Publisher: Classica Libris
The plot revolves around the 1689 Massacre of Glencoe in the wake of the Glorious Revolution. The story with intrigue, danger and conspiracies at every level. It is also known by the alternative title of The Glen o’ Weeping.
The fifteenth book in the dramatic and intriguing story about the colonisation of Australia: a country made of blood, passion, and dreams. After being accused of high treason, Michael Wexford seeks revenge upon those who took everything from him. It is 19th century Australia: Irishman Michael Wexford is unravelling his existence in the penal colonies after defying the justice system. Considered a criminal beyond reform or redemption, Michael plots his revenge. Meanwhile, siblings Kitty and Patrick Cadogan venture out to the Norfolk Island in search of their brother, praying that he is not the miscreant everyone makes him out to be.Show book
Authors are authors and we are drawn to their works because of their style, their narrative, and their characters and how each part is assembled into the arc of the whole. But are we? Do social conventions, or fashion or other influences decide what we read or what we listen to? Its famously said that everyone has a story, everyone should be heard. So, when we discover a particular author has a dark past, a difficult character, what do we do? Europe was in the last century riven by two catastrophic world wars and a myriad of other local ones. And like good citizens everywhere our thoughts are stilled by the word ‘Fascist’. This word which originally meant many strands held together to make a stronger whole is now a one word response to evil and work done in its name. In this volume our approach has been to take authors of then great renown, two of whom won the Nobel Prize, and compile a work from each which is seen in a literary context rather than in the heinous shadow of their political and social beliefs. We are taught that authors write of their own experiences, but is that really true? Can an author be separated from their nihilistic approach to politics and actually be a good writer who adds to our knowledge and experience rather than taint us with their reprehensible beliefs on their fellow man. Its an ongoing argument. Perhaps both sides are right. Perhaps both sides are wrong.Show book
In turn of the century England, the Jolivet family lives a charmed existence. Daughters of a wealthy vineyard owner and a French pianist, aspiring actress Marguerite, the eldest of three, and her sister Inez, a virtuosa violinist, move to London. Soon the two are being celebrated in the highest social circles. Marguerite takes the stage name Rita, and quickly draws the attention of legendary theater producer Charles Frohman. While filming in Italy, she's courted by a charismatic aristocrat, while Inez has already found love and travels the world with her husband. Yet soon, war is raging across Europe. While in New York, Rita receives word from Inez that their brother is about to enlist. Hoping to see him, Rita books a ticket on the fastest steamer available: the RMS Lusitania. But the ship sails under a British flag, and the German government warns that all such vessels are fair game. Few believe Germany would risk attacking a ship carrying Americans. Once aboard, Rita is delighted to discover both Charles and her brother-in-law as fellow passengers. The days pass in a haze of pleasurable pursuits, and the comforts of the luxury ocean liner are almost enough to calm Rita's unease. But as the ship nears Liverpool, every assumption will be tested, and Rita, her family, and the world, will be changed forever by the voyage's infamous and catastrophic end . . .Show book
It's 1912, and protagonist Helen Fox is a factory worker living in New York's tenements. When tragedy strikes in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, Helen is seduced by the Suffragist cause and is soon immersed, working alongside famous activists. As Helen's involvement with the cause deepens, she encounters myriad sources of tension that test her perseverance: estrangement from her husband, who is blindsided by his wife's sudden activism; ostracization by neighbors; unease at working side by side with wealthier suffragettes; and worry about her children as she leaves them to picket the White House in Washington. The narrative spans World War One and concludes with the triumph of 1919. In a time when the obstacles for women, from any background, were insurmountable, Helen discovers her voice as an independent woman and dreams of equality in a male-dominated society.Show book
A train seems a very reliable mode to bring out the best in authors and sometimes the worst in their fictional characters. In this volume our narratives are usually set inside the carriage compartment where they are really are up close and personal with each other. All our authors need to do is to light the touchpaper and stand well back.Show book
Bologna, 1575. A talented seamstress. A powerful merchant. A fierce battle of wills Elena Morandi has gained a fragile foothold in a master tailor's workshop, despite the profession being barred to women. But then Antonio della Fontana, a powerful man from her past, crosses her path and threatens everything she has built. Fontana has every corner of the city in his pocket and Elena knows all too well of his past abuses, but driven to fight for justice, she hatches a daring plan to get retribution for herself, a lost friend and his other victims. The sights, sounds and textures of Renaissance Italy are brought to vivid life in this breathtaking historical fiction debut.Show book
