In the barrio of Fresno, California, the Molina family is living out the Chicano version of the American Dream. Father William works on an assembly line while his wife, the well-bred beauty Rachel, stays at home to care for their three children--and to keep them off the streets. But when William is offered an opportunity to enter the ranks of the middle class, he quits his job, packs up the Ford Maverick, and transports the Molinas to a brand-new world: the small town of Medford, Oregon. So begins the dramatic transformation of youngest son and aspiring actor Joey, who assumes the role of a vato loco gang member in order to win the respect and fear of his gringo classmates. While Joey tries to make himself popular with tall tales of guns and glory, his father embarks on a bitter struggle to develop his career and combat age-old cultural stereotypes. How William's extraordinary efforts and deepening despair affect the lives of his loved ones is at the heart of this haunting and incandescent novel--one destined to become a classic in Chicano-American literature.

Michael Zabinsky is an iconoclastic science teacher with a revolutionary zeal to enrich the lives of his pupils and create a better world. Driven by the idealism of youth as a volunteer in 1970s Botswana, he finds his dedication to teaching tested to destruction on returning to England. But Michael doesn't just teach - he thinks. He contemplates the human condition. He confronts racism and political correctness, and after 9/11, Islamism. He tries to juggle the demands of his job with those of his personal life. And there is a twist. At a reunion with Michael's fellow Botswana volunteers, it transpires that something unforeseen has happened to the village where they used to teach. What has become of their former pupils? Does Michael need to reevaluate his time in Africa?

A dramatic and heartwarming Victorian saga, perfect for fans of Maggie Hope and Anne Bennett. Shropshire, 1875. Hettie Jones has grown up in Ironbridge. She has never known her father and, since her mother's death, has been brought up by the Malone family, who treat her as one of their own. She works as a pit girl at the local coal mine, alongside her childhood playfellow, Evan - although lately, their friendship seems to be blossoming into something more. But when Queenie King takes a fancy to her, Hettie's life is transformed. Trained first as a lady's maid, and then hurtled into a world of luxury and gentility, she finds her new position difficult to reconcile with her past life. And with Queenie's daughter-in-law scheming against her, Hettie's situation becomes dire. Can Hettie really use her new position for good, and will she find a way to bridge the divide between rich and poor? 'A compelling blend of real history, rich period detail, and a gritty, authentic story brimming with love, loss, intrigue, hope, and bitter revenge, The Orphan of Ironbridge delivers a dramatic final chapter to this exciting trilogy.' Lancashire Evening Post Praise for The Daughters of Ironbridge: 'A Journey. Compelling. Addictive.' Val Wood 'Evocative, dramatic and hugely compelling . . . The Daughters of Ironbridge has all the hallmarks of a classic saga. I loved it' Miranda Dickinson 'Feisty female characters, an atmospheric setting and a spell-binding storyline make this a phenomenal read' Cathy Bramley 'The Daughters of Ironbridge has that compulsive, page-turning quality, irresistible characters the reader gets hugely invested in, and Walton has created a brilliantly alive, vivid and breathing world in Ironbridge' Louisa Treger 'Such great characters who will stay with me for a long time' Beth Miller 'The attention to period detail and beautiful writing drew me right in and kept me reading' Lynne Francis 'Vivid, page-turning drama' Pippa Beecheno 'A powerful sense of place and period, compelling characters and a pacy plot had me racing to the end' Gill Paul 'A story that is vivid, twisting and pacy, with characters that absolutely leap off the page' Iona Grey 'Beautiful and poignant. I'll definitely be reading The Secrets of Ironbridge' Tania Crosse

When Ruby's father returns, shell-shocked, from the front lines of the Great War, the young girl realises that things will never be the same again. Forced to leave school and help her mother wash clothes, Ruby closes the door on her childhood. When she takes a job at the local laundry, Ruby enjoys the friendship of the other women there, but there's also bitchiness and jealousy amongst the workers. At home there's growing tension with the live-in landlord as Ruby grows into an attractive woman, but not the kind who's willing to use her charms to win favours. Ruby's heart belongs to one man only, a local boy she's known all her life, but there are many battles to be fought before they start a life together...

When all seems lost, will her mother's legacy keep her safe? Praise for Anne Baker's Merseyside sagas: 'A stirring tale of romance and passion, poverty and ambition' Liverpool Echo Aimee Kendrick is no stranger to heartache. Having lost her father during the Great War and her mother, a famous French impressionist painter, in a tragic accident, Aimee is brought up by her troubled grandparents on the banks of the river Mersey. She works hard at her art lessons and is encouraged to believe she has inherited her mother's gift, but it is her childhood friend and fellow student Frankie Hopkins who shows greater talent. When Frankie joins the Kendrick's textile mill to work on new fabric designs, Aimee begs her grandfather to teach her how to run the business. Working together, Aimee and Frankie become much more than friends but then they find themselves involved in family problems and it is impossible to know what the future holds.

Two hundred years have not dimmed Fielding's realism. His humor is closer to our own than that of any other writer before the present century."-Kingsley Amis "An exquisite picture of human manners."-Edward Gibbon "The plotting is complex, astonishing and perfect. It brims with good nature and generosity of spirit....it's full of jokes, suspense, cliffhangers, narrative reversals and pathos."-Jonathan Cole The History of Tom Jones is Henry Fielding's greatest work and one of literature's earliest examples of a fully realized protagonist, with both virtues and vices on abundant display. The picaresque story of the orphan Tom, his exile, then subsequent adventures and loves is bristling with the spirit of mid-18th century Britain yet remains a deeply ambitious novel.The frank portrayal of human nature and innovative narrative structure of this classic continues to entice readers hundreds of years after it's publication. When Mr. Allworthy, a kind country squire, returns from London he finds a baby boy in one of the beds of his estate. Through his inquiry, he determines that the mother is a local woman named Jenny Jones. Allworthy sends her away from the country, and decides to raise the boy, named Tom Jones, with his unmarried sister in their home. Soon after, Allworthy's sister marries and gives birth to her own boy, known as Blifil. He initially appears to be virtuous, yet as he grows it becomes apparent he inherently deceitful. Years later, when Squire Allworthy falls ill Blifil betrays Tom, and he is banished from the house. In his exile, Tom's adventures across his country begin. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The History of Tom Jones is both modern and readable.

An orphaned young woman must decide whether to follow her head or her heart in June Francis's absorbing new Liverpool saga. 1961. Nineteen-year-old Lucia Brookes and her five younger siblings are facing their first Christmas alone since their parents were killed in a car crash. Once, Lucia had dreamed of meeting a man who would love, cherish and provide for her. Now she has lost hope because what man would want to take her on with all her responsibilities Everything changes when Tim Murphy enters the Liverpool coffee bar where Lucia works, looking for a room to rent. Although she knows of Tim's troubled past and his recent spell in prison, Lucia can't help being charmed by the lovable rogue. Ignoring the warnings from her family and friends, she accepts Tim's offer of a date. But has Tim really changed his ways . and will his shady past catch up with him?

Decades before the bitter war of independence between Ptolem and Osiron end, two royal brothers grow into manhood while on a path intended to define the history of their family and their world. Shayne and Sar-Chay, born to the most powerful Kindred on Osiron, are groomed and indoctrinated in the ways of the Separatae, a fiercely determined group that demands nothing less than independence from their increasingly totalitarian motherworld, Ptolem.

Despite their deep fraternity, mutual respect, and love, Shayne and Sar-Chay are too different in spirit and goals to maintain a tranquil relationship. As their differing concepts of love and loyalty to the women in their lives pit them against one another, the brothers battle in equally desperate desires to control the lynchpin of their next generation, the warrior Vin-Chay. As the men prepare for the deciding conflict to gain Osiron's independence, they clash with one another in a relentless cornucopia of hate, vengeance, passion, and unwavering determination.

The souls of three men precariously balance on the precipice of obliteration as the final battle nears, and all three are forced to make decisions that will either save them or destroy everything they hold dear.

It's a cold winter's night in 1906 but nothing can dampen the high spirits of Constance Bannerman and her fellow skivvy and best friend, Nella. For tomorrow, Constance can escape her life of drudgery at Doctor Sowerby's home in Newcastle by marrying her handsome sweetheart, the prosperous John Edington. But Constance's last night of servitude is to end in terror. As a final act of spite, Mrs Sowerby throws her out of the house late that evening where she is met by the doctor's dissolute son, Gerald. In the front yard, surrounded by freezing fog, Gerald attacks and rapes her. Distraught and unsure of what to do, Constance marries John the next day with a heavy heart. She cannot tell John what has happened, for his is a respectable family, and shame will not allow her to reveal the truth to Nella. But the worst is yet to come, for John Edington himself has a shocking secret that will make Constance feel more alone than ever...

One day in 1964 Rachel West's husband walked out on his wife and two young sons, leaving them nothing but pain and heartache. Now, two years later, struggling in a poorly paid job, Rachel feels her luck will never change. So when she finds herself the new owner of her late Uncle Chip's Hammersmith boat-building business she wonders if it's too good to be true. Why would Chip have left it to her when he has a son himself? The business is only just afloat - thanks to the hard work of Chip's charismatic assistant, Ben - but Rachel is determined to restore it to its former glory for the sake of her sons. And before long, she realises that she's falling in love with kind-hearted and handsome Ben. But her good fortune doesn't last for long - someone is maliciously plotting to sabotage her plans...

This entertaining and emotionally passionate new novel, by this first time author, reveals the dark and sinister events that surround a Louisiana family as it struggles to overcome a voodoo curse that has tormented the love life of its beautiful women since the days just after slavery. In 1949 Elizabeth Lafayette, the family s matriarch sets off a chain of tragic events after she tampers with an erotic fragrance the community root doctor has concocted to protect her naive daughter and granddaughter from deadly effects of the curse. Explicit and shockingly bold, Reginald Wyatt skillfully touches on the social and cultural realities that have intimately affected all of our lives.

Fall in love with beloved bestselling author Santa Montefiore's epic tale of romance, secrets, family and friendship. It is 1925 and the war is long over. But much has been lost and life will never truly be the same again. Castle Deverill, cherished home to the Deverill family in the west of Ireland for hundreds of years, has burned to the ground. But young and flighty Celia Deverill is determined to restore the sad ruin to its former glory. Celia married well and has the wealth to keep it in the family... and she cannot bear to see her beloved home stand neglected. But dark shadows are gathering once more, as the financial markets start to shake. And everything that felt so certain is thrown once again into doubt. The second novel in the beloved Deverill Chronicles, perfect for everyone who loves Jojo Moyes, Rosamund Pilcher and Victoria Hislop. ***What readers are saying about Santa Montefiore*** 'Nobody does epic romance like Santa Montefiore. Everything she writes, she writes from the heart' Jojo Moyes 'I have a tendresse for sweeping and epic romantic sagas set around huge houses and aristocratic families and Santa Montefiore hits the spot for me like few other writers... Lush, vivid storytelling' Sarra Manning 'An ideal summer read. Laced with secrets and forbidden liaisons, it is sure to keep you turning the pages' The Lady on The Beekeeper's Daughter 'One of our personal favourites and bestselling authors, sweeping stories of love and families spanning continents and decades' The Times

When her friend and business partner Edwin Brown dies it seems as if Katherine Carter's own world has ended. Not only has her closest companion been taken from her, she's also lost the successful restaurant they built up together, as well as the comfortable home they shared with her young son. Now all this has been snatched away, for Edwin has left no will and his lecherous brother Gerald presumes he's inherited Katherine along with the house. With little money but full of determination Katherine escapes Gerald's violent advances and takes lodgings in Rotherhithe, with her cook's sister Milly. Despite its poverty, Docklands London is full of hope and friendship and, in helping her new neighbours through their difficulties, Katherine finally begins to tackle her troubled past. But even as she rebuilds her life around the pie-and-mash shop where she works, a terrible shadow is hanging over the country. And little does anyone know the horrors 1914 will unleash ...

Set on the wild moors of West Yorkshire, The Girl from the Tanner's Yard by Diane Allen is a moving family drama about a girl who rises to prosperity from humble beginnings. After facing the horrors of the Crimean War, Adam Brooksbank returns to Black Moss Farm filled with regret over the path in life he has chosen. Starting anew, he decides to focus on rebuilding his family's rundown farm and make it a home again. Lucy Bancroft lives with her parents on Prospect Terrace which backs onto the local tannery, and is the most beautiful girl in the village. But unfortunately her wealth doesn't match her looks, and she soon realizes that nobody wants to court a girl from the filthy Flay Pits, let alone marry her. Yet when Lucy comes to work for Adam as his maid she finds herself falling in love with the farm set high upon the wild Moors of Haworth. Furthermore she begins to imagine a life with her new employer that goes beyond just being his maid. As they spend more time together, their feelings develop for one another despite her parents warning her nothing good will come of it. As rumours swirl around the village igniting jealousies and unearthing deeply buried secrets, will love find a way?

Let love into your life with these two stories filled with romance and humor as two women find their own Mr. Right in the small seaside town of Lucky Harbor. Head Over Heels: Chloe Traeger isn't ready to settle into a quiet life running her family's newly renovated inn. But soon her love of trouble--and trouble with love--draws the attention of the very stern, very sexy Lucky Harbor sheriff. Can this rebel find a way to keep the peace with the straitlaced sheriff? Or will Chloe's past keep her from a love that lasts? Lucky in Love: Mallory Quinn has had enough of playing it safe. For once, she'd like to take a risk on Mr. Wrong. And who could be more wrong than Ty Garrison? The mysterious new guy in little Lucky Harbor has made it clear that he's only passing through, which suits Mallory just fine. But as their just-for-fun fling becomes something more, Mallory and Ty wonder if they could really be this lucky in love. "Fall in love with Jill Shalvis! She's my go-to read for humor and heart." --Susan Mallery