| Josephine Baker's last dance by Sherry JonesStarring: iconic black entertainer Josephine Baker.
Why you might like it: While Baker's rise from poverty to stardom would be a compelling enough story on its own, the novel also depicts her work for the French Resistance during WWII and her civil rights activism.
Want a taste? "People don't come to the theater for truth. Her fans want the dream, the candy coating: a face with no lines, a heart never broken, a life with no cares." |
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The wolf in the whale
by Jordanna Max Brodsky
A young Inuit shaman embarks on a dangerous journey to save her starving people before meeting a Viking warrior and setting in motion a conflict with the potential to both save and shatter her world..
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The Kennedy debutante
by Kerri Maher
"A riveting novel following the exploits of Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy, the little known and rebellious daughter of America's royal family. London, 1938. Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy has already taken England by storm, when she is presented to the king and queen. The effervescent It Girl of London society since her father was named the ambassador, Kick moves in rarefied circles--dancing and drinking champagne at the hottest nightclubs and attending the horse races with nobility. One such acquaintance is Billy Hartington, the future Duke of Devonshire. Though initially reticent, the tall, handsome man sweeps Kick off her feet, but the obstacles to their love are many. Kick is a self-proclaimed triple threat--American, Catholic, and of Irish descent--all unacceptable to such a traditional family as Billy's. And as WWII looms, she is ripped away from the country she has grown to love and the man who has stolen her heart. Returning to the States, Kick throws herself into making a difference. Becoming a journalistgives her a voice--and a chance to step out of the shadows of her accomplished brothers, including the charismatic Jack. Then as America is drawn into the war, Kick will discover where her true loyalties lie--with family or with love.."
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The Pasha of cuisine
by Ersin Saygun
A Pasha of Cuisine is a rare talent in Ottoman lore. Only two, maybe three are born with such a gift every few centuries. A natural master of gastronomy, he is the sovereign genius who reigns over aromas and flavors and can use them to influence the hearts and minds, even the health, of those who taste his creations. In this fabulous novel, one such chef devises a plot bring down the Ottoman Empire; should he need to, in order to rescue the love of his life from the sultan’s harem. Himself a survivor of the bloodiest massacre ever recorded within the Imperial Palace after the passing of the last sultan, he is spirited away through the palace kitchens, where his potential was recognized. Across the empire, he is apprenticed one by one to the best chefs in all culinary disciplines and trained in related arts, such as the magic of spices, medicine, and the influence of the stars. It is during his journeys that he finds happiness with the beautiful, fiery dancing girl Kamer, and the two make plans to marry. Before they can elope, Kamer is sold into the Imperial Harem, and the young chef must find his way back into the Imperial Kitchens and transform his gift into an unbeatable weapon.
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Smile of the wolf
by Tim Leach
In the darkness of and Icelandic midwinter, two friends set out on an adventure but end up killing a man. Kjaran, a travelling poet who trades songs for food and shelter, and Gunnar, a feared warrior, must make a choice: conceal the deed or confess to the crime and pay the blood price to the family. For the right reasons, they make the wrong choice. Their fateful decision leads to a brutal feud: one man is outlawed, free to be killed by anyone without consequence; the other remorselessly hunted by the dead man's kin.
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The spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel: A story of Sleepy Hollow
by Alyssa Palombo
When her secret lover, Ichabod Crane, disappears from Sleepy Hollow, Katrina Van Tassel turns to her friend—and rumoured witch—Charlotte Janson for help in finding the truth, which forces her to question everything she once knew, including the story of the Headless Horseman.
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| All the lives we never lived by Anuradha RoyWhat it's about: In 1937, nine-year-old Myshkin Chand Rozario's artist mother, Gayatri, abandoned him in order to follow her muse. Decades later, he receives a packet of her letters, in which she describes the circumstances that led to her decision.
Why you might like it: The personal becomes political as Myshkin's coming-of-age parallels India's struggle for independence.
You might also like: Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things, another lyrical and keenly observed novel about a troubled Indian family that unfolds against a backdrop of political unrest. |
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| Belgravia by Julian FellowesWhat it is: a dramatic novel from the creator of TV's Downton Abbey.
What happens: A fancy dress ball held the night before the Battle of Waterloo sets in motion events whose ramifications won't be fully felt for decades.
Why you might like it: The posh London district of Belgravia serves as the well-appointed stage on which a compelling and atmospheric tale of family secrets and class conflict plays out. |
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| Habits of the house by Fay WeldonWhat it's about: Due to profligate spending, poor investments, and gambling with the Prince of Wales, the Earl of Dilberne has money troubles. Could marrying off his son to an American heiress solve them?
Series alert: This 1st book in the Love and Inheritance trilogy continues with Long Live the King and The New Countess.
About the author: In addition to penning the first episode of landmark TV series Upstairs, Downstairs, British author Fay Weldon also coined the slogan "Vodka gets you drunker quicker" during her copywriting days. |
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| The other daughter by Lauren WilligWhat it's about: When governess Rachel Woodley discovers that she's the illegitimate daughter of an earl, she joins forces with gossip columnist Simon Montfort, who helps her infiltrate society as "Vera."
Why you might like it: Set in 1920s London, The Other Daughter features memorable characters, surprising plot twists, and (light) romance.
About the author: Best known for her Napoleonic War-era Pink Carnation series, author Lauren Willig branches out to the Bright Young Things in this stand-alone novel. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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