The perfect read for Christmas, from bestselling author Nadine Dorries. 1950s Liverpool. Christmas is the most harrowing time of year for the nurses of St Angelus Hospital. A brilliant nurse secretly battling a fatal illness over Christmas... A starving baby boy abandoned in the freezing cold... A cruel, controlling mother, determined to block her daughter's nursing career at all costs... In the run up to Christmas, nurses Pammy and Beth are aiming to win the coveted national decorating competition for the St Angelus children's ward, but drama after drama threatens to upset their plans. Amid the hardship and poverty of 1950s Liverpool, only the humour and community spirit of nurses and patients will get the Angels through their toughest Christmas yet. What people are saying about CHRISTMAS ANGELS: 'It had everything from laughing out moments, to those times where tears were not far away' 'Nadine Dorries is an excellent story teller and her characters are so well written... Not many authors have that effect on me' 'I have enjoyed all The Lovely Lane series so far but for me this is the best one yet' 'In my opinion she can do no wrong and this latest book is just wonderful, such a heart warming story!'

Summer is approaching - and life is as eventful as ever at Prior's Ford When Tricia and Derek Borland bring home their baby daughter, their elderly neighbours are more than willing to help the new mother. But their enthusiasm begins to wane when it becomes apparent that Tricia is more interested in going out with her friends than looking after her new baby - and is only too ready to take advantage of their kindness. Meanwhile, Lewis Ralston-Kerr and his fiance Ginny are horrified by Ginny's flamboyant mother's determination to sweep aside their desire for a small village wedding and organise a large society affair. What's more, the Prior's Ford Progress Committee have decided that the traditional village summer festival needs pepping up this year ...

Ninety-three-year-old Abigail Buckley, who may or may not be in control of all her faculties, is prepared to reveal the skeletons in the family closet to her great-niece, Dawn, who stands to inherit the family's considerable wealth. After claiming to Dawn she has been living with a curse for years, Abigail can do nothing but anxiously await her niece's arrival.A few days later, Abigail sips her tea as she leads Dawn through four generations of history and parallel universes, revealing the story of how Abigail came to be raised by her father and Concha, a Mexican-American woman harboring a deep secret. As Abigail recalls her coming-of-age journey--during which she achieved academic excellence, rode horses, and witnessed a tragic accident--she lays out decades of family history and secrets, along with the details of the dreaded curse, which Dawn soon learns must be passed down. But it is only when Dawn sets off on an adventure that culminates in a chain of remarkable events on an ancient burial ground that another tier of unbelievable history is added to her unique family.In this supernatural novel inspired by New Mexico folklore, a woman nearing the end of her life leads her beloved niece through the past so that she may embrace the future--and all it encompasses--without her.

The first book in the dramatic new saga from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author Holding the letter in trembling hands, Daisy's future crumbled before her - the words engraved on her heart forever. The village of Little Creek, the long winter of 1867 The first flakes of snow are falling when Daisy Marshall, secretly engaged to her master's son, finds herself jilted at the altar. Heartbroken, Daisy flees to the small village of Little Creek, nestled on the coast of Essex. There she is warmly welcomed - but the village is poverty-stricken, suffering under a cruel Lord of the manor. And when cholera hits, the villagers are truly in dire straits. Determined to help, Daisy makes new friends in earnest doctor Nicholas and dashing smuggler Jay - but also dangerous new enemies, who threaten to destroy everything she's built. Can Daisy save the village and find happiness in time for Christmas?

A Sunday Independent Book of the Year Against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution and Europe's sexual revolution, the fates of two families in London and Beijing become unexpectedly intertwined, in this dazzling new novel from the author of Mrs Engels. In London, sisters Iris and Eva plan an attack on the West End theatre where their mother is playing the title role in Miss Julie; in Beijing, Jiang Qing, Chairman Mao's wife, rehearses a gala performance of her model ballet, which she will use to attack her enemies in the Party. As the preparations for these two performances unfold, these three 'sisters' find themselves bound together by the passions of love, by the obsessions of power, and by the forces of history. Exquisitely observed, relevant, and wise, The Sisters Mao shows us that the political is always personal.

'[Gervase Phinn is] a worthy successor to James Herriot, and every bit as endearing.' - bestselling author Alan Titchmarsh 'A shining light in our dark days' - 5 STAR reader review After an eventful start to his first ever teaching post in the sleepy village of Risingdale, Tom Dwyer is hoping for a bit of calm. Nursing a broken heart after a romantic disappointment, he just wants to keep his head down and get on with his job. But it is not to be. A beautiful London artist sets tongues wagging when she moves into the village, and her precocious yet frail son is in Tom's class. On top of that, his colleague's malicious ex-husband is back, determined to create mischief, and a tragedy on one of the winding country roads sends the village reeling. And all this alongside a class of children who still seem to know more about farming than fractions. With its colourful mix of characters both old and new and its many laugh-out-loud moments, Tales Out of School is a warm, humorous portrayal of life in a small Yorkshire village. Readers are loving TALES OUT OF SCHOOL: 'Loved it. So easy to read, lovely story, unforgettable characters.' - 5 STARS 'Brilliant!' - 5 STARS 'Could not put the book down. Gervase Phinn is an expert story teller.' - 5 STARS 'Such a relaxing and calming read' - 5 STARS 'I have been waiting for this sequel and it didn't disappoint.' - 5 STARS

From the top-ten bestselling author of One Snowy Night, Rita Bradshaw, comes The Storm Child, a sweeping family saga set during the run up to WW2 in the north-east of England. It's mid-winter, and in the throes of a fierce blizzard Elsie Redfern and her husband discover an unknown girl in their hay barn about to give birth. After the young mother dies, Elsie takes the infant in and raises her as her own daughter, her precious storm child. Gina grows into a beautiful little girl, but her safe haven turns out to be anything but. Torn away from her home and family, the child finds herself in a nightmare from which there's no waking, but despite her misery and bewilderment, Gina's determined to survive. Years pass. With womanhood comes the Second World War, along with more heartbreak, grief and betrayal. Then, a new but dangerous love beckons; can Gina ever escape the dark legacy of the storm child?

Wartime secrets threaten one woman's life in the latest thrilling drama from the author of The Gunner Girl and The English Agent. World-renowned war artist Dame Laura Knight is commissioned to paint propaganda portraits of factory girls and is sent to the ordnance factories in her hometown of Nottingham. At first she relishes the opportunity for a nostalgia trip, but when she starts work on a portrait of two particular women, Violet Smith, and her co-worker Zelah Fitzlord, memories begin to resurface that she has spent half a lifetime trying to forget. Violet is an industrial conscript, and her wages help support a sprawling family back home in Kent. But working in munitions also meant freedom from a small-town mentality, and the disappointment of a first love turned sour. For Zelah, too, working in the gun factory meant escape: her dreams of the future were dashed in the carnage of the Plymouth Blitz, and she found refuge in the numbing repetition of manual work. But, just like war artist Laura, Violet and Zelah have something hidden, mistakes that they have tried to leave behind with their old selves. Will the night shift keep these women's secrets, or will the past explode into the present and change all of their lives forever? Praise for Clare Harvey's novels: 'Will delight all those who love a good wartime story' DILLY COURT 'An irresistible tale of friendship, love and heartache during WW2 that had me enthralled' KATE FURNIVALL 'Heart-warming, enjoyable and full of surprises, I loved it' ELIZABETH CHADWICK 'Clare Harvey is an exceptional new talent. THE GUNNER GIRL offers a stunningly realistic vision of the WW2 era, through the intertwined lives and loves of three very different women. The story is brought to life by razor sharp dialogue, an eye for period details and a taut plot which never becomes sentimental' KATE RHODES

Fans of William Johnstone will love this unique and riveting historical western series. A perfect gift for birthdays and holidays for the men in your life. It will take all this lone frontiersman's skills to save his only friend from murderous outlaws. Caleb Marlowe carved out his own legend as a frontier scout and lawman before arriving in the Colorado boomtown of Elkhorn. Famous for a lightning-quick draw and nerves of steel, he is mysterious, guarded, and unpredictable. Now, he wants to leave the past behind. But the past has a way of dogging a man... When Doc Burnett, Caleb's only friend in town, goes missing, his daughter Sheila comes seeking Caleb's help. Newly arrived from the East, she hotly condemns the bloody frontier justice of the rifle and the six-gun. But this is outlaw country. Murderous road agents have Doc trapped in their mountain hideaway. To free Doc, Marlowe tracks his kidnappers through wild, uncharted territory, battling animals and bushwhackers. But when Sheila is captured by the ruthless gunhawks with a score to settle, Marlowe will have to take them down one by one, until no outlaw remains standing.

An absorbing tale of the strength and heartbreak of family ties - Winter, 1940. Anna MacRae is only five years old when her mother dies in childbirth and she is left with twin baby sisters. Anna is a gifted child, with a warm personality to match, but not so her sisters - and as, through the years, their pranks turn to stealing, bullying and worse, Anna must learn to cope with them if she is ever to find happiness of her own.

With the country at war, can they come together this winter? 'A heart-warming story perfect for saga lovers', Nancy Revell,Sunday Times bestselling author of The Shipyard Girls series 'Heartwarming, hopeful and inspiring, it will bring a nostalgic smile to your face' Daily Mirror Winter, 1939 As December draws nearer and with her family facing their first Christmas without Bert, Nancy is desperately trying to keep up her children's spirits and her own. Young Patty should be excited to be spending her first festive season with sweetheart Archie, but why does she worry he's keeping something from her? Betty is missing her beloved William as he continues his RAF training but she's determined not to sit around wallowing. In the midst of the coldest winter on record and with the introduction of rationing, times are tougher than ever but Betty has an idea to make sure nobody goes without this winter. And with our Steel Girls rallying around each other, can there still be hope this Christmas? The second novel in the new heartwarming Steel Girls series following our feisty factory sister's bravery and hope during wartime, perfect for fans of Nancy Revell and Elaine Everest.

Based on a real family's history this first book in The Dohlen Inheritance trilogy spans the years 1913-1932. It tells the extraordinary stories of Gabriele, Emil and Dorinda Dohlen as they make their way from Germany after the Great War to Prohibition America. Haunted right from the start by the legacy their German mother leaves them the Dohlen orphans fight to control their destiny by following in their pioneering father's footsteps. They each create fascinating and very different lives as their fortunes rise and fall. Prejudice and cruelty, greed and bigotry make their days hell as the children try to break away from the domination of corrupt relatives, a bungling guardian-and each other. Misunderstanding and tragedy overtake the young Dohlens as fate pulls them back to Germany, where the threat of Adolf Hitler's policies eventually leads them to an unexpected realisation of their true inheritance.

This major best-selling memoir of a poverty-stricken childhood in Liverpool is one of the most harrowing but uplifting books you will ever read. When Helen Forrester's father went bankrupt in 1930 she and her six siblings were forced into utmost poverty and slum surroundings in Depression-ridden Liverpool. The running of the household and the care of the younger children all fell on twelve-year-old Helen. With very little food or help from her feckless parents, Helen led a life of unrelenting drudgery and hardship. Writing about her experiences later in life, Helen Forrester shed light on an almost forgotten part of life in Britain. , Forrester's memoir of these grim days is as heart-warming as it is shocking.

A moving and emotional family drama set between France and Britain from bestselling author, Mary Wood. They would fight for their country, at all costs . . . When Sibbie and Marjie arrive at RAF Digby, they are about to take on roles of national importance. It's a cause of great excitement for everyone around them. Perhaps they will become code-breakers, spies even? Soon the pair embark on a rigorous training regime, but nothing can prepare them for what they're about to face . . . Amid the vineyards of rural France, Flora and Ella can't bear the thought of another war. But as the thunderclouds grow darker, hanging over Europe, a sense of deep foreboding sets in, not just for their safety but for the fate of their families . . . With danger looming, as the threat of war becomes real, Flora and Ella are forced to leave their idyllic home and flee. Can they make it to safety, or will the war have further horrors in store for them? The Brave Daughters is the fourth book in the Girls Who Went to War series by Mary Wood.

James Carlos Blake is a masterful chronicler of the restless, outcast, the lawless, and the lonelyheart. His previous novel, In the Rogue Blood, was awarded the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction. Now he has written a powerful and rousing historical saga of family loyalties, blood feuds, and betrayed friendships; of bank robberies and bootlegging; and of a passionate love as wild at heart as the Everglades. It is the story of sworn enemies: John Ashley, a criminal and folk hero, the brightest star in a family destined to become the most notorious in south Florida; and Bobby Baker, a lawman born of lawmen, a violent, hard-hearted man driven by the searing memory of past affronts and the enduring hatreds the engendered. Ashley and Maker will clash many times over many decades. And as the twentieth century encroaches on their world--and the wildlands give grudging way to the rising boomtown of Miami--a feral, sensual mating will place one man in gravest peril...while his adversary contrives a dark, personal vengeance that could leave countless lives--his own included--in ruin.

"Eccentricity is the family byword for the Compton-Milnes - "The Compton-Milnes are eccentric, to say the least. A marriage between Gus, a reclusive but brilliant professor, and Lisa, a promiscuous cosmetic surgery addict, has produced Ben, an OCD-riddled genius, and his self-sacrificing sister Harriet, while Gus's acerbic invalid mother rules over them all from her attic throne room. But when Lisa's lover turns on her, the family must pull together to survive . . .

Must a child's past define their future? 'Stark and beautiful . . . I haven't read anything this good in a long time' - Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry Set on the rugged plains of South Dakota, The Distance Home is the story of Rene and Leon, two children who grow up side by side but end up on very different paths. Rene is clever, athletic, aggressive, a go-getter, the apple of her father's eye; while Leon is shy, tender-hearted, a stutterer, constantly struggling for acknowledgement. They both possess a talent for dance, but it is a gift their father adores in his daughter and loathes in his son. A heartbreaking saga of familiar turmoil, a child's desire for acceptance, and the ways in which our parents shape the adults we become, Paula Saunders' The Distance Home is a breathtaking new examination of the American dream and the eternal question of how any of us can finally be free. 'A heartfelt tale of brutal parental love' The Times

Heart-stopping and gripping, this classic Diney Costeloe story shows the courage of one family in the face of great danger. Nineteenth-century Paris is in flames, houses ransacked, streets barricaded. Most people are fleeing the ravaged city, but the St Clair family have made a fateful decision - to return to Paris from their house in the country. As the horrors of the Commune and the ensuring siege engulf the St Clairs, little Helene falls ill and becomes separated from the family. Lost and alone, she must fend for herself on the war-torn streets.

As the clouds of war gather over Cavendon Hall, the next generation must step forward... The great house of Cavendon Hall has stood on the Yorkshire moors for centuries. Two families, the aristocratic Inghams and the Swanns who serve them, have been bound by loyalty since the first stone was laid. But when war looms, sons, husbands and brothers are called up to fight; trials and tragedies strike the great house itself. The women of every generation and background must rise to meet the terrible threat posed by Hitler. The Cavendon Luck has held for a long time. Can it hold in the face of this greatest threat of all - and can it protect the next generation?

"HAVE THINE OWN WAY" is the fourth volume of THE GOINS BRICOLAGE, a saga of Tecumseh and Stonewall Counties in the State of Indiana. In this volume Lamar Ainsley Goins, an inept, middleaged minister of the Gospel who despite himself achieves national and international success, is driven from the pulpit of The Temple of Holy Truth & World Outreach Center of Aschburgh by his arch-enemy The Reverend Doctor Carter Bald.

After a prolonged period of depression Lamar Ainsley begins a second career in Philately as the Assistant Editor For Oddities and Rarities (AEOR) of Mingold Philatelics, Ltd. of Wapakeneta, Ohio. Frustrated in this new career by the indecisiveness and personal agendas of his employers, Lucius and Mindy Mingold, Lamar's life comes to an abrupt end under murky, if not suspicious, circumstances.

As Lamar's life and careers are spiraling out of control, his wife Starla Leanne and his sister Step Goins Perkins are busy reinventing and reinvigorating the town of Aschburgh. When Starla Leanne gives birth to Hans Ainsley Winslow Goins, the heir to the entire Goins Empire, she is prophetically declared both the Blessed Mother and the Handmaid of the Lord, and begins to move decisively into the position of head of the Goins Family and fortune.