Set in the French countryside of George Sand's childhood and narrated in the unique voice of a Berrichon peasant, La Petite Fadette is a beloved 1848 novel about identical twin brothers and Fadette, the mysterious waif with whom they both fall in love. The brothers, Landry and Sylvinet, belong to a highly respected farm family. When young Landry meets Fadette, whose very name suggests that she is a witch, he is captivated by the girl despite her lowly status and disreputable family. Sylvinet soon follows suit. Fadette's relationship with the twins defies the patriarchal norms of French society as well as the expectations of the village, resulting in a tale of love, courage, and clever strategy winning out over superstition and prejudice. Often regarded as a simple country tale, Sand's novel is layered with meaning, including subtle nods to the burgeoning desire for political and sexual equality in nineteenth-century France. This thoughtful critical translation by Gretchen van Slyke brings the complexity of the original story to life. Her introduction explores the autobiographical and political dimensions of the novel, and her translation preserves the rustic charm and archaic flavor of Sand's language. An invaluable contribution to French literary studies and nineteenth-century literature studies, this new edition ensures that La Petite Fadette will be read by generations to come.

Sonja Haraldsen, a young Norwegian seamstress who works in her family's clothing store, has never dreamed of being famous for anything besides fashion design. Yet one summer evening in 1959, she meets Crown Prince Harald at a party. She's shocked when he wants to see her again, but they quickly fall in love, and Harald proposes marriage less than a year later.

Yet King Olav, who expects his son to marry royal, is firmly opposed to the idea of a common-born seamstress as the next Crown Princess. As His Majesty's approval is legally necessary for the marriage of the heir, Harald and Sonja are left waiting and hoping for the King to change his mind.

Soon, the secret relationship finds its way into the papers, and the Crown Prince's romance with a shopkeeper's daughter becomes the scandal of the century. Journalists, politicians, and ordinary Norwegians declare that a common marriage would destroy the monarchy, and a furious King repeatedly insists that the relationship must end.

Set against the romantic backdrop of royal Europe, A Shopkeeper's Daughter is based on a true story of a love worth fighting for.

December 31, 1889. As the sky over New York City explodes with fireworks on the eve of the new decade, an explosion in the streets causes social tremors that will rock the lives of three women who share a house on Twenty-Third Street: suffragette Columbine Nash, her assistant Bell Huxton, and Marguerite Corbeau, a young woman they've adopted from the streets. Lovely noble Columbine, a woman ahead of her time, strives to correct the social ills that are created by her class; lush, beautiful Bell, battered and abused as a child, searches for a true love and a pure philosophy; and Marguerite, a passionate woman of mystery and self-indulgence, attempts to rise above her station and join the glittering stars of New York theatre. Their paths will diverge, but their destinies are entwined in this volatile decade of high contrast, a time when wasp-waisted beauties attend fabulous balls, while underpaid seamstresses talk of anarchy and strike, and in the midst of it all are three women, each living in a gilded cage of her own design, trapped by a difficult past, a promise made in haste, a blind faith in an unbending philosophy, Their liberation is the true story of The Gilded Cage.

When Abbey Sutton left her home in the wild Wyoming frontier, she expected to find a civilized, subdued life as a governess back East. But a storm was brewing over the quaint clapboard houses and cobblestone streets of Nantucket Island. And the darkest cloud of suspicion hung over Jake Ross, the rugged lighthouse keeper with sun-bleached hair and a notorious past. The locals called him a criminal-a thieving smuggler-but Abbey scorned their accusations. Could a criminal's embrace melt away a woman's doubts? Would a thief make and impassioned plea for justice in the young American colonies? As the tempest began to roar, its blustery squall threatened the lives of every man, woman, and child on the island. Abbey found herself face to face with an unscrupulous murderer...and the chilling blade of a slave trader's knife. If the rumors were true, Jake was tied to these nefarious cutthroats. Even Abbey could see he was no stranger to death, violence and the scent of danger. But hero or hellion, he was her soul-mate, the man she would follow to the ends of the earth, and smack into the eye of this sudden storm.

Before E. L. James and Sylvia Day, there was Anne Rice: Discover Beauty's Kingdom, the fourth novel in the bestselling Sleeping Beauty series Mega-bestselling author Anne Rice, writing as A. N. Roquelaure, returns to the mysterious kingdom of Queen Eleanor in this new chapter of her Sleeping Beauty series. When the great queen is reported dead, Beauty and Laurent return to the kingdom they left twenty years before. Beauty agrees to take the throne, but she insists that all erotic servitude be voluntary. Countless eager princes, princesses, lords, ladies, and commoners journey to Beauty's realm, where she and her husband usher in a new era of desire, longing, and ecstasy. Provocative and stirring, Rice's imaginative retelling of the Sleeping Beauty myth will be adored by her longtime fans and new readers of erotica just discovering the novels. This book is intended for mature audiences.

A romantic comedy set in turn-of-the-century California. By the author of "The Octopus" and "The Pit."

Discover Rosie Clarke's bestselling Blackberry Farm series! A story of life and survival during the war which is heart-rending and bitter-sweet, bringing you laughter and tears. Cambridgeshire - 1941 As the war rages on in Europe, it brings untold heartache to the Talbot family at Blackberry Farm. First Tom is missing in action and then his brother John. leaving the family distraught with worry. Faith finds herself in trouble and turns to Lizzie for support as fear and grief bring them closer together. But tragedy is never too far away and when it strikes, it may not be those who fight that suffer the most. Will Pam's prayers be answered and will both her sons return home? And can the family at Blackberry Farm unite to overcome their heartache and find hope for the future?

After years of schooling on the East Coast, Constance Browning returns to Oregon and the reservation where she grew up with her missionary parents. She is accompanied by Thomas Lowell, her best friend and colleague, and together they embark on a project to catalogue the native peoples of Oregon for the Bureau of American Ethnology. But Connie and Tom have another purpose--to prove her parents are not involved in a secret conspiracy to goad the oppressed tribes into a doomed war. Connie finds life on the reservation much bleaker than she remembered, and she is glad to have Tom by her side. But she also becomes reacquainted with Clint Singleton, the government agent on whom she had a crush as a girl. Now that she's back, Clint finally seems interested in her, but Connie is no longer sure of her feelings. As tensions on the reservation rise and war looms ever closer, Connie and Tom search for whoever is truly behind the uprising. With danger unfolding amid shocking revelations, Connie will also have a revelation of the heart.

A heart-warming story of a young woman, Lauren Bradford, who is determined to save her family legacy from bank foreclosure and unmask the villian behind her grandfather's attempted murder. In the middle of her battle, Lauren comes face to face with a ghost from her past...a beloved stranger, Jake Sinclair. His reappearance in her life reopens old wounds and stirs painful memories that Lauren would rather have remain buried in the past.

A romantic comedy set in turn-of-the-century California. By the author of "The Octopus" and "The Pit."

Scotland, 1722: on a remote and windswept Scottish island an enigmatic poetess foretells tragedy for the proud Macdonalds of Clanranald and the birth of an extraordinary child. That child is the passionate and free-spirited Flora, daughter of Marion. Flora's early years are spent roaming around her father's cattle farm, running wild and free with her brother and his friends. From early on she adores fair Neil MacEachen. But when her father dies suddenly, Flora and her mother are plunged into poverty and it seems beautiful Flora is destined to skivvy in the kitchen and dairy for her harsh aunt. Until one night dashing soldier, One-eyed Hugh, her mother's former lover, kidnaps mother and daughter and takes them to Skye where he swiftly marries Marion. Back on the Outer Isles they settle into family life and Flora is taken under the wing of the lively Lady Clan, the chief's wife, who teaches her the skills of a noblewoman. Flora still dreams of the day she might marry the handsome Neil, who has by now disappeared to France. But when the Clanranalds are invited to the grand wedding of the MacDonald chief of Sleat in Skye, Flora finds herself irresistibly drawn to dark-haired, teasing and passionate Allan of Kingsburgh, one of the mighty Skye MacDonalds, who makes no secret of his desire for her. Her heart is torn; she loves the mysterious and increasingly elusive Neil but struggles to control her attraction to Allan, who is meanwhile being groomed for a prestigious match with the chief of MacLeod's daughter. Before affairs of the heart can be resolved, the exiled Prince Charles Stuart lands on the Outer Isles in his bid to win back the crown and his arrival ignites the Jacobite Rising of 1745. Scotland is plunged into bloody civil war; families and clans are torn apart in their loyalties and Flora's fate is changed forever. She faces the biggest decision of her life - whether or not to help the now fugitive Prince to escape the islands and certain execution - knowing that to do so will not only put her own life in danger, but those of the people she loves most in the world. Deeply emotional and uplifting, THE JACOBITE LASS is set in the turbulent times of 18th century Scotland and is based on the true story of Scottish heroine, Flora MacDonald and Bonnie Prince Charlie.

ANTHONY’S STORY

This time the gossip columnists have it wrong. London’s most elusive bachelor Anthony Bridgerton hasn’t just decided to marry—he’s even chosen a wife! The only obstacle is his intended’s older sister, Kate Sheffield—the most meddlesome woman ever to grace a London ballroom. The spirited schemer is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal, but when he closes his eyes at night, Kate’s the woman haunting his increasingly erotic dreams...

Contrary to popular belief, Kate is quite sure that reformed rakes do not make the best husbands—and Anthony Bridgerton is the most wicked rogue of them all. Kate’s determined to protect her sister—but she fears her own heart is vulnerable. And when Anthony’s lips touch hers, she’s suddenly afraid she might not be able to resist the reprehensible rake herself...

Jean Balneaves, born in poverty on a Scottish Croft in the nineteenth century sees for the first time, as bairns, in a chance meeting, young Robert Loudon, son of the soon to be laird of Dollar Glen Castle, and owner of the croft holding. In young adulthood they secretly meet and fall in love. But Robert is persueded to enterSandhurst the English Army Officer's School. Because of a mysterious fire, the croft cottage burns and Jean's father dies. Jean, now a dark eyed beauty takes charge of her siblings and young widowed mother...all eventually are invited to the Castle by a compassionate (now Viscount) Benjamin Loudon, Robert's papa. But his wife, the Lady Katrine sternly objects. Finally afte five years Jean and Robert find each other in Auchenblae where Jean and her brother are helping a linen mill entrepreneur. It is there where Jean and Robert's love is consumated and a child results. However, Jean refuses to wed Robert in view of his mama's strong objections. Jean, a sensitive person and a loving Robert find their lives forever changed. A rare cameo is a symbol of the eternal love they share.

It was in the year of our Lord, 800, when the Viking invasions had begun and we feared for our lives.

On the Isle of Iona in a Christian monastery, Aeden and his brethren work to transcribe the Gospel of John. Together, they create parchment and intricate designs, illuminating them with fine inks and gold leaf. Their meticulous hands and virtuous hearts transcribe God's word.

Unfortunately, the monastery is not immune to the barbarians invading from the north: the Vikings. Fearful for their precarious position and important work, the Abbot Father Cellarch enlists the help of a Viking king who values Christianity. King Blachmac pledges protection, leaving his daughter Osla in their care as the raids continue.

Osla and Aedan, drawn to one another, develop a friendship as work continues on the Gospels. During this tumultuous time, the Book of John is completed amid stress, love, and accusations of murder. These events bring the star-crossed lovers closer. Together, they save the abbey and their precious work.

Scriptorium is Aedan, Osla, and their brethren's story of courage, where pure hearts triumph over barbaric evils. Little did they know their work would become Ireland's finest national treasure: The Book of Kells.

Love and lust compel young, affluent, and innocently reckless Hamilton Morgan Slate III to weave his way through the spider's web he creates. America was reaping the rewards of the Industrial Age and these prosperous families had it all . . . but even the wealthy have a host of problems. Lessons of life, along with tears and laughter, are heard throughout these Newport, Rhode Island mansions in the lively 1920's.