At Home Place, the windows are blacked out and food is becoming scarce as a new generation of Cazalets takes up the story. Louise dreams of being a great actress, Clary is an aspiring writer, while Polly, is burdened with knowledge and the need to share it. This is the sequel to The Light Years .
Shelley Read's lyrical voice is a force of nature—tragic, uplifting, and unforgettable. On a cool autumn morning, Torie Nash heads into her village with a rickety wagon of late-season peaches. At an intersection, she encounters a mysterious drifter who asks for directions. Instead of turning left or crossing over, she is captivated by his whisper: 'Go as a river.' This moment sparks a mesmerizing journey through Torie's tumultuous life as she embraces his words. She navigates the complexities of desire, heartbreak, and betrayal, ultimately facing a pivotal decision that will alter her life forever. The narrative is spellbinding, vivid, and luminous. It explores the tenderness of young love, the pain of loss, the harsh realities of racism, the resilience of nature, and the profound bond of a mother's love. Rich in wisdom and compassion, this poignant tale serves as a testament to life’s intricacies, inviting readers to savor, treasure, and share its powerful messages.
In 1558, the ancient stones of Kingsbridge Cathedral look down on a city torn apart by religious conflict. As power in England shifts precariously between Catholics and Protestants, royalty and commoners clash, testing friendship, loyalty, and love. Ned Willard wants nothing more than to marry Margery Fitzgerald. But when the lovers find themselves on opposing sides of the religious conflict dividing the country, Ned goes to work for Princess Elizabeth. When she becomes queen, all Europe turns against England. The shrewd, determined young monarch sets up the country’s first secret service to give her early warning of assassination plots, rebellions, and invasion plans. Over a turbulent half-century, the love between Ned and Margery seems doomed as extremism sparks violence from Edinburgh to Geneva. Elizabeth clings to her throne and her principles, protected by a small, dedicated group of resourceful spies and courageous secret agents.The real enemies, then as now, are not the rival religions. The true battle pitches those who believe in tolerance and compromise against the tyrants who would impose their ideas on everyone else—no matter what the cost.
Lush, green, fragrant: the Indian hills of Assam are full of promise. But eighteen-year-old Clarissa Belhaven is full of worry. The family tea plantation is suffering, and so is her father, still grieving over the untimely death of his wife, while Clarissa's fragile sister, Olive, needs love and resourceful care. Beautiful and headstrong, Clarissa soon attracts the attention of young, brash Wesley Robson, a rival tea planter. Yet before his intentions become fully clear, tragedy befalls the Belhavens and the sisters are wrenched from their beloved tea garden to the industrial streets of Tyneside. A world away from the only home she has ever known, Clarissa must start again. Using all her means, she must endure not only poverty but jealousy and betrayal too. Will the reappearance of Wesley give her the link to her old life that she so desperately craves? Or will a fast-changing world and the advent of war extinguish hope forever? Revised edition: This edition of The Tea Planter's Daughter includes editorial revisions.
It's been eight months since Mickey Bolitar witnessed the tragic death of his father. Eight months of lies, dark secrets and unanswered questions. While he desperately wants answers, Mickey's sophomore year of high school brings on a whole new set of troubles. Spoon is in hospital, Rachel won't tell him where he stands, his basketball teammates hate him . . . and then there's Ema's surprise announcement: she has an online boyfriend and he's vanished. As he's searching for Ema's missing boyfriend (who may not even exist!), Mickey also gets roped into helping his nemesis, Troy Taylor, with a big problem. All the while, Mickey and his friends are pulled deeper into the mysteries surrounding the Abeona Shelter, risking their lives to find the answers - until the shocking climax, where Mickey finally comes face-to-face with the truth about his father.
Polly has always been the high-flier of the family, with the glamorous lifestyle to match. Clare is a single mum with two children, struggling to make ends meet in a ramshackle cottage. The two sisters are poles apart and can’t stand each other. But then Polly’s fortunes unexpectedly change and her world comes crashing down. With no money and nowhere to go, she’s forced back to the village where she and Clare grew up, and the sisters find themselves living together for the first time in years. With an old flame reappearing for Polly, a blossoming new career for Clare and a long-buried family secret in the mix, sparks are sure to fly. Unless the two women have more in common than they first thought?
Brundage's brilliant new novel is as terrifyingly unsettling-and as beautiful- as cracking ice over a raging river. Part murder mystery, part ghost story, it's also a profound look at how past guilt informs the present, how what we yearn for is not always what we get, and how it's not only houses that can be haunted, but people as well. One of the most ambitious, original and gorgeously written novels that I've ever read-and been unable to forget. Caroline Leavitt
