Book picks similar to
The Drum Symbol by Alexis P. Johnson


fiction
historical-fiction
historical
ireland

COMING HOME TO BYLAND CRESCENT an absolutely heartbreaking and unputdownable historical family saga (The Cowgill Family Saga Book 3)


Bill Kitson - 2022
    

The Whispering Bell


Brian Sellars - 2012
    When he is lost in battle she loses everything, even their children. Her fight to win them back recalls the terror of the shield wall, the harsh lives of convict slaves, and the enormous difficulties a lone woman must face in a male dominated heroic age."This is a really excellent read, a page turner that gives a vivid, convincing picture of 7th century Mercian England." The Historical Novels Review

Icarus


Adam Wing - 2017
    Follow the tale of Icarus. And that of the father who tried to save him ... but brought his life to an end.You will come to love him. Then you will watch him fall. Live the tragic story as you never imagined possible.

Once upon a Summer


Janette Oke - 1981
    He's a twelve-year-old orphan being raised by his eighteen-year-old aunt. When Grandpa and Uncle Charlie start making plans to find Auntie Lou a husband-and take away the only mother Josh has ever known-he knows something has to be done. His family has shaped the young man he has become. Now, as he grows into manhood, he begins to face important questions about life, love, and faith. How can he find his way when his whole world threatens to come apart?Trying desperately to cling to the life he's always had, Josh does what he can to keep his aunt single. But when a preacher comes along, Josh sees that things are going to get complicated.This heartwarming story is full of love, humor, and inspiring faith.

The Rocking R Ranch


Tim Washburn - 2020
    . . THE LEGEND BEGINS When the Ridgeway family staked their claim on more than 40,000 acres of land in northwest Texas, they knew they had their work cut out for them. Located on a sharp bend of the treacherous Red River, their new home—the Rocking R Ranch—was just a stone’s throw away from Indian territory. It was as lawless and wild as the West itself, crawling with unsavory characters, cattle rustlers, horse thieves, outlaws, robbers, and worse. But still, the Ridgeways were determined to make the Rocking R a success—and a home—for their four remarkable children: Percy, Eli, Abigail, and Rachel. This is their story. Together, the Ridgeways could endure anything. Floods, tornadoes, Commanche raids in the dead of night. But when one of their own is kidnapped . . . that’s when all hell breaks loose. This is their story. The story of the American West.

Into the Free


Julie Cantrell - 2012
    But she’s the only one strong enough to break the family cycle.In Depression-era Mississippi, Millie Reynolds longs to escape the madness that marks her world. With an abusive father and a “nothing mama,” she struggles to find a place where she really belongs. For answers,Millie turns to the Gypsies who caravan through town each spring. The travelers lead Millie to a key that unlocks generations of shocking family secrets. When tragedy strikes, the mysterious contents of the box give Millie the tools she needs to break her family’s longstanding cycle of madness and abuse. Through it all, Millie experiences the thrill of first love while fighting to trust the God she believes has abandoned her. With the power of forgiveness, can Millie finally make her way into the free?Saturated in Southern ambiance and written in the vein of other Southern literary bestsellers like The Help by Kathryn Stockett and CrookedLetter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin, Julie Cantrell has created Into theFree—now a New York Times bestseller—a story that will sweep you away long after the novel ends.

Becoming Robin: A Tale of Self Discovery


Zoe Taylor - 2017
    A cross-country move away from everything Robert has known followed by a chance encounter trigger a different sort of existence. Can "Robin" adapt or will it all come tumbling down?

Golden Girls


Elvi Rhodes - 1988
    The day came when she was so hungry, so tired and worried, that she was reduced to going to Akersfield market and asking Dick Fletcher for help - Dick who had loved her years ago, who was now running his own successful market garden - and who was engaged to someone else. It was Dick who took her back home to her village in the dales, gave her a job, helped her to gain her self-respect again. But the time came when she knew she must stand on her own - make a life for herself and her daughters without him, and use all her courage and determination to become successful. It was to take many years, and all the tragedy of the 1914 war before Eleanor was able to repay Dick Fletcher for the great debt she owed him.

Shadows of the Past


June Francis - 2019
    Fifteen-year-old Annie Anderson was adopted by Sylvia and Hugh after the death of their own daughter. Annie is told that her own mother in childbirth and her father died before she was born.A chance encounter introduces Annie to local lad Andrew Fraser. Their friendship blossoms, but once Annie’s adoptive parents learn of it they forbid her from seeing him. When Annie asks why, it sets her on a path to discover more about her origins – but will what she learns bring heartache or joy? Don’t miss this rich and vivid saga by one of Liverpool’s best-known novelists, perfect for fans of Kitty Neale and Katie Flynn.

The Ragamuffins


Anna King - 2002
    Agnes Handly cannot hide her hatred for Arthur’s young wife Ellen – a loathing fuelled by the feelings she has long held for the baker.Ellen meanwhile, is starting to have doubts about her relationship with Arthur. When her parents died in a house fire, it was Arthur, her father’s best friend, who took her in. Afraid of facing the world alone, she decided to marry him: a decision with consequences she is only just beginning to understand. And when her attraction to a man her own age intensifies, will she follow her heart, or be faithful in her duty?The Ragamuffins is packed with unforgettable characters and will delight readers of Annie Murray, Catherine Cookson and Rosie Goodwin.

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell


Robert Dugoni - 2018
    Born with red pupils, he was called “Devil Boy” or Sam “Hell” by his classmates; “God’s will” is what his mother called his ocular albinism. Her words were of little comfort, but Sam persevered, buoyed by his mother’s devout faith, his father’s practical wisdom, and his two other misfit friends.Sam believed it was God who sent Ernie Cantwell, the only African American kid in his class, to be the friend he so desperately needed. And that it was God’s idea for Mickie Kennedy to storm into Our Lady of Mercy like a tornado, uprooting every rule Sam had been taught about boys and girls.Forty years later, Sam, a small-town eye doctor, is no longer certain anything was by design—especially not the tragedy that caused him to turn his back on his friends, his hometown, and the life he’d always known. Running from the pain, eyes closed, served little purpose. Now, as he looks back on his life, Sam embarks on a journey that will take him halfway around the world. This time, his eyes are wide open—bringing into clear view what changed him, defined him, and made him so afraid, until he can finally see what truly matters.

The Nursemaid and the Stoic Duke: A Historical Regency Romance Book


Bridget Barton - 2021
    While the caring nursemaid is focusing on her role by teaching the Duke’s sister how to look after her infant, she is still dreaming of marrying a good man and having a household of her own. With the passing of time, her heart will start beating for the charming Duke, and she will realise that this encounter will prove to be the most fateful one in her life...Could Anna dare to fall for someone she knows she could never have?Matthew, Duke of Newcastle, is a stoic, scholarly man, who has set aside all of his dreams to bow to his duty. Prior to the loss of his brother-in-law and best friend, he was courting Lady Clara Whitman, but his family tragedy led him to an emotional withdrawal. Everything changes though as the enchanting nursemaid brings light not only in his shadowy estate, but also his broken heart... Will the kind hearted Duke find the loving wife he has always wanted and lead a fulfilling happy life or will the heartache continue?Needless to say that giving up on your dreams for the sake of duty threatens to throw you into a deep sorrow…Anna and Mathew soon find their hearts entrapped by the presence of each other. However, the combination of Lady Clara’s jealousy and society’s rules will jeopardize every chance at happiness they could possibly have. Will the two of them manage to go against the norms and defend what their hearts desire? Or will duty and manipulation make their love feel like an elusive dream?"The Nursemaid and the Stoic Duke" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Jane Austen-Mansfield Park


Sandie Byrne - 2004
    The Guide selects the most useful and insightful of these and puts them in context, making available the range of critical debate on this important novel to both specialist and general readers.

Falling Forward: A Woman's Journey West


Pat Benedict Jurgens - 2021
    Louisa, the spirited eldest daughter of Herzig and Clara Steinbacher, has her whole life ahead of her. She is seventeen, and dreams of the "outside world" beyond her doorstep. But when Clara dies in childbirth, Louisa is suddenly thrust into adulthood-with the burden of her mother's responsibilities...and the care of her younger siblings. The only world she has ever known closes around her.Then Herzig, an elder in their strict Mennonite community, hires young, handsome Thomas to help on the farm. Thomas is hardworking, honest...and not of the Faith. But Louisa can't hide her growing feelings for him. Her choices set in motion a transformation she never expected. But at what cost?