Book picks similar to
Shanghai Story by Alexa Kang


historical-fiction
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historical
world-war-ii

Purling Road - The Complete First Season: Episodes 1-10


M.L. Gardner - 2015
    Though the men must continue on without him, tension remains between the friends. The strain intensifies when a chance encounter with the new sheriff of Rockport sends chills down Caleb’s spine. What is it about Sheriff William that unsettles them all? David’s return to Rockport lands him in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it may just be perfect timing for someone else in need. A handsome stranger catches the eye of the adorable and frantic Muzzy Brown. What are his intentions in town, and will she slow down long enough to find out? A family secret is discovered in Jonathan’s attic, leading him to question everything he knew about his past. More secrets from the past are revealed, complicating the group’s lives even further. Aryl is tempted by old demons. Jean’s birth mother’s reputation becomes a source of pain for Jean. The tension between Jonathan and Caleb finally comes to a head. Will they forgive each other, or will they go their separate ways for good? Keep up with the characters of 1929 by following them through ten episodes of Purling Road, A 1929 Serial.

Wildflowers of Terezin


Robert Elmer - 2009
    A Danish Lutheran pastor’s complacent faith is stretched to the breaking point during World War II when he meets a young Jewish nurse Hanne Abrahamsen and becomes deeply involved in Resistance efforts to save Denmark’s Jews from the Nazi prison camp at Terezin, Czechoslovakia—also known as Theresienstadt.Challenged by his evangelical brother and swayed by his own attraction to Hanne, Pastor Steffen abandons his formerly quiet, uninvolved life and hesitantly volunteers to help smuggle Denmark’s Jews out of the country before a Nazi roundup. Steffen finds that helping his Jewish neighbors is the most decent, spiritual thing he has ever done. As he actually does God’s work, rather than just talking about it, Steffen’s faith deepens and he takes greater risks in his sermons.When things go terribly wrong and Hanne is sent to Terezin, Steffen finds his heart fully engaged. He undertakes protests and rescues that are more and more dangerous, never imagining where it will lead him, or the ultimate cost of his decision to get directly involved.

The Aftermath


Rhidian Brook - 2013
    Thousands remain displaced in what is now the British Occupied Zone. Charged with overseeing the rebuilding of this devastated city and the de-Nazification of its defeated people, Colonel Lewis Morgan is requisitioned a fine house on the banks of the Elbe, where he will be joined by his grieving wife, Rachael, and only remaining son, Edmund. But rather than force its owners, a German widower and his traumatized daughter, to leave their home, Lewis insists that the two families live together. In this charged and claustrophobic atmosphere all must confront their true selves as enmity and grief give way to passion and betrayal. The Aftermath is a stunning novel about our fiercest loyalties, our deepest desires and the transformative power of forgiveness.

Sarah and the Doctor


Kit Morgan - 2018
    Their best being Oswald Petite. He had money and position. What more could a girl want? But Sarah did want more. A lot more. She had a healing touch and wanted to use it. Her parents thought the notion silly. She thought it practical. But what would Oswald think? She was staring spinsterhood in the face. Which made Oswald her last hope. Unfortunately, Oswald was about as exciting as a walnut. Abijah Waller, an assistant to the famed Dr. Campbell of Edinburgh, Scotland, stayed with his rich cousins in Philadelphia while he worked for the doctor at the city's most prominent university. The best part? He learned as much about doctoring as any of Campbell's students! He couldn't thank his cousin enough for getting him the position. In fact, he was well on his way to becoming a fine physician himself. That is until he got invited to tea one day and began to know Sarah Clemmons. That's when his world turned upside down.

Crossed in Love


Patricia Rice - 2017
     In this collection of novellas, Rice takes her readers on a journey through time, searching for romance in the most unlikely places. Prepare to be swept away as a ghost leads a lonely gentleman into the arms of a lady who steals his forgotten heart in "Deceiving Appearances." Continue to revel in the merriment while a bit of Valentine magic changes the hardened heart of a woman spurned by a rake in "Fathers and Daughters." Romance will continue to spark in "Lady Invisible" when a hoyden lady and a military man find solace and love in an unconventional way. And finally, see how true love blossoms amidst the anguish of rejection in “The Borrowed Groom.” Buy now and let these stories of love, heartache, and redemption reveal the most basic truth of all: love comes at the most unexpected times. Regency Love and Laughter series: Crossed in Love Mad Maria’s Daughter Artful Deceptions All A Woman Wants

The Prince of Korin


Melody J. Bremen - 2021
    Nor does he want to be one.He spends his days in the royal library, poring over old manuscripts, studying archaic languages and playing chess. He’s never been like Krollis, his fearless twin brother, who is an expert swordsman and hunts wild beasts in the forests.When an army of vizzens, the fearsome old enemy of Korin, attacks from the east and Krollis disappears, Endomer is left in charge of the country. He struggles to find a way to save his people while his soldiers are dying and his citizens are forced to flee. As he fights to gain the respect of the palace court, he discovers a threat coming from within the palace walls. There is no one he can trust.He isn’t only fighting for his country – he’s fighting for his life.Fans of Megan Whalen Turner and Jennifer A. Nielsen will enjoy this story of political intrigue and betrayal.

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats


Jan-Philipp Sendker - 2002
    Intent on solving the mystery and coming to terms with her father’s past, Julia decides to travel to the village where the woman lived. There she uncovers a tale of unimaginable hardship, resilience, and passion that will reaffirm the reader’s belief in the power of love to move mountains.

A Golden Age


Tahmima Anam - 2007
    Her children are almost grown, the city is buzzing with excitement after recent elections. Change is in the air. But no one can foresee what will happen in the days and months that follow. For this is East Pakistan in 1971, a country on the brink of war. And this family's life is about to change forever. Set against the backdrop of the Bangladesh War of Independence, 'A Golden Age' is a story of passion and revolution, of hope, faith, and unexpected heroism. In the chaos of this era, everyone must make choices. And as she struggles to keep her family safe, Rehana will be forced to face a heartbreaking dilemma.

Gunpowder Alchemy


Jeannie Lin - 2014
    Furious, the Emperor ordered the death of his engineers, eliminating China's best chance of fighting back. Since her father's execution eight years ago, Jin Soling has kept her family from falling apart. With her mother addicted to opium and her younger brother in danger of being sent off to the factories, Soling has no choice but to sell off the last of her father's possessions. Unwittingly, her actions bring her to the attention of the imperial court-the same court that betrayed her father. The Crown Prince has launched a secret mission to bring together the remnants of the former Ministry of Science. To restore her family's name, Soling must track down the rebel alchemist who holds the key to powering the imperial fleet. Her only ally is a man she's just met-the engineer with a mysterious past who was once meant to be her husband...

Final Mission: Zion - A World War 2 Thriller


Chuck Driskell - 2018
    The only man who knows their location is killed, leaving the children with precious little time to survive. The dead man leaves a single set of instructions: Find U.S. Department of War agent Neil Reuter--he will save the children. Reuter, who is part-Native American, is a wreck, grieving the murder of his wife and unborn son. Realizing this mission goes beyond his grief, he accepts, hurtling himself toward the menace of the Third Reich. Relentlessly pursued by the Nazis, as well as his own people from the U.S. Department of War who believe he's traveling into the Reich to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Reuter uses his unique set of skills to battle his way from San Francisco to England, through Germany and on to Austria in a race against time to find the hidden group of children.A sweeping saga of espionage and suspense, over the backdrop of a tantalizing love story, FINAL MISSION: ZION combines modern storytelling with the excitement and cliffhangers of the classic Saturday afternoon movie serial.

The Ghost Bride


Yangsze Choo - 2013
    And in the sleepy port town of Malacca, ghosts and superstitions abound.Li Lan, the daughter of a genteel but bankrupt family, has few prospects. But fate intervenes when she receives an unusual proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family. They want her to become a ghost bride for the family's only son, who recently died under mysterious circumstances. Rarely practiced, traditional ghost marriages are used to placate restless spirits. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at a terrible price.After an ominous visit to the opulent Lim mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also by her desire for the Lims' handsome new heir, Tian Bai. Night after night, she is drawn into the shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, with its ghost cities, paper funeral offerings, vengeful spirits, and monstrous bureaucracy—including the mysterious Er Lang, a charming but unpredictable guardian spirit. Li Lan must uncover the Lim family's darkest secrets—and the truth about her own family—before she is trapped in this ghostly world forever.

House of Rejoicing


Libbie Hawker - 2015
     In the waning years of Egypt’s Eighteenth Dynasty, when female power can only come at an unsettling price, four royal women struggle against the shadowy influence of Akhenaten, the infamous heretic Pharaoh. Akhenaten wields control of a strange, emerging religion unlike anything Egypt has seen. His power can’t be denied, but whoever can maintain her grip on the unpredictable Pharaoh will hold all of Egypt in her hands—and better still, will remain mistress of her own fate. Tiy, once the undisputed might behind the throne, must choose to relinquish her hard-won influence, or manipulate the innocent in order to secure her hold on Akhenaten’s leash. Kiya, an idealistic foreign princess, will win Akhenaten with love—if he’s capable of feeling love at all. The celebrated beauty Nefertiti will use the Pharaoh for her own ends, turning the tables of a deadly political game to free herself from her ambitious father’s grasp. And Sitamun, kept imprisoned as the Pharaoh’s plaything, will defy the gods themselves to save her daughter from a similar fate. House of Rejoicing is the first part in Libbie Hawker’s new ancient Egyptian series, The Book of Coming Forth by Day. The story will continue in Part Two, Storm in the Sky, in July of 2015.

Monsoon Mansion: A Memoir


Cinelle Barnes - 2018
    It would take a young warrior to survive it.Cinelle Barnes was barely three years old when her family moved into Mansion Royale, a stately ten-bedroom home in the Philippines. Filled with her mother’s opulent social aspirations and the gloriously excessive evidence of her father’s self-made success, it was a girl’s storybook playland. But when a monsoon hits, her father leaves, and her mother’s terrible lover takes the reins, Cinelle’s fantastical childhood turns toward tyranny she could never have imagined. Formerly a home worthy of magazines and lavish parties, Mansion Royale becomes a dangerous shell of the splendid palace it had once been.In this remarkable ode to survival, Cinelle creates something magical out of her truth—underscored by her complicated relationship with her mother. Through a tangle of tragedy and betrayal emerges a revelatory journey of perseverance and strength, of grit and beauty, and of coming to terms with the price of family—and what it takes to grow up.

Spare Change


Bette Lee Crosby - 2011
    A boy running for his life. A town defending them both.From award-winning USA TODAY Bestselling Author BETTE LEE CROSBY, the first book of a gritty, small-town, family saga in the tradition of the finest Southern fiction.Small-town gossip never much bothered Olivia Westerly. As a single career woman, she's weathered her share. It's easy to ignore the raised eyebrows over her late-in-life marriage to Charlie Doyle. But after he drops dead on their honeymoon, the whispers are salt on her raw grief. Especially when an orphaned, eleven-year-old-boy shows up on her doorstep, looking for the grandfather he never met.Behind Ethan Allen Doyle's wary blue eyes lie heavily guarded emotions that unexpectedly tug on Olivia's heart, and she finds herself wanting to win his trust. But when his murderous secret comes looking for him, the entire town embraces the lonely widow and desperate child to show its true heart when danger threatens one of its own.A heartwarming tale of love, loss and unexpected gifts, featuring a woman you'd like to call friend, a boy you will ache to hug, and a town you wish you could call home. USA TODAY BESTSELLER AND WINNER OF FIVE LITERARY AWARDS - Royal Palm Literary Award, Reviewer's Choice Award, FPA President's Book Award, IAN Outstanding Fiction Award, Eadon Contemporary Fiction Award

Lady Lou the Highwayman - A Regency Romance


Audrey Harrison - 2019
    She was to find out there was even further to fall. Sometimes, taking responsibility that isn’t yours, can lead to a situation which threatens everything and everyone you hold dear. Lou has no idea what a chain of events she has set in motion, until it is too late…Simon Ashton, Earl of Garswood, has grown-up with his father openly parading mistresses and Society turning a blind eye to the fact. Hating the fickleness of the Society he belongs to, he becomes aloof and unattached. He will never lose his heart to the people he despises.Set on his life’s path, a foolish trip across heathland in the dead of night is to lead to a series of events which will change his life forever. Can he allow someone into his life? Especially someone who is so completely at odds with everything he’s known. Could she be the woman who offers something else – something sincere – something true? Just when he thinks there is a chance of a happy future, events unfurl which threaten those he cares for the most. No one is going to be left unscathed…Lady Lou the Highwayman is a Regency romance topped with a generous dose of humour, action, and tears. If you like simmering chemistry, fast-paced adventures, and strong characters, then you'll love Audrey Harrison's Regency tale. Buy Lady Lou the Highwayman to find excitement and true love today!