Ana Kelly: A Saga of Love and Courage

The captivating story of Ana Ludovina Teixeira de Aguilar unfolds against the backdrop of the French invasions of Portugal and the military aid provided by the English, commanded by the Duke of Wellington, who also played a pivotal role in her marriage to Waldron Kelly, an Irish lieutenant.Discover how Ana Kelly’s love for Waldron remained steadfast until her death. Delve into her family’s connection to the Portuguese royal family and the support Queen Victoria provided in the final phase of her life. This is a tale of love and remarkable resilience, intertwined with an intimate yet rigorous historical account.Gripping until the last page, this narrative comes highly recommended by Timeout Magazine as one of 28 must-read European literature books about romance and treason.

The Unknown Warriors

The Unknown Warriors is based on a true story set in the beauty and tragedy of Europe in the years just before the Second World War. Abrienda de Soza, inheritor of a fortune stolen from the coffers of Imperial Russia during the last days of the Russian Civil War, fights to keep her country out of the hands of both Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia and preserve a culture threatened by both through any means possible. Nika Molnar, an agent working for Hungarian Intelligence’s Special Unit, seeks to exact vengeance on the man who murdered her father when she was a child. Impeccably researched, The Unknown Warriors captures the feel and nuance of a world soon to be destroyed forever—a uniquely told and deeply compelling story of war, intrigue and betrayal, but also of love and sacrifice played out against the backdrop of a world heading inexorably towards war.

The title is taken from a speech by Winston Churchill. “This is a War of Unknown Warriors, but let all strive without failing in faith or duty…”

Tyke

Against the grim backdrop of WWII London, a destitute young street urchin named Tyke stumbles upon an unconscious railway worker one fateful night. Though tempted by money left unattended, Tyke chooses to save the man’s life instead of stealing the cash. This single act of selflessness sparks a chain of miraculous events that could forever change the course of Tyke’s difficult life.When the railway man, Mr. Thomas, resolves to find and reward his young hero, a city-wide search ensues. Just as hope dims, Tyke resurfaces. As he recounts his tale of hardship, flashes of innate wisdom and integrity shine through, capturing the hearts of all who meet him. With Mr. Thomas’s support, the chance for mentorship, and even a possible new family connection, has Tyke’s luck finally turned?From life-threatening danger to unexpected kindness from unlikely sources, Tyke must navigate threats and opportunities alike on his journey to a brighter future. Will fate continue to smile upon this humble yet exceptional boy? Find out in this poignant tale reminding us heroism can come from the unlikeliest of places.

When the Cows Come Home

In this sweeping family saga, the lives of five Bavarian German families unfold against the backdrop of the twentieth century, spanning from 1937 to 2020. At the heart of the story are Herman Finkelstein, a Jewish professor, and his wife Merla Finkelstein, whose tragic fate during the Holocaust sets the stage for the generations that follow. Their descendants, adopted by Lutheran families after escaping to Switzerland in 1943, have only a vague understanding of their Jewish heritage.The narrative is centered around the Bavarian towns of Berchtesgaden and Oberstdorf, but also ventures to Switzerland and Israel as Germany grapples with its complex past and the specter of antisemitism. Both branches of the Finkelstein descendants find themselves connected through their herds of Hinterwalder cattle, a bond that ultimately brings them together after two generations of separation.Through the purchase of a Hinterwalder bull, the families are reunited and uncover the full extent of their Jewish ancestry. While the novel explores the profound impact of the Holocaust, it also serves as a rich social history, illustrating how the ordinary lives of individuals are shaped by war, political upheaval, and cultural shifts.

Danube Legion

The Roman war machine is on the moveBut behind the Centurions and Legionaries, a vast support network grinds into motion mobilising a new legion towards a hostile river border, its human cogs turning across Roman society: from downtrodden bath slaves, to legionary blacksmiths trying to get through the day, from unscrupulous traders who supply food and materials to corrupt politicians with their own cynical motives.Danube Legion is the darkly amusing story of what happens behind the scenes – the chaotic, the venal, the incompetent and the corrupt. In amongst it all, and driving most of it, is Lady Lassalia, a ruthless merchant out to ensure her place in Roman society.

Trouble and Strife

Sometimes the smallest voices make the deepest impact.Josephine Hadley, a 1930s Canadian housewife, fills her days looking after her children, her indifferent husband and a stream of Depression-era visitors. Her contribution to her guests is a bowl of stew and an open heart. Her small world, however, is soon shattered by a tragic event which forces her to become the breadwinner. Can she run a business without sacrificing herself? And is it possible to act on a long-buried desire without remorse?Johanne Levesque’s first novel, Trouble and Strife, is a poignant and heartbreaking look at a woman’s life in a fast-changing time. With intimate details and a deft poetic touch, Levesque has captured the spirit of an age where war and economic hardship altered the workplace, home and women’s lives forever.

Trains in the Sky

Ivan Hawthorn's Trains in the Sky is a fascinating account of childhood as a young boy in the great drought and depression of 1930s outback Australia. Growing up in an all-male household, Ivan Hawthorn documents his boyhood years with his brothers, a wonderful insight into the deprivations and the challenges and the amazing resolve of the outback families during these difficult times. Not just a book for blokes, this is an intricate social history in which the role of women is set into sharp relief and there is more than a little love interest as Ivan grows up and pursues a career in the RAAF set against the backdrop of post war Australia. A blend of fascinating social insight, more than a passing commentary about early twentieth century farming, indigenous wildlife and the social positioning of men and women, Trains in the Sky will have you reaching for the sequel.  

Through the Wall

The Berlin Wall. You may know of it. You may remember it; perhaps as a witness, an observer, a student of history, or a member of the armed forces. Whether it was local or in another country, its impact touched everyone, some in variable ways. In Hugh Allen's Through the Wall, we are shown two vastly different, but equally intriguing and moving personal histories of the barrier in Germany after World War II. In the West, we meet a young English boy, Hugh, with a fondness for adventure. In the East, we follow Hans Bernauer, from a tragic childhood to his early adulthood. These two individuals recount their experiences around the erection of the wall, with a common factor that ties them together, a model of a Sopwith Camel biplane.From the terrible loss of his Jewish parents, Hans is raised in fear and poverty, and with hopes for a better life. Later, as a member of the People's Police, the Vopos, he struggles with the ethics and morals of his position, and the situation his family and people are trapped in. On the other side, as a son of a British government employee, Hugh battles boredom and peer pressure, both forces which bring him to find a hidden treasure in a ruined house, and accidentally to cross the wall to the East. With touching and moving sentiment, we can experience Hans's pain and hunger, Hugh's worry and excitement. With direct and pointed description, we can see the ruin, filth, and destruction after the war, and we can hear the grumblings, and praise of Berliners after Hitler was killed. Through the Wall is an intriguing tale with an end that will capture the curiosity of every reader.

The Poet's Trap

Esme lives a contented life in the countryside of Victorian England at Falford Hall. She is becoming a young woman, beautiful and witty with a passion for riding horses with the hall's stable hand, Tom. However, when rumours start to fly about nature of Esme and Tom's relationship, hidden feelings begin to come to light and Esme's loving father decides the best course of action is to separate the two to avoid vicious gossip. Tom is sent to South America to conduct business and make a man of himself and a devastated Esme must abandon her tomboyish nature to come out as a woman in the city of Brighton. With Tom's return scheduled in 18 long months, the star-crossed pair take the test of time, and must battle Esme's snobbish uncle and strict Victorian tradition. How can a stable hand ever win the hand of a Lady without creating a scandal?  

The Past and the Present

1914 - A young Georgina Lawrence has been promised to Lord Bedford, a man she doesn't want to marry. To give her a chance of changing the decision, her parents make her go to an Isle of Wight hotel to consider her future. Here she meets a man unlike any other she's ever known, who changes her life forever.1992 - Helena is struggling to come up with a new idea for her new novel. A trip to the Isle of Wight to refresh her literary skills seems the answer. The hotel in Bembridge is being renovated and Helena explores the grounds. Both women are inexplicably connected with the building, to two men they meet there but what other secrets does the building hold and what impact does it have on their lives?

The Last Supper

Leonardo da Vinci, Milan's Renaissance ideal, is tasked with painting The Last Supper but struggles to find the perfect person to model as Christ. Vittorio Dessa, a young farmer, is eventually spotted, plucked from farm life and placed at the heart of an alien world of art and science, aristocracy, politics and intrigue.Initially shocked, Vittorio gradually adjusts to the artist's exuberant manner and ambitious ideas, and after some hesitation, resolves to pursue his own ambitions and venture beyond the safety of the city walls.Thus encouraged, Vittorio's fortunes boom, but ill-equipped to deal with the transformation, his life slowly lapses into one of paranoia, jealousy and eventually murder. The strands of the story climax at Leonardo's very public reveal of The Last Supper painting.

The Land of Three Houses

William Sterner’s story begins in the late 1700s on the Tohickon Creek in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, during the period known as The Rage for Wheat. His quest to build a fortune based on wheat leads him to Livorno, Tuscany, during the Napoleonic wars where he meets the Enlightenment salonniêre, Madame de Staël. Join him on his journey home to The Land of Three Houses.