Book picks similar to
Improbable Eden by Mary Daheim


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Sapphire and Shadow


Marie Ferrarella - 1991
    What she is desperately trying to cover up is just how tragically that life is coming unraveled.  Her husband's drug use, fueled by his fear of being unable to replicate his success, renders him incapable of showing her the love she once gave up everything for.  Her closest friend is killed in a plane crash and even her daughter seems to prefer her husband's latest young lover to her own mother. The harder Johanna works at trying to patch the holes of her life, the more things come undone.It all comes to a head on location in London. Johanna watches happiness slipping away and turns for comfort to a young British artisan.  He tries to teach her to love herself again, and to dare to reach for happiness. Though he manages to awaken her emotions, her husband's drug arrest in Italy and her daughter's sudden illness make her realize she needs to go home--not to Los Angeles, but to New York.Leaving all the wealth and influence she's been living with behind, she and her daughter feel like refugees as they search for a place to live and a way to make a living. Both needs are answered when they find shelter with an old friend and colleague in his art gallery.  Johanna is back to her roots in the art world, but she's been gone a long time and she searches to find ways to heal and blossom. Even more difficult is the struggle to release her heart from the chains of fear and learn to love again.

The Doctor's Engagement


Sarah Morgan - 2001
    Mark Logan's life who had never fallen head over heels in love with him! They had been best friends since childhood, so when he needed her to pretend to be his fiancée, she couldn't refuse…She hoped his gentle, protective strength would help her to get her life back on track again—but all it took was one single breathtaking kiss for Holly to discover that being Mark's fiancée was altogether a whole new experience…!

Maeve Binchy Value Collection: The Copper Beach, Circle of Friends, The Glass Lake


Maeve Binchy - 2004
    And at the heart of every Maeve Binchy novel, the lives and loves of vividly drawn characters are deftly woven into unforgettable, beautifully realized tales. Now, in this charming audio set, three of Maeve Binchy's classic coming-of-age tales are collected together. These wonderful audio presentations represent the very best work of one of the world's most celebrated authors. And listening to her comforting stories feels just like coming home.The Copper BeechCarved on the trunk of the mighty copper beech tree that embraces the schoolyard in Sharcarrig are declarations of love, hope, and identity--the youthful dreams of the children who studied there. Now grown, yet shaped by their years in the schoolhouse, they lead different lives. The Copper Beech tells the story of these eight dreamers.Circle of FriendsCircle of Friends begins with the pair of Benny Hogan and Eve Malone from the village of Knockglen until they leave for university in Dublin and are joined by Nan Mahon and Jack Foley. Long-hidden lies emerge to test the meaning of love and the strength of ties held within the fragile gold bands of a circle of friends.The Glass LakeIn The Glass Lake, Maeve Binchy explores the unspoken language between mothers and daughters in an extraordinary story of a mother's secret, a daughter's courage, and the hidden bond between them that neither deceit nor death can destroy.

Wake up, girl!


Niharika Jindal - 2018
    A natural rebel, she has had some fairly life-altering experiences which Mum and Dad would not approve of at all if they get to know. But will her spirit and her stand be enough to fight the forces of parental pressure and heckling aunties baying for her nuptials?Back in the bosom of her conservative family, Naina cannot even begin to imagine the turn her life is going to take. It's wedding season, and she must now be married. Because every self-respecting upper-middle-class family in India do that, right? Marriage at the 'right age' to the 'right family'…whether she likes it or not.Naina's worst nightmares are about to come true. What hits her within a week of being at home completely changes her world and her life as she embarks on a journey that will define her and provide her an education that only life can. Ayaan, Rohan, Akshay, Shiven. Who will it be? Will she even have a shot at romance, being with someone she loves, irrespective of his caste, respectability or bank balance? She will have to summon all the chutzpah within to fight for herself. For her notions of love and living. Will she succeed? Like a chrysalis unfolding, will Naina, too, emerge with her wings unscathed?

Is that a Moose in Your Pocket?


Kim Green - 2003
    So it’s goodbye to San Francisco and her sexy ex-boyfriend—and howdy to roughing it in the wilds of Montana.As a reporter for Montana’s Meredith Gazette, Jen is suddenly getting cruised by park rangers and interviewing ranchers who think crème brûlée is men’s hair gel. Then she meets a rugged western vision in jeans and snakeskin boots: EPA agent Bruce Mortensen. So what if he has baggage—a manipulative soon-to-be-ex-wife and a jealous ten-year-old daughter? He’s a real man who’s making her feel like a real woman for the first time in her life.But is it really love or just the hottest sex ever? Jen’s on a mission to find out...especially when her ex comes back into the picture. Now she’s caught between two men who couldn’t be more different. And what happens next will surprise everyone—even her...

Echoes Across the Mersey


Anne Baker - 2000
    For Toby Percival, the son of the owner of factory where she and her mother work, is in love with her. Her mother fears they'll both lose their jobs when Toby's father finds out, but Sarah's prepared to risk everything for Toby's love. Maurice Percival is furious when he discovers his son is involved with a factory girl. Determined to defy his father, Toby joins the army. Sarah is left facing what seem to be insurmountable obstacles, but with the help of her friends, family and a strength she never knew she possessed, she discovers there is a light at the end of the tunnel, though it shines from a different direction to the one she expected.