Book picks similar to
The Running Years by Claire Rayner


historical-fiction
eras--victorian
war--world-war-1
epic

The Tour


Andrew Mackie - 2021
    It's all ye'll be known for. Don't ruin it.'Nineteen-year-old identical twins Violet and Daisie Chettle can hardly believe their luck when they are recruited as maids to accompany the Queen's Lady-in-Waiting on the royal tour to Australia in 1954. It's just the ticket they need away from cold, grey England and the tension that's been brewing at home since the loss of their parents.However, life on board the SS Gothic and indeed in the colony is far from the glamorous adventure they expected, and their relationship becomes even more strained when one twin discovers her sister's unconscionable act of betrayal.As they travel from the bustling streets of Sydney to the remote sheep stations of Dubbo, they try to make the best of it. Diligent Violet is juggling commands from her superiors with the attentions of handsome Aussie driver Jack, while ambitious Daisie seeks love in all the wrong places while clawing her way to top deck. An opportunity to meet their estranged aunt living in the vast outback promises hope for a new future - but have these girls ventured too far from home to ever find their way back?Based around one of the biggest true events in Australian history - the 1954 royal tour by the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II - this is a wickedly entertaining novel about the rifts and rivalries that can be found in every family, Royal or not.

Alice


Sara Flanigan - 1988
    Young Ellie finds the courage to secretly teach a young deaf girl to speak, play, and count--transforming an entire town shadowed by ignorance and cruelty. Scheduled for a made-for-TV movie on Lifetime Television. Reissue.

Torn Between Two Highlanders


Lydia Kendall - 2019
     When Ellen Holton’s father dies, she faces yet another adversity: for her father to forge the business alliance he always wanted, she must marry the son of a Scottish Laird. But arriving at the Highlands she discovers two brothers and, unfortunately, she falls for the wrong one… Alexander Golgow, the youngest of Laird Elairon’s sons, is a man of honor and a true Highland warrior. But the moment he first lays his eyes on his brother’s bride, he feels torn between his duty and his heart. However, trying to escape the luring erotic ropes slowly embracing them is more difficult than they think… When Ellen realizes her father’s death was not an accident, her life changes for the third time. Now she and Alexander must quickly uncover the one behind all misfortunes—the one person who has been pulling the strings right from the very start. *Torn Between Two Highlanders is a steamy Scottish historical romance novel of 80,000 words (around 400 pages). No cheating, no cliffhangers, lots of steam and a happy ending. Get this book for free with Kindle Unlimited!

The Pythagorean Solution


Joseph Badal - 2003
    This edition was rewritten, updated, and released on April 28, 2015.When recently-divorced American John Hammond arrives on the Aegean island of Samos, he is unaware of events that happened nearly seven decades earlier that will embroil him in death and violence, and change his life forever.Late one night he finds Greek fisherman Petros Vangelos mortally wounded in an alley. Vangelos gives Hammond a coded map before he expires. With that map, Hammond becomes the link to a Turkish tramp steamer named Sabiya that sank in a storm in 1945 with a fortune in gold and jewels aboard. Also on the Sabiya, in a waterproof safe, are documents that implicate a long-dead German SS Officer in the theft of tens of millions of dollars in valuables from Holocaust victims and the laundering of those valuables by the Nazi’s Swiss banker partner. That partnership helped build a huge banking enterprise that is now run by that Swiss banker’s son who will stop at nothing to prevent disclosure of his father’s crimes.Hammond’s visit to Samos quickly turns into a roller coaster ride on which he encounters violence, new friendships, and a woman he loves, all of which irrevocably alter the course of his life.The Pythagorean Solution is a thrilling, non-stop adventure that will make the reader want to reserve a seat on a flight to Samos.> This is a new release of a previously published edition.

Direct Hits Core Vocabulary of the SAT


Direct Hits - 2008
    This book includes the following features:- Selective vocabulary found on recent SATs and PSATs used in context. No more memorizing the definitions of long lists of seemingly random words in a vacuum.- Relevant, vivid, and memorable examples from pop culture, historic events, literature, and contemporary issues.- Six easy-to-tackle chapters- A Fast Review for each chapter, with quick definitions- A Final Review with sentence completion questions just like real SATs and PSATs, including complete solution explanationsBuilding on the success of previous editions, the authors of "Direct Hits Core Vocabulary of the SAT" consulted secondary school teachers, tutors, parents, and students from around the world to ensure that these words and illustrations are on target to prepare you for success on the SAT. You will find that the process is effective, worthwhile, and even fun!

Showtime!


Judy Nunn - 2021
    . .Judy Nunn's latest bestselling novel will take you from the cotton mills of England to the magnificent theatres of Melbourne, on a scintillating journey through the golden age of Australian showbusiness.'So, Will, are you going to come with me and my team of merry performers to the sunny climes of Australia, where the crowds are already queuing and the streets are paved with gold?'In the second half of the 19th century, Melbourne is a veritable boom town, as hopefuls from every corner of the globe flock to the gold fields of Victoria.And where people crave gold, they also crave entertainment.Enter stage right- brothers Will and Max Worthing and their wives Mabel and Gertie. The family arrives from England in the 1880s with little else but the masterful talents that will see them rise from simple travelling performers to sophisticated entrepreneurs.Enter stage left- their rivals, Carlo and Rube. Childhood friends since meeting in a London orphanage, the two men have literally fought their way to the top and are now producers of the bawdy but hugely popular 'Big Show Bonanza'. The fight for supremacy begins.Waiting in the wings- Comedy, tragedy, passion and betrayal; economic depression, a pandemic and the horrors of World War One...

The Drifters


James A. Michener - 1971
    With the sure touch of a master, Michener pulls us into the dark center of their private world, whether it's in Spain, Marrakech, or Mozambique, and exposes the naked nerve ends with shocking candor and infinite compassion."A superior, picaresque novel...and a revealing mirror held up to contemporary society."JOHN BARKHAM REVIEWS

Blind


Cath Weeks - 2016
    It's what she and her husband, Dylan, have always wished for. However, Charlie is blind. For the first time in her adult life Twyla feels truly tested. She cherishes her son, showering him with love and boundless affection, but there's a part of her that aches for him to see. So Twyla throws herself into motherhood with a very private agenda, because maybe, if she strives hard enough, she'll be able to find a way to fix him. But is it a risk worth taking? Blind is about how hard we battle for our children and how blind we can be to the secrets of those closest to us. It's a story that delves into the very heart of our dangerous yearning for perfection.

Brown Lord of the Mountain


Walter Macken - 1967
    But Donn longs for a wider kingdom. He deserts his bride, roams the world, fights in wars, is footloose - yet finds that he is homesick. Sixteen years later he returns to take up the threads of his old life, to learn to love his afflicted daughter, and to bring progress to the neglected green valley. Light comes, water flows, the land prospers. Then, on a night of innocent festivity, a monstrous crime is perpetrated. His kingdom violated, Donn dedicates himself to a terrible revenge that can only destroy the avenger as well as the hunted

Knight's Honor


Roberta Gellis - 1964
    Helping - and sometimes hindering Roger, is the great love of his life...Elizabeth of Chester, beautiful, tempestuous, incredibly wayward in an age when most women were little more than chattles. Will the passionate love affair of Roger and Elizabeth save - or doom - their great cause?

The Iliad/The Odyssey


Homer
    Combining the skills of a poet and scholar, Robert Fagles brings the energy of contemporary language to this enduring heroic epic. If 'The Iliad' is the world's greatest war story, then 'The Odyssey' is literature's greatest evocation of every man's journey through life. Here again, Fagles has performed the translator's task magnificently, giving us an Odyssey to read aloud, to savor, and to treasure for its sheer lyrical mastery. Each volume contains a superb introduction with textual and critical commentary by renowned classicist Bernard Knox.

Touch the Silence


Gloria Cook - 2003
    The First World War is casting its shadow over the Harvey family of Ford Farm. One brother has already been killed, and Tristan now serves at the Front. Though newly engaged to pretty Emilia Rowse – a friend since childhood – younger brother Ben is desperate to serve his country. But a horrific eye injury causes him to be declared unfit, a blow from which young Ben will never recover. Tensions mount as he is forced to remain at the farm with his elder brother Alec, a man with closely guarded secrets of his own…Filled with a rich cast of unforgettable characters and packed with period detail, Touch the Silence is the brilliant opening to the Harvey family books. For readers of Anne Baker, Maggie Hope and Daisy Styles.

Mr Midshipman Fury


G.S. Beard - 2006
     A shadow hangs over John Thomas Fury in this his first voyage as a midshipman aboard the 32-gun frigate Amazon. Fury is already seen as a pariah by his fellow sailors. Ten years earlier his father, a brig commander in the Service, became mentally unbalanced and violent and his ships crew mutinied and went over to the French. Now, as Amazon heads southwards on her voyage to India, Fury is involved in a dreadful shipboard accident and he finds himself working doubly hard to prove that he isn't cursed just like his father. Redemption arrives when Amazon reaches Bombay, only to discover that ships of the East India Company have disappeared, including the Company's warships - somewhere in the Indian Ocean a very powerful privateer is at work and the Governor despatches Amazon to find and destroy her. Soon afterwards Amazon is in a fight for her life against a much stronger foe, resulting in many of her officers killed. Fury finds himself, in his first ever combat, in charge of the gun deck. In such crucibles of fire are the officers in His Majesty's Service forged. Showing exceptional courage and coolness, the shadows of the past are forever banished and Fury's naval career begins in glory as he becomes a leader of men.

Where Do Comedians Go When They Die?: Journey of a Stand-Up


Milton Jones - 2009
    A star of everywhere except his own home, it's hard for Jerome Stevens to balance the demands of touring with family life. The circuit is a cynical world of extremes where money talks, agents slither and audiences throw mince pies. We meet Jerome as he tries to make people laugh for a living. We follow him from the blind terror of a first open spot, to facing an audience of trained killers in the Falklands, from the trauma of live television, to being chased out of Wales by an angry mob of brewery staff. Violent bouncers, paranoid celebrities and comedy producers without a sense of humour all compete to milk the cash-cow that is comedy, each desperately trying to grab at what they think are the udders of laughter. But throughout it all, the hero's biggest critic remains his own seven-year old son. Oh, and all this is recounted while being in prison in China. This hilarious account could only be written by somebody who's been there, with many of the extraordinary characters in the book being an amalgam of the personalities and characters and oddballs found found on the comedy circuit. 'If you haven't caught up with Jones yet - do so!' Daily Mail Milton Jones is a multi-award winning comedian (including the prestigious Perrier Award) who has made numerous radio and TV appearances including The Very World of Milton Jones and Another Case of Milton Jones on BBC Radio 4. He regularly features on Radio and TV panel games.

She Who Remembers


Linda Lay Shuler - 1988
    A beautiful woman born in the American southwest into the long extinct Anasazi tribe, long before Columbus...whose blue eyes marked her as a witch and set her apart from the Indian tribe that raised her.Following her path of destiny in a vanished world of great stone cities and trackless wilderness warring tribes and mysterious trabelers from other lands, Kwani found love with Kokopelli, the Toltec magician, who rescued her from death and took her to the Place of the Eagle Clan. There she was transformed from an outcast to the Chosen of the Gods, where she became She Who Remembers and taught young girls the ancient secrets only women know...secrets that provided her with inner power to overcome and triumph--and change her life forever.