Book picks similar to
A Mother’s Courage by Maggie Hope


family-sagas
fiction
historical-fiction
romantic

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.

Saddle The Wind


Jess Foley - 2004
    For little Blanche the future appears bleak. Then one fateful day Blanche's mother is requested at the 'big house' to nurse Marianne, the motherless daughter of John Savill whose wife has died in childbirth. The two girls, so different in their hopes, are brought up together caring for each other as sisters. Blanche is torn between her love for her real mother and her desire for a life of wealth and ease. Her friendship with Marianne remains the one constant in her life. But then she meets Marianne's intended husband, with tragic consequences for them all. In this original and vivid saga, Jess Foley weaves a tale of passion and pain against a background of unsentimentalized rural England.

Forgive and Forget


Dee Williams - 2001
    She's lost her home in a bomb attack, and with her husband in the army, her daughters evacuated to Wales, and her mother killed and father injured in the attack, Ruth is left to face the devastation alone. But she finds comfort in the camaraderie of the Civil Defence office where she works and in her friendship with Lucy, a clippie on the buses. Lucy's husband is at sea, and the two women dream of the day when they'll be reunited with their loved ones. But as victory approaches, Ruth finds that the legacy of war is more powerful than even she had imagined...

A Christmas Gift


Katie Flynn - 2019
    Devastated, Lizzy joins forces with her old school friend Dolly and Clara, an escaped evacuee, and vows to find her mother whatever it takes.But the war rages on and demands on the home front take Lizzy’s life in a host of unexpected directions, and hopes of finding her mother gradually start to fade.If Lizzy can muster the strength to keep searching, she might just get her Christmas wish after all.

Cast the First Stone (Yorkshire Sagas #1)


Margaret Thornton - 2013
    With her glossy blonde hair, fashionable clothes and lavish use of make-up, she is not what the rural Yorkshire community expected, and her ideas to modernise the parish do not go down well with some of the more traditional members of the congregation.Fiona is at the centre of the gossip and rumour in the community and it is only a matter of time before someone discovers the secret she’s been hiding in her past, something she hasn’t even told her new husband. The revelations and heartache that ensue have unforeseen consequences for more than one member of the parish.

Beyond the Veil of Tears


Rita Bradshaw - 2014
    Oswald proves to be more sadistic and violent than she could ever have imagined. On learning she is expecting a child, Angeline makes plans to run away and take her chances fending for herself and her baby. But then tragedy takes over . . .

Too Soon the Night: A Novel of Empress Theodora (The Theodora Duology Book 2)


James Conroyd Martin - 2021
    

Sing Them Home


Pam Weaver - 2018
    A German aircraft crashes into a house in Worthing, and causes complete devastation to the local community. Three strangers meet for the first time that day – Nancy, Beth and Val. Val’s little girl Sally has been hurt in the crash and is rushed to hospital. As she comes through her ordeal, she finds her mother and her two new ‘aunties’ by her bedside. The three new friends quickly bond over shared experiences; all their husbands are overseas in the fighting forces. They also have the same love of singing and soon form The Sussex Sisters, Worthing’s answer to the Andrews Sisters, to boost morale in in dance halls and canteens all over the south coast.When D-Day finally arrives, it’s the promise of a brighter future they have all been longing for. But the men that return home are altogether different from the husbands they waved off. How will they respond to their wives’ new-found fame? How will the women live alongside these distant, damaged men? With secrets, revelations and surprises on the horizon, the friends will need each other more than ever.

A Daughter's Journey


Anna Jacobs - 2019
    She's not intending to stay long, but after tracking down her distant family, Jo becomes more involved in village life than she could ever have imagined - and suddenly in danger too.Jo also finds herself drawn to Nick, a handsome newcomer to the village. Nick had planned to settle in Birch End and start a business, but as he grows closer to Jo, he realises he may have to choose between his dreams and a chance at love.Meanwhile, the new local council are faced with some tough decisions of their own. It's time to take a stand against the poor conditions in Backshaw Moss, the nearby slum, but some councillors want things to stay as they are - and will go to any lengths to make sure they get their way . . .Will the decent people of the valley win a brighter future for themselves? And can Jo find a way to stay with Nick in a place she's grown to love?

Worth Their Colours


Martin McDowell - 2010
    The year is 1805 and Nelson has robbed the French of their way across The Channel, but Napoleon’s Grande Armee’ remains a potent threat. Faced with this, the Secretary of State for War gathered all possible forces to resist invasion. This included sweeping up into Detachment Battalions the surviving soldiers of various minor disasters and combining them together with a very much less than re-assuring mixture of recruits. This is the story of one such Battalion, a collection of veterans, social outcasts, untried Militia, volunteers, criminals and poachers who march and train together until the desperate British military deem them fit to be part of General Stuart’s army that invades Calabria to support one the few allies Britain has, the King of Naples. There they confront a veteran French army on the plains of Maida for the first set piece confrontation between the armies of Great Britain and Napoleon’s all-conquering forces. At the campaign’s end, as a Detachment Battalion, usually considered as inherently inferior, they could be broken up and sent to reinforce under strength, well established, Regiments. Or, perhaps, by their own deeds and prowess, they deserve to be recognised as a numbered Regiment, and be““Worth Their Colours.”

The Berlin Affair


David Boyle - 2017
     American Xanthe Schneider finds herself catapulted into the world of British espionage, and is sent into the heart of Nazi Germany: Berlin. Her task? To find out whether Ralph Lancing-Price – a former government minister she had known briefly in London – is a patriot or traitor. And what of the code he talked about so abstrusely? Using her guise as an American correspondent, Xanthe sets out to find him. But not all is what it seems. Xanthe soon becomes drawn into a web of intrigue involving a project entitled "Enigma" - and she also unexpectedly falls in love. As the weeks go by, and Germany begins to mobilise its armies, Xanthe has to question who she can trust - and how she can survive? The Berlin Affair is a page-turning thriller, full of historical insight and dramatic reversals of fortune. A must read for fans of Robert Harris, David Downing and Alan Furst. Praise for David Boyle ‘Authentic and compelling... Boyle captures the paranoia and peril of the era.’ Roger Moorhouse, author of Berlin at War ‘The Berlin Affair is the first book in what I'm sure will prove to be a gripping series... For fans of Alan Furst and Robert Harris.’ - Richard Foreman, author of A Hero of our Time ‘Exhilarating’ - Daily Mail ‘A book that is engagingly sensitive’ Dominic Lawson, Sunday Times David Boyle is a British author and journalist who writes mainly about history and new ideas in economics, money, business and culture. He lives in Crystal Palace, London. His books include Alan Turing: Unlocking the Enigma, Before Enigma, Operation Primrose,Rupert Brooke: England’s Last Patriot, Peace on Earth: The Christmas Truce of 1914, Jerusalem: England’s National Anthem, Unheard Unseen: Warfare in the Dardanelles, Towards the Setting Sun: The Race for America and The Age to Come.

Deadly Justice


Chet Cunningham - 2014
    Justice. Only three or four people know who Mr. Justice really is. He hears about some injustice in the West and goes to that area to battle the bad guys to bring justice to the common man who can't fight for it himself. This book finds Mr. Justice defending a north county sheriff who is falsely accused of back shooting and killing a man. Lance goes to the town, finds an eye witness to the actual killing, gets the sheriff released, then goes on a three man hunting trip to bring the real killers to justice. It's a long and dangerous trip and his life and that of the accused killers hang in the balance when he blunders into a war between two feuding families. We don't know if he will survive, let alone get back to the county jail with his prisoner

The 1929 Series Boxed Set: Books 1-6


M.L. Gardner - 2014
    L. Gardner, includes five novels and one novella: 1929 Elizabeth’s Heart 1930 Drifter Purgatory Cove 1931 1929 When Black Tuesday triggers financial despondency, three young couples in New York City trade their lives of luxury for poverty. From back-breaking jobs to a shabby, rundown apartment, the couples’ rocky path leads to more turmoil when a business rival creates one disaster after another. A story set in the past, Gardner’s first novel is more than memorable—1929 is unforgettable. Elizabeth’s Heart Institutionalized in 1929 for having prophetic visions, Simon Sinclair narrates from inside the Massachusetts Asylum. There he meets Elizabeth, a young woman with a shadow personality and a traumatic past. As their lives become entwined, their attachment for each other grows. Their actions set off a chain reaction that directly touches the lives of the characters from 1929. 1930 A memorial service for Aryl Sullivan isn’t enough closure for the 1929 characters. Claire, now a pregnant widow, is too devastated to cope, Caleb drowns his sorrow in a bottle of whiskey, and Jonathan awaits the birth of his child. Maura is put to work to see them past the worst of it, facing setbacks of her own. As the gears of life slowly start to move again, new friends are made and old enemies return. Claire finds refuge through a common bond with widower Gordon, finally allowing her to move on and accept her new life. Until she’s met with a shocking surprise. Drifter Richard Sloan, a Massachusetts missing person’s detective, is losing his touch. After six months, he hasn’t found anyone alive and becomes desperate to redeem his reputation. Aryl Sullivan, who suffered amnesia in a boating accident, finds himself caught up in a series of events that land him in London. While in the hands of Gina, a secretive and controlling woman, Aryl is forever changed as he does what he has to in order to survive. Purgatory Cove Elizabeth William’s mind is full of fissures and hairline fractures held together by the love of fellow patient, Simon Sinclair. But when the staff at the Massachusetts Asylum informs her that her soul mate, Simon, has died, she instantly shatters. Retreating within the depths of her mind, she must confront the fractured personality that’s tried to control her for years. But Elizabeth discovers that she’s outnumbered and must live in the shadows of her own personal purgatory until she finds the strength to change her fate. 1931 The saga of the 1929 Series continues as Aryl’s battle with opiates forces Jonathan and Caleb to take drastic measures in an effort to save him. Claire clings desperately to the hope that the man she fell in love with—and lost—will reemerge from the depths of his addiction. Ava confronts a dark secret from her past that sends her spiraling deeper into her postpartum depression. Instead of reaching out to Jonathan, she withdraws. While Arianna is expecting their third child, Caleb finds himself ensnared in Marvin’s tangled web of deceit and blackmail. He struggles to keep his family safe as he maneuvers his way out of the nightmare. Will they have the tenacity to overcome their obstacles? Or will this forever destroy their friendships as they know it? Get all six novels in one digital boxed set.

Lotus Land - The Secrets of Padma Kshetra


Bhuban Patra - 2020
    The kingdom of Kalinga though a maritime superpower remained secluded and reclusive to the other nations of Bharat. This was not by chance, but by choice, as this holy land was fulfilling a prophecy that could become the basis of existence for the entire humankind after the Kali Yuga ends. The first book of the Konark Secret Duology is the tale of Bishnu Maharana, the chief architect of the Konark Temple. This is his journey about how he became a master architect and the secrets he unravels while constructing this shrine. Was this temple just a grand monument or were there secrets behind its construction? Why was an unusual technique being used for its creation, when there were tried and tested methods? Did this monument hold some secret within itself? Was Bishnu Maharana an architect or a man of secrets?

The Quality of Love


Rosie Harris - 2009
    Studying hard to please them, she earns a place at Cardiff University. Here she is swept off her feet by handsome Gwyn Roberts, but when she becomes pregnant her parents are devastated and turn her from their door. All Gwyn and Sarah can afford are two squalid rooms in the infamous slums of Cardiff and Sarah soon realises she's made a terrible mistake. Gwyn becomes increasingly distant and when the baby dies in infancy, he leaves Sarah with little choice but to fall on her parents' mercy. But just when Sarah is starting to pull her life back together again, she is drawn to the charms of Stefan Vaughan and finds herself in trouble once more...