Book picks similar to
The Glassblower's Wife by Joanna Campbell Slan
historical-fiction
toread-regularfiction
waiting-on-shelf
world-wars
Mail Order Bride's Baby And Her Idealistic Lumberjack (A Western Historical Romance Book) (Evergreen Frontier)
Florence Linnington - 2021
Oyster Shore
Ruth Saberton - 2021
As the storm clouds of war gather over Europe, a chain of events is set in motion which will reach across the decades to haunt the neglected place once known as Oyster Shore.A lifetime of regrets…In the winter of 1964 one of the richest men in England lies dying. Alone and consumed by guilt, Gerald Snowe leaves behind the dark secrets which have driven him to despair and his last wish is that restitution might be made. But who will remain on Oyster Shore long enough to hear the past whispering?A lost story…Over fifty years later, broken-hearted writer Lowenna Scott seeks solace in a remote riverside hideaway. Swirling mists and ghostly tales soon draw her into a decades’ old mystery and the company of the enigmatic Noah Wilson. When a long-concealed betrayal unexpectedly comes to light, Lowenna and Noah must look to the past to uncover the truth behind a love affair that changed history, haunts Oyster Shore and possesses the power to alter their own future forever…Taking the reader on a captivating journey through time, place and war, Oyster Shore is an unforgettable story of love, loss, and most of all hope.
Happy Day: A Novel
Elizabeth Downey - 2015
But wait?
Meriday, the slave girl “You want every slave to walk behind you and be a fart catcher. I could never be like that. Not ever.” – Hatred of slavery is the lifeblood that compels her. The story of her life’s journey from the plantation South to Chicago mesmerizes in its brutality and soothes by its exploration into the human spirit. The men she encounters along her odyssey: a field-hand slave forced to shed his Christian name and accept the one his masters give him in jest, a dwarf with a giant’s heart, a ship’s captain, and a black Union army sergeant; they are heroes of epic proportion.Santine – Fascinated by a photo of Meriday taken more than a hundred and fifty years before, she has an affiliation with it, but doesn’t understand why. She is comforted and frightened at the same time by her daily talks with the slave girl, now an angel, that she believes has taken her under wing. Accepting a challenge with an unbelievably large prize on the line, the Harvard bound high school senior from Chicago leads her all black inner-city chorus to Boston in competition against the elite Ivy League High Schools. By nobody’s reckoning were they ever supposed to be there, and by nobody’s reckoning could they ever compete for the win. And by her reckoning, there was never supposed to be a boy in in the faraway Massachusetts city.Grandma Brown – Meriday’s second great granddaughter and Santine’s eighty-year-old mentor who never saw a computer she didn’t love. Going to the chorus competition as a chaperone, she’s feisty and fearless as she steamrolls over obstacles. The Beantown prima donnas never saw her coming.This delightfully unusual story easily flows back and forth through history, from slave times to modern African American consciousness while touching on the spiritual theme of guardian angels and the protections they so lovingly provide. A powerful novel that touches all the emotional bells. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll fist pump till your arm tires. This is coming of age, contemporary and historical fiction, a page turner for the teen, young adult, mother, father, or grandparent reader who just enjoys a whopping good tale.Scroll to the top of the page and select the 'buy button' now.
The Asylum Daughter
Rosie Darling - 2020
An inconsequential inconvenience.After eight years of dreaming of an unknown mother rescuing her from the workhouse, Beth is unexpectedly liberated to become an apprentice in Mr Whitaker's tailor's shop. Against all the odds, Mrs Whitaker becomes a maternal figure to the young girl who shows all the signs of a gifted seamstress.But fate's cruel hand had not finished denying Beth the comforts of a family.Lady Caroline comes into Beth's life as a godsend. A wealthy patron in need of beautiful dresses to be made. But there is more to her appearing at the tailor's shop at first apparent. Two lives from different classes become intertwined in the worst of conditions.Is having a family worth such suffering? Should the women deny each other and be relieved of the tortures beset upon them in the name of greed and a family name? Was the madness real? Would the answers be found along the unforgiving corridors of the asylum?
The Magdalen Laundries: a novel inspired by true events
Lisa Michelle Odgaard - 2017
Concerned at the level of intimacy developing between Maren and the boy who helps her father with his farm work, the village priest takes it upon himself to remove her from school and bring her to one of the convent laundries, where he delivers her into the care of the nuns. Now, alongside many other "Magdalens" - named for Mary Magdalen - Maren must spend her days washing dirty linens, symbolically cleansing herself of her sins while repeating endless penance to a God that she soon comes to feel is no longer listening to her. Only the presence of Ceara, a young pregnant girl who befriends her inside the institution, gives Maren strength to continue through abuse, humiliation, beatings and near-starvation. Set in Ireland in 1961, The Magdalen Laundries is based on the true stories from one of the most shameful chapters in Ireland's history, and tells of the redemptive power of faith, friendship and forgiveness. NEW EDITION now includes pronunciation guide. Recent Reviews: If you began reading this book without seeing the cover or knowing what it was about, you would guess that you were reading a future dystopian fantasy about a horrific, oppressive torture prison. However, you are not reading fantasy, you are reading a novel based on a true story. It doesn’t take place in the future, instead the sad pitiful events took place in Ireland, and other English-speaking countries, including America, for over 100 years. “There is hope in Christ, not despair.” Author Odgaard’s story is set in 1961 at [a convent] near Dublin. Young and pretty, Maren grows up on her family farm, loved and cherished. Maren begins to awaken to feelings of love, when a hired farm hand catches her eye. Her innocent feelings lead her parish priest to commit her, without her family’s knowledge, to what were called the Magdalen Laundries. These laundries were ostensibly places for “fallen” girls and women to redeem themselves. But too many ended as victims of a system of torture and deprivation. At times slow-moving at the beginning, most of the book is compelling and engrossing. Maren and her best friend at the laundry are described with love and compassion by Author Odgaard. While not sugar-coating or endorsing the practices at the laundry, the author also extends this same understanding to the Catholic Church. The story features a heartfelt affirmation of the Gospel message. While, many elements of this book are difficult to read about, overall there is a message of hope. I am grateful to the Author for opening my eyes to the Laundries and the plights of the young girls. In the afterward of the book, the Author presents more information about the Laundries and encourages readers to research more on the internet. I did look up some information about the history. “She felt a joy in her heart and knew that her journey to find peace had ended here, In Glasvenin cemetery.” – Jena C. Henry, Readers Review Room
The Ever Open Door
Glenice Crossland - 2008
Jim's only complaint is that Sally is too soft hearted for her own good, always at the beck and call of any neighbour, friend or even stranger. Sally, on the other hand, accuses Jim of being a soft touch for anyone after a drink or two at the Rising Sun. Both accept that neither will ever change and they love each other and their daughter Daisy deeply.
Theirs is a close-knit family in a close-knit community where gossip - both good and bad - abounds and neighbour looks out for neighbour and friend for friend. And when Sally's generosity leads to an inheritance it should mean a change of life for the better, instead it brings danger and difficult choices for them all...
COMING HOME TO BYLAND CRESCENT an absolutely heartbreaking and unputdownable historical family saga (The Cowgill Family Saga Book 3)
Bill Kitson - 2022
Last Shot
Christopher Kenworthy - 2013
What he got was a gunfight, a robbery and a price on his head for a murder he did not commit. Cassidy soon discovers that the same men who stole his money, were the ones framing him for the killing. Bent on revenge and determined to recover his life savings he tracks them deep into the desert. But with men hounding him down and baying for his blood, and Apaches attacking him along the trail, it is no easy ride. Will Cassidy get to the robbers, before the law gets to him? Or will he be hanged for a murder he didn’t commit? Last Shot is a magnificent tale of heroism, honour and loyalty, which culminates with a dramatic showdown. Praise for Christopher Kenworthy 'A blistering tale of the old west.' - Robert Foster, acclaimed author of The Lunar Code. ‘Kenworthy is a craftsman and entertainer.’ - Richard Foreman, bestselling author of The Sword of Rome series Christopher Kenworthy was a journalist and novelist. His other Westerns include Apache Country and Badlands, and he has also written two naval fiction series - the John Paul Jones adventures and the In the Dark of the Moon saga. Pioneering Press is an imprint of Endeavour Press, the UK’s leading independent digital publisher. We publish new and classic westerns by authors from the US and the UK.
The Antiquity: An L.A. Crime Novel
Darren Hackett - 2015
The object, secretly referred to as THE ANTIQUITY, is rumored to possess supernatural powers. LAPD homicide detective Jack Sheridan is skeptical... until his hunt for the killer leads him deep into a world of dark forces, shadowy characters and unexplainable incidents. For Sheridan, the most startling coincidence is personal: this case is inextricably linked to a painful secret from his past. Forced to confront his demons, he soon uncovers an insidious conspiracy that threatens the future of humanity itself.
Boot: A Sorta Novel of Vietnam
Charles L. Templeton - 2020
Inspired by the author’s own experiences of US military operations during the Vietnam War, Boot is a debut literary novel that charts the journey of Marine George Orwell Hill, known affectionately as G. O. by his brothers-in-arms, as he comes to grips with the psychological impacts of war in the jungles and rice paddies of Southeast Asia. Faced with military life ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, G. O. must navigate the absurdity of warfare and suppress his humanity to survive psychologically. The war challenges his presuppositions—about the world, about life, about himself—as soon as he lands in Vietnam. And his pondering deep questions about humanity becomes a fruitless task in a situation forcing him to accept life for what it is in every gory, absurd detail. Boot is a credible contribution to new literary fiction about the Vietnam War, combining satire and psychology in historical fiction.
Villa America
Liza Klaussmann - 2015
Villa America was in fact a real house on the French Riviera that Sara and Gerald Murphy built to escape to in the 1920's. Members of a group of expat Americans, they were known for their fabulous parties and for making the Riviera into the glamorous place it is today. Their freewheeling days were filled with champagne and caviar, but these were people who kept secrets and who were, of course, heartbreakingly human. This is a stunning story about the Lost Generation, about a marriage, about a golden age which could not last.
A Lady of Good Family
Jeanne Mackin - 2015
How this highborn woman with unconventional views escapes the dictates of society to become the most celebrated female landscape designer in the country is the story of her unique determination to create beauty and serenity while remaining true to herself. Beatrix’s journey begins at the age of twenty-three in the Borghese Gardens of Rome, where she meets beguiling Amerigo Massimo, an Italian gentleman of sensitivity and charm—a man unlike any she has known before....
The Girl from Cobb Street
Merryn Allingham - 2015
Forging her own way in the world, determined Daisy struggles to make ends meet as the country finds itself on the brink of the Second World War.Her fortunes change when she finds solace in the arms of Gerald Mortimer, a handsome cavalry subaltern in the Indian army. Finally, Daisy has found someone to love of her very own. But soon she discovers she’s pregnant and fate was never going to give her an easy ride.Gerald is not all he claims to be and, as he leads her along a path of danger and scandal, Daisy must find the strength within herself to get through her darkest hour.The Daisy’s War trilogyThe Girl from Cobb Street – Book 1The Nurse’s War – Book 2Daisy’s Long Road Home – Book 3Each story in the Daisy’s War series can be read and enjoyed as a standalone story – or as part of this compelling trilogy charting the fortunes of Daisy Driscoll.
Wives of War
Soraya M. Lane - 2017
Two young nurses meet at a train station with a common purpose: to join the war effort. Scarlet longs for the chance to find her missing fiancé, Thomas, and to prove to her family—and to herself—that she’s stronger than everybody thinks. Nursing is in Ellie’s blood, but her humble background is vastly different from Scarlet’s privileged upbringing. Though Ellie puts on a brave face, she’s just as nervous as Scarlet about what awaits them in France.In Normandy, the two friends soon encounter the seemingly unflappable Lucy. Scarlet and Ellie are in awe of her courage and competence, but the experienced nurse is well aware of the dangers of the job they’ve chosen—and even she is terrified they won’t make it home alive.Pushed to their limits by the brutality of a world at war, Scarlet, Ellie and Lucy will need to rely on each other—and the power of their friendship—to survive.
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.