A Dubious Legacy

A Dubious Legacy

Author: Mary Wesley

Publisher: Open Road Media

Published: 2013-11-12

Total Pages: 334

ISBN-13: 1480450626

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A “darkly comic, wise and irresistible” novel of friendship, romance, and the chaos in between, from one of Britain’s bestselling authors (Publishers Weekly). When Henry Tillotson comes back from the war with a mysterious new bride from Egypt, everyone is intrigued. But intrigue turns to outright confusion when his new wife retreats to her room and refuses to leave her bed, much less the house, stranding poor Henry in a loveless marriage. Antonia and Barbara are captivated by Henry and his lavish country estate, Cotteshaw, from the very first time they are asked to visit for a dinner party with their boyfriends. Drawn by his charm, his wife’s madness and beauty, and his unusual lifestyle, they cannot help but be intrigued by their host. But as time passes, their relationships grow and change, bringing weddings, engagements, children, and even the occasional illicit liaison—as the strange heritage of Cotteshaw begins to affect all who pass through its doors. Wesley once again proves herself a master of the modern novel of manners in this energetic tale that is simultaneously laugh-out-loud funny, outrageously irreverent, and poignant. “As always, the dialogue snaps with vigor. . . . Another bright and biting novel.” —Kirkus Reviews


Jumping the Queue

Jumping the Queue

Author: Mary Wesley

Publisher: Open Road Media

Published: 2013-11-12

Total Pages: 242

ISBN-13: 1480450561

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A “quirky, sad, and very funny” novel about suicide, matricide, and an unlikely love, from one of England’s best-loved authors (The Guardian). Determined to end it all after the death of her husband, Matilda Poliport’s carefully laid plans to kill herself are derailed when she comes to the rescue of another potential bridge jumper—a notorious young man on the run for having murdered his mother. Faced with the choice of either turning him in to the police or continuing on with her suicide attempt, Matilda makes the obvious decision and takes Hugh Warner home to stay with her while they both sort out what to do next. As Hugh and Matilda find surprising comfort in each other, secrets about Matilda’s deceased husband are revealed, leaving Matilda to face some very uncomfortable facts about her life. And as the pair plot to help Hugh escape the law, they will both need to face the truth about themselves and how far they are willing to go for each other. This “virtuoso performance of guileful plotting, deft characterizations, and malicious wit” showcases the talents of Mary Wesley at her caustic and comical best (The Times, London).


Part of the Furniture

Part of the Furniture

Author: Mary Wesley

Publisher: Open Road Media

Published: 2013-11-12

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 1480450634

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A smart, sharply written novel from a talent whose “fresh and original” works made her one of England’s most beloved authors (The New York Times). Abandoned by her mother and betrayed by the men she thought she loved, Juno Marlowe is alone. So alone that when the air raid sirens ring out, she has nowhere to hide until a kind but frail man offers to take her in for the night. Her sad story inspires him to write her a letter of introduction to his family—a caring gesture that will turn out to mean more than she could have imagined. With nowhere to call home, she seeks out the man’s father, Robert Copplestone, who lives on a quiet Cornwall estate where Juno is able to earn her keep by helping him tend to his animals. And she soon finds that the strong, handsome widower is more of a friend than she’s ever had and more like family than anyone she’s ever known. But when Juno’s fractured past catches up with her, the fragile and unlikely bond Robert and Juno have formed may be in danger of breaking under the strain. This “heartwarming story of May-December love” is a gentle look at the folly of humanity, weaving a tale of friendship, love, and healing (Publishers Weekly). “An elegant, satisfying entertainment.” —Kirkus Reviews


A Sensible Life

A Sensible Life

Author: Mary Wesley

Publisher: Open Road Media

Published: 2013-11-12

Total Pages: 440

ISBN-13: 1480449946

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This “engaging and memorable novel,” set in post-WWI England and France, takes a wise, witty look at love, growing up, and class differences (Publishers Weekly). For the British families who vacation there, the shore town of Dinard, France, is a getaway from the ills of modern life. But when Flora Trevelyan visits with her self-absorbed parents in 1926, it’s not an escape she finds—instead, it’s a doorway into a different world, a different life, that she never knew existed. As the years pass, Flora embarks on a journey of discovery, from falling for three very different young men to understanding the follies of an upper class society of which she will never quite be a part to uncovering the difference between true friends and fair-weather companions. Along the way, her own life and those of her new acquaintances will be upended, and as the shadows of World War II fall over Europe, Flora will have to decide what kind of person she wants to be—and whether being sensible makes sense. Praised by the Daily Telegraph as “delicious,” Mary Wesley’s sharply humorous coming-of-age story weaves a tale of an unloved, neglected child who turns into a fiercely independent woman, both an entertaining romp and an astute glimpse into British society between the two World Wars.


A Dubious Legacy

A Dubious Legacy

Author: Mary Wesley

Publisher: John Curley & Associates

Published: 1992

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13: 9780792713579

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On a midsummer weekend in 1954 James and Matthew, two rather priggish young Englishmen, take their girls, Barbara and Antonia, away for a brief holiday at a friend's home in order to propose marriage. But no one is prepared for what unfolds--and will spin itself out over the next 40 years.


Back Roads

Back Roads

Author: Tawni O'Dell

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2001-01-01

Total Pages: 422

ISBN-13: 1101209275

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NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE Funny and heartbreaking, this New York Times bestselling debut perfectly captures the maddening confusion of adolescence and the prickly nature of family with irony and unerring honesty. Harley Altmyer should be in college having the time of his life. He should be free from the backwards Pennsylvania coal town he calls home, with its lack of jobs and no sense of humor. Instead, he’s constantly reminded of just how messed up everything is... Harley’s mother is in prison for killing his father, so he’s in charge of bringing up his younger sisters and working two jobs to pay the bills—and that doesn’t leave a lot of time for distractions. But lately, he’s getting more and more sidetracked by lusting after Callie Mercer, his middle-aged neighbor. As he struggles to keep it together, things begin to spin out of control. Soon Harley finds that as shattered as his family is, there are still more crushing surprises in store. “In Harley, O’Dell has created a hero who’s heartbreakingly believable; like Holden Caulfield, he uses caustic humor to hide his pain. Readers will care very much about him and his future, if indeed he has one.”—St. Petersburg Times


The Camomile Lawn

The Camomile Lawn

Author: Mary Wesley

Publisher: Random House

Published: 2012-03-31

Total Pages: 356

ISBN-13: 144644337X

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Escape to the Cornish cliffs in the dizzying heat of August 1939, where five cousins are making the most of the last summer of their youth. Oliver is just back from the Spanish Civil War and world-weary at only nineteen. Calypso is gorgeous, utterly selfish and determined to marry for money. Polly and Walter, brother and sister, play their cards close to their chests. Then there's little Sophie, who nobody loves. Soon the world will be swept into war again and the five cousins will enter a whirligig of sex, infidelity, love and loss, but for now they have one last, gaspingly hot summer at the house by the cliffs with the camomile lawn. A beloved bestseller from an author ahead of her time, The Camomile Lawn is a waspishly witty, devil-may-care delight.


Claiming Her Legacy

Claiming Her Legacy

Author: Linda Goodnight

Publisher: Harlequin

Published: 2022-04-26

Total Pages: 385

ISBN-13: 0369706250

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With her family’s legacy on the line, a woman with everything to lose must rely on a man hiding from his past… Oklahoma, 1890 Frontier women don’t ride off alone to track an outlaw—not even women as capable as tomboy spinster Willa Malone. But Willa desperately needs the bounty money offered for her father’s killer if she’s to keep their homestead and take care of her sisters. That means she needs an expert tracker's help. Gideon Hartley has the skill, but the handsome trail guide also has a troubling secret… Gideon has spent years trying to numb his pain with whiskey. Little by little, their quest—and Willa’s belief in him—is restoring the sense of purpose he thought he’d lost. Journeying into the heart of danger, they’ll have to face down the past together if they hope to protect their future… “Linda Goodnight is a writer who pulls readers into her stories with characters who come off the pages with life.” —Jodi Thomas, New York Times bestselling author


The Quilter's Legacy

The Quilter's Legacy

Author: Jennifer Chiaverini

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2011-04-05

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 1451606109

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When precious heirloom quilts hand-stitched by her mother turn up missing from the attic of Elm Creek Manor, Sylvia Bergstrom Compson resolves to find them. From scant resources-journal entries, receipts, and her own fading memories-she pieces together clues, then queries quilting friends from around the world. When dozens of leads arrive via the Internet, Sylvia and her fiance, Andrew, embark on a nationwide investigation of antique shops and quilt museums. Sylvia's quest leads her to unexpected places, where offers of assistance are not always what they seem. As the search continues, revelations surface about her mother, who died when Sylvia was only a child. Burdened with poor health and distant parents, Eleanor Lockwood defies her family by marrying for love. Far from her Manhattan home, she embraces her new life among the Bergstroms-but although warmth and affection surround Eleanor at last, the Bergstroms cannot escape the tragedies of their times. As Sylvia recovers some of the missing quilts and accepts others as lost forever, she reflects on the woman her mother was, and mourns the woman she never knew. For every woman who has yearned to know the untold story of her mother's life, and for every mother who has longed to be heard, THE QUILTER'S LEGACY will resonate with heartfelt honesty as it reveals what tenuous connections bind the generations, and celebrates the love that sustains them.