Lovers are torn apart in World War Two & a mother & daughter separated by guilt & shame in a stunning new novel from the author ...

It is 1964 & Maya Angelou is on her way back home leaving behind her beloved
- & now seriously teenage
- son Guy to finish university

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On 7 July 2005 Julie Nicholsons life was changed forever. Her daughter Jenny was killed on her way to work in the London bombings shaking Julies beliefs. With heartbreaking honesty & integrity Julie tells her story of love tragedy & heartache for the first time. Jenny Nicolson was travelling to work when a bomb exploded at Edgware Road Tube station. Her mother Reverend Julie Nicholson struggled to comprehend the tragedy her sorrow & longing for her daughter turning to rage & anger. Finding herself unable to articulate the three parts of the Eucharist: peace reconciliation & forgiveness because she felt so far from those herself Julie made the difficult decision to resign her role as priest-in-charge of St Aidan with St George Church Bristol unable to reconcile her feelings with her position. She continued working with the church in a youth arts project. ...

When Ellen Carr abandons grey dreary London to become housekeeper at an experimental school in Austria she finds her destiny. Swept into an idyllic world of mountains music eccentric teachers & wayward children Ellen brings order & joy to all around her. But it's the handsome mysterious gardener Marek who intrigues her -- Marek who has a dangerous secret. As Hitler's troops spread across Europe Ellen has promises to keep even if they mean she must sacrifice her future happiness.. . An unforgettable love story from the award-winning author of Journey to the River Sea & The Star of Kazan. ...

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORANGE PRIZE FOR FICTION 2012 Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus an awkward young prince has been exiled to the court of King Peleus & his perfect son Achilles. Despite their differences Achilles befriends the shamed prince & as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war & medicine their bond blossoms into something deeper
- despite the displeasure of Achilless mother Thetis a cruel sea goddess. But when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped Achilles must go to war in distant Troy & fulfill his destiny. Torn between love & fear for his friend Patroclus goes with him little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.
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The war is ending perhaps ended. For the castle & its occupants the troubles are just beginning. Armed gangs roam a lawless land where each farm & house supports a column of dark smoke. Taking to the roads with the other refugees anonymous in their raggedness seems safer than remaining in the ancient keep. However the lieutenant of an outlaw band has other ideas & the castle becomes the focus for a dangerous game of desire deceit & death. Iain Banks masterly novel reveals his unique ability to combine gripping narrative with a relentlessly voyaging imagination. The narrative technique & sheer brio of A SONG OF STONE reveal a great novelist at the height of his powers. ...

A long time ago magic faded away leaving behind only yo-yos the extremely useful compass-pointing-to-North enchantment & the spell that keep bicycles from falling over. Things are about to change. Magical power is on the rise & King Snodd IV of Hereford has realised that he who controls magic controls almost anything. One person stands between Snodd & his plans for power & riches beyond the wildest dreams of avarice. Meet Jennifer Strange sixteen-year-old acting manager of Kazam the employment agency for sorcerers & soothsayers. With only one functioning wizard & her faithful assistant Tiger Prawns Jennifer must use every ounce of ingenuity to derail King Snodds plans. It may involve a trip on a magic carpet at the speed of sound to the Troll Wall the mysterious Transient Moose & a powerless sorceress named Once Magnificent Boo. But one thing is certain: Jennifer Strange will not relinquish the noble powers of magic to big business & commerce without a fight. ...

A long time ago Magic faded away leaving behind only yo-yos the extremely useful compass-pointing-to-North enchantment & the spell that keeps bicycles from falling over. Things are about to change. Magical power is on the rise & King Snodd IV of Hereford has realised that he who controls Magic controls almost anything. Only one person stands between Snodd & his plans for unimaginable power & riches. Meet Jennifer Strange sixteen-year-old acting manager of Kazam the employment agency for sorcerers & soothsayers. She may only have one functioning Wizard & her faithful assistant ' Tiger' Prawns to help her. But one thing is certain: she will not relinquish the noble powers of Magic to big business & commerce without a fight. ...

Ligea's son Arrant leaves Tyrans for Kardiastan to take his place as Mirager-heir while Ligea prepares to halt an insurrection. But Arrant's skills as a Magoroth are dangerously inconsistent & his father Temellin finds it difficult to communicate with this secretive young man he barely knows. Arrant's singular ability to communicate with his half-brother Tarran
- a part of the collective mind known as the Mirage Makers
- leads them both towards the possibility of a tragic clash with the encroaching Ravage. As Arrant's enemies among the Magoroth plot to ruin his family & his future as heir he begins to realise there is a greater mystery to solve if he is to prevail.

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Complete with full-colour heyday-of-home-play-inspired art for each song & a lavishly produced hardcover carrying case (and when necessary ukulele notation) Song Reader" is an experiment in what an album can be in the 21st century. Beautifully illustrated by Marcel Dzama Leanne Shapton Josh Cochran Jessica Hische & others " Song Reader" has been designed by Beck with the help of Mc Sweeneys for release in December 2012. The 20 songs here including two instrumentals are as exciting as youd expect from their author but if you want to hear " Do We? We Do" or " Dont Act Like Your Heart Isnt Hard" bringing them to life depends on you the reader. Edition Notes: 9.5" 12.5" 108 pages (comprising 20 individual full-colour song booklets
- 18 featuring original lyrics & 2 instrumentals
- with covers from more than a dozen different artists)."

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