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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > Historical fiction
June 1629. Laden with treasure and the riches of Europe, the merchantman Batavia, flagship of the Dutch East India Company, sails on her maiden voyage from Amsterdam bound for the East Indies. But thirty miles off the coast of Terra Incognita Australis-the unknown south land-she smashes into an uncharted reef. The survivors-women and children, sailors, soldiers and merchants-are washed ashore on a pair of uninhabited, hostile islands, with little food or fresh water. Desperately seeking help, the ship's officers set out in an open boat to make a two-thousand-mile journey to the nearest trading post. While they are gone, from the struggle for survival on the islands, there emerges a tyrant whose brutal lust for power is even deadlier than the reef which wrecked the Batavia.
1941, Berlin. After Police Chief Investigator Rolf Schneider is summoned to a meeting with Himmler and tasked with investigating the assassination of Heydrich, he exposes a web of corruption and secrecy involving the highest-ranking figures in the Reich. Schneider is faced with an agonising dilemma, for the secret he discovers is both the only thing that can save his life and what will mark him down for certain death. His choice will propel him into a desperate race against the clock, one in which he literally has to travel to the very heart of darkness to realise his goal.
Meg just wants her family to be together at Christmas. But her mother's illness gets worse every day and her sister is off doing god knows what. So when Meg loses her job in the bakery she doesn't know how they'll cope. Luckily, she knows Frank, the owner of a local patisserie, who offers her a job. But Meg isn't suited for fancy cake and frills. All she wants is to feed her family and make them proud but, as winter takes hold, it feels like everything is stacked against her. Can she make a success of herself before Christmas?
From Silvia Moreno-Garcia, the New York Times bestselling author of MEXICAN GOTHIC (July 2020) and VELVET WAS THE NIGHT (August 2021), comes UNTAMED SHORE, a dark cocktail mixing a nuanced coming-of-age story with a classical noir. 'Brutality takes on an almost divine quality' LA Review of Books Baja California, 1979: Viridiana spends her days under the harsh sun, watching the fishermen pulling in their nets and the dead sharks piled beside the seashore. Her head is filled with dreams of romance, travel and of a future beyond this drab town where her only option is to marry and have children. When a wealthy American writer arrives with his wife and brother-in-law, Viridiana jumps at the offer of a job as his assistant, and she's soon entangled in the glamorous foreigners' lives. They offer excitement, and perhaps an escape from her humdrum life. When one of them dies, eager to protect her new friends, Viridiana lies - but soon enough, someone's asking questions. It's not long before Viridiana has some of her own questions about the identities of her new acquaintances. Sharks may be dangerous, but there are worse predators nearby, ready to devour a naive young woman unwittingly entangled in a web of deceit.
Two moments in England's rise to empire, separated by centuries,
yet connected by a crime that cannot be forgiven . . .
A BBC TWO BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE WINNER OF THE MAN ASIAN LITERARY PRIZE AND THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE Teoh Yun Ling was seventeen years old when she first heard about Aritomo and the garden. But a war would come to Malaya, and a decade pass before she would travel to see him. A man of extraordinary skill and reputation, Aritomo was once the gardener for the Emperor of Japan, and now Yun Ling needs him. She needs him to help her build a memorial to her beloved sister, killed at the hands of the Japanese. She wants to learn everything Aritomo can teach her, and do her sister proud, but to do so she must also begin a journey into her own past, a past inextricably linked with the secrets of her troubled country. A story of art, war, love and memory, The Garden of Evening Mists captures a dark moment in history with richness, power and incredible beauty.
In 1837, at the height of the Carlist Wars and a time of conflict between the past and future, a young Prussian man crosses the Pyrenees to fight for the 'Order'. Finding himself trapped in the ruins of an abandoned city, his bewilderment at the war and what it means increases. Friendship, family, religion and politics: everything is distorted, transformed or destroyed. The Others oscillates masterfully between humour and tragedy and is a novel full of music, eccentric characters and extraordinary scenes.
How much would you sacrifice for true love? The second novel in Paullina Simons' stunning End of Forever saga continues the heartbreaking story of Julian and Josephine, and a love that spans lifetimes. Julian has travelled from the heights of joy to the depths of despair and back again. Having found his love - twice - and lost her - twice, he is resolved to continue his search and find her in the past again. Perhaps this time he can save her. But the journey is never so simple and Julian will have to decide just how much one man can sacrifice. He is willing to give up everything - but he must learn what that truly means, and how much more can be taken from you than you ever believed possible.
'A panoramic, ambitious tale.' The Times 'Exceptional.' Salman Rushdie 'Powerful.' Christine Mangan 'Captivating.' Elle From the internationally bestselling author of Lullaby, The Country of Others is perfect for fans of Elena Ferrante, Tracy Chevalier, and Maggie O'Farrell. 1944. After the Liberation, Mathilde leaves France to join her husband in Morocco. But life here is unrecognisable to this brave and passionate young woman. Her life is now that of a farmer's wife - with all the sacrifices and vexations that brings. Suffocated by the heat, by her loneliness on the farm and by the mistrust she inspires as a foreigner, Mathilde grows increasingly restless. As Morocco's struggle for independence intensifies, Mathilde and her husband find themselves caught in the crossfire.
An enchanting novel about fate, second chances, and hope, lost and found, by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Last of the Moon Girls. Soline Roussel is well schooled in the business of happy endings. For generations her family has kept an exclusive bridal salon in Paris, where magic is worked with needle and thread. It's said that the bride who wears a Roussel gown is guaranteed a lifetime of joy. But devastating losses during World War II leave Soline's world and heart in ruins and her faith in love shaken. She boxes up her memories, stowing them away, along with her broken dreams, determined to forget. Decades later, while coping with her own tragic loss, aspiring gallery owner Rory Grant leases Soline's old property and discovers a box containing letters and a vintage wedding dress, never worn. When Rory returns the mementos, an unlikely friendship develops, and eerie parallels in Rory's and Soline's lives begin to surface. It's clear that they were destined to meet-and that Rory may hold the key to righting a forty-year wrong and opening the door to shared healing and, perhaps, a little magic.
It is 1206 AD, the year that Dini, the adopted son of Mudivi, the zivi of Mpemba Kasi, turns 12. There is joy and jubilation as Mudivi’s first wife falls pregnant, but the joy is short-lived when she gives birth to a baby girl with the same skin tone as Dini – a skin tone most abhorred in Mpemba Kasi. Further South-East, in the Kingdom of Mapungubwe, the Lemba lived harmoniously with the Vhangona as one. The Lemba’s sacred drum, in the custody of their high priest, has been exploited by the king of the Vhangona to conquer other kingdoms. The king of Mpemba Kasi learns of the plan and intercepts the drum. Hadzhi and Mukoma, are determined to find their sacred drum and will not rest until it is returned home. The journey is unkind, and as Hadzhi, with the same skin tone as Dini, finds himself alone in the journey, he is determined to enter the Kingdom of Mpemba Kasi to retrieve the drum. But the kingdom has not forgotten about the boy whose skin tone continues to scorn the kingdom’s divi through a girl he left behind. As soon as Hadzhi enters the kingdom, a muddle of cheers and cries can be heard – jubilant cheers from the villagers as their whips pierce through the body tied to a pole, and a cry for help from a boy dying for the sins of the other who resembles his skin tone.
Koos Sas, Khoi plaaswerker op Touwsrivier smag na die vryheid wat sy voorouers gehad het. Terwyl hy dros van sy werk op die plaas, kom hy tot die besef dat Suiderlike Afrika nou opgedeel is in plase wat aan individuele eienaars behoort. Britse imperialisme en die mag van die gereg bring hom in botsing met die samelewing. Kort voor lank word hy berug in die kolonie. Sy situasie word oornag gekompliseer met die ontmoeting van ‘n Khoi meisie wat self opsoek is na vryheid. Die soeke na vryheid word vererger deur Koos se miskenning van die mitologie van die Khoi, wat hom op ‘n dwaalspoor plaas.
From the award-winning author of "A Rose for the Crown, Daughter of
York, "and "The King's Grace "comes another masterful historical
novel--the story of Cecily of York, mother of two kings and the
heroine of one of history's greatest love stories.
Shortlisted for the 2021 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize and longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger 2021. City of Vengeance is an explosive debut novel in an historical thriller series by D. V. Bishop, set in Renaissance Florence. 'An impressive and immersive debut set in a beautifully realized sixteenth-century Florence' - Antonia Hodgson 'A first-class historical thriller . . . Bishop's spirited and richly detailed story is a tour-de-force' - David Baldacci Florence. Winter, 1536. A prominent Jewish moneylender is murdered in his home, a death with wide implications in a city powered by immense wealth. Cesare Aldo, a former soldier and now an officer of the Renaissance city's most feared criminal court, is given four days to solve the murder: catch the killer before the feast of Epiphany - or suffer the consequences. During his investigations Aldo uncovers a plot to overthrow the volatile ruler of Florence, Alessandro de' Medici. If the Duke falls, it will endanger the whole city. But a rival officer of the court is determined to expose details about Aldo's private life that could lead to his ruin. Can Aldo stop the conspiracy before anyone else dies, or will his own secrets destroy him first? 'Richly atmospheric . . . transports you to another time and place' - Ambrose Parry, author of The Way of All Flesh Continue the historical series with The Darkest Sin.
From the bestselling author of The Librarian of Auschwitz, Antonio Iturbe, comes a captivating historical novel based on a true story - the extraordinary life and mysterious death of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author of The Little Prince. Flying. Love. War. For some men everything is an adventure . . . All Antoine de Saint Exupery wants to do is be a pilot. But flying is a dangerous dream and one that sets him at odds with his aristocratic background and the woman he loves. Despite attempts to keep him grounded, Antoine is determined to venture forwards into the unknown. Together with his friends, Jean and Henri, he will pioneer new mail routes across the globe and help change the future of aviation. In the midst of his adventures, Antoine also begins to weave a children's story that is destined to touch the lives of millions of readers around the world. A story called The Little Prince . . . Fame and fortune may have finally found Antoine, but as the shadow of war begins to threaten Europe, he's left to wonder whether his greatest adventure is yet to come . . . Translated by Lilit Zekulin Thwaites, The Prince of the Skies is a moving tale of love and friendship, war and heroism, and the power of the written word. Praise for The Prince of the Skies: 'I adored the character of Antoine' - Gill Paul, author of The Secret Wife 'What a beautiful, thought-provoking read' - Jennifer Ryan author of The Chilbury's Ladies Choir and The Kitchen Front
Weaving together the lives of blacks and whites, racists and civil rights advocates, and the events of peaceful protest and violent repression, Sena Jeter Naslund creates a tapestry of American social transformation at once intimate and epic. In Birmingham, Alabama, twenty-year-old Stella Silver, an idealistic white college student, is sent reeling off her measured path by events of 1963. Combining political activism with single parenting and night-school teaching, African American Christine Taylor discovers she must heal her own bruised heart to actualize meaningful social change. Inspired by the courage and commitment of the civil rights movement, the child Edmund Powers embodies hope for future change. In this novel of maturation and growth, Naslund makes vital the intersection of spiritual, political, and moral forces that have redefined America.
Don't miss the sixth and final book in the heartwarming six-part series from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author Dilly Court! Dolly's dreams could lead her astray . . . Dolly Blanchard dreams of a bigger life. She wants to make a mark on the world, not simply wait for a husband to come along. So when an impoverished actress offers her a lifeline, Dolly flees to London, determined to make it on the stage and prove to her family - and herself - that she can strike out alone. But the dark city streets are full of danger. With her dreams fading to dust, Dolly soon finds herself in peril. And with the family's future under threat at Rockwood Castle, and secrets tumbling out of the shadows, she faces a difficult choice. Will her heart call her home? Dilly's novel Sunday's Child hit #1 in the Sunday Times bestselling charts the w/e 25th June 2022.
'A deeply humane and genre-defying work of love and uncompromising hope' Ocean Vuong 'Heartbreaking ... a deeply affecting reckoning with history' i-D An extraordinary, original and heartbreaking debut novel about the bonds that connect people even when separated by seas or death itself, from a thrilling new voice. There are the goodbyes and then the fishing out of the bodies - everything in between is speculation. One night, not long after the last American troops leave Vietnam, siblings Anh, Thanh and Minh flee their village and embark on a perilous boat journey to Hong Kong. Their parents and four younger siblings make the crossing in another vessel but as weeks go by it becomes clear that only one party has survived the voyage. Anh, Thanh and Minh suddenly find themselves alone in the world, without family or home. They travel on, navigating refugee camps and resettlement centres until, by a twist of fate, they arrive in Thatcher's Britain. Here they must somehow build new lives with only each other to turn to, but will that be enough in a place that doesn't seem to want them? In this piercing debut, the siblings' faltering journey is deftly interwoven with the voice of their lost younger brother, Dao, following them from a place between the living and the dead, and the records of an unknown researcher intent on gathering together the strands of their story. Revelatory and inventive, Wandering Souls paints a heart-wrenching portrait of a family in unimaginable adversity while exploring the power of stories to heal generational wounds. It heralds the arrival of an essential new voice in fiction. 'Meticulously researched and beautifully imagined' Tash Aw, author of We, the Survivors 'Tells one of the most important stories of our times' Lucy Caldwell, author of These Days 'Deeply moving and deeply generous... I cried reading it' Yara Rodrigues Fowler, author of there are more things 'A searing, sweeping and intimate story of such heart and scope' Rachel Long, author of My Darling from the Lions |
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