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Historical fiction

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Templar silks  by Elizabeth Chadwick

Templar silks

Elizabeth Chadwick

"England, 1219. Lying on his deathbed, William Marshal, England's greatest knight, sends a trusted servant to bring to him the silk Templar burial shrouds that returned with him from the Holy Land thirty years ago. It is time to fulfil his vow to the Templars...

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Burial rites  by Hannah Kent

Burial rites

Hannah Kent

"Northern Iceland, 1829. Agnes Magnúsdóttir is condemned to death for her part in the murder of her lover. Agnes is sent to wait out her final months on the farm of district officer Jón Jónsson, his wife and their two daughters - who are horrified to have a...

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The maiden Faust  by Conor Farrington

The maiden Faust

Conor Farrington

"In this female-centred, narrative the ageing scholar Faust of the Gothic myth is replaced by Philippa Austen, a Cambridge undergraduate in an alternative Victorian England where alchemy holds sway. After Philippa encounters the beautiful but unearthly Martha...

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Legends of gold  by Mary Connealy

Legends of gold

Mary Connealy

"On a risky treasure hunt in the rugged wilderness, can love trump all odds? After years of solitude, Tilda Muirhead's life takes an unexpected twist when she accepts a teaching position at Two Harts Ranch following her cross-country pursuit of two brothers...

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Codebreaker's daughter  by Amy Lynn Green

Codebreaker's daughter

Amy Lynn Green

"In the heart of the US capital, Dinah Kendall's role for the Office of Strategic Services isn't the thrilling espionage career she dreamed of. Instead, she spends her days craftng rumors aimed at undermining Axis morale. As Dinah navigates her duties, she...

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Beyond this place of wrath and tears  by Jack Ford

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Jack Ford

"Washington, DC, April 1954: Lee Carson, former war correspondent, is frustrated that her journalism career has been relegated to society events and fashion stories. But when she receives a tip about a Russian spy in a high-ranking government position at the...

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An unexpected grace  by Tracie Peterson

An unexpected grace

Tracie Peterson

"Can unexpected grace lay the foundation for a second chance at love? After a decade away, Parker Bennett returns home with a traveling troupe to perform a play based on Uncle Tom's Cabin at the Kalispell Opera House. Parker has relished his life on the road,...

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The cardinal  by Alison Weir

The cardinal

Alison Weir

"Alison Weir's novel traces the dramatic rise and fall of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, trusted advisor to Henry VIII. From humble beginnings to becoming the most powerful man in England after the king, Wolsey's fortunes shift when he fails to secure Henry's divorce...

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In the family way  by Laney Katz Becker

In the family way

Laney Katz Becker

"Ohio, 1965. Every week a group of suburban housewives meet for their Tuesday card game, sharing gossip, advice and confidences. Lily Berg has the perfect life. She's married to a doctor, with an infant daughter and another on the way. She can't let her...

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The portrait artist  by Dani Heywood-Lonsdale

The portrait artist

Dani Heywood-Lonsdale

"One morning in 1890, a painting wrapped in brown paper appears on the steps of the National Gallery and causes a sensation. It's clearly by Timothy Ponden-Hall, an artist whose paintings were celebrated and debated, not just for their beauty, but for the...

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Before Dorothy  by Hazel Gaynor

Before Dorothy

Hazel Gaynor

"Chicago, 1924: Emily Gale and her new husband, Henry, yearn to leave the bustle of Chicago behind for the promise of their own American dream. But leaving the city means leaving Emily's beloved sister, Annie, who was once closer to her than anyone in the...

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The other daughter  by Lauren Willig

The other daughter

Lauren Willig

"Raised in a poor yet genteel household, Rachel Woodley is working in France as a governess when she receives news that her mother has died, suddenly. Grief-stricken, she returns to the small town in England where she was raised to clear out the cottage ......

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All change at Harbour House  by Fenella-Jane Miller

All change at Harbour House

Fenella-Jane Miller

"Wivenhoe, May 1940. A moment that changes everything... The war continues to rage, but for now, Harbour House continues to keep the Roby family safe from harm. Not so for new lodger Richard Stoneleigh. As one of the few men who can captain a ship, Richard is...

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Troubled times at Harpers  by Rosie Clarke

Troubled times at Harpers

Rosie Clarke

"London, 1929. Torn between the love of his family life in London and a deathbed promise to an American relative, Ben Harper makes a fatal decision that may change the course of many lives. Honour-bound, Ben remains in New York to investigate who is...

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High hopes for the bomber girls  by Vicki Beeby

High hopes for the bomber girls

Vicki Beeby

"The war may nearly be over, but danger is ever-present as storms lie ahead... Even with peace on the horizon, Met WAAF Jenny Hazleton is as busy as ever. Her keen weather forecasting allows the pilots to continue their missions, including food drops to...

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A lasting promise  by Mary Wood

A lasting promise

Mary Wood

"France, 1943 As war casts its shadow over Europe, the tranquil life of Sister Angelica's convent is disrupted by the arrival of Nazi forces. Inside the convent, the nuns offer refuge to children in need of care and protection. Despite the ever-present risks,...

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The Dover Café on trial  by Ginny Bell

The Dover Café on trial

Ginny Bell

"May, 1941 It's been a difficult few months for Nellie Castle, but at last the cafe is getting back on its feet. And with Marianne's baby due soon, there is much to look forward to. Meanwhile, Bert Castle is recovering from the injuries he sustained during an...

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When sleeping women wake  by Emma Pei Yin

When sleeping women wake

Emma Pei Yin

"Hong Kong, 1941. The wealthy Tang family has settled in Hong Kong after fleeing Shanghai. As the First Wife of the family, Mingzhu leads a glamorous but lonely existence - mothering the son of her husband's concubine, overseeing her daughter Qiang's...

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The hounding  by Xenobe Purvis

The hounding

Xenobe Purvis

"Even before the rumors about the Mansfield girls begin, Little Nettlebed is a village steeped in the uncanny, from strange creatures that wash up on the riverbed to portentous ravens gathering on the roofs of people about to die. But when the villagers start...

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Florenzer  by Philip H. Melanson

Florenzer

Philip H. Melanson

"Leonardo da Vinci, twelve years old and a bastard, leaves the Tuscan countryside to join his father in Florence with dreams of becoming a painter. Francesco Salviati, also a bastard and scorned for his too-dark skin, dedicates himself to the Catholic Church...

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Ironweed  by William Kennedy

Ironweed

William Kennedy

"Francis Phelan has hit bottom. More than twenty years ago, the ex-ballplayer, part-time gravedigger, and full-time bum with the gift of gab left Albany after a tragic accident. Now, in 1938, Francis is back in town and faced with the wife and home he...

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The emerald twins  by Helen Fripp

The emerald twins

Helen Fripp

"France, 1944. In an opulent hotel room above the streets of Paris, a mother sobs and clutches her twin daughters tight. A German officer says, 'Give me the emerald, and I will only take one of your children. The choice is yours. South of France, present day....

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The Paris promise  by Suzanne Kelman

The Paris promise

Suzanne Kelman

"Paris, 1943: Keeping her eyes fixed on the Nazi officer, Antoinette slowly reaches under the pillow for the knife hidden there. Her hands are shaking, but she knows what she must do to save her husband and child... When the Nazis invade Paris, Antoinette...

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Blonde dust  by Tatiana de Rosnay

Blonde dust

Tatiana de Rosnay

"Pauline, a young chambermaid who works at the legendary Mapes Hotel in Reno, Nevada, is asked to step in for a colleague and clean Suite 614. Although she was told the rooms were empty, a dazed, sleepy woman appears before her. This is Mrs. Miller, aka...

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The treasures  by Harriet Evans

The treasures

Harriet Evans

"Hudson Valley, New York, June 1965: Alice is living with her parents in the gatehouse of the Kynaston estate. Her father manages the family's precious apple orchards, and every year when harvesting season arrives Alice helps her father to pick the ripe...

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A simple Habana melody  by Oscar Hijuelos

A simple Habana melody

Oscar Hijuelos

"The year is 1947. Israel Levis, a Cuban composer whose life once revolved around music and love, is finally returning home following the end of the Second World War. En route to Habana, Cuba, from Spain, he is a shadow of his former self, disillusioned after...

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The bell in the lake  by Lars Mytting

The bell in the lake

Lars Mytting

"1880. Young, inquisitive Astrid is unlike the other girls in the secluded village at the end of the valley. She dreams of a life that consists of more than marrying, having children, and eventually dying from hard work in the fields. And then the young pastor...

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Wideacre  by Philippa Gregory

Wideacre

Philippa Gregory

"Beatrice Lacey, as strong-minded as she is beautiful, refuses to conform to the social customs of her time. Destined to lose her heritage and beloved Wideacre estate once she is wed, Beatrice will use any means necessary to protect her ancestral name....

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The mourning necklace  by Kate (Novelist) Foster

The mourning necklace

Kate (Novelist) Foster

"1724. In a tavern just outside Edinburgh, Maggie Dickson's family drown their sorrows, mourning her death yet relieved she is gone. Shame haunts them. Hanged for the murder of her newborn child, passers-by avert their eyes from her cheap coffin on its rickety...

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Whispers in the glen  by Sue Lawrence

Whispers in the glen

Sue Lawrence

"A tale inspired by real events of sisterhood, heartbreak and resilience in a Highland village home front in World War II Scotland. Clova, Scotland, 1942. As World War II roars overseas, sisters Nell and Effie Anderson live together in the old schoolhouse of...

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In the absence of men  by Philippe Besson

In the absence of men

Philippe Besson

"From the author of the international bestseller Lie with Me comes the tale of an affair between an aristocratic teenager and a soldier, as they discover the possibilities and perils of first love"--

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The last Dekrepitzer  by Howard Langer

The last Dekrepitzer

Howard Langer

"The fiddler busking in the Columbus Circle subway station in 1965 is the Dekrepitzer Rebbe, the sole survivor of the obscure Dekrepitzer Hasidic sect known before the war for its rebbes' fiddling. The Last Dekrepitzer follows the life and spiritual quest of...

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The rarest fruit ; by Gaëlle Bélem

The rarest fruit ;

Gaëlle Bélem

"Set in 19th-century La Réunion, this novel follows Edmond Albius, a young Creole boy born into slavery, whose extraordinary talent for botany leads him to revolutionize the vanilla industry with his method of hand-pollinating orchids. Raised by a passionate...

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The best of intentions  by Caroline Scott

The best of intentions

Caroline Scott

"1932: When gardener Robert Bardsley arrives at Anderby Hall, an Elizabethan manor house in the Gloucestershire countryside, it is home to 'Greenfields', a community of artists and idealists. Robert has been employed to revive Anderby's famous roses and...

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From the valley we rise  by Elizabeth Musser

From the valley we rise

Elizabeth Musser

"In WWII France, Isabelle Seauve is dedicated to risking her safety for the protection of Jewish children. As a US Army Chaplain, a teenage rebel, and a Jewish orphan join her ranks and face increasing danger during the Allied invasion of Provence, these...

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The palace at the end of the sea  by Simon Tolkien

The palace at the end of the sea

Simon Tolkien

"New York City, 1929. Young Theo Sterling's world begins to unravel as the Great Depression exerts its icy grip. He finds it hard to relate to his parents: His father, a Jewish self-made businessman, refuses to give up on the American Dream, and his mother, a...

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On Isabella Street  by Genevieve Graham

On Isabella Street

Genevieve Graham

"Toronto, 1967. Two young women with different backgrounds, attitudes, and aptitudes are living in an exciting but confusing time, the most extreme counter-culture movement the modern world has ever seen. They have little in common except for the place they...

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The baker of lost memories  by Shirley Russak Wachtel

The baker of lost memories

Shirley Russak Wachtel

"Growing up in 1960s Brooklyn, Lena wants to be a baker just like her mother was back in Poland prior to World War II. But questions about those days, and about a sister Lena never even knew, are ignored with solemn silence. It's as if everything her parents...

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The dressmaker's war  by Michelle Vernal

The dressmaker's war

Michelle Vernal

"She gazes at her mother's face in the black and white photograph, her vision blurring as tears build. Could this wartime wedding portrait be the key to finding out why her mother went missing, all those years ago? Brides of Bold Street is filled with...

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The fires of Gallipoli  by Barney Campbell

The fires of Gallipoli

Barney Campbell

"Edward Salter is a shy, reserved lawyer whose life is transformed by the outbreak of war in 1914. Thrown into the fiery hellscape of the Gallipoli campaign he forges intense bonds of friendship with his comrades, particularly with the charming and quietly...

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The last child at versailles  by Rose Pascoe

The last child at versailles

Rose Pascoe

"A gripping dual-timeline tale of revolution and family secrets. Versailles, 1789. A young girl must draw on every shred of her courage and loyalty, as her adoptive family is plunged into the chaos of the French Revolution. As her world spirals out of...

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The widow's secret  by Rose Pascoe

The widow's secret

Rose Pascoe

"The year is 1841. Victoria is on the throne, but women are not in control of their own destiny, and Elisabeth Godwin is facing a grim future after the death of her husband. Her brother-in-law is desperate to avoid ruin and determined to remove the threat she...

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The listeners  by Maggie Stiefvater

The listeners

Maggie Stiefvater

"The Avallon Hotel offers unrivalled luxury in the wild Appalachian Mountains, its curative sweetwater washing away the troubles of high society. June 'Hoss' Hudson, a local girl turned general manager, has known its power since she first stepped through the...

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The underground railroad  by Colson Whitehead

The underground railroad

Colson Whitehead

"Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Life is hellish for all the slaves, but Cora is an outcast even among her fellow Africans, and she is coming into womanhood; even greater pain awaits. Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about...

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The crewel wing  by Erica-Lynn Huberty

The crewel wing

Erica-Lynn Huberty

"The Crewel Wing is the sweeping Gothic drama of a freethinking, self-reliant woman caught between Victorian constraints, ancient superstitions, and the deep bonds of family... After tragedy befalls her family, Claire Bietris is now married to schoolmaster...

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Mantle  by Dana McNeely

Mantle

Dana McNeely

"In the aftermath of Elijah's fiery ascension, the mantle of prophecy rests heavily on Elisha's shoulders. Called to shepherd Israel through turbulent times, he faces challenges from rulers, prophets, and even the people closest to him. Jaedon, who has...

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Whirlwind  by Dana McNeely

Whirlwind

Dana McNeely

"Spurned by potential suitors, Miriam travels to Jezreel to care for her cousin's son. There, the precocious seven-year-old works his way into her heart. When Arameans swarm the land like locusts, Miriam focuses on the safety of her young ward but promises...

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Rain  by Dana McNeely

Rain

Dana McNeely

"He is destined to be high priest - but at what cost to those he loves? In ancient Samaria, Aban anticipates his rites of passage with excitement and dread. He yearns to join the priesthood of Ba'al Melqart, unlock the power of the rain god, and hear the...

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Days before tomorrow  by Mark Hass

Days before tomorrow

Mark Hass

"In this moving, coming-of-age novel set in the heart of Eastern Europe during the years between the World Wars, a random act of violence by local anti-Semitic thugs casts Wolchi, a trusting and superstitious teenage boy, and Leja, his bookish but independent...

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The daughter's promise  by Rose. author. Pascoe

The daughter's promise

Rose. author. Pascoe

France, 1830. A young woman is facing a difficult decision about her future, when the turmoil of the July Revolution overturns her tranquil world. Her family is called upon to protect a precious heirloom for an aunt who has been forced into exile, throwing...

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Finding Flora  by Elinor Florence

Finding Flora

Elinor Florence

"A feminist historical fiction novel about a community of only women in early-twentieth-century Alberta, all of whom are running from their pasts. Scottish newcomer Flora Craigie jumps from a moving train in 1905 to escape her abusive husband. Desperate to...

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Samahani  by Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin

Samahani

Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin

"Samahani means 'forgive me' in Swahili, two words that stand in stark contrast to everything that happens in this novel. Set in 19th century Zanzibar, this is a dark story of slavery, cruelty and vengeance, that depict the agonies of the native Zanzibaris at...

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The dust that falls from dreams  by Louis De Bernières

The dust that falls from dreams

Louis De Bernières

"In the brief golden years before the outbreak of World War I, Rosie McCosh and her three very different sisters are growing up in an eccentric household in Kent, with their neighbours the Pitt boys on one side and the Pendennis boys on the other. But their...

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Stormy skies at the Beach Hotel  by Francesca (Novelist) Capaldi

Stormy skies at the Beach Hotel

Francesca (Novelist) Capaldi

"A new arrival at the Beach Hotel spells trouble. Chambermaid Fanny is thanking her lucky stars she has had a second chance at life. As an unmarried mother, it could have been very different and she is happy. But when new maid, Susie, arrives at the Beach...

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Old kiln  by Pingwa Jia

Old kiln

Pingwa Jia

"1966, China is on the cusp of a decade of upheaval, and the furnaces of Old Kiln have never been this cold. The village's once-famed ceramics production has almost ground to a halt. Only ancient grudges smoulder beneath its poverty-stricken streets, never...

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The House of Seymour  by Joanna Hickson

The House of Seymour

Joanna Hickson

"Will his ambition be her destiny or her downfall? ... When Isabel Williams is betrothed to John Seymour, Lord of Wolf Hall Manor, she hopes that love and respect will come, despite his cold streak of ruthless ambition. Jess the Shepherdess tends her flock on...

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Brighter days for the Cornish girls  by Betty (Novelist) Walker

Brighter days for the Cornish girls

Betty (Novelist) Walker

"Cornwall, 1947. Tragedy strikes the village and Sheila is determined to help those who are suffering. Sheila is determined to help those who are suffering and soon finds herself seeking out new ways to make a difference. But when her long-term beau proposes,...

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The remembered soldier  by Anjet Daanje

The remembered soldier

Anjet Daanje

"Flanders 1922. After serving as a soldier in the Great War, Noon Merckem has lost his memory and lives in a psychiatric asylum. Countless women, responding to a newspaper ad, visit him there in the hope of finding their spouse who vanished in battle. One day...

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Cleopatra  by Natasha Solomons

Cleopatra

Natasha Solomons

"Cleopatra, Egyptian Princess, grows up the favoured daughter of the Pharoah, hiding amongst the scrolls in the great library of Alexandria with her beloved slave Charmian, longing for the chance one day to write her own story. Then, when her father dies,...

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The elopement  by Gill Hornby

The elopement

Gill Hornby

"1820, and the marriage between wealthy widower Sir Edward Knatchbull and Jane Austen's handsome, dutiful niece Fanny Knight is widely praised as being the most excellent match in the county. As Sir Edward's wife, Fanny pays attention to the upbringing of...

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Wings unseen  by Suzy Susan

Wings unseen

Suzy Susan

"England 1939. Women answer the call to defend their country, the first women to do so since Boadicea, two thousand years earlier. Among them are four remarkable women: Officer Diana Buckingham, 19 year old Edith with her brilliant mind, fearless Australian...

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Monsoon mists  by Christina Courtenay

Monsoon mists

Christina Courtenay

"Young widow Zarmina Miller has spent her life defying expectations. Fiercely self-reliant, she has no desire to remarry and lose her freedom. Jamie Kinross left his homeland, scarred by betrayal, vowing never to love - or trust - again. In India he starts a...

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Highland storms  by Christina Courtenay

Highland storms

Christina Courtenay

"Who can you trust? Betrayed by his brother and his childhood love, Brice Kinross needs a fresh start. So he welcomes the opportunity to leave Sweden for the Scottish Highlands to take over the family estate. But there's trouble afoot at Rosyth in 1754 and...

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Trade winds  by Christina Courtenay

Trade winds

Christina Courtenay

"Marriage of convenience or a love for life? It's 1732 in Gothenburg, Sweden, and strong-willed Jess van Sandt knows only too well that it's a man's world. She believes she's being swindled out of her inheritance by her stepfather and she's determined to stop...

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Sing to me  by Jesse Browner

Sing to me

Jesse Browner

"After the fall of Troy, an eleven-year-old boy sets off for the razed city when his father and sister vanish into the war zone. His family farm and the surrounding community now emptied by war, young Hani embarks on an epic quest - assisted by a brooding yet...

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The girls of good fortune  by Kristina McMorris

The girls of good fortune

Kristina McMorris

"She came from a lineage known for good fortune...by those who don't know the whole story. Portland, 1888. Amid the subterranean labyrinth of the notorious Shanghai Tunnels, a woman awakens in an underground cell, drugged and disguised. Celia soon realizes...

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Women of war  by Louise Morrish

Women of war

Louise Morrish

"August 1914- Edie Lawrence has never played by the rules. When war is declared, she disguises herself as a man to join the war effort and write about her experiences. But she also wants to catch news of her beloved Nate, who has already been sent to the...

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A wedding for the home front girls  by Susanna Bavin

A wedding for the home front girls

Susanna Bavin

"Manchester, 1941: Amid the heartbreak of war, can the girls band together to give their friend the wedding she deserves? Kept apart by war work, bombs and blackouts, Lorna and her beloved George cherish every precious moment together. George's vital role...

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The horseman on the roof  by Jean Giono

The horseman on the roof

Jean Giono

"In the white heat the sky is opaque, the air leaden and the light intense. A single cavalryman wonders at the oppressive atmosphere of the unfamiliar countryside he is entering. Exile from his Italian homeland as well as an innate, stubborn pride compel him...

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An innocent child  by Roberta Kagan

An innocent child

Roberta Kagan

"As the specter of Nazism looms over Germany, Margot finds herself torn between two men - Ben, the Jewish doctor who sees her potential, and Max, her childhood confidant and now husband. Their lives are further complicated by Margot's sickly son, Erik, who...

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The secret year of Zara Holt  by Kimberley Freeman

The secret year of Zara Holt

Kimberley Freeman

"Melbourne, 1927. The summer flowers smell like Christmas the night Zara Dickins meets Harry Holt. Zara is wearing a dress she has designed and made herself: white organdie over a short black slip, with black embroidery and a crimson taffeta sash. It's party...

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Sheena's promise  by Carol MacLean

Sheena's promise

Carol MacLean

"When Eileen, known to all as Sheena, is forced to move back to Kiltie Street from Devon by her landlady, she is unsure how she will start over again. With the help of friends old and new, she finds work at a garment factory. And though she catches the eye of...

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Nature's fool  by Timothy Doyle

Nature's fool

Timothy Doyle

"Possessing enormous physical strength, Seamus has a sacred and intimate relationship with the sea, can shape-shift, and has been gifted with second sight. But he is no hero. Illiterate and largely mute, he is a warrior without a sword, a poet without words....

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A sister's dream  by Elizabeth Gill

A sister's dream

Elizabeth Gill

"After falling pregnant unexpectedly, sixteen-year-old Catrin is devastated when her neglectful father sends her away and has her baby taken from her. Then she's reunited with her brother Roddy, a trainee doctor, and Catrin determines to change her life for...

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Rome  by Ben Kane

Rome

Ben Kane

"Roma, 410 AD: Twenty-year-old Galla Placidia is born of imperial blood but has no power. Fate has other plans. After refusing Galla Placidia a noble marriage, her half-brother Emperor Honorius has abandoned the city and left it vulnerable to attack. Outside...

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The revenant  by Michael Punke

The revenant

Michael Punke

"Rocky Mountains, 1823. The trappers of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company live a brutal frontier life. Hugh Glass is one of the most respected men in the company, an experienced frontiersman and an expert tracker. But when a scouting mission puts Glass...

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New hope for the Clarks factory girls  by May Ellis

New hope for the Clarks factory girls

May Ellis

"1917: As the war reaches its final moments, the families of the Somerset village of Street take comfort in new arrivals among them, but can they allow themselves to hope, or are more dark times around the corner? Following her recent marriage to Lucas, Louisa...

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Take this woman  by Josephine Cox

Take this woman

Josephine Cox

"Blackburn, 1947. In the tiny front parlour fourteen-year-old Laura Blake watches her beloved father die. But not before he tells her she will make something of her life. Laura never forgets his words. Yet her path to success proves to be a rocky one. Forced...

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Don't cry alone  by Josephine Cox

Don't cry alone

Josephine Cox

"Beth Ward and Tyler Blacklock share a deep love, but Beth's mother seizes the chance to be rid of her daughter and banishes her from the family home. Beth is taken in by the warm-hearted Maisie, and here she awaits the birth of her child, tormented by the...

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Mrs. Osmond  by John Banville

Mrs. Osmond

John Banville

"Having fled Rome and a stultifying marriage, Isabel Osmond is in London, brooding on the recent disclosure of her husband's shocking, years-long betrayal of her. What should she do now, and which way should she turn, in the emotional labyrinth where she has...

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Madensky Square  by Eva Ibbotson

Madensky Square

Eva Ibbotson

"Susanna Webster's dress shop stands in the picturesque Madensky Square, a quiet little world of its own, nestled in the heart of glittering pre-war Vienna. As the winter of 1910 unfurls into Spring, Susanna starts a journal about life in the Square,...

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Against a crimson sky  by James Conroyd Martin

Against a crimson sky

James Conroyd Martin

"Countess Anna Maria Berezowska has finally married her true love, Jan Stelnicki, but life is anything but ideal. Not long into their union, Jan takes to the battlefield in the hopes of ensuring a sovereign Poland for his children. Meanwhile, his best friend...

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The orphan mother  by Robert Hicks

The orphan mother

Robert Hicks

"In the years following the Civil War, Mariah Reddick, former slave to Carrie McGavock--the 'Widow of the South'--has quietly built a new life for herself as a midwife to the women of Franklin, Tennessee. But when Mariah's ambitious, politically minded grown...

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Mrs Spy  by Mandy Robotham

Mrs Spy

Mandy Robotham

"Maggie Flynn isn't your typical 1960s mum. She's a spy, an unsuspecting operative for MI5, stalking London's streets in myriad disguises. Widowed and balancing her clandestine career with raising a Beatles-mad teenage daughter, Maggie finds comfort and...

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New horizons for the Woolworths girls  by Elaine Everest

New horizons for the Woolworths girls

Elaine Everest

It's only Annie's second day working in the Bexleyheath branch of F.W. Woolworths when an oil bomb is dropped on the store and she must help save her fellow staff members. Thankfully uninjured, she is moved to the Erith store. There, she meets a lad - much to...

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The herb knot  by Jane Loftus

The herb knot

Jane Loftus

"Rafi Dubois is five years old when his mother is murdered after the Battle of Crécy in 1346. Alone and lost, Rafi is given a token by the dying Englishman who tried to save his mother's life: a half-broken family seal which he urges Rafi to return one day to...

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Angels cry sometimes  by Josephine Cox

Angels cry sometimes

Josephine Cox

"The marriage of Marcia and Curt Ratheter seemed idyllically happy. As much in love as on their wedding day, nothing could mar their joy. But one fateful day in 1931 brought Marcia's world tumbling about her ears and left her and her two daughters bereft....

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Tyrant  by Conn Iggulden

Tyrant

Conn Iggulden

"On the wedding day of Emperor Claudius to Agrippina, a senator lies dying in his own home. Yesterday, this senator was betrothed to Octavia, Claudius's daughter. Now blood gushes from his slit wrists. Agrippina's elevation to empress changes so many things....

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The good lord bird  by James McBride

The good lord bird

James McBride

"Henry Shackleford is a young slave living in the Kansas Territory in 1857, when the region is a battleground between anti- and pro-slavery forces. When John Brown, the legendary abolitionist, arrives in the area, an argument between Brown and Henry's master...

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The butterfly women  by Madeleine Cleary

The butterfly women

Madeleine Cleary

"It's 1863, and Melbourne is transitioning from a fledgling colony to a thriving, gold-fuelled metropolis. But behind its shiny new faade, the real Melbourne can be found in the notorious red-light district of Little Lon, full of brothels where rich and poor...

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The world so wide  by Zilla Jones

The world so wide

Zilla Jones

"Grenada, 1983. Opera star Felicity returns to her mother's homeland to perform a benefit recital and reconnect with a past lover, but when an armed coup traps her under house arrest with her estranged friends in the revolutionary government, she reflects on...

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The fallen woman  by Fiona McIntosh

The fallen woman

Fiona McIntosh

"Botanical artist Jane Saville is devastated when her manipulative mother banishes her to the countryside to protect someone else's honour. Isolated far from home, she is forced to live an impoverished, secretive life to save the family from public shame. Guy...

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Last train to freedom  by Deborah Swift

Last train to freedom

Deborah Swift

"1940. As Soviet forces storm Lithuania, Zofia and her brother Jacek must flee to survive. A lifeline appears when Japanese consul Sugihara offers them visas on one condition: they must deliver a parcel to Tokyo. Inside lies intelligence on Nazi atrocities,...

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Director  by Daniel Kehlmann

Director

Daniel Kehlmann

"G.W. Pabst, one of cinema's greatest, perhaps the greatest director of his era: when the Nazis seized power he was filming in France, to escape the horrors of the new Germany he flees to Hollywood. But under the blinding California sun, the world-famous...

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Murray Hall  by Milo (Pseudonym) Allan

Murray Hall

Milo (Pseudonym) Allan

"It is 1901, and Dr Gallagher has just pronounced Murray Hall dead. New York politico, gambler, womaniser - Hall is all these things, but when the newspapers break the news of his death to the world, they reveal a side to his identity he never wanted known, a...

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The Alice network  by Kate Quinn

The Alice network

Kate Quinn

"It's 1947 and American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a fervent belief that her beloved French cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France...

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The house of lost whispers  by Jenni Keer

The house of lost whispers

Jenni Keer

"What if another world existed... where the Titanic had never sunk? When the ill-fated maiden voyage of the Titanic leaves Olivia Davenport orphaned, she's sent to live with her guardians, the Fairchilds, in their huge Jacobean mansion. But the Fairchilds have...

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The angel of Second Street  by Barbara Tifft Blakey

The angel of Second Street

Barbara Tifft Blakey

"When life is weighed down by challenges, pillars of enduring hope and love are always waiting to be discovered. Ida Dempsey has grown up in a privileged life of luxury thanks to her aunt and uncle. Although Second Street - where women of ill repute ply their...

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The pursuit of Elena Bradford  by Ann H. Gabhart

The pursuit of Elena Bradford

Ann H. Gabhart

"Elena Bradford is more interested in her art than marriage. But when her father dies, leaving the family in debt, her mother packs the family up to go to a resort in Kentucky in search of a rich husband for Elena. With three men vying for her attention and a...

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Austen at sea  by Natalie Jenner

Austen at sea

Natalie Jenner

"Two pairs of siblings, devotees of Jane Austen, find their lives transformed by a visit to England and Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother and keeper of a long-suppressed, secret legacy. In Boston, 1865, Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson, daughters...

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