Book picks similar to
Look for the Silver Lining by June Francis


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Westward Courage


A.T. Butler - 2021
     Caroline Harper has everything she could want--wealth, position, the attention of an eligible bachelor. When her brother’s news destroys all of that, Caroline must decide what kind of life she wants to create for herself. As the Harpers make their way along the grueling thousands of miles of Oregon Trail, Caroline discovers strength, poise and potential she didn’t realize she possessed. Strength that perhaps was not in a spoiled city girl at all. But will it be enough to survive and bring Caroline and her brother all the way to Oregon?

Under a Spitfire Sky


Ellie Curzon - 2021
    But Florence is nursing a broken heart and a terrible secret, which might destroy her one chance of happiness...Meanwhile, a new plane is being developed that could turn the tide of the war, but Florence fears there is traitor is in their midst, putting Siegfried - and the whole country - in terrible danger. Can Florence save her Spitfire boys, and her own heart?

Oaklayne, The Reconstruction


Karen Shriver - 2013
    Oaklayne Plantation is in ruins, a stark reflection of the condition of a once prosperous country and her families who have been torn apart by war. Was anything gained by the deaths of so many Americans? Is all hope for restoration gone?The Reconstruction Era is an often overlooked, but politically charged time in American history. Oaklayne, The Reconstruction presents an engaging mix of heart rending tragedy, sabotage, murder, corruption and intrigue, together with humor, romance, joy, faith, hope and love. Come along with General Adam Layne as he walks the tumultuous road toward rebuilding his live, his family, his childhood home and his country in this historically accurate portrayal of a man who refuses to accept meaningless loss.

Moorland Mist (Sinclair Family Saga Book 1)


Gwen Kirkwood - 2015
     “I climbed into this book and lived its plot. I read it at every spare moment.” Margaret “Beautifully written and engaging.” Ratana 1895, SCOTLAND Emma Greig is almost fourteen when her father announces she will be sent to be a maid at Bonnybrae Farm. She has never left her village so she is terrified of the change, especially when she realises she must learn to milk cows. PERFECT FOR FANS OF NADINE DORRIES, GLENDA YOUNG, DILLY COURT OR SHEILA NEWBERRY. Emma goes to work for the Sinclair family. Maggie Sinclair, the oldest of the Sinclair children, is kind and gentle. Her brothers, Jim and William, are friendly and tease Emma, but their mother offers no welcome. Mrs Sinclair is a proud woman with a secret in her past which has left her bitter and without compassion. She is angry when friendship blossoms between a mere maid and her own family. As the bond between Emma and her son strengthens, she dismisses Emma without notice or a reference. And William is banished from the farm he loves and sent away to Yorkshire to make his own way in the world. WILL THIS DESTROY THEIR LIVES AND BURGEONING ROMANCE? DISCOVER A ROMANTIC AND HEART-WARMING TALE ALSO BY GWEN KIRKWOOD SINCLAIR FAMILY SAGA SERIES Book 1: Moorland Mist Book 2: Moorend Farm

The Challenges of a King (The Road to Hastings #1)


K.M. Ashman - 2021
    

The Wretched Needle Worker


Iris Cole - 2021
    Her father was a monster.How could Vera have been so blind to what was right before her eyes?After the death of her kind and loving Papa, Vera’s home is claimed by ne’er do well Uncle Merritt, who drives the household with cruelty and deprivation. Working for her keep, the once privileged Vera is driven to skin and bone and dreads the harsh beatings that Merritt regularly delivers.Ralph, Papa’s loyal and brave stableboy, cannot bear to see Vera shrinking daily under the hand of Merritt. In an attempt protect her, he challenges Merritt and now, tossed to streets, must survive however he can.With the loss of Ralph, Vera’s soul aches, made worse as she watches her father’s elderly servants treated with cruel indignity. In a desperate bid to protect them from Uncle Merritt, his rage is fuelled, and Vera is delivered an ultimatum, causing her to flee from her home. With nowhere to go, Vera too, finds herself on the streets.As starvation threatens, it is only Ralph and her new friend, Maggie, that keep her alive. But when Maggie unexpectedly reveals the truth about Vera's Papa, Vera is plunged to new despair. Will the truth destroy her? Can she keep secrets for the rest of her life? Will she ever be able to make things right? And will she agree to Ralphs’s plan, even though it means she may lose him forever?For fans of Dilly Court and Historical Romance

Everybody's Somebody (The Jackson Family Saga, #1)


Beryl Kingston - 2017
    Whether it’s finding work or challenging injustice, Rosie squares her shoulders, sets her chin high and faces it full on. Born at the end of the nineteenth century, in the rural south of England and sent into service aged just twelve, Rosie quickly discovers that many good people spend their lives toiling for very little reward, whilst others ‘have it all’. She decides it won’t be like that for her. Why can’t she ride in a car? Why can’t she work when she’s pregnant? Why can’t she live in a nice flat? Why can’t she be an artist’s model? Whilst working as a housekeeper for two upper-class boys, Rosie starts to learn more and more about the world, gleaned from overheard conversations and newspapers left lying around. This triggers an ongoing thirst for knowledge, which shapes her views, informs her decisions and influences her future. Rosie aspires to have a better life than that of her parents: better living conditions, better working conditions and pay, better education for her children, to be able to vote, to be able to control how many children she has… Without realising it, this young woman is blazing a trail for all those who are to come after. Whilst working in London, Rosie meets her sweetheart Jim, but the The Great War puts paid to their plans for the future, and matters worsen afterwards, as she, along with the rest of society, tries to deal with the horrors and losses. This heart-warming story follows the events of the early twentieth century – the impact and horrors of WW1, the financial crisis and the rapid social and political changes that took place. All that remains of Rosie now is a quartet of paintings in an art gallery. The artist, now famous but the model, unnamed and forgotten; nobody of consequence. But everybody has a life story. Everybody leaves some kind of mark on this world. Everybody’s somebody. Praise for Everybody's Somebody ‘…see history unfold through the fierce and caring eyes of a woman in love' - Emily Murdoch 'In Everybody’s Somebody, Rosie’s colourful life is captured in a series of paintings, with Beryl Kingston applying the masterly brush strokes with her usual artistry and heart-warming style.' Danielle Shaw, author of Love and Sacrifice 'An interesting and informative historical novel with a fabulously feisty heroine. War, love, loss, class struggles, this great read has so much to offer!' Faith Bleasdale, author of Pinstripes Praise for Beryl Kingston “Beryl Kingston understands how to weave dialogue, character, theme and a thumping love affair into unity” – The Sunday Times ‘A new novel by the warm and observant Beryl Kingston is not to be missed. Each one is special’ - Elizabeth Buchan, bestselling author of The New Mrs Clifton Beryl Kingston was born in Tooting in 1931 and was evacuated during the war. She studied at King’s College London, qualified as a teacher and headed an English department. She was been a published author since 1980 and is a self-confessed ‘political animal’, taking part in street demonstrations and protests. She was also a beauty queen in 1947!

Forgive and Forget


Dee Williams - 2001
    She's lost her home in a bomb attack, and with her husband in the army, her daughters evacuated to Wales, and her mother killed and father injured in the attack, Ruth is left to face the devastation alone. But she finds comfort in the camaraderie of the Civil Defence office where she works and in her friendship with Lucy, a clippie on the buses. Lucy's husband is at sea, and the two women dream of the day when they'll be reunited with their loved ones. But as victory approaches, Ruth finds that the legacy of war is more powerful than even she had imagined...

Slow John


C.J. Petit - 2017
    But when he rode to the family home, he made two shocking discoveries: his family was gone, and he had been declared dead by the army four years earlier. He left to cross the plains of Nebraska to find his family, but would find so much more.

Tame the Savage Heart


Michael Edwin Q. - 2019
    She was a young slave girl. He was an African warrior purchased at a slave auction with the intent he would father a new breed of stronger slave. Despite all odds, a language barrier and the disapproval of her family and friends, the two fight for a life together.

Betrayal in Venice


David Canford - 2017
    When many years later the truth of the past is finally revealed, Glen Butler feels deceived. His reaction to events betrays the one he loves most, his daughter. Returning to the city to try and find her, Glen discovers she has a secret of her own, presenting him with a terrible dilemma. Set in Italy and England from the 1940s to the 1970s, a novel about the cost of keeping secrets.

The Lady’s Masquerade


Deborah Wilson - 2018
    Good girls don't go snooping where they don't belong.But Lady Delia Scarborough never claimed to be a good girl. Lady Delia Scarborough wants her sister back from the grave.Since that can't happen, she'll settle for the next best thing...Making sure her sister's murderer does not go free. Lady Delia's happy to play the part of maid as long as it gets her inside the home of Kieran Dearborne, Duke of Cowanfield.He may be able to fool his young daughter into thinking he's innocent, but he can't fool Delia.She knows a murderer when she sees one.  But the attraction that blossoms between them throws her plans into chaos.  The more Delia gets to know the Duke, the more she thinks his innocence is no act.But every clue she uncovers points to him, and he acts strangely whenever she's around.Delia will do anything to avenge her sister's death, but that means putting her own life in peril.Can the duke's love pull Delia back from the brink of danger? Or was her fate sealed the moment she stepped into the Duke's home?

Riverbreeze: Part 1 (Riverbreeze Trilogy)


Ellen E. Johnson - 2012
     After their father, the Earl of Pennington, dies and their older brother inherits the title and estate, English born Robert and James Bassett escape to the New World. The adventures and difficulties they encounter in the untamed colony of Virginia begin at the Tyler plantation where they meet and marry twin brides, Elizabeth and Evelyn. Follow their saga in Parts 1,2,&3 as they face life's challenges, family betrayal and the torment of an Indian attack and war. Full of drama, excitement, humor, romance and details of early American life, Riverbreeze will appeal to a wide range of readers.

Sergei and Hans


Dennis Santaniello - 2015
    Set on the Eastern Front of WWI, on a cruel and unforgiving mountain, and later in a terrifying German prison camp, this fascinating story encapsulates real men and their struggles to survive a war unlike the world has ever seen. Both soldiers have their own stories to tell.They are “SERGEI AND HANS”.

Knight of Rome Part I


Malcolm Davies - 2019
    No nation can stand against his legions but even the Empire has its limits. The brooding forests across the Rhine hold warriors who will not submit and the Suevi are the mightiest of them. With only their hatred of each other in common, the Romans and the Germans cross the river to raid and slaughter but neither of them has the force to take the other’s territory and hold it. This does not prevent them trying. Otto of the Suevi, son of the Chieftain and war counsellor Badurad, lives freely among the woods and glades on the far side of the river, hoping to live the same life as his father and become a respected warrior in his turn but that is not to be. He visits a wise woman with his father and her shocking, prophetic vision of his future sets him on a different path than he could never have imagined. Fate is not to be defied so Otto accepts what she has told him as absolute truth and lets it guide him through blood and fire to his personal destiny far from his own people.