|
Showing 1 - 25 of
46 matches in All Departments
Two women uncover the secrets of the past in this emotional and
poignant story that's perfect for fans of Lisa Wingate and Kristina
McMorris. 1934: Connie Burroughs loves living in the orphanage that
her father runs in the English countryside. Exploring its nooks and
crannies with her sister, hearing the pounding of a hundred pairs
of feet on the wooden stairs, having a father who is doing so much
good. But everything changes the day she sees him carrying a
newborn baby that he says he found near the broken front gate. A
baby she recognizes . . . Present Day: Arriving at her father's
beloved cottage beside the Thames, Sarah Jennings is hoping for
peace and quiet, and an escape from her difficult divorce. But when
she finds her father unwell and poring over boxes of files on the
orphanage where he was abandoned as a child, she decides to
investigate his elusive past herself. The only person left alive
who lived at Cedar Hall when Sarah's father was there is Connie
Burroughs, but Connie sits quietly in her nursing home for a
reason. The sewing box under Connie's bed hides secrets that will
change Sarah's life forever, uncovering a connection between the
two women that has darker consequences than she could ever imagine.
A heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting tale inspired by the lives
of the children who lived at the author's great-grandfather's
orphanage
Their love crossed the class divide, but will it survive the
ravages of war? When Lucy's father dies and her family is plunged
into poverty, she is forced to take a job in service as a housemaid
at Windthorpe House, home to the aristocratic Hetherington's, who
lost three of their four sons in the Great War. When their only
remaining son, Clive, returns home from university, he and Lucy
strike up an immediate bond, which only deepens as Lucy becomes
indispensable to the family. Clive however, much to his family's
consternation, decides to volunteer to fight against the Fascists
in the Spanish Civil War, though he returns injured and full of
rage at the hated regime. As Lucy tends his wounds, the two fall in
love and Clive is determined that the class difference won't keep
them apart. But Hitler's troops are gathering and fate has
something very different in store for both of them...
A moving family drama of one young woman's fight to survive and to
find a place to call home 1938: Sixteen-year-old Kate Monroe is
living in Birmingham, far away from her family in Ireland. Her
parents have always doted on her siblings, Sally and James, leaving
no time for her. Kate harbours a dark secret, a deep longing for
her cousin. Feelings she must suppress in this deeply staunch
Irish-Catholic community - even if they are reciprocated. Crazed by
her infatuation, Kate is left with no option, other than to
up-roots once more and seek out a new life, far away from the
temptation of Tim Monroe. Will Kate find true love, or will
distance make the heart grow fonder?
Hannah Delaney is a young woman with a secret. It is not one that she can share with her large family back home in Ireland, and especially not with her dying sister. Hannah moved to England to build a better life, where she met and fell in love with a soldier. They intended to marry on his next leave, but then D-day arrived and he didn't come back. Devastated, Hannah is left alone and penniless. Grimly picking up the pieces of her life, Hannah goes to work in a Birmingham guest house. Common sense tells her to agree to marry sensible Arthur Bradley, but he too has a secret. And their secrets are destined to have unimaginable consequences. "The beauty of Anne's books is that they are sewn through with human emotions which affect us all" 'Birmingham Post'
A heartbreaking tale of love and loss in a time of war, perfect for
fans of Katie Flynn and Annie Groves. Jenny O'Leary is devastated
one morning in 1940 when she receives a telegram giving her the
dreadful news that one of her brothers has been killed in action.
Grief threatens to engulf her, but as an ARP warden, tending to
Birmingham's injured after the nightly raids, she is well-used to
the suffering that thousands are enduring every day. Linda Prosser
is just twelve years old and desperately close to her mother and
two tiny brothers. As the bombs drop around them one fateful night,
Linda takes a risk which has disastrous consequences. Terrified,
and buried beneath a mass of debris after her home takes a direct
hit, it is Jenny who crawls through the wreckage of the house to
rescue her. So begins a friendship which is last through the years.
But when Linda falls in love with a man that Jenny despises, she is
faced with sacrificing her future happiness for the friend who has
given her everything...
Can an ordinary girl dare to be different? The compelling new
bestseller from Birmingham's Queen of Fiction Janet is determined
to make something of herself, instead of being chained to a sink
with a baby a year like most women of her generation. She passes
her eleven-plus and wins a scholarship to go to a good grammar
school, but her father refuses to believe that girls have the right
to do anything other than look after their husbands and raise
children. Struggling to fit in at her new school and picked on by
the other girls, Janet befriends, Ruth, another lonely pupil whose
Jewish family have suffered many hardships. Janet and Ruth forge a
strong friendship through her school life and beyond. But will
their friendship survive when Janet falls for Ruth's brother, Ben
-marriage to a Catholic girl would go against everything his
community hold dear. When the whole world seems stacked against
her, can Janet hold onto her dreams?
A heartrending tale of love and tragedy during The Birmingham
Blitz. Perfect for fans of Katie Flynn and Annie Groves. For Kathy
O'Malley, life has not been easy with her husband, Barry, out of
work and with two children to feed. Then when war breaks out in
1939, many of the local men enlist, including Barry, leaving the
women to cope as best they can. The years that follow are full of
hardship: rationing, nightly air raids and endless shifts working
at the local munitions factory all take their toll on Kathy who
longs to feel the strong arms of her husband around her once more.
When she meets Doug, a handsome American GI, she is drawn
immediately drawn to him but determined to honour her marriage
vows. But after she receives a telegram informing that her husband
is missing, presumed dead, she makes a decision that will have
consequences, not just for herself, but for the lives of all those
she loves too...
A family is divided when its favourite daughter is forced to flee
rural Ireland and to seek her living in war-torn Birmingham. Bridie
McCarthy loves her family's farm in the remotest part of Donegal,
even though she's forced to work hard when all of her siblings
leave home. She can't bear to let down her beloved parents - until
a horrible act of violence gives her no option but to run away. She
turns to the one person she can trust - big sister Mary, now
settled with a family of her own in Birmingham. Life here couldn't
be more different, but slowly Bridie comes to see the good side of
a busy city, and begins to regain her confidence. But fate has more
trouble in store, as World War Two looms, threatening everything
she's fought so hard to win.
A story of struggle and hardship and one girl's battle for survival
from the best-selling author of If You Were the Only Girl and
Another Man's Child. Angela McCluskey comes to Birmingham from
Ireland with her family as a young girl to escape the terrible
poverty in her homeland. But the dream of a better life is dashed
as bad fortune dogs the family. When Angela marries her childhood
sweetheart, she has hopes of a brighter future, which are dashed
when her husband is called up to fight in the Great War. Tragedy
strikes and Angela is left to rear her frail daughter on her own,
though the worst is yet to come when Angela suffers another
terrible misfortune. Pregnant and destitute and already with one
mouth to feed that she can ill afford, there is nowhere left to
turn. What destiny awaits Angela and her unborn child? Caught
between the devil and the deep blue sea, will Angela forever be
punished for the choices that she makes?
A moving family drama of one young woman's fight to survive, to
find her long-lost relatives and to find a place to call home
Bridgette has been hurt many times in her life. Her early years
were blighted by her spoilt brother; her marriage ruined by World
War Two. Now her mother is dying. And then comes a deathbed
revelation - somewhere Bridgette has another family and a father.
Bridgette joins the war effort and shows her courage by aiding a
British Agent whose life is in danger. But, as the war draws to a
close, Bridgette is still full of questions about her past and is
determined to find the answers. So she sets off for Birmingham -
not knowing what she will discover, but desperately hoping to find
a place where she can finally belong...
From rural rags to brief riches and back to ruin, this is a moving
saga of hard work, bad luck and finally hope for a family's future.
Gloria Sullivan can't quite believe where she has ended up. Growing
up with no money worries, she fell head over heels in love with the
handsome, hardworking Irishman employed by her father. They were
the golden couple - until the Wall Street crash, when everything
was lost. Finally she agreed to start again in London with husband
Joe and their small son. World War Two was raging, and Joe laboured
on the docks by day and fighting fires by night. He was a hero -
but one dreadful fire left him terribly injured. Once more Gloria
resolved to leave everything behind and to take Joe home to his
family farm in Ireland, his only hope of recovery. Gloria now
dutifully nurses her husband, but she can't settle in the
countryside. Then a nearby American base begins recruiting
civilians. Gloria tells everyone it's her chance to do her bit -
but will she be tempted to do much more?
A moving and gritty saga of loss, separation and finally hope, set
in wartime Birmingham Agnes Sullivan is fifteen when her young
brother Tom finds her drunk and crying in the lane near their farm.
Her dancing teacher has raped her and abandoned her. Aggie is
forced to leave home when she discovers she's pregnant and Tom,
barely a teenager himself, decides the teacher must pay for his
actions. Aggie flees to Birmingham, but the safe haven she's been
promised turns out to be too dangerous to stay in. She's left with
few options until someone she would never have spoken to in her
former life gives her the help she so desperately needs. But will
World War One ruin her precarious hopes of a future? Anne Bennett's
sagas of Birmingham during the wars have won her many fans, as they
are packed full of emotion, determination and authenticity.
Regional sagas don't come any better than this.
A heartrending saga of a sister separated from her baby brother by
tragedy and prejudice, who will brave the Blitz to bring him to
safety Molly's life changes forever when her mother is killed in a
horrific accident. Although her beloved grandfather wants to keep
her and little brother Kevin with him in Birmingham, the
authorities decide it's best for the girl to live with her maternal
grandmother, on a farm in Donegal. So Molly is packed off to Biddy
Sullivan, who's a hard, cruel woman who loves to bear a grudge.
Years of hardship follow and just as Molly begins to grow
independent, war breaks out. She learns that her grandfather has
died - so what's become of ten year old Kevin? Surely he must need
her? So the naive country girl sets off for her home city, little
guessing what perils are to befall her before she can discover her
brother's fate...
A stirring saga of a nurse who only wants to do her duty in World
War Two - and who ends up having to make an agonising choice. Set
in Ireland and Birmingham, this is the latest from emerging star of
the genre Anne Bennett. Carmel Duffy is the eldest child of a
brutal and abusive marriage, and she can't wait to leave home.
She's equally determined to have no husband or children of her own
- what she wants more than anything is to be a nurse. As soon as
she turns eighteen, she heads for Birmingham and begins her
training. With her beautiful auburn curls, she draws plenty of
attention and her resolve to concentrate on her career is tested
when Dr Paul Connolly comes onto her ward and into her life.
Gradually he wins her heart, and they agree to marry, both certain
that they want no children. They have valuable jobs to do - all the
more so when World War Two looms. But those years will change
everything: their relationship, their priorities, their very
characters. Carmel will find that the future is very different to
the one she thought she wanted for so long...
The heartbreaking new novel from the bestselling author of The
Forget-me-not Child and If You Were the Only Girl. Angela McClusky
is haunted by the young baby that she left on the steps of the
workhouse. Born out of wedlock and the result of a traumatic
assault, the child has grown up away from the loving arms of her
mother and only has a locket to remind her of the family she never
knew. Angela, meanwhile, has carried the guilt of her actions with
her for almost a decade, now widowed and alone, she is courted by a
new suitor, Eddie, who seems to offer her the happiness she craves.
When Angela's teenage daughter, Constance, discovers that Eddie is
not all he seems to be, it drives a wedge between mother and
daughter. But her secrets won't stay hidden and now Angela must
face up to her past...
A powerful saga from the author of DAUGHTER OF MINE and DANNY BOY,
in which a young girl is forced to give up her true love and marry
for security - except that it leads her to danger and heartbreak
before she finds happiness. Maria is a girl with a great talent for
fabric design, and while the world becomes embroiled in war, all
she can think of is her scholarship to the prestigious Grafton
Academy. But then her father has a dreadful accident and her mother
breaks down in guilt and grief. Maria, the only child, must care
for them. Her hopes are dashed, not only of her career, but of
marrying the one who's loved her for years. Reluctantly, Maria is
driven into the arms of the supposedly reliable Barney. But he's no
such thing. The young couple have to leave their home in a hurry
and settle in Birmingham, where Barney grows increasingly difficult
and finally goes too far. A family crisis ensues but out of it
comes the one thing Maria had given up hope of ever finding again.
This is a superb saga of love, loss and family closeness, set
against the tumultuous years of the war and its aftermath.
Established fans of this author will love it and it is set to win
her many new dedicated readers.
A heartrending and heartwarming saga of the Birmingham blitz, from
the author of DANNY BOY. Lizzie is finding that life in the
Birmingham blitz is hard. Her husband is away fighting in the
Second World War and she has regretfully sent her two young
children away to her parents in Galway, knowing that they will be
safe there. She's grateful for her job in munitions but not so
happy when that means getting home in the blackout, dodging the
bomb damage. Then Lizzie is attacked on one such journey. She comes
around battered and bruised, unable to remember the full extent of
the attack – but she fears the worst, and is right to. Turning to
her family in desperation, she is told she has brought them nothing
but disgrace. Yet help is at hand, from the most unlikely place…
A deeply moving saga of a young couple with high hopes for a bright
future in rural Ireland, only to find themselves embroiled in the
uprising of 1916 and having to make a new life for themselves in
Birmingham. Rosie's family doesn't have much money, but she's rich
in other ways: she loves her life on the farm, her sisters, her
friends, and even her spoilt baby brother. When Danny Walsh asks
her to walk out with him one Sunday, it's a dream come true.
Everyone agrees that they are made for each other and soon they are
married. But Danny's young brother runs away to join in the
uprising of Easter 1916. Danny is a man of peace but has no choice;
he must find his brother and bring him home. Before he can be
released, Danny must swear to take his place. Danny will never be
free of his pledge. He takes Rosie and their small daughter to what
they hope is safety in Birmingham - but the fight to survive has
just begun, as nobody will employ an Irishman when there's a war
on. With no money coming in, Rosie does the unthinkable and leaves
Danny to look after the child while she finds a job in munitions.
Little does she realise the danger she is in and what consequences
it will have for her and her family. Danny and Rosie will find
their resources, spirit and love for each other are tested to the
utmost limit before the future is bright again.
A moving and gripping drama as one family struggles to survive
through the strains of the Second World War The year is 1940 and
Bill and Marion Whittaker live happily with their five children in
a terraced house on Albert Road in Birmingham. But when Bill
enlists to fight in the Second World War, the family are plunged
into poverty. Marion is forced to pawn all her worldly possessions
and decides to take in two lodgers, Peggy Wagstaffe and Violet
Clooney. These two lively girls bring some light relief to the
family and bring with them Peggy's handsome brother Sam - who
catches the eye of Marion's sixteen-year-old daughter, Sarah. 1944
and the war grinds on. Disaster strikes with an explosion at the
local munitions factory, leaving Sarah badly disfigured. Then news
arrives that Sam has been blinded in action. Can these two injured
souls help each other to repair not only their physical but
emotional scars? And will Bill return to the safety of family and
home?
Time Pieces for Descant/Soprano Recorder is a two-volume anthology
of well-crafted arrangements of music from the 14th century to the
present day. The pieces are presented chronologically within each
volume and all include the year in which they were written, so that
you can get a feel for the different styles of music through time.
Both volumes feature contrasting styles, from Susato to Chopin and
from Mozart to Prokofiev and are an invaluable source of further
study and recital repertoire for Grades 1-5.
Time Pieces for Descant/Soprano Recorder is a two-volume anthology
of well-crafted arrangements of music from the 14th century to the
present day. The pieces are presented chronologically within each
volume and all include the year in which they were written, so that
you can get a feel for the different styles of music through time.
Both volumes feature contrasting styles, from Susato to Chopin and
from Mozart to Prokofiev and are an invaluable source of further
study and recital repertoire for Grades 1-5.
Be swept away by the latest heart-breaking tale of courage and
resilience from the author of The Forget-Me-Not Child, and The
Child on the Doorstep. Angela McClusky arrived in the Birmingham,
from Ireland, to escape soul-breaking poverty. But life in 1920's
Black Country has been tougher than she imagined... Angela has
known nothing by hardship and heartbreak; losing a husband in The
Great War, the threat of ruin whilst raising a daughter alone...as
well as hiding a dark secret she's tried desperately to forget.
Kind-hearted Stan, who runs Bell Barn Road's Grocers shop is the
only flicker of light in her life. But Angela knows he could never
love her back if her knew the truth about her past... Then, tragedy
strikes. Not only is Angela's beloved daughter Connie critically
injured, but Angela unexpectedly comes face to face with her guilt
and shame. Her secret out in the open, this could be Angela and
Stan's final chance at love, if only they'll allow themselves this
one last chance at happiness...
|
|