Second World War fiction

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first in a heartwarming saga series set during the Second World War. Perfect for fans of Pam Howes and Elaine Everest.1942Working in the greengrocers and playing the piano in the pub a couple of nights a week isn't fulfilling nineteen-year-old Trixie Smith's idea of helping Britain win the war. One day she sees a poster advertising the Women's Timber Corps and decides to sign up - soon she is on her way to Scotland for four weeks of training to become a Lumberjill. On her journey north she meets Cy, an American soldier on leave. Their attraction is instant and they both feel that fate has brought them together. Although their time with one another is brief, they promise that they'll be together as soon as the war is over. But training to become a Lumberjill is hard; working in all weathers, felling trees and hauling timber is dangerous and exhausting. Luckily Trixie quickly makes friends with three of her fellow Lumberjills. Each of them has different reasons for signing up and travelling far from home, but running away from your problems doesn't make them disappear.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLA NUEVA NOVELA DE ARTURO PÉREZ-REVERTEUna historia de amor, mar y guerra«Su estilo elegante se combina con un gran manejo de la lengua española. Pérez-Reverte es un maestro.» -La Stampa«-Hay algo que me propongo hacer —dice ella al fin—. O quizá debo hacer, en realidad.-¿Puedo serte útil para eso?-En cierta forma lo eres. Al fin y al cabo, tú me enseñaste a amar a los héroes.Devuelve el libro a su lugar y afronta la mirada perpleja del padre.-Sin ti nunca los habría reconocido —añade.-No creo que yo...-Oh, no, en absoluto. O tal vez también lo fuiste algún tiempo, antes de que nuestra Troya ardiera.»En los años 1942 y 1943, durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, buzos de combate italianos hundieron o dañaron catorce barcos aliados en Gibraltar y la bahía de Algeciras. En esta novela, inspirada en hechos reales, sólo algunos personajes y situaciones son imaginarios. Elena Arbués, una librera de veintisiete años, encuentra una madrugada mientras pasea por la playa a uno de esos buzos, desvanecido entre la arena y el agua. Al socorrerlo, la joven ignora que esa determinación cambiará su vida y que el amor será sólo parte de una peligrosa aventura.ENGLISH DESCRIPTIONARTURO PEREZ-REVERTE’S NEW NOVEL!   A story about love, sea, and war.   “His elegant narrative style masterfully joins his great command of the Spanish language. Perez-Reverte is a Master.” -La Stampa   In 1942 and 1943, during World War II, Italian combat divers either sank, or severely damaged, fourteen allied ships in the strait of Gibraltar and the Bay of Algeciras. In this novel which was inspired by real events, there are only a few characters and situations that have been made up by the author. Elena Arbues, a twenty-seven-year-old bookseller, finds one of those divers passed out on the shoreline as she was walking on the beach. As she rescued him the young woman was unaware that this act would forever change her life and that love will only be part of a dangerous adventure.   «-There's something I intend to do,” she finally says. Or maybe I really should do it. -Can I be of any help for that? -In a way you have already been helpful. After all, you taught me to love heroes. She puts the book back in its place and meets her father's puzzled gaze.Without you I would have never recognized them, she adds. -I don't think I ... -Oh, no, I wouldn’t have at all. Or maybe you were one too at some point, before all hell broke loose.»

Read more less

Book SynopsisHer mind alive with the words she had overheard last night, Dyta emerged onto the broad steps of the library and shielded her eyes from the lowering sun. She tied up her dark hair, pulled her white socks to her knees, and walked down the steps. Her father was so grey and sedate, it was hard to imagine a phrase less likely to emerge from his lips than 'your chance to kill '.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe brand new instalment in Fenella J. Miller's bestselling Goodwill House series.July 1940With Hitler’s bombs getting closer, WAAF Diane Forsyth is determined to face the oncoming danger and do her duty to support the brave RAF pilots who risk their lives as they take to the skies.And there’s one pilot in particular Di hopes remains safe - Squadron Leader Freddie Hanover. But with a romance between them growing, Di and Freddie know their duty must always come first. How can they dream of a future together whilst this terrible war continues? Lady Joanna Harcourt understands Di’s vow of duty – she’s taken one herself. But Joanna also knows that life is terribly precious and that one must make the most of every single day…before it’s too late. Don't miss the next heart-breaking instalment in Fenella J. Miller's beautiful Goodwill House series.Praise for Fenella J. Miller:'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 great start to what promises to be a fabulous series.' Jean Fullerton

Read more less

Book Synopsis“If at all possible, send or take your household animals into the country in advance of an emergency. If you cannot place them in the care of neighbours, it really is kindest to have them destroyed."Joanna Ryan’s father has gone off to war, leaving her in the care of her step-mother, a woman more concerned with having a good time than being any sort of parent to her.But then she finds a puppy, left for dead, and Joanna becomes determined to save him, sharing her meagre rations with him. But, in a time of war, pets are only seen as an unnecessary burden and she is forced to hide her new friend, Harry, from her step-mother and the authorities. With bombs falling over Bristol and with the prospect of evacuation on the horizon, can they stay together and keep each other safe?A gripping, heartwarming historical saga from bestselling author Lizzie Lane.Praise for Lizzie Lane:'A gripping saga and a storyline that will keep you hooked' Rosie Goodwin'The Tobacco Girls is another heartwarming tale of love and friendship and a must-read for all saga fans.' Jean Fullerton'Lizzie Lane opens the door to a past of factory girls, redolent with life-affirming friendship, drama, and choices that are as relevant today as they were then.' Catrin Collier'If you want an exciting, authentic historical saga then look no further than Lizzie Lane.' Fenella J Miller

Read more less

Book SynopsisSome battles will be fought on the Homefront...The war has had a devastating effect on the Sweet Family with young Charlie Sweet, lost at sea, presumed dead and bombs falling on nearby Bristol.Still there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon in the form of Mary Sweet’s upcoming wedding to her Canadian beau. But even that has failed to rouse their father from his grief.But in London a baby has been found in a bombed out house, sheltered in the arms of his dead mother. A child to make life worth living again...Discover the gripping, heartfelt second instalment in Lizzie Lane's bestselling Sweet Sisters trilogy.Praise for Lizzie Lane:'A gripping saga and a storyline that will keep you hooked' Rosie Goodwin'The Tobacco Girls is another heartwarming tale of love and friendship and a must-read for all saga fans.' Jean Fullerton'Lizzie Lane opens the door to a past of factory girls, redolent with life-affirming friendship, drama, and choices that are as relevant today as they were then.' Catrin Collier'If you want an exciting, authentic historical saga then look no further than Lizzie Lane.' Fenella J Miller

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Sweet family have run the local bakery for as long as anyone can remember.Twins Ruby and Mary Sweet help their widowed father out when they can. Mary loves baking and has no intention of leaving their small Gloucestershire village. while Ruby dreams of life in London.But as war threatens, there will be changes for all of the Sweet family, with brother Charlie off to serve and cousin Frances facing evacuation. But there will be opportunities, too, as the twins' baking talent catches the attention of the Ministry of Food....The gripping first instalment in Lizzie Lane's bestselling heartfelt, gripping Sweet Sisters trilogy.Praise for Lizzie Lane:'A gripping saga and a storyline that will keep you hooked' Rosie Goodwin'The Tobacco Girls is another heartwarming tale of love and friendship and a must-read for all saga fans.' Jean Fullerton'Lizzie Lane opens the door to a past of factory girls, redolent with life-affirming friendship, drama, and choices that are as relevant today as they were then.' Catrin Collier'If you want an exciting, authentic historical saga then look no further than Lizzie Lane.' Fenella J Miller

Read more less

Book SynopsisBristol 1939 At forty years of age, Mary Anne Randall still turns heads. With an abusive husband spending most of his wages on beer, she has resigned herself to be the sole breadwinner to protect her family and keep the wolves from the door. In order to make ends meet Mary Anne runs a pawnbroking business from the wash house at the end of the garden. Following the outbreak of war an opportunity presents itself to escape her loveless marriage and find true love. Will she take that chance, or carry on living just for her children and not for herself?Read the sequal A Wartime Family.Praise for Lizzie Lane:'A gripping saga and a storyline that will keep you hooked' Rosie Goodwin'The Tobacco Girls is another heartwarming tale of love and friendship and a must-read for all saga fans.' Jean Fullerton'Lizzie Lane opens the door to a past of factory girls, redolent with life-affirming friendship, drama, and choices that are as relevant today as they were then.' Catrin Collier'If you want an exciting, authentic historical saga then look no further than Lizzie Lane.' Fenella J Miller

Read more less

Book SynopsisBristol 1941 Having left her abusive husband for very good reasons, Mary Anne Randall finds herself judged harshly by her friends and neighbours, after courageously risking everything for a second chance at happiness with Michael. With Michael away fighting Mary Anne is less concerned by her tarnished reputation and focusses on keeping her beloved children safe. But with the bombs beginning to fall on Bristol, danger is all too close to home. Will Mary Anne rise above her tarnished reputation and protect those she loves from the uncertainty of a world at war?A sequel to A Wartime Wife.Praise for Lizzie Lane:'A gripping saga and a storyline that will keep you hooked' Rosie Goodwin'The Tobacco Girls is another heartwarming tale of love and friendship and a must-read for all saga fans.' Jean Fullerton'Lizzie Lane opens the door to a past of factory girls, redolent with life-affirming friendship, drama, and choices that are as relevant today as they were then.' Catrin Collier'If you want an exciting, authentic historical saga then look no further than Lizzie Lane.' Fenella J Miller

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs war is declared can The Seaside Girls keep smiling through…Cleethorpes – September 1939Struggling to keep their spirits up as the reality of war hits home and theatres are closed, friends Jessie Delaney and Frances O’Leary search for work to see them through until they can sing and dance again.Frances, once upon a time followed her dreams of becoming a dancer but soon found herself with a broken heart and a precious secret when her lover abandoned her. Keeping her secret from her friends grows more difficult as time passes and their friendship grows..But with her lover returning to England from a successful tour of America, how long will it be before the truth comes to light?Secrets aren’t good for anyone and Frances isn’t the only one hiding things from her friends. Ginny Thomspon, another Seaside Girl is hoping for the best. But is hope enough?Can the Seaside Girls pull together to help each other through the tough times or will their secrets tear them apart?A gritty and heart-warming saga perfect for readers of Elaine Everest, Nancy Revell and Pam Howes.Praise for Tracy Baines:‘A charming, heart-warming saga about ambition, hard work and courage in the cut and thrust of a world often driven by jealousy and spite.’ Rosie Clarke‘Immerse yourself in the exciting, evocative world of Wartime musical theatre. I highly recommend this book.’ Fenella J. Miller‘An emotional, entertaining read that had me gripped!’ Sheila Riley'An absorbing and poignant saga. I loved it from the very beginning and would highly recommend it...' Elaine Roberts'Terrific - beautifully written. The book twinkles. A well-crafted and satisfying story' Maisie Thomas‘A pleasure from start to finish.’ Glenda Young‘…you will have to read this well-researched song and dance of a novel in great gulps as I did’ Annie Clark‘I just loved this book!' Molly Walton'The Variety Girls is terrific - beautifully written & with an unusual background. The stage costumes twinkle with sequins and the book twinkles with tiny details of theatre life that add depth and atmosphere to this well-crafted and satisfying story.' Maisie Thomas‘A pleasure from start to finish.’ Glenda Young‘…you will have to read this well-researched song and dance of a novel in great gulps as I did’ Milly Adams‘An evocative, busy, entertaining read, which has well balanced touches of humour, vying with angst, and of course, more than a dollop of tension.’ Margaret Graham, Frost Magazine‘Characterisation is one of the book’s strong points – the individual characters stay in your mind long after you finish the story.’ Barbara Dynes, The Voice

Read more less

Book SynopsisLove and duty, codes and spies...Kent, 1939Soon to marry her childhood sweetheart, Eliza thinks her life is set. But when war breaks out, everything changes and, while helping the soldiers returning from Dunkirk, she bumps into Lewis, an unforgettable stranger from her past.Eliza’s in-laws’ country home becomes a cell for code breakers receiving messages from the French Resistance, with Eliza as translator. When Lewis is assigned to head up the team, the pair fall dangerously in love. But with the enemy watching across the Channel and rumours of spies in their midst, Eliza is torn between passion and duty.When Lewis flies across the Channel on a secret mission, Eliza wonders if she'll ever see him again. Can she live with the terrible secret they share?A tear-jerking wartime romance for fans of Rachel Hore, Kathryn Hughes and Leah Fleming.Previously published as Map of Stars.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA secret, a sacrifice, and a scandal...Summer 1939 - When war breaks out, Sylvie is marooned with her cousin Nell's family in the Chiltern hills and cannot return to her Normandy home.During the early days of rationing, blackouts, and the threat of bombers in the skies, Sylvie and Nell have to grow up quickly. Yet as the war rages around them, it's the competition and jealousy between the two that dominates their lives.When the girls fall in love with the same man, their relationship is truly tested. But the war pulls them all apart and changes the course of their lives – until their secrets are revealed, with devastating consequences.A heartbreaking story of love and hope, secrets and lies. Perfect for fans of Kathryn Hughes and Leah Fleming.Previously published as The September Garden.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA secret, a sacrifice, and a scandal...Summer 1939 - When war breaks out, Sylvie is marooned with her cousin Nell's family in the Chiltern hills and cannot return to her Normandy home.During the early days of rationing, blackouts, and the threat of bombers in the skies, Sylvie and Nell have to grow up quickly. Yet as the war rages around them, it's the competition and jealousy between the two that dominates their lives.When the girls fall in love with the same man, their relationship is truly tested. But the war pulls them all apart and changes the course of their lives – until their secrets are revealed, with devastating consequences.A heartbreaking story of love and hope, secrets and lies. Perfect for fans of Kathryn Hughes and Leah Fleming.Previously published as The September Garden.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom an award-winning author - an epic novel of love, betrayal, and finding where you truly belong.1943Lidia De Angelis has kept a low profile since Mussolini’s laws wrenched her from her childhood sweetheart. But when the Germans occupy Venice, she must flee the city to save her life.Lidia joins the partisans in the Venetian mountains, where she meets David, an English soldier fighting for the same cause. As she grows closer to him, harsh German reprisals and her own ardent patriotic activities threaten to tear them apart.Years laterWhile sorting through her grandmother’s belongings after her death, Charlotte discovers a Jewish prayer book, unopened letters written in Italian, and a fading photograph of a group of young people in front of the Doge’s Palace.Intrigued by her grandmother’s refusal to talk about her time in Italy, Charlotte travels to Venice in search of her roots. There, she learns not only the devastating truth about her grandmother’s past, but also about her own...Perfect for readers of Rhys Bowen, Fiona Valpy and Victoria Hislop.What real readers are saying:‘…a beautiful story with a compelling historical storyline that you won’t want to put down.’ Ann Bennett, bestselling author of The Orphan House.‘Siobhan Daiko will tug at your heartstrings, and leave you desperate for more.’ The Coffee Pot Book Club.‘One of my absolute favourite books and a must read for those who love a great escape into historical fiction.’ Goodreads Reviewer.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom an award-winning author - an epic novel of love, betrayal, and finding where you truly belong.1943Lidia De Angelis has kept a low profile since Mussolini’s laws wrenched her from her childhood sweetheart. But when the Germans occupy Venice, she must flee the city to save her life.Lidia joins the partisans in the Venetian mountains, where she meets David, an English soldier fighting for the same cause. As she grows closer to him, harsh German reprisals and her own ardent patriotic activities threaten to tear them apart.Years laterWhile sorting through her grandmother’s belongings after her death, Charlotte discovers a Jewish prayer book, unopened letters written in Italian, and a fading photograph of a group of young people in front of the Doge’s Palace.Intrigued by her grandmother’s refusal to talk about her time in Italy, Charlotte travels to Venice in search of her roots. There, she learns not only the devastating truth about her grandmother’s past, but also about her own...Perfect for readers of Rhys Bowen, Fiona Valpy and Victoria Hislop.What real readers are saying:‘…a beautiful story with a compelling historical storyline that you won’t want to put down.’ Ann Bennett, bestselling author of The Orphan House.‘Siobhan Daiko will tug at your heartstrings, and leave you desperate for more.’ The Coffee Pot Book Club.‘One of my absolute favourite books and a must read for those who love a great escape into historical fiction.’ Goodreads Reviewer.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIncluding graphic descriptions of Dunkirk and D-Day, Jeremy Rowe's new novel sees the Second World War through the eyes of the women who remained at home, fighting on the Home Front. Into the tensions and alarms of September 1939, two women are unwillingly forced together: middle-class Marjorie Anderson-Grey, confident, imperious and formidable; and her lodger Vicky Jones, passionate working-class teacher, evacuated with her school, from the impoverished East End. Jeremy Rowe's novel sets these two strong women on a wartime collision course, and pays tribute to the steadfast commitment of ordinary people coping with extraordinary dangers. The novel also finds humour in the daily challenges posed by the East End kids evacuated to the Cotswolds town.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTwo people. An unforgettable moment. One extraordinary love story. In Chicago, Illinois, two people are about to lock eyes across a crowded dance floor. The following moment will spark the love story of a lifetime… The year is 1944 and America has just entered the war. Young men and women are being drafted in to fight with their allies on Europe’s distant shores. Throughout America, sweethearts are saying their last goodbyes. Liz Stephens is already betrothed to budding US politician Dalton Harris, but when she meets GI Morgan McClain, she feels an instant and intense connection. But then he dances with her flirtatious best friend Betty and Liz is left feeling like just another soldier’s fancy. Betty is mesmerized by Morgan and begs Liz to write letters for her to post to him overseas. Liz reluctantly agrees, in the end anxious to retain a connection to him. As the last searing days of World War II loom, a correspondence begins that will alter the course of their lives forever.Trade Review"Letters from Home is an insightful portrait of the communion between the soldiers who fought for our country and those they left behind. A gripping and memorable story, it is a timeless lesson in love and loss and the moments that shape our lives."Pamela Jenoff, author of The Kommandant's Girl

Read more less

Book SynopsisNew York Timesbestselling author of Orphan #8, Kim van Alkemade returns with a gripping and poignant historical saga in which an unmarried college student who?s given up her baby for adoption helps a Dutch Holocaust survivor search for his lost mother.1960, New York City:College student Rita Klein is a pioneering woman in the new field of computer programming?until she unexpectedly becomes pregnant. At the Hudson Home for Unwed Mothers, social workers pressure her into surrendering her baby for adoption. Rita is struggling to get on with her life when she meets Jacob Nassy, a charming yet troubled man from the Netherlands who is traumatized by his childhood experience of being separated from his mother during the Holocaust. When Rita learns that Hitler?s Final Solution was organized using Hollerith punch-card computers, she sets out to find the answers that will help Jacob heal.1941, The Hague:Cornelia Vogel is working as a punch-card operator at the Ministry of Information when a census of Holland?s population is ordered by the Germans. After the Ministry acquires a Hollerith computer made in America, Cornelia is tasked with translating its instructions from English into Dutch. She seeks help from her fascinating Jewish neighbor, Leah Blom, an unconventional young woman whose mother was born in New York. When Cornelia learns the census is being used to persecute Holland?s Jews, she risks everything to help Leah escape.After Rita uncovers a connection between Cornelia Vogel and Jacob?s mother, long-buried secrets come to light. Will shocking revelations tear them apart, or will learning the truth about the past enable Rita and Jacob to face the future together?Trade Review"Powerful and haunting, Counting Lost Stars is historical fiction at its finest. Brilliantly connecting two time lines, Van Alkemade explores a little-known aspect of Nazi depravity in using techonology to further its murderous aims, a technology that computer programmer Rita Klein years later will ultimately turn to redemptive and life-changing use. Counting Lost Stars offers moments of connection and reconnection that will leave the reader breathless, and a much-needed portrayal of humanity at its finest, and most selfless, to inspire us all." — Natalie Jenner, Internationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls "Two separate, poignant love stories that evolve into extraordinary tales of sacrifice and survival, heartbreak and hope. Written by a master storyteller through gorgeous prose. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!" — Genevieve Graham, USA Today Bestselling Author of The Forgotten Home Child A page turner that kept me staying up late and rising early to find out what happened next, this is a cautionary tale of the dangers of data collection in the hands of a despotic government that thrives on hate and divisiveness. The novel is a call to us to reconsider the scope and implication of our running headlong into every technological advance as the narrative subtly reminds us of the possible repercussions of these new capabilities. Kim van Alkemade is a masterful storyteller in the best sense of the word. — Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa, author of A Woman of Endurance and Daughters of the Stone I loved this book. — Armando Lucas Correa, author of The Night Travelers “Orphan #8 peers unflinchingly into a little-known chapter of America’s history, an orphanage where innocent children are experimented upon in the name of science. With rare honesty and emotional courage, Kim van Alkemade tackles some of the largest ethical questions of our time. Yet the sense of moral outrage that permeates this novel is tempered by an understanding that all our paths are a complicated series of missteps. Orphan # 8 will leave you breathless, eager to turn each page, until you reach its dramatic and utterly beautiful ending.” — Dolen Perkins Valdez, author of Balm on Orphan #8 “Kim van Alkemade has moxie. In her provocative novel, family is saturated with betrayal, care is interrupted by ambition and desire, and the past is intimately explored, invoking the abandoned child in all of us. Orphan # 8 brims with complicated passions and pitch-perfect historical details. A riveting, memorable debut.” — Catherine Zobal Dent, author of Unfinished Stories of Girls on Orphan #8

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Exceptionally good...a master storyteller'' Allan Massie, Scotsman''Both an absorbing wartime thriller and a thoroughly convincing study of grief'' Sunday TimesIn 1943, when Grace and Leo Waterhouse married in Australia, they were part of a young generation ready to sacrifice themselves to win the war, while being confident they would survive.Sixty years on, as Grace recounts what happened to her doomed hero, she can say what she suspected then: that for many men, bravery is its own end. The tale she tells is one of great love, lost innocence, a charismatic but unstable Irish commander, dashing undercover missions against the Japanese in Singapore, and - in her eyes - reckless, foolhardy exploits. As fresh details continue to emerge, Grace is forced to keep revising her picture of what happened to Leo and his fellow commandoes - until she learns about the final piece in the jigsaw, and an ultimate betrayal. As absorbing aTrade Review'Touching and gripping until the very last page' * John Harding, Daily Mail *'Exceptionally good...the work of a master storyteller' * Allan Massie, Scotsman *'A compelling and deeply persuasive meditation on the moral ambiguities of heroism...a page turner of a thriller as well as an affecting (and very sexy) love story, ingeniously constructed, carefully weighted...a novel of beauty and faith' * Joseph O'Connor, Irish Times *'Any new work by this master of moral complexity is a matter for rejoicing. He looks into the heart of the human condition with a piercing intelligence that few can match' * David Robson, Sunday Telegraph *'A subtle examination of heroism... the elegance and economy of this novel are dazzling...This clever, compelling novel asks some uncomfortable questions' * Penelope Lively, Guardian *'A poignant and touching novel...wonderfully written' * Angela Cooke, Daily Express *'Both an absorbing wartime thriller and a thoroughly convincing study of grief * Sunday Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisGlorious and moving World War II saga following the battles, loves and struggles of four performers who put aside their careers to do their bit in the war against GermanyTrade Review'A compelling story' * Publishing News on WE'LL MEET AGAIN *'A gripping and touching novel.' * Good Book Guide on NEVER SAY GOODBYE *'Green's book is a delightful and heady mix of romantic ingredients - spies, high-kicking dancers, forbidden love and friendship in the face of death. Who could ask for anything more?' * Lancashire Evening Post *'An unforgettable saga of love and loss in wartime' * Good Book Guide *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFergusson has already won two awards for this gripping and atmospheric debut, a thriller set amid the rubble of a defeated Berlin in 1945...Original and highly accomplished'' Sunday TimesShortlisted for the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award 2015Berlin, 1946. Everything is in short supply. Including the truth.The war is over, but Berlin is a desolate sea of rubble. There is a shortage of everything: food, clothing, tobacco. The local population is scrabbling to get by. Kasper Meier is one of these Germans, and his solution is to trade on the black market to feed himself and his elderly father. He can find anything that people need, for the right price. When a young woman, Eva, arrives at Kasper''s door seeking the whereabouts of a British pilot, he feels a reluctant sympathy for her but won''t interfere in military affairs. But Eva knows Kasper has secrets, and she''ll use them to get what she wants. Trade ReviewBeguiling, unsettling, and wonderfully atmospheric. A dark expedition across a nightmarish landscape of physical and emotional damage and moral decay * Sarah Waters *The finest thing in the novel is the imaginative recreation of time and place, the bombed and ruined city over which the past hangs darkly, where no possible future can yet be envisaged . . . A decidedly accomplished first novel . . . where the keenness of observation and the rhythms of the prose call Graham Greene to mind -- Allan Massie * Scotsman *Similarly intelligent is Ben Fergusson's The Spring of Kasper Meier . . . the real coup here is the evocation of a minatory, crazy-quilt 1940s Berlin * Independent *A truly outstanding work of fiction that will, I hope enter into the canon of English literature. It takes the known tragedies of the Second World War and extends them into what was, for most of the judges, an unknown arena: Berlin in the immediate aftermath of war, when the city was in ruins and the rubble gangs foraged for survival. The reality of it, the horror, was visceral and yet told with an immense and compassionate beauty. It's a masterpiece. To have written it as a first novel is an exceptional achievement * Manda Scott *Fergusson has already won two awards for this gripping and atmospheric debut, a thriller set amid the rubble of a defeated Berlin in 1945...What follows is original and highly accomplished * Sunday Times *The plot is tight, but it's the unflinching depiction of a desperate world in post-war Berlin, conveyed in beautiful prose, that makes this thriller so powerful * Sunday Mirror *A superbly atmospheric novel with a thrilling suspenseful storyline running through it. Amid the rubble of post-war Berlin, characters scrabble to survive and to rebuild shattered lives. Damage is on view everywhere - devastated buildings, people damaged physically, psychologically and emotionally, legal and social structures in ruins . . . Ben Fergusson's grittily evocative novel, historically knowledgeable and piercing in its scrutiny of morally ambiguous characters, political murkiness and a world quivering with suspicion and jeopardy, impressively recalls Graham Greene's The Third Man -- Peter KempFergusson's debut portrays the desperation of Berlin and its people at a time when a murder could go unnoticed. The plot grows more gripping as the reader navigates its surprising twists and turns * Sunday Express *A formidable first novel - I loved it -- Tania Findlay * Sun *A powerful evocation of shattered lives trying to reconnect - and a heartbreaking story of the pain of compassion -- Jake Arnott, bestselling author of The Long FirmA gripping mystery set in a surreal and terrifying post-war Berlin where nothing is quite what it seems. I loved it -- William Ryan, author of The Korolev Mysteries seriesA moody-blue, grimly atmospheric novel exploring amorality and survival in a frightening, unsettling, post-war city -- Michèle RobertsWhat I loved about this book were two things above all: firstly, a moment in time and place - devastated post-war Berlin - in which things were done that one knew nothing about, and were shocking. Secondly, he brought Kasper and Eva and the others' experience to pungent physical life with his sensual description of sight, sound, and above all smell. It was real on the page. A great achievement and a tremendous debut -- Tim Pears, author of In The Light of MorningA hauntingly evocative tale of post-war Berlin and the heartbreak and mysteries war leaves in its wake -- Mike GayleIf reviews are any guide to the quality of crime novels (and one fervently hopes they are) then Ben Fergusson must have been pleased about the notices that his novel The Spring of Kasper Meier received; notices that marked him out as a writer of genuine accomplishment * Good Book Guide *Fergusson has already won two awards for this gripping and atmospheric debut, a thriller set amid the rubble of a defeated Berlin in 1945...What follows is original and highly accomplished' * Sunday Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir comes an unforgettable novel of a BBC-sponsored wartime cooking competition and the four women who enter for a chance to better their lives.NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY GOOD HOUSEKEEPING • “This story had me so hooked, I literally couldn’t put it down.”—NPRTwo years into World War II, Britain is feeling her losses: The Nazis have won battles, the Blitz has destroyed cities, and U-boats have cut off the supply of food. In an effort to help housewives with food rationing, a BBC radio program called The Kitchen Front is holding a cooking contest—and the grand prize is a job as the program’s first-ever female co-host. For four very different women, winning the competition would present a crucial chance to change their lives. For a young widow, it’s a chance to pay off her husband’s debts and keep a roof over h

Read more less

Book SynopsisShortlisted for the CWA/Ian Fleming Award, The Interrogator is a masterful spy story set in the darkest days of the Second World War. The Enigma Code has been broken - but what if German High Command can read our naval signals, too? For all readers of John le Carre and Robert Harris - ''Terrific... Robert Harris had better watch out'' Daily Mail. Spring, 1941. The armies of the Reich are masters of Europe. Britain stands alone, dependent on her battered navy for survival, while Hitler''s submarines - his ''grey wolves'' - prey on the Atlantic convoys that are the country''s only lifeline.Lieutenant Douglas Lindsay is amongst just a handful of men picked up when his ship is torpedoed. Unable to free himself from the memories of that night at sea, he becomes an interrogator with naval intelligence, questioning captured U-Boat crews. He is convinced the Germans have broken British naval codes, but he''s a lone voice, a damaged outsider, and his superiors beTrade Review'Andrew Williams's debut novel The Interrogator has a flair, grasp of detail, and strong characterisation that reminds me uncannily of Robert Harris's best-seller Enigma, and there's no higher praise . . . This is a terrific first novel. Harris had better watch out' * Daily Mail *'One of the most gripping books I have read for some time' * The Times *'The tensions within the intelligence community simmer excitingly ... his dialogue is energetic, and he is armed with a real passion for these events. Events are never absurd or melodramatic, and the characters are damaged, driven and fallible ... this is gripping stuff. Williams has put his knowledge to work, and any reader will emerge from this debut entertained and half-amazed at a terrific, mostly untold story' * Bill Greenwell, Independent *'Andrew Williams' The Interrogator is an exciting, pacy Second World War novel with a clever twist...' * Andrew Roberts, Daily Telegraph *'Introduces tension by lingering on the rough justice meted out by German prisoners of war' * Herald *'This atmospheric first novel makes good use of different viewpoints ... maintaining the excitement and sense of mystery even though the reader knows how the story must end' * Morning Star *'Not only is this a gripping thriller ... but (it) is confidently researched and cheekily written enough to include a cameo role for that real life Naval Intelligence officer of the day, a certain Ian Fleming.' * Shots *'An excellent job...this 375-page hardback provides one of the best reads I have enjoyed for a long time. Worth every penny' * Dover Express & Folkestone Herald *'An interesting slant on the war hero... this is a first-rate debut, highly recommended' * Bookseller *A 'ripping yarn' * Adelaide Advertiser (Australia) *'This is a terrific first novel with the best description I have ever read of the noise of the explosion that occurred when HMS Loyalty, on which I was serving, was torpedoed on 22nd August, 1944' * Driffield Leader *'A gripping thriller ... confidently researched and cheekily written' * Deadly Pleasures *The action in this story moves along at a good pace, and the dialogue and characters are believable * Nautical Magazine *'An interesting slant on the war hero ... this is a first rate debut, highly recommended' * Bookseller *'A gripping thriller ... confidently researched and cheekily written' * Deadly Pleasures *"Utterly convincing...atmospheric...He keeps this book involving, suspenseful and fascinating to the end, and it is a remarkable first novel" Review * Crime Time and Blogspot/ Michael Carlson *"Utterly convincing...atmospheric...He keeps this book involving, suspenseful and fascinating to the end, and it is a remarkable first novel" * Crime Time and Blogspot/Michael Carlson * 'An interesting slant on the war hero ... this is a first rate debut, highly recommended' - * Bookseller *'A gripping thriller ... confidently researched and cheekily written' * Deadly Pleasures *'This complex and well-written book offers a fascinating insight into a little-explored area of the conduct of war' * Lincolnshire Echo *Pride of place for the best debut of the year goes to Andrew Williams for his World War II thriller......it evokes the war-time world of code-breaking and naval intelligenc ewith exceptional flair.... For a first novel, this is a stand out performance, and marks Williams out as a star of the future...' * Daily Mail *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs World War Two enters its final year, Ruth Bentley feels life has dealt her more than her fair share of blows. She''s lost her home in a bomb attack, and with her husband in the army, her daughters evacuated to Wales, and her mother killed and father injured in the attack, Ruth is left to face the devastation alone. But she finds comfort in the camaraderie of the Civil Defence office where she works and in her friendship with Lucy, a clippie on the buses. Lucy''s husband is at sea, and the two women dream of the day when they''ll be reunited with their loved ones. But as victory approaches, Ruth finds that the legacy of war is more powerful than even she had imagined...Trade Review'Dee Williams knows her London setting thoroughly and recreates it convinvingly with a few deft words. [The novel is] written with flair and assurance' Historical Novels Review (Issue 18) * Historical Novels Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAfter working in the media sector for many years, Lauren Chater turned her passion for reading and research into a professional pursuit. The Lace Weaver was her debut, and her most recent novel is The Winter Dress. She is currently completing her Masters of Cultural Heritage through Deakin University in Victoria, Australia.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSecrets will be uncovered . . .''I was absolutely gripped . . . the atmospheric setting of Greyfriars intertwined with the grim reality of the war camps of Singapore was inspirational.'' Linda Finlay''A thought-provoking and atmospheric read.'' Evie GraceAn epic, sweeping drama about a family with secrets and a house shrouded in mystery, Greyfriars House is perfect for fans of Rachel Hore, Kate Morton, Kate Riordan and Tracey Rees. On a remote Scottish island sits Greyfriars House1939Nine-year-old Olivia Friel is delighted to be spending the summer at Greyfriars House, a place where her parents, their family and friends are always happy. But this year thTrade ReviewI was absolutely gripped . . . the atmospheric setting of Greyfriars intertwined with the grim reality of the war camps of Singapore was inspirational. -- Linda Finlay * author of The Flower Seller *A thought-provoking and atmospheric read. I loved the gradual unfolding of the family's secrets and descriptions of the mysterious Greyfriars House. -- Evie Grace * author or The Maids of Kent trilogy *An epic tale of one woman's determination to follow her dreams * People's Friend on The Shipbuilder's Daughter *A powerful tale of love and loss . . . a great, insightful read * Novelicious on We Shall Remember *Touching and thought-provoking * Lancaster Guardian on We Shall Remember *

Read more less

Book Synopsis As the war comes to an end, can the East End Angels keep the home fires burning? Meet The East End Angels, the newest members of Station Seventy-Five''s ambulance crew . . .Frankie''s fiance, a doctor, is away looking after the troops in Europe - will he return safely home?Winnie has a happy secret - but can she carry on at Station Seventy-Five when she''s going to have a baby?Bella is intrigued by her new friend, a Polish airman.As the war ends and victory is in sight, what next for the girls of Station Seventy-Five?The fourth and final instalment in the acclaimed East End Angels series, following Bella, Winnie and Frankie and their lives as members of Station Seventy-Five''s ambulance crew. Perfect for fans of Sheila Newberry and Katie Flynn.Readers love the East End Angels series . . . ''Wonderfully written by one very tal

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE BRAND NEW SAGA SERIES BY ROSIE HENDRY - meet the Women on the Home Front . . . Winner of the 2022 Romantic Novelist Association, Romantic Saga Award Will friendship and motherhood keep the Women on the Home Front safe from war?Norfolk, 1939When the residents of Great Plumstead, a small and charming community in Norfolk, offer to open their homes to evacuees from London, they''re expecting to care for children. So when a train carrying expectant mothers pulls into the station, the town must come together to accommodate their unexpected new arrivals . . .Sisters Prue and Thea welcome the mothers with open arms, while others fear their peaceful community will be disrupted. But all pregnant Marianne seeks is a fresh start for herself and her unborn child. Though she knows that is only possible as long as her new neighbours don''t discover the tru

Read more less

Book SynopsisHISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH - THE TIMESOne night in autumn 1944, a gunshot echoes through the alleyways of a small town in occupied Poland. An S.S. officer is shot dead by a young Polish Jew, Margarita Ejzenstain. In retaliation, his commander orders the execution of thirty-seven Poles - one for every year of the dead man''s life. First hidden by a German couple, Margarita must then flee the brutal advance of the Soviet army with her new-born baby. So begins a thrilling panorama of intermingled destinies and events that reverberate from that single act of defiance. KINGDOM OF TWILIGHT follows the lives of Jewish refugees and a German family resettled from Bukovina, as well as a former S.S. officer, chronicling the geographical and psychological dislocation generated by war. A quest for identity and truth takes them from Displaced Persons camps to Lübeck, Berlin, Tel Aviv and New York, as they try to make sense of a changed world, Trade ReviewA novel about the aftermath of the war, the tribulations of uneasy peace and the violent birth of Israel . . . KINGDOM OF TWILIGHT is powerful and original -- Antonia Senior * The Times *Uhly skilfully unrolls an epic canvas yet rarely loses sight of the individual details that bring his characters to life -- Nick Rennison * Sunday Times *A gripping, thoroughly researched novel . . . Steven Uhly's Kingdom of Twilight should be at the centre of literary debate * Süddeutsche Zeitung *One of the most important and powerful novels of recent German literature * Deutschlandradio Kultur *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Light We Lost comes a sweeping and achingly romantic story of the course of fate, the meaning of family and the power of love. . . Italy, 1946The son of a count and the daughter of a tailor belong to opposing worlds. But when they set eyes on each other, an undeniable spark ignites a passionate relationship. Until shifts in political power force them to commit what the other believes is a betrayal, and their bright future together is shattered.New York, 2017Cassandra and Luca are in love. Although neither fits the other''s family, they have always felt like a perfect match. Then Luca, an artist, convinces his grandfather and Cass''s grandmother to pose for a painting, past and present collide to reveal a secret that changes everything . . .***Readers have fallen in love with this story . . .''What a BEAUTIFUL story! Jill Santopolo has totally outdone herse

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first thing I remember being said of me with any consistency was that I was intelligent - and I recognized even then that it was a comment leveled at me with as much disapproval as admiration. Still, I never tried to hide or suppress my mind as some girls do, and thank god, because that would have been the beginning of the end.From childhood, Katherine knows she is different, and that her parents are not who they seem to be. But in becoming a mathematician, she faces the most human of problems - who is she? What is the cost of love, and what is the cost of ambition? On her quest to conquer the Riemann Hypothesis, the greatest unsolved mathematical problem of her time, she turns to a theorem with a mysterious history that holds both the lock and key to her identity, and to secrets long buried during World War II. Forced to confront some of the biggest events of the twentieth century and rethink everything she knows of herself, Katherine strives to tTrade ReviewKatherine, the narrator of this unusual novel, is an eminent American-Chinese academic fixated on the Holy Grail of mathematics...Chung is smart enough to keep the mathematics to a minimum and concentrate on the human elements in her story: a young woman's battle for acceptance in a male-dominated world; her misadventures in love; and her torturous journey to track down her real parents in Germany * Mail on Sunday, Best New Fiction *An elegantly constructed puzzle of a novel...what had seemed to be a Hidden Figures-style female-genius-in-a-male-world narrative turns into a thrilling back-to-my-roots mystery * DailyTelegraph *The 10th muse, in Chung's world, is the one who got away to pursue her own interests and develop her own mind...In young Katherine's love of science and maths, and her yearning for more connection with her mother, there are strong overtones of Jenny Offill's wonderful debut Last Things...A most memorable heroine, a sympathetic, mesmerising voice who tells a deceptively simple story centred on identity and a never-ending quest for knowledge and truth * Irish Times *A truly spellbinding read * Woman & Home, December Book of the Month *Ambitious, insightful and distinctive, Chung's latest novel is a beautiful exploration of the human condition . . . a spellbinding read * Woman's Own *A complex family history, elegant equations, romance and a heroine who refuses to be sidelined in the male-dominated world of mathematics makes this deft novel an engrossing, emotional read...There are betrayals closer to home, too, jeopardising Katherine's career, as love, ambition and intellectual endeavour come into conflict in this smart, satisfying book * Sunday Express *Katherine looks back at her life in mathematics, a career shaped by her particular time and circumstances in post-war America and Europe. A position that nevertheless speaks all too clearly to our own place and time today. Catherine Chung is brilliant at showing us the forces which either block or encourage Katherine's career * Glasgow Herald *Not only is the writing dazzling, this intelligent novel about a woman ahead of her time is also a proper page-turner * Good Housekeeping *Enthralling * Psychologies *Cleanly feminist-flavoured novel that contains stories within stories in ways that seem to push at the workings of the universe itself * Metro *A unique and refreshing read * Candis *[An] affecting tale . . . pleasingly well-crafted * Daily Mail *The reader's blood boils along with Katherine's. As she fights for recognition, she also embarks on an investigation into her own confused origins...Page-turner, philosophical investigation and statement of intent, The Tenth Muse is an entertaining and provocative contribution to the era of #MeToo * Big Issue *Katherine is determined to be taken seriously. Here, the novel is most trenchant: in railing against the sexism for so long ingrained in academia...There is no dearth of short-changed women in history - in science or in general. The Tenth Muse is keenly aware of how easily the past can be rewritten, achievements and lives subtracted...A panegyric to women who blaze their own paths, and tell their own stories * New Scientist *A RECOMMENDED BOOK FROM:Los Angeles Times * USA Today * O, the Oprah Magazine * Buzzfeed * The Rumpus * Entertainment Weekly * Elle * BBC * Christian Science Monitor * Electric Literature * The Millions * LitHub * Publishers Weekly * Kirkus * Refinery29 * Thrillist * BookBub * Nylon * Bustle * GoodreadsThe cliché that boys are better at math collapses before the diamond-hard mind of a grad student whose relentless attempt to prove a legendary hypothesis exposes a deeper algorithm about herself....Chung spins her captivating novel from stories of actual women who, in her words, "posed as schoolboys, married tutors, and moved across continents, all to study and excel at mathematics * O, the Oprah Magazine *A page-turning intellectual thriller, a family romance, an alternative history of twentieth-century math - I couldn't put it down * Elif Batuman *The Tenth Muse is as ambitious and intriguing as the complex math problems Katherine, the protagonist of this remarkable novel, aims to solve. In this novel -the scope of which is staggering - Chung has crafted a story that is moving, elegant and richly written. Her prose, as it unfolds, becomes an elusive equation readers will yearn to solve * Roxane Gay *Ambitious, mesmerizing, and immersive, The Tenth Muse gives us a character we'd follow anywhere, and journeys well worth following her on. This novel dazzles * Rebecca Makkai, author of The Great Believers *Catherine Chung has written a deft, spellbinding emotional puzzle-box of a book, rich and intricately layered. The Tenth Muse slowly, carefully builds to turn your every expectation on its head, and reading it feels like a glimpse of what mathematics might be in the eyes of its ablest practitioners--both secret and sublime * Téa Obreht *The Tenth Muse is a must-read. This beautiful, captivating novel has it all: A riveting family secret; a heroine ahead of her time; and a brilliant historical narrative that sheds light on the way we live now * J. Courtney Sullivan, author of Saints for All Occasions *A sweeping tale of betrayal, legacy, brilliant women and WWII * USA Today *Two great enigmas form the center of this elegant novel, in which a brilliant mathematician attempts to solve the impenetrable Riemann hypothesis and learn the truth of her family history. Katherine is the daughter of an American G.I. and a Chinese immigrant who disappears when Katherine is a girl. During her childhood, in the nineteen-fifties, in Michigan, her intelligence and mixed heritage alienate many people, and lead her to wonder 'in each situation whether this time it was my femaleness or my Asianness or the combination of both that branded me different'...In the novel's portrait of her perseverance, it pays moving homage to all the 'unhailed, unnamed' women in history whose talents were dismissed * New Yorker *The Tenth Muse centers on Katherine, an aspiring mathematician whose studies take her deep into her family history, and a legacy of genius and empowerment which probes compelling questions about her identity * Entertainment Weekly *Need a metaphor for the unassailable tangle of the self? The Riemann Hypothesis, one of the great unsolved mathematical problems, does nicely in this novel. About 50 years ago, mathematician Katherine was attempting to unpick its knot, and at the same time deal with revelations about her own family heritage * Elle *Can a mathematician also be an accomplished storyteller? The answer is an emphatic yes.... Elegant and absorbing fiction....Her work radiates a love of the subject....Her real subject, beyond the magic of storytelling, is the problem of identity, as shaped by gender, ethnicity, history and choice * Chicago Tribune *Reading The Tenth Muse is like setting out on a boat for a short trip and finding the way back barred by waves that grow taller and taller. And then the boat itself turns out to be a riddle; a paper boat, each leaf bound to the other with equations of fearsome beauty. Arresting in scope and its treatment of time, its prose at turns crystalline and richly balletic, this story pulls puzzle from puzzle--human, historical, and all too contemporary * Helen Oyeyemi, author of Gingerbread *Catherine Chung's first book, Forgotten Country, cut my heart open; I want to read The Tenth Muse right now * R.O. Kwon *Chung masterfully subverts our expectations... Endlessly thrilling. An exquisite story of legacy, selfhood, survival, and integrity... The Tenth Muse is an inspiring tour de force of STEAM proportions: a riveting intersection of mathematics and art * The Rumpus *Chung's impressive, poignant second novel explores the intersections between of intellectual and familial legacies...Chung persuasively interweaves myths and legends with the real-world stories of lesser-known women mathematicians and of WWII on both the European and Asian fronts. The legacy that Katherine inherits may defy the kinds of elegant proofs to which mathematicians aspire, but Chung's novel boldly illustrates that truth and beauty can reside even amid the messiest solutions * Publishers Weekly, starred review *A powerful and virtuosically researched story about the mysteries of the head and the heart * Kirkus, starred review *Chung uses the history and language of mathematics in The Tenth Muse to explore how the past is inextricably tied to the present. Her writing has a beautiful clarity, and the novel has an epic feel, sweeping between decades and continents without ever losing sight of the human lives at stake. This is a timely story about a woman searching for her identity in an inhospitable environment and emerging scarred but triumphant * BookPage (starred review) *In this powerful historical novel, a female mathematician recounts the personal and professional challenges of finding her way in a male-dominated field * Shelf Awareness (starred review) *Katherine looks back at her life in mathematics, a career shaped by her particular time and circumstances in post-warAmerica and Europe. A position that nevertheless speaks all too clearly to our own place and time today. Catherine Chung is brilliant at showing us the forces which either block or encourage Katherine's career * Herald *If you like puzzles, then this mesmerising novel has them all: human, historical and gloriously mathematical. It charts the life of a woman who seeks to conquer the Riemann hypothesis, a quest that could reveal the truth about her own identity and hidden deeds from the Second World War * The Herald *On discovering that the woman who raised her isn't really her mother, young mathematician Katherine begins lookingfor other things that don't quite add up, from unsolved formulas to sexism at her university, MIT. Written in sparse yetlyrical prose, this is an elegantly constructed puzzle of a novel * Daily Telegraph *

Read more less

Book SynopsisNumber One bestseller Maureen Lee''s first novel of the hugely popular Pearl Street series.''With her talent for storytelling, queen of saga-writing Maureen Lee weaves intrigue, love and warmth into every page''My WeeklyAs Britain stands alone against a monstrous enemy, the inhabitants of Pearl Street, in Liverpool, face hardship and heartbreak with courage and humour.The war touches each of them in a different way: for Annie Poulson, a widow, it means never-ending worry when her twin boys are called up and sent to France; Sheila Reilly''s husband, Cal, faces the terror of U-Boat attacks; Eileen Costello is liberated from a bitter, loveless marriage when her husband is sent to Egypt and she goes to work in a munitions factory - and falls in love. And Jessica Fleming, down on her luck, is forced to return to the street she''d hoped never to see again.Trade ReviewMaureen Lee is one of those hugely talented authors who writes great women for women readers. Her books don't just have one heroine, they have several * DAILY RECORD *With her talent for storytelling, queen of saga-writing Maureen Lee weaves intrigue, love and warmth into every page * MY WEEKLY *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA Washington Post and Oprah Best Book of the Year. An epic, thrilling and poignant novel split between Europe and America, war and peace, the past and the present, told through the unlikely passage of a dazzling peacock pendant.Trade ReviewAn ambitious, perceptive novel * Guardian *Ayelet Waldman's new novel, Love and Treasure, places the Hungarian Gold Train at the heart of a multigenerational tale largely set in Salzburg in 1945 and in Budapest, both in the present and in 1913. Crucial to its plot is an enameled pendant, intricately worked in the design of a peacock, unusually colored in purple, white and green. Waldman skillfully interweaves this striking and enigmatic object - a symbol, as the book progresses, of fatal bad luck - into an ambitious sweep of history, setting the loss of millions of human lives against the pendant's own poignant, improbable survival. Waldman sustains her multiple plot lines with breathless confidence and descriptive panache, fashioning complex personalities caught up in an inexorable series of events. * New York Times *By allowing the narrative frames of the novel to interweave different stories and historical tales, Waldman creates a rich tapestry of detail which is both beautiful and heart-wrenching. At times funny, constantly compassionate, Love and Treasure forces you to look at the true value of objects and the worth of a life. A wonderful and extremely precious book. * Press Association *Complex and thoughtful, moving and carefully researched, this is a novel to love and treasure. * Philippa Gregory *stunningly imaginative * Daily Express *Love & Treasure is something of a treasure trove of a novel. Where the opening chapters evoke the nightmare of Europe in the aftermath of World War II with the hallucinatory vividness of Anselm Kiefer's disturbing canvases, the concluding chapters, set decades before, are a bittersweet evocation of thwarted personal destinies that yet yield to something like cultural triumph. Ayelet Waldman is not afraid to create characters for whom we feel an urgency of emotion, and she does not resolve what is unresolvable in this ambitious, absorbing and poignantly moving work of fiction. * Joyce Carol Oates *One is quickly caught up in Love and Treasure with its shifting tones and voices - at times a document, a thriller, a love story, a search - telescoping time backwards and forwards to vividly depict a story found in the preludes and then the after-effects of the Holocaust. Waldman gives us remarkable characters in a time of complex and surprising politics. * Michael Ondaatje *Love & Treasure is like the treasure train it chases: fast-paced, bound by a fierce mission, full of bright secrets and racingly, relentlessly moving. * Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) *Waldman is a wonderfully imaginative writer . . . absorbing . . . As with the painting in Susan Vreeland's Girl in Hyacinth Blue and the manuscript in Geraldine Brooks's People of the Book the link between these separate stories in Love and Treasure is a pendant decorated with the picture of a peacock. In Waldman's exceedingly clever treatment, this piece of jewelry is not intrinsically valuable; it accrues value only as it passes from one unlikely hand to another, demonstrating the curious and tragic ways that history binds us together. . . a tense and romantic story that never seems polemical or overdetermined. . . a marvelous panorama of early 20th-century attitudes about women . . . Moving. -- Ron Charles * Washington Post *In Ayelet Waldman's thoughtful, expansive Love and Treasure, American soldiers occupying Austria after World War II discover an immense freight train full of personal effects pillaged from Hungarian Jews... Absorbing... The pendant's crooked passage across the century serves as a connecting device, holding the book's elegantly balanced parts together like the wire in a Calder mobile. In the end, Love and Treasure is less concerned with belongings than with belonging - with the Jewish people's ongoing hunt for community and homeland, and what one character calls 'a sense of loyalty and identity.' Those things, once stolen, are much harder to get back. -- Sam Sacks * Wall Street Journal *What ethics govern the custodians of property that can never be returned? How do the personal and the political intertwine in the wake of historical tragedy? These questions permeate the novel... Charming... The failings of the characters imbues them with a fuller and more complex humanity... the book's best moments explore subtle ambiguities... the human stories behind the looted objects flicker into life. -- Nick Romeo * Boston Globe *In her 12th book, Love & Treasure, Ayelet Waldman ambitiously takes on the monumental atrocities of the Holocaust - and much more... the author does an excellent job of constructing a cohesive and engaging narrative... the three main female characters - Ilona, Natalie and Nina - are headstrong women brimming with passion, regrets and ideals. With her essays and Twitter presence, Waldman herself is no stranger to strong opinions, and her fictional trio of women embodies a similar tenor of strength and belief... In this novel, Waldman reaches thoughtfully into an epic sweep of complex issues related to identity, home, dislocation and feminism, and illuminates her ideas through the critical junctures of the journeys of both the pendant and the painting. In the end, as readers, we gain a deeper understanding of what it means to covet and what it means to love. -- S. Kirk Walsh * San Francisco Gate *Like a set of Russian nesting dolls, Ayelet Waldman's historically resonant new novel offers stories within stories, spanning a century of European wars and social movements, (mostly) ill-starred relationships, and the ambiguous aftermath of these upheavals... Something of a page-turner, Love and Treasure dares to throw readers off balance and keep them searching for resolution to dangling plot threads... In its epilogue, Love and Treasure gives us a taste of what we've been craving - not a final plot twist, but rather a sense of both the solidity and mutability of the novel's primary symbol, the peacock pendant. The pendant evokes not simply "a remnant of regret" for doomed love, but a "complicated legacy of memory and forgetting." Like the diary of Anne Frank, or the pile of shoes without owners in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, it stands for nothing less than the loss of an entire world. * Chicago Tribune *Well, Ms. Waldman, you can really write, and write brilliantly... The story moves seamlessly from 2013 in Maine, to March 1938, when Hitler invaded Austria, to 1945, and back to 2013 in Budapest and Israel, unfolding against the backdrop of monumental historical events... It would be a mistake to call Love and Treasure a Holocaust novel, although it is that, too. More than anything, this is a tale of hope, the unbreakable spirit of a people and the transformative power of love. * Huffington Post *If the riveting history around which Ayelet Waldman's new novel is weaved doesn't draw you in, the characters that infuse it certainly will. Vividly crafted and full of intriguing complexity, Waldam's characters breathe life into a story of art, war, stolen treasures, forgotten crimes and star-crossed love... Skillfully crafted and told from multiple perspectives within a narrative that telescopes through time, Love and Treasure tells a captivating story about treasure lost and found and calls us to reevaluate what it is that we treasure most. * Bustle.com *Indeed the joy of this novel isn't just in the all-encompassing story; it's not just in the history that the world as a whole should not only know but also acknowledge. It's not even just in the encyclopaedic coverage that weaves knowledge seamlessly into a flowing narration. The joy of this novel is that we get all of this in a single volume making it well worth a read * Bookbag.co.uk *A powerful love story... With changing voices and a story that spans 100 years, Love and Treasure gives us the loves of characters before and after the Holocaust, and shows how love can endure - despite the horror and complexity of conflict. * Irish Tatler *absorbing... a compelling meditation on love, missed connections and the pull of history on the present... well-written and entertaining throughout. * USA Today *Ambitious... The eternal human struggle for self-determination and dignity pulses throughout. * People *Love and Treasure, the new novel by Ayelet Waldman, couldn't be more timely... Waldman builds her narrative, which moves between three distinct stories and time periods, around one of the most notorious cases of property theft in WWII... It is a story ripe for retelling... Love and Treasure offers not just one romance, but two - one tragic, one comic... Drawing on what was clearly extensive research, Waldman brings to life the world of the Central European Jewish haute bourgeoisie, reveling in its textures, exposing its hypocrisies, and cheering on the incipient feminism that Nina represents... [A] fantasia on historical themes. * Tablet magazine *Classic perfection... heartwarming and inspiring... interesting and educational, informing the reader about little-known segments of history through the eyes of well-drawn, credible, and sympathetic characters. The narrative progresses in a quiet, steady suspense of human drama without any melodramatic action. One never knows what turning the page will bring. Highly recommended. * New York Journal of Books *Divorced, unemployed, and listless, Natalie Stein goes on a wild-goose chase to find the rightful heir of a WWII relic... This screams big-screen adaptation: Natalie Portman as Natalie Stein, perhaps? * Marie Claire *Waldman's novel skips continents and generations, telling a multi-layered and well-constructed story. * Christian Science Monitor *Inspired by the true story of World War II's Hungarian Gold Train, the tale set in present-day New York centers on a woman uncovering the truth about what her grandfather did as an American soldier in the war. . . [For] fans of The Goldfinch, treasure hunts and the work of Waldman's husband, Michael Chabon. * The Hollywood Reporter *This lush, multigenerational tale... traces the path of a single pendant.... Inventively told from multiple perspectives, Waldman's latest is a seductive reflection on just how complicated the idea of 'home' is - and why it is worth more than treasure. * Publishers Weekly *Waldman assuredly moves her novel in unexpected directions. At times a love story, and sometimes even a thriller, Love and Treasure reads like a document of the Holocaust, while also delving into the art world and embarking on an exploration of suffrage and the plight of women in the early twentieth century. Love and Treasure most successfully investigates what it means to be human. Waldman's somewhat playful take on Freudian analysis via Dr Zobel's couch is a delight to read, often disturbing and sometimes downright scary. There are no off-notes in this unpredictable and remarkable novel. * Readings *Ms. Waldman opens an intriguing topic here about the repatriation of art lost or stolen during wars or oppressive political regimes, and she presents a fresh perspective. Amitai, whose cynicism melts when he falls in love with Natalie, is my favorite character in a novel filled with good ones. His reaction to the Holocaust, like Jack's, changes as the novel gets deeper. After he engages a tour with a professor of Holocaust Studies in order to learn more about the objects he'll soon be buying, Amitai voices what many readers will find a disturbing viewpoint. The whirlwind tour of Auschwitz, Treblinka and other death camps infuriates him, but not for the predictable reason. Instead he wonders, what "was the point of elevating the history of Jewish calamity to such fetishistic heights? Wasn't it a kind of idolatry?" These are questions you won't often hear asked in America, but they're important in light of this country's relationship to Israel. However, that's not why you should read Love and Treasure. Read it because it's a wonderful book, filled with energy and wit, its tragedies leavened with love and insight. * Pittsburgh Post Gazette *It's an absorbing, ambitious novel which manages to combine two love stories with the pace of a thriller while throwing light on an aspect of the Holocaust unusual in fiction." * A Life In Books *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA dramatic and fascinating novel based on a notorious breakout by Japanese prisoners from an Australian POW camp in 1944, encapsulating the impact of war on ordinary lives.Trade ReviewKeneally skilfully weighs broad cultural questions against the concerns of the soldiers and community . . . In a supremely dramatic ending, it is impossible to guess the fate of any of the characters. * Mail on Sunday *His writing is remarkably evocative, whether he is describing everyday occurrences or characters . . . we gain an insight into the minds of the Japanese so even if we don't empathise with their desire for a glorious death, we can comprehend it. * Independent on Sunday *A story very suited to Keneally's talent for letting his imagination play on real-life events. The narrative is gripping, slow-moving but absorbing for the first half and more of the novel, then fast-moving, exciting and appalling. * Scotsman *Keneally's fine novel gives us insight into how, over time (as in Australia itself), imprisonment, even brutal imprisonment, can evolve into something worthy of the human race. * The Times *Readers wondering whether there is anything new to be said about the world wars of the twentieth century can pick up one of Keneally's books for a renewed sense of how it felt to live through those terrifying times . . . [he] makes the reader sympathise with the mindset of the prisoners, having rooted out yet another unfamiliar and powerful example of the madness of war. * Sunday Express *Shame and the Captives suggests that Keneally's late period is as rich as any other in his fifty-year career . . . Keneally's elegant classicism miniaturises grand narratives - here the war in the Pacific - without sacrificing subtlety . . . Shame and the Captives is sobering, horrifying, humane and even strangely uplifting. * Literary Review *A tremendously accomplished novel, rich in character, detail and incident. It is the work of a master novelist * Sunday Business Post, Ireland *As he states in his introduction: "Fiction has always tried to tell the truth by telling lies." On the evidence of this book, and at seventy-eight years of age, Keneally remains one of the most compelling liars on the planet. * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA dramatic and fascinating novel based on a notorious breakout by Japanese prisoners from an Australian POW camp in 1944, encapsulating the impact of war on ordinary lives.Trade ReviewHis steamroller energy, his incredible facility as a teller of tales, is undiminished . . . A tremendously accomplished novel, rich in character, detail and incident. It is the work of a master novelist -- Kevin Power * Sunday Business Post (Ireland) *Keneally's gift, and his blessing to the many hundreds of characters he has created, is always to find the extraordinary within the ordinary. -- Peter Pierce * The Australian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisPam Evans'' family saga brings post-war London vividly to life as, amid rationing and food shortages, a young girl finds a passion for growing her own vegetables.It is 1945 and April Green and her cousin Heather wonder if the war will ever end. Then tragedy strikes when the local pub in Chiswick takes a direct hit. April and her brother do all they can to help their grieving mother and, by tending her father''s allotment, April discovers a passion for growing vegetables.Meanwhile, Winnie Benson is facing the fact that her husband may never walk again and, until their son, George, returns from the Merchant Navy, Winnie must run their greengrocer''s on her own. Once the war is over and George is home, things start to improve but rationing remains in force and April''s supply of home-grown vegetables couldn''t be more welcome. And, before long, George can''t help wishing he was the apple of her eye...Trade Review'An unforgettable tale of life during the war' - Our Time'A touching novel' - Daily Express'Nostalgia, heartbreak, danger and war: all the ingredients of an engrossing novel' - Bolton News'There's a special kind of warmth that shines through the characters' - Lancashire Evening Post'This book touched me very, very much. It's lovely' - North Wales Chronicle

Read more less