Gemma Moral Bartolomé Book order (chronological)

Mariam is only fifteen when she is sent to Kabul to marry the troubled and bitter Rasheed, who is thirty years her senior. Nearly two decades later, in a climate of growing unrest, tragedy strikes fifteen-year-old Laila, who must leave her home and join Mariam's unhappy household. Laila and Mariam are to find consolation in each other, their friendship to grow as deep as the bond between sisters, as strong as the ties between mother and daughter. With the passing of time comes Taliban rule over Afghanistan, the streets of Kabul loud with the sound of gunfire and bombs, life a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear, the women's endurance tested beyond their worst imaginings. Yet love can move a person to act in unexpected ways, lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism. In the end it is love that triumphs over death and destruction. A Thousand Splendid Sunsis an unforgettable portrait of a wounded country and a deeply moving story of family and friendship. It is a beautiful, heart-wrenching story of an unforgiving time, an unlikely bond and an indestructible love.

Ludo's mother, Sibylla, is obsessed with Kurosawa's famous film, "The Seven Samurai" and it plays as a bizarre running backdrop to his childhood. His search for his real father ends in disappointment but he does find out more than he needs about his mother's shaky past.

Fictionalised account of American woman's journey in the outback.

On the evening of her mother's funeral Grace Adams decides she has had enough and shoots her father when he tries to molest her once again. After two years of prison, it looks like Grace is going to be able to go on with her life, but the past seems to keep resurfacing

In Lightning, bestselling novelist Danielle Steel tells the story of a woman whose life is changed by one swift, unexpected stroke of fate. As a partner in one of New York's most prestigious law firms, Alexandra Parker barely manages to juggle husband, career, and the three-year-old child she gave birth to at forty. Then lightning strikes - a routine medical check-up turns her world upside down when tests reveal shattering news. Her husband Sam, a Wall Street whiz-kid, is as proud of his long-time marriage to Alex as he is of his successful career - until he is caught off guard by Alex's illness. Terrified of losing his wife and family, Sam fails to provide any kind of emotional support. Almost overnight, Sam takes his distance from Alex, and they become strangers. As lightning strikes them yet again, Sam's promising career suddenly explodes into disaster, and his very life and identity are challenged. With his future hanging in the balance, Alex must decide what she feels for Sam, if life will ever be the same for them again, or if she must move on without him.