"If you're reading to find friends, you're in deep trouble. We read to find life, in all its possibilities. The relevant question isn't 'Is this a potential friend for me?' but 'Is this character alive?'" ~ Claire Messud
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New and Recently Released!
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| The Boston Girl: A Novel by Anita DiamantWhen her beloved granddaughter asks her about their family history, 85-year-old Addie Baum gladly obliges. The youngest daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants, Addie describes growing up in a tenement in Boston's North Shore and spending summers at Rockport Lodge, a seaside inn where she formed lasting friendships with other young working-class women whose dreams encompassed more than marriage and motherhood. Addie's coming of age coincides with World War I, the Spanish influenza epidemic, and the women's suffrage movement, among other historical events, and her engaging narration provides a detailed look at immigrant life in early 20th-century America. |
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| The Paris Winter: A Novel by Imogen RobertsonAs her meager funds dwindle, Englishwoman Maud Heighton, an aspiring painter studying at Paris' Académie Lafond, wonders how much longer she'll be able to pursue her art. Unexpected assistance arrives in the form of Monsieur Christian Morel, who hires Maud as a live-in companion and tutor to his fragile sister, Sylvie. To Maud, the offer seems too good to be true -- and, of course, it is. Best known for her Westerman and Crowther mysteries, author Imogen Robertson employs her eye for period detail and her skill in creating suspenseful stories in this atmospheric novel, which vividly depicts the lives of artists during La Belle Époque. |
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| The Mountain of Gold by J.D. DaviesThis exciting sequel to Gentleman Captain begins with Captain Matthew Quinton's capture of Barbary pirate "Omar Ibrahim" (né Brian Doyle O'Dwyer), who claims to have discovered a "mountain of gold" in Africa. Although Quinton is skeptical of the prisoner's story, his sovereign, King Charles II, is not and dispatches captain and crew to Dutch-occupied West Africa in pursuit of the legendary landmark. Naval historian and author J.D. Davies infuses his swashbuckling tale with authentic period detail, vividly evoking the world of the 17th-century British Navy. If you enjoy The Mountain of Gold, check out its sequel, The Blast That Tears the Skies. |
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| Dark Voyage: A Novel by Alan FurstAdrift since the Nazis invaded his native Holland, Captain E.M. DeHaan of the merchant ship Noordendam finds a renewed sense of purpose when he's recruited by the Royal Dutch Navy's Bureau of Naval Intelligence to participate in clandestine operations for the Allied forces. With his ship now disguised as the Spanish freighter Santa Rosa, DeHaan and his crew must carry out dangerous missions throughout the ports of Europe and the Mediterranean. Although Dark Voyage is a stand-alone novel, this compelling, suspenseful 8th installment of Alan Furst's Night Soldiers series adds to the rich mosaic of European espionage during World War II. |
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| A Ship for the King by Richard WoodmanIn 1618, Kit Faulkner is a 12-year-old orphan living on the Bristol docks when a chance encounter leads to his apprenticeship under two sea captains. Under their tutelage, Kit rises through the ranks, becoming an able seaman and eventually commanding a merchant vessel of his own. Between his career and his family obligations, Kit doesn't spend much time thinking about politics. However, the conflict between King Charles I's royalist supporters and Oliver Cromwell's parliamentarians will ultimately force Kit to choose a side -- and woe to him if he backs the loser. Set in the period leading up to the English Civil War, this series opener presents an unusual perspective on well-known historical events. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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