Gwen's war is over, but her greatest battle is about to begin. 'An engaging story of secrets, sacrifice and the persistence of love' Sunday Times 'A truly wonderful novel' Jill Mansell 'An enticing slant on wartime life' Mandy Robotham 'A beautiful and poignant love story' Jenny Quintana From the author of The Lost Ones, a mesmerising gothic novel which was shortlisted for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award and the Historical Writers' Association Debut Crown Award... May, 1945. When bells ring out for Victory in Europe, young wife and mother Gwen wonders if her world is about to change. Six years ago, on their wedding night, her husband Jack promised he would leave for the war and never return. But Jack is coming home, unable to keep the promise he so faithfully made, and full of hope that he may at last win a place in Gwen's life and her heart. As events of the past return to haunt them, threatening all they hold dear, Jack and Gwen find themselves facing their greatest battle yet. To win, they will have to stand together and fight as one. In this sweeping historical story with huge heart, Anita Frank weaves a glorious tale of love and loss, secrets and promises. Praise for The Return: 'An engaging story of secrets, sacrifice and the persistence of love' Sunday Times 'A truly wonderful novel, so beautifully written and with an engrossing plot' Jill Mansell 'Draws you in with a deeply held secret so that just when you think it should all be over, it's really just beginning - an enticing slant on wartime life' Mandy Robotham 'Set during WWII, Anita Frank weaves a beautiful and poignant love story that tugged at my heartstrings' Jenny Quintana 'An engrossing story of loss, betrayal and love on the farming home front' Carolyn Kirby 'Beautiful, atmospheric writing and masterful storytelling' Jenny Ashcroft 'A more modern take on Far from the Madding Crowd' Historical Novel Society, Editors' Choice 'Utterly gripping' Iona Grey 'A love poem to a lost agricultural way of life' Caroline Scott 'A beautiful tale of love, loss and survival' Fiona Scarlett 'A triumph of pacing and emotional power' Lancashire Post

From the acclaimed author of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir and The Kitchen Front, Jennifer Ryan, comes a novel inspired by true events in the Second World War. After renowned London fashion designer Cressida Westcott loses both her home and her design house in the Blitz, she has nowhere to go but the family manor house she fled decades ago. She arrives with nothing but the clothes she stands in, at a loss as to how to rebuild her business from a quaint country village. Her niece, Violet, is thrilled that her famous aunt is coming to stay - the village has been interminably dull with all the men off fighting. Meanwhile, the local vicar's daughter, Grace Carlisle, is trying in vain to repair her mother's gown, her only chance of a white wedding. When Cressida Westcott appears at the local sewing circle meeting, Grace asks for her help - but Cressida has much more to teach the ladies than just simple sewing skills. Before long, Cressida's spirit and ambition galvanizes the village group into action, and they find themselves mending wedding dresses not only for local brides, but for brides across the country. And as the women dedicate themselves to helping others celebrate love, they might even manage to find it for themselves . . . The Great British Sewing Bee meets the Second World War in this warm, charming and nostalgic novel The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle.

Singapore, 1942. As Japanese troops sweep down Malaysia and into Singapore, a village is ransacked. Only three survivors remain, one of them a tiny child.

In a neighbouring village, seventeen-year-old Wang Di is bundled into the back of a troop carrier and shipped off to a Japanese military rape camp. In the year 2000, her mind is still haunted by her experiences there, but she has long been silent about her memories of that time. It takes twelve-year-old Kevin, and the mumbled confession he overhears from his ailing grandmother, to set in motion a journey into the unknown to discover the truth.

Weaving together two timelines and two life-changing secrets, How We Disappeared is an evocative, profoundly moving and utterly dazzling novel heralding the arrival of a new literary star.

"requite (verb): to return love and affection or, on the other side of the coin, to retaliate for injuries inflicted. MALTA 1941. Eleven-year-old Joe Zarb's life is about to change. The war has created a rubble-strewn, dogfight-watching, soldier-saluting adventure, until a telegram arrives with news of his papa, Victor, that will shatter everything. Twenty years later, with Malta seeking independence from the British Empire, a nurse and a former RAF pilot travel to the island. Beth is looking for Joe, the son of her wartime husband, Victor. Her companion, Stuart, is seeking revenge for the horrific burns he suffered in the war. When they find Joe and a man purporting to be his papa, a chain of events is set in motion that sheds new light on what happened two decades before... Praise for 'Man At Sea': "Intimate and expansive, this tantalising thriller pulses with mysteries, secrets, and surprises. Man at Sea is both timely and historical, at once rich in implication and action. Like the sea itself the story is swift, deep, exhilarating, and ultimately unpredictable." - Kevin MacNeil, Award-winning novelist and Lecturer in Creative Writing, University of Stirling"

A crackling portrayal of everyday American heroines...A triumph. -- Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue A group of young women from Smith College risk their lives in France at the height of World War I in this sweeping novel based on a true story--a skillful blend of Call the Midwife and The Alice Network--from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig. A scholarship girl from Brooklyn, Kate Moran thought she found a place among Smith's Mayflower descendants, only to have her illusions dashed the summer after graduation. When charismatic alumna Betsy Rutherford delivers a rousing speech at the Smith College Club in April of 1917, looking for volunteers to help French civilians decimated by the German war machine, Kate is too busy earning her living to even think of taking up the call. But when her former best friend Emmeline Van Alden reaches out and begs her to take the place of a girl who had to drop out, Kate reluctantly agrees to join the new Smith College Relief Unit. Four months later, Kate and seventeen other Smithies, including two trailblazing female doctors, set sail for France. The volunteers are armed with money, supplies, and good intentions--all of which immediately go astray. The chateau that was to be their headquarters is a half-burnt ruin. The villagers they meet are in desperate straits: women and children huddling in damp cellars, their crops destroyed and their wells poisoned. Despite constant shelling from the Germans, French bureaucracy, and the threat of being ousted by the British army, the Smith volunteers bring welcome aid--and hope--to the region. But can they survive their own differences? As they cope with the hardships and terrors of the war, Kate and her colleagues find themselves navigating old rivalries and new betrayals which threaten the very existence of the Unit. With the Germans threatening to break through the lines, can the Smith Unit pull together and be truly a band of sisters?

For three women living through World War II, the threat of war poses very separate issues - that is, until their lives become intertwined in the most tragic of circumstances. New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate. But the privileged life to which she is accustomed is turned upside down when her lover suddenly and suspiciously disappears. An ocean away in Germany, indoctrinated young Herta Oberheuser is desperate to begin working as a doctor. She replies to an advert for a government medical position, yet only upon arrival does she discover the true extent of her horrifying new role. As the war advances, Polish teenager Kasia Kuzmerick is drawn deeper into the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspecting neighbours, one false move can have dire consequences. Then the unthinkable happens: Kasia is sent to Ravensbruck, the notorious Nazi concentration camp for women where Herta now works, and her life is transformed into a desperate attempt to survive. As the women's stories coincide and span decades and continents - from New York to Paris, Germany, and Poland - the devastation of Ravensbruck is ever-present, as Kasia and Caroline strive to bring justice to those history has forgotten . . . __________ 'Harrowing . . . Lilac illuminates.' People 'A compelling, page-turning narrative . . . Lilac Girls falls squarely into the groundbreaking category of fiction that re-examines history from a fresh, female point of view. It's smart, thoughtful and also just an old-fashioned good read.' Fort Worth Star - Telegram 'A powerful story for readers everywhere . . . Martha Hall Kelly has brought readers a firsthand glimpse into one of history's most frightening memories. A novel that brings to life what these women and many others suffered. . . . I was moved to tears.' San Francisco Book Review '[A] compelling first novel . . . This is a page-turner demonstrating the tests and triumphs civilians faced during war, complemented by Kelly's vivid depiction of history and excellent characters.' Publishers Weekly 'Kelly vividly re-creates the world of Ravensbruck.' Kirkus Reviews 'Inspired by actual events and real people, Martha Hall Kelly has woven together the stories of three women during World War II that reveal the bravery, cowardice, and cruelty of those days. This is a part of history--women's history--that should never be forgotten.' Lisa See, New York Times bestselling author of China Dolls 'This is the kind of book I wish I had the courage to write--a profound, unsettling, and thoroughly captivating look at sisterhood through the dark lens of the Holocaust. Lilac Girls is the best book I've read all year. It will haunt you.' Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet 'Rich with historical detail and riveting to the end, Lilac Girls weaves the lives of three astonishing women into a story of extraordinary moral power set against the harrowing backdrop of Europe in thrall to Nazi Germany. Martha Hall Kelly moves effortlessly across physical and ethical battlegrounds, across the trajectory of a doomed wartime romance, across the territory of the soul. I can't remember the last time I read a novel that moved me so deeply.' Beatriz Williams, New York Times bestselling author of A Hundred Summers and The Secret Life of Violet Grant

Nine months after the Nazi occupation of Austria, 600 Jewish Children assembled at Vienna station to board the first of the Kindertransports bound for Britain. Among them was 10 year old Lore Segal.

For the next seven years, she lived as a refugee in other people's houses, moving from the Orthodox Levines in Liverpool, to the staunchly working class Hoopers in Kent, to the genteel Miss Douglas and her sister in Guildford. Few understood the terrors she had fled, or the crushing responsibility of trying to help her parents gain a visa. Amazingly she succeeds and two years later her parents arrive; their visa allows them to work as domestic servants - a humiliation for which they must be grateful.

In Other People's Houses Segal evokes with deep compassion, clarity and calm the experience of a child uprooted from a loving home to become stranded among strangers.

Yona has used her knowledge of the wilderness to help hundreds of Jews escape the Nazis. But what happens when a secret from her past emerges and threatens everything? After being stolen from her wealthy German parents and raised in the unforgiving wilderness of eastern Europe, a young woman finds herself alone in 1941 after her kidnapper dies. Her solitary existence is interrupted, however, when she happens upon a group of Jews fleeing the Nazi terror. Stunned to learn what's happening in the outside world, she vows to teach the group all she can about surviving in the forest - and in turn, they teach her some surprising lessons about opening her heart after years of isolation. But when she is betrayed and escapes into a German-occupied village, her past and present come together in a shocking collision that could change everything. Praise for Kristin Harmel: 'A powerful story of survival and resilience. I couldn't put it down' - Heather Morris 'A cracking story and characters that zing from the page. Totally immersive' - Liz Trenow

In 1936, the Duke of York unexpectedly became King George VI, and his ten-year-old daughter, Princess Elizabeth, became heir presumptive. However, she was never heir apparent, because a male sibling would automatically assume her place in the line of succession. So what would have happened upon the late arrival of a baby brother for the grown-up Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret? After King George VI's death in 1952, the United Kingdom's next sovereign would have been a very young boy, and one in need of a regent. James the Third tells that boy's story. How does his reign unfold? He is clever, resourceful and unconventional but can he alter the course of history, given the limited role of a constitutional monarch? Does he find true love, or must he accept second best? And, with the births of his heirs, what does the House of Windsor look like now? Set against rapidly changing times, there is a parallel tale of two working class sisters from the East End of London. As fans of the royal family, they are closer to the crown than they could ever imagine. Seamlessly blending the twists and turns of fiction with historical fact, this book is sure to please anyone who enjoys a glimpse of life behind palace walls.

The Call of the Wrens introduces the little-known story of the daring women who rode through war-torn Europe carrying secrets on their shoulders. An orphan who spent her youth without a true home, Marion Hoxton found in the Great War something other than destruction. She discovered a chance to belong. As a member of the Women's Royal Naval Service-the Wrens-Marion gained sisters. She found purpose in her work as a motorcycle dispatch rider assigned to train and deliver carrier pigeons to the front line. And despite the constant threat of danger, she and her childhood friend Eddie began to dream of a future together. Until the battle that changed everything. Now twenty years later, another war has broken out across Europe, calling Marion to return to the fight. Meanwhile others, like twenty-year-old society girl Evelyn Fairchild, hear the call for the first time. For Evelyn, serving in the war is a way to prove herself after a childhood fraught with surgeries and limitations from a disability. The re-formation of the Wrens as World War II rages is the perfect opportunity to make a difference in the world at seventy miles per hour. Told in alternating narratives that converge in a single life-changing moment, The Call of the Wrens is a vivid, emotional saga of love, secrets, and resilience-and the knowledge that the future will always belong to the brave souls who fight for it. Historical, stand-alone novel Book length: approximately 94,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs

When there's so much to be afraid of, can May help bring festive cheer to the Ops Room?After failing to help evacuee siblings whom she witnesses being separated, May wishes she'd had the confidence to speak up. When Jess suggests a pantomime to boost morale on the station, May is desperate to help - but is held back by her own insecurities. With her low self-esteem also affecting her relationship with Squadron Leader Peter Travis, May is fed up with being her own worst enemy and decides to take charge of her destiny. But the past she ran from, plus a crisis with one of the evacuees, throw May into the midst of a drama that will test all of her newfound confidence. May, Jess and Evie must work together once again to help each other through the challenges of war and of their own hearts. This heartwarming WAAF saga is perfect for fans of Daisy Styles, Kate Thompson and Rosie Clarke. Praise for Vicki Beeby'A fabulous tale of courage, comradeship and romance.' Glynis Peters, author of The Secret Orphan 'A lovely book. Vicki Beeby is a saga author to watch.' Margaret Dickinson, Sunday Times Top Ten bestselling author 'Entertaining from beginning to end. I can't recommend it highly enough.' Gemma Jackson, bestselling author of the Ivy Rose series 'This is a wonderful story of hope, love and friendship during the Second World War.' Reader review 'Another wonderful book in this series, characters that come alive, and a storyline I enjoy following from book to book. Saga lovers this is a series for you.' Reader review 'This was the most charming, evocative and beautiful book. The friendship between May, Jess and Evie, the ops rooms girls, is joyously written and their characters lovingly drawn and expanded. This is a many layered book, it will leave you wanting more!' Reader review

A fast-unfolding, untold tale of deception, betrayal and romance leading to a tense life-or-death climax in occupied France. The strange brigadier who hardly speaks... Leo, his feisty pilot daughter... Labrador, the vengeful Pole... Henry Dunning-Green, Leo's boring suitor... Adrian Russell, the treacherous master spy... ... All linked by SOE Somerville, the top secret Second World War finishing school for spies on England's south coast, and its local community: A melting pot of intrigue and counter-intrigue. This is the first fictional treatment of life at the famous Special Operations Executive 'finishing school' for spies, SOE Beaulieu in the New Forest (renamed SOE Somerville). It's also the first fully realised fictional portrait of master spy and traitor Kim Philby (renamed Adrian Russell) who lectured at SOE Beaulieu. Many of the events actually took place.

The Fifth Column is a thrilling novel about the only man who can thwart a Nazi sympathizer uprising in New York during the Second World War, from bestselling author Andrew Gross. A Man in Trouble February 1939 and Europe is on the brink of war. Charles Mossman is in a bar in Hell's Kitchen, New York, reeling from the loss of his job and his failing marriage, whilst outside thousands of Nazi sympathizers are attending a hate-spewing rally. As he confronts one, Charles makes a horrendous mistake with deadly consequences. A City of Secrets Two years later, Charles is released from prison and tries to make amends with his wife and daughter. America is wrestling with whether to enter the war but support is growing, driving Nazi sympathizers underground. Charles begins to understand that surrounding them there are forces that will use any means necessary to bring about the downfall of his nation. The Enemy Within When Charles's daughter is befriended by a seemingly amiable Swiss couple, it brings to the surface his fears of a 'Fifth Column' of embedded German spies in their new neighbourhood. All Charles wants is to redeem himself as a husband and father, but sometimes a man must do whatever it takes to stand up for his family and what he believes, even sacrificing his life to do so . . .

Ambitious and addictive, Only Time Will Tell is the first novel in Jeffrey Archer's The Clifton Chronicles, beginning the epic tale of Harry Clifton, a working-class boy from the docks of Bristol. It is 1920, and against the backdrop of a world ravaged by conflict, Harry's story begins with the words 'I was told that my father was killed in the war'. Harry's existence is defined by the death of his father and he seems destined to a life on the docks until a remarkable gift wins him a scholarship to an exclusive boys school and entry into a world he could never have envisaged. Over the course of twenty years, as the Second World War and the fight against Hitler draws nearer, Harry will learn the awful truth about his father's death and of his own connections to a powerful shipping family, the Barringtons. And in doing so, he will change his destiny forever . . . Richly imagined and populated with remarkable characters, The Clifton Chronicles will take you on a powerful journey, bringing to life one hundred years of family history in a story neither you, nor Harry, could ever have dreamt of. Continue the bestselling series with The Sins of the Father and Best Kept Secret.

It is 1940 and twenty-year-old Charlotte Richmond watches from her attic window as enemy planes fly over London. Still grieving her beloved brother who never returned from France, she is working hard to keep her own little life ticking over: holding down a dull typist job at the Ministry of Information, sharing gin and confidences with her best friend Elena, and dodging her difficult father. She has good reason to keep her head down and stay out of trouble. She knows what happens when she makes a nuisance of herself. On her way to work she often sees the boy who feeds the birds - a source of unexpected joy amidst the rubble of the Blitz. But every day brings new scenes of devastation, and after yet another heartbreaking loss Charlotte has an uncanny sense of foreboding. Someone is stalking the darkness, targeting her friends. And now he is following her. She no longer knows who to trust. She can't even trust herself. She knows this; her family have told so her often enough. As grief and suspicion consume her, Charlotte's nerves become increasingly frayed, and soon her very freedom is under threat . . . Riveting and deeply moving, The Midnight News is a tour de force from Sunday Times bestselling author Jo Baker - a breathtaking story of friendship, love and war.