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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > Historical fiction
History is thick with secrets in The Sugar Camp Quilt, seventh in the beloved Elm Creek Quilts series from bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini. Set in Creek's Crossing, Pennsylvania, in the years leading up to the Civil War, the novel follows Dorothea Granger's passage from innocence to wisdom against the harrowing backdrop of the American struggle over slavery. She discovers that a quilt she has stitched for her uncle Jacob with five unusual patterns of his own design contains hidden clues to guide runaway slaves along the Underground Railroad. The heroic journey she undertakes leads to revelations about her own courage and resourcefulness -- newfound qualities that may win her the heart of the best man she has ever known.
When Funke’s mother dies in an accident in Lagos, she’s sent to live
with her maternal family in England. Against a backdrop of
condescension and mild neglect, sensible Funke strives to fit in,
determined to become one of them.
Having brought peace to a country at war with itself the benign Roman governance encouraged previously unknown literacy plus education, trade, farming, an economy and the usage of Roman invention including the improved Roman plough, wind/water mills, double action pump and glass amongst many things. Such wealth production naturally generated envy and crime existed, including treason and murder as well as extortion and fraud, in the 105 towns that catered for a population of 2.5 million. A well organised civil service included policing and Albinus Felix, himself the son of a British ex-slave, had climbed the army's promotion ladder to become chief of intelligence in Britannia to be ably assisted by his son-in-law, Clemens, from a wealthy family in Rome. At daily risk from traitors, confidence tricksters and their acolytes they plan and counter-plan to capture them, at the same time attempting to infiltrate the groups. Experienced Governor Urbicus and his fleet admiral Agrippa offer whatever support is required within the law but often leaving Felix and Clemens out on a limb. A local tribal leader who understands that peace and stability can only benefit the tribes also offers help, to the chagrin of the overall tribal council.
In this timeless survival story, four indentured servants escape
their Russian Alaska work camp in a stolen canoe, only to face a
harrowing journey down the Pacific Northwest coast. Battling
unrelenting high seas and fierce weather from New Archangel,
Alaska, to Astoria, Oregon, the men struggle to avoid hostile
Tlingit Indians, to fend off starvation and exhaustion, and to
endure their own doubt and distrust. Based on an actual incident in
1853, "The Sea Runners" is a spare and awe-inspiring tale of the
human quest for freedom.
The first novel in Julia Quinn’s worldwide bestselling Bridgerton novels, now a series created by Shonda Rhimes for Netflix. This is the story of Daphne Bridgerton and the Duke: welcome to the ballrooms of Regency London . . . By all accounts, Simon Basset is on the verge of proposing to his best friend’s sister, the lovely – and almost-on-the-shelf – Daphne Bridgerton. But the two of them know the truth – it’s all an elaborate plan to keep Simon free from marriage-minded society mothers. And as for Daphne, surely she will attract some worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable . . . Their ruse works like a charm – at first. But as Daphne waltzes across ballroom after ballroom with Simon, it’s hard to remember that their courtship is a complete sham. Maybe it’s his devilish smile, certainly it’s the way his eyes seem to burn every time he looks at her. It wasn’t the plan, but it seems she’s falling for the duke, for real. And amidst the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London’s elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule . . . Find out why readers love Julia Quinn . . .
Fires In the Dark reveals the highly secretive and misunderstood world of the coppersmith gypsies. In 1927, when prosperity still reigns in Central Europe, Yenko is born to two Coppersmith Gypsies. His parents, Josef and Anna, are nomads who raise their son during the relative calm of the Great Depression of the 1930s. Soon, though, dangerous times threaten to unsettle their family, as their heritage makes them vulnerable targets for ethnic cleansing. As Germany invades Czechoslovakia and the conflicts of World War II begin to unfold, Yenko and his parents become fugitives, forced on a journey that promises only great uncertainty and offers survival as a remote possibility. In the course of their flight, the burden of an ancient tradition rests entirely on Yenko's shoulders. In capturing the desperation and perseverance of one family during an extraordinary time in history, Louise Doughty pays powerful homage to an insular and little-known culture.
Marrakech 1966. Vicky Baudin steps onto a train winding through Morocco, looking for the grandmother she has never met. It’s an epic journey that’ll take her to the edge of Atlas Mountains – and closer to the answers she’s been craving all her life. But dark secrets whisper amongst the dunes. And in unlocking the mystery of Clemence’s past, Vicky will unearth great danger too . . .
In 1814, the war being raged on the seas of the Indian Ocean by the all-powerful Franco-British naval forces trying to dominate the lucrative trade routes to India, had ended with a truce. At the stroke of a pen, far away in the city of Paris, the exotic, tropical islands of the Seychelles became a British colony. Forged from their French descendants and African slave roots, and moulded by their new British rulers, a small nation had emerged. It is July 1912 on the island of Mahe, and Anna Savy has just turned sixteen. Anna is a passionate, nature-loving and rebellious young woman at a time when women are confined to specific roles and expectations, and custom and tradition prevail with reverence. Strongly-held beliefs in the goodness and righteousness of God, and in the secret and evil forces of witchcraft, hold equal sway in a closely-knit Catholic community. As a young nurse, Anna experiences both the joy and pain of her people, for survival is a daily struggle for the majority. A smallpox epidemic brings tragedy to Mahe's Victoria Hospital, with the hatred and conflict between Anna's British and Irish colleagues laid bare, whilst forbidden love brings the missing dimension to her life. But then, the First World War brings the worst possible disaster...
A prisoner in a WWII concentration camp discovers a superpower that could keep him alive – he can make the commandant laugh by telling jokes. Pushed to ends of his wit and humanity, Gagman is propelled into a spiralling madness in which he would sell his soul for a gag simply to live another day. Evoking themes from The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Dov Fedler weaves the story of a Faustian bargain brokered in hell, where redemption only comes in the form of a punchline. He must stay funny – or die. Enhanced by Fedler’s own haunting illustrations, Gagman masterfully juxtaposes humour and pathos, while exploring themes of survivor guilt, desperate determination and the search for the meaning of life in the wake of the Holocaust. Swapping his yellow star for a tattered comic book, Gagman roams the new world and our consciousness determined to find answers to the deepest questions about loss, hope and belonging. Gagman is a touching and unique tale of survival through unimaginable horror.
'A gargantuan, memorable story, a film in the making, ready for global success' - La Repubblica, Italy 'A powerful and heart-breaking story about sacrifice and courage' - Le Monde, France Argentina,1978. President Jorge Rafael Videla's military dictatorship reigns with an iron fist, regularly kidnapping, torturing and murdering political activists and opponents and their families at secret concentration camps. The country is locked in a spiral of fear and chaos - and are soon to host the World Cup. As the cacophony of protest against Videla's government rises, his regime's drive to 'disappear' these troublesome elements accelerates before they can embarrass him in front of the world's media. This is the story of a rugby club that refused to be silenced. When one of their teammates is found dead - assassinated - the Club La Plata first XV took a minute's silence before their next game. The minute ran to two ... to three ... For ten long minutes they stood in furious silence. When the junta learned of this protest it wasn't long before another player disappeared. And then another. Over the course of four years, twenty La Plata players were murdered by the regime: gunned down, assassinated, 'disappeared'' This extraordinary novel is based on interviews with survivors of Argentina's so-called 'dirty war' in the seventies, when tens of thousands of protesters disappeared, many never to be found again. Bold, powerful and heart-breaking, The Silenced is a portrait of astonishing courage and defiance and an examination of the unbreakable bonds forged by a team of rugby players in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
The brand-new historical novel based on a true story from the bestselling author of The Rose Code and The Alice Network. In the snowbound city of Kiev, aspiring historian Mila Pavlichenko's life revolves around her young son - until Hitler's invasion of Russia changes everything. Suddenly, she and her friends must take up arms to save their country from the Fuhrer's destruction. Handed a rifle, Mila discovers a gift - and months of blood, sweat and tears turn the young woman into a deadly sniper: the most lethal hunter of Nazis. Yet success is bittersweet. Mila is torn from the battlefields of the eastern front and sent to America while the war still rages. There, she finds an unexpected ally in First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and an unexpected promise of a different future. But when an old enemy from Mila's past joins forces with a terrifying new foe, she finds herself in the deadliest duel of her life. The Diamond Eye is a haunting novel of heroism born of desperation, of a mother who became a soldier, of a woman who found her place in the world and changed the course of history forever.
'What a heroine Endurance Proudfoot is! I loved her from the start. An unconventional woman who takes us on a fascinating - if bumpy - ride through a man's world. I laughed, cried and most of all cheered! Can't stop thinking about it... an absolute cruncher of a tale' Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal 'A complete joy of a novel that, like it's wonderful protagonist's namesake, is a story of endurance against all odds. Full of heart and so eloquently written, THAT BONESETTER WOMAN had me cheering Durie on from start to finish - I absolutely loved it' Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora It's usual, they say, for a young person coming to London for the first time to arrive with a head full of dreams. Well, Endurance Proudfoot did not. When she stepped off the coach from Sussex, on a warm and sticky afternoon in the summer of 1757, it never occurred to her that the city would be the place where she'd make her fortune; she was just very annoyed to be arriving there at all. Meet Endurance Proudfoot: clumsy as a carthorse, strong as an ox, with a tactless tongue and a face she's sure only a mother could love. Durie wants one thing in life: to become a bonesetter like her father. It's physically demanding work, requiring nerves of steel, and he's adamant it's not a job for a woman. Strong-willed and stubborn, Durie's certain that in bonesetting, her big, usually clumsy hands have found their natural calling. So when she's bundled off to London with her beautiful sister, she won't let it stop her realising her dream. As her sister finds fame on the stage, Durie becomes England's most celebrated bonesetter - but what goes up must come down, and her success may become her undoing. Inspired by the true stories of two of Georgian England's most famous celebrities, That Bonesetter Woman is an uplifting tale about finding the courage to go your own way, when everyone says you can't - and about realising that what makes you different can also make you strong. Praise for That Bonesetter Woman: 'Durie Proudfoot is a brilliant heroine: stubborn, flawed and so entertaining to spend time with. I loved every step of her journey, and Frances Quinn is fast becoming one of my favourite historical novelists' Louise Hare 'I adored every second of this book - historical fiction at its finest, and Quinn is a natural storyteller. Quirky, funny and original. Durie and her lions will stay with me' Ericka Waller 'I feel as if I left a little bit of my heart between the pages of this extraordinary book' Nicola Gill 'Filled with hope and humour, That Bonesetter Woman is a novel that truly champions the underdog. I devoured it with as much gusto as the inimitable heroine sets people's bones' Polly Crosby 'That Bonesetter Woman is a wonderfully uplifting, charming, addictive and unusual story. Quinn delivers astute and acutely observed aspects of human behaviour delivered with great humour and compassion. Replace the coffee houses and newspaper scribblers with Twitter and YouTube and I'd say, not so much has changed!' Louise Fein 'Frances Quinn has done it again! Georgian London is vividly brought to life in a fast-paced story full of quirky characters, wry wit, warmth and wisdom. I was completely charmed!' Anita Frank
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