Under The Bright Blue Sky

One day in 1914, a young man took to the air, and a legend was born... Dicken Quinney never forgot that first flight in a fragile contraption of sealing-wax and string, the start of a lifelong obsession with flying. He was to spend the next four years in the deadly cut-and-thrust of aerial dogfights over France and Italy, collecting a chestful of medals, and a reputation as one of the Great War’s leading aces. He would hone his skills in an array of aircraft, and as the war reaches its climax, he must undergo one final test in order to emerge victorious. And with his life intact. A love letter to aviation, perfect for fans of W. E. Johns and Wilbur Smith.

It's 1942: Tomi Itano, 12, is a second-generation Japanese American who lives in California with her family on their strawberry farm. Although her parents came from Japan and her grandparents still live there, Tomi considers herself an American. She doesn't speak Japanese and has never been to Japan. But after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, things change. No Japs Allowed signs hang in store windows and Tomi's family is ostracized. Things get much worse. Suspected as a spy, Tomi's father is taken away. The rest of the Itano family is sent to an internment camp in Colorado. Many other Japanese American families face a similar fate. Tomi becomes bitter, wondering how her country could treat her and her family like the enemy. What does she need to do to prove she is an honorable American? Sandra Dallas shines a light on a dark period of American history in this story of a young Japanese American girl caught up in the prejudices and World War II.

The prize-winning, “exceptionally moving” memoir of a family boat trip, an IRA bombing, and a teenager’s loss of his twin brother (The Telegraph). Christopher Ewart-Biggs Literary Award Winner and PEN/JR Ackerley Prize Nominee On an August weekend in 1979, fourteen-year-old Timothy Knatchbull joined his family on a boat trip off the shore of Mullaghmore in County Sligo, Ireland. By noon, an Irish Republican Army bomb had destroyed the boat, leaving four dead. The author survived, but his grandparents, family friend, and twin brother did not. Lord Mountbatten, his grandfather, was the target, and became one of the IRA’s most high-profile assassinations. Knatchbull and his parents were too badly injured to attend the funerals of those killed, which only intensified their profound sense of loss. Telling this story decades later, Knatchbull not only revisits these terrible events but also writes an intensely personal account of human triumph over tragedy—a story of recovery not just from physical wounds but deep emotional trauma. From a Clear Blue Sky takes place in Ireland at the height of the Troubles and gives compelling insight into that period of Irish history. But more importantly, it brings home that while calamity can strike at any moment, the human spirit is able to forgive, to heal, and to move on. “A minute by minute story of what happened that day, and what happened afterwards.” —Daily Mail “This is an extremely moving book. Beyond providing a phenomenally detailed evocation of his own family’s trauma, Knatchbull has lots of wise things to say about how we survive horrors—of all kinds—in our lives.” — Zoë Heller, author of the Booker Prize finalist Notes on a Scandal “A very poignant, clearsighted, heartbreaking but ultimately positive account.” —Hugh Bonneville, The New York Times

More adventures of a small boy in rural Mississippi and the relationships between himself, his imagined and real colleagues, his dog Big and the people who lived in the Big House. We revisit Badger, Rabbit et al from 'POSSUM GRAPES AND MUCADINES', and meet new characters we hope you will also like and enjoy. Vignettes of unselfishness, loyalty, friendships, and unconditional love.

A laugh-out-loud and poignant novel about losing it all - and getting back more than you ever expected. From TikTok sensation and bestselling author of Pack up the Moon. 'What a fantastic storyteller! As soon as I finished, I wanted to turn back to page one and start over again. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love with so many of the characters. This is definitely a must read!' Reader review ---- Lillie Silva knew life as an empty nester would be hard after her only child left for college, but when her husband abruptly dumps her for another woman just as her son leaves, her world comes crashing down. Besides the fact that this announcement is a complete surprise (to say the least), what shocks Lillie most is that she isn't heartbroken. She's furious. Lillie has loved her life on Cape Cod, but as a mother, wife, and nurse-midwife, she's used to caring for other people . . . not taking care of herself. Now, alone for the first time in her life, she finds herself going a little rogue. Is it over the top to crash her ex-husband's wedding dressed like the angel of death? Sure! Should she release a skunk into his perfect new home? Probably not! But it beats staying home and moping. She finds an unexpected ally in her glamorous sister, with whom she's had a tense relationship all these years. And an unexpected babysitter in, of all people, Ben Hallowell, the driver in a car accident that nearly killed Lillie twenty years ago. And then there's Ophelia, her ex-husband's oddly lost niece, who could really use a friend. It's the end of Lillie's life as she knew it. But sometimes the perfect next chapter surprises you . . . out of the clear blue sky. ---- Real readers have fallen in love with Out of the Clear Blue Sky: 'Kristan's books just keep getting better every year. Just when you think you've read the best one, she writes another one just as good or better!' 5 star reader review 'This one has it all. Love, hate, comedy, drama, romance, revenge. All around great read' 5 star reader review 'If there is one author I will buy a new book from, no matter what it's about, it's hands down a Kristan Higgins book' 5 star reader review I started reading and couldn't put it down. This was my first Kristan Higgins novel but it won't be my last' 5 star reader review 'Where has Kristan Higgins been all my life? I am so happy to discover she has written 20 books and I plan to read all of them!' 5 star reader review

An inspiring and patriotic tribute to the beauty of the American flag, a symbol of America’s history, landscape, and people, illustrated by New York Times bestselling and Caldecott-honor winning artist Kadir Nelson Wonderfully spare, deceptively simple verses pair with richly evocative paintings to celebrate the iconic imagery of our nation, beginning with the American flag. Each spread, sumptuously illustrated by award-winning artist Kadir Nelson, depicts a stirring tableau, from the view of the Statue of Library at Ellis Island to civil rights marchers shoulder to shoulder, to a spacecraft at Cape Canaveral blasting off. This book is an ode to America then and now, from sea to shining sea.

The third novel in Serena Valentino's (Fairest of All, Beast Within) "VILLAINS" trilogy, featuring the story of the Little Mermaid from the perspective of the sea witch Ursula

Life for Maisie Jackson has been far from happy for a number of years - ever since her mother re-married after her beloved father's death, and her new stepfather and stepbrother moved into their small terraced house in Armley, Leeds. Suffering abuse at her cruel stepbrother's hand, and mercilessly tormented by her stepfather, Maisie dreams of escaping to a new life far away. And it seems her dreams are about to come true.It is 1939 and war is suddenly looming dark on the horizon. For many, with memories of the 'war to end all wars' still fresh in their minds, this is a horrific and frightening prospect. But for nine-year-old Maisie, it represents her longed-for chance of freedom - maybe she'll be evacuated to the countryside, to one of the places her father used to tell her about? As the the small market town of Middlebeck in the Yorkshire dales prepares for the arrival of the evacuees, many of the villagers ponder on how they will cope with this sudden influx of visitors. But they are all determined to pull together and welcome the strangers with open arms, eager to 'do their bit' for the war effort. In this time of trouble, when life suddenly seems so precious and vulnerable, true and lasting friendships are formed and love blossoms as the dark cloud of war eventually clears to the bright blue sky of a hopeful future.