Book picks similar to
Poetic Justice by Nigel Tranter


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The Baby Snatchers


Mary Creighton - 2017
    You've sowed the seed of Satan. You are nothing.'Mary Creighton was just 15 when she found herself pregnant out of wedlock, in 1960s Ireland. She dreamed of a happy life with her child, but that was shattered when she was sent away to Castlepollard - a home for mothers and their unborn babies.Stripped of their clothes and forced into gruelling work whilst pregnant, those who survived childbirth were made to force-feed their children for adoption into wealthy families. Babies were ripped out of their mother's hands, but Mary refused to let that happen to her. She managed to escape only to later lose her beautiful daughter to social services and the meddling nuns... who always managed to catch up with her. After spending time in an infamous Magdalene Laundry, and having another two children snatched away, Mary sought to find her lost children, and demand answers for the atrocities committed supposedly in God's name.This is a haunting account of a mother's worst nightmare, as Mary continues to fight for justice for the mothers who suffered there and the babies of Castlepollard: hundreds of which died and are still buried in the grounds today.

Everybody's Somebody (The Jackson Family Saga, #1)


Beryl Kingston - 2017
    Whether it’s finding work or challenging injustice, Rosie squares her shoulders, sets her chin high and faces it full on. Born at the end of the nineteenth century, in the rural south of England and sent into service aged just twelve, Rosie quickly discovers that many good people spend their lives toiling for very little reward, whilst others ‘have it all’. She decides it won’t be like that for her. Why can’t she ride in a car? Why can’t she work when she’s pregnant? Why can’t she live in a nice flat? Why can’t she be an artist’s model? Whilst working as a housekeeper for two upper-class boys, Rosie starts to learn more and more about the world, gleaned from overheard conversations and newspapers left lying around. This triggers an ongoing thirst for knowledge, which shapes her views, informs her decisions and influences her future. Rosie aspires to have a better life than that of her parents: better living conditions, better working conditions and pay, better education for her children, to be able to vote, to be able to control how many children she has… Without realising it, this young woman is blazing a trail for all those who are to come after. Whilst working in London, Rosie meets her sweetheart Jim, but the The Great War puts paid to their plans for the future, and matters worsen afterwards, as she, along with the rest of society, tries to deal with the horrors and losses. This heart-warming story follows the events of the early twentieth century – the impact and horrors of WW1, the financial crisis and the rapid social and political changes that took place. All that remains of Rosie now is a quartet of paintings in an art gallery. The artist, now famous but the model, unnamed and forgotten; nobody of consequence. But everybody has a life story. Everybody leaves some kind of mark on this world. Everybody’s somebody. Praise for Everybody's Somebody ‘…see history unfold through the fierce and caring eyes of a woman in love' - Emily Murdoch 'In Everybody’s Somebody, Rosie’s colourful life is captured in a series of paintings, with Beryl Kingston applying the masterly brush strokes with her usual artistry and heart-warming style.' Danielle Shaw, author of Love and Sacrifice 'An interesting and informative historical novel with a fabulously feisty heroine. War, love, loss, class struggles, this great read has so much to offer!' Faith Bleasdale, author of Pinstripes Praise for Beryl Kingston “Beryl Kingston understands how to weave dialogue, character, theme and a thumping love affair into unity” – The Sunday Times ‘A new novel by the warm and observant Beryl Kingston is not to be missed. Each one is special’ - Elizabeth Buchan, bestselling author of The New Mrs Clifton Beryl Kingston was born in Tooting in 1931 and was evacuated during the war. She studied at King’s College London, qualified as a teacher and headed an English department. She was been a published author since 1980 and is a self-confessed ‘political animal’, taking part in street demonstrations and protests. She was also a beauty queen in 1947!

The Nymph from Heaven


Bonny G. Smith - 2018
    This intriguing story is juxtaposed with the captivating tale of Henry’s younger sister, Mary Tudor. Almost everyone knows that King Henry VIII of England had six wives and two daughters, but many do not realize that he also had two sisters. Both of King Henry’s sisters became queens through dynastic marriages, but their fates were very different. Margaret, King Henry’s elder sister, became Queen of Scotland, while Mary, his younger sister, became Queen of France. The Nymph from Heaven is a historical novel based on the life of Henry’s younger sister, Mary Tudor. Mary, not to be confused with her niece, “Bloody” Mary, graced the stage of European politics for only a few short years, but her story is a fascinating one. Born a beautiful princess into Tudor England in the late Middle Ages, Mary’s hand was sought in marriage from the age of three. But bound to duty by her high position, Mary knew that any match arranged for her would almost certainly take her out of England for marriage with a stranger in a foreign land. But Mary falls in love with a poor English knight, and is determined to marry him. Through many trials and tribulations, and against all odds, Mary marries her one true love. But the price may prove too high.

A Courtesan Countess Worth the Scandal


Ava MacAdams - 2021
    When her family is threatened, she does the one thing she can to protect them: publishes a book exposing them all.After his disaster of a marriage, Liam Westwood, the Earl of Keswick, made a sacred pact: never fall in love again. Having spent his years abroad, he never expected to meet a vixen that would test his sanity and haunt his nights upon his return.With the Ton’s most scandalous secrets hiding between the pages of her book, Nora has no shortage of people who wish to see her suffer. And some are determined to see her ruined. When the manuscript falls in Liam’s hands, his feelings of betrayal are overshadowed by a single thing: a name that jumps out more than all the others put together. His.

Confinement


Katharine McMahon - 1998
    Bess Hardemon, a tough and canny young teacher living in the mid-nineteenth century, is determined to make a difference at her new school, Priors Heath. Under the austere gaze of the Reverend Carnegie and his deputy, Miss Simms, the young girls remain underfed and unstimulated -- until the arrival of the bright, motivated young Bess.At the cost of her own chance of finding love, Bess remains trapped by her duty, a confinement echoed a century later by Sarah, a teacher at the modern-day Priors Heath who must make her own choice between her duty to her pupils and her efforts to save a broken marriage.

The War Girls of Goodwill House


Fenella J. Miller - 2022
    

Blood on the Bighorns


Carson McCloud - 2019
    First it took his mother, then his father, and now it threatens to end his own life as well. Merciless killer Kip Lane found Brett and his sweetheart, Allie, while they were out for an afternoon ride. Now Allie is missing and Brett lies at the bottom of a deep hole carrying three bullet holes. He’s got to escape and then rescue Allie from Kip’s clutches, but first he’s got to survive the cold lonesome night. Kip Lane isn’t Brett’s only concern though. There’s another man lurking behind the dashing outlaw. A dangerous man with money, powerful friends, and more than one gunfighter on his payroll. He aims to be the territory’s biggest rancher and Brett’s ranch is the key. Brett has a few allies he can count on. Gideon Sweeney and his daughter Lisa at the local Mormon settlement along with Red Elk, an old Crow medicine man, and Mourning Song, a beautiful Cheyenne woman with her own tragic history. Will it be enough to take back Brett’s heritage or will young Rawlins find his end beneath the guns of his enemies? Either way there will be Blood on the Bighorns.

From the Ashes of Amiens


Jana Petken - 2021
    

Brought To Battle: A Novel of World War II


J. Payne - 2016
    Army sergeant, recovered from battle with Rommel’s Afrika Korps, is appointed the leader of a dozen very bright, know-it-all draftees being poured into the Army’s replacement pool. He toughens them into an effective but naïve team. After they come ashore at Utah Beach, the Wehrmacht hands out its own bloody lessons. In minutes, one is dead and a second wounded, the start of a pitiless 10-month ordeal. In horrific combat from Normandy through the Bulge to the Elbe River, they learn to fight a more skilled and hardened enemy. All pay a steep price.

The Tall Captains (The Crosbie Saga Book 1)


Bart Spicer - 2020
    

Finding Forgiveness in the West: A Christian Historical Romance Book


Chloe Carley - 2021
    

The Women of Paragon Springs: The Complete Series


Irene Bennett Brown - 2019
    How they find their way through the struggles are what pull you into these heartwarming stories.Women of Paragon Springs includes: Long Road Turning, Blue Horizons, No Other Place and Reap The South Wind. “If you enjoy western novels, such as Little House on the Prairie and Lonesome Dove, you will enjoy this series by Irene Bennett Brown.”

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

Oona


Edwin Page - 2019
    Trying to flee from slavery and the terrible act, she heads into the forests of North Georgia, the trees hiding secrets and containing her destiny. Set in 1858, Oona tells the tale of a runaway slave. She meets Dorothy and Walter, a couple living in the wilderness. They offer her food and shelter. Wary of such acts of kindness, she considers their offer to stay.Meanwhile, her past will not releae its grip. She is tormented by it and there are those who would take her into custody in order to mete out a harsh justice. Will Oona find her freedom to be temporary or will she discover a new life of liberty? Discover her fate in this story of kindness, cruelty and hope. The majority of Edwin Page's books are available in Kindle and paperback formats. Mr Page is the author of numerous works of fiction and non-fiction, including the widely acclaimed books The Hanging Tree, Runaway and Where Seagulls Fly.

Between Moons: A gripping WW2 historical novel


Claire Anders - 2021