BOOK EXCERPT “I doubt Saint-Thomas d’Aquin bears any resemblance to how we remember it,” Papa grumbled, his tone plain. “And Paris is not the safest place to be for anyone these days.” “There’s talk of war in Paris now,” Florian added, absently chewing on his thumbnail. His words struck me like a cold gust of wind, leaving a sharp ache in the pit of my belly. I had heard rumours of war before, but they were just rumours; they had no reason to be true. The Bastille had fallen

BOOK EXCERPT Betsey gently pushed back the thin blanket, swung her feet over the side of the bed, and reached for her soft leather slippers, a Christmas present from Annie that she treasured. She tiptoed from the room, determined not to wake Ned if she could help it, for it was early and she had heard the church clock strike six. Closing the door quietly behind her, she descended the stairs and went to the kitchen, where she pulled the kettle forward onto the stove, for her f

BOOK EXCERPT: I walked quickly to the hotel. It was just two blocks away, but by the time I got there, I was struggling to catch my breath. Like Teo on that last day, the small voice inside whispered, gasping for air at the top of the loft ladder. In the apartment, Nonna was packing, a handwritten list on the bed beside her valise. She’d brought only a few things to Palermo—a blouse, a pair of bloomers and stockings, her prayer book and rosary. Too few items, I thought, to wa

BOOK EXCERPT Chapter 2 - Australia, 1939 - 1941 General Nursing and Obstetrics qualifications clutched firmly in gloved hand, Annie waited for Iris and Verna on Oxford Street, Paddington, so they could walk along to Victoria Barracks together. She smoothed down her waisted floral dress, then touched her hat. Not often intimidated, Annie felt a flutter of nerves. What had seemed an easy decision did not feel so comfortable now. “G’day.” Startled from her doubts, Annie turned a

BOOK EXCERPT April 1471: Dawn on Easter Day, Barnet Heath. Eighteen-year-old Richard of Gloucester, brother of Edward IV, takes confession and prepares for his first taste of battle. They wake, those who have dared sleep, to a grey and muffled world. Overnight, heavy mist has fallen, and the air of early dawn is like a breath of winter. Beneath his coif, Richard’s hair sticks to his skull like goose grease, his cheeks sore and clammy. Worse is the effect of the sodden grass;

BOOK EXCERPT: Frankfurt November 1938 Gustav carefully navigated the streets to the shop. It was normally a five-minute walk, but broken glass was everywhere and Gustav needed to be careful. To complicate matters, Nazi brownshirts were still in the streets, looking to inflict more damage. Everywhere Gustav looked, there were broken windows and defaced storefronts. They lived in the East End of Frankfurt – often called the Jewish section – and the hoodlums knew where to focus

BOOK EXCERPT: Alex found himself in a small formal room off the main portego, talking to a group of masked women, all seemingly competing for his attention and laughing eagerly at his every word although he said very little. They pressed upon him endless information regarding the delights of Venice, the best shops, the best coffee places, and of course more invitations to visit their own Palazzos and their upcoming soirees as part of the Season’s festivities. Eager to distrac

BOOK EXCERPT Rome, September 1644 As soon as Mia opened the door Donna Olimpia came straight in, looking side to side as if to check no-one could see her. Mia extended a hand in greeting. ‘This way, honoured Signora.’ ‘What’s that smell?’ ‘Lavender, Signora. For making the linen smell sweet.’ She indicated the stairs and the woman went ahead of her, heavy feet and thick ankles under her richly embroidered black skirts. At the top Mia pointed to the door off the piano nobile

BOOK EXCERPT: Suzanne and Adrian accepted the contessa’s invitation to dinner for the first week in January. She said there were people she wanted them to meet. Adrian speculated they were people of influence who might be able to help him locate Simon. He looked forward to the dinner. Paul met them in the lobby and rode them up to the contessa’s apartment. When they got off the elevator, Paul took their coats and led them into the parlor. A group of six surrounded the contess

BOOK EXCERPT While she hovered, still in the doorway, bright white light illuminated mountain, cloud and town. Jagged sheets of lightning cast their glow through the doorway, through the high window, through even the gaps beneath eaves and between bricks, invading the furthest reaches of the space before her. Bringing each figure into startling clarity. The light drew both men’s gazes towards the doorway. Her husband saw her first; his eyes widened. His lips formed words. She

BOOK EXCERPT Drake Swaggers In Spring, 1588, Dartington Hall Sudden sprays of rain, as hard as volleys of sharp arrows, pelted the window and shook me from slumber. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I realised Gawen was leaning over me as I lay on our marriage bed. I scrambled to sit up and saw that the sky had grown even darker. I must have slept through the afternoon. ‘Good to see you resting. Take good care of the little knave you carry!’ He reached over and patted the mound

BOOK EXCERPT In 1914, newspapers reported the crisis as it unfolded across the country and shocked the world, sliding into war. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the turning of neutral Belgium, and Britain’s declaration of war began an era. They called it the war to end all wars. James Rushworth could still recall the moment he got the news.He could hear the excitement in the stone masons’ yard in Huddersfield, where he was an apprentice. He felt the call of duty

BOOK EXCERPT: CHAPTER 2: PALACE STREET In the Lower City two days later, Yoninah and her daughter Bat-El were walking hand in hand along Palace Street. It was a fine day in early spring. The winter rains were behind them. The trees were just beginning to send out tentative buds. This was their favorite day of the week. They would make this trip weekly. As a healer in the lower city, Yoninah had to buy fresh medicinal plants for her shop. The two of them, mother and child, mad

BOOK EXCERPT Setting the Scene: Herb’s uranium-prospecting Geiger counter went off when Edith placed a glass of milk on the kitchen table...

BOOK EXCERPT Opening: “Hannah!” Dylan calls. “Hannah?” A shiver of worry runs up my spine. He never uses my real name. “Here! I’m in the...

BOOK EXCERPT: Prologue: Two Oaths The Chapel, Alcobaça Abbey, Portugal Lent 1361 Mystified by the abbot’s intransigence, he paused to study the cleric. One explanation made sense. The abbot suspected his motive and gave credence to the scandalmongers’ whispers. Anger surged through King Pedro. “The court fool sings a ditty as he dances a jig, implying the crown will skip the Infante Ferdinand. Do you truly imagine I would kill my son to favor the boys of Inês?” Rolling his ne

BOOK EXCERPT The carriage drove on, almost silently, the padded wheels making soft noises in the grass and autumn leaves. There had not yet been any snow. Everything was black; every shining part of the harness was covered; the coachman was dressed in dull black. Four cloaked figures sat inside, a young woman dressed in deepest mourning, her face buried in her handkerchief, and, huddled next to her, were three little girls. A single small trunk sat behind them. “Mama,” the el

BOOK EXCERPT At Jessie’s Wedding Jessie plopped down beside her and linked arms, snuggling in to Margaret’s side. Jessie’s free hand slid...