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Like Water For Chocolate
THE INTOXICATING INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER ABOUT LOVE, COOKING AND MAGIC. PERFECT FOR FANS OF JOANNE HARRIS AND ISABEL ALLENDE.'This magical, mythical, moving story of love, sacrifice and summering sensuality is something I will savour for a long time' MAUREEN LIPMANLike Water For Chocolate tells the captivating story of the De la Garza family. As the youngest daughter, Tita is forbidden by Mexican tradition to marry. Instead, she pours all of her emotions into her delicious recipes, which she shares with readers along the way.When Tita falls in love with Pedro, he is seduced by the magical food she cooks. Unfortunately, he's married to her sister...Filled with recipes, longing and bittersweet humour, this charming story of one family's life in turn-of-the-century Mexico has captivated readers all over the world and was made into an award-winning film.'A joy... Has an energetic charm that's quite impossible to resist' LITERARY REVIEW'An epic love story with recipes and a sprinkling of magical realism' WASHINGTON POST'Enchanting...an open-eyed fairy story complete with ugly sister' BARBARA TRAPIDO'A Mexican culinary romance to make the mouth water' SHE'Ingenious' INDEPENDENT
Swift as Desire
As the millions of fans of Like Water for Chocolate know, Laura Esquivel is a romanticist whose novels explore the power of love and the truths of the human heart. She returns to those themes in Swift as Desire, the story of a loving and passionate man who has the gift of bringing happiness to everyone except his own wife.The hero of this novel is Júbilo Chi, a telegraph operator who is born with the ability to “hear” people’s true feelings and respond to their most intimate, unspoken desires. His life changes forever the day he falls deeply and irrevocably in love with Lucha, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy family. She believes money is necessary to insure happiness, while for Júbilo, who is poor, love and desire are more important than possessions. But their passion for each other enables them to build a happy life together -- until their idyll is shattered by a terrible event that drives them bitterly apart. Only years later, as Júbilo lies dying, is his daughter able to unravel the mystery behind her parents’ long estrangement and bring about a surprising reconciliation.
Malinche
From the bestselling author of Like Water for Chocolate, an extraordinary retelling of the passionate and tragic love affair during the conquest of the Aztecs between the conquistador Cortés and his interpreter, Malinalli.A brilliant and multilingual woman, Malinalli has been reviled throughout Mexican history for the betrayal of her people—but her role was actually much more complex. When a young Malinalli's tribe was conquered and enslaved by the Aztec warriors, her grandmother imparted to her that their founding forefather god, Quetzalcoatl, had abandoned them—but he was destined to return with the rising sun and save her tribe from captivity. When the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés first arrives, she—like many—believes he is the reincarnated forefather god of her tribe, here to free them. With her talent for linguistics, Malinalli became an indespensable guide and translator for Cortés. In the hopes of freeing her people—and wanting to please this supposed god—she welcomes Cortés and assumes her new role as an interpreter for the Spanish. Throughout their travels and various conquests, Cortés and Malinalli gradually fall passionately in love. But it's not long before Malinalli realizes that Cortés's thirst for conquest is all too human, and that he is willing to destroy anyone, even his own men, and even their own love.
No Longer Human
The poignant and fascinating story of a young man who is caught between the breakup of the traditions of a northern Japanese aristocratic family and the impact of Western ideas. Mine has been a life of much shame. I can’t even guess myself what it must be to live the life of a human being. Portraying himself as a failure, the protagonist of Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human narrates a seemingly normal life even while he feels himself incapable of understanding human beings. His attempts to reconcile himself to the world around him begin in early childhood, continue through high school, where he becomes a “clown” to mask his alienation, and eventually lead to a failed suicide attempt as an adult. Without sentimentality, he records the casual cruelties of life and its fleeting moments of human connection and tenderness. Still one of the ten bestselling books in Japan, No Longer Human is an important and unforgettable modern classic: “The struggle of the individual to fit into a normalizing society remains just as relevant today as it was at the time of writing.” (The Japan Times)
The Setting Sun
This powerful novel of a nation in social and moral crisis was first published by New Directions in 1956. Set in the early postwar years, it probes the destructive effects of war and the transition from a feudal Japan to an industrial society. Ozamu Dazai died, a suicide, in 1948. But the influence of his book has made "people of the setting sun" a permanent part of the Japanese language, and his heroine, Kazuko, a young aristocrat who deliberately abandons her class, a symbol of the anomie which pervades so much of the modern world.
A Matter of Honour
'If there were a Nobel Prize for storytelling, Archer would win' - The Daily TelegraphThe opening of a letter leads to a desperate chase across Europe in A Matter of Honour by Jeffrey Archer, one of the world’s bestselling novelists.Adam Scott listens to the reading of his father’s will, aware that the contents can only be meagre. The Colonel, after all, had nothing to leave – except a letter he had never opened himself, a letter that could only bring further disgrace to the family name.Against his mother’s advice, Adam opens the letter. Immediately, he realizes that his life can never be the same again. The contents leave him with no choice but to follow a course of action – one his father would have described as a matter of honour . . .*****Praise for Jeffrey Archer: 'Probably the greatest storyteller of our age' – Mail on Sunday'Archer has a gift for plot that can only be described as genius' – The Daily Telegraph'Stylish, witty and constantly entertaining' – The Times
Queuing for the Queen
'Beautifully sensitive, quietly reflective, this absorbing tale about a group of strangers brought together following the death of Queen Elizabeth II is an absolute triumph.' LoveReading debut of the monthOne queue. 250,000 people. Twenty-four life-changing hours.A young boy wearing a cereal box crown, impatiently dragging his mother behind him.A friendly man in a khaki raincoat, talking about his beloved Leeds United to anyone who will listen.An elderly woman who has lived her life alongside the Queen, and is just hoping she'll make it to the end of the queue to say goodbye.And among them, a British Indian mother and daughter, driven apart by their differences, embarking on a pilgrimage which neither of them yet know will change their lives forever.Full of secrets and surprises, this uplifting novel celebrates not only the remarkable woman who defined an era and a country, but also the diverse and unique people she served for so long.
The Unravelling
The Unravelling is a captivating historical fiction set in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, and the United Kingdom during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The novel depicts the military, political, and tribal intrigues that led to the country's collapse as its disenfranchised black population, with the support of two global super powers, China and Russia, took up arms to break free from Rhodesia’s colonial past. You will meet two young men, Nick and Sipho, who have a deep love for the country of their birth and for its endangered elephant and rhino herds which are facing an existential threat from poaching. During the Rhodesian Bush War both men had served with distinction with the Rhodesian African Rifles (RAR) and had become stalwart brothers in armsFollowing his demobilisation from the RAR in July 1980 Nick had been accepted into the University of Edinburgh. He travels to the UK to begin this new chapter of his life. There he meets Rachel Dixon who is a student at Oxford University. Rachel is the only daughter of a controversial but highly successful English businessman named Stuart Dixon. Stuart had worked with Nick’s father, Matthew Sinclair, to help broker some of Rhodesia’s tobacco sanction busting deals.The two students fall in love and in July 1981 Nick brings Rachel back to Zimbabwe for a month long holiday.Sipho remains in Zimbabwe. He is a patriot from the Ndebele nation. He loves his tribal heritage but loves his country more. Following the disbandment of the RAR he joins the new Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and serves it with distinction. However, despite such service he becomes the victim of shameful tribal discrimination by the ZNA hierarchy.You will also meet Johannes du Toit. Johannes is a callous white man with a love for power and money. During the Rhodesian Bush War, he had served with the elite Rhodesian Light Infantry which was the country’s pre-eminent counter-insurgency unit. Johannes had however gone AWOL in September 1978 when he fled from the country when his illegal poaching activities came to light. Johannes returns to Zimbabwe in July 1981 to resurrect his nefarious rhino poaching activities.Fate had predestined that circumstances would bring Nick, Sipho, Rachel and Johannes together at a place called Mhuka Ranch in southeast Zimbabwe in 1981. Here a lethal encounter takes place which leaves three people dead. The truth of what happened on that fateful day remains unknown to the public but will be revealed to the reader.
A Christmas Wish at Woolworths
Kent, 1953. The Woolworths Erith store, a beloved cornerstone of the community, faces closure if the December turnover fails to increase. And, as if store manager Betty Billington doesn't have enough on her plate, personnel shortages and a troublesome new employee add to the strife.With Christmas on the horizon, Betty and her staff must strive to find solutions to improve business and keep the store running – from special events for late-night customers to a festive group trip into central London. The Erith Players pantomime also promises to draw a crowd, injecting excitement into the local community.With the store festooned with decorations, lifting the spirits of customers and Betty, can a Christmas miracle save their beloved store?A Christmas Wish at Woolworths is the next instalment in Elaine Everest’s much-loved Woolworths series – a heartfelt tale of resilience, community and an unwavering spirit during hard times.This is the tenth book in the Woolworths series, following Celebrations for the Woolworths Girls.
Love Will Find a Way
Cliffehaven, December 1946From a hill above the town of Cliffehaven, a young woman makes a heart-breaking choice that will change the course of her life forever.Hours later, a baby is found in the Nativity crib of the local church.Who could have left him there, and why?The mystery preoccupies everyone in Cliffehaven - not least Peggy Reilly, who has enough to contend with at Beach View Boarding House without this extra secret to unravel.What's certain is that the whole community will pull together to keep the baby safe - and to support his mother when the truth of her identity is finally discovered...The latest gripping installment in Ellie Dean's Cliffehaven series, With Promises to Keep, is available to pre-order now!
Mr Einstein's Secretary
BEHIND MANY GREAT MENSTOOD ONE WOMANAll Hanna Fischer ever wanted to do was to study physics - but her world is suddenly turned upside-down and she is catapulted into a new and extraordinary life: as a secretary, a scientist, a sister and a spy.From racist gangs in Berlin to mobsters in New York City, and Hitler's inner circle during the Second World War, Hanna encounters some of history's greatest minds and most terrible moments, all while desperately trying to stay alive.She is a most unique secretary and she will work for many bosses - from shrewd businessmen to vile Nazis, to the greatest boss of them all, Mr Albert Einstein . . .**** PRAISE FOR #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER MATTHEW REILLY'Thrilling, action-packed adventure from cover to cover' Guardian'Nobody writes action like Matthew Reilly' Vince Flynn'Get ready for a wild ride' Daily Telegraph'Exciting and entertaining' Chicago Sun-Times'An action hero worthy of Lee Child' Sydney Morning HeraldUndeniably addictive' Financial Times
Last House
“A richly detailed, slow-burning family saga distinguished by incisive psychological insight and masterful research. . . Shattuck is such a good writer, giving us swaths of cultural and historical background as gracefully and intelligently as she parses the emotional depths of her characters. Every note in the novel rings clear and true.” — Kate Christensen, New York Times Book Review From the New York Times bestselling author of The Women in the Castle comes a sweeping story of a nation on the rise, and one family’s deeply complicated relationship to the resource that built their fortune and fueled their greatest tragedy, perfect for fans of The Dutch House and Great Circle.It’s 1953, and for Nick Taylor, WWII veteran turned company lawyer, oil is the key to the future. He takes the train into the city for work and returns to the peaceful streets of the suburbs and to his wife, Bet, former codebreaker now housewife, and their two children, Katherine and Harry. Nick comes from humble origins but thanks to his work for American Oil, he can provide every comfort for his family, including Last House, a secluded country escape. Deep in the Vermont mountains, the Taylors are free from the stresses of modern life. Bet doesn’t have to worry about the Russian H-bombs that haunt her dreams, and the children roam free in the woods. Last House is a place that could survive the end of the world.It’s 1968, and America is on the brink of change. Protestors fill the streets to challenge everything from the Vietnam War to racism in the wake of MLK’s shooting—to the country's reliance on Big Oil. As Katherine makes her first forays into adult life, she’s caught up in the current of the time and struggles to reconcile her ideals with the stable and privileged childhood her Greatest Generation parents worked so hard to provide. But when the Movement shifts in a more radical direction, each member of the Taylor family will be forced to reckon with the consequences of the choices they’ve made for the causes they believed in.Spanning multiple generations and nearly eighty years, Last House tells the story of one American family during an age of grand ideals and even greater downfalls. Set against the backdrop of our nation’s history, this is an emotional tour de force that digs deeply into questions of inheritance and what we owe each other—and captures to stunning effect the gravity of time, the double edge of progress, and the hubris of empire.