Beyond The Crushing Waves

Two generations face heartbreak and injustice in this poignant and emotional novel inspired by true events. Mary Roberts is an impoverished child living in a council flat in 1950’s London. When she and her sister are left at an orphanage by their mother, they don't think their lives can get any worse. Harry Evans is an orphan who finds himself, with Mary and her sister, on board a ship bound for Australia. They're sent to a farm school for children, where abuse and neglect are rife. A journey that will change their lives forever, and from which they’ll never return. Married to her dream man, and with a baby on the way, Dr Mia Sato’s life is in perfect order. When her beloved grandmother has a fall, the photograph clutched in her hand prompts Mia to ask questions her grandmother isn’t willing to answer. When she cries out a confession that rocks Mia to her core, it leads to a shocking discovery of a past filled with lies, broken families and forced child migration. Based on one of Britain's most secret and shameful real-life scandals in which over 100,000 British children were forcibly deported to Canada, South Africa, and Australia over several decades. Bronwen Pratley’s heartbreaking, captivating and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us that no matter where the journey leads us, our heart will always find its way home to those we love. For readers of Before We Were Yours and Where the Crawdad Sings. ** This book was previously published under the author name Lilly Mirren.

Two generations face heartbreak and injustice in this poignant and emotional novel inspired by true events. Mary Roberts is an impoverished child living in a council flat in 1950's London. When she and her sister are left at an orphanage by their mother, they don't think their lives can get any worse. Harry Evans is an orphan who finds himself, with Mary and her sister, on board a ship bound for Australia. They're sent to a farm school for children, where abuse and neglect are rife. A journey that will change their lives forever, and from which they'll never return. Married to her dream man, and with a baby on the way, Dr Mia Sato's life is in perfect order. When her beloved grandmother has a fall, the photograph clutched in her hand prompts Mia to ask questions her grandmother isn't willing to answer. When she cries out a confession that rocks Mia to her core, it leads to a shocking discovery of a past filled with lies, broken families and forced child migration. Based on one of Britain's most secret and shameful real-life scandals in which over 100,000 British children were forcibly deported to Canada, South Africa, and Australia over several decades. Bronwen Pratley's heartbreaking, captivating and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us that no matter where the journey leads us, our heart will always find its way home to those we love. For readers of Before We Were Yours and Where the Crawdad Sings. ** This book was previously published under the author name Lilly Mirren.

Two generations face heartbreak and injustice in this poignant and emotional novel inspired by true events. Mary Roberts is an impoverished child living in a council flat in 1950's London. When she and her sister are left at an orphanage by their mother, they don't think their lives can get any worse. Harry Evans is an orphan who finds himself, with Mary and her sister, on board a ship bound for Australia. They're sent to a farm school for children, where abuse and neglect are rife. A journey that will change their lives forever, and from which they'll never return. Married to her dream man, and with a baby on the way, Dr Mia Sato's life is in perfect order. When her beloved grandmother has a fall, the photograph clutched in her hand prompts Mia to ask questions her grandmother isn't willing to answer. When she cries out a confession that rocks Mia to her core, it leads to a shocking discovery of a past filled with lies, broken families and forced child migration. Based on one of Britain's most secret and shameful real-life scandals in which over 100,000 British children were forcibly deported to Canada, South Africa, and Australia over several decades. Bronwen Pratley's heartbreaking, captivating and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us that no matter where the journey leads us, our heart will always find its way home to those we love. For readers of Before We Were Yours and Where the Crawdad Sings. ** This book was previously published under the author name Lilly Mirren.

The USA Today Bestselling author of The Waratah Inn series, Lilly Mirren, proves there’s no place like Emerald Cove for the holidays. Adele Flannigan wants a fresh start. She’s moved back to the Cove to escape a failed affair and to repair her broken heart. When a handsome new resident in the small beachside village helps load a Christmas tree into her car, she realises there may be a chance for a Merry Christmas, after all. Cindy’s hosting Christmas, but the Flannigan family has changed in recent years and she’s nervous about how things will go. There’s been a divorce, new members added, stray dogs adopted, heartbreak, romance and even a brand new bouncing baby. Christmas at Cindy’s has the potential to be a delightful family feast, or to set off fireworks that could ruin the entire holiday. Can this blended family learn to love one another during the Christmas season or will their family be torn apart? A big family Christmas may be just what the doctor ordered for these residents of Emerald Cove. This is the fifth book in the Emerald Cove series.

Penelope Fletcher gave up everything to board the RMS Titanic. Forced to travel to America for her father's new job, Penelope left her home in Scotland, her beloved grandmother, and even her girlfriend, who promptly got engaged to someone else. Heartbroken, Penelope isn't looking forward to the weeklong journey. Or that her parents want her to find a husband in America. To make matters worse, she also has to share a cabin with a complete stranger. Ruby Cole, her spunky Irish roommate, is unlike anyone Penelope ever met. They become fast friends as they bond over crushing family expectations and sneaking into lush parties together. That Ruby likes women, too, comes as a surprise to Penelope, but she knows their affair can only be temporary. Because as soon as the Titanic arrives in New York, Penelope will have to marry someone of her father’s choosing. Before long, though, they’ll both have to decide what–and who–is really worth fighting for.

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. And, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. Now, she must choose between her village and her future, between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death? [STAR] "A bleak but gripping story...Poignant and powerful."-Publishers Weekly, Starred "A postapocalyptic romance of the first order, elegantly written from title to last line."-Scott Westerfeld, author of the Uglies series and Leviathan "Intelligent, dark, and bewitching, The Forest of Hands and Teeth transitions effortlessly between horror and beauty. Mary's world is one that readers will not soon forget."-Cassandra Clare, bestselling author of City of Bones "Opening The Forest of Hands and Teeth is like cracking Pandora's box: a blur of darkness and a precious bit of hope pour out. This is a beautifully crafted, page-turning, powerful novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it."-Melissa Marr, bestselling author of Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange "Dark and sexy and scary. Only one of the Unconsecrated could put this book down."-Justine Larbalestier, author of How to Ditch Your Fairy

Eveleigh’s Books is a staple on the island and has been for years, but a newcomer to the island might bring the shop’s downfall. Evie’s book club friends are the people in the world she relies on most. But when one of the newer members finds herself confronted with her past, the rest of the club will do what they can to help, endangering the existence of the bookshop without realising it. When Charmaine’s past comes calling, she reverts to her old way of living — running and hiding. She’s not used to having friends. But on Coral Island, everyone is a friend. And this time Charmaine will find that being part of a close knit community is the one thing that will save her. Penny and Rowan are newlyweds, but their new lifestyle comes with challenges neither one of them is used to facing. Can their marriage withstand the tension or will it be over before it’s really begun? Dani brings her boyfriend home to the island to meet her family, but he’s not the sort of son-in-law Beatrice ever imagined she’d have. Will she be able to welcome and accept this stranger into her family, or will she inadvertently push her daughter away? The Coral Island series is full of family drama, sweet romance, renewal, mystery, and friendship. This is the fifth book in the series and ends on a cliff hanger. Be sure to read books 1-4,before starting this one.

An accident that changes her life and the man who helps her to walk and to hope again. A heartwarming love story from a USA Today bestselling author. Amelia has had a tough life — parents who couldn’t raise her, a string of foster families and siblings she rarely sees. But when her favourite foster mother dies she'll stumble across something in the attic that will change everything. A wedding dress and a box full of letters that open Milly's eyes to the truth about her past. Callum's ready to move on from his career with the police force after losing his partner in an accident. A new career direction gives him a chance to start again. When he meets a woman who has lost all hope, he finds purpose in helping her rediscover herself during the most challenging season she’s ever had to face. Beautifully moving and romantic, this unforgettable love story will move you and keep the pages turning all night long. Fall in love with Amelia and Callum in “The Wedding Dress."

An old bed and breakfast by the beach and a restaurant that was burned to the ground, give Gwen an opportunity to start afresh after divorce. Emily and Aaron are dating, and she’s finally figured out which direction to take her life. She’s studying at university for the first time, and she’s moved out of Joanna’s house and into a dorm room. But independence is harder than she imagined it would be. Joanna learns that an empty house can lonely. But a friendly neighbour might be just what the doctor ordered, to help fight off the blues. And a new project will give her the boost she needs to keep moving forward. Then she welcomes an unexpected guest into her life who will shake everything up in the most delightful way. Gwen is learning to cope with her marriage breakdown and the string of girlfriends her estranged husband brings into his life. She’s navigating their messy divorce while enjoying her new beachside lifestyle as a single woman. When she spies a rundown old inn for sale, attached to the restaurant that Joanna and her husband used to own, it gives her an idea. Debbie is doing her best to bring more balance into her life, after decades of being a workaholic. She wants to heal her marriage, and she’s found that a part-time schedule with less stress, works best. That is until a disaster at the office throws more work than she can manage her way, and she finds herself back on the corporate hamster wheel instead of winding down towards retirement. If she’s not careful, the entire business, everything she’s spent her life building, may come crashing down around her. The ladies wrote a cookbook, and now it’s published and is doing well, but the publisher seems intent on only highlighting Joanna’s contributions, which causes some tension between the friends. Can their decades together help them work through the conflict, or will they be torn apart over their fifteen minutes of fame?

Winner of the 2011 Booker Prize and #1 international bestseller, The Sense of an Ending is a masterpiece. The story of a man coming to terms with the mutable past, Julian Barnes's award-winning novel is laced with his trademark precision, dexterity and insight. It is the work of one of the world's most distinguished writers. Tony Webster and his clique first met Adrian Finn at school. Sex-hungry and book-hungry, they navigated the girl drought of gawky adolescence together, trading in affectations, in-jokes, rumour and wit. Maybe Adrian was a little more serious than the others, certainly more intelligent, but they swore to stay friends forever. Until Adrian's life took a turn into tragedy, and all of them, especially Tony, moved on and did their best to forget. Now Tony is in middle age. He's had a career and a marriage, a calm divorce. He gets along nicely, he thinks, with his one child, a daughter, and even with his ex-wife. He's certainly never tried to hurt anybody. Memory, though, is imperfect. It can always throw up surprises, as a lawyer's letter is about to prove. The unexpected bequest conveyed by that letter leads Tony on a dogged search through a past suddenly turned murky. And how do you carry on, contentedly, when events conspire to upset all your vaunted truths?