Book picks similar to
The Cedar by Carmen Butler
historical-fiction
american-civil-war
tbr-bought-on-amazon
20th-centurylit-late
The Saturday Evening Girls Club
Jane Healey - 2017
For four young immigrant women living in Boston’s North End in the early 1900s, escaping tradition doesn’t come easy. But at least they have one another and the Saturday Evening Girls Club, a social pottery-making group offering respite from their hectic home lives—and hope for a better future.Ambitious Caprice dreams of opening her own hat shop, which clashes with the expectations of her Sicilian-born parents. Brilliant Ada secretly takes college classes despite the disapproval of her Russian Jewish father. Stunning Maria could marry anyone yet guards her heart to avoid the fate of her Italian Catholic mother, broken down by an alcoholic husband. And shy Thea is torn between asserting herself and embracing an antiquated Jewish tradition.The friends face family clashes and romantic entanglements, career struggles and cultural prejudice. But through their unfailing bond, forged through their weekly gathering, they’ll draw strength—and the courage to transform their immigrant stories into the American lives of their dreams.
The Diaries
Chuck Driskell - 2012
They thought he was an ordinary citizen. Neither could have been more wrong. Propelled by the discovery of a set of mind-bending diaries penned by Adolf Hitler's unwilling lover, a deadly pursuit ensues across Europe. Chased is Gage Hartline, a former special operations soldier. Stalking him are the French mob, a rogue DGSE agent, and his former employer, the United States Army. But when the one he loves is ripped from him, Gage turns the tables and becomes the hunter. The first book in the Gage Hartline series, The Diaries is a modern example of the classic European espionage thriller.
Fencing With Death
Elizabeth Pewsey - 2014
Londoner Larry Dunne divides his time between writing bad avant-garde poetry, working in a Bloomsbury bookshop, arguing with his upper-class girlfriend Pamela and putting the world to rights in a dive off the Strand named Joe’s Club in honour of Stalin. Until one day he applies for a job in Hungary, where he imagines he will at last breathe the purer air of an ideal Socialist State and enjoy universal fellowship and equality. Off he goes to Budapest, to find that the State runs on envy, paranoia and two-stroke. And soon, despite the attractions of an elegant Hungarian ballerina, Larry wants nothing more than to get back to cosy Bohemian London. Not so easy, when a neighbour is stabbed to death with a fencing sabre. On the run from ultra-clever investigator Major Nagy, Larry realises he might be in Budapest for a very, very long time. Unless the murderer is caught. A man in a long grey coat stood there. At the sight of Larry he clicked his heels together, extended a hand, announced that he was Major Nagy and strode past Larry into his apartment. Larry was rooted to the spot. ‘What is it? Has something happened?’ ‘Indeed you may say it has, Mr Dunne. A body has been found in an apartment in this block, and it is necessary to ask you some questions.’ ‘A body? What kind of body?’ ‘A dead body, Mr Dunne. This is the only kind I am interested in.’ ‘No, I mean, whose body? And how, has someone had a heart attack?’ ‘Not at all, Mr Dunne. Please sit down. This is a case of murder.’ Originally published as LOSING LARRY by Elizabeth Pewsey
Spanish Lavender
Joan Fallon - 2019
Alone in the devastated city of Málaga she makes friends with two young men, Juan, an idealistic Spaniard and Alex, a pragmatic Englishman. Together they make their escape from the war-torn city along the coast to Almeria. Amongst the death and carnage she falls in love with Juan, only to lose him shortly afterwards when he is badly wounded. Believing he is dead she returns to England with Alex, whom she later marries.Seventy years later Kate, Elizabeth´s granddaughter, is left a legacy following the death of her grandfather, a legacy that opens a Pandora´s box of secrets and lies which Kate can only unravel by returning to Spain.
Of Windmills and War
Diane Moody - 2012
Growing up in Chicago, his world revolved around after-school jobs, a rescued beagle, his pen pal in Holland, and the Cubs' chance to go to the World Series. Then, in December of 1941, news of the attack on Pearl Harbor hit much too close to home. In a few years, Danny found himself in the co-pilot seat of a B-17, stationed with the 390th Bomb Group in Framlingham, England. Anya Versteeg had been just a teenager when Hitler's troops invaded her homeland of Holland in May of 1940. Forced to grow up much too fast, the feisty preacher's daughter eagerly immersed herself in the Dutch Resistance. Certain that God had turned His back on Holland, she did whatever she had to do to save her country before it was too late. By 1945, the people of Occupied Holland were starving. Thousands were dying every day. Then, just days before the war ended, help came to the Netherlands like manna from heaven. Operation Chowhound held special meaning for Lieutenant Danny McClain. Somewhere below in the battered land of tulips and windmills was the girl who needed rescuing, and he would move heaven and earth to find her.
My Father's Kingdom: A Novel of Puritan New England
James W. George - 2017
Love. Murder. Prophecy. War...In 1620 more than one hundred devout men and women crossed the treacherous Atlantic Ocean and established a colony in the New World where they could build a righteous and Godly society. Without the fortuitous friendship of the Wampanoag people and their charismatic leader Massasoit, however, it is doubtful the holy experiment would have survived.Fifty years later Plimoth Colony has not only survived, it has prospered, and more and more Englishmen are immigrating to New England. The blessed alliance with the Wampanoag, however, is in severe jeopardy. Massasoit has passed away along with most of the original settlers of Plimoth Colony, and their children and grandchildren have very different ideas about their historic friendship.Thrust into the center of events is Reverend Israel Brewster, an idealistic young minister with a famous grandfather and a tragic past. Meanwhile, Massasoit's son, known as "King Philip" by the English, is tormented by both the present and the past. He is watching the resources and culture of the Wampanoag nation fade away at the hands of the English and desperately wishes to restore hope and security to his people.In a world of religious fervor, devastating sickness, and incessant greed, can the alliance of their forefathers survive? Or will New England feel the wrath of tragic, bloody war?
Murcheson County
Rodney Page - 2016
Her father, determined to improve the family’s lot, relocates to Georgia.Ezekiel Salter scrimps to buy a ticket in Georgia’s 1807 Land Lottery, wins, and he and his impoverished family head west to newly-created Murcheson County.Prominent since colonial times, the Underwoods foresee the growing demand for cotton and acquire extensive acreage in newly-opened lands in central Georgia. Dispatched by his father, Jacob Underwood begins construction of Poplar Grove plantation.And, the slave known as Gant, his wife and daughter, Lucey, have no say as to their destination…the highest bidder will decide for them…and if the family remains intact.Spanning over fifty years, Murcheson County chronicles the four families’ fortunes against the backdrop of the most turbulent time in American history.An epic saga of slavery, emancipation, war and hardship, Murcheson County will remain in your heart long after the winds of war have stopped blowing.
Nothing Stays Hidden
Michael Bellman - 2020
He's a charismatic police officer married to a gorgeous school teacher named Lauren and life is filled with love, fame, and tight-knit friends. But after their children disappear, a perfect marriage slowly begins to crumble.Desperate for answers, Josh travels down a dangerous path fraught with betrayal and lies. A calculated killer discovers his dark secrets and he'll stop at nothing for revenge. Left with no other choice, Josh must reveal his troubled past, which shatters the lives of those closest to him.Once Josh discovers the shocking truth about his missing children, nothing will ever be the same.
What Happened to Mary Faye Hunter?: A Novel Based on a True Story
Brad Golson Glenda Yarbrough - 2019
She Fell
Wendy Weiss - 2020
But then while taking a selfie on the edge of a cliff, Jessica suddenly vanished. Emily was later handcuffed and jailed without bail. Encouraged by her parents, lawyers and her psychiatrist to plead insanity, she complies and is found guilty. Unable to convince anyone that she's innocent and having nothing better to do, Emily journals her story. While in solitary confinement her mind begins to unravel and forgotten details form a new, unexplainable reality. Emily begins to doubt everything she thought she knew. Was everyone right? Did she push her beloved twin sister to her death, or was it a selfie gone horribly wrong?
The Seafaring Girls (Five Island Cove #7)
Jessie Newton - 2021
Besides her solid-as-a-rock husband, her only solace is her two dogs, her sewing students, and her new friends in the women's group her mother-in-law has introduced her to.Alice and Robin want to help Jean, but they don't know how. Alice is dealing with a pregnancy scare, and Robin is trying to help her oldest daughter navigate collegiate options.AJ has the best advice, as she's lived most of her life childless too. But her own baby is requiring more from her than she ever imagined. Eloise provides food and offers Jean a job at her inn though she's drowning to keep her head above water there. Kelli brings her son to Jean as much as possible, but it's not until Kristen convinces Jean to spearhead the new Seafaring Girls program in Five Island Cove that Jean starts to find some purpose to her life.Kristen is consulting on the program, as she ran it successfully many years ago, and her heart is happy as she watches a new generation of girls learn to love the sea while staying safe on it.But when someone returns to the Cove no one ever expected to see again, old wounds open just as they'd started to heal. This group of women will be tested again, both on land and at sea, just as they once were as teens.
Tristan Finch: A Novel
Jacqueline Spencer - 2014
The Royal Family is the lead story in every newspaper and on all television channels as the world watches with great anticipation, captivated by this terrible story. Will Prince James survive? American Jennifer Dressen, 28, is living in London working for a large British daily paper. One evening, her elderly neighbor insists on speaking to her. “I'm dying. And I have to tell the truth about something. Something that happened many years ago. Something so big, it will....” Her voice trailed off. Then she seemed to gather what strength she had left and announced, “I can't die like this. With no one knowing what I know. I have to share it. It is vitally important.” Jennifer's dream is to be an investigative reporter and, after hearing the old woman's story, she thinks this could be the one that gets her there. As she begins her research to find out if the woman's fantastic tale is true, she meets the man's of her dreams - a handsome solicitor who lives with his younger sister, a woman with special needs. In short order, Jennifer finds herself deeply in love. But fate deals her a challenging blow during her research when she is forced to take measure of herself and answer a simple question: is she willing to sacrifice happiness in her personal life for success in her professional one? Because the story she is about to break will rock the world with new revelations about the Royal Family. And forever change the life of the man she loves.
Journey of Hope
Victoria Murata - 2012
Brenna and her family are Irish immigrants. Rebecca travels with her large family from Iowa. Emily is a young bride traveling with her husband Ernest. Six months and two thousand miles later they reach their destination much changed from who they were when they started. Daily life on the wagon train is challenging. Cholera is rampant, crime not unheard of, and death is an ever present visitor. Their hopes and fears are realized in unforgettable experiences of love and loss. Through it all they form a bond with each other that will last a lifetime and encompass the vast and untamed regions of the heart.
The Breckton Trilogy
Mary Wood - 2013
Bridie O’Hara, a beautiful young girl, is torn away from her native Ireland by her father – a freedom fighter, turned traitor, when he has to flee the wrath of the Fenians. Violated by him she ends up in a correction convent. Her escape, and meeting up with Bruiser Armitage, a pimp, sets her fate. One man tries to save her, Will Hadler, a kind, hard-working miner, whose love for Bridie knows no bounds. His rescue of her brings her happiness, but the demons inside her never give her peace. When Andrew Harvey, master of Hensal Grange, takes a fancy to her it is the beginning of Bridie sinking back into degradation. Her daughter, Bridget pays the price. Unprotected by her drunken mother, Bridget suffers rape and the heartbreak of having to give up her child, Megan.Book Two: AN UNBREAKABLE BOND: It is 1913 and for Megan and her friend, Hattie, the time has come to take up their placements and make their way in the world. Megan’s path leads her to fall into a marriage with a man she does not love and at whose hands she suffers beatings and rape. With Hattie’s help she finally escapes, but her path crosses that of the beautiful, rich and powerful, Laura Harvey. It is Laura’s need to have her wish at any price that triggers an eruption of violence that brings Megan near to death and sends Jack, the man both Megan and Laura love to prison, for a murder he did not commit.Hattie’s path crosses that of paedophile, Lord Marley. She is raped by him and his companion. Her ten pound silence money buys her an abortion but her choices have gone and she is forced into a life of prostitution. It is when she stumbles across an evil, child sex ring and is determined to break it that she once more encounters Lord Marley and though she succeeds in her quest and gets her revenge, she pays a terrible price. Hers and Megan’s enduring friendship bring them through.Book Three: TOMORROW BRINGS SORROWSet in 1939 – 1959, As the world faces many changes brought on by war, Megan has found happiness with Jack, but the threat of Megan’s schizophrenic son Billy, still casts a shadow over them. His release is imminent and for Sarah, Jack’s daughter, this opens up a fate she cannot fight. With her love and respect for Billy eroded over the years as she came to realise he has an evil core, Sarah now lives in fear of him and what he will do if she refuses him. Forsaking her true love, she marries Billy in an attempt to protect those who are very dear to her, but love and hate will out and the consequences are devastatingThose consequences are compounded by the incestuous love between twins Theresa and Terrence Crompton and their taking of all they need from whatever source they please.