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Foxfire
by Anya SetonA captivating story of adventure and romance during the Great Depression, from the bestselling author of Katherine. 'Anya Seton takes us into other worlds, making us live for a few hours on a grand scale' (Women's Journal)Amanda Lawrence is a charming, sheltered socialite in the post-Depression New York of the 1930s. But when she falls in love with Jonathan Dartland, a part-Apache mining engineer, she decides to leave her privileged life behind. Amanda is infatuated with Dart's strength and self-reliance, but she has nothing and nobody to guide her when she follows him to Lodestone.Foxfire is the story of a beautiful New York girl, desperately seeking a happy marriage in the played-out mining towns of the arid Arizona desert. It was adapted for the screen and released in 1955 starring Jane Russell and Jeff Chandler.ANYA SETON (19040-1990) was the author of 10 bestselling historical novels: Dragonwyk, My Theodosia, The Turquoise, The Hearth & Eagle, Foxfire, Katherine, Avalon, The Winthrop Woman, Devil Water and Green Darkness.
The Last Pearl Fisher of Scotland
by Julia StuartFrom the bestselling author of Balthazar Jones and the Tower of London Zoo comes the story of one man's quest to find a pearl, save his marriage – and track down a missing rabbit named Frank'The Last Pearl Fisher of Scotland is a gently comic, gently tragic novel, full of lyricism, humanity and the pearl that is love. Read it at once'A. L. KennedyBrodie McBride is having a tough time.The last expert in the ancient art of pearl fishing, he’s on a quest to track down the pearl that will complete a necklace for his wife, Elspeth, convinced that the love token will save their marriage.But Scotland’s rivers are running out of mussels, Elspeth is running out of patience, and their daughter, Maggie, is running wild with her moustachioed pet rabbit.And when Maggie takes matters into her own hands, determined to keep the family together, the McBrides are soon at the centre of international commotion that will change everyone’s lives forever.
Adrian Mole: The Collected Poems
by Sue Townsend'It's really, really, really funny' David Walliams Mole Press - a brand new imprint of Penguin Books - is proud to announce the first publication of The Collected Poems of Adrian Mole to mark the author's 50TH birthday.--------------------------- 'Edgy politics, tortured eroticism, misunderstood intellect, changing Britain - a whiff of the sublime. Mole's contribution is significant' Daily Telegraph Featuring poems scattered over nearly thirty years of writing and salvaged from the diaries 'authored' by one Sue Townsend, this slim volume features more than thirty pieces of Adrian's unique art. From his timeless first documented poem - The Tap - via classic odes to his muse, first and only true love Pandora (I adore ya), we follow Adrian's life in verse form. We not only witness his burgeoning political anger in works like Mrs Thatcher (Do you weep, Mrs Thatcher, do you weep?) but also see in later poems his merciless examination of the hollow shell of masculinity as well as documenting his declining libido in tragic pieces like To My Organ. For the first time in a single volume, these are the collected poems of misunderstood intellectual and tortured poet Adrian Mole. 'I ruthlessly exploited Adrian. But he can't afford to sue me' Sue Townsend 'Wonderfully funny and sharp as knives' Sunday Times 'One of the great comic creations' Daily Mirror 'The funniest person in the world' Caitlin Moran
Penguin Readers Level 5: The Pursuit of Love (ELT Graded Reader)
by Nancy MitfordPenguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series. Please note that the eBook edition does NOT include access to the audio edition and digital book. Written for learners of English as a foreign language, each title includes carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises.Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content.The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers' story comprehension and develop vocabulary.The Pursuit of Love, a Level 5 Reader, is B1 in the CEFR framework. The text is made up of sentences with up to four clauses, introducing present perfect continuous, past perfect, reported speech and second conditional. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear regularly.The Pursuit of Love is about the love adventures of Fanny Logan's cousin, Linda Radlett, who is beautiful, brave and fun. Linda finally finds love and seems happy, but this is the 1930s and her country will soon go to war with Germany. What will happen to Linda then?Visit the Penguin Readers websiteRegister to access online resources including tests, worksheets and answer keys. Exclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock a digital book and audio edition (not available with the eBook).
See No Evil
by Patricia RobinsEvelyn, Gay and Margaret are sisters. When their widowed mother dies,the caring Evelyn is thrust into looking after Margaret, who was bornblind. Gay, always pursuing her own interests, is happy to be taken outby the rich Gordon de Verriland, leaving Evelyn wondering if she willever meet someone herself.When Nicky March comes into Evelyn's life, could he be the one for her?Or will Gay's selfishness ruin her hope of love?A compelling classic romance from the inimitable Patricia Robins, firstpublished in 1945 and now available for the first time in eBook.
Francesca
by Roger ScrutonSet in the early 1960s, Francesca tells the story of Colin Ferguson, an aspiring writer whose life is blighted by love. The object of his love lies always out of reach, and never more so than when he holds her in his arms. Through Francesca he is offered a vision of modern England that frightens and enthrals him: whether escaping from hers or returning, he always sees something new and unsurprising in this haunted universe. And, as the tragic story unfolds, the reader enters into a world of guilt and hesitation which, for all its strangeness, has an air of uncanny truth. The kaleidoscope of characters – Colin's father, the embittered schoolmaster, Sarah, the lesbian poetess, Harold Plumptre, the prostitute and healer – constantly shifts and reassembles, drawing the ring of fate ever tighter until the novel reaches its surprising but inevitable climax. An atmospheric work, with passages of great descriptive power, Francesca is as a remarkable novel. Its intriguing characters and breathtaking pace grip the reader from the beginning, and its narrative expresses not only the drama of the characters, but also an urgent and compelling vision of the society from which they spring, and of the destiny of any man in the condition of modernity.
To the Stars
by Patricia RobinsA compelling classic romance from the inimitable Patricia Robins, first published in 1944 and now available for the first time in eBook.Jonquil Mathews had lived a sheltered life with her parents in their luxurious home, until the day her fiancé Simon, an RAF pilot, was killed at Dunkirk. Prompted by Simon's best friend, Adrian Hepworth, Jonquil was determined to do her bit for the war effort, and joined the WAAF. Adrian had fallen in love with Jonquil, and as she went through her training, made new friends and learned her trade, he kept a watchful eye on her, always hoping that despite the dangers of wartime, they would eventually be together...
Georgette Heyer Bundle: The Spanish Bride
by Georgette HeyerThis 2 in 1 edition features The Spanish Bride and The Convenient Marriage - two of Georgette Heyer's hugely popular Regency novels.The Spanish BrideShot-proof, fever-proof and a veteran campaigner at the age of twenty-five, Brigade-Major Harry Smith is reputed to be the luckiest man in Lord Wellington's army. But at the siege of Badajos, his friends foretell the ruin of his career. For when Harry meets the defenceless Juana, a fiery passion consumes him. Under the banner of honour and with the selfsame ardour he so frequently displays in battle, he dives headlong into marriage. In his beautiful child-bride, he finds a kindred spirit, and a temper to match. But for Juana, a long year of war must follow.The Convenient Marriage When the eligible Earl of Rule offers for the hand of the Beauty of the Winwood Family, he has no notion of the distress he causes his intended. For Miss Lizzie Winwood is promised to the excellent, but impoverished Mr Edward Heron. Disaster can only be averted by the delightful impetuosity of her youngest sister, Horatia, who conceives her own, distinctly original plans.
Dancing On Snowflakes
by Malcolm MacdonaldChaperoned at every turn in her Dublin home, Kate O'Barry's horizons have been limited. When her exasperated parents pack her off to her uncle's house in Stockholm hoping that her infatuation with an unsuitable young man will pass, they have no idea what mischief their decision will cause. Kate sets out to experience life on her own terms, from the fairytale castle of Valholm, hereditary seat the dashing Count Hamilton, to the wretched tenements of the poor. Along the way she learns important lessons - about independence, responsibility and love.
Mhudi
by Sol T. PlaatjeAn epic historical romance, Mhudi is the first novel in English to be written by a black South African writer and renowned as one of Africa's most important literary works. After witnessing the genocide of her tribe, Mhudi wanders the land terrified of encountering enemy warriors until she is suddenly struck by a fear even worse than death; that she is now completely alone. Upon crossing paths with the tribe's only other known survivor, she finds herself at the centre of an extraordinary story of love, war, and unexpected allies. Writing in the early twentieth century, Sol T. Plaatje offers an incredible retelling of South Africa's history that refuses to justify the injustice that was endured. 'More than a classic; there is just no other book on earth like it. All the stature and grandeur of the author are in it.' Bessie Head 'Some of the most compelling and celebrated accounts of the early days of apartheid.' Trevor Noah, New York Times 'One of the most remarkable books on Africa by one of the continent's most remarkable writers.' Neil Parsons
The Mallow Years (The first volume in an enchanting Lancashire saga that continues with SHINING THREADS. #1)
by Audrey HowardKit Chapman is the beautiful daughter of a rich Lancashire mill-owner: a man who exploits his workpeople ruthlessly. She is to inherit the business - but only if she can prove herself as hard and determined as he.Joss Greenwood is a weaver, driven with his family into abject poverty by the new machinery. Now his life is dedicated to the struggle against the factory owners.Kit and Joss, two people from very different, hostile worlds, meet by chance up on the moors they both love. It is the start of a friendship that turns into a wild love that has to struggle for fulfilment through times of terrible distress, of violence and passion.
At the Hairdresser's (Penguin Specials)
by Anita BrooknerPenguin Specials are designed to fill a gap. Written to be read over a long commute or a short journey, they are original and exclusively in digital form. This is a poignant novella from Anita Brookner.'I rather hope I shall die at the hairdresser's, for they are bound to know what to do. At least that is what I tell myself.'Solitude is a familiar burden for Elizabeth Warner. She lives in a basement flat near Victoria and leaves the house only to go shopping and to have her hair done - until a chance encounter at the hairdresser's brings unexpected change. At the Hairdresser's is a deeply moving, unflinchingly observed story about trust and betrayal by one of the greatest writers of contemporary fiction.
A History of English Romanticism in the Eighteenth Century (Routledge Revivals)
by Henry A. BeersFirst published in 1926, this title presents the great artistic and literary innovations of the Romantic movement according to an often overlooked and unacknowledged definition of ‘Romanticism’, which is of particular relevance in the consideration of the English Romantic spirit: pertaining to the style of the Christian and popular literature of the Middle Ages.
A History of English Romanticism in the Eighteenth Century (Routledge Revivals)
by Henry A. BeersFirst published in 1926, this title presents the great artistic and literary innovations of the Romantic movement according to an often overlooked and unacknowledged definition of ‘Romanticism’, which is of particular relevance in the consideration of the English Romantic spirit: pertaining to the style of the Christian and popular literature of the Middle Ages.
A History of English Romanticism in the Nineteenth Century (Routledge Revivals)
by Henry A. BeersA History of English Romanticism in the Nineteenth Century, first published in 1926, presents the great artistic and literary innovations of the Romantic movement according to an often overlooked and unacknowledged definition of ‘Romanticism’, which is of particular relevance in the consideration of the English Romantic spirit: pertaining to the style of the Christian and popular literature of the Middle Ages. The author recapitulates the key contributions of English poets – including Scott, Coleridge and Keats - in light of their recovery of certain themes and leitmotifs that clearly distinguish the Romantic style. In addition, the development of the Romantic movement in France and Germany is given some attention, and the specific tendencies of their respective approaches is considered in relation to England. The emergence of the Pre-Raphaelites is investigated, and a tentative evaluation of the progress of English Romanticism in the nineteenth century is offered.
A History of English Romanticism in the Nineteenth Century (Routledge Revivals)
by Henry A. BeersA History of English Romanticism in the Nineteenth Century, first published in 1926, presents the great artistic and literary innovations of the Romantic movement according to an often overlooked and unacknowledged definition of ‘Romanticism’, which is of particular relevance in the consideration of the English Romantic spirit: pertaining to the style of the Christian and popular literature of the Middle Ages. The author recapitulates the key contributions of English poets – including Scott, Coleridge and Keats - in light of their recovery of certain themes and leitmotifs that clearly distinguish the Romantic style. In addition, the development of the Romantic movement in France and Germany is given some attention, and the specific tendencies of their respective approaches is considered in relation to England. The emergence of the Pre-Raphaelites is investigated, and a tentative evaluation of the progress of English Romanticism in the nineteenth century is offered.
A Glove Shop in Vienna and Other Stories (Macmillan Collector's Library #298)
by Eva IbbotsonEva Ibbotson has proven that romantic fiction can be funny, well written, and even a little erudite. Her novel Magic Flutes won the Romantic Novelists Association award and, along with A Company of Swans, was a Booklist Editors' Choice selection. The New York Times said of Madensky Square that "she has fine-tuned-and perhaps even enlarged-the [romantic] genre."A Glove Shop in Vienna and Other Stories is a delightful collection of eighteen of the best of Eva Ibbotson's short stories. They range from nineteeth-century Vienna to the north of England at the end of the last century, from prerevolutionary Russia to the devastated Brazilian Amazon. Each setting is magically recreated and peopled with the remarkable, memorable characters that are Ibbotson's trademark.Here , in "A Glove Shop in Vienna," the title story, Great-Uncle Max is torn between his grand and secret passion for Susie, the enchanting glove shop assistant, and the devotion of his large, opera singer wife. Here is Miss Bennett, drama mistress at the fading Markham Street Primary School, whose search for a baby Jesus for the nativity play yields unexpected and miraculous results. Nina, the beautiful chanteuse, never fails to wear a white rose for Paul, the lover who years ago disappeared to allow her success. Kira, a dancer in Russia's Imperial Ballet school, is thrown out onto the streets of St. Petersburg, and found by Edwin, a lonely dreamer. These and many more are the characters whose experience, bittersweet and incurably romantic, is the foundation for Ibbotson's vivid and unforgettable stories.
The Butterfly Picnic
by Joan Aiken'For sheer enjoyability this tops almost anything' The TimesIntelligent and spirited Georgia March flies to the beautiful Greek island of Dendros to meet her cousin Sweden, but upon arrival finds her cousin Sweden’s body lying in a pool blood . . .Georgia has come to the paradise island of Dendros in search of a new life, a new job, and a way to forget about her lost lover. Instead, her adventure begins with tragedy and takes her to a mountain-top fortress – home to a powerful multi-millionaire, his jet set friends and a school for unusual children. In this stunning Greek hideaway Georgia is hired as a teacher, but as she gets to know the children and their unconventional parents she becomes ensnared in a deadly international mystery. Our not-so hapless heroine must survive a series of bizarre brushes with death, but also deal with the attentions of a strangely charming man – is he really the wickedest man on the island? Somebody certainly wants her gone as she inches closer and closer to uncovering the truth about Sweden’s death . . . Joan Aiken reveals a strong heroine, a breathtaking backdrop and shocking plot twists – The Butterfly Picnic has all the elements of a holiday romance with a dark underside of suspense.
Castle Barebane
by Joan Aiken'Joan Aiken writes superbly, with a force, a colour and strength of imagination that one encounters all too rarely today. I loved every moment of it.' London Daily TelegraphStrong and independent Vahalla Montgomery, a heroine straight out of a Henry James novel, abandons her New York career as a journalist to search for her half-brother in Joan Aiken’s gothic novel, Castle Barebane.Wishing to escape from her pretentious New York fiancé, Valla is happy to have an excuse to travel to England, only to discover that her half-brother and his wife have disappeared from their London home – leaving their young two children all alone. Finding Victorian London a gloomy and sinister place, haunted by a series of Ripper style murders, Valla takes the children up to Scotland to a bleak family property known as Castle Barebane. In this Gothic ruin, perched on the edge of a cliff, the mystery surrounding her missing brother only gets darker, and more terrifying . . . This unforgettable tale of love, loss, and human nature is brought to life by Joan Aiken’s vivid story-telling and gripping plot. If you love Virginia Andrews or Nicola Cornick, Joan Aiken should certainly be your next read.
The Embroidered Sunset
by Joan Aiken'Miss Aiken’s book is immensely enjoyable – her gift for gothic romantic charm is as effectively deployed as ever' TLSLucy Culpepper doesn’t take no for an answer. An aspiring pianist she dreams of being taught by the renowned Max Benovek and will defy all odds – life threatening illness, a missing great aunt, and a disgruntled uncle – to achieve it.After finding out her Uncle Wilbie has used up her college fund, Lucy discovers a selection of enchantingly beautiful paintings in the attic. Being the miserly man he is, Wilbie wants to keep any possible profits for these paintings and bargains on sending Lucy to England to find the artist – Great-aunt Fennel. Knowing Benovek lives in London she snaps up the opportunity and undertakes the adventure of a lifetime. But though Benovek proves easy to find and immediately takes Lucy to heart, she sets off to Yorkshire only to find that her old aunt Fennel has vanished. Lucy’s search entangles her in a mystery of murder and deceit . . . can they discover who is the real aunt Fennel?Awardwinning author Joan Aiken brings a shocking finale to a witty and entertaining plot full of unexpected twists and turns in modern suspense novel, The Embroidered Sunset.
The Five-Minute Marriage
by Joan AikenDelphie Carteret is forced into a dangerous marriage of convenience in Joan Aiken’s stunning regency drama, The Five Minute Marriage. Delphie has been disinherited from her family’s life of luxury and wealth, and as her mother's health and wits deteriorate she has no choice but to seek help from distant relatives. However when she arrives at the family’s grand house she discovers part of their fortune is rightfully hers, and the only way to obtain her inheritance is through a sham marriage to her cousin.Unknowingly Delphie has tangled herself in a web of family rivalry and deceit which goes back for generations. Other members of the family are not just in debt but in the Marshalsea - the debtors' prison described by Dickens. Forced to maintain the charade of her marriage, Delphie is finally drawn into a dramatic fight for her life, and a surprisingly romantic finale on the roof of the family mansion . . .Joan Aiken has woven together an enchanting plot of romance and rivalry that will grip readers till the very end. Fans of Georgette Heyer should definitely make this novel their next read.
The Girl from Paris (Paget Family Saga #3)
by Joan AikenAn elegant Victorian young lady educated at a familiar sounding boarding school in Brussels (think Charlotte Bronte's Villette) and now A Girl From Paris, Ellen Paget is on a (never ending) journey of romantic adventure - often attracting the wrong kind of admiration - in the third and final of Joan Aiken’s regency dramas. Twenty-one-year old Ellen is an intelligent and spirited heroine, whisked away from her teaching profession and unsuitable romance in Brussels by her godmother to become a governess in the household of a grand Parisian Comte. But as the Count's family tensions and their literary salon scene (think George Sand and Baudelaire) are reaching sinister heights, Ellen finds gothic entanglements in the schemes of her brutal father back home in The Hermitage. She must now extract herself from all these ties and discover who her true friends are, in order to find her own happiness.Joan Aiken plunges into the hearts of two contrasting families in this dark and romantic adventure.
Last Movement
by Joan Aiken'Joan Aiken has produced a beauty . . . enjoyment rises up from every one of its 250 pages. Here is a pleasure of a book' The TimesHelikon is a unique spa on the Greek island of Drendos, run by the enigmatic Dr. Adnan from Aiken’s earlier novel, The Embroidered Sunset. In this tranquil setting outstanding musical performances combine with soothing medical treatments offer to treat a myriad of ailments, but can they heal the past?Stage manager ‘Mike’ Meiklejohn accompanied by her ailing mother and playwright Lady Julia Saint with her amnesic partner arrive at the luxury spa centre in the hope that their troubles will be healed – but their stay in this Greek idyll is soon shattered by two horrifying murders. As the women’s paths intertwine they plan to stage an opera performance of Hamlet, but the longer they spend at Helikon the more they learn about the secrets their loved ones are hiding from them . . . Full of suspense and surprise Last Movement is a holiday romance with a dark edge from awardwinning author Joan Aiken.
The Smile of the Stranger (Paget Family Saga #1)
by Joan AikenStrong, subversive heroine Juliana Paget is forced to flee from her Italian home during the French Revolution in the first of Joan Aiken’s romantic regency adventures, The Smile of a Stranger.Escaping from the horrors of revolutionary France, seventeen year old Juliana embarks on a wild and dangerous journey, crossing the channel in a hot air balloon to the supposed safety of English soil. But what awaits her is far from harmless: an evil aunt, a dangerous prospective husband, and a threatening presence from her past . . . Aiken’s plucky but disarmingly innocent heroine must learn to tell truth from fiction in this gripping romantic adventure.
The Weeping Ash (Paget Family Saga #2)
by Joan AikenTwo intertwining adventures – one of English drama and one of Indian conflict – both meet at the Paget family home in the second of Joan Aiken’s romantic regency adventures, The Weeping Ash. Aiken's earlier heroine Juliana Paget kindly lends The Hermitage Estate to her widowed cousin Thomas and his new wife Fanny – on one condition – that if their missing cousins arrive they must be welcomed in. Little does Juliana know that cousin Thomas is an abusive tyrant who torments his stoic wife, entrapping her in the beautiful Paget house. Thousands of miles away in India, twin Paget cousins Scylla, governess to the old Maharaja's family, and her poet brother Cal are fleeing for their lives with the orphaned royal heir. They must survive a perilous journey - assisted by the dashing Colonel Cameron - across Kafiristan, Afghanistan, Persia, and Turkey before finally arriving at The Hermitage Estate.But the adventure does not stop here. A dark and explosive confrontation awaits the Pagets as Aiken's two spirited heroines strive for independence in this thrilling romantic adventure.