Historical Fiction Books

Three sisters. Three journeys. One destination. In 1863 the authorities send Irish orphans Ismay and Mara to Australia against their will. Just when they thought it couldn't get any worse, on arrival they're separated from one another. While Ismay is forced to take a job as a maid miles away in the country, Mara must stay in the care of the catholic mission. Desperate to be reunited, they both run away but Ismay soon runs into danger out in the bush. She is saved by Malachi Firth, but although he's attracted to her, he doesn't want to be encumbered with a wife. Meanwhile, their elder sister Keara has not forgotten them. But she has had her own struggles to face and by the time she reaches Melbourne in search of her sisters, she finds that the trail is cold. Danger continues to threaten all three girls and they start to wonder: will they ever see one another again? Product Information: • ISBN: 9780340821381 • Author: Anna Jacobs • Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.6 cm

She turned the picture of the Christmas card over with her frozen hands, a pretty picture of a family gathering at Yuletide. How different from her own life; stiff with cold on the icy cobbles, aching for shelter . . . When her father dies leaving Alice and her ailing mother with only his debts, the two grieving women are forced to rely on the begrudging charity of cruel Aunt Jane. Determined to rid herself of an expensive responsibility, Jane tries forcing Alice into a monstrous marriage. And when Alice refuses, she is sent to work in a grand house to earn her keep. Finding herself in sole charge of the untameable and spoilt young miss of the house, Alice’s only ally is handsome Uncle Rory, who discovers that Alice has talents beyond those of a mere servant. But when someone sets out to destroy her reputation, Alice can only pray for a little of that Christmas spirit to save her from ruin . . . Product Information: • ISBN: 9780008137380 • Author: Dilly Court • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers • Format: Paperback • Pages: 496 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 3.1cm

Sometimes the worst has to happen . . . Recently widowed, Hannah Firth is still young – young enough to dream of a new life. When her spiteful daughter-in-law uses her as an unpaid servant, Hannah tries to leave, but she is unaware of the depths that Patty’s spite will lead her to. Nathaniel King’s life is ruined when his landlord’s son lays waste to his market garden for a prank – and the resulting feud puts Nathaniel’s livelihood at stake. Hannah has only a few coins and dreams of a happier future to sustain her as she tramps the roads and evades pursuit. When she meets Nathaniel, the attraction between them cannot be denied and they join forces. But their enemies have money and powerful allies on their side and will stop at nothing to get rid of them . . . Product Information: • ISBN: 9780340821404 • Author: Anna Jacobs • Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton • Format: Paperback • Pages: 384

Immerse yourself in the World War II saga from bestselling author Chrissie Walsh As World War II takes its toll on Liverpool, only friendship and community can keep the women of Weaver Street smiling. The neighbours on Liverpool’s Weaver Street have always looked after each other, but when the Second World War takes many of the husbands, brothers and sons away to fight, the women’s friendships are more important than ever. Matriarch Kitty Conlon is missing her son Patrick, proud but fearful of the fate of his Spitfire, while spinster Mavis welcomes a new lodger, WAAF Anna Carswell who is delighted by the Weaver Street welcome after a loveless childhood. At number nine, Maggie Stubbs worries nightly as her daughter Lily patrols the streets to protect the neighbours during air raids in her role as ARP Warden, and when an unexploded bomb is discovered at the allotment, danger comes terrifyingly close to Weaver Street. With war raging and Liverpool bearing the brunt of seemingly non-stop bombing, the friends must share the burden of rationing, blackout and news from the front, while helping one another capture all the moments of joy they can. All the time wishing and hoping that soon news of peace will come and finally their lives can start again. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781806583928 • Author: Chrissie Walsh • Publisher: Boldwood Books Limited • Format: Paperback • Pages: 328 • Dimensions: 19.81 x 12.9 x 1.98 cm

London, 1940. When tragedy strikes, Libby Gilbert is left homeless and destitute, fending for herself on the capital's most dangerous streets. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Libby is on the cusp of making a decision that could jeopardise her future when a local boy saves her from ruin. The kindness of this stranger sets her on a different path, and Libby heads to Liverpool with a determined mind and hope in her heart. There, she reconnects with long lost family - but will she be able to uncover the truth that tore them apart all those years ago? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781804942437 • Author: Katie Flynn • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 20.32 x 12.7 x 2.29 cm

A BRAND NEW, enthralling WWII industry saga, perfect for fans of Nancy Revell and Maisie Thomas. September, 1939. When war is declared, Lily sees an opportunity to escape her domineering father: she will join the Great Western Railway factory to win her financial independence and move out of home. Maggie doesn’t want to simply follow in her sisters’ footsteps and work in the laundries at the GWR. So, when the chance comes to volunteer for men’s work in the machine shop, she’s the first to raise her hand. Catherine, a clerk in the GWR office, has been helping with London’s evacuation efforts, organising trains to move children out of the city. But when her task is completed, will she defy her family and fiancé’s wishes and sign up for a more dangerous role? Taking on demanding new duties, Lily, Maggie and Catherine – and others – develop an unexpectedly close bond. But will friendship be enough to carry them through the ups and downs of life at war? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781806584031 • Author: Jane Lark • Publisher: Boldwood Books Limited • Format: Paperback • Pages: 336 • Dimensions: 19.81 x 12.9 x 2.01 cm

A festive instalment in Patricia McBride's acclaimed Lily Baker series - guaranteed to make you smile! Will this finally be a Christmas to celebrate? For the courageous Bletchley Park girls, the fourth Christmas of the war is approaching fast. It should be a happy time, yet life throws them challenges they could never have imagined. Lily's heart is torn in two when her boyfriend, Grant, is badly injured in an air raid. As he spirals into despair, she must find a way to give him hope again. Bronwyn has a new romance on the horizon. But will the widower's young daughter accept her, or will she jeopardise Bronwyn's hopes for love? Peggy is terrified her secret will be disclosed when she has to look after her sister's daughter. Can she escape the shame of her past? Caroline has had a sheltered, privileged upbringing. Will her natural confidence be shattered when she learns about her boyfriend's hidden life? Despite rationing, heartache, and the endless war, the Bletchley Park girls prepare for an unforgettable Christmas. From the bestselling author of the Library Girls of the East End series, a heartwarming and riveting wartime saga Product Information: • ISBN: 9781805576099 • Author: Patricia McBride • Publisher: Boldwood Books Limited • Format: Paperback • Pages: 216 • Dimensions: 19.81 x 12.9 x 1.3 cm

Love can cross oceans . . . Keara Michaels doesn't want to leave her family in Ireland, but fate sends her first to Lancashire, then across the sea to Australia, pregnant and penniless. And Theo Mullane, the man who loves her, is married, with an ailing baby son, so cannot follow her as he longs to. Mark Gibson leaves Lancashire to avoid marriage. But gold prospecting is a dangerous pursuit, and when his gentle young wife dies in childbirth, his father-in-law kidnaps the baby. So Mark runs away again, this time to Western Australia, where he employs Keara in his country inn. But danger threatens them all, even in the bush, as Keara searches for her lost sisters, Theo comes looking for the woman he loves, and Mark at last confronts his past. Product Information: • ISBN: 9780340821367 • Author: Anna Jacobs • Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2.6 cm

Jenny starts her training as a nanny, but does she have what it takes and will her family survive without her? It is 1962 and 17-year-old Jenny is finally able to train for her dream job as a nanny. The residential training is tough Matron takes no prisoners but Jenny bonds with her two roommates, Bernice and Rita, and loves helping the children. If only her family life could be so happy her brother, Maurice, is a wrong'un and seems to have some hold over her father, and Jenny has never got over the sudden disappearance of her mother. Finally, Jenny gets her first nanny job, heading for the bright lights of London at the dawn of the Swinging Sixties. Suddenly she is thrust into the lifestyle of the rich at a household in the affluent West End, working for a family whose busy lifestyle means that their child is neglected. Can Jenny heal their family - and her own? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781835982235 • Author: Pam Weaver • Publisher: Canelo Digital Publishing Ltd • Format: Paperback • Pages: 384 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2 cm

A BRAND NEW historical saga from Fenella J Miller full of courage and bravery. Perfect for fans of Lizzie Lane and Rosie Clarke! London July 1939 Elizabeth Roby lives a content and privileged life in London with husband Jonathon and children, Emily and George. But with the outbreak of war, everything changes. Jonathon informs his family that they have to move from their smart London home to the riverside town of Wivenhoe and their new home Harbour House, where Jonathon will do his duty for his country as part of the Admiralty at the shipyards. But Elizabeth is devastated. How will she start a new life in a place she hardly knows, surrounded by strangers? And how will her children cope allowed to run wild in the countryside with urchins? Elizabeth is sure it will be a disaster! But with the threat of German bombs hanging over London, she knows they must follow Jonathan and start a new life. Even if it means disaster for them as family. Will the Roby family survive this turmoil? Or will Harbour House provide them with a second chance to start again? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781806584024 • Author: Fenella J. Miller  • Publisher: Boldwood Books Limited • Format: Paperback • Pages: 426

Books can change lives, even in wartime. . . When World War II breaks out, Carrie Anderson sets up a bookstall at her local train station in the hope of providing a sense of escapism for travellers, troops and evacuees. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and armed with a colourful array of Penguin paperbacks, Carrie’s business soon booms. And when she gifts a book to a dashing officer, an act of kindness becomes the beginning of Carrie’s very own love story. But as war rages on, and Mike is posted abroad, Carrie’s world is turned upside-down. With the help of her station community, and the power of her paperbacks, can Carrie find the strength to battle through? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781804962299 • Author: Joanna Toye • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd • Format: Paperback • Pages: 352 • Dimensions: 19.7 x 13.1 x 2.2 cm

Discover the second novel in Glenda Young's engaging Toffee Factory Girls trilogy, from the author of The Sixpenny Orphan, about three young women working together and sharing secrets in a WWI toffee factory in the North-East! As the Great War rages, Jack's toffee factory in the market town of Chester-le-Street, Durham, is threatened with closure when sugar rations begin. Anne, who works for the owner Mr Jack, must choose between her heart and her head when Mr Jack declares his love for her. Not only might he have to sell the toffee factory if he breaks off his previous engagement, but he can never know the secret that Anne carries. Elsie is forced to keep a secret when she risks her safety as well as her reputation in order to make ends meet. And, for Hetty, a long-hidden family secret surfaces, threatening to tear Hetty's family apart. Her future with Dirk feels more fragile than ever. Together the three toffee factory girls share laughter, sorrow and secrets, and support one another through the challenges ahead. Secrets of The Toffee Factory Girls is the second mesmerising novel in a trilogy that began with The Toffee Factory Girls from hugely popular author Glenda Young. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781035402588 • Author: Glenda Young • Publisher: Hodder Headline • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 3.2 cm

Evacuated to the countryside, she realises there are more dangers than German bombs in wartime… Canadian-born teacher Victoria McKaye takes up a new position at a London school, but soon finds herself coordinating its evacuation to a Norfolk village along with standoffish spinster Beatrice and quiet young Nell. Victoria has to adapt to life in the countryside, petty politics and local busybodies.~ When she meets attractive naval officer Louis Grainger, romance blossoms. Victoria is drawn into a clandestine world and told that she is helping the British government, but after she catches Louis covertly meeting a suspicious stranger in nearby woods, she fears the worst – a traitor in their midst. It’s a race against time for Victoria to discover the truth and keep the village – and the country – safe from invasion. A thrilling and compulsive Second World War saga for fans of Lesley Eames, Katie Flynn and Betty Walker. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781835980262 • Author: Rose Warner • Publisher: Canelo Digital Publishing Ltd • Format: Paperback • Pages: 304 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2 cm

Inspired by the unforgettable true story of Alma Rosé, The Violinist of Auschwitz brings to life one of history’s most fearless, inspiring and courageous heroines. Alma’s bravery saved countless lives, bringing hope to those who had forgotten its meaning… In Auschwitz, every day is a fight for survival. Here, Alma is inmate 50381, the number tattooed on her in blue ink. But in her previous life, she was an esteemed violinist, her performances leaving audiences spellbound. When Alma is appointed as the conductor for the camp orchestra, performing for high-ranking Nazis, she refuses: “They can kill me but they won’t make me play.” But soon she realises the power this position offers. How many others can she save from the clutches of death? Her new role leads her to Miklos, a talented pianist. Surrounded by despair, they find happiness in secret notes and joint concerts. But in Auschwitz, the very air is tainted with loss, and tragedy is the only certainty… In such a hopeless place, can their love survive? This devastatingly heartbreaking yet beautifully hopeful tale proves that even in the darkest of days, love can prevail–and give you something to live for. Fans of The Choice, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Orphan Train will lose their hearts to this magnificent tale. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781836182672 • Author: Ellie Midwood • Publisher: Orion Publishing • Pages: 416 • Format: Paperback • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 3.2 cm

Manchester, 1940. War is raging and these girls will do everything they can on the home front – but is a happy ever after possible in such uncertain times? The minute war was declared, best friends Sally and Deborah volunteered for the home guard. Stationed at the salvage depot, working amidst the scrap metal isn’t quite what Sally imagined. Then she meets Andrew, a carpenter with a heartbreaking smile, who helps her to finally feel like her efforts are making a difference. But just as she’s feeling hopeful, a devastating air raid threatens everything Sally holds dear. With the salvage yard in flames and Andrew out rescuing families from the rubble, will they get the happy ending they deserve? Or will Sally’s chance at true love be lost forever as the morning dawns…? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781836182788 • Author: Susanna Bavin • Publisher: Orion Publishing • Pages: 368 • Format: Paperback • Dimensions: 19.69 x 12.95 x 2.54 cm

Can the Harpers Girls look forward to some happy times as a new dawn rises over London? Oxford Street, London 1918 Sally Harper is busy juggling running London’s Oxford Street Store Harpers and looking after her beautiful new-born daughter, whilst husband Ben is overseas on another dangerous mission, this time to rescue a friend in need. Young Becky Stockbridge finds herself in a difficult situation which could bring shame to her and her family. Will Becky, with the help of her friends find her happy ever after and keep her secret? Marion Jackson is blessed with a son as she eagerly awaits the return of her husband Reggie. But all is not right when Reggie returns. Is Marion strong enough to save her family from yet another crisis? As the war clouds retreat and the victory bells ring, tears and joy mingle with those of sadness as the world counts the true toll of war and celebrates peace. A heart-warming saga following the lives, loves and losses of the Harpers Girls. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781806583973 • Author: Rosie Clarke • Publisher: Boldwood Books Limited • Format: Paperback • Pages: 320 • Dimensions: 19.81 x 12.9 x 1.93 cm

Under what was left of the roof of the ruined cottage, a girl with pigtails perched on a pile of rubble, hunched over a book… 1918: As the Great War rages, Jessie Carson takes a leave of absence from the New York Public Library to work for the American Committee for Devastated France, a group of women determined to rebuild devastated French communities just miles from the front. Upon arrival, Jessie strives to establish something that the French have never seen – children’s libraries. She turns ambulances into bookmobiles and trains the first French female librarians. Then she disappears. 1987: When NYPL librarian and aspiring writer Wendy Peterson stumbles across a passing reference to Jessie Carson in the archives, she becomes consumed with learning her fate. In her obsession, she discovers that she and the elusive librarian have more in common than their work at New York’s famed library, but she has no idea their paths will converge in surprising ways across time. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781035417902 • Author: Janet Skeslien Charles • Publisher: Hodder Headline • Format: Paperback • Pages: 336 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.8 cm

Brighton, 1957. Inspector Steine rather enjoys his life as a policeman by the sea. No criminals, no crime, no stress. So it's really rather annoying when an ambitious new constable shows up to work and starts investigating a series of burglaries. And it's even more annoying when, after Constable Twitten is despatched to the theatre for the night, he sits next to a vicious theatre critic who is promptly shot dead part way through the opening night of a new play. It seems Brighton may be in need of a police force after all. A sparkling historical mystery set in sunny Sussex by the sea, perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Robert Thorogood and Elly Griffiths. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781526666963 • Author: Lynne Truss • Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc • Format: Paperback • Pages: 336 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.2 cm

London, 1928. Lucy Darkwether has always made her own rules. After breaking off her engagement to pursue a degree in Ancient History, she’s now the proud owner of London’s newest bookshop. So when a rival shop in Cecil Court is chosen to host an exhibition of Egyptian treasures, Lucy’s pride is stung – until the grand opening ends in a gruesome murder. Is this the revenge of a disgraced colleague? A private vendetta? Or a curse visited upon those who disturb the past? Ignoring the Inspector’s warning to stay out of it, Lucy refuses to stick to the script. But murder isn’t a game – and what she uncovers will have consequences for them all . . . Product Information: • ISBN: 9781399704281 • Author: Jennifer Gladwell • Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton • Pages: 320 • Format: Paperback • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.8 cm

London, October 1940. As German bombers increase their nightly raids on the capital, the Blitz Girls must be braver than ever to protect innocent lives and keep the fight against Hitler alive. Dot, encouraged by her friends, is finding her independence and takes a full-time role as an ARP warden. As she finds new courage in the blackouts, her past might still be lurking in the shadows Peggy makes it her mission to help children caught up in the bombing find safety at her parents’ large house in the country. When she returns home, however, she realises her own family need her more than ever. But can she leave her friends in the line of fire? Vivian spends every moment not behind the wheel of her ambulance at the bedside of the man she loves, helping him recover from a terrible crash while defending the British skies. When she is torn between his hospital ward and the site of the latest blast, she faces a heartbreaking choice. As each night becomes more dangerous for the Blitz Girls, will they have the strength to help each other through and keep the light alive in the darkness? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781399708791 • Author: Johanna Bell • Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton • Format: Paperback • Pages: 336 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 3 cm