Showing results by narrator "Claire Morgan" in All Categories

Super Sleuth, from Children's author David Walliams. Dilly loves a good murder. Not a REAL murder. A made-up murder. One you would find in a murder-mystery novel. Sherlock Holmes is her favourite detective. She even named her dog Watson after his faithful companion, and trained him to sniff out...

When a young widow named Nia moves with her little boy to the picturesque village of Talysarn – with its beautiful landscape of lakes, woodlands and soaring mountains – she thinks it's the new start she's looking for. At first, it seems perfect. Until a vicious rumour starts – that she's having an affair with an older man who lives nearby. And this gossip spreads like wildfire, eventually reaching the ears of his wife – the fierce head teacher at the local primary school. And before Nia knows it, her dream of a new beginning has taken a terrible turn.

Unschooling, a learner-centred educational philosophy, breaks away from the confines of traditional schooling, advocating for a more organic, child-centric approach. Its essence lies in the belief that learning is a natural and lifelong process. It is cemented in the fact that children are...

Twins Katy and Rachel don't know much about each other's lives anymore. Rachel thinks that Katy is a high-flying event planner in London, while Katy thinks that Rachel lives in idyllic marital bliss in the countryside. Each sister believes the other has created a perfect life—but the truth is that neither twin has the life she pretends she does. And when these sisters unexpectedly swap houses for a week, they're in for a big shock.

Charged with drama and beauty, this memorable collection by a master storyteller weaves a magical world of possibility and power from female myths of physical renewal, creation and change. It is an extraordinary immersion into the bodies and voices, mindscapes and landscapes, of the shapeshifting women of our native folklore. Drawing on myth and fairy tales found across Europe from Croatia to Sweden, Ireland to Russia, Sharon Blackie brings to life women's remarkable ability to transform themselves in the face of seemingly impossible circumstances.

Seren James longs for a child, to fill the emptiness left by a husband who has little care for her. But as the years go by, Seren begins to fear that she is almost out of time to have the one thing she wants most. But when Seren meets Anwen, a local woman who offers help, there is a problem: Anwen is suspected by the locals of witchcraft. Is the cost of association too high for Seren to pay, or can her problems be solved another way?

The Llewelyn family's livelihood largely depends on the ferry, run by Siona Llewelyn, the kindly yet rugged head of the family. The family is large but close knit, held together by their mother Emily—a hard-working woman made old before her time having borne seven sons, and now with child once again. As the boys grow into young men, tensions flare in the family unit, made worse by a web of rivalries and ambitions. When a death shocks the family to its core, it will take the intervention of a special person to remind them of what they have lost.

Rhian Grey left her home in Sweyn’s Eye to make a life for herself in Yorkshire, where she learnt the skills of spinning and weaving. She also learnt to love Mansel Jack, a charismatic and ambitious mill-owner. When Rhian returns to Sweyn’s Eye, it is to a town torn apart by anxiety and uncertainty, by the devastation of the Great War, a town whose workers' lives are governed by fear. Amidst the anguish and dedication of the women who were left behind, Rhian must decide where her own future lies.

Pam Talbot dedicates her life to keeping those who live and work at Blackberry Farm fed, safe and sound as Artie holds the fort whilst brothers Tom and John are away on national service. Still reeling from the death of her beloved husband Arthur, Pam makes a rash decision in Arties’s favour which backfires causing him to neglect his duty on the Farm. Now Artie is struggling to run two farms and to add to his woes a new land girl sets her sights on him and won’t take no for an answer.

1992. Elisavet, a Serbian refugee haunted by loss, finds work on Island Farm Avenue. There, three older women – Cora, Megan, and Gladdie – meet regularly on the old footbridge, a quiet place where stories are shared and wounds are gently laid bare. As they begin to open up about their memories, Elisavet is drawn into their past and the healing power of female friendship. 1944 During the war, a young Cora forms a forbidden bond with Frank, a German prisoner held at Island Farm Camp. A fleeting smile.

When duty calls, East End girl Minnie Wolton isn’t afraid to do her bit. She’s excited to be joining the ATS girls and although she knows life at the barracks will be tough, she’s not one to quit! She just hopes the other girls are all good sorts. With her husband away fighting, Eileen Ruffel is glad of the break from her unhappy marriage. She just wants to make a success of the ATS girls and maybe find happiness too. Along with the other girls, Minnie and Eileen strike up a firm friendship. The training is hard, but they are determined to prove they are the best new recruits.

Cambridgeshire – 1942. As a new year begins and the war continues, young Artie Talbot feels trapped. In his heart he longs to fight, like his two brothers, for his king and country but is duty tied to Blackberry Farm. As feelings grow between Artie and Jeanie Salmons, Artie wonders if marriage will help him to finally accept his lot and settle down. Meanwhile, his brother John Talbot must come to terms with the tragic loss of a lost love. Can he overcome his trauma and begin to build a new life for himself and his new born son?

1944: Bologna, Italy, and the streets are crawling with German soldiers. Nineteen-year-old Leila Venturi is shocked into joining the Resistance after her beloved best friend Rebecca, the daughter of a prominent Jewish businessman, is ruthlessly deported to a concentration camp. 1981: Exchange student Rhiannon Hughes arrives in Bologna and meets Leila, her landlady. Soon, Rhiannon finds herself being drawn into a web of intrigue. Leila’s nephew seems to be interested in a far-right group, but how is the nefarious leader connected to Leila?

Can their marriage be mended in time for Christmas? Lottie has always been thrifty. As a mother of three, it's even more important that she stretches the household budget as far as possible. Luckily, Lottie’s penchant for taking broken items and upcycling them has worked wonders for living on a shoestring. Henry can’t face telling Lottie he’s been made redundant. Instead, he pretends to go to work as usual while frantically job hunting. The race is on to find another role before Lottie discovers he’s another useless item for her collection – one that is beyond repair.

It's not just hems that are frayed in Applewell... Gracie rescues old clothes and cast-offs from Applewell's charity shop, making them into cute and fresh outfits, which she then sells in her little shop. Turning a profit is hard at the best of times, let alone when new arrival Lucas appears... After running away from the village in his teens, Lucas has finally returned to an uncomfortable amount of fanfare and gossip. His job requires him to streamline homeless charity, UnderCover, and his plans to do so risk putting Gracie out of business.

George can’t throw anything away. But he’s in danger of throwing away a chance at love. George Nightingale is a hoarder with a house full of junk. For years he’s kept it a secret, rarely leaving his house and keeping social interactions to a minimum, but his carefully balanced system is now under threat... Nessa Millbrook can’t wait to get settled into her new home in quaint, rural Applewell. Everyone in the village is so friendly – except her neighbour, George, who wants nothing to do with her. But Nessa isn’t one to back down from a challenge and she’s determined to win George over.

As the war rages on in Europe, it brings untold heartache to the Talbot family at Blackberry Farm. First Tom is missing in action and then his brother John. leaving the family distraught with worry. Faith finds herself in trouble and turns to Lizzie for support as fear and grief bring them closer together. But tragedy is never too far away and when it strikes, it may not be those who fight that suffer most. Will Pam’s prayers be answered and will both her sons return home?

When her grandmother dies, Catherine Llewellyn finds herself alone in the world. Her inheritance is a comfort, but her grandmother's will states she must go to the family home, Langland Hall, to live with her two unknown cousins, Garth and Jonathon. The harsh and inhospitable coast is a sharp contrast to Catherine's previous country existence, and the welcome she receives from Garth is equally cool. Only Jonathon seems happy to welcome her to her new home. But no sooner has she arrived than she realises that something dangerous is waiting for her.

Mary Jenkins has every reason to be proud; from humble beginnings, she has risen to become the overseer in the Canal Street laundry. But then Billy Gray, her sweetheart, is arrested for manslaughter, and suddenly Mary’s world becomes a frightening and complicated place, torn by feuding and violence. When Billy is imprisoned, she finds herself trapped between the rich Sutton brothers. Dean and Brandon hate one another, but each is determined to win Mary for himself. Once again, she must rely on her courage to find her way and avoid total despair....

Charlotte knew nothing of her parents except that they'd died when she was a child. And when her aunt's will leaves no provision for her, Charlotte must leave the only home she's known for the uncertain protection of an uncle she's never met at his manor house, Plas Melyn. Plas Melyn seems cold and unwelcoming, but when acts of violence that can only be directed at her occur, Charlotte has to wonder why anyone would want to kill a poor orphan.