Book picks similar to
Enduring Passions by David Wiltshire


historical-fiction
wwii
romance
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The Paris Library


Janet Skeslien Charles - 2021
    Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal. Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. As Lily uncovers more about her neighbor’s mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them. A powerful novel that explores the consequences of our choices and the relationships that make us who we are—family, friends, and favorite authors—The Paris Library shows that extraordinary heroism can sometimes be found in the quietest of places.

Into No Man's Land


Irene Miller - 2012
    starving. It is a story of courage, determination, perseverance and the power of the human spirit. Irene spent 8 years of her life in orphanages, but this did not destroy her dreams and desire to live live a full and rich life.

A Husband for Charity: Mail Order Bride Romance


Sandee Keegan - 2020
    Though she has often helped her father with his small business, their relationship is strained, as her father continues to drink more and more. To make matters worse, the more her father drinks, the more abusive he becomes, and Charity is growing increasingly unhappy. She dislikes her father and all his friends, and vows she will never marry such a man. To her dismay however, Charity is forced into an arranged marriage with a wealthy man, and in spite of her protests, she is sent across the country to be his bride. Determined that she will not fall in love, Charity tells her new husband she has other plans. Love is a mysterious thing however, and before she knows it, Charity is uncertain of her own feelings, and begins to wonder if her husband feels the same. Will Charity change her mind? Is there good in all men? Is she doomed to be unhappy forever?

The Silent War


Victor Pemberton - 1996
    Sunday lives for Saturday nights, when she makes the most of her Betty Grable looks at the Athenaeum Dance Hall. But Sunday's recklessly lived life is changed dramatically when, one summer morning in 1944, the laundry receives a direct hit from one of Hitler's V-1s, and she finds she is - and it seems permanently - deaf...

In Another Time


Jillian Cantor - 2019
    But only time can save them…1931, Germany. Bookshop owner Max Beissinger meets Hanna Ginsberg, a budding concert violinist, and immediately he feels a powerful chemistry between them. It isn’t long before they fall in love and begin making plans for the future. As their love affair unfolds over the next five years, the climate drastically changes in Germany as Hitler comes to power. Their love is tested with the new landscape and the realities of war, not the least of which is that Hanna is Jewish and Max is not. But unbeknownst to Hanna is the fact that Max has a secret, which causes him to leave for months at a time—a secret that Max is convinced will help him save Hanna if Germany becomes too dangerous for her because of her religion. In 1946, Hanna Ginsberg awakens in a field outside of Berlin. Disoriented and afraid, she has no memory of the past ten years and no idea what has happened to Max. With no information as to Max’s whereabouts—or if he is even still alive—she decides to move to London to live with her sister while she gets her bearings. Even without an orchestra to play in, she throws herself completely into her music to keep alive her lifelong dream of becoming a concert violinist. But the music also serves as a balm to heal her deeply wounded heart and she eventually gets the opening she long hoped for. Even so, as the days, months, and years pass, taking her from London to Paris to Vienna to America, she continues to be haunted by her forgotten past, and the fate of the only man she has ever loved and cannot forget.Told in alternating viewpoints—Max in the years leading up to WWII, and Hanna in the ten years after—In Another Time is a beautiful novel about love and survival, passion and music, across time and continents.

The Sheriff Who Stole Her Aching Heart


Lorelei Brogan - 2019
    Since she lost her mother, she had to struggle to keep her life together, depending only on herself. With her younger siblings under her responsibility and a father almost absent, she has given up on the idea of marriage. When the saloon her father owns gets attacked by a notorious criminal gang, she is taken as a hostage and has to find a way to escape. But this would be just the beginning... Will she be able to break free from all the hazards and keep the ones she loves safe?Ever since Carson lost everyone he ever cared for, he has set up a new mission: to protect the town. As the new sheriff in town, brave and strong-willed, he believes he can make it. But as soon as his childhood friend gets abducted, his dream collapses and his heart shivers once again. Knowing it's up to him to save her, he will have to act calmly and quickly so as nobody gets hurt. But will he be in time?When the situation is about to get harder and harder and more than one people will be in danger, Alina and Carson will have a chance to rekindle their friendship. But will it be enough to help them survive and keep the ones they care for alive?

The Traitors: A True Story of Blood, Betrayal and Deceit


Josh Ireland - 2017
    The Traitors is the story of how they came to do so.

The Plum Tree


Ellen Marie Wiseman - 2012
    “Bloom where you’re planted,” is the advice Christine Bolz receives from her beloved Oma. But seventeen-year-old domestic Christine knows there is a whole world waiting beyond her small German village. It’s a world she’s begun to glimpse through music, books—and through Isaac Bauerman, the cultured son of the wealthy Jewish family she works for. Yet the future she and Isaac dream of sharing faces greater challenges than their difference in stations. In the fall of 1938, Germany is changing rapidly under Hitler’s regime. Anti-Jewish posters are everywhere, dissenting talk is silenced, and a new law forbids Christine from returning to her job—and from having any relationship with Isaac. In the months and years that follow, Christine will confront the Gestapo’s wrath and the horrors of Dachau, desperate to be with the man she loves, to survive—and finally, to speak out. Set against the backdrop of the German home front, this is an unforgettable novel of courage and resolve, of the inhumanity of war, and the heartbreak and hope left in its wake.

Her Long Lost Cowboy


Evelyn Boyett - 2018
    Aaron Compton thought he’d made his peace with that long ago. After making his fortune out west, he’d returned to the orphanage where he’d met his love--and found her gone without a trace. He’d returned with a heavy heart to Sloan Ranch--a place with a questionable reputation and a reputed Bluebeard for an owner. Aaron never dreamed he’d see his love’s sweet face ever again. When Georgia turns up at Sloan ranch as the owner’s latest betrothed, Aaron knows he must do something before she meets a sticky end. Facing down the enormity of Sloan’s forces, Aaron enlists the help of the foreman to help him execute a plan. But what chance do two men stand against hundreds? "Her Long Lost Cowboy" is a historical western romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Mistress of the Ritz


Melanie Benjamin - 2019
    Nothing bad can happen at the Ritz; inside its gilded walls every woman looks beautiful, every man appears witty. Favored guests like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Coco Chanel, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor walk through its famous doors to be welcomed and pampered by Blanche Auzello and her husband, Claude, the hotel's director. The Auzellos are the mistress and master of the Ritz, allowing the glamour and glitz to take their minds off their troubled marriage, and off the secrets that they keep from their guests--and each other.Until June 1940, when the German army sweeps into Paris, setting up headquarters at the Ritz. Suddenly, with the likes of Hermann Goring moving into suites once occupied by royalty, Blanche and Claude must navigate a terrifying new reality. One that entails even more secrets. One that may destroy the tempestuous marriage between this beautiful, reckless American and her very proper Frenchman. For the falsehoods they tell to survive, and to strike a blow against their Nazi "guests," spin a web of deceit that ensnares everything and everyone they cherish.But one secret is shared between Blanche and Claude alone--the secret that, in the end, threatens to imperil both of their lives, and to bring down the legendary Ritz itself.Based on true events, Mistress of the Ritz is a taut tale of suspense wrapped up in a love story for the ages, the inspiring story of a woman and a man who discover the best in each other amid the turbulence of war.

I'll Be Seeing You


Suzanne Hayes - 2013
    Filled with unforgettable characters and grace, it is a timeless celebration of friendship and the strength and solidarity of women."I hope this letter gets to you quickly. We are always waiting, aren't we? Perhaps the greatest gift this war has given us is the anticipation…" It's January 1943 when Rita Vincenzo receives her first letter from Glory Whitehall. Glory is an effervescent young mother, impulsive and free as a bird. Rita is a sensible professor's wife with a love of gardening and a generous, old soul. Glory comes from New England society; Rita lives in Iowa, trying to make ends meet. They have nothing in common except one powerful bond: the men they love are fighting in a war a world away from home. Brought together by an unlikely twist of fate, Glory and Rita begin a remarkable correspondence. The friendship forged by their letters allows them to survive the loneliness and uncertainty of waiting on the home front, and gives them the courage to face the battles raging in their very own backyards. Connected across the country by the lifeline of the written word, each woman finds her life profoundly altered by the other's unwavering support. A collaboration of two authors whose own beautiful story mirrors that on the page, I'll Be Seeing You is a deeply moving union of style and charm. Filled with unforgettable characters and grace, it is a timeless celebration of friendship and the strength and solidarity of women.

Written In My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon - Reviewed


J.T. Salrich - 2014
    Salrich.Written In My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon is finally here! After waiting for 5 years, fans of Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander series" can finally return to the characters they know and love. Written In My Own Heart's Blood picks up where "An Echo In The Bone" left off and gets right into the action. If you’d like to enhance your experience while reading Written In My Own Heart's Blood then this book review and study guide is perfect for you! Yes, in Written In My Own Heart's Blood, Diana Gabaldon once again takes us on an action packed roller coaster ride that you’re sure to enjoy. Follow along with Jamie, Claire, Roger, Buck, Brianna, Jem, Mandy and all the rest as Diana Gabaldon weaves their stories through the past and present and all over the world. When you read Written In My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon - Reviewed you will get a deeper understanding of the characters and plot found in the original book, Written In My Own Heart's Blood as well as the themes and symbolism included in the novel. You also get a detailed chapter by chapter breakdown and analysis of the events as they unfold along with a glossary of the important characters and terms used in the original book. Just in case that’s not enough for you I’ve also included a list of possible study questions (book club discussions topics) and quotes from the book that I found interesting. Wrapping it all up is a discussion of the critical reviews for Written In My Own Heart's Blood as well as my overall opinion of the book. Plus much more! Whether you’re reading this for a book club, school report, or just want to catch up with your favorite characters and find out what happens before diving into the full length book, you can use this book review and study guide to get most out of your experience reading Written In My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon.

The Wrong Envelope


Liz Treacher - 2019
    Two worlds are about to collide.Evie Brunton loves her job. Twice a day, she spins along the narrow lanes of Devon on her bicycle, delivering letters from a heavy post bag. When the flamboyant London artist, Bernard Cavalier, drops like a meteor into her sleepy village, everything changes. Bernard is supposed to be painting for an important exhibition, but the countryside has its own charms, in particular his young post lady…Light and witty, and full of twists and turns, The Wrong Envelope is a charming romantic comedy. It captures the spirit of another age – when letters could change lives.

Land of Golden Wattle


J.H. Fletcher - 2017
    Faced with the prospect of being forced into marriage with a man she detests, she enlists the help of her true love, Ephraim Dark,who assists her to escape to faraway Van Diemen’s Land. Here she seeks sanctuary with her wealthy uncle Barnsley Tregellas.1982, TasmaniaThe union of Bec Hampton and Jonathan, heir to the fabulously wealthy Penrose estate, brought promise of reconciliation to two warring sides of the same family: a dynasty that had its foundations laid by Emma Tregellas and Ephraim Dark nearly a hundred years earlier. Defying opposition from Jonathan’s formidable grandmother, Bec had gained control of Derwent, the agricultural empire that the family had built from the early days of white settlement. Now 85, Bec’s dearest wish is that her granddaughter Tamara should inherit the property but Giles, her dissolute son, has other ideas. Will Bec and Tamara succeed in defeating Giles’s plans or will control of Derwent pass irrevocably out of the family?This majestic historical drama spans seven generations of an often-divided Australian family. With them we experience many of the traumatic events of Australia’s history: the early days of white settlement, the gold rush, the cataclysm of two world wars and the great depression.

A Girl Called Thursday


Lilian Harry - 2002
    It was meant to be a message of hope for the future, but they could not foresee that by the time Thursday celebrated her 21st birthday, Britain would once again be at war with Germany. Thursday is determined to help in the war effort and volunteers as a Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse. The realities of war are brought home to her when the casualties begin to arrive from Dunkirk, and Thursday begins to understand the true meaning of courage. While experiencing all the natural hopes and dreams of any young woman, finding pleasure and joy as well as sorrow in her work, Thursday is given her own opportunity to show strength and bravery in the face of war—and find a lasting love.