A scruffy, undernourished teenager appears at the door of Kate's parents' London home, bearing a note that she is their long-lost child, stolen from her pram as a baby.
THE TOP 10 BESTSELLER 'An emotional read that pulls you in all directions. I was completely absorbed from the first page' Gemma Rogers You want your sister to have all her heart desires. But - what if she wants your children? Maggie has everything her sister Rose always wanted. A handsome husband and two adorable children, Emily and Elliot. But what Rose doesn’t see is that Maggie is struggling. Every day is a fog of sleep loss and mess made by two tiny children. Left alone in her distress by husband Stephen, Maggie drifts ever closer to the edge. When Maggie finally cracks, walking out one day and not returning, Rose is right there to step into the breach . . . You trust your sister to look after your children. But should you? Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Celeste Ng. What people are saying about The Cuckoo Sister ‘It begins with a visceral shock and evolves through unexpected twists and turns to a deeply felt and satisfying conclusion’ Greg Mosse, author of The Coming Darkness 'This was a beautifully written debut that handles a difficult subject matter with a delicacy that makes me excited to read whatever Alison Stockham writes next' Stacy Thomas, author of The Revels ‘This book comes with a killer hook... Sibling relationships, post-natal depression, marriages with cracks that turn into fissures and the nature of friendship are all explored via a pacy storyline.’ Jo Leevers, author of Tell Me How It Ends 'Stormed through The Cuckoo Sister by Alison Stockham... A fascinating premise and she handles it admirably, with nuance and compassion.' Laura Pearson, author of I Wanted You To Know, Missing Pieces & Nobody’s Wife 'Beautifully poignant and utterly compelling.' Alex Stone, author of The Perfect Daughter and The Other Girlfriend 'An emotional and relatable story.' Louise Douglas, author of The Room in the Attic and The Lost Notebook 'Such a clever and engaging book with a late twist that I absolutely did not predict.' Beth Miller, author of The Missing Letters of Mrs Bright & The Woman Who Came Back To Life 'A brilliant concept delivered with real emotional depth and clout. I felt for each and every character in this story of family, guilt and deepest desires' Gytha Lodge, author of Little Sister, Lie Beside Me, Watching From The Dark & She Lies in Wait ** 'I devoured The Cuckoo Sister in a day . . . Cleverly written, emotionally and psychologically complex. It’s a brilliant intense read' Elspells ‘Beautifully written, interesting & completely gripping . . . This is definitely one that would be perfect for book clubs’ Little Miss Book Lover 87
“Full of rich language that is reminiscent of an old fairy tale. . . . [a] spine-chilling, creative work [and] a well-wrought fantasy.” —School Library Journal (starred review) Following a mysterious incident that leaves her feverish and sopping wet, Triss awakens to a world that’s eerily off-kilter. Her memories are muddled, her sister despises her, and when she brushes her hair, out come crumbled fragments of leaves. Is she going mad? Or has she endured a nightmarish chain of events? Is this related to the illnesses she’s had since her brother died in the Great War? And why is she so hungry? In her search for the truth, Triss ventures from the shelter of her parents’ protective wings into the city’s underbelly. There she encounters strange creatures whose grand schemes could forever alter the fates of her family, in an unnerving tale of one girl’s struggle to confront her darkest fears. “Few authors can evoke a twinned sense of terror and wonder better . . . Vivid, frightening, and inventive, with narrative twists and turns. . . . A piercing, chilling page-turner.” —Booklist (starred review) “Nuanced and intense.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Quiet but elegant prose moves the story seamlessly from an effectively creepy horror tale to a powerful, emotionally resonant story of regret and forgiveness.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review) “Gorgeously written and disconcerting . . . Hardinge delves deeply into the darker side of family life.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Cuckoo Song transcends its teen-reader designation. The psychological and historical nuances . . . will mesmerize older readers as well.” —BookPage
On the New York Times bestseller list for over 20 weeks * A New York Times Notable Book * A National Book Award Finalist * Named a Best Book of the Year by Fresh Air, Time, Entertainment Weekly, Associated Press, and many more “If you’re looking for a superb novel, look no further.” —The Washington Post From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of All the Light We Cannot See, comes the instant New York Times bestseller that is a “wildly inventive, a humane and uplifting book for adults that’s infused with the magic of childhood reading experiences” (The New York Times Book Review). Among the most celebrated and beloved novels of recent times, Cloud Cuckoo Land is a triumph of imagination and compassion, a soaring story about children on the cusp of adulthood in worlds in peril, who find resilience, hope, and a book. In the 15th century, an orphan named Anna lives inside the formidable walls of Constantinople. She learns to read, and in this ancient city, famous for its libraries, she finds what might be the last copy of a centuries-old book, the story of Aethon, who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to a utopian paradise in the sky. Outside the walls is Omeir, a village boy, conscripted with his beloved oxen into the army that will lay siege to the city. His path and Anna’s will cross. In the present day, in a library in Idaho, octogenarian Zeno rehearses children in a play adaptation of Aethon’s story, preserved against all odds through centuries. Tucked among the library shelves is a bomb, planted by a troubled, idealistic teenager, Seymour. This is another siege. And in a not-so-distant future, on the interstellar ship Argos, Konstance is alone in a vault, copying on scraps of sacking the story of Aethon, told to her by her father. Anna, Omeir, Seymour, Zeno, and Konstance are dreamers and outsiders whose lives are gloriously intertwined. Doerr’s dazzling imagination transports us to worlds so dramatic and immersive that we forget, for a time, our own.
From the bestselling author of The Girl Who Lied Alice: Beautiful, kind, manipulative, liar. Clare: Intelligent, loyal, paranoid, jealous. Clare thinks Alice is a manipulative liar who is trying to steal her life. Alice thinks Clare is jealous of her long-lost return and place in their family. One of them is telling the truth. The other is a maniac. Two sisters. One truth. What people are saying about Sue Fortin & 'The Girl Who Lied': 'Sue Fortin writes with skill and pace, filling her pages with tension. With great characters and a gripping storyline, I was immediately pulled in and found myself desperate to turn the pages' - Amanda Jennings 'Slowly but inexorably draws you in until you can hardly wait to discover the fate of the characters...you'll love Sue Fortin' - Sue Moorcroft 'A twisty romantic page-turner that will keep you guessing' - Julie Cohen 'Sue Fortin's gripping books always keep me turning the pages! Highly recommended for fans of grit-lit and suspense!' - Mandy Baggot 'The suspense, mystery and secrets to be revealed kept me turning the pages...nerve wracking and gripping' - Rachel's Random Reads 'Kept me intrigued right up until the end...a highly enjoyable read, filled with secrets' - By the Letter Book Reviews
For Fidgie, living in pre-war Wales, the long school holiday stretched blissfully ahead. With her new friend Chaz as companion for idyllic summer days by the sea, she was able frequently to escape her edgy mother and her malicious older sister, Cly. Her father, mercifully, was away from home ... Through Fidgie's clear eyes the events of a brief hot spell in August unfold: her family and neighbours become involved in adultery, deception, and other, darker, misdemeanours. The eight-year-old child is an engaging and lively narrator; swept along by her extraordinarily compelling tale, the reader will realise that underlying Fidgie's innocent accounts of family meals, fishing trips round the bay, tree-climbing and playing at May Queens, a very adult sub-text is developing. Its conclusion is both tragic and inevitable. Anthea Halliwell's novel marks the emergence of a delightfully individual voice and a most original storytelling talent.
When Dido Twite sets foot back on English soil, more mischief awaits. As her friend Captain Hughes recovers from a carriage accident, Dido stays at the Dogkennel Cottages and meets the odd inhabitants of Tegleaze Manor: strange old Lady Tegleaze, her nephew, Tobit, and his wizened, witchy nurse, Sannie. Soon suspicious things happen. A priceless miniature is stolen. Tobit is framed and then kidnapped. A twin sister is found. And when Dido catches a glimpse of her rascally father in Petworth, she is sure she's in the midst of another Hanoverian plot. Can she get to London to warn the king and save St. Paul's Cathedral from sliding into the Thames?
Award-winning author Amra Pajalić showcases her gritty, poignant and sometimes bruising voice in this eclectic short story book of previously published and prize-winning stories. Featuring powerful and moving stories of family dissolution, deprivation of war, tenderness of family and the heart-rending experiences of mental illness. Thriller stories with a twist of vindictiveness and retribution, and love stories that make the heart sing, this collection will delight and entertain. The Cuckoo’s Song—Francesca is ten when a gypsy fortune-teller told her the day and the hour of her death and she has been waiting since. Fragments—Seka and her brother forage for books in a bombed-out school in Srebrenica during the Balkan war. Friends Forever—Two lifelong friends share a room at a nursing home, as well as a secret or two. School of Hardknocks—Amina is a new high school student after migrating from Bosnia and struggles to acclimate to the Aussie way of life. Woman on Fire—A young girl lives with her mother’s boyfriend when her mentally ill mother is admitted into hospital.
In this collection, fourteen of fairy tales from around the world are retold for young readers, restored to their original, grisly versions. Do you dare read this collection of terrifyingly gruesome tales? In this gripping volume, author Jen Campbell offers young readers an edgy, contemporary, and inclusive take on classic fairy tales, taking them back to their gory beginnings while updating them for a modern audience with queer and disabled characters and positive representation of disfigurement. Featuring fourteen short stories from China, India, Ireland, and across the globe, The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers is an international collection of the creepiest folk tales. Illustrated with Adam de Souza’s brooding art, this book’s style is a totally original blend of nineteenth-century Gothic engravings meets moody film noir graphic novels. Headlined by the Korean tale of a carnivorous child, The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers is a truly thrilling gift for brave young readers.