|
Showing 1 - 20 of
20 matches in All Departments
When Britain declares war on Germany in 1939, Carolyn Maddison is
still a schoolgirl. Her elder brother Alastair wastes no time in
joining the RAF as a flying officer, and Carolyn decides that when
she is eighteen she will follow him into the service by joining the
Women's Auxiliary Air Force. While reporting to the Air Ministry in
London she meets a good-looking, charismatic pilot, Charlie Wade,
currently employed in propaganda work. He believes that with her
calm demeanor and resilience, Carolyn should work as an
Intelligence officer, and suggests she serve on an active bombing
station. At her side throughout the courses and postings that
follow is Lucy Gaston, naturally quick-witted and sparky, a perfect
foil for her friend. The young WAAFs both obtain prestigious
postings in 5 Group Bomber Command, where they perform the vital
tasks of briefing and debriefing aircrew returning from operations
over Germany. Lucy, an incorrigible optimist, falls head over heels
for a member of a Lancaster bomber crew while Carolyn resists her
feelings for its dashing pilot. She decides it's not worth the risk
of loving a man in wartime. . . only to wonder if she has done the
right thing when a new WAAF on the station sets her cap at him. For
Lucy and Carolyn, life on a WWII bombing station brings drama,
heartbreak and suspense in this touching love story.
As a young widow with futures to secure for her two daughters,
Glenda McKinley is torn between remaining at her beloved estate
Pinmuir in the Scottish Highlands, or following the plans her
deceased husband made to join his brother in America. Though her
inclination is to stay among all that is dear and familiar, she is
forced to reconsider when her daughter Caitlin's health takes a
turn for the worse and the family doctor suggests a change of
scenery would do her good. The family's imminent departure for
Colorado comes as a blow to Ros, the eldest girl, who has fallen in
love with Clive, son of their estate manager. For her sister's
sake, however, she agrees to try life on her uncle's cattle ranch
and the family travel half the world away to start anew. America is
a whole new world to the McKinley family, and in spite of the
hospitable welcome they receive from Gordon McKinley, the scale of
the country and hard realities of ranch life come as a shock to the
family who pine for the things and people they left behind in
Scotland. When a gentle, unassuming cowboy falls for Glenda, she
has a strong incentive to stay and make a new life. But with Ros
yearning for the man waiting for her back in Scotland, can the
family ever find true happiness when each must pursue a different
dream?
A story of seafaring men and the women who love them, by the author
of "The Red Shawl." Captain David Fernley has made and lost a
fortune in the whaling trade, fishing the frozen Arctic wastes from
the Yorkshire port of Whitby. Then his erring wife and best friend
die in an accident at sea.
"The Other Side of the River" tells the story of Gennetta Turner,
whose father owns a large jet-carving company. Competition between
the companies is intense, and Mr. Turner devises a way of
consolidating his hold over the town by marrying his daughter off
to the son of his arch-rival. However, Gennetta is wildly in love
with her childhood sweetheart, a young sailor. How Gennetta foils
her father's plan, defies local custom and makes a success of her
own career is related in Jessica Blair's inimitable style, full of
pace, adventure, and appealing local detail.
At the age of eighteen, Alice Ware is pretty, charming and
impetuous. Back home in Yorkshire at the start of a new century,
she is determined to seize any fresh opportunities and experiences
that come her way. The arrival of a new neighbour, the elegant and
scandalous Mrs Emma Cheevey, leads to visits from her two highly
eligible soldier sons. Alice is instantly drawn to Matthew, the
younger brother - and then Captain Steven Cheevey arrives home from
South Africa, where he was part of the British expeditionary force
at the Relief of Mafeking. Alice's choice is made, her future
secure . . . until a reckless decision throws the lives of three
people into turmoil. Reluctant to return home, she seeks refuge in
the one place where she knows she will find peace, perhaps for
ever. It will take a visit from the man who loves her to persuade
Alice to reconsider and dare to live again.
Young David Feernley is determined to escape the drudgery of his
life as a Yorkshire farmhand. Setting off for the coast, his aim is
to join the whaling fleet at Whitby, to earn his living on the
stormy and icy Arctic seas. Although he has few sailing skills, a
Captain soon recognises his worth - for David is strong and
unafraid of danger. David is followed to the small fishing town by
Ruth, his childhood sweetheart, her heart set on marriage.
Passionate and proud, she is sure to be a worthy wife. Yet David is
drawn to another's betrothed: the pretty, gentle Jenny. And it is
Jenny's bright red shawl that David searches for on the cliff-tops
on his return from the long months at sea...
The year is 1850, and Susannah Charlesworth loves the estate and
open air life of the North Lincolnshire Wolds. She stands to become
a very rich woman, too--inheriting the estate, as well as her
father's and uncle's wealth, one day. But then she meets the
dashing Daniel Bullen, and Susannah's life is about to change
forever. As the eldest son, Daniel will take over his father's
mill. He sees it as providing for a lifestyle he wants to pursue,
but in order to avoid jeopardizing the fortune that awaits him,
Daniel must be careful how he conducts himself . . . and a marriage
to Susannah will ensure that he becomes a very rich man indeed.
Whilst their marriage, and the children Susannah bears, ensures
that their union is a happy one at first, Susannah soon begins to
realize that there is more to Daniel Bullen than she thought--and
that she hasn't married the man of her dreams. When Susannah's
father dies, Daniel learns that the huge wealth that he thought he
would amass has gone to Susannah's uncle. The fragile bonds between
them are broken. To find inner peace and save the family business,
Susannah realizes that she and her children must leave Daniel's
cruel clutches. . . But can Susannah ever find happiness in this
tapestry of dreams?
French-born Marie Gabin forms a friendship with Veronica Attwood in
their final two years at school, but this is tested when Marie is
forced to disclose a secret to her friend. In the shadow of this
revelation, the girls grow up on a country estate in North
Yorkshire. The First World War takes its toll when Marie loses the
man she loves and Veronica's husband suffers injuries which
eventually leave her a widow, but she finds consolation in her love
for the land. Returning to France, Marie marries her childhood
sweetheart, but once again life brings involvement in war for the
two friends. Loving their Yorkshire land, Veronica and her
daughters enlist in the Land Army. When a bomber squadron arrives
on a newly constructed airfield on part of the estate,
relationships are formed. Elise joins the RAF and is recruited into
the SOE. But secrets will out. On a mission to France, Elise faces
dangers she did not expect as she searches for Marie and the truth
- a truth that will have an outcome she never envisaged.
When Kate Swan's overbearing father demands that she obey him by
marrying a man she despises, she refuses and is cast out of her
comfortable home in Whitby. Fortunately, a kindly local widow is
looking for a lady companion and, for the moment, Kate's future is
assured. Meanwhile in Shetland, Malcolm McFadden, heir to the
Garstan Estate, disagrees with his father's plan to clear the
crofters from his land and turn it over to sheep. The fate of one
crofter's daughter in particular greatly troubles him, and he
proposes to defy convention by marrying Rowena Murray, but she
hesitates, and Malcolm leaves Shetland on his own. When he and Kate
meet, they are instantly attracted to one other, but while Kate
fulfills one last obligation to her generous employer Mrs Jordan -
accompanying her on a Lakeland tour - Malcolm receives the news he
has long dreaded. The Highland Clearances have begun, and old
loyalties draw Malcolm back to Shetland where he vanishes without
trace. Will Kate's love and determination win through, enabling her
to discover what has become of Malcolm? Or will his old ties to
Rowena, his first love, prove too strong, and cause Kate to regret
the road she has travelled?
Struggling artist Richard is persuaded by his benefactor to leave
his home town for the grand salons of London. He is encouraged to
paint the beautiful Charlotte's portrait, and in doing so, the
couple begin to fall in love. But Charlotte is married to an older
man, who cares for her deeply. How can she reconcile her passion
for Richard with her loyalty to her husband? In an attempt to
forget her, Richard returns home to Whitby. But when unexpected
events force the Lincolnshire countryside and the London art world
to become entangled, Richard and Charlotte's worlds are forced to
collide once more . . .
Recently widowed, Katherine Chambers takes her young son to visit
her husband's family when disaster strikes. The ship they are
sailing on runs into a severe storm off Robin Hood's Bay on the
Yorkshire Coast. Among the bodies on the beach, a survivor is
found. Identified as Katherine from the engraving on the bracelet
she wears on her wrist, she has no knowledge of who she is or where
she is from. Dr Bennett, the local doctor in Robin Hood's Bay, is
called in but though he can treat Katherine's cuts and physical
ailments, there is little he can do to heal the gaps in her memory.
Determined to save Katherine from being placed in an institution,
he asks his spinster sister to take care of her until her family
can be traced. But jealous of her brother's interest in Katherine,
Amelia Bennett takes a cruel pleasure in her predicament. Until
Katherine can remember her past, her future is far from certain . .
.
Whitby farmer, John Dugdale, is involved with a local band of
smugglers, seeing it as an easy and harmless way of making money.
But John is shocked when Mark Roper--his daughter Emma's childhood
sweetheart--turns up on a secret mission for the local excise
officer. Emma is forced to face the harsh realities of a world she
never knew existed, and must also decide who it is she really
loves; the dependable Joe, or the handsome schoolboy, who has
disappeared from her life.
When Sam Harland returns a World War I hero to St Robin's Bay on
the Yorkshire coast, he brings with him a French wife. He hopes
that she will be accepted by the villagers, but one person, Mary
Lawson, can never forgive what she sees as the ultimate betrayal.
When Jean Lawson and Colin Harland fall in love, the match is
opposed by both of their families because of a rift that began a
generation ago. But as World War II casts a shadow over Britain and
its people, Jean and Colin both strive towards their futures, as
they volunteer to serve their country at war.
1858 - When a wheel breaks on 20-year-old Betsy Palmer's trap as
she is crossing the North York Moors on her way to Rosedale with
jewellery to sell to the ironstone miners, she is helped by Jim
Fenwick, a supervisor on the mining project, and a special
relationship between them develops. In Newcastle, love is also
blossoming between Robert Addison, son of a successful merchant,
and Adele Jordan when Robert discovers something scandalous that he
fears will ruin many people's lives. He changes his identity and
disappears, but the Addison family believe that Adele is the cause
and blame her, which makes her determined to find Robert. But all
is not straightforward as relationships are further complicated
when Betsy, whose relationship with Jim is now struggling, meets
Robert and falls in love for the second time. As these lives become
interwoven the story moves to an exciting climax before some
unexpected and dramatic truths are revealed...
Whitby, 1879. Following the death of her parents in the Tay Bridge
disaster, twenty-three-year-old Lena Carnforth expects to inherit
at least half of her father's thriving shipping and merchant
business. But, though leaving her comfortably off, her father
leaves the entire business to his stepson, James. Instead of
working, it's generally accepted that Lena will wed lifelong
friend, Alistair, even though she has doubts about their
relationship. Then Lena meets the attractive shipping rival Peter
Hustwick and sees him as the answer to all her prayers. She also
now has the opportunity to help build up Peter's business - and
undermine James's firm, which she regards as rightly hers. But when
disaster strikes, Lena is devastated to realise just how carried
away she's become with her desire for success...
Scarborough, 1938. When Jane and Nell are brought together by a
chance encounter, Jane, unhappy at home, sees an opportunity to
escape when Nell invites her to visit her family in Lowestoft.
However, they have no idea that their friendship will be tested
through the trials of love, hardship and war. Nell's friends, Simon
and Ewan, accept Jane as one of their own and welcome her into
their world. But the threat of war soon brings changes for all four
of them. Simon and his ship are involved in mine sweeping, Ewan
joins the RAF and, feeling frustrated at their helplessness, Nell
and Jane join the Land Army so that they can do something positive
for the war effort while remaining together. But it is only when
both girls fall for the same man that the strength of their
friendship is truly challenged...
Olivia Coulson is pretty and determined enough to attract any man's
eye. George Chilton-Brookes, heir to the Cropton estate, is visibly
enchanted by her, while handsome gentleman farmer Kit Fernley is
also drawn to her looks and vivacity. Olivia wavers between her two
suitors, eventually inclining towards the wealth and social
position that marriage to George will bring - only to find that he
has turned his attention elsewhere. So she marries Kit: handsome,
attentive, loving...and in her eyes second best. Unable to forgive
her fickle lover for his rejection of her, Olivia sets out to make
George sorry he ever slighted her; becoming so intent on settling
old scores that she is barely aware of the deadly danger her
husband faces. Challenged by his father to undertake a long and
perilous sea journey to the Arctic wastes, Kit accepts, comforted
by thoughts of his wife awaiting his return and oblivious of the
lengths to which Olivia will go to achieve her revenge.
Lydia Middleton faces a bright future, secure in the knowledge that
her childhood sweetheart, David Drayton, will one day be her
husband. Their parents heartily approve of a match between Whitby's
foremost ship-owning families. But then Mr Middleton loses his
fortune and later his life, and the Draytons reconsider. Lydia's
uncle repossesses the family home and she is forced to leave
Whitby. Her brother Luke finds a job in the new town of
Middlesbrough and Lydia decides to accompany him and make her own
way in life. But she vows that when her fortunes have changed she
will return to her beloved home and exact a fitting revenge on her
uncle. Driven by this desire, Lydia prospers but risks losing the
most precious thing of all: the love of David, who has stayed
faithful to her throughout their enforced separation. Vengeance or
the path of true love - which will Lydia choose?
Whitby 1901. Sarah Brook has kept diaries for most of her life. Now
eighty-five and at the end of her own journey, she allows her
favourite great-niece Esther to read them. But while full of
Sarah's thoughts and dreams, and family stories, the diaries also
hold dark family secrets about the past, which are about to be
exposed. . . Whitby 1832. When their mother tragically dies, life
changes dramatically for Sarah and her siblings. Arabella is
ordered by their father to assume the domestic role - something she
fears will destroy her hoped-for relationship with John Sharp,
captain of her father's whale ship, the Sea King. Little does she
know that Harriet has an idea to ensure she doesn't end up with a
hard life like Arabella: she will ensnare John and marry him.
Charley too has his own escape plan: determined to forge a life at
sea against his father's wishes, he stows away on the Sea King. But
when tragedy strikes the Sea King in the Arctic the Brook family,
and those near to them, are forced to make crucial assessments
about their futures. . .
It is 1802, and when her beloved father dies, Lucy Mitchell's
curiosity is fired by his last words, "the de Northbys owe you."
Who are the de Northbys and why do they "owe" the Mitchells? Her
mother says he was too sick and confused to make sense but Lucy
undertakes some investigations of her own.
|
|