Other books that might interest you

• 

  Hearts Entwined - A Historical...

  Melissa Jagears, Karen...

  • 1
  • 6
  • 0

  Four top historical romance novelists team up in this new collection to offer stories of love and romance with a twist of humor. In Karen Witemeyer's "The Love Knot," Claire Nevin gets the surprise of her life awaiting her sister's arrival by train. Mary Connealy's "The Tangled Ties That Bind" offers the story of two former best friends who are reunited while escaping a stampede. Regina Jennings offers "Bound and Determined," where a most unusual trip across barren Oklahoma plains is filled with adventure, romance, and . . . camels? And Melissa Jagears' "Tied and True" entertains with a tale of two hearts from different social classes who become entwined at a cotton thread factory.  
   
  Each tale is a fun blend of history and romance that will delight readers.

  Show book

• 

  All the Wide Border: Wales...

  Mike Parker

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  A Waterstones Travel Book of the Year 2023 
  A funny, warm and timely meditation on identity and belonging, following the scenic route along the England–Wales border: Britain’s deepest faultline. 
  There is a line on the map: to one side Wales, small, rugged and stubborn; on the other England, crucible of the most expansionist culture the world has ever seen. It is a line that has been dug, debated, defined and defended for twenty centuries. 
  All the Wide Border is a personal journey through the places, amongst the people, and across the divides of the border between England and Wales. Taking in some of our loveliest landscapes, and our darkest secrets, this is a region of immeasurable wonder and interest. It is here that the deepest roots and thorniest paradoxes of Britishness lie. The border between the countries, even as a concept, is ragged, jagged and many-layered. 
  Garlanded author Mike Parker has adored and explored these places his entire life. Born in England but settled in Wales, he finds himself typical of many in being pulled in both directions. His journey is divided into three legs, corresponding with the watersheds of the three great border rivers: the Dee in the north, the Severn in the centre, the Wye in the south. Neither quite England nor Wales, the furzy borderland he uncovers — the March — is another country. 
  Picking apart the many notions and clichés of Englishness, Welshness and indeed Britishness, Mike Parker plays with the very idea of borders: our fascination with them, our need for them, and our response to their power. In his hands, the England–Wales frontier is revealed to be a border within us all, and it is fraying, fast. 
  Mike Parker's All the Wide Border is a compelling exploration of the England-Wales border, blending history and social commentary in a series of insightful essays. This new addition to his collection of travelogues is a top pick for anyone interested in European history and culture. 
  For fans of Tom Bullough (Sarn Helen), Gavin Ortlund (Why God Makes Sense in a World That Doesn't), Tim Hannigan (The Granite Kingdom), Chloe Dalton (Raising Hare), and Samantha Harvey (The Shapeless Unease). 
  HarperCollins 2023

  Show book

• 

  Hottentot Venus – The Story of...

  Monica Clark

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Step into the captivating life of Saartjie Baartman, an ordinary and curious 18-year-old whose dreams led her from the familiar shores of Cape Town to the distant lands of England and Paris. Little did she know that her voyage would take a tragic turn, transforming her life into a harrowing tale of exploitation and dehumanization.
   
  
   
  In this powerful biography, Saartjie’s true story is finally given a voice, allowing her to recount her experiences firsthand. From the initial promise of work as a nursery maid to the shocking reality of being displayed as an object of desire in London and Paris, her journey is one of heartbreak, resilience, and survival.
   
  
   
  As you delve into Saartjie’s own words, you will bear witness to the fear and anguish of a displaced soul in foreign lands. Her poignant narrative sheds light on the struggles faced by countless individuals torn from their homelands, forced to navigate the trials of being foreign 
  nationals in strange and unwelcoming territories.
   
  
   
  Supported by meticulous research and accurate references, this book also draws a striking parallel to the present day, where the erosion of human rights continues to fuel the alarming rise of human trafficking and bonded labor. Saartjie’s story serves as a timeless reminder of the enduring fight for justice and equality, resonating even more powerfully in a world that grapples with these same issues two centuries later.
   
  
   
  Hottentot Venus is a tribute to a remarkable woman who suffered the indignities of exploitation, but whose legacy fuels the ongoing struggle for dignity and human rights. Her voice, once silenced, now echoes through these pages, urging us to confront our past, understand our present, and forge a more compassionate future.

  Show book

• 

  Famous Figures - Exploring the...

  John Harpoon

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  This is a book bundle with four titles, which are: 
  - Eccentric Icons: Eccentricity has always held a peculiar charm, especially when it intertwines with fame. The world has an undeniable fascination with individuals who deviate from societal norms, and celebrities—already basking in the spotlight—amplify that intrigue when their beliefs and behaviors stray into the unconventional. These outliers captivate audiences not merely for their talents but for the mystique surrounding their lives and choices. 
  - Elites Unmasked: The power brokers of society have always operated behind a veil, their influence stretching across governments, corporations, and cultural institutions. These elites, shrouded in secrecy, wield disproportionate control over the mechanisms that shape our lives. This book seeks to unmask their agendas, exploring how they maintain power and why their influence often goes unchecked. 
  - Houdini's Last Trick: The story of Harry Houdini begins far from the glamour of theater stages and the awe-inspiring feats of magic that would later define his life. Born as Erik Weisz on March 24, 1874, in Budapest, Hungary, he was the fourth of seven children in a Jewish family facing the challenges of poverty. When Erik was four, his family emigrated to the United States, settling first in Appleton, Wisconsin. His father, Mayer Samuel Weisz, served as a rabbi, but his inability to sustain steady work placed the family in a constant struggle for survival. 
  - The Man Who Consumed Everything: Tarrare, a name that echoes through medical history as the embodiment of insatiable hunger, was a Frenchman whose life and condition baffled both his contemporaries and generations of scientists that followed. Born in 1772 in Lyon, France, to a poor farming family, Tarrare’s early years were marked by an extraordinary appetite that seemed to grow with him, quickly surpassing the needs of a typical child.

  Show book

• 

  Aloysha the Pot - From their...

  Leo Tolstoy

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Leo Tolstoy was born in 1828 in the Russian province of Tula to a wealthy noble family. As a child, he had private tutors but he showed little interest in any formal education. When he went to the University of Kazan in 1843 to study oriental languages and law, he left without completing his courses.  Life now was relaxed and idle but with some writing also taking place.  Gambling debts forced an abrupt change of path and he joined the army to fight in the Crimean War.  He was commended for his bravery and promoted but was appalled at the brutality and loss of life.  He recorded these and other earlier experiences in his diaries which formed the basis of several of his works. 
  In 1852 ‘Childhood’ was published to immediate success and was followed by ‘Boyhood’ and ‘Youth’. 
  His experience in the army and the horrors he witnessed resulted in ‘The Cossacks’ in 1862 and the trilogy ‘Sevastopol Tales’. After the war he travelled around Europe, visiting London and Paris and meeting such luminaries as Victor Hugo and Charles Darwin.  
  It was now that Tolstoy began his masterpiece, ‘War and Peace’. Published in 1869 it was an epic work that changed literature. He quickly followed this with ‘Anna Karenina’.  
  These successes made Tolstoy rich and helped him accomplish many of his dreams but also brought problems as he grappled with his faith and the lot of the oppressed poor. These revolutionary views became so popular that the authorities now kept him under surveillance.  
  He led a life of asceticism and vegetarianism and put his socialist ideals into practice by establishing numerous schools for the poor and food programmes. He also believed in giving away his wealth, which caused much discord with his wife.  
  His writing continued to bring forth classics such as ‘The Death of Ivan Ilyich’ and many brilliant and incisive short stories such as ‘How Much Land Does A Man Need’.  
  In 1901 Tolstoy was excommunicated from the Church and controversially deselected for the Nobel Prize for Literature. 
  Whilst undertaking a pilgrimage by train in October 1910 with his daughter Aleksandra he caught pneumonia in the nearby town of Astapovo.  Leo Tolstoy died on November 9th, 1910, he was 82.

  Show book

• 

  Hiding in Plain View

  Marcel Clarke

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  In the quiet moments of our lives, when the world slows down and reflection takes over, we often ponder the paths we’ve walked and the choices we’ve made. This book delves into the life of a young man who stood at the crossroads of failure and triumph. 
  His journey begins in the shadows of poor decisions, choices that could have defined his existence in ways both limiting and predictable. Yet, within him burned a fierce resilience, an unyielding determination to rewrite his story. It is a tale of relentless perseverance, where every setback becomes a stepping stone, and each failure a lesson in disguise. 
  As you turn these pages, you’ll be drawn into a world where hope battles despair, where dreams challenge reality, and where the human spirit rises against all odds. This is not just a story of success but of transformation, a testament to the power of will and the beauty of redemption. 
  Prepare to be inspired, moved, and reminded that our destinies are not written in stone but forged through the fires of our choices and the strength of our resolve. This is the journey of a young man who defied the odds, a journey that just might change the way you view your own.

  Show book