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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.
£16.99 -
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…”
£16.99 -
Star of Destiny
Flavius Septimus, the commander of the Sepphoris garrison in Galilee, harbors a dark secret that casts a shadow over the lives of his son, Linus Flavian, and Maria of Magdala. In these novels, Linus, Maria, and Joshua, the Biblical Jesus, are born under a mysterious star in a world steeped in superstition and intrigue. As the Jewish Temple hierarchy, the Herodian dynasty, and the Romans vie for power in tumultuous first-century Judea, their adolescent lives unfold, intertwined with personal destinies shaped by the beliefs surrounding their births under that enigmatic star.
“In providing historical, economic, and religious details, Peter Longley builds a bridge between spiritual divinity and traditional Christianity. Finally, it’s a relief to find a theologian that makes sense of the Bible and its many translations!”
– Jeanette Parker, USA“Longley blends a fantastic mixture of historical and fictional figures and events to narrate the early lives of Joshua, (also known as Jesus of Nazareth,) Maria, (also known as Mary Magdalene,) and Linus Flavius, (the fictitious son of a high-ranking Roman official.) Using simple, effective prose, Longley tells an engaging tale that offers plausible explanations of those well-known stories of the miraculous, such as the virgin birth and the turning of water into wine. Longley tells an intriguing story in a setting that is both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.”
– Sacramento and San Francisco Book Reviews, USA“Longley’s feeling for the Roman and Jewish point of view is superb.”
– Dorothy Thompson, Scotland“I very much enjoy your interpretation of the life of Jesus and feel it is much more logical than the accepted version. I have always had a fascination with Mary Magdalene and her life as well. I found this book to be very interesting. Nothing I have read on Mary Magdalene has had the same sort of story line including that of her mother.”
– Cheryl Huffman, USA£22.99 -
The Mount of Frogs
COVID-19 saw the death of normalcy. At which point, perspective and proportion evaporated only to reveal the dawn of a new reality. However, outdoor exercise was prescribed during lockdowns and nature eased the transition of feral spirits. By comparison, during the year of this tale, 1651, Thomas Hobbes stated in his societal doctrine, Leviathan, “Life in the state of nature is solitary, nasty, brutish and short”. However, the England of the seventeenth century suffered from a lethal mixture of religious extremism, civil wars and the ensuing societal uncertainty. Such toxic factors became intertwined and spawned an era of hysteria driven Witch Hunts.
Therefore, contrary to Hobbes’ theory, nature would have conceivably been the safest option to eschew the societal catastrophes woven into the 17th Century. Further, 1651 suffered the ongoing effects of a mini-ice-age, which attributed to the occurrence of famine and disease. These ingredients made for a cauldron, filled to the brim with diabolical misery for the British population at this time.
This tale discovers a young native of Somersetshire, Tizzy Greenham and her response to the aforementioned conditions. Although, it should be observed, this is not a children’s story but a story about a child, made concise within a day. Ultimately, Tizzy ascends the discombobulation attributed to such disastrous societal and planetary influences. The Prologue and Epilogue highlight the blights to humanity within the sixteen hundreds are still alarmingly prevalent on an international scale today. Furthermore, Witch Hunts still occur within less progressive countries. However, the Western culture is also guilty of savaging those who have fallen from grace, exemplified by the Cancel Culture. Whereas, to date, within rural East Asia, those accused of witchcraft are cancelled much in the same way.
Bearing these factors in mind, it was our ancestors who withstood the brunt of progression in this country, upon their knees if necessary. However, there are alarming similarities between the 17th and 21st Centuries, both at home and abroad. It is a reassurance to note, we have advanced as a nation to the point, we can tell the truth in this country, express its diversities and this is not only encouraged but valued. Freedom of mind is a given, whilst unfortunately, more dogmatic cultures still indoctrinate, persecute and barbarously execute perceived societal dissenters.
£18.99 -
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.
£11.99 -
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.
£16.99 -
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.
£21.99 -
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.
£12.99 -
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.
£14.99 -
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.
£12.99 -
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?
£15.99 -
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?
£11.99