The families of Andros Odyssey are entangled in the insanity and the destructive forces of the Crusades. The Crusades started with Islam, which expanded through war by making people believe through force. This brought the Crusades, a series of holy wars. They were a means of defending against the expansion of Islam. The Crusades were led by equally self-righteous, intolerant and ruthless people. The proto-imperialism of the Crusaders introduced Western aggression to the Middle East, leaving it in ruins and at the same time, devastating Byzantium, which happened to be in the way. In desperation, the Byzantines had to fight both, Christians and Moslems. Byzantium, with its stiff resistance against the idea of the Crusades, soon became an enemy to the West. As a result, the failed Crusades left Byzantium exhausted and vulnerable to new attacks from the East. In spite of the danger to the West, help against the Turks came too little and too late, resulting in the total destruction of Byzantium and the fall of Constantinople. families evolve and old families are transformed because of name changes under the Turkish occupation.

"Bells of May" is the tale of a family rooted in the mystical Harz Mountains of Germany. Five generations of women are forced, by circumstance or choice, into unfamiliar lives-on the other side of the mountain and halfway around the world.

A descendant of Celtic priests, Katherine Allewelt is a surprisingly pragmatic girl until her well-arranged life is shattered by her doomed relationship with a young miner. Heartbroken, Katherine accepts a servant's position in the city, where she matures, educates herself, and shares a deep friendship with her mistress while fighting an attraction to the master. When her mistress dies, Katherine returns home and tries to pick up the threads of her old life.

Follow the saga of Katherine and her descendents for the following one hundred fifty years through love, loss, and challenge.

With war looming, can they lift the spirits of the troops? 1914 and the effects of war are reaching London. Sick and injured servicemen are returning home and Lizzie Kellaway and her godmother Margaret Penrose are determined to do their bit to help them. With Lizzie's beautiful singing voice and Margaret's talent for the piano, concerts in hospitals and convalescent homes offer the perfect opportunity to lift the spirits of men who have suffered so much. When Poppy Meadows's fiance rejects her and leaves for the war, she doesn't hesitate before travelling to London to be with her childhood friend, Lizzie. It isn't long before she's persuaded to join their efforts to entertain the troops. At least while performing Poppy can forget her troubles and open her soul to the joy of singing. But the ongoing war brings even more heartache. With all three women facing struggles, one thing is certain: these wartime singers will need each other more than ever before... A heartwarming and gritty wartime saga, perfect for fans of Nancy Revell, Molly Green and Elaine Everest.

The dramatic story of a young woman's war - full of heartache and triumph from the bestselling author of Christmas on the Mersey and London Belles Kitty has seen her fair share of tragedy and instead of thinking about romance, is determined to do her bit for King and country. Her life as a WREN means she is kept busy much of the time, but when Kitty finds herself stationed back home on Merseyside, she meets up again with Frank Feeny, the brave young officer who has always held a place in her heart. Britain is on the verge of victory, but will Kitty embrace the future and learn to love again?

The final part in the sweeping Abbeyford Trilogy, Abbeyford Remembered is a tale of old grudges, new love and heart-warming drama, from the much-loved author Margaret Dickinson. The years have done nothing to dull Evan Smithson's cold fury against his father's family. Born the illegitimate son of Guy Trent, Evan has lived his life fuelled by the desire for vengeance, leaving little time for his daughter Carrie and her questions about their own family history. But Evan's grudge is old, and the new generation of Trents and Smithsons have their own agenda. Carrie turns to Jamie Trent, Guy Trent's grandson and heir, for answers and the pair fall in love. Evan stands between the lovers, convincing Carrie that Jamie has betrayed her. In desperation Carrie marries Lloyd Foster, only to discover that her father has deceived her. Carrie's new husband takes her to London, Paris and even India, but Carrie is unable to find true happiness while her thoughts keep turning towards Jamie Trent. How can she live in the present when her heart remains in the past?

July 1947. Britain is still gripped by rationing, even as the excitement of Princess Elizabeth's engagement sweeps the nation. In the Woolworths' canteen, Freda is still dreaming of meeting her own Prince Charming. So far she's been unlucky in love. When she has an accident on her motorbike, knocking a cyclist off his bicycle, it seems bad luck is still following her around. Anthony is not only a fellow Woolworths employee but was an Olympic hopeful. Will his injured leg heal in time for him to compete? Can he ever forgive Freda? Sarah's idyllic family life is under threat with worries about her husband, Alan. Does he still love her? The friends must rally round to face some of the toughest challenges of their lives together. And although they experience loss, hardship and shocks along the way, love is on the horizon for the Woolworths girls . . . Wedding Bells for Woolworths is the fifth instalment in Elaine Everest's much-loved Woolworths series.

* Longlisted for the HWA Debut Crown Longlist 2022 * 'A stunning achievement' TLS 'Unforgettable' Nguyen Phan Que Mai, author of The Mountains Sing As the Korean independence movement gathers pace, two children meet on the streets of Seoul. Fate will bind them through decades of love and war. They just don't know it yet. It is 1917, and Korea is under Japanese occupation. With the threat of famine looming, ten-year-old Jade is sold by her desperate family to Miss Silver's courtesan school in the bustling city of Pyongyang. As the Japanese army tears through the country, she is forced to flee to the southern city of Seoul. Soon, her path crosses with that of an orphan named JungHo, a chance encounter that will lead to a life-changing friendship. But when JungHo is pulled into the revolutionary fight for independence, Jade must decide between following her own ambitions and risking everything for the one she loves. Sweeping through five decades of Korean history, Juhea Kim's sparkling debut is an intricately woven tale of love stretched to breaking point, and two people who refuse to let go.

Under her mother's constant scrutiny and lost in the shadow of her famous senator father, Melissa is the third child in the politically prominent Dickenson family, where ambition comes first and Melissa often comes last. In college, she meets Blake, a man of mixed race and apparently unknown parentage. His adoptive parents are lawyers whose defense of death-row cases in the past brought them head-to-head with Melissa's father when he was the governor of Pennsylvania.

While Melissa and Blake's attraction is immediate and fiery, a dangerous secret lurks beneath their relationship -- one that could destroy them ... and their families.

Provocative and beautifully written, and dealing with themes of love, honesty, identity, and the consequences of ambition, The Third Child is a remarkable page-turner.

More than a decade has gone by since Esther Cunningham, weakened by the consumption which would soon take her life, left her precious daughter in her mother's care. Now eighteen, Lorna Cunningham is eagerly awaiting the day when she can leave the Newcastle house in which she's known only heartache. The Arabian ancestry of the father she has never known has meant that she has been nothing more than an unwelcome guest in her grandmother's home, forced to take second place to her spoilt cousin, Rose, who has wanted for neither love nor material comforts. Lorna takes comfort from her growing friendship with bookseller Edwin Randall, who shares her love of reading and inspires her with his passion to improve the terrible conditions of the Newcastle slums. But their relationship is overshadowed by Lorna's infatuation with the handsome and charismatic Maurice Haldane - the man Rose is determined she herself will marry and who has the power to change all their lives for ever...

Will the coming war divide them . . . ? For as long as she can remember Peggy O'Shea has been expected to work at the family dairy, look after her younger siblings, and eventually marry cow-keeper Martin Gallagher. And that's the way it has predictably gone, apart from one glorious summer when at the age of eight she meets handsome Anthony Giardano. But there's bad blood between the Irish O'Sheas and the Italian Giardanos, so perhaps for the sake of both of their families, it's a good thing when Anthony suddenly disappears. Ten years later at the start of the war, Peggy bumps into Anthony again. But as they begin to rekindle their friendship, Italy joins forces with Germany and Liverpool turns on its Italian residents overnight, making any relationship between Peggy and Anthony impossible . . . The Girl From Liverpool is a gritty World War Two historical saga from Elizabeth Morton, acclaimed author of Angel of Liverpool.

MEET THE SORENSON FAMILY

MARILYN has somehow fallen into motherhood and spent four decades married to DAVID, who's pretty certain he loves her more than anyone has ever loved another person.

WENDY, their eldest, a cause for concern, soothes herself with drink after being widowed young, while VIOLET, lawyer-turned-stay-at-home-mother, is disturbed by the reappearance of a son placed for adoption fifteen years earlier.

LIZA, a professor, is pregnant with a baby she's not sure she wants by a man she's not sure she loves and GRACE, their dawdling youngest daughter, lives a lie that no one in her family suspects.

South Africa, 1820.

When Ann Waite discovers a battered longboat washed ashore in Algoa Bay, she is stunned to find two survivors: a badly scarred sailor and a little boy. As the man walks away into the morning mist alone, refusing to take the child - Harry - with him, Ann is left with no choice but to raise the boy as her own.

After two years of disaster and hardship in the African interior, desperation drives Ann and Harry back into the path of the mysterious shipwrecked man. Ralph Courtney has recently escaped from Robben Island and is determined to seek his fortune in Nativity Bay, the hidden harbour that his father told him about when he was a boy.

But it isn't long before Ralph, Ann and their fellow settlers learn that Nativity Bay now lies on the borders of a mighty kingdom, where the warrior king Shaka rules. With no means of making their way back to Algoa Bay, Ralph is forced into a bargain with the Zulu king which will lead him to confront the past that he has been running from for his entire life.

The BRAND NEW wartime saga from the much-loved author of THE TILBURY POPPIES. Perfect for fans of Annie Murray and Donna Douglas The war is over, but their friendship has just begun . . . Essex, 1918 Working at the local munitions factory has given Aggie the freedom she's long desired. But the Great War is coming to an end, and the men are coming home. Determined to hold on to her new-found independence, Aggie decides to join the Women's Police Service and become a Copperette. Like Aggie, Mim wants nothing more than to do her bit for her country. Never one to shy away from hard work, she's eager to help her fellow women and keep up morale - even if that does mean opening her home to Aggie and helping her train. With the last days of war upon them, Aggie and Mim face shocking loss. But in the face of great hardship, can they find a way to work together? A heart-warming story of love, loss and friendship, set against the backdrop of wartime England REAL READERS love Sue Wilsher's novels: 'I loved reading about the wartime challenges Mim and Aggie faced - a great combination of historical fact, emotion and grit. I couldn't put it down' 'Another brilliant book from Sue Wilsher bringing history alive. Unforgettable characters and great storytelling' Brilliant book . . . the third one I've read by this author and I can't fault it at all - would highly recommend' 'A great story with local interest for anyone who knows Thurrock. A tribute to those who lived through that time and endured so much'

Leave a Light on for Christmas is reminiscent of Christmases past and is old fashioned in its sincerity. It is Christmas Eve. The elderly woman narrating the story is rocking her great-grandchild by the light of her Christmas tree. She proceeds to tell the story behind every ornament on the tree, thereby telling her own life story. The book starts in 1935, covers the war years, and the many important changes that have led up to present day. The story is told year by year, as Christmas comes around and the ornaments on the old woman's tree reflect the changes and events of her life. Set in present day, the narrator reflects back on her childhood until gradually her life story is told, one Christmas at a time. Author and registered nurse Barb Bissonette grew up in Brampton, Ontario. "I have always loved Christmas. I love the spirit of Christmas and I would like to think that this is something which will live on beyond the commercialism and technology of present day." Publisher's website: http://sbpra.com/BarbBissonette

The brand new Wartime drama novel from bestselling author Annie Groves, perfect for fans of Christmas on the Mersey and Child of the Mersey Rita Kennedy has finally seen through her good-for-nothing husband, Charlie. Now he's gone AWOL with his fancy woman and left her at the mercy of the local gossips. Her future is full of uncertainty and the only thing that keeps her going is knowing that her children are safe from the Luftwaffe - and the letters that she receives from Jack Callaghan, her childhood sweetheart - but a life together can is just a distant fantasy. Meanwhile, Kitty Callaghan has joined the WRENS and it's opened up a whole new world. But despite finding romance with a handsome doctor, she still can't forget Frank Feeny, the brave officer from Empire Street who still inhabits her dreams. As the bombs rain down on Liverpool, Rita and Kitty must face heartache and sorrow as they pray for the sun to shine on the Mersey once again.

A historic family drama based in and near 1640 Amsterdam, the wealthiest city on earth at the time, The Seventh Etching tells the story of two families over a one-year period. Both Griet and Johannes Verhoeven, farmers, in their early 20's and Jos and Myriam Broekhof, wealthy merchants in their 30's, face devastating losses that threaten their livelihoods and their marriages.

After a major flood, Griet and Johannes attempt to rebuild two combined family farms - a unique, promising inheritance that initially brought them together, but now overwhelms them. Myriam secretly sells her husband's valuable art collection to build a hidden monument to her deceased daughter. Jos suffers despair and defeat as he combs every corner of the city in his obsessive attempt to complete a set of playfully erotic etchings. It is a six-year old Gypsy orphan, Nelleke, who connects the two couples. Sprightly and spirited, Nelleke both delights and exasperates. Might this mysterious child have the power to heal struggling adults and find the permanent home she seeks? Does she, innocently and unknowingly, hold the clue to the missing etching, as Jos suspects?

September 1940, Birmingham. While her husband and daughter work at the Cadbury's Bournville factory, Ann Gilby has her hands full at home with her youngest child Martin and her other daughter, Sheila, newly returned home with baby Elaine. With Sheila's husband away doing his bit in the RAF, Ann knows she should be grateful to have all her children safe under one roof. But as bombs fall ever-closer to her Birmingham home, she can't help but fear for their uncertain future. Part of her yearns for the carefree days of her youth when she also worked the line at Cadburys, filling trays of chocolate shells. But mostly Ann tries not to think of the past at all, since that would mean she would have to confront her oldest secret - one she's kept since the last war, and that could easily rip her family apart . . . From the bestselling author of Chocolate Girls and The Bells of Bournville Green comes another gritty family saga about love, war and chocolate . . .

The new heart-stopping instalment in the Four Streets saga, from the Sunday Times bestseller Nadine Dorries. Summer is coming to the four streets - but so is trouble, especially for its redoubtable women, who've struggled through a bitter winter to put food on the table. The Dock Queen Carnival is only weeks away, but there's no money for the usual celebrations. No sign of a tramp ship with illicit cargo to be quietly siphoned off by the dockers. Peggy Nolan, with seven boys and a husband too lazy to work, has hit rock bottom and is hiding a terrible secret. Little Paddy, her mischievous eldest, is all too often in trouble, but he'd do anything for the mother he loves. How can he save her from selling herself on the streets - or worse? Maura and Tommy Doherty always looked out for any neighbour in trouble, especially Peggy, but they're far away, running a pub in Ireland and corrupt copper, Frank the Skank, is moving into their old house on the four streets. Can anything bring them home in time?