Book picks similar to
Tall Tales of America by Irwin Shapiro


fiction
myth-folklore
historical-fiction
used-4-acceptable

Second Chance of Sunshine


Pamela Evans - 2004
    Blessed with financial security and a loving husband, Angie has everything that Molly lacks. Brian Hawkins is too idle to seek regular employment, and there’s never enough money to provide for Molly’s six-year-old daughter Rosa. What’s more, Brian believes his wife’s place is in the home, and, although it’s 1956 and women are doing jobs they’d never dreamed of before the war, Molly is forbidden to go out to work. But when Angie’s father dies suddenly and leaves Molly a share in the Beckett pottery, it’s on the condition that she takes a job there. Seizing the chance to bring in much-needed income, Molly gains strength from her new-found independence – a strength she will need to take her through the tragedy that lies ahead...

Orphan Girl


Lila Beckham - 2014
    She never overcame her humble beginnings and when Willie Eubanks rescued her from the orphanage by marrying her, she ended up right back where she started. Living in the same cabin, she was born in twelve and a half years earlier. However, she grew to love Willie and was determined that she and Willie were not going to end up as her parents had. In addition, she wanted to make sure her children were not going to have to suffer through the same experiences she had.

Too Close To The Sun


Jess Foley - 2002
    Life has always been hard, and now she and her little brother Billy are left homeless and alone. But Grace must put her grief and fear aside, and think practically. Accepting a job as companion to the wealthy, lonely Mrs Spencer means that she and Billy have a roof over their heads, but just as Grace starts to find her feet disaster strikes again. Things look desperate, and when she is offered marriage and the good life for herself and Billy, Grace is tempted. But is her suitor to be trusted? Or is she, in her search for safety for her little family, flying too close to the sun?

Plews


Arley L. Dial - 2014
    Before the outlaws, lawmen, gamblers, and cowboys made their mark however, the lands west of the Mississippi were explored by a certain 'reckless breed' of individuals. Men we know as mountain men.These doughty men who braved empty plains, forbidding mountain ranges, and turbulent rivers, did so seeking one thing: beaver pelts, or as they called them plews. Battered by extremes of weather, menaced by beasts with little fear of man, and harried by unpredictable Indians, the mountain men risked their lives to harvest the valuable furs.Stories came downriver of a place where the beaver were abundant and the finest plews on God's earth could be found. The stories were sporadic however, as few men had ever trapped the area and lived to tell the tale. The place was called 'Three Forks' and was the home of the Blackfoot, the most feared tribe of Indians in the mountains.Seasoned trapper Walter Hatcher knew that if a group were to trap the 'Three Forks' successfully it would be made up of the toughest bunch of men he could find. Trappers with cunning and courage beyond that of other men would have to come together in order to bring home the plews. If such an audacious plan were to be carried out, those who accomplished the feat would surely be known as the most daring of the 'reckless breed' and that is just what Hatcher sets out to do.Almer Johnson did not consider himself reckless, or much of anything at all, as he works on the St. Louis docks. When an unexpected opportunity arises to join a fur trapping expedition the young man seizes the chance to make something of himself. Facing danger at every turn, Almer sets his poles for the mountains knowing he will be lucky if he makes it back with his scalp, but willing to take the risk for the plews.

The Courtney Entry (Ira Penaluna #3)


Max Hennessy - 1970
    A huge cash prize awaits anyone who can make the perilous transatlantic flight between Paris and New York, as well as global notoriety.Though many have died attempting it, among those who are still ready to face the hazards of the long-distance flight is Ira Penaluna, a hard-bitten war veteran, along with his daughter and navigator, Alix.He discovers that the Courtney plane he is to fly requires drastic design modification. However, the news that another challenger, a young man named Lindbergh, is on the point of departure forces Ira and Alix to take off in appalling conditions. Can he win, or even survive this journey? A triumphant finale to the trilogy, anchored by thrilling action and historical knowledge, perfect for fans of Wilbur Smith, W. E. Johns and Alistair MacLean.

Waiting for Love


Rosie Harris - 2007
    Widowed Sid Rawlins, the rag-and-bone man, says she can come and live with him and he will give her child a name in return for her running his home and looking after his children. Despite the gossip a desperate Brenda has little choice but to accept. Life isn't easy for Brenda and little Ruby but they try make the best of things. Until Brenda falls in love with Sid's eldest son, Danny, and their affair causes trouble within the family. And when Sid dies and leaves the business to his cousin, Charlie, life becomes even harder for Brenda as she faces the threat of losing everything she holds dear...

The Black Knight's Tune: Ruby's Story


Naomi Finley - 2019
    She abides in turmoil longing to know where she came from. This unrest has caused her to be plagued by dreams and visions of a man she calls the Black Knight and a woman with haunting green eyes. Ruby's only recollection of her past is the name Mag, until she receives a letter from friend Willow Hendricks in the South describing a slave girl that passed through her family’s plantation over twenty years ago. Does Ruby dare hope this slave child might be her? Meanwhile her job as a journalist at the Manhattan Observer––a penny newspaper––has Ruby fighting feelings for boss and friend Kipling Reed. She struggles with the impossibility of a relationship between a woman of color and a white man. But her skin color isn’t the only hindrance standing in the way of this romance. The unavailable Willow Hendricks has won the eye of Kipling. Torn by her feelings of a love that can never be, will Ruby be able to put the questions of her past to rest?

Odds Against Tomorrow


Joseph T. Nutter
    Her father, a former territorial governor, must now make the hard decision to recruit a former friend and gunfighter, whom he tried to hang in the past, to join in pursuit of his strong-willed daughter and the violent men she seeks. The energetic and exciting story is told from both perspectives as they must fight their way through the still untamed towns and locations of New Mexico Territory and Texas of 1884. And blended into the backdrop of their journey are the final days of the spirited campaign to elect a new President—Grover Cleveland. Behind this story lies the dynamics of two former friends who grew up together and fought alongside one another as members of the Texas Brigade in the Civil War and later as Texas Rangers. But they would be driven apart later by the sides of the law they would hold to. They now come together once again in an epic tale and must reach beyond their strained relationship to the strong bonds of friendship of their youth.

The Little Prince and Other Stories


Wordsworth ClassicsE. Nesbit - 2010
    This much loved story is joined by the following classic titles, to give a collection that has something for everyone, whatever their age: Black Beauty, Little Women, Alice in Wonderland, The Secret Garden, Robin Hood, The Wind in the Willows, The Railway Children, The Jungle Book and Peter Pan.

Among the Olive Groves


Chrissie Parker - 2014
    When World War Two looms her way of life is threatened. Left with no choice she joins the island's resistance to fight for what she believes in; her family, her home, and her freedom. Decades later, thousands of miles away in the Cornish town of Newquay, Kate Fisher prepares to celebrate her twenty-first birthday, but her joy is fleeting when she learns she is adopted. Abandoning life in England, Kate flees to Zakynthos, where she is forced to acknowledge a life she has struggled to come to terms with, one that will change her future. From the beautiful crystal turquoise seas of the Ionian Islands to the rugged shores of the Cornish coast, 'Among the Olive Groves' is a story of love, bravery and sacrifice.

The Find-Outers: The Mystery of the Vanished Prince: Book 9


Enid Blyton - 2016
     Prince Bongawah is staying at a school camp near Peterswood, but before Fatty, Larry, Daisy, Pip and Bets get to see him he disappears in the middle of the night! The Find-Outers, along with the help of Ern and his brothers Sid and Pearce, are on the case to find the missing prince. And this time they'll have to work with Mr Goon...First published in 1951, this edition contains the orginal text and is unillustrated.

The Tall Men (The Classic Film Collection)


Will Henry - 1900
    Seeking riches, vengeance and violence, they struck out from Texas for the gold fields of Montana. And then they met Nathan Stark—a man just as bold, and even more cunning. Together, they set out to gain their fortune with an epic cattle drive through the heart of the Sioux Nation. It was a journey never before made by white men...a journey that might never be attempted again.

Old Kyle's Boy


Frank Roderus - 1981
    Another fine action adventure from Frank Roderus, America's western tale master. Don't miss this one!

Cyber Seed Quadrilogy: The Complete Box Set


Craig A. Falconer - 2019
    Others send it straight to hell... Grab all four books in the thrilling CYBER SEED QUADRILOGY for one low price, in this great value 1200-page sci-fi box set! When Kurt Jacobs imagines the ultimate gadget — one capable of replacing phones, credit cards, keys and TVs — the idea consumes his every waking moment. When the Sycamore corporation buys into Kurt's creation and The Seed becomes a reality, his every dream comes true. Power like this has never existed. The launch of The Seed, a powerful microchip implant that turns each user's palm into a fully functioning trackpad and effectively turns them into walking computers, breaks all sales records. Alongside the augmented reality UltraLenses which act as the system's display, it immediately renders all handheld devices obsolete. But amid all of the awe and optimism, there is far more going on behind the curtain than Kurt or anyone else could ever have predicted... Cyber Seed Quadrilogy imaginatively chronicles The Seed's colossal impact on a society unprepared to handle it, from the high hopes of launch day to the breakneck descent into corporate dystopia. Remarkable apps and groundbreaking features that make life easier and more enjoyable... unprecedented surveillance and privacy abuses in a world where your eyes can no longer be trusted... both sides of a timely story unfold in this 1200-page complete series box set. And Kurt Jacobs, the guilt-wracked genius responsible for it all, may well be the only man who can do anything to put things right... This box set contains all four books in the CYBER SEED QUADRILOGY, previously published individually as: 1) Sycamore 2) Sycamore 2 3) Sycamore X (10-story collection) 4) Sycamore XL (12-story collection) Imaginative new technologies, devious conspiracies, and a whole lot of action-packed drama... dive in to the thrilling CYBER SEED QUADRILOGY today! (From the author of the blockbuster international bestseller, Not Alone)

Lake of Slaves (The Lion and the Leopard Trilogy, #2)


Brian Duncan - 2014
    Livingstone's 'Lake of Stars' has become a 'Lake of Slaves'. Alan Spaight is among a handful of British men fighting the slavers. After a year as a trader he starts a coffee plantation, while torn between the enticement of his doctor’s wife and his neighbour’s attractive daughter. He is drawn repeatedly into conflicts with the slavers, in company with mission-educated Goodwill, a former slave who escaped to return to his village. A new Consul, Harry Johnston, brings in British officers and Sikh soldiers in 1891, and the tide turns. After another five years of bitter fighting the slave trade is finally destroyed.