Book picks similar to
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Going Home
Charles DeMaris - 2018
When his widow, Myrtle, announces to the family that she’s going to sell the house and move into an assisted living facility, her grandson, Nathan, will have none of that, and offers to let her live with him. Myrtle reluctantly agrees, but informs Nathan that she can’t fly. Now grandson and grandmother embark on a drive across the country from Myrtle’s home in New Jersey to Nathan’s home in California. What ensues is a journey of discovery for both of them, a trip where Nathan learns that there is more to his grandmother than he ever imagined and that the best route isn’t always the most direct route. It’s a journey begun in a shared grief, a journey of bonding, laughter, tears, and a few adventures along the way. Take the journey yourself by picking up Going Home today.
Acre
J.K. Swift - 2016
The Kingdom of Jerusalem hanging by a thread. One Knight Justice must face his greatest fears or die trying… Brother Foulques de Villaret just wants to stay in Acre and perform his sworn duties. Instead, the young Hospitaller Knight of Saint John must undertake a dangerous journey from the Holy Land to a remote village nestled in the Alps, the ‘Spine of the World’. His mission: buy 500 peasant boys and return them to Acre to be trained as Soldiers of Christ. Pursued across the Mid-Earth Sea by slavers, Brother Foulques and his Army of Children are about to be thrust into a confrontation with the greatest warriors the East has ever known: the Mamluks. To survive, Brother Foulques must turn to risky alliances… and pray that his choices do not lead them all to destruction. Acre is the first book in the Hospitaller Saga, a series of breathtaking historical novels set in the late 13th century. If you like action-packed adventure and authentically rich fiction, then you’ll love J. K. Swift’s historically epic masterpiece.
Seven Years Dead
Chuck Driskell - 2016
Allegedly. In the waning days of the Second World War, Tommy’s American unit was slaughtered by the notorious Schutzstaffel—the Waffen SS. According to the U.S. government, there were no survivors. But Tommy did survive—the sole survivor of 187 men. In the interest of his privacy, the government provided him with a new identity in a different region of the country. But, unknown to the U.S. government, Tommy spent his college years planning his revenge. And now, in 1952, Tommy is traveling back to Germany. He’s going there to find the man, the murderer, the SS commander who ordered his friends killed. Despite his deep-seeded hatred, Tommy is forced to assimilate with his German hosts. Though unwilling at first, he even finds himself yielding to the kindness of a German widow and her son. Although his hunt progresses successfully, he soon falls under the scrutiny of a dogged Berlin detective as well as a deadly legion of former SS. Inspired by the true events of the Malmedy Massacre, SEVEN YEARS DEAD begins as a tale of revenge and transforms to one of redemption. With dual plot lines of journal entries recounting the massacre, paralleled with Tommy’s hunt for the SS, SEVEN YEARS DEAD is an action/crime thriller that esteemed World War II author Kelly Durham describes as “thrilling and riveting.”
The Hinterlands
Robert Morgan - 1999
In the second part, Petal's grandson, Solomon, describes how he surveyed the best route down the mountain in preparation for building the region's first road. In the third part, Solomon's son David, tells of building the first turnpike through the wilderness.
The Cotton Blossom: A Novel
Dawn Gardner - 2020
She’s an aspiring, young seamstress who is enchanted by a charming new suitor. His worldly ways and grandeur captivate her—until secrets, lies and unsavory behaviors bring her harm.Uncovering more than she ever imagined, Lillie is pushed to make decisions that she never expected. With the help of a close family friend and her brother Frank, Lillie tries to leave behind her mistakes.The discovery of a 1951 convertible dragged out of its watery grave leads reporters to the doorstep of Lillie Mae. The Cotton Blossom is a spellbinding journey about finding your power, learning from your mistakes and trusting your heart.
The Templar's Apprentice
Peter Tolladay - 2012
The troubadours sing of its mystical loveliness and tell tales of love and honour woven around the constant battles between Christendom and Islam. For Honfroy, a young squire in the service of the Knights Templar, the reality is less poetic and far grimmer. The Kingdom of Jerusalem tenaciously holds onto the ribbon of land between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea. Saladin, the Sultan of Egypt and Syria, has united his warring factions. He is now determined to wipe the stain of the first crusade from the honour of Islam and regain the Holy City of Jerusalem. When Saladin’s army invades, Honfroy is catapulted into a world of treachery and deceit, where his life is in danger from both Moslem and Christian alike. From the blood-stained sands of the Holy Land to the intrigue of the court in Jerusalem, Honfroy grapples with his meteoric rise in fortune. His friendship with the new king, Baudoin, comes increasingly under threat from the political wiles of his mentor, Odo the Templar Grand Master, and the king’s mother, Agnes of Courtenay. Honfroy is enchanted by the beautiful but older Agnes. Not even the power of the Grand Master, however, can protect him when their secret liaison comes to the attention of the king. Banished from the court, Honfroy’s courage and skills are honed on the kingdom’s frontiers until the day when Odo summons his apprentice once more. Set against the turbulent background of the crusades, the Templar’s Apprentice is a gripping and enthralling tale of courage, friendship, love and treachery, reaching its blistering climax at the battle of Marj Ayyun.
The Girl Puzzle: A Story of Nellie Bly
Kate Braithwaite - 2019
But did she tell the whole truth about her ten days in the madhouse? Down to her last dime and offered the chance of a job of a lifetime at The New York World, twenty-three-year old Elizabeth Cochrane agrees to get herself admitted to Blackwell’s Island Lunatic Asylum and report on conditions from the inside. But what happened to her poor friend, Tilly Mayard? Was there more to her high praise of Dr Frank Ingram than everyone knew? Thirty years later, Elizabeth, known as Nellie Bly, is no longer a celebrated trailblazer and the toast of Newspaper Row. Instead, she lives in a suite in the Hotel McAlpin, writes a column for The New York Journal and runs an informal adoption agency for the city’s orphans. Beatrice Alexander is her secretary, fascinated by Miss Bly and her causes and crusades. Asked to type up a manuscript revisiting her employer’s experiences in the asylum in 1887, Beatrice believes she’s been given the key to understanding one of the most innovative and daring figures of the age.
Turn of the Tide
Margaret Skea - 2012
Set in 16th Century Scotland Munro owes allegiance to the Cunninghames and to the Earl of Glencairn. Trapped in the 150-year-old feud between the Cunninghames and the Montgomeries, he escapes the bloody aftermath of an ambush, but he cannot escape the disdain of the wife he sought to protect, or his own internal conflict. He battles with his conscience and with divided loyalties – to age-old obligations, to his wife and children, and, most dangerous of all, to a growing friendship with the rival Montgomerie clan. Intervening to diffuse a quarrel that flares between a Cunninghame cousin and Hugh Montgomerie, he succeeds only in antagonizing William, the arrogant and vicious Cunninghame heir. And antagonizing William is a dangerous game to play…
Into the Snow: The Testimony and Last Will of Jedediah P. Carpenter
John Erwin - 2012
Carpenter finds himself orphaned and alone on the Oregon trail in the middle of Nebraska Territory. He also finds himself smitten with the beautiful Emma Cooper, three years his senior, who has ridden off into the morning sunrise with the despicable Zeke Jones. Jed's will to reach his family's original destination in Oregon is hampered by his lack of survival skills and the specter of the oncoming winter. Through an unlikely true friendship with a "Damn Indian", Pete Scares-the-Ponies, Jedediah learns and hones those skills. Instead of heading for Oregon, though, Jed finds himself in a little mining camp called Buckskin Joe in the early days of the great Pikes Peak gold rush. His whole life takes a turn when the mysterious "Silverheels" comes to town and he experiences a love that will carry him through fifty years of solitude and beyond . . . the kind of love we all seek. Jedediah's story will draw you into the breathtaking beauty of the Rocky Mountains in the early days of the territory that became the state of Colorado. Along the way, you will experience joy, sorrow, love and adventure, in this fictional explanation of the naming of one of Colorado's prominent mountains, Mount Silverheels.
Black-eyed Devils
Catrin Collier - 2009
Amy Watkins and miner 'Big' Tom Kelly were in love. But can they keep their feelings secret or face the threat of death in a community torn apart by the miner's strike? Tonypandy, South Wales, 1911. Starving, striking miners fight soldiers and police on the picket lines for the right to earn a wage that will feed their families, while Irish labourers are brought in the take their place in the pits, for half their pay. Handsome 'Big' Tom Kelly, an Irish worker, comes to Wales looking for a better life and believes he has found it when he falls in love with Amy Watkins, the daughter of a strike leader. At night, the miners search out the Irish men, drag them from their beds, beat them and then hang them from the street lamp posts. Can Amy and Tom keep their love a secret forever? All they want is a future together. But in a world full of hatred, anger and violence, their dream seems impossible. Until another strike leader offers them a way out.
The Wretched Needle Worker
Iris Cole - 2021
Her father was a monster.How could Vera have been so blind to what was right before her eyes?After the death of her kind and loving Papa, Vera’s home is claimed by ne’er do well Uncle Merritt, who drives the household with cruelty and deprivation. Working for her keep, the once privileged Vera is driven to skin and bone and dreads the harsh beatings that Merritt regularly delivers.Ralph, Papa’s loyal and brave stableboy, cannot bear to see Vera shrinking daily under the hand of Merritt. In an attempt protect her, he challenges Merritt and now, tossed to streets, must survive however he can.With the loss of Ralph, Vera’s soul aches, made worse as she watches her father’s elderly servants treated with cruel indignity. In a desperate bid to protect them from Uncle Merritt, his rage is fuelled, and Vera is delivered an ultimatum, causing her to flee from her home. With nowhere to go, Vera too, finds herself on the streets.As starvation threatens, it is only Ralph and her new friend, Maggie, that keep her alive. But when Maggie unexpectedly reveals the truth about Vera's Papa, Vera is plunged to new despair. Will the truth destroy her? Can she keep secrets for the rest of her life? Will she ever be able to make things right? And will she agree to Ralphs’s plan, even though it means she may lose him forever?For fans of Dilly Court and Historical Romance
The She-King: The Complete Saga
Libbie Hawker - 2014
M. Ironside's saga of the Thutmosides of ancient Egypt. This set contains: The Sekhmet Bed: Book 1 Thirteen-year-old Ahmose is given as Great Royal Wife to the new king, to legitimize his rule. But her elder sister Mutnofret has been raised to expect the privileged station. As Ahmose fights the currents of Egypt's politics and Mutnofret's vengeful anger, her youth and inexperience carry her beyond her depth and into the realm of sacrilege. To right her wrongs and save Egypt from the gods' wrath, Ahmose must face her most visceral fear: bearing an heir. But the gods of Egypt are exacting, and even her sacrifice may not be enough to restore the Two Lands to safety. The Crook and Flail: Book 2 Hatshepsut longs for power, but a woman on the throne defies the sacred order. As God's Wife of Amun, she believes she has found the perfect balance of peace and order. But when the powerful men of Egypt plot to replace her, she must decide whether to surrender her birthright to a man, or take for herself the throne of the Pharaoh. Sovereign of Stars: Book 3 Never in Egypt's long history has a woman reigned as king. As Hatshepsut wrestles with foreign enemies and domestic politics, her heart grows ever more troubled, for her daughter Neferure is haunted by a brutal and demanding god. Hatshepsut's fight to retain her hold on power, peace, and Neferure will carry her on an incomparable journey to the legendary kingdom of Punt. There, in the god's own valley, she must confront the bleakness of fate and the terrible frailty of eternity. The Bull of Min: Book 4 Conspiracy and treason simmer in the Two Lands. When an unexpected challenger to the succession arises, the royal family must face impossible choices. To protect what she most loves, the young queen Meryet will match wits against a demon from the past. Hatshepsut stands on the brink of the ultimate sacrifice. And Thutmose, torn between throne and family, must commit an unthinkable act against Hatshepsut...or allow Egypt to fall into the hands of an unpredictable killer.
The Gaslight Gunslinger
Sugar Lee Ryder - 2014
Formerly the Pinkerton Detective Agency’s best gun-hand, investigator, and tracker. No sooner does he arrive at San Francisco’s stockyard than he rescues Mai Lee, a little Chinese girl, from a pair of thugs intent on kidnapping her.Slade finds out that the girl is wanted by Huang Sun, the leader of the dominant tong – a Chinese crime syndicate that runs opium dens, fan-tan parlors, and prostitution in the city. And Slade can’t walk away, even if he wanted to. His first paid job as a free agent is to keep Mai Lee out of Sun’s hands – no matter the cost!Can a gunslinger used to the open plains and prairies of the West deal with the criminal underworld of a crowded metropolis? Even with the help of his friend, sea-captain Amos Harding and the backing of a pair of bawdy-house madams, the odds are long at best!
The Girl Now Leaving
Betty Burton - 1997
Stricken by diphtheria, she is sent to the Hampshire countryside where she discovers a robust fighting spirit and the first stirrings of attraction...But then must she follow her mother into the city’s grim corset-making trade. Lu realizes that things must change. And she can make it happen. Her journey from shy child to energetic woman encompasses love, deep friendship, and a growing political awareness. Above all, Lu is a survivor – and one to be reckoned with.The Girl Now Leaving is a powerful and unputdownable saga perfect for fans of Diney Costeloe, Nadine Dorries and Mary Gibson.
The Pastor's Mail-Order Surprise
Amelia Rose - 2021
But can she let go of the memories she left behind to love again?Missy Stanton believes her life is over when her husband Tommy dies in a tragic work accident in the railyards of Boston. Alone in the city with no family and worse prospects, she turns to the Matrimonial Times in a moment of weakness. There, she meets Pastor Jack Tibsdale, who offers her a home in a place in Birch River, Wyoming, in return for her hand in marriage. Jack Tibsdale loves being a pastor, but it can be a lonely life, especially in a mining town like Birch River. With every woman married in town already, Jack must turn to writing to a mail-order bride. Touched by her plight, he offers her a marriage out of friendship, but soon realizes that her kind soul and beautiful face is exactly what he was looking for. After a quick marriage, Jack and Missy slowly get to know each other as Missy navigates her grief. Just as she believes that she may have a future in the beautiful town of Birch River, she discovers that she is carrying Tommy’s child. Falling in love with the kind, handsome pastor, she begins to worry: how can she tell this man that she’s having another man’s baby?With time running out, and two hearts on the line, will Missy and Jack learn to trust in God’s plan.