Publisher: Good Press
A historical fiction book written by S. Weir Mitchell. This American narrative is set during the Constitutional period of 1789-1809 in Philadelphia and offers readers a captivating portrayal of historical events and characters. A rich historical read for those interested in American history and literature.
A stunning evocation of Australian life through the war to the 1950s, this novel is intimate and sweeping, immediate and dreamlike - a magical rendering of darkness and joy, and the beauty inherent in difference. For readers of Sarah Winman's Still Life, Trent Dalton's All Our Shimmering Skies and Rosalie Ham's The Dressmaker. Connie Starr was always a difficult child. Her mother knew as soon as Connie entered the world that day in Ballarat in 1934 and opened her lungs to scream, there was more chaos in the world than before and it wouldn't leave until Connie did. From the safety of a branch high in her lemon tree where she speaks to angels, she sees the world for what it is - a swirling mass of beauty and darkness, of trauma and family, of love and war and truth and lies - lies that might just undo her and drive her to a desperate act. This ambitious, complex and insightful novel intertwines numerous stories of lives from before World War II and beyond, recreating with intimacy and breadth a world that is now lost to us. This book is a brightly coloured patchwork quilt of everything from shoes to polio, lemon trees to rivers, death to life that melds into one beautiful, luminous work of art. 'The Secret World of Connie Starr will set the literary firmament ablaze. This brilliant, quintessentially Australian ode to difference, transcends time and place - it's an achingly lovely tale that shines long after the last page.' Karen Brooks, author of The Good Wife of Bath HarperCollins Australia 2022Show book
A man of faith faces a personal reckoning after working aboard HMS Beagle in this “gripping” historical novel (The Wall Street Journal). Heading off to sea at the age of thirteen, Syms Covington became Charles Darwin’s manservant for seven years, sailing on the historic voyage of the Beagle. Their relationship was an odd one, but it furnished exactly what Darwin needed in order to complete his groundbreaking work, as Covington shot and collected hundreds of specimens which became fodder for The Origin of Species. Now, as Darwin’s groundbreaking book is about to be published, Covington has retired to Australia in poor health—and in a state of moral crisis over his role in undermining the Christian faith that has supported him during his life. As the novel progresses, he looks back on his upbringing in Bedford, England; his coming of age and wholehearted enjoyment of the sensual pleasures available to young sailors; and his unceremonious dismissal by Darwin once the research was complete. “A captivating seafarer’s tale rich in period detail and insight into relations among men,” Mr. Darwin’s Shooter paints a poignant and unforgettable picture of one man forging, then struggling to maintain his faith in an era when it is constantly under attack—from science, from the daily brutality of life during colonial expansion, and from one’s own cold, inexorable logic (Publishers Weekly). “A spectacular tale of 19th-century exploration and the conflict between science and religion, all based on Charles Darwin’s famous voyage of discovery . . . Brilliant.” —Kirkus ReviewsShow book
From the Nobel Prize–winning author of The Good Earth: the New York Times–bestselling biography of Tzu Hsi, the concubine who became China’s last empress. In Imperial Woman, Pearl S. Buck brings to life the amazing story of Tzu Hsi, who rose from concubine status to become the working head of the Qing Dynasty. Born from a humble background, Tzu Hsi falls in love with her cousin Jung Lu, a handsome guard—but while still a teenager she is selected, along with her sister and hundreds of other girls, for relocation to the Forbidden City. Already set apart on account of her beauty, she’s determined to be the emperor’s favorite, and devotes all of her talent and cunning to the task. When the emperor dies, she finds herself in a role of supreme power, one she’ll command for nearly fifty years. Much has been written about Tzu Hsi, but no other novel recreates her life—the extraordinary personality, together with the world of court intrigue and the period of national turmoil with which she dealt—as well as Imperial Woman. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Pearl S. Buck including rare images from the author’s estate.Show book
In Agatha Christie’s classic, Five Little Pigs, beloved detective Hercule Poirot races to solve a case from out of the past. Beautiful Caroline Crale was convicted of poisoning her husband, but just like the nursery rhyme, there were five other “little pigs” who could have done it: Philip Blake (the stockbroker), who went to market; Meredith Blake (the amateur herbalist), who stayed at home; Elsa Greer (the three-time divorcée), who had her roast beef; Cecilia Williams (the devoted governess), who had none; and Angela Warren (the disfigured sister), who cried all the way home. Sixteen years later, Caroline’s daughter is determined to prove her mother’s innocence, and Poirot just can’t get that nursery rhyme out of his mind.Show book
A year after Germany's defeat, Gregor Reinhardt has been hired back onto Berlin's civilian police force. The city is divided among the victorious allied powers, but tensions are growing, and the police are riven by internal rivalries as factions within it jockey for power and influence with Berlin's new masters.When a man is found slain in a broken-down tenement, Reinhardt embarks on a gruesome investigation. It seems that a serial killer is on the loose, and matters only escalate when it's discovered that one of the victims was the brother of a Nazi scientist.Reinhardt's search for the truth takes him across the divided city and soon embroils him in a plot involving the Western Allies and the Soviets. And as he comes under the scrutiny of a group of Germans who want to continue the war-and faces an unwanted reminder from his own past-Reinhardt realizes that this investigation could cost him everything.Show book
This is a novel about Abilene Painter, a young woman with a drab Texas past whose fate leads her to Mexico. Here she becomes the mistress of a powerful bullfighter and rancher, Antonio Velez. Abilene is a study in the pathology of passivity, a woman who has never thought she’s had real choices. She toys with risk, playing games with men who belong to Tonio. It is also 1968, a time of student uprisings and massive demonstrations in Mexico City. Abilene, seduced by the danger, walks a fine line.Show book
