Historical Fiction Books

The phenomenal new novel, based on a true story, from the international bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz. 1942. Singapore is falling to the Japanese Army. English musician Norah Chambers places her eight-year-old daughter Sally on a ship leaving Singapore, desperate to keep her safe. As the island burns, Australian nurse Nesta James joins the terrified cargo of people, including the heartbroken Norah, crammed aboard the HMS Vyner Brooke. After only two days at sea, the ship is bombarded and sunk. Nesta and Norah reach the beaches of Indonesia only to be captured and held in one of the notorious Japanese POW camps, places of starvation and brutality. But even here joy can be found, in music, where Norah's 'voice orchestra' transports the internees from squalor into light. The friendships they build with the dozens of other women in the camps will give them the hope, strength and camaraderie they need in order to stay alive. Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781786582218 • Author: Heather Morris • Publisher:  Zaffre • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  400 • Dimensions: 16.2 x 3.5 x 24 cm

Jersey, 1943. When the German Army invades the tranquil island, librarian Grace La Motée is determined to keep her services running. Ordered to destroy books which threaten the Nazi regime, she refuses, instead hiding them away and fighting back by forming a book club: a lifeline to help islanders escape the terror of war, one chapter at a time. But soon Grace’s quiet acts of bravery become even more perilous. She’s harbouring dangerous secrets – ones that put her life in danger – and when tensions turn to violence, she is forced to face the true, terrible cost of resistance . . . Based on astonishing real events, The Wartime Book Club is a love letter to the power of books in the darkest of times – as well as a moving page-turner that brings to life the remarkable, untold story of an island at war. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781399714976 • Author: Kate Thompson • Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton • Format: Paperback • Pages: 512 • Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 3.6 cm

Millions of people walked into Auschwitz, but she was the first woman who escaped. This powerful novel is inspired by the true story of Mala Zimetbaum, whose fate altered the course of history… Nobody leaves Auschwitz alive. Mala, inmate 19880, understood that the moment she stepped off the cattle train into the depths of hell. As an interpreter for the SS, she uses her position to save as many lives as she can. Edward, inmate 531, is a camp veteran and a political prisoner. Crucially, he’s also part of the underground Resistance. And he has an escape plan. When Mala meets Edward, he makes her believe in the impossible: they will leave this death camp. A promise is made–they will escape together or they will die together. What follows is one of the greatest love stories in history… Product Information: • ISBN: 9781836180678 • Author: Ellie Midwood • Publisher: Orion Publishing • Format: Paperback • Pages: 400 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 3.4 cm

Rachel Norris wants to forge a new life and career. And she wants to forget her past. When Rachel qualifies as nurse, she does so because she wants to help others and make a difference. But she is also running from a past life that must stay hidden forever. Completing her training, Rachel moves to London but misses home desperately, so when she hears about an opportunity to train as a district nurse in a village near Rochdale, she seizes the opportunity, even though it will take her closer to the trouble she left behind. She knows nothing about Eastby End and she is shocked to find it a little more than a slum. It’s clear she will need to work hard and keep her wits about her to win the trust of the villagers. Joss Townley has been reluctantly working in his father’s factory but is dismayed at the conditions the workers endure. When his father dies, he sells up immediately to begin travelling but is called home by his mother in an emergency – in order to save the family’s fortune he must take on a house in a place called Eastby End. He has no idea what he has bought, and is appalled to see his new neighbours’ misery and anger. A meeting with the mayor, Walter Crossley, gives him direction and focus for the first time in his life, and brings him into contact with Rachel. Can they both survive life in Eastby End? Or will it be the making of them? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781399729932 • Author: Anna Jacobs • Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 3 cm

Holland, 1944: Undercover British agent Nancy Callaghan has been given her toughest case yet. A key member of the Dutch resistance has been captured, and Nancy must play the role of a wealthy Nazi to win over a notorious SS officer, Detlef Keller, and gain crucial information. England: Coding expert Tom Lockwood is devastated that the Allies have failed to push back the Nazis, leaving Northern Holland completely cut off from the rest of Europe, and him from his beloved Nancy. Desperate to rescue the love of his life, Tom devises Operation Tulip, a plan to bring Nancy home. But as Nancy infiltrates the Dutch SS, she finds herself catching the eye of an even more senior member of the Party. Is Nancy in too deep, or can Tom reach her before she gets caught? Inspired by the true events of occupied Holland during WW2, don't miss this utterly gripping story of love, bravery and sacrifice. Product Information: • ISBN: 9780008586904 • Author: Deborah Swift • Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 cm

The second inspiring novel in the heartwarming and hopeful Bletchley Park Girls series from the queen of saga, Molly Green… When Rosie Frost was jilted on her wedding day, she didn’t think life could get any worse. But six years later in the throes of the Second World War, she is unceremoniously dismissed from her dream job after they discover her illegitimate child. Thankfully, top secret war office Bletchley Park recognises Rosie’s talent and recruits her to decipher their Italian naval signals. Happy to be doing her bit for the war effort, Rosie settles into her new life. But when she spots a familiar face at the Park, Rosie’s world threatens to come crashing down once more. Can she put her heartbreak behind her? And will wedding bells ring out across Bletchley Park before the year is out? Product Information: • ISBN: 9780008479909 • Author: Molly Green • Publisher: Avon • Format: Paperback • Pages: 448 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 13 x 2.8cm

London, 1918: the world is being torn apart by war, but for the girls of London’s Foyles bookshop, where there is friendship, there is hope… Perfect for fans of Rosie Clarke and Elaine Everest. Ellen Beckford and her sister Mary are living under their father’s shadow. Before their beloved mother died, they had dreamed of bright futures, but torn apart by grief, Harold Beckford barely lets his daughters out of his sight. Then Harold is injured during a break-in at his office at London’s docklands, and can no longer work. And with prices rising and food scarce, Ellen has no choice but to defy her father’s rules and seek employment. She finds a position at London’s renowned Foyles bookshop, and the other shop girls quickly take her under their wing. But there are dark times ahead. Ellen’s father is accused of gathering intelligence from the docklands for the enemy, and the police seem determined to see him shot for spying. With the help of her new friends, can Ellen clear her father’s name and save her family from destitution? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781836564683 • Author: Elaine Roberts • Publisher: Boldwood Books Limited • Format: Paperback • Pages: 288 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 1.65 cm

1866. On a train bound for Portsmouth, an elegant woman shares a compartment with the lecherous Giles Blanchard. It is a lucky encounter for her, as she steps off the train after picking his pocket and in possession of scandalous material for a potential blackmail. It is a less fortuitous meeting for Blanchard, who will never reach his home on the Isle of Wight alive. Detective Inspector Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming are swiftly dispatched to sift through the evidence. With Queen Victoria poised to spend the summer on the island, a speedy resolution to the case is imperative for their superiors. Tracing Blanchard’s killer is an endeavour freighted with difficulties, but will the fact that their inquiries lead them to the door of a royal residence be one complication too many? Product Information: • ISBN: 9780749030179 • Author: Edward Marston • Publisher: Allison & Busby Ltd • Format: Paperback • Pages: 352 • Dimensions: 19.61 x 12.8 x 2.59 cm

I tattooed a number on her arm. She tattooed her name on my heart. In 1942, Lale Sokolov arrived in Auschwitz-Birkenau. He was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival - scratching numbers into his fellow victims' arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust. Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale - a dandy, a jack-the-lad, a bit of a chancer - it was love at first sight. And he was determined not only to survive himself, but to ensure this woman, Gita, did, too. So begins one of the most life-affirming, courageous, unforgettable and human stories of the Holocaust: the love story of the tattooist of Auschwitz. Product Information:• ISBN: 9781785763649• Author: Heather Morris• Publisher: Bonnier Zaffre• Format: Paperback• Pages: 275• Dimensions: 24 x 16 x 2.5cm

She’ll do whatever it takes to find happiness… When her mother dies, Sarah Mortonby is shocked to discover she has inherited a wealthy estate. She is advised to sell the crumbling manor house to her neighbour, Matthew Sewell, but falls in love with the charming estate and decides to keep it instead. Sewell is furious – and he is a man known for getting his own way, no matter the cost. Unable to manage the land alone and desperately needing support, Sarah proposes to her bailiff, Will Pursley, who has recently been thrown off his farm by Sewell’s thugs. With the help of her new husband, can Sarah save the estate? And will she find there’s more to her marriage than practicality? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781804367247 • Author: Anna Jacobs • Publisher: Canelo Digital Publishing Ltd • Format: Paperback • Pages: 320 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.85 x 1.78 cm

The beginning of a brand-new trilogy from bestselling author Kay Brelland, featuring the Silvertown Explosion, the rise of women’s football, and East End suffragettes. She is her family’s only hope. 1916. East London. When sixteen-year-old Clover Cooper’s mother, Iris, calls her home from work one day, the last thing Clover expects is to find that her mother has given birth to another baby. After all, Clover’s unpleasant father, Sidney, has been in France for longer than nine months. Banned from questions, and bound to secrecy by her beloved mother, Clover leaves her infant brother at a nunnery for safekeeping, despite her heartbreak at parting with him. But when Sidney unexpectedly returns from the Western Front, life at home suddenly feels more dangerous than a battlefield. Strained by keeping such a secret, Clover turns to her fiercely protective grandmother, Elsie, for advice. But Elsie has her own life-changing decision to make. Then tragedy strikes, and Clover will have to find a way to keep her family together and safeguard all that she holds dear. Product Information: • ISBN: 9780349435534 • Author: Kay Brellend • Publisher: Little Brown • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 2.8 cm

London, 1930s. Years after she first fled to South Shields, Cathy is known by everyone as the landlady of the Robin Hood pub. But Cathy has a secret from her life before – a daughter, June, whom she had to leave behind. After all these years, can June accept her? Cathy’s friend Sofia faces her own dilemma. Encountering a man from her past, Sofia is given the opportunity to return to her hometown, Naples. It would mean escaping her own troubles in the Sixteen Streets… if only she dares take the chance. Cathy and Sofia have worked hard to shed the sorrows of their youth. But maybe by revisiting the past, they can work towards a happier future… Product Information: • ISBN: 9781398708990 • Author: Elsie Mason • Publisher: Orion Publishing • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 13 x 3 cm

The stunning final book in the classic Emma Grady trilogy by Sunday Times bestselling author Josephine Cox. Twenty-two years ago Emma Grady was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to transportation to Australia. Just before her departure she bore and lost her baby daughter – conceived during a passionate affair with Marlow Tanner. It is now 1885, and Emma has returned to Blackburn. Reunited with Marlow, she has a loving family, yet she is still haunted by the past, unable to forget how her uncle Caleb Crowther ignored her desperate plea to save her and her tragic first-born. Crowther curses his niece’s return and also hounds Molly, Emma’s lost daughter. Molly and her children run away and, contending with hunger, exhaustion and the unwelcome attentions of the men who are drawn to Molly’s dark beauty, their life at times is almost unbearable. But Molly has inherited Emma’s indomitable spirit… Product Information: • ISBN: 9781035417285 • Author: Josephine Cox • Publisher: Hodder Headline • Format: Paperback • Pages: 336 • Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.6 x 2.6 cm

1941. Determined to contribute to the war effort, eighteen-year-old Connie runs away from home to work as a carpenter’s apprentice in Scarborough. Though life on the workshop floor is tough, Connie finds comfort in the friendship of her glamorous flatmate, Valentine. But when Valentine disappears one night, Connie doesn’t know where to turn. With the war raging the police won’t investigate, and so Connie must take matters into her own hands. How far will she go to discover the truth of Valentine’s disappearance? And what terrible secrets will she uncover along the way? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781802793109 • Author: Mollie Walton • Publisher: Hodder Headline • Format: Paperback • Pages: 384 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 3 cm

Queenie’s past threatens more than one person’s future Queenie Bedford fled her native Blackburn and the bitter knowledge that she and Rick Marsden, the man she loved, could never marry. But in 1965 she returned north again to stand by her friend Sheila Thorogood, imprisoned for running a brothel with her mother Maisie. Though Rick had vowed to find her, Queenie took care that he should not know of her whereabouts. The magnificent Edwardian house in Blackpool was sadly neglected – but Queenie moved in with the ailing Maisie, and set about transforming it into a sparklingly clean, highly respectable guesthouse. Meanwhile, Queenie was to meet the frail and confused Hannah Jason, locked away years ago for murder, and desperate for news of her long-lost son. As Rick continued his dogged search for Queenie, she set out to find Hannah’s son. But both their enquiries threatened to unlock the cage where crucial secrets had long been held captive. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781035417230 • Author: Josephine Cox • Publisher: Hodder Headline • Format: Paperback • Pages: 304 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.2 cm

All alone during winter - will she find somewhere to call home . . ? As the year ends, seventeen-year-old runaway Kathleen stumbles through the snow, alone and about to give birth. But when she's carried to safety by a mysterious figure, her life is set on a new path . . . Welcomed by the Mason family at Home Farm, Kathleen believes she may have finally found a safe place to raise her newborn child. But her past cannot be forgotten and no matter how hard her new family tries, she has secrets she refuses to share. Will Home Farm be the safe haven Kathleen has been searching for? And will a chance at love allow her to finally break free of her past? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781804187692 • Author: Sheila Newberry • Publisher: Bonnier Books UK Limited • Format: Paperback     • Pages: 400 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2.4 cm

Once war strikes, life can never be the same again… A close-knit community is devastated by the outbreak of World War I in heart-breaking saga, Mist over the Mersey – a tale of families, friendship and romance from bestselling author Lyn Andrews. Perfect for fans of Katie Flynn and Maureen Lee. The Chatterton family is far too posh for the Liverpool slums where they’ve ended up. Nancy Butterworth and Abbie Kerrigan, lifelong residents of the place, tried to befriend Dee Chatterton, but her mother wants her to have nothing to do with such rough children. The Burgess family looks forward to the arrival of their young cousin Sean from Dublin, and Nancy is not the first to lose her heart to the Irish charmer. In 1914 things are to change dramatically, and the families are to find that money and social position mean nothing when the horrors of the First World War invade their lives and take away their sons… Don’t miss Lyn Andrews’ sequel to the novel, Mersey Blues. Product Information: • ISBN: 9780755341870 • Author: Lyn Andrews • Publisher: Hodder Headline • Format: Paperback • Pages: 384 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 2.8cm

THE BRAND-NEW WARTIME SAGA BY MAGGIE MASON – PERFECT FOR READERS OF VAL WOOD, KITTY NEALE AND ROSIE GOODWIN 1939 The threat of war is looming over Blackpool, but Martha and Trisha are determined not to let it dampen their spirits. With two young evacuees for Martha to take care of, and Trisha’s market garden business growing as Britain digs for victory, the friends have their hands full. Both are proud to see their daughters making their own way in the world, even in wartime. Sally has become a ballerina and Bonnie is training to become a doctor. The girls’ friendship brings them all happiness and hope. But Martha is troubled by her visions for their daughters’ futures. War, tragedy and falling in love will put Sally and Bonnie’s lifelong friendship to the test. But can their families pull together and see them through? The third and final heart-warming tale in The Fortune Tellers series from Maggie Mason, much-loved author of The Halfpenny Girls. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781408728185 • Author: Maggie Mason • Publisher: Little Brown • Format: Paperback • Pages: 432 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 4 cm

To return to those she loves, she must also return to the past… In the second instalment of her Emma Grady trilogy, bestselling author Josephine Cox brings us Alley Urchin, a gripping saga of a woman determined to overcome the brutality of life as a convict to return to the man she loves. Perfect for fans of Kitty Neale and Rosie Goodwin. By 1870 Emma Grady has spent seven years of servitude as a convict in Australia. Emma lives for the day when she will return to England, to face those who cheated and betrayed her. And to Marlow Tanner, the man she loves – and whose tragic child she had borne and then lost. Emma struggles to make something of her life in Australia despite the sinister presence of her employer’s evil son, Foster. His determination to ‘have’ Emma leads to dark and terrifying consequences. As Emma battles against adversity, she is unaware that in England the child she has given up for dead is being lovingly raised by Marlow’s sister Old Sal, who teaches Emma’s daughter Molly to be an expert pickpocket. Will Emma ever be reunited with Marlow? Even if she finds him, will he still love her? And what of the child lost to both of them? Emma is plagued with fears but her love for Marlow never weakens – and can never be forgotten… Product Information: • ISBN: 9781035417254 • Author: Josephine Cox • Publisher: Hodder Headline • Format: Paperback • Pages: 320 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.8 cm

Trust no one. Suspect everyone. It’s 1937. Fear and suspicion stalk the Continent. A million have died in Stalin’s Great Purge and the Nazi terror grips Germany. But British intelligence is still trying to work out who the enemy is. As Europe heads towards war, treason is in the air. British spymasters know there is one Soviet agent in their ranks, codenamed Agent ‘Archie’, and there’s a frantic search to find them. What they don’t know is that he is not the only traitor. The life of Charles Cooper, a young British writer travelling Europe to research his novel, is about to change for ever… The thrilling first novel in Alex Gerlis’ new Double Agent espionage series, perfect for fans of Charles Cumming and Mick Herron. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781804363768 • Author: Alex Gerlis • Publisher: Canelo Digital Publishing Ltd • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 19.84 x 12.85 x 2.08 cm