FICTION

'Psykhe is the perfect winter read.'GUARDIAN'This romance is lush and forbidden, pushing and folding the peaks and troughs of the narrative to its final conclusion.'ARTSHUBKate Forsyth infuses the story of Psyche and Eros with new vigour as a life-affirming celebration of female strength, sexual desire, and empowerment.It is not wise to anger the gods ... or to fall in love with one. Fair as Venus, the goddess of love, and with the hard-won ability to save the lives of those of mortal blood, Psykhe is both shunned and revered.When she unwittingly provokes Venus, she and her sisters lose everything. Psykhe must find a way to make amends and support her family. Befriended by an old woman, Nokturna, Psykhe finds herself irresistibly drawn to her young friend, Ambrose. But neither is what they seem.For Psykhe has fallen in love with a man whose face she is forbidden to see. After disobeying this injunction, she must risk everything to try to save him, even if it means travelling down to the shadowy Underworld to face Proserpina, queen of the dead.

The Show Woman WHATEVER LIFE BRINGS, THE SHOW MUST GO ON ...1910. With the disappearance of her mother and the sudden death of her father, Lena instantly loses any security she has within the circus she has known all her life. She is advised to sell the carousel her father cared for like a child and look for a husband, or a job in a factory. Until flame-haired Violet, known to all in the fairgrounds as 'the greatest trapeze artist that ever lived', suggests they go it alone with their own, all-female act. With her outspoken ways and her refusal to marry, Violet is as much an outcast as Lena. What do they have to lose? Recruiting new performers including bareback horse-rider Rosie, on the run from her abusive father, and Carmen whose rainbow ribbons hide the darkness in her past, the four women form an unbreakable bond.Thrust into a harsh and dangerous world that treats them with suspicion, disdain and even violence, they must forge their own path in search of freedom, security, and love.Deeply rooted in the Edwardian era, THE SHOW WOMAN is brilliantly realised and expertly interlaces strong female characters, deeply-woven family secrets and heartfelt love stories.'Absolutely loved soaking up the atmosphere of the circus and fairground in The Show Woman. There's hardship and excitement and mystery and joy in this novel, and I couldn't stop turning the pages' Sarah L. Brooks, author of The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands.

The Midnight Carousel Water for Elephants meets Moulin Rouge in this spellbinding tale of a beautiful carousel that causes people to inexplicably vanish into thin air . . . Paris, 1900Carousel-maker Gilbert works tirelessly to finish his masterpiece in time for the city's Exposition Universelle. But Gilbert is struggling in the wake of his wife and son's tragic deaths, and as he finalises his creation, a dangerous idea forms in his mind . . .Chicago, 1920Having come to America for a new life, when Maisie unearths a neglected carousel, she seizes the chance for a new destiny. But twenty years ago, the carousel was linked to a number of people inexplicably disappearing - and now history has begun to repeat itself . . .

A heart-wrenching romance set around WWII that was shortlisted for 2023 Fogarty Literary Award.  Sarah Willis longs to free herself from the expectations of a privileged upbringing, while Winston Keller can't afford the luxury of a dream. Despite their differences, the pair are drawn together in a whirlwind romance that defies the boundaries of class. But when a dark family secret pulls the young lovers apart, and WWII plunges the world into chaos, it seems impossible they will ever find their way back to each other - or even hold onto the dream of what might have been.

Based on the true story of Tasma Walton’s ancestor, a powerful, heart-wrenching novel about maternal love that endures against pitiless odds. Kidnapped by sealers and enslaved far from her homeland, Nannertgarrook has a spirit that refuses to bow … From her idyllic life in sea country in Nerrm (Port Phillip Bay, Victoria), Nannertgarrook is abducted and taken to a slave market, leaving behind a husband, daughter and son. Pregnant when seized, she soon gives birth to another son, whom she raises with the children of her fellow captives. Nannertgarrook is separated not only from her Boonwurrung family, but from her birthright – the ceremonies she once was so joyously part of, the majestic whales who are her totem, the land and sky and sea country and its creatures. All these things she loves as deeply as she does her blood kin. But now, as her reality becomes profoundly different, she must keep that family and her old life alive in her mind. Their rich, pulsating elements sing to us through her beautiful voice, even while Nannertgarrook herself is subjected to the worst of humanity. This sweeping novel asks us to consider who, in colonial history, were the real savages, and what it truly means to be civilised.

For fans of Burial Rites and Elmet, when the preserved body of a woman is discovered in a bog near an isolated village community, rumours begin to fly. To some, the body is an omen, heralding misfortune to come. To others, hers is a story waiting to be told.<p>'A striking debut, filled with folkloric mystery and yearning. Read it, then read it again' Amy Twigg, author of Spoilt Creatures'A muddy, pastoral fable written with an equal measure of beauty and morbidity. Completely enthralling.' Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb'An extraordinary sense of place and time, written by an exciting new voice' Radio Times (Best Books 2025)Who will cast the first stone?1915, the Cabrach, Aberdeenshire. An isolated Scottish community is disturbed by a strange discovery- a body in a peat bog, perfectly preserved. Two people haul the body from the ground- Lizzie, the wife of a wealthy local landowner, and Johnny, a nomadic singer and farm hand. At hearthside and inn, people whisper- what have we unearthed?</p><p>One unveiling brings others. For Lizzie, tenacious but trapped, the discovery reveals unanswered questions about her past while for Johnny, it threatens to uncover a history he's trying to outrun.</p><p>As their stories entwine, a series of unsettling events befalls the isolated community- ruinous weather, a damaged soldier, strange occurrences that cannot be explained. Against the echoes of distant war, and with the boundaries blurring between right and wrong, everyone is looking for someone to blame...</p>

An exceptional novel set in the 1930s Dust Bowl about magic, memory and land; above all, a reckoning with America's wilfully forgotten history'A pure dust storm of utter genius' DAISY JOHNSON'As profound as it is wonderfully strange' LAUREN GROFF'Russell has rendered with soul and urgency the vast inexpressible ache at the heart of American gratitude' KAVEH AKBARWhat do we choose to remember and what do we allow ourselves to forget?Visit the Antidote of Uz - a prairie witch who can keep your memories safe. Speak into her emerald-green earhorn, and your secrets, your shames, your private joys, will leave your mind and enter hers.Until the Black Sunday storm, which flattens wheatfields, buries houses and vaporizes every memory stored inside the Antidote. She wakes up empty - as bankrupt as America. If her customers ever discover the truth, her life will be in danger.To the Antidote's surprising defence comes Asphodel - young tearaway, girls' basketball captain and aspiring prairie witch - who won't take no for an answer. Along with her Polish wheat-farmer uncle and a New Deal photographer with an enchanted camera, they must confront what has cursed this town- its land on the brink of ruin and its people on the edge of starvation. Apart, they run from the memories that have brought them here. Together, they face down the storm coming their way.The Antidote is above all a reckoning with a nation's forgetting - the wilful omissions passed down from generation to generation. This gripping Dust Bowl epic echoes with urgent warnings for our own time, daring us to imagine what might have been - and what still could be.'Karen Russell is one in a million' New York Times'This novel swept me up and carried me away' TOMMY ORANGE

By Her Hand The engrossing and propulsive historical fiction debut from a talented new writer, for readers of Geraldine Brooks' Year of Wonders, Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet, Lauren Groff's Matrix, Robyn Cadwallader's The Anchoress, Pip Williams's The Dictionary of Lost Words. She must write her rage ... to win her war. Peak District, Mercia, AD 910: a young girl, Freda works hard to avoid her father's temper, while longing for his approval. She loves foraging in the woods and hearthside stories of heroes. Secretly she thinks in poetry and dreams of one day being able to write; her quills are grass stalks and sticks, her parchment the sky, the earth, her skin. But Freda's world is at war, and when her village is decimated in a savage raid and her father goes missing, Freda must find the strength to survive. Taken in by the church, her only options are a life of servitude or prayer. But the cunning bishop sees an opportunity. As well as teaching Freda to write, he uses her survival as evidence of a miracle so as to attract pilgrims who bring wealth. As Freda chafes against the bishop's increasing control, she develops a friendship with the Mercian leader Ethelflæd, Lady of the Mercians, who shows her what it is to lead as a woman in a world that worships warrior kings. Soon Freda must choose. Does she remain the powerless, subservient quill whose fate lies in the hands of another, or does she fight for the right to create - and write - her own story? 'A dazzling debut. Marvellous.' Robyn Mundy, Cold Coast 'A remarkable feat of storytelling. I wept as I read, in recognition of bravery, grief and longing' Michelle Tom, Ten Thousand Aftershocks 'Deft, vivid, intimate story-telling which reels us into a past that casts a bright, penetrating light' Sally Colin-James, One Illumined Thread 'I sank into this novel, knowing myself in sure hands. With meticulous research and deep empathy, Taffe invites us into the world of the tenth century, so unlike our own and yet, we discover, also familiar, a place of beauty and brutality, poetry and pain, longing and loss.' Robyn Cadwallader, The Anchoress

The Jam Maker Jam is sweet but it can also burn. Tasmania, 1874. Growing up in the impoverished tenements along the Hobart Rivulet, Harriet Brown is used to doing whatever it takes to survive. Including, at just twelve years old, shearing off her hair and pretending to be a boy to secure a job as label-paster at the George Peacock and Sons jam factory. Four years later, the deceit becomes too much to bear and Harriet risks everything on the chance at a future with her ambitious friend and workmate Henry Jones. But this decision forces her into a new deception: play the role of expert jam maker, or else be cast out onto the streets. As the secrets and lies grow, Harriet is driven to more and more desperate choices. Choices that will end with a dangerous secret which, if discovered, could destroy not only her life but the lives of those she loves and protects. Intertwined with the fascinating history of the Tasmanian jam industry and the striking historical figure Henry Jones, The Jam Maker is a tale of danger, deceit and the desperate measures one woman will take to succeed in love and life. PRAISE: 'Brought to vivid life with richness, colour, and incredible warmth, the prose sings in this bitter-sweet Tasmanian tale of triumph over adversity, love, loyalty and the ties that bind and divide. The Jam Maker is another irresistible story from Mary-Lou Stephens, one that will sweep you into its heart and linger in yours. Simply delicious.' Bestselling Australian author Karen Brooks

A moving and inspiring WWII novel of friendship and courage, based on the true events of the Bangka Island Massacre, by the bestselling author of The Drifter.  'A powerful and absorbing story of friendship and courage, bringing to life a history that should never be forgotten. I could not put this book down, even as it broke my heart.' Kelly Rimmer  In 1941, country girls Minnie Hodgson and Margot McNee set sail from Perth, Australia, for Singapore in search of adventure, full of excitement and keen to do their part working as nurses to the fallen soldiers in a time of war. What they encounter is an army of new friends and the terrors of a city under siege. When the Japanese attack and Singapore falls, they are forced to flee aboard the Vyner Brooke. The ship is bombed, resulting in utter devastation. Separated in the mayhem, one group of nurses find themselves in prisoner-of-war camps for the duration of the war, surviving on their wits, with humour, dignity, loyalty and determination. But another group of young Australian nurses - the girls on the beach - are washed ashore on Bangka Island, where they will meet a fate that must never be forgotten. Inspired by the author's own family story, this is an unforgettable novel of enduring friendship and boundless courage, based on the shocking true events of the Bangka Island Massacre. It is both a riveting tale and an important tribute to our brave nurses who sacrificed so much during World War II. Â Praise for Anthea Hodgson- 'A beautifully woven story which absolutely broke my heart and then mended it in the most bittersweet way.' Amazon 'The Drifter heralds the arrival of a strong and fresh new voice in Australian rural literature.' Book Muster Down Under

The Alice Network <strong>NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY BESTSELLER</strong><strong>#1 GLOBE AND MAIL HISTORICAL FICTION BESTSELLER</strong><strong>One of NPR's Best Books of 2017!</strong><strong>One of Bookbub's Biggest Historical Fiction Books of 2017!</strong><strong>Reese Witherspoon Book Club Summer Reading Pick!</strong><strong>The 2017 Girly Book Club Book of the Year!</strong><strong><strong>A Summer Book Pick from Good Housekeeping, Parade, Library Journal, Goodreads, Liz and Lisa, and BookBub</strong></strong> <strong>In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.</strong> <em>1947.</em> In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister. <em>1915</em>. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the "Queen of Spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose. Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no matter where it leads. <strong>“Both funny and heartbreaking, this epic journey of two courageous women is an unforgettable tale of little-known wartime glory and sacrifice. Quinn knocks it out of the park with this spectacular book!”—Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of <em>America's First Daughter</em></strong>

The Four Winds Kristin Hannah is a New York Times bestselling author. She is a former lawyer turned writer and is the mother of one son. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest near Seattle, and Hawaii. Her first novel published in the UK, Night Road, was one of eight books selected for the UK’s 2011 TV Book Club Summer Read, and her novel The Nightingale was a New York Times number one bestseller, selling almost three million copies worldwide.

Multimillion copy bestselling author Wilbur Smith returns with a brand-new historical epic set in Africa.