Showing results by publisher "Zaffre" in Sagas

1943. The tide of the Second World War is turning. The Russian victory at Stalingrad - the bloodiest battle in history - has opened the door for the Allies. Now, they must strike decisively at the heart of Hitler's Reich. But military success cannot be guaranteed without total secrecy. Special Operations Executive, Saffron Courtney, is sailing from the west coast of Scotland to New York on the Queen Mary.

Since his appointment as Nomarch of Memphis, by the God-Pharaoh Rameses, Piay has thrown himself into pulling the city back from the brink. The famous white city walls have been rebuilt, the once starving inhabitants fed and every day caravans have arrived from the desert wastes, filled with the many riches looted and hidden by the Hyksos. But when the body of a murdered scribe is found sealed inside the newly constructed city vault - the mark of Anubis, god of death, scrawled next to him in his own blood - panic sweeps the city.

For over fifty years Egypt has known nothing but war and devastation at the hands of the Hyksos, a bloodthirsty barbarian people from the distant east who continue to advance, crushing armies in their wake. Times are desperate, but throughout the conflict, a brave resistance fights on under the great Taita, a slave who has risen far beyond his ranks. Piay, entrusted into Taita's care by his parents at the age of just five, has been trained to become a great spy, unmatched by any other. Determined to prove his worth, he embarks on a dangerous mission to the lands in the north.

South Africa, 1899 - the smouldering hostility between the Boers of the Transvaal and Orange Free State and the British colonies of the Cape and Natal is about to burst into flame. War is coming and no one can prevent it. Colonel Penrod Ballantyne, hero of Abu Klea and Omdurman, is sent to Mafeking to recruit and train men for the fighting ahead. Amber, his wife, the successful novelist, accompanies him - eager to see more of the country her husband is about to risk his life for.

Charity has always lived a charmed life beneath the open skies. Growing up as part of the gypsy community, she has reveled in the freedom of swimming in the rivers, caring for the horses and embracing the ever-changing road. But on the cusp of her sixteenth birthday, that freedom begins to slip away. Her parents expect her to marry, and not for love, but for duty. Then fate brings Luca back into her life - a boy from the travelling circus she has known since childhood.

Effie has always loved her quiet life in Cornwall - sea swims, beach walks, reading, and knitting. After university in London, she returned home, craving the calm of the coast. But while her friends move forward, Effie feels stuck. So when she's offered the chance to open a bookshop in the seaside village of Polcarrow - with a flat above the shop - Effie leaps at the opportunity. A bookshop by the sea? It's the dream. Adjusting to life on her own is tough at first, but she soon finds friendship in Lola, the local café owner, and her warm circle of friends.

Nuneaton, 1914: War is just around the corner and for Annie Lilburn and her adopted family, life will never be the same. Annie, after a difficult childhood, has never felt like she fits in, but since Levi Lilburn, the local rag and bone man, took her under his wing and she became a business woman in her own right, things have been on the up. Soon that is set to change when World War I is declared and the men of the town enlist. And as more and more casualties come in, Annie needs to step up and do her bit for the war effort.

Suffolk, 1924. After the death of her fiancé in the field hospitals of France, Angel becomes nurse to the MacDonald family in the small village of Uffasham. Taking residence at the appropriately named Angel Inn, she is met by many new faces - and old ones, too. Edith, a fellow nurse from the war, while taking great interest in Angel's new life, refuses to let her forget her old one. As Angel grows closer to her employer, Robert, Edith threatens to expose a secret that could ruin everything.

Barrow-in-Furness, 1933. The days of the Barrow Union at Roose are numbered and it is due be closed, along with all the other workhouses. Instead 'Cottage Homes' have been set up for pauper children, where they live under the care of a resident mother and father. Robert and Annie McClure are tasked with taking care of several children. A skilled tailor, Robert trains boys to his profession whilst his wife prepares the girls to go into service.

1875. With their father missing and their mother suddenly passing, Esme and Gabriel are forced to track down their estranged grandfather in Lincolnshire. Cold and unwelcoming, he is reluctant to take them in, but aware of his standing as the village vicar, he knows must protect his reputation, and allow the children to stay with him. Esme's relief at finding refuge soon turns to despair when Gabriel is sent to boarding school, leaving her alone in their grandfather's unhappy home. But the house isn't as empty as it first appeared.

Growing up on a canal boat has meant life for young Saffie Doyle has been hard. Her mother, Olivia, was cast out by her well-to-do family when she fell in love with Saffie's father, a lowly boatman named Reuben. But as the years have passed, Reuben has become a bitter and cruel drunk, forced to work for the local crook, Seth Black, to keep their family afloat. Saffie always dreamed of becoming a teacher, despite her father's insistence that she had no need to read and write.

There are rumours of war besetting the country but sisters Daisy, Violet and Holly Graham have other things on their minds. With the family smock mill keeping them busy and the local brewer boys turning their heads, the girls are looking forward to a summer of fun. But their plans soon come crashing to the ground as war is declared. As their brothers, Asa and Clem, and the three Brewer lads Ren, Alder and Rosen, all volunteer to do their part for the war effort and are shipped off, the women are left with the problem of how to keep the business running.

1906. A high-spirited, unconventional girl who can turn her hand to anything, Molly Sparkes is on the verge of a big adventure. At just eighteen, she is leaving her convent school in the heart of rural Kent to accompany the formidable Mrs Alexa Nagel on a tour of Australia, acting as her companion and nursemaid to Alexa's motherless granddaughter, Fay.

Manx born and bred, Bridget Quayle loves the island and knows every inch of it like the back of her hand. But that doesn't mean she wants to be there now, as World War II rages around the world. As a newly trained police officer, living in the vibrant and bustling city of London, she had it all. A budding career, celebrity status as one of only a few female officers, and a busy social life. Then World War II strengthened its grip and she found herself posted back to the island - a stark contrast to the exciting streets of the capital.

Ipswich, 1923: After an unlucky start in her first role as a nursemaid, sixteen-year-old Elin Odell looks forward to seeing in the New Year at home. Little does she know, her family is changing and she has no idea what lies ahead. Having been offered the role as governess for the Lamberts in Middlesex, Elin quickly accepts, leaving her own family behind in Ipswich. But when tragedy strikes at her new home, Elin steps up to hold everyone together at the expense of her own happiness.

Whitby, 1845. Amber Ainsley works for the wealthy Greenwoods. But when Amber falls pregnant with Mr Barnaby Greenwood's illegitimate child, he casts her out, leaving her homeless and without an income. Amber flees to Whitby where she stays with her uncle until her child is born. Upon discovering this, Barnaby offers to find a family to raise Amber's daughter, to save her going to the workhouse. Broken-hearted but wanting the best for her child, Amber hands her daughter over.

1934. Following the death of her mother, 12-year-old Tess Rainbow takes on the responsibility of caring for her family. When a plane crash-lands near their home on Romney Marsh, she meets the charming Moray Tann, a young pilot from Scotland, who turns out to be the son of one of her father's rivals. Once nursed back to health, Moray returns to his duties—but not without leaving a mark on Tess' heart.

Dover 1940 As firebombs fall on Dover, Edie Castle's life is thrown into turmoil when the garage where she lives and works is damaged and her beloved boss is arrested. With no job and nowhere else to go, Edie returns to Castle's Café and her formidable mother, Nellie. Living with her mother is never easy, but tensions reach boiling point when an old friend of Nellie's arrives looking for a place to stay. Meanwhile, desperate to clear her boss's name, Edie turns to his nephew for help.

Life is going well for Maria. Welcomed into the Saward family, she has secured herself a job as a maid for Queen Alexandra and is living with her family in a beautiful cottage on the Royal Sandringham estate. The luxuries and privilege associated with the royal family are a far cry from the poverty and suffering she endured before, though the royals, like the nation, are tightening their belts. But when a mysterious relative turns up, seemingly on the run from the law, Maria's new-found happiness could be under threat.

It's 1897, and young Annie Maguire and her parents are leaving their farm in County Down, Ireland. Driven away by poverty, they're looking for a place to start again. After moving to Comber and settling for a time, once again the Maguire family's lives are turned on their heads when Annie's mother dies and she and her father move on, this time to Cleator Moor, Cumberland, where Annie starts work in Ainsworth's Mill.