Book picks similar to
The Breadmakers Saga by Margaret Thomson Davis


novels
historical
historicalfiction
mary-s-books

The Codebreaker Girls


Ellie Curzon - 2021
    Rosie Sinclair is full of pride to be doing her bit for the war effort as a driver at Cottisbourne Park - the secret heart of Britain's fight against Germany, where a team of brilliant and eccentric codebreakers are battling to save the country.But when she's given a new mission to drive Major-General 'Bluff' Kingsley-Flynn down to Cottisbourne, Rosie finds herself on the frontline of a new battle - to uncover a possible spy at the Park who is jeopardising their vital work, and to resist her own growing attraction to the dashing Bluff himself...As the threat to her fellow codebreaker girls grows ever stronger, Rosie realises her country needs her more than ever. Can she save the day without losing her heart?

Owen Oliver


Lena Kennedy - 1991
    He only stops travelling when he reaches Kent and there his life is dramatically altered, when he is adopted by a loving old lady and her roguish son Tom.

COMING HOME TO BYLAND CRESCENT an absolutely heartbreaking and unputdownable historical family saga (The Cowgill Family Saga Book 3)


Bill Kitson - 2022
    

Rabbitskin


Catturd - 2020
    What I destroyed in that building might end up saving this sorry planet.This dumbass shrink has been trying to dissect my brain all week. He thinks the months I spent lost in the wilderness somehow turned me into a Loony Tune. Boy, is he barking up the wrong tree. No matter how many drugs they pump into my veins, they'll never make me forget what really happened.

When life gives you lulu lemons


Lauren Weisburger
    Emily, now in her 30s, is living in Los Angeles with a husband and a career as an image consultant—a career that is suddenly floundering—when she gets a desperate summons to Greenwich, Connecticut, from her old friend Miriam. Miriam’s pal Karolina is all over the media with a bogus drunk driving change, and this senator’s wife and former Victoria’s Secret model needs an image makeover, fast. The narrative is split between the three women as they uncover a major betrayal and in doing so form an enviable bond. The doings of the Greenwich housewives who are now shunning Karolina is uproariously funny, and even jaded Emily is shocked by the scandalous behavior going on behind oversized doors. It feels like Weisberger wrote her novel yesterday, peppering the story with real-life celebrity misconduct. When Life Gives You Lululemons is a laugh-out-loud funny look at rich people behaving badly and the steel bonds of true female friendship. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Book Review

Riverbreeze: Part 3 (Riverbreeze Trilogy)


Ellen E. Johnson - 2012
     Part 3 continues the saga of the Bassett brothers and their twin wives as they face the greatest threats to their lives. After a slight mishap and reconciliation at the end of Part 2, the two couples experience a time of peace and happiness during the Christmas season. That peace is soon shattered during a Twelfth Night party when an unexpected, and unwelcome, guest arrives. Now they must find the strength to prevail against this foe from the brothers' past as he plots to ruin their lives. And finally, the climax, a historically correct event brings treachery and sorrow to Riverbreeze plantation, forcing the brothers to defend their home and protect their family from Indian attack and war. Full of drama, excitement, humor, romance and details of early American life, the Riverbreeze series will appeal to a wide range of readers.

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

An Abundance of Rain


Carol Drinkwater - 1989
    She is excited about her reunion with Sam McGuire, the father who abandoned her as a child. On the ship she is devastated to learn the meeting will never happen - Sam is dead. His sugar plantation is now hers. Island life weaves its seductive spell over her, but there are questions Kate seeks answers to. Was her father's death an accident? Why is someone so eager to buy the land? What are the secrets threatening her own life? And then the approaching cyclone hits…Anglo-Irish actress Carol Drinkwater is still well-known for her award-winning portrayal of Helen Herriot in the BBC series All Creatures Great and Small. A popular and acclaimed author and film-maker as well, Carol has published twenty books for both the adult and young adult markets. She is currently at work on her twenty-first title.When she purchased a rundown property overlooking the Bay of Cannes in France, she discovered almost seventy 400-year-old olive trees. Along with her French husband, Michel, Carol reclaimed the land and began producing top-quality olive oil. Her series of memoirs recounting their experiences on the farm (The Olive Farm, The Olive Season, The Olive Harvest and Return to the Olive Farm) have become international bestsellers, and the related travel books,The Olive Route and The Olive Tree, inspired the five-part documentary film series, The Olive Route.Carol's first Kindle Single, The Girl in Room Fourteen, reached the number one position in the Singles charts in both the United States and the UK.

Bye Bye Love


Patricia Burns - 2009
    In one day, she loses her Mum and her home as well. Now she and her father are adrift in Southend, moving from one grimy rented room to the next – the only happiness for Scarlett is her innocent romance with local boy Tom. Scarlett’s once-loving Dad can’t hold down a job – or keep off the drink. Scarlett must leave school to work in a factory, just as Tom heads off to do national service. With Tom away, Scarlett’s life is bleak, with the only highlight being the dance hall on a Saturday night. There Scarlett forgets her troubles with the lead singer of a rock ,n’ roll band – with disastrous consequences… Praise for Patricia Burns “The characters spring to life and simply walk off the page. ” Sally WorboyesOther books by Patricia BurnsWe'll Meet AgainFollow Your Dream

Autumn on Angel Street: Forrester Saga Book One (Forrester Family Saga 1)


A.R. Davey - 1996
    It has been compared to R. F. Delderfield's A Horseman Riding By, The Swann Family Saga and The Dreaming Suburb, and the writing of Harry Bowling. Autumn on Angel Street sweeps readers from the sumptuous Laybourne Manor Estate across South Ridge to the grime of Pincote Colliery and the affluent market town of Pincote Market, to the Belchesters' estate on the Dorset coast and into the bustling streets and squares - and the dockland - of late Victorian London. 1885 - 1891. Three families - the Forresters who are a large coalmining family and have strong socialist views, appear to have little in common with the Laybournes who are their employers and landlords, or with the Belchesters with whom the Laybournes share many diverse business interests. That is until the unstable and unsafe Pincote coalmine triggers a series of events which change all the families' lives in unexpected ways and cause some of the families' younger members to question their inherited beliefs and their true loyalties. Personal and internal family conflicts merge with shared needs and ambitions, and foster an uneasy but increasing dependency of each family upon the other. Hard to resist mutual attractions, and a mixture of human frailty and personal strengths combine with long held and well hidden secrets to create a sequence of events which change everyone’s life for ever in ways no-one could have imagined. Every character is aware of a steady drumbeat that is calling attention to beliefs and desires that cannot be subsumed whatever the cost of satisfying them; but time is running out and the critical Autumn on Angel Street is coming to an end. This Second Edition of Autumn on Angel Street contains some minor editing revisions and some additional content which did not appear in the hardback or paperback First Edition. The sequels in this series are Winter in Paradise Square - now available for purchase from Amazon Spring on Hope Street - which will be available early 2015 Summer in Solomon's Court - which will be available later in 2015

The Forsaken Maid's Secret


Faye Godwin - 2019
    Discovered by the police, Bincy is taken to an orphanage, where she learns that Mama is not the only person who doesn't want her. In truth, nobody wants her, and Bincy is forced to cling to the orphanage bully Mae for comfort. As the years pass, Mae forces Bincy to do everything she demands, from picking on the younger girls to giving up her meager allotment of food. When Bincy is betrayed by Mae, she's sent to work in a manor house as a scullery maid. That's where Bincy meets two young men: Judd, the street urchin who comes into the cellar to scavenge for food, and Henry, the charismatic young master of the house. Despite Judd's warnings, Bincy finds herself falling for Henry. But when Henry demands more from her than she's willing to give, Bincy has to make a choice: give herself to him or face her greatest fear of being alone and discarded once more.

A Daughter's Choice


June Francis - 1998
    But when Celia, her natural mother, re-enters her life, her world is turned completely upside down.Tormented by her divided loyalties, Katie is plagued by a question Celia refuses to answer – who is her real father? (Note: Originally published as Somebody Else's Girl)

The Housekeeper's Daughter


Rosie Meddon - 2018
    Kate Bratton dreams of more. It’s 1914, and her life is mapped out ahead of her: continue working as a maid in the beautiful Woodicombe House, settle down with Luke the gardener and, of course, start a family.Desperate to run away in search of adventure, Kate’s plans are curtailed by the arrival of the Russell family at Woodicombe House. Tasked with becoming a ladies-maid for their daughter, Naomi, Kate gets a glimpse of the other side of life. Little does she know that all families have secrets, no matter their standing.Will Kate return to the safety of her life before the Russell’s departure? Or will the handsome Ned Russell turn her head? The Woodicombe House Sagas The Housekeer’s Daughter A Wife’s War (Coming March 2019) Praise for The Housekeeper's Daughter: ‘I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found the story to flow well. There were many twists and turns that built up to the final conclusion. Very enjoyable and definitely recommended’ 5* Reader review

The Young Widow: An Ambition & Destiny Novel (The Ambition & Destiny Series Book 6)


V.L. McBeath - 2020
    When an enigmatic stranger steals her heart, can she know he wants her for the right reasons?London 1808: Widowed at the age of twenty, Ann has no optimism for the future. At the beck and call of her domineering mother she longs to make a new life for herself with the legacy left by her late husband. But it's not that easy. Not when it means leaving her sisters behind. Her world is turned upside down when a curious gentleman stops to speak to her. Chas is new to the area, but he seems to know a lot about her … and he certainly looks well-to-do. Could he be her saviour? With newfound hope Ann dares to dream again, but Chas has a secret. Something he refuses to share. As their friendship grows, there are those who want to keep them apart … but when Ann stumbles upon Chas’s past, she realises that only she can decide what their future holds. Inspired by the compelling family history of author V L McBeath, The Young Widow is a standalone story in The Ambition & Destiny Series. Set in Georgian-era London, forty years before the start of this historical family saga, The Young Widow adds another dimension to this epic series. Get your copy today. Please Note: The Young Widow is written in UK English. Other books in The Ambition & Destiny Series: Prequel: Condemned by Fate Part 1: Hooks & Eyes Part 2: Less Than Equals Part 3: When Time Runs Out Part 4: Only One Winner Part 5: Different World

The Beggar Sisters


Rosie Darling - 2018
    When she lost the printing business that was their livelihood soon after they had lost both their mother and father, they also lost the home in which they had both been born. Relegated to a life in a grey tenement, and long hours of Ada working in the Bow match factory and little Emma selling wares on the cold, unaccommodating streets of east London, the sisters had nothing but each other. What they shared now was a life without warmth, a life of disadvantage, a life where roast lamb and gravy was no more than a shared illusion, where Christmas was not a day apart from any other. And then Ada was forced to enter into a contract with a monster. Would he sell her to the highest bidder just as he had done to so many women before? What would become of little Emma if she were taken from her? Everett Floyd was known to be heartless. How was it that two young, vulnerable and innocent girls could melt his icy heart without even trying? In an age of misery where money distinguished people - and separated lives - could two very different worlds come together to heal the pain of the past and bring a new reality?