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It’s May 1866 and Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders, full of living curiosities, comes to the coastal resort where Nell lives. Nell grows miniature flowers to sell in London and is regarded by locals as a ‘freak’ because of her prominent birthmarks. Nell’s father sells her to Jasper for…
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Accession
Small Island is a keenly examined story exploring the prejudices that existed, and still do, around racial inequality in post-WWII Britain. The novel flips back and forward from 1948 to a time before the war when two Jamaicans, Gilbert and Hortense dream of immigrating to Britain. Hortense has an image…
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Upheaval
Kate Mosse has a wonderful grasp of European (particularly French) history and with such clever unassuming detail, brings The City of Tears alive with a fictional narrative that is interlaced with fascinating real events. This is the second book in the Burning Chambers series and continues the epic adventure of Minuo…
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Warrior
Kristin Hannah’s latest novel is an outstanding historical saga sparking memories of the classic John Steinbeck story, Grapes of Wrath. Based during the great depression, the hardships and demise of small farmers and the migration of people from the Dust Bowl states in America to the land of milk…
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Broken
The Prophets is an absorbing novel, with unsettling overtones, profound and deeply moving. Masterfully written in beautiful poetic prose it enriches the soul through the dreams and expression of love amidst the most repressive and abusive life imaginable.
“Blessèd be the ones who gaze upon the night and holy are the…
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Commitment
Jeremy Vine is a popular host and commentator on BBC TV and radio, and The Diver and the Lover is his debut novel. It is a highly imaginative historical story based on the controversial painting by Salvador Dali, titled Christ of Saint John of the Cross. A fascinating premise that twists…
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Resolute
The events that surround Cher Ami and Major Charles Whittlesey during WWI are the ingredients of legends and something worth writing about. Ahem! Both contribute to an outstanding account of heroism that is unique, fascinating, gripping, and authentic to the point where it is impossible to disentangle the weave…
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Tributaries
Once Upon a Thames (River) is a beautiful story of mystery, family and community, wonderfully coloured with the art of storytelling, not only in relation to the novel itself but the celebrated pastime of locals in the story at The Swan in Radcot near Oxford. The historic Thames is the…
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Seditious
A remarkably immersive and compelling story, crafted with Eliot Pattison’s atmospheric style of vividly portraying historical fiction. Pattison provides fascinating historical detail which he weaves seamlessly into his storytelling to create an outstanding novel. A focal point of his novels is his ability to bring to life the wonderful…
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Distinctiveness
The Smallest Man is a fascinating story of an unusual man during the 17th-century reign of King Charles I of England. The religious conflict in Europe seemed focused on England and Charles was the King who contributed to England’s descent into civil war. The resulting Interregnum years when Parliament ruled…
Founder of The Reading Desk, supporting readers, authors, publishers and book industry. Top Reviewer on Amazon, Goodreads, and NetGalley peter@thereadingdesk.com
