Karien Gommers Books

Spoilt, wilful, resourceful and proud, Sofia Solanas grows up on a magnificent ranch in the middle of the Argentine pampas, loved by all around her. All, that is, except her Irish mother, Anna, who punishes her daughter for her own sense of alienation and inadequacy while doting on her sons. When a horrified Anna discovers that Sofia has embarked on a passionate love affair that can only bring shame upon the family, she sends Sofia away to Europe, inadvertently exiling her from her family and the man she loves for over twenty years. And then a family tragedy calls Sofia home. Following the story of the Solanas family in Argentina during the tumultous years of political upheaval, and Sofia's life in exile, Meet Me Under The Ombu Tree is a moving, evocative and unforgettable story of love and forgiveness from a brilliant new voice.

The fifth novel from the author of the Richard and Judy bestseller Amy Snow. Perfect for fans of Kathryn Hughes and Dinah Jefferies

The million-copy number one bestseller On the brink of a life-changing decision, Alexis Fielding longs to find out about her mother's past. But Sofia has never spoken of it. All she admits to is growing up in a small Cretan village before moving to London. When Alexis decides to visit Crete, however, Sofia gives her daughter a letter to take to an old friend, and promises that through her she will learn more. Arriving in Plaka, Alexis is astonished to see that it lies a stone's throw from the tiny, deserted island of Spinalonga - Greece's former leper colony. Then she finds Fotini, and at last hears the story that Sofia has buried all her life: the tale of her great-grandmother Eleni and her daughters and a family rent by tragedy, war and passion. She discovers how intimately she is connected with the island, and how secrecy holds them all in its powerful grip...

#1 New York Times bestselling series Fans of the hit ABC Family TV show will love this bind-up of the first two titles in Sara Shepard's #1 New York Times bestselling Pretty Little Liars series, Pretty Little Liars and Flawless. In Rosewood, Pennsylvania, everyone has something to hide. High school juniors Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily thought their darkest secrets vanished when their best friend, Alison, went missing three years ago. But now someone named "A" is sending them notes and threatening to reveal their ugliest secrets—things only Alison knew. Is "A" Alison? Or someone else? Only, who could hate them so much? These liars are about to discover that nothing is as it seems in Rosewood. No one is safe, and no one can be trusted. . . . This page-turning start to the Pretty Little Liars series introduces readers to Rosewood and the pretty little liars who call it home.

Op een donkere lentenacht, vijfentwintig jaar nadat ik had geholpen mijn oudtante Clara Hardigree te begraven, stond ik haar tot mijn eigen verbazing weer op te graven... Ik keek op naar Eli Wade, de man wiens vertrouwen ik geschonden had, net zoals ik zijn vader met mijn zwijgen had verraden - vijfentwintig jaar eerder.

For Libby, the job in New Zealand seemed perfect - a settled home for her daughter, and a chance to study the whales and dolphins. And when she met John-Cody Gibbs, with his deep understanding of the place, she thought she had found the right man, but he has a dark secret in his past to overcome.

Only one woman can save her world from barbarian invasion but to do so will mean sacrificing everything she holds dear - love, loyalty and maybe life itself . . . Japan, and the year is 1853. Growing up among the samurai of the Satsuma Clan, in Japan's deep south, the fiery, beautiful and headstrong Okatsu has - like all the clan's women - been encouraged to be bold, taught to wield the halberd, and to ride a horse. But when she is just seventeen, four black ships appear. Bristling with cannon and manned by strangers who to the Japanese eyes are barbarians, their appearance threatens Japan's very existence. And turns Okatsu's world upside down. Chosen by her feudal lord, she has been given a very special role to play. Given a new name - Princess Atsu - and a new destiny, she is the only one who can save the realm. Her journey takes her to Edo Castle, a place so secret that it cannot be marked on any map. There, sequestered in the Women's Palace - home to three thousand women, and where only one man may enter: the shogun - she seems doomed to live out her days. But beneath the palace's immaculate facade, there are whispers of murders and ghosts. It is here that Atsu must complete her mission and discover one last secret - the secret of the man whose fate is irrevocably linked to hers: the shogun himself . . .

Three people--a suburban housewife, a talented documentary photographer, and a detective--living lives they never wanted, hiding secrets that even those closest to them would never suspect, will find that the past doesn't recede ... and that desperation and hunger can lurk behind even the prettiest facades.

Federica Campione adores her father. No matter that Ramon, a distinguished traveller and writer, spends months away from their home on the exotic Chilean coast; as soon as he's back, his daughter has eyes for no one but him. As she grows to womanhood, Federica attempts to recapture that long-forgotten sense of security in the arms of the debonair Torquil Jensen. From the sanctuary of a seemingly perfect marriage, she embarks on a painful journey of self-discovery. It takes Federica years of heartbreak to escape her gilded cage and learn the true lesson of the butterfly box, her father's legacy.

Alek Wek grew up in the Sudan in the midst of the vicious civil war. Now, at age 28, she is one of the most sought-after supermodels in the world, and has single-handedly changed the traditional concept of what is beautiful in the West. As model, refugee activist and businesswoman she is an inspiration - and this remarkable real-life story sheds light on her journey from Dinka clan roots in war-torn Sudan to a new beginnings in Brooklyn. Born the seventh of nine siblings, on her escape to London at the age of fourteen she had already lived through violence, genocide and forced migration in her homeland. Alek Wek's poignant, powerful memoir gives an unforgettable insight into her rise to fame as a supermodel with a conscience, who balances cover shoots for glossy magazines (she was named Model of The Decade by i-D magazine) with political activism (working with Doctors Without Borders and the U.S. Committee for Refugees Advisory Council) and a dedication to refocus the world's attention on those she left behind in the Sudan.

Virginia struggles with her body image and inferiority complex, feeling overshadowed by her fit mother, attractive father, and stunning siblings. She admires everyone around her but has low self-esteem—until a phone call alters her perspective and life.

"I couldn't put it down" Sophie KinsellaSometimes it's the people you miss who matter most.Tess and Gus are meant to be. They just haven't met properly yet. And perhaps they never will...'Today is the first day of the rest of your life.' That's what the plate in Tess's mum's kitchen says. And for a while, it seems like it might be true: Tess has just finished her A levels and is holidaying in Florence before going on to university and then Great Things. But that's before tragedy strikes.For Gus, the tragedy has already happened. He and his parents have come to Florence to pretend they're a normal family, but they all know that's not true, and Gus can't wait to escape. The first time Tess and Gus meet, they don't speak. The second time, they exchange nine words. The third time, three sentences. Then they return to England and their separate worlds and that, as they say, is that. Or it would be -- except that the universe seems to have other ideas, even if neither Tess nor Gus realise it.

A girl flees to Venice to escape her dangerous past in this electrifying novel of intrigue, psychological tension and suspense... For Lucy Riddick, Venice has always been the dream destination. A dream inspired by the pretty picture pinned to her mother?s kitchen wall. To Lucy, Venice seems the ideal place to lose herself. And now she needs to do just that. The secret she?s been keeping from her boyfriend and her friends has finally caught up with her and Lucy needs to disappear ? and fast. There?s no better time to pack her bags and head for Italy. But what if, when she sets foot in Venice, Lucy finds that the one thing she has been running from, the one thing she has been trying to escape, is already there, lying in wait for her? Time to run away again? Or time to end the chase, once and for all?

Charbonneau's skill as a thriller writer will hook readers as the tension between the siblings grows and the Trial of Succession rushes towards an explosive end... This new fantasy will give them plenty to sink their teeth into. Booklist

Raw, relentless and heart-poundingly real, this book knocked me off my feet like a river in flood' Ruth Ware, bestselling author of In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Woman in Cabin 10'A thought came to me that I couldn't force away: What we are wearing is how we'll be identified out in the wilderness.'Win Allen doesn't want an adventure.After a miserable divorce and the death of her beloved brother, she just wants to spend some time with her three best friends, far away from her soul-crushing job. But athletic, energetic Pia has other plans.Plans for an adrenaline-raising, breath-taking, white-water rafting trip in the Maine wilderness. Five thousand square miles of remote countryside. Just mountains, rivers and fresh air.No phone coverage. No people.No help.

Het vlinderkistjeFederica Campione woont de eerste zeven jaar van haar leven in Chili. Haar Engelse moeder Helena is getrouwd met Ramon, een schrijver. Hij verblijft echter het grootste deel van het jaar in het buitenland. Helena, die niet meer tegen de eenzaamheid kan, stelt hem een ultimatum: hij moet vaker thuis zijn of zij zal met de kinderen naar Cornwall terugkeren. Ramon weigert en de trotse Helena resteert niets anders dan haar leven in Engeland voort te zetten. Maar Federica's liefde voor haar vader blijft en ze koestert het cadeau dat hij haar ooit gaf: het prachtige ingelegde vlinderkistje. Jaren later keert Federica terug naar Chili om de ware betekenis van het vlinderkistje te ontdekken en zo haar eigen geluk te vinden.Valentina's laatste reisWanneer Alba Arbuckle een portret van haar overleden moeder Valentina vindt, maakt dit veel bij haar los. Het is een prachtig pastel, gemaakt door Alba's vader. Haar vader heeft nooit iets willen vertellen over Valentina. En Alba's stiefmoeder reageert zo mogelijk nog vijandiger op haar vragen. Met de hulp van haar beste vriend Fitz Davenport komt Alba iets meer te weten over het geheim van moeder.

Wanneer een vrouw na twintig jaar haar buurjongen opnieuw ontmoet, kijkt ze terug op haar jeugd die werd vertroebeld door de traumatische ervaringen van haar moeder.

Wanneer een vrouw na twintig jaar haar buurjongen opnieuw ontmoet, kijkt ze terug op haar jeugd die werd vertroebeld door de traumatische ervaringen van haar moeder.

Een wat wereldvreemd meisje uit een rijk milieu zoekt een baantje, maar stuit op allerlei complicaties.