During World War I, the ancient manor house of Greyladies in rural Wiltshire is requisitioned for a hospital. Its mistress, Harriet Latimer, her husband Joseph and their two sons are allowed to stay in part of the house, but when tragedy strikes Joseph's brothers, his future at Greyladies is at risk. Latimer family legend says a new mistress will be found to look after the house, yet how does this happen? In Swindon, Phoebe Sinclair is unaware of her connection to Greyladies and the Latimers. When her German employers are interned because of the war, she loses her job. Worse still, her brutish step-cousin Frank tries to force her to marry him and Phoebe has no choice but to flee to London. A chance encounter leads her to a new life as a nursing assistant in the VAD (voluntary aid detachments), and to a blossoming friendship with Captain Corin McMinty. When Phoebe is posted to the hospital at Greyladies, she feels she's come home. But Frank is still pursuing her and Corin has his own problems. With obstacles at every turn, can Phoebe find happiness and embrace the role of mistress of Greyladies?

Amid food shortages and grumbling, Barsetshire is unsettled by the arrival of a pretty war widow in this “delicately humorous [and] entertaining” novel (The New York Times). World War II may be over, but its effects linger in the English countryside as the local ladies trade ration coupons for a paltry selection of provisions. It’s feeling like a bleak summer—but it won’t be a boring one, now that flirtatious young widow Peggy Arbuthnot and her sister-in-law, Effie, are on the scene. Peggy has quite a few admirers—including Noel Merton, which is rather unfortunate for his wife. Suspense reigns over who might win Peggy’s hand—and whether the Merton marriage will survive . . . “Where Trollope would have been content to arouse a chuckle, [Thirkell] is constantly provoking us to hilarious laughter. . . . To read her is to get the feeling of knowing Barsetshire folk as well as if one had been born and bred in the county.” —Kirkus Reviews

The domestic chronicles of a minister's family that bears a remarkable resemblance to the Buchans themselves, Eliza for Common is set in Glasgow just after the Great War. As Eliza grows up she longs for beauty and excitement, and gradually emerges from the confines of being a daughter of the manse to find her own way in the world...

From Connie Willis, winner of multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards, comes a comedic romp through an unpredictable world of mystery, love, and time travel . . . Ned Henry is badly in need of a rest. He’s been shuttling between the 21st century and the 1940s searching for a Victorian atrocity called the bishop's bird stump. It’s part of a project to restore the famed Coventry Cathedral, destroyed in a Nazi air raid over a hundred years earlier. But then Verity Kindle, a fellow time traveler, inadvertently brings back something from the past. Now Ned must jump back to the Victorian era to help Verity put things right—not only to save the project but to prevent altering history itself.

Sometimes the worst has to happen . . . Recently widowed, Hannah Firth is still young - young enough to dream of a new life. When her spiteful daughter-in-law uses her as an unpaid servant, Hannah tries to leave, but she is unaware of the depths that Patty's spite will lead her to. Nathaniel King's life is ruined when his landlord's son lays waste to his market garden for a prank - and the resulting feud puts Nathaniel's livelihood at stake. Hannah has only a few coins and dreams of a happier future to sustain her as she tramps the roads and evades pursuit. When she meets Nathaniel, the attraction between them cannot be denied and they join forces. But their enemies have money and powerful allies on their side and will stop at nothing to get rid of them . . . ********************** What readers are saying about THREEPENNY DREAMS 'Such a lovely book, with characters you felt you knew . . . I was sorry to finish it' - 5 stars 'Could not put this book down. I love the way Anna Jacobs makes you feel as though you know all the people and she is a great storyteller' - 5 stars 'Anna Jacobs has done it again!!!' - 5 stars

Fates meet and lives entangle from opposite sides of the world... Sorting through her father’s papers after his death, Gina discovers evidence of a secret in his past. She decides to leave Australia for England to investigate, escaping the demands of her two daughters. Meanwhile at her home near Blackpool, Peggy wakes every day to verbal abuse from her bullying husband. Like Gina, Peggy is ready for a fresh start. As Gina and Peggy embark on their voyages of self-discovery, they meet new people and forge bonds which will reinforce the value of family connections. An emotional story of friendship and second chances perfect for fans of Patricia Scanlan and Liane Moriarty. Praise for Family Connections ‘This tale of two families forgiving past wounds and starting anew is just the kind of heartwarming story at which Jacobs excels’ Booklist

Invoking theories of popular culture, film, literature, drama, and tourism, contributors probe the emotional attachment and loyalty of many generations of readers to L.M. Montgomery's books.