It's 1896. New York City is hardly the ideal place for a child whose father has disappeared and whose mother has fled from reality to the comfort of her piano. Eight-year-old Leigh Blackwell, determined to care for her mother and make ends meet, leaves school and takes a job in the garment district. Just as life's challenges threaten to overwhelm her, she finds nine-year-old Tom Paterson, a streetwise pickpocket, on her front steps.

Tom and Leigh's lives soon intertwine as he appoints himself her protector and shares part of his meager earnings with her. After her love of horse racing eventually leads Leigh to a job at a thoroughbred stable, she finally attains independence and slowly pulls away from the one who has quietly fallen in love with her. But when Leigh leaves New York and becomes entangled with a bitter, angry man, her desire to help him nearly costs Tom his life--and their chance at ever finding happiness together.

In the Midst of Wolves recounts the unconventional coming-of-age journey of a homeless pickpocket and an enterprising orphan as they grow into adulthood in the early twentieth century despite many obstacles, including some that are of their own making.

A heartwarming read from Rosie Clarke's bestselling Mulberry Lane series.LONDON 1949 Peggy is once more torn two ways and can only hope that a reunion with her Mulberry Lane family and friends at Christmas can help resolve her problems. Her eldest daughter Janet is desperately unhappy and fears her husband is having an affair, whilst her youngest daughter Fay has been talent-spotted to train as a figure skater back in London. Peggy is faced with the dilemma of moving her family back to London to pursue her daughter's destiny. But will everyone be happy with this? Praise for the Mulberry Lane series: 'When it comes to writing sagas, Rosie Clarke is up there with some of the best in the business' Bookish Jottings. 'Full of drama, romance and secrets ... A perfect example of its genre' That Thing She Reads. 'This is wonderful historical fiction that is so character-driven you'll wish these women lived on your street' 'Absolutely loved this latest instalment and revisiting the ladies of the Lane. Another great story of love and heartache' What readers are saying about A Reunion at Mulberry Lane: 'I just adore this book series and was delighted to read this one.' 'What I loved about this book was the emotional sense of comfort, good people facing sometimes-difficult challenges and trying to do the right and kind thing with positive results.' 'Another wonderful book in this lovely series.' 'This is another definite five star read for me, I absolutely adore this author's work. This is a great read and quite possibly one of my favourites.' 'Another fantastic book in this series, just like checking in with old friends'

A special edition from Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning classics that make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. Featuring beautiful heritage wallpaper patterns from Jane Austen's own home in Hampshire, these collectable paperback editions are a must for all Jane Austen fans. Oft-copied but never bettered, Jane Austen's Emma is a remarkable comedy of manners. Austen follows the charming but insensitive Emma Woodhouse as she sets out on an ill-fated career of match-making in the little town of Highbury. Taking the pretty but dreary Harriet Smith as her subject, Emma creates misunderstandings and chaos as she tries to find Harriet a suitor, until she begins to realize it isn't the lives of others she must try to transform. With original illustrations by the celebrated Hugh Thomson, this Macmillan Collector's Library edition also features bonus material by Jane Austen expert Sophie Reynolds.

Sitting on musty damp blankets below deck, Maria wondered as to where all of her courage had gone. She felt that it had floated away on the stormy seas. Her children were counting on her, as well as her husband, she thought. The shadows of uncertain doubt clouded her mind as the stormy waves of the Atlantic Ocean tossed the German brig about as if it were a leaf in a pond. What did America hold for her family? The temptations of owning their own land had won over the risks they would have to take. Was it really worth the risk? Would her family truly find a place to call home? Closing her eyes, Maria allowed the grace of God sweep over her as she silently prayed.

Set deep in the wilds of Texas is Caddo Lake, a rich, primeval swampland populated by characters straight out of modern mythology. Central to this area's history is Judge Newland and his extended circle of friends and kin-a.k.a., the BOND. Here, their story is told in a vivid, often convoluted fashion, as is befitting the true nature of the Texas wilderness.

Judge "Daddy" Newland knew-and was known by-everyone in this part of Texas, and his teachings were legendary. He urged his friends to seek truth and to ask for wisdom from God. He expected them to ask tough questions. He demanded that they keep their eyes against the seductive nature of evil and hate and that they look out for one another. He believed that nature was the only true beauty in the world and that it should always remain free. He knew that love was the most important of all emotions, followed only by hope-and that the two could never be separated. He directed his friends to look to the ancient world for truth and inspiration. And from those ancients, he formulated a deep appreciation for the pleasures of the flesh.

Daddy Newland directed his grandson, Kenneth Brown, to use his skills to share the teachings of his generation. Just as he was promised, those life lessons are within, ready to teach the next generation of Texans and beyond.

"Fate brings interesting people together and then blesses the responsible," he used to say, and that's the core of his legacy.

"Men march off to war because the women are watching." So said Socrates. In "THE HARD GODDESS," the second book of his trilogy-"The Song of Charlemagne," the author introduces his reader to the women behind the men on the medieval battlefield. In so doing, one comes to understand and appreciate how French expressions such as "Feminine Mystique" and "Femme Fatale" must have originated and which are today, universally recognized and understood in the international lexicon without translation. Along the way, one also discovers a few of the ulterior motives underlying Charlemagne's alliance with the Roman church as well as organized religion's functional utility in the hands of potentates (be they Christian or Muslim) as a societal control mechanism. In the process of the troubadour's telling of the story, the reader experiences visceral descriptions of Dark Age battle against the gloriously detailed backdrop of a France that is still there if one knows where to go and look. There is a reason Eleanor of Aquitaine is always credited with having "invented" the concepts of Romance, Chivalry and Courtly Love. She was far removed from the times in which he actually lived. Yet somehow, she must have sensed and understood Charlemagne's hidden agenda regarding women within the church and the greater social order. But, in the final analysis, is anything within the pages of this work relevant with regard to contemporary world events and social issues confronting us all? Sadly, terribly.