Subtle and enthralling * Sunday Times, on ‘Nora Webster’ *

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Book Synopsis_______________ THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER _______________ 'A powerful love story spanning generations… Full of ambition and humanity' - Sunday Times 'One of the strongest and most affecting works in Allende's long career' - New York Times Book Review _______________ On September 3, 1939, the day of the Spanish exiles’ splendid arrival in Chile, the Second World War broke out in Europe. Victor Dalmau is a young doctor when he is caught up in the Spanish Civil War, a tragedy that leaves his life – and the fate of his country – forever changed. Together with his sister-in-law, the pianist Roser, he is forced out of his beloved Barcelona and into exile. When opportunity to seek refuge arises, they board a ship chartered by the poet Pablo Neruda to Chile, the promised ‘long petal of sea and wine and snow’. There, they find themselves enmeshed in a rich web of characters who come together in love and tragedy over the course of four generations, destined to witness the battle between freedom and repression as it plays out across the world. A masterful work of historical fiction that soars from the Spanish Civil War to the rise and fall of Pinochet, A Long Petal of the Sea is Isabel Allende at the height of her powers. _______________ 'A masterful work of historical fiction about hope, exile and belonging' - Independent Online 'A defiantly warm and funny novel, by somebody who has earned the right to argue that love and optimism can survive whatever history might throw at us' - Daily Telegraph 'A grand storyteller who writes with surpassing compassion and insight. Her place as an icon of world literature was secured long ago' - Khaled Hosseini 'A novel not just for those of us who have been Allende fans for decades, but also for those who are brand new to her work: what a joy it must be to come upon Allende for the first time' - Colum McCann 'Allende's style is impressively Olympian and the payoff is remarkable' - Guardian ‘Epic in scope, yet intimate in execution’ - iTrade ReviewAllende has everything it takes: the ear, the eye, the mind, the heart, the all-encompassing humanity * New York Times *Isabel Allende is a grand storyteller who writes with surpassing compassion and insight. Her place as an icon of world literature was secured long ago. She will be celebrated, by readers and writers alike, for generations to come -- Khaled HosseiniA historical saga that sweeps from the Spanish Civil War to the rise and fall of General Pinochet -- Highlights for 2020 * Daily Telegraph *Although this is fiction, Allende’s epic is deeply rooted in fact, and often reads like a biography – of her homeland not least . . . [The characters] are brought alive by Allende’s generous imagination and brisk, vivid prose * Daily Mail *A decades-spanning tale of war, exile and belonging . . . Grounding the novel is the love story between Victor and Roser, all the more touching for being unconventional . . . The book is all-encompassing, both in its sweep through history and the sheer number of lives crammed into it . . . The writing is unadorned but affecting, shot through with sad details * Sunday Telegraph *Her latest novel, A Long Petal of the Sea, is built on a recurring theme in Allende’s work: the displacement of people . . . It is difficult not to see this novel as a reminder of the endless recurrence of history, or half a million Franco refugees fleeing Spain with many interned in harsh camps in France – of people fleeing from countries in which refuge is now sought * Irish Times *Allende marries the fictional and the historical in lush, sprawling epics. A Long Petal of the Sea takes its place in the unparalleled canon she has created, exploring the sacrifices we make for the sake of those we love, and the love we sacrifice for the sake of our families -- Jodi PicoultAllende's stories are delicate, their images akin to poetry -- Barbara KingsolverIf Allende's life depended on her narrative gifts, she'd not only survive, but reign * Los Angeles Times *In this stunning historical novel, Allende traces one couple’s escape from the Spanish Civil War to Chile . . . A powerful story about love and belonging – and how displacement doesn’t have to mean defeat * People *Allende transcends the ordinary * Tatler *A gripping novel for our times, this confirms – again – that Allende is a consummate storyteller . . . Historical fact is exquisitely interwoven with personal stories as families are displaced by war, torn apart and reunited. A stunning portrayal of love, courage and hope -- Book of the Month * Woman & Home *Both an intimate look at the relationship between one man and one woman and an epic story of love, war, family and the search for home, this gorgeous novel, like all the best novels, transports the reader to another time and place, and also sheds light on the way we live now. Isabel Allende is a legend and this might be her finest book yet -- J. Courtney Sullivan, author of 'Saints for All Occasions'Allende has everything it takes: the ear, the eye, the mind, the heart, the all-encompassing humanity * New York Times *Like many of Allende’s books, it features strong women, displaced people and a powerful love story spanning generations . . . Allende identifies closely with the experience of upheaval that her characters endure . . . The theme of belonging runs deeper than just a sense of nationality. It is also a sense of belonging to a family, a spouse, a group of friends * Sunday Times *This is a novel not just for those of us who have been Allende fans for decades, but also for those who are brand new to her work: what a joy it must be to come upon Allende for the first time. She knows that all stories are love stories, and the greatest love stories are told by time -- Colum McCann

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Book SynopsisAnd with Rodney being elusive, she's determined to do all she can to help her youngest son Bert get back on his feet following the terrible injuries he sustained in the bombing. Plagued by guilt and nightmares, the last thing Bert wants is to return to the café - being there only makes his guilt over Gladys's death worse.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisThe phenominal million-copy bestselling novel by Martha Hall Kelly.'Harrowing ... Lilac illuminates.' People'A compelling, page-turning narrative ... It's smart, thoughtful and also just an old-fashioned good read.' Fort Worth Star, Telegram'A powerful story for readers everywhere ... A novel that brings to life what these women and many others suffered ... I was moved to tears.' San Francisco Book Review__________or three women living through World War II, the threat of war poses very separate issues - that is, until their lives become intertwined in the most tragic of circumstances.New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline's world is forever changed when Hitler's army invades Poland in September 1939-and then sets its sights on France.An ocean away from Caroline, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, senses her carefree youth disappearing as she is drawn deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspecting neighbors, one false move can have dire consequences.For the ambitious young German doctor, Herta Oberheuser, an ad for a government medical position seems her ticket out of a desolate life. Once hired, though, she finds herself trapped in a male-dominated realm of Nazi secrets and power.The lives of these three women are set on a collision course when the unthinkable happens and Kasia is sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious Nazi concentration camp for women. Their stories cross continents-from New York to Paris, Germany, and Poland-as Caroline and Kasia strive to bring justice to those whom history has forgotten.__________'[A] compelling first novel . . . This is a page-turner demonstrating the tests and triumphs civilians faced during war, complemented by Kelly's vivid depiction of history and excellent characters.' Publishers Weekly'Kelly vividly re-creates the world of Ravensbrück.' Kirkus Reviews'Martha Hall Kelly has woven together the stories of three women during World War II that reveal the bravery, cowardice, and cruelty of those days.' Lisa See'Lilac Girls is the best book I've read all year. It will haunt you.' Jamie Ford'I can't remember the last time I read a novel that moved me so deeply.' Beatriz Williams

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Book Synopsis'An absorbing and engaging tale of wartime bravery and endurance. Bill and Izabela are such tenderly drawn characters ... I loved it!' RACHEL HORE, author of Last Letter Home and The Memory Garden_______________________________Their love is a death sentence. But can it keep them alive?Czechoslovakia, 1944. In the dead of night, a farm girl and a British soldier creep through abandoned villages. Secretly married and on the run, Bill and Izabela are searching for Izabela's brother and father, who are fighting for the Czech resistance. They know their luck will not last. Captured by the German army, it seems they must be separated - but they have prepared for this moment. By cutting her hair and pretending to be mute, Izabela successfully disguises herself as a British soldier. Together, they face the terrible conditions of a POW camp, reliant on the help of their fellow POWs to maintain their fragile deception. Their situation is beyond dangerous. If Izabela is discovered, she and B

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Book SynopsisPRE-ORDER PRECIPICE, THE THRILLING NEW NOVEL FROM ROBERT HARRIS, NOW - PUBLISHING AUGUST 2024'Immersive' Guardian'Stunning' Daily Express'Riveting' TelegraphVictory is close. Vengeance is closer. Rudi Graf used to dream of sending a rocket to the moon. Instead, he has helped to create the world's most sophisticated weapon: the V2 ballistic missile, capable of delivering a one-ton warhead at three times the speed of sound.In a desperate gamble to avoid defeat in the winter of 1944, Hitler orders ten thousand to be built. Graf is tasked with firing these lethal 'vengeance weapons' at London.Kay Caton-Walsh is an officer in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force who joins a unit of WAAFs on a mission to newly liberated Belgium. Armed with little more than a slide rule and a few equations, Kay and her colleagues will attempt to locate and destroy the launch sites.As the death toll soars, Graf and Kay fight their grim, invisible war - until one final explosion of violence causes their destinies to collide...'A riveting read with a corker of a twist' Daily Telegraph'Supremely readable' Observer'Delivers one hell of a punch' Express'Captures the real nature of war. Gripping' Ben MacIntyreAct of Oblivion, Sunday Times bestseller, June 2023Trade ReviewA riveting read . . . with a corker of a twist. * Telegraph *[I]mmersive and engaging. * Guardian *V2 is a stunning achievement; a gripping page-turner that remains highly thought-provoking. * Daily Express *An immersive thriller set against a tense historical backdrop . . . For all its pace - you will zip through it in no time - the rewards are in the meta-story. But Harris's deceptively effortless prose means you barely notice. The effect is one of total immersion: you can feel the cold, taste the bacon sandwiches and imagine the trolleys squeaking across the floor. * Financial Times *I want to be the first to say it: Robert Harris scores a direct hit with V2. I was enthralled.

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Book SynopsisThe Bomber Girls will need each other more than ever as storms lie ahead...Jenny Hazleton joined the WAAF because she saw it as an opportunity to learn a trade, and is now a proud Met Wren, able to forecast the weather as well as any officer. Through her skills, she befriended Flying Officer Edwin Holland, C-Charlie's navigator, until he began to push her away.With the war now over, RAF Fenthorpe becomes involved in Operation Manna food drops for the starving civilians in the Netherlands and Operation Exodus the repatriation of prisoners of war. Despite working together, Jenny and Edwin's relationship hasn't recovered from his rejection of her.But when they begin the dangerous task of exposing a local businessman who is profiteering from the aid sent to Europe, they will need to relearn to rely on each other. Can they rebuild their friendship and can they ever be more than just friends?The dramatic and inspiring finale to the series, perfect for fans of Kate Thompson, Daisy Styles and Soraya M. Lane.

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Book Synopsis''There they stood, bumbling into lines with a bit of difficulty: Mother Finland''s chosen sacrifice to world history''Unknown Soldiers follows the fates of a ramshackle troupe of machine-gunners in the Second World War, as they argue, joke, swear, cadge a loaf of bread or a cigarette, combat both boredom and horror in the swamps and pine forests - and discover that war will make or break them. One of Finland''s best-loved books, this gritty and unromantic depiction of battle honours the dogged determination of a country and the bonds of brotherhood forged between men at war, as they fight for their lives.''A rediscovered classic... profound and enriching ... Unknown Soldiers still has the power to shock'' HeraldTrade ReviewOne of the best war novels ever written * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisAs featured on BBC Radio 4 Good Reads 'The work of a novelist in her prime' Daily Telegraph'Wise and witty' Sarah Hughes, Observer'Essential . . . Evans is a brilliant storyteller' Stylist'A timely, bittersweet comic novel' Guardian'A thoughtful, funny, companionable novel' Sunday Times_______________________________What do you do next, after you've changed the world?It is 1928. Matilda Simpkin, rooting through a cupboard, comes across a small wooden club - an old possession of hers, unseen for more than a decade.Mattie is a woman with a thrilling past and a chafingly uneventful present. During the Women's Suffrage Campaign she was a militant. Jailed five times, she marched, sang, gave speeches, smashed windows and heckled Winston Churchill, and nothing - nothing - since then has had the same depth, the same excitement.Now in middle age, she is still looking for a fresh mould into which to pour her energies. Giving the wooden club a thoughtful twirl, she is struck by an idea - but what starts as a brilliantly idealistic plan is derailed by a connection with Mattie's militant past, one which begins to threaten every principle that she stands for.Old Baggage is a funny and bittersweet portrait of a woman who has never, never given up the fight.Trade ReviewWise and witty -- Sarah Hughes * Observer *I loved Old Baggage. Such original characters, and so timely. And it made me weep at the end. -- JoJo MoyesUtterly wonderful and intelligent -- India Knight * Sunday Times Magazine *A timely, bittersweet comic novel * Guardian *Old Baggage gives an inspiring model of womanhood. Moving, warm and wry. It is wonderful! -- Marian Keyes

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Book Synopsis''He captures better than anyone the collision of public and private, the intrusion of history into the skin, the pores of every individual alive'' Guardian''Though on the morning after the election disbelief prevailed, especially among the pollsters, by the next everybody seemed to understand everything...''When celebrity aviator, Charles A. Lindbergh, wins the 1940 presidential election on the slogan of ''America First'', fear invades every Jewish household. Not only has Lindbergh blamed the Jews for pushing America towards war with Germany, he has negotiated an ''understanding'' with the Nazis promising peace between the two nations.Growing up in the ''ghetto'' of Newark, Philip Roth recounts his childhood caught in the stranglehold of this counterfactual nightmare. As America sinks into its own dark metamorphosis and Jewish families are torn apart, fear and uncertainty spread.Who really is President Lindbergh?AnTrade ReviewIt’s one of the great political novels for its depiction of how alterations in power affect ordinary men and women, and how obedience brings disaster. -- Linda Grant * New Statesman *In his 2004 novel, The Plot Against America, Roth precisely described the sinister and chilling nightmare in which the United States now finds itself… America has not read enough of Philip Roth -- Bernard-Henri Lévy * New Statesman *A dark, humane masterpiece, Roth is at the peak of his powers * The Times *Another frighteningly intense performance * Sunday Telegraph *The word genius doesn't seem excessive... The Plot Against America creates its reality magisterially, in long, fluid sentences that carry you beyond scepticism * Guardian *Untouchable...he is bequeathing us a body of work that adds up to the most accomplished dissection of American political, social and personal mores * Observer *Magnificent. Roth is writing the best books of his life. He captures better than anyone the collision of public and private, the intrusion of history into the skin, the pores of every individual alive * Guardian *Subtle, persuasive and unsettling. A brilliantly troubling and heartening novel * Sunday Times *Many passages in The Plot Against America echo feelings voiced today by vulnerable Americans – immigrants and minorities as alarmed by Trump’s election as the Jews of Newark are frightened by Lindbergh’s * New Yorker *Dazzling. The most exciting novelist writing today * Independent on Sunday *The novel is full of his usual furious cackling; tragedy tipping into comedy and comedy into tragedy within the space of a few sentences. The prose is beautiful * Mail on Sunday *A sensation * Sunday Times *A polemical classic * Esquire *Brilliant * Metro *One of the best writers of dialogue in the history of inverted commas * The Times *A reverberating celebration of family, community and humanity * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisInspired by his experiences as a reporter during the Spanish Civil War, Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls tells the story of Robert Jordan, an American volunteer in the International Brigades fighting to defend the Spanish Republic against Franco. After being ordered to work with guerrilla fighters to destroy a bridge, Jordan finds himself falling in love with a young Spanish woman and clashing with the guerrilla leader over the risks of their mission.One of the great novels of the twentieth century, For Whom the Bell Tolls was first published in 1940. It powerfully explores the brutality of war, the loss of innocence and the value of human life.This stunning edition features an afterword by Ned Halley.Designed to appeal to the book lover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZEPenang, 1939. Sixteen-year-old Philip Hutton is a loner. Half English, half Chinese and feeling neither, he discovers a sense of belonging in an unexpected friendship with Hayato Endo, a Japanese diplomat. Philip shows his new friend around his adored island of Penang, and in return Endo trains him in the art and discipline of aikido. But such friendship comes at a terrible price.Tan Twan Eng's masterful debut novel is a haunting and unforgettable story of betrayal, barbaric cruelty, steadfast courage and enduring love.Trade ReviewEngaging . . . rich . . . thoughtful, evocative, undoubtedly provocative * * Guardian * *A powerful first novel about a tumultuous and almost forgotten period of history * * Times Literary Supplement * *A remarkable book -- IAN McMILLANGripping . . . compelling * * New Yorker * *Glorious . . . as robustly absorbing as it is achingly poignant * * USA Today * *Eng's graceful prose evokes a time and place that is little known or remembered now, making it both exotic and familiar, and his beautiful narrative is woven with strong images and characters . . . The Gift of Rain is a gift to read * * San Francisco Chronicle * *A true saga . . . The Gift of Rain overflows with mesmerising beauty and wonder . . . an eloquent tale about friendship transforms into a frightful chronicle of betrayal and survival * * Minneapolis Star Tribune * *Haunting and highly evocative . . . a deeply moving tale * * Cape Times * *Beautifully written and deeply moving, Tan Twan Eng's debut novel is one of the best books I've ever read . . . Anyone who thinks the novel is in decline should read this one * * Philadelphia Inquirer * *The Gift of Rain sends the reader back into the world of Somerset Maugham - the waning British Empire, the simmering discord between classes and races, the thick tropical surroundings that are both beautiful and suffocating - but at a different angle. Maugham casts a cynical eye on human nature and its frailties; Tan Twan Eng looks upon them with compassion, like a creator might view the imperfections of his handiwork * * Cleaveland Plain Dealer * *

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Book Synopsis From the bestselling author of THE SECRET OF NIGHTINGALE WOOD comes an exciting WW2 mystery entwined with magic and myth, shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. 'A beautiful story.' KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE, author of The Girl of Ink & Stars '[A] mesmerising second novel' THE TELEGRAPH 'A poignant and uplifting tale packed with adventure, atmosphere and intriguing characters.' MAIL ON SUNDAY England is at war. Growing up in a lighthouse, Pet's world has been one of storms, secret tunnels and stories about sea monsters. But now the clifftops are a terrifying battleground, and her family is torn apart. This is the story of a girl who is small, afraid and unnoticed. A girl who freezes with fear at the enemy planes ripping through the skies overhead. A girl who is somehow destined to become part of the strange, ancient legend of the Daughters of Stone ... The highly-anticipated second novel by Lucy Strange, author of the bestselling The Secret of Nightingale Wood and The Ghost of Gosswater. A haunting wartime tale about a girl who lives in a lighthouse, woven through with an unforgettable legend. Winner of the Historical Association Young Quills Award 2021 and shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2020.

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Book SynopsisIf you enjoyed The Tattooist of Auschwitz, read The Huntress by Kate Quinn' The Washington PostFascinating, brilliantly written, enthralling just phenomenal' Jill Mansell*From the bestselling author ofThe Alice Network*On the icy edge of Soviet Russia, bold and reckless Nina Markova joins the infamous Night Witches an all-female bomber regiment. But when she is downed behind enemy lines, Nina must use all her wits to survive her encounter with a lethal Nazi murderess known as the Huntress.British war correspondent Ian Graham abandons journalism to become a Nazi hunter, yet one target eludes him: the Huntress. And Nina Markova is the only witness to escape her alive.In post-war Boston, seventeen-year-old Jordan McBride is increasingly disquieted by the soft-spoken German widow who becomes her new stepmother. Delving into her past, Jordan slowly realizes that a Nazi killer may be hiding in plain sight.Shining a light on a shadowy corner of history, The Huntress is an epic, sweeping SecTrade Review ‘If you enjoyed The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris, read The Huntress by Kate Quinn’ Kristin Hannah, Washington Post ‘Richly evocative and totally gripping’ Sunday Times ‘A riveting tale that combines both the gripping saga of war with the suspense of a thrilling chase… An utter triumph!’ Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan’s Tale ‘Immersive and suspenseful…packs a real historical punch . . . Kate Quinn brings a fascinating side of WW2 brilliantly to life.’ Hazel Gaynor, bestselling author of The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter ‘Prepare to be spellbound! The Huntress masterfully draws you in and doesn’t let you go.’ Susan Meissner, bestselling author of As Bright as Heaven ‘A gripping and elegant historical mystery not to be missed’ Bookbub ‘A great choice for historical fiction fans, particularly of World War II–set novels, mystery readers, or anyone seeking well-crafted stories in which good triumphs over evil’ Library Journal (starred review) ‘An impressive historical novel sure to harness WWII-fiction fans' attention…portraying three touching, unpredictable love stories; the suspenseful quest for justice; and the courage involved in confronting one's greatest fears.’ Booklist (starred review) ‘Kate Quinn has created nothing less than a masterpiece of historical fiction’ Jennifer Robson, bestselling author of Goodnight from London ‘Well-researched and vivid segments are interspersed detailing Nina's backstory… a fierce yet vulnerable antecedent to Lisbeth Salander.’ Kirkus Reviews ‘Quinn delivers a suspenseful WWII tale of murder and revenge. This exciting thriller vividly reveals how people face adversity and sacrifice while chasing justice and retribution.’ Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisThe next story in a BRAND NEW series by bestselling author Fenella J. Miller - Meet the Army Girls!June 1942Grace Sinclair never meant to sign up to the ATS, but when her parents made it clear she had to marry a man she hated, Grace ran away to the safety of the army. But with her cut-glass accent and upper-class ways, Grace finds it hard to fit in with the other girls and begins to think she has made a terrible mistake…Things get worse for Grace when she meets dashing Squadron Leader Chris Holloway who shares sad and shocking news about Grace’s brother. Heartbroken, Grace confides in fellow ATS girl Ruth who offers her a shoulder to cry on.With the war raging on, Grace knows she can’t wallow and must do her duty. And with Ruth’s new friendship and Squadron Leader Holloway’s support too, maybe there is hope on the horizon for Grace after all.Praise for Fenella J. Miller:'Yet again, Fenella Miller has thrilled me with another of her historical stories. She brings alive a variety of emotions and weaves in facts relating to the era, all of which keep me reading into the small hours.' Glynis Peters– Bestselling author of The Secret Orphan.'Curl up in a chair with Fenella J Miller's characters and lose yourself in another time and another place.' Lizzie Lane'Engaging characters and setting which whisks you back to the home front of wartime Britain. A fabulous series!' Jean Fullerton

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Book SynopsisA war that could turn friends into enemies, lovers into fighters . . .Summer 1935. In Margaret Pemberton's Beneath the Cypress Tree best friends Kate Shelton, Ella Tetley and Daphne St. Maur are on the cusp of a new life, having graduated with Classics degrees. Kate is desperate to start work on an archaeological dig straightaway and she is thrilled to be given a position at the famous Knossos palace site in Crete. However, she doesn't bargain for working with gruff site director Lewis Sinclair - nor for her own complex feelings towards him.In Yorkshire, Ella's family expect her to marry Sam, her steady friend who is training to be a doctor, but Ella too feels pulled to the Mediterranean by the promise of freedom. When she meets Christos, life as a country GP's wife seems even less appealing . . . Daphne however throws herself into London's high society, falling madly in love with diplomat and heir Sholto Hertford - b

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Book Synopsis'While the average reader cannot pretend truly to understand the reality of those who suffered in concentration camps, Kertesz draws us one step closer' ObserverGyuri, a fourteen-year-old Hungarian Jew, gets the day off school to witness his father signing over the family timber business - his final act before being sent to a labour camp. Two months later, Gyuri finds himself assigned to a 'permanent workplace'. This is the start of his journey to Auschwitz.On his arrival Gyuri finds that he is unable to identify with other Jews, and is rejected by them. An outsider among his own people, his estrangement makes him a preternaturally acute observer, dogmatically insisting on making sense of the barbarity - and beauty - he witnesses.Trade ReviewMoving and numbing...a very great novel - Irish TimesRemarkable...an original and chilling quality -New York Review of Books[T]his work...ought to stand beside Primo Levi's If This is a Man - The TimesExtraordinary - ObserverShould be savoured slowly . . . Only through exploring its subtlety and detail will the reader come to appreciate such an ornate and honest testimony to the human spirit * Washington Times *

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Book Synopsis''A wickedly funny, clever, but also tender and lyrical novel about Britain and Britishness and what we have become'' RACHEL JOYCEIn Bournville, a placid suburb of Birmingham, sits a famous chocolate factory. For eleven-year-old Mary and her family in 1945, it''s the centre of the world. The reason their streets smell faintly of chocolate, the place where most of their friends and neighbours have worked for decades. Mary will go on to live through the Coronation and the World Cup final, royal weddings and royal funerals, Brexit and Covid-19. She''ll have children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Parts of the chocolate factory will be transformed into a theme park, as modern life and the city crowd in on their peaceful enclave.As we travel through seventy-five years of social change, from James Bond to Princess Diana, and from wartime nostalgia to the World Wide Web, one pressing question starts to emerge: will these changing times bring Mary''s family - and their country - closer together, or leave them more adrift and divided than ever before?*****''A beautiful, and often very funny, tribute to an underexamined place and also a truly moving story of how a country discovered tolerance'' Sathnam Sanghera, bestselling author of Empireland''A hugely impressive state-of-the-nation tale'' Observer''This charming read is as warming, rich and comforting as a mug of hot chocolate'' The TimesWritten with his signature wit, Jonathan Coe''s unmissable new novel, The Proof of My Innocence, is available to order now!Trade ReviewWith his third novel in four years, Coe is on a roll; he tracks the fortunes of a family through snapshots of communal experiences, from the Queen's coronation through the 1966 World Cup to pandemic lockdown, in a moving, compassionate portrait of individual and national change * Guardian, Best Fiction of 2022 *The way Coe starkly captures the paranoia and fear of the early days of the pandemic is impressive and he has written what he calls a "faithful account" of the death of his mother during lockdown. It makes an intensely affecting finale to a fine novel. * Independent, Best Book of the Year *Few contemporary writers can make a success of the state of the nation novel: Jonathan Coe is one of them * New Statesman *Epic in scope, but personal in resonance -- Elizabeth DayCoe's interwoven paeans to the lives of those rooted in the very centre of the UK - The Rotter's Club and Middle England among them - blend comedy, tragedy and social commentary in enjoyably memorable fashion, and his latest, Bournville, is no exception . . . Coe's particular gift is to understand how nostalgia, regret and an apprehension of what the future will bring might make us more, not less, empathetic to the frailties of those around us * FT, Best Audiobooks of the Year *Very tempting * The Times *In this affecting generational saga, framed by the pandemic and structured by seven milestone broadcasts, Jonathan Coe - known for his state-of-the-nation novels - once again takes the temperature of Britain * FT, Best Books of 2022 *At heart Bournville is a novel designed to make you think by making you laugh, and the seriousness of the subject matter is tempered throughout by the author's piercing eye for the more ludicrous elements of human nature * New Statesman *A compelling social history that's sprinkled throughout with Coe's inimitable humour, love and white-hot anger * Evening Standard *A hugely impressive state-of-the-nation tale * Observer *British novelists love to diagnose the state of the nation. Few do it better than Jonathan Coe, who writes with warmth and subversive glee about social change and the comforting mundanities it imperils * Spectator *This charming read is as warming, rich and comforting as a mug of hot chocolate * The Times *This is another eminently readable Coe, full of believable characters and fizzing dialogue. And it couldn't be more timely * Big Issue *Coe has the great gift of combining engaging human stories with a deeper structural pattern that gives the book its heft * Guardian *Set in Coe's nativeMidlands and told through thelives of four generations of onefamily, beginning with 11-year-oldMary in 1945, Bournville is apoignant, clever and witty portraitof social change and how theBritish see themselves. * Radio Times, Best Books of the Year *Bournville is Jonathan Coe's most ambitious novel yet . . . a novel about people and place. Entertaining and often poignant, it presents a captivating portrait of how Britons lived then and the way they live now * Economist *A book of things blended together: comedy with tragedy, England's past with its present, and cocoa solids with vegetable fat . . . the best fictional portrayal of lockdown that I've read * Irish Times *Told with compassion, steadiness, decency and always a glint in the eye, this is a novel that both challenges and delights. For anyone who has felt lost in the past six years, it is like meeting an ally -- Rachel Joyce, author of Miss Benson's BeetleCoe is an eminently readable novelist * Daily Mail *Full of vibrant characters and fabulous dialogue, which switches from laugh-out-loud funny to extremely poignant * Independent *The changing face of postwar Britain is brilliantly captured * FT *As the latest in J Coe's Unrest sequence, Bournville is one of the most warm-hearted, brilliant and beguiling of his State of the Nation novels. To show three generations of an ordinary Midlands family, their paths taken and not taken, their friends, lovers, jobs, achievements and losses; to interweave this with 75 years of national history - and to do so with such a lightness of touch is a tremendous achievement. All the absurdities of our nation wrapped up in something as bitter, sweet, and addictive as a bar of the best Bournville chocolate -- Amanda Craig, author of The Golden RuleAffectionate, full of good humour, and often moving, this is Coe at his best. * Crack Magazine *Slips down a treat * Daily Mail *For all the novel's satirical tang and historical sweep, it's at root a tender portrait of apparently simple folk trying to fathom the mystery of their own personalities * Spectator *A tender portrayal of the state of the nation through the prism of family relationships * Woman & Home *There is much to enjoy here, as in all Coe's novels . . . an intelligent criticism of our shared history since 1945 * Scotsman *[Coe] has a huge talent for balancing humour with poignancy * Book of the month, Good Housekeeping *

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Book SynopsisA magnificent epic of love, war and Russia from the international bestselling author of TULLY and ROAD TO PARADISELeningrad 1941: the white nights of summer illuminate a city of fallen grandeur whose palaces and avenues speak of a different age, when Leningrad was known as St Petersburg.Two sisters, Tatiana and Dasha, share the same bed, living in one room with their brother and parents.The routine of their hard impoverished life is shattered on 22 June 1941 when Hitler invades Russia. For the Metanov family, for Leningrad and particularly for Tatiana, life will never be the same again. On that fateful day, Tatiana meets a brash young man named Alexander.The family suffers as Hitler's army advances on Leningrad, and the Russian winter closes in. With bombs falling and the city under siege, Tatiana and Alexander are drawn inexorably to each other, but theirs is a love that could tear Tatiana's family apart, and at its heart lies a secret that could mean death to anyone who hears it.ConfTrade ReviewPraise for Paullina Simons Tully‘Pick up this book and prepare to have your emotions wrung so completely you’ll be sobbing your heart out one minute and laughing through your tears the next… Read it and weep – literally’ Company Tatiana and Alexander'This has everything a romance glutton could wish for: a bold, talented and dashing hero, a heart-stopping love affair … It also has – thank goodness – a welcome sense of humour and discernible characters rather than ciphers.'Victoria Moore, Daily Mail The Bronze Horseman‘Pulling off the passionate love story embedded in a truly epic narrative is a difficult thing to do. Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind remains the blueprint for the genre, while Tolstoy's War and Peace carries off the literary honours … it's quickly apparent that the Russian-born author Paullina Simons has the measure of this kind of epic romantic saga … She is able to make some powerful statements about the durability of the human spirit, but never at the expense of descriptive passages refulgent with power and beauty’ Barry Forshaw, amazon

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Book Synopsis''A compelling, powerful portrait of a terrible endurance. Terrific'' The TimesFour months after Pearl Harbor, signs begin appearing up and down the West Coast instructing all persons of Japanese ancestry to report to ''assembly centers''. For one family - reclassified, virtually overnight, as unwelcome enemies - it is the beginning of a nightmare of oppression and alienation that will alter their lives forever.There is the mother, reeling from the order to ''evacuate'', and the daughter, travelling on the long train journey away from freedom. There is the son, who struggles to adapt to their new life in the dust of the Utah desert, and the father, who, after four bitter years in captivity, returns to his family a stranger.Based on a true story, Julie Otsuka''s powerful, deeply humane first novel tells of a forgotten generation who found themselves imprisoned in their own country, and evokes an unjustly overlooked episode in America''s wartime hTrade ReviewA remarkable, beautifully written story of panic, prejudice and shame ... outstandingly accomplished and moving * Sunday Telegraph *An intense jewel of a book written with clarity and beauty * Marie Claire *Vindicates the suffering of the Japanese in America . . . a blistering first novel * The Times Literary Supplement *A compelling, powerful portrait of a terrible endurance. Terrific * The Times *Exceptional * New Yorker *

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Book SynopsisAs the Nazis bring Denmark to its knees, a resistance forms – and make a discovery that could turn the tide of war. From the master storyteller Ken Follett, Hornet Flight is a startling thriller set amidst the Danish Resistance of the Second World War.Europe in Darkness1941. The Nazis have Denmark in their vice-like grip, their malign presence corroding everything its inhabitants hold dear. Even the police betray their countrymen and work with the Gestapo to hunt down spies. A Glimmer of HopeIn this hostile climate the Danish resistance discover a secret that could change the course of the war – proof of an advanced German radar installation that is causing catastrophic losses to Allied planes bringing the fight to Germany. A Dangerous MissionThe resistance must get the information to the British and will have only one chance, using a near-derelict Hornet Moth bi-plane mouldering away in a church. If they succeed the balance of the war will be tipped in the Allies’ favour but failure will see them killed . . .Trade ReviewOne of the great bestselling novelists * Sunday Telegraph *Master storyteller * The Times *

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Book SynopsisThe heartwarming follow on to Keep the Home Fires Burning, from the creator of ITV smash-hit Home Fires - perfect for fans of Rosie Clarke and Annie Groves.In the depths of war, the women of Great Paxford will need all their strength . . .As enemy planes continue to bombard the North West of England, the members of Great Paxford's WI fight harder than ever to persevere.Teresa Lucas has reshaped her life to become the perfect wife - but will the arrival of a new guest throw her world off kilter?Laura Campbell is grieving for her father, but in the midst of tragedy, a new future beckons.Pat Simms plans to escape her difficult life at the end of the war, but when things change at home, she finds herself questioning everything she thought she knew.And for Steph Farrow, it's not the threat of what's to come she fears, but whether she can live with what she has done . . .Trade ReviewI very quickly became embroiled . . . a really enjoyable book. Greatly looking forward to the next one * Rosie Goodwin, on Keep the Home Fires Burning *

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Book SynopsisEvelyn Waugh''s masterful depiction of World War II, with an introduction by Martin StannardWaugh''s own unhappy experience of being a soldier is superbly re-enacted in this story of Guy Crouchback, a Catholic and a gentleman, commissioned into the Royal Corps of Halberdiers during the war years 1939-45. High comedy - in the company of Brigadier Ritchie-Hook or the denizens of Bellamy''s Club - is only part of the shambles of Crouchback''s war. When action comes in Crete and in Yugoslavia, he discovers not heroism, but humanity. Sword of Honour combines three volumes: Officers and Gentlemen, Men at Arms and Unconditional Surrender, which were originally published separately. Extensively revised by Waugh, they were published as the one-volume Sword of Honour in 1965, in the form in which Waugh himself wished them to be read.''Marvellous ... one of the masterpieces of the century''John Banville, Irish Times

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Book Synopsis''Simply written and highly memorable'' Ireland on Sunday''A subtle, calculatedly simple and ultimately moving story'' Irish Times''Stays ahead of its readers before delivering its killer-punch final pages'' Independent''A small wonder of a book . . . A particular historical moment, one that cannot be told too often'' Guardian''An extraordinary tale of friendship and the horrors of war...Raw literary talent at its best'' Irish Independent______________What happens when innocence is confronted by monstrous evil?Nine-year-old Bruno knows nothing of the Final Solution and the Holocaust. He is oblivious to the appalling cruelties being inflicted on the people of Europe by his country.All he knows is that he has been moved from a comfortable home in Berlin to a house in a desolate area where there is nothing to do and no-one to play with. Until he meets Shmuel, aTrade ReviewA small wonder of a book . . . A particular historical moment, one that cannot be told too often * Guardian *The Holocaust as a subject insists on respect, precludes criticism, prefers silence. One thing is clear: this book will not go gently into any good night * Observer *An extraordinary tale of friendship and the horrors of war . . . Raw literary talent at its best * Irish Independent *A book that lingers in the mind for quite some time . . . A subtle, calculatedly simple and ultimately moving story * The Irish Times *Simply written and highly memorable. There are no monstrosities on the page but the true horror is all the more potent for being implicit * Ireland on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisKurt Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis in 1922 and studied biochemistry at Cornell University. An army intelligence scout during the Second World War, he was captured by the Germans and witnessed the destruction of Dresden by Allied bombers, an experience which inspired his classic novel Slaughterhouse-Five. After the war he worked as a police reporter, an advertising copywriter and a public relations man for General Electric. His first novel Player Piano (1952) achieved underground success. Cat's Cradle (1963) was hailed by Graham Greene as 'one of the best novels of the year by one of the ablest living authors'. His eighth book, Slaughterhouse-Five was published in 1969 and was a literary and commercial success, and was made into a film in 1972. Vonnegut is the author of thirteen other novels, three collections of stories and five non-fiction books. Kurt Vonnegut died in 2007.Trade ReviewVonnegut's chilling early masterpiece * Observer *Mother Night is not one of his most famous books, but it's one of the best * Washington Post *A brilliant wacky ideas-monger * Observer *Everyone should read Vonnegut -- Tim MinchinA cool writer, at once throwaway and passionate and very funny * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisTHE NEW YORK TIMES AND TIMES BESTSELLER_______________________'A gripping historical adventure that feels sharp, fresh and modern' STYLIST'So beautiful, so daring, so complete' TAYLOR JENKINS REID'A masterpiece' NIGELLA LAWSON'Extraordinary' NEW YORK TIMES'Wonderful' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING MAGAZINE_______________________A soaring, breathtakingly ambitious novel that weaves together the astonishing lives of a 1950s vanished female aviator and the modern-day Hollywood actress who plays her on screen.Marian Graves is driven by a need for freedom and danger. From her days as a wild child in prohibition America to the blitz and glitz of wartime London, she is determined to live an independent life.But it is an obsession with flight that consumes her most.Having become one of the most fearless pilots in her time, she sets out to do what no one has done before: to circumnavigate the globe from pole to pole.But shortly before completing the journey, her plane disappears, lost to history.Over half a century later, troubled film star Hadley Baxter is offered to play Marian in the comeback role of a lifetime. From the first pages of the script, Hadley is drawn inexorably to the female pilot.It is a role that will lead her to an unexpected discovery, throwing fresh and spellbinding light on the story of the unknowable Marian Graves._______________________WATERSTONES FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH JUNE 2022SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2022SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2021A ROYAL READING ROOM PICK 2023SHORTLISTED FOR THE HWA GOLD CROWN 2022TIME MAGAZINE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER MAY 2021TIMES BESTSELLER JUNE 2022_______________________'Full of adventure, passion and tragedy' THE TIMES'Soars from the very first page' SUNDAY EXPRESS'Luminous, masterful. Glides seamlessly through the 20th century' TELEGRAPH, Best Fiction of 2021'Breathtaking' OBSERVER'Truly exceptional storytelling, combining a sweeping arc of history with writing that, at sentence level, is near-flawless.' THE BOOKSELLER'A tour-de-force' DAILY EXPRESS'Impressive and gripping' SUNDAY TIMES'Surprising and moving at every turn' GUARDIAN'Audacious and Immersive' DAILY MAIL'Accomplished and ambitious' FINANCIAL TIMESReaders love GREAT CIRCLE:***** What a read! Immense story with beautifully created characters***** The story is so well researched and planned; historical fiction standing side by side with history itself***** This is a stunning achievement, my perspective feels fundamentally transformed through reading it***** A wonderful saga, covering a large chunk of the twentieth centuryTrade ReviewLuminous, masterful ... glides seamlessly through the 20th century immersing the reader. Tremendously well-written * TELEGRAPH, 'Best Fiction of 2021' *A gripping historical adventure that feels sharp, fresh and modern * STYLIST MAGAZINE *Shipstead turns phrases and observes people beautifully. Full of adventure, passion and tragedy... a glorious tribute to women who push the boundaries of their one, brief life, breaking the bonds of their place in history and their female bodies, to soar higher and faster than others; and the price they pay to live so fast * THE TIMES, 'Best Fiction of 2021' *Impressive and gripping * SUNDAY TIMES *What's so impressive is how deeply we care about each of these people, and how the shape and texture of each of their stories collide to build a story all its own. GREAT CIRCLE grasps for and ultimately reaches something extraordinary * NEW YORK TIMES *The Marian portions rove from Montana to Manhattan to Scotland and Antarctica, and read like a carnival of early-20th-century American history, packed with bootleggers, treacherous boxcar rides, and tragic shipwrecks. The Hadley chapters offer a delectable dissection of life as a celebrity, serving up an intelligent skewering of the Hollywood machine and allowing the book to take flight * VOGUE *GREAT CIRCLE is a novel of our insatiable need to stare down the terrible, magnificent vastness of it all: love, war, desire, fear ... A sweeping, swashbuckling book, full of oversaturated colour and grand destiny. The joy of this dynamic, soaring novel is not a welcome extra but its very engine * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *Encompasses flight, travel adventure, identity, sexuality, family, the celebrity age - and in such beautiful writing. A masterpiece. * NIGELLA LAWSON *Rocked by the cool cadences of Shipstead's prose, readers will embark on a journey through time and space. Across 600 pages, they'll link arms with its characters as they stroll along the decks of early-1900s ocean liners, then board private jets to eavesdrop on the poolside parties of 21st-century Hollywood. They'll spot eagles arcing over the wild frontiers of Prohibition-era America then feel the lonely, existential chill of the white expanses of Antarctica - in between city breaks in Europe and Australia * INDEPENDENT *This wonderful novel weaves together the story of two women: a female aviator who goes missing in the1950s and the Hollywood star playing her in a film in the present day. A commitment that rewards with memorable characters and vivid storytelling * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, 'Best Fiction of 2021' *From near-death experience in childhood, to marriage to a bootlegger, Marian rockets off the page in this gripping novel. A staggering story * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MAGAZINE *Accomplished and ambitious... Most novelists have their limits and cut their cloth accordingly. Shipstead is a writer who can vividly summon whatever she chooses, taking the reader deep inside the world she creates. * FINANCIAL TIMES *A clever, poignant story about ambition, love and sacrifice that'll completely draw you in * COSMOPOLITAN MAGAZINE *This ambitious, wide-ranging and psychologically insightful novel is a tour-de-force * DAILY EXPRESS *It is rare to read a novel that is as beautifully built as it is elegantly written. Moving and surprising at every turn * GUARDIAN *A gorgeous soaring story that takes flight from the very first page * SUNDAY EXPRESS *Vast and entrancing * BA HIGH LIFE *A riveting novel with powerful characters that will excite, shock and enthral * PSYCHOLOGIES MAGAZINE *Nothing short of brilliant * OPRAH DAILY *A work of epic proportions and rich, cinematic detail * FINANCIAL TIMES, BEST OF SUMMER BOOKS *Grand, audacious and completely engrossing * DAILY MIRROR *This epic novel tops 600 pages but you'll still want more. Ambitious, cannily constructed and entertaining * MAIL ON SUNDAY *Beautifully written and endlessly readable, this rapturous novel soars * GUARDIAN *Ambitious, intricately detailed, rich and considered * INDEPENDENT *A WOMAN'S WEEKLY BOOK CLUB READ * MY WEEKLY *Daringly ambitious... a novel that invites the reader to immerse themselves in the sweep of history, the rich and detailed research... breathtaking * OBSERVER *Great Circle is an epic trip-through Prohibition and World War II, from Montana to London to present-day Hollywood-and you'll relish every minute * PEOPLE MAGAZINE *Glitz and guts square off in Great Circle: a tale of two women set apart by a century, fighting to retain control of their own lives in a society that demands subservience. Shipstead is adept at writing so vividly, the reader can feel the thrill and pain of her characters. Cunningly crafted. . . richly layered, a joy to read . . . riveting * THE SPOKESMAN REVIEW *Mesmerizing * TATLER *An enthralling epic about aviation and adventure. A big, baggy blast of a book bulging with sex and drugs, taking in Prohibition-era Montana, wartime London, present-day Hollywood, painting and physics. I loved it * REBECCA JONES, BBC ARTS CORRESPONDENT *A generous, escapist treat * i-PAPER, 30 BEST BOOKS FOR SUMMER *A soaring epic of female adventure and wanderlust * GUARDIAN *Bestselling novelist Maggie Shipstead was struggling to depict a female adventurer. So she became one. The stakes of GREAT CIRCLE are high-for its heroine, literally life or death. Though Shipstead never learned to fly herself, she aligned with her main character Marian Graves in more important ways . . . She is interested in testing her limits * L A TIMES *Relentlessly exciting . . . My top recommendation for this summer. Shipstead's sweeping new female-centered epic intertwines the story of Marian, an aviator who wants to circumnavigate the globe with that of actor Hadley Baxter, cast a century later to play Marian in a film. What can Marian's life tell Hadley about her own? * WASHINGTON POST *Dazzling prose in the service of an expansive story that covers more than a century and seems to encapsulate the whole wide world. With detailed brilliance, she lavishes heart and empathy on every character. She never wavers, pulls out a twist or two that feel fully earned, and then sticks the landing * BOSTON GLOBE *Swinging from one century to the next, from the moneyed splendor of cities to the shifting Antarctic ice, Shipstead's prose overflows with meticulous detail * MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE *Enthralling. Moving and surprising at every turn * GUARDIAN *Sweepingly panoramic and immersive. An audacious epic * DAILY MAIL, 'Best Fiction of 2021' *In a moment when our quarantined worlds have become so small, GREAT CIRCLE offers more than just wanderlust; it feels like a liberation. * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY *Maggie Shipstead combines cinematic scope with a poet's eye for detail * THE TIMES *The beginning of Maggie Shipstead's astounding novel, a Booker finalist, includes a series of endings: two plane crashes, a sunken ship and several people dead. The bad luck continues when one of the ship's young survivors, Marian, grows up to become a pilot-only to disappear on the job. Shipstead unravels parallel narratives, Marian's and that of another woman whose life is changed by Marian's story, in glorious detail. Every character, whether mentioned once or 50 times, has a specific, necessary presence. It's a narrative made to be devoured, one that is both timeless and satisfying. * TIME, BOOK OF THE YEAR *Absolutely dazzling * NEWSWEEK *Thrilling * DAILY MAIL *GREAT CIRCLE flew us to a different world. A book to devour * TELEGRAPH, BOOK OF THE YEAR *A sweeping saga that alternates between the life of a tenacious female aviator in the 1930s and that of a millennial film star cast to play her in a biopic. In death, 'each of us destroys the world,' the author observes - but her engrossing novel is a moving reflection on the will to survive * THE ECONOMIST *Artfully constructed and exhuberantly entertaining * THE MAIL, BOOK OF THE YEAR *Shipstead soars in this expansive, beautiful novel about women and flight * THE STRAITS TIMES *Engrossing, ambitious, beautifully written * DAILY EXPESS, Summer Reading *Completely engrossing from the very first page. You won't be able to put this down * HELLO MAGAZINE *A brilliant saga of a book. It will absolutely captivate you * JANE GARVEY, Fortunately Podcast *

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Book SynopsisPassion, war and deadly secrets ...''Wonderfully moving. A book to curl up with'' Fern Britton''I absolutely loved this heart-warming story of wartime secrets, love and redemption'' Susan Lewis''Enthralling from beginning to end'' Alan Titchmarsh''I loved every word of it!'' Katie Fforde''Well researched and extremely moving. I really enjoyed it'' Jill Mansell''A fresh and captivating tale of secrets and bravery ... her contemporary love story is just as compelling.'' Chloe Timms''An enthralling reminder of the remarkable women who played a part in winning the war.'' Fanny Blake, Daily Mail___________________________1944: Newly recruited SOE agent Elisabeth Shepherd is faced with an impossible mission: to parachute behind enemy lines into Nazi-occupied France and monitor the new long-range missiles the Germans are working on.Her only advice? Trust a

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Book SynopsisThe novel that launched the astonishing career of one of the 20th century's greatest writers of action and suspense an acclaimed classic of heroism and the sea in World War II.Constant patrols have pushed the crew of the HMS Ulysses beyond the limits of endurance. And now they must be put to sea again, to escort a vital supply convoy heading for Murmansk.As they head deep into the frozen waters they are faced not only with the fierce arctic weather, but a swarm of airborne attacks, German ships, then the feared U-boats, all hellbent on destroying the convoy.With each day threatening another sudden attack, and increasing hardships aboard the frozen ship, Ulysses suffers greater damage trying to protect the other vessels. And soon the journey becomes a tense and deadly game of cat and mouse between the crippled cruiser and her silent pursuers.Trade Review‘The most successful British novelist of his time’Jack Higgins ‘A brilliant, overwhelming piece of descriptive writing.’Observer ‘A story of exceptional courage which grips the imagination.’Daily Telegraph ‘It deserves an honourable place among 20th-century war books.’Daily Mail ‘HMS Ulysses is in the same class as The Cruel Sea.’Evening Standard

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Book SynopsisFrom an exciting new voice in WWII historical fiction comes a tale of love, loss and a betrayal that echoes through generationsParis, 1940: War is closing in on the city of love. With his wife forced into hiding, Jacques must stand by and watch as the Nazis take away everything he holds dear. Everything except his last beacon of hope: his beloved bookshop, La Page Cachée.But when a young woman and her child knock on his door one night and beg for refuge, he knows his only option is to risk it all once more to save a lifeModern day: Juliette and her husband have finally made it to France on the romantic getaway of her dreams but as the days pass, all she discovers is quite how far they've grown apart. She's craving a new adventure, so when she happens across a tiny, abandoned shop with a for-sale sign in the window, it feels fated.And she's about to learn that the forgotten bookshop hides a lot more than meets the eyeA heartbreaking tale of love and loss in war, perfect for fans of KatTrade Review Praise for Daisy Wood: 'A ticking time-bomb of intrigue, wrapped around stark but rich descriptions of the Blitz. An unforgettable wartime debut.' Mandy Robotham, internationally bestselling author of The Berlin Girl ‘I couldn’t put it down. My favourite kind of historical fiction.’ Reviewer ‘Wonderful.’ Reviewer ‘Brilliantly captures the essence of 1940s England. Highly recommended!’ Reviewer Set between WWII and today, and America and England, I totally loved this outstandingly amazing book. Five stars!’ Reviewer ‘Daisy Wood skillfully navigates between two timelines, and her descriptions of the war are really masterful.’ Reviewer ‘The perfect blend of historical fiction and espionage.’ Reviewer ‘Beautifully written… I highly recommend this treasure!’ Reviewer

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Book SynopsisCilka's Journey is the million copy bestselling sequel to the phenomenon The Tattooist of Auschwitz.Don't miss the conclusion to The Tattooist of Auschwitz Trilogy, Three Sisters. Available now.'She was the bravest person I ever met'Lale Sokolov, The Tattooist of Auschwitz In 1942 Cilka Klein is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. The Commandant at Birkenau, Schwarzhuber, notices her long beautiful hair, and forces her separation from the other women prisoners. Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly given, equals survival.After liberation, Cilka is charged as a collaborator by the Russians and sent to a desolate, brutal prison camp in Siberia known as Vorkuta, inside the Arctic Circle. Innocent, imprisoned once again, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar, each day a battle for survival. Cilka befriends a woman doctor, and learns to nurse the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under unimaginable conditions. And when she tends to a man called Alexandr, Cilka finds that despite everything, there is room in her heart for love.Cilka's Journey is a powerful testament to the triumph of the human will. It will move you to tears, but it will also leave you astonished and uplifted by one woman's fierce determination to survive, against all odds.- - - - - - - - 'Her truly incredible story is one to be read by everyone.' Sun'Cilka's extraordinary courage in the face of evil and her determination to survive against the odds will stay with you long after you've finished reading this heartrending book.' Sunday Express'Her courage and determination to survive makes for a heartrending read.' Daily Mirror

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Book SynopsisIt begins with the discovery of a tattered photo, a letter and a tiny leather shoe...''Fans of The Nightingale and Lilac Girls will adore The Things We Cannot Say'' PAM JENOFF⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ''A truly life changing book''⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ''Inspirational. A must read''⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ''Amazing and absolutely devastatingly beautiful''This beloved New York Times bestseller is a soaring page-turner of hope, family secrets and a love to defy all odds, inspired by the author''s own family history. World War Two, Poland. Alina and Tomasz are childhood sweethearts. The night before he leaves for college, Tomasz proposes marriage. But when their village falls to the Nazis, Alina doesn''t know if Tomasz is alive or dead.2019. Life changed beyond recognition for Alice when her son, Eddie, was born with autism spectrum disorder. She must do everything to support him, but at what cost to her family? When her cherished grandmother is hospitalised, a hidden box of mementoes reveals a tattered photo of a young man, a tiny leather shoe and a letter. Her grandmother begs Alice to return to Poland to see what became of those she held dearest. In Poland, separated from her family, Alice begins to uncover the story her grandmother is so desperate to tell, and discovers a love that bloomed in the winter of 1942. As a painful family history comes to light, will the struggles of the past and present finally reach a heartbreaking resolution?With over a million copies sold, The Things We Cannot Say is for everyone moved by All the Light We Cannot See and The Tattooist of Auschwitz:''Alina and Tomasz''s story is one of bravery, resilience, and the lengths we will go to for the ones we love'' Sally Hepworth⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ''Simply amazing book, so moving I couldn''t put it down. A book that will remain in my heart for many years to come''⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ''Captivating. I am in awe of this story''⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ''I have never ever been so deeply moved by a book...the most amazing love story of hope and survival during the Nazi occupation of Poland... I just didn''t want it to end''More praise for the heart-tugging novels of Kelly Rimmer:''Kelly Rimmer serves up a heart-pounding dilemma for fans of Jodi Picoult'' Marie Claire ''A heartbreaking story... Her characters are captivating'' Daily Telegraph''Kelly Rimmer tears at the heartstrings'' Herald SunTrade ReviewPraise for Kelly Rimmer * - *I couldn't put it down ... I got teary eyed quite a few times. It's a beautiful story * One Hopeless Romantic’s Booklandia Blog on When I Lost You *A celebration of love ...I was devastated when it ended * Big Little Sister on When I Lost You *I loved When I Lost You, it was full of deep raw emotion and had me hooked until the end * That Thing She Reads on When I Lost You *I fell in love with this amazing book after the first sentence and would read it all over again. A wonderful mixture of emotions, real love, secrets, laughter and sadness * Sky’s Book Corner *I was hooked right from the start, and it was just the most beautiful portrayal of falling in love I've ever read. It's the type of love you dream of and want for yourself... Kelly Rimmer has done an outstanding job with Me Without You, it's engaging, it warmed my heart to the very core, and then tore it out and stomped all over it. ... Me Without You is an unforgettable tale that I couldn't recommend more. 5/5 * GirlsLovetoRead.com *Me Without You is the beautiful, moving story of Callum and Lilah and they turned me into a complete emotional wreck. I loved the banter and the chemistry between them both right from the first, brilliant chapter and then as the book went on, it warmed and broke my heart all at the same time... It's an incredible novel * Reviewed the Book *It's been a while since I've read a book that made me 'ugly cry'. You know what I mean... big, fat tears rolling down your cheeks leaving you with eyes so puffy you look like you've had an allergic reaction. Think Claire Danes in... well... pretty much any role she's ever been in. Kelly Rimmer's Me Without You certainly broke that dry spell... a heartbreaker of a book that has great characters and a gut-wrenching ending that left me feeling a weird mix of bereft and yet hopeful * JudgingCovers.co.uk *There's not much I can say without giving the story away, other than how much I adore Callum and Lilah. Their love story is so genuine and heartfelt... This book is beautifully written, and I found myself highlighting like crazy throughout. I highly recommend this book, but I must warn you, it's one that will make you cry * Mrs Leif’s Blog *

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Book SynopsisLife and Fate is an epic tale of twentieth-century Russia told through the fate of a single family, the Shaposhnikovs, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Stalingrad.As the battle of Stalingrad looms, Grossman''s characters must work out their destinies in a world torn by ideological tyranny and war.Completed in 1960 and then confiscated by the KGB, this sweeping panorama of Soviet Society remained unpublished until it was smuggled into the West in 1980, where it was hailed as a masterpiece.''One of the finest Russian novels of the 20th century'' Daily Telegraph''Compelling... Grossman''s portrait is timelessly relevant... Life and Fate is worth all the audience it can find'' The TimesTrade ReviewThe War and Peace of the 20th century -- Antony BeevorOne of the greatest masterpieces of the twentieth century * Times Literary Supplement *It is only a matter of time before Grossman is acknowledged as one of the great writers of the 20th century... Life and Fate is a book that demands to be talked about * Guardian *One of the finest Russian novels of the 20th century * Daily Telegraph *What better time to read Life and Fate, Vasily Grossman's epic novel about the second world war, to put our current troubles into perspective? Grossman's book, which traces the fate of the family of the brilliant physicist Viktor Shtrum at the time of the Battle of Stalingrad, records how humanity endured the monstrous evils of Nazism and Stalinism, surviving like weeds in the cracks of concrete slabs * Financial Times *

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