Sisters separated as children are reunited as adults in this wise, funny novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of The Diary. Lindsay and Kerrie Ann Bishop were twelve and three when they were shunted into the foster care system. Thirty years later, Kerrie Ann, a high school dropout who has bounced from family to family, flies to Santa Cruz to meet the sister she never knew she had. With no job skills and no significant other, Kerrie Ann needs the help of her long-lost sister to regain custody of her six-year-old daughter, Bella. Lindsay, who grew up in a loving adoptive family, has spent decades trying to track down her sister. When Kerrie Ann suddenly appears in her bookstore—a seemingly lost, but tough-looking young woman with pink streaks in her hair—she’s stunned. With help from an eighty-year-old exotic dancer, a bad-boy baker, and a sexy bestselling novelist, Lindsay is determined to help Kerrie Ann turn her life around. But Lindsay—and the sleepy seaside town of Blue Moon Bay—will never be the same. From the New York Times–bestselling author of Garden of Lies and other blockbusters, this is both “a touching story with wide appeal [and] a sharp example of dysfunctional family fiction” (Publishers Weekly).

Includes music.

An emotional and moving epic saga of determination and drive by multi-million copy seller Elvi Rhodes, perfect for fans of Rosie Goodwin, Dilly Court and Catherine Cookson. READERS ARE LOVING RUTH APPLEBY! "One of the books that a person can read countless times and still enjoy every page. It's magical..." - 5 STARS. "Got totally lost in the pages." - 5 STARS. "Another brilliant book by this author based in Yorkshire again. Family saga at its best. Will definitely read more by this author" - 5 STARS *********************************************************** PASSIONATE, AMBITIOUS, BRAVE - A WOMAN LIKE NO OTHER. Life for Ruth Appleby has never been easy - burying her mother at 12; a meagre existence as the daughter of a Victorian millhand; hard work as a glorified mother and housekeeper at home. Longing to escape the bleak Yorkshire moors and desperate for adventure, she seizes the opportunity to venture on her own to America - a land on the brink of Civil War - to build the life she wants for herself. Can she rise to the challenges America throws at her and find the life and love she has always desired?

In seven short stories Malcolm Bradbury takes a subtly ironic look at a variety of targets: American academics, provincial Britain, the aspirations of social workers, psychologists, the well-intentioned. . . In addition he delights us with an irreverent and hilarious series of parodies of some of the greatest paradigms of the British and American literary scenes: a passage from Iris Murdoch's little-known The Sublime and the Ridiculous; Muriel Spark (a whole novel); the fifth volume of Durrell's Alexandria Quartet; John Osborne; J. D. Salinger and many more. 'A very funny book indeed. Malcolm Bradbury is a satirist of great assurance and accomplishment' Observer 'Bradbury's eye is sharp, his trigger-finger steady and unafraid, and his range and explosive power devastating' The Times

When everyone else is lying to him, she's the only person he can trust. But how can he be honest with her when his lies are the only thing keeping her safe...? Ambitious middleman Conor Baxter is determined to become his own master. He's done being an enforcer for the worst scum of London's gangland scene. This world is all he's ever known, but he has plans. Big plans. But pulling it off will mean partnering with some very scary people indeed... He's just getting started when he meets beautiful barmaid Ella Dawson. Ella's a good girl, but there's something about Conor that catches her attention. Maybe it's his bright blue eyes, his confident, charming swagger, or that he's a bit older and treats her like a princess. Whatever it is, there's one thing for certain: falling in love with a man like Conor is dangerous. And when Ella gets tangled up in Conor's shady deals, it's not just her heart that's at risk... Perfect for fans of Caz Finlay, Martina Cole and Jacqui Rose.

When Fara Ross puts on mismatched socks accidentally one morning, little does she know that it will ignite her political career. What begins as a wardrobe malfunction grows into an expression of freedom in footwear, and that can only lead to bigger things -- like the race for sixth-grade student council president. Fara knows she is perfect for the job. But as the election nears, she realizes that everyone, from her friends on her campaign team to her entire town, is paying more attention to her socks than to the issues that she stands for. All Fara wants is to serve the community. Does she have the creativity and the passion that it takes to help people see beyond her feet? Even at the cost of her friendships? Who knew that socks could spark such a revolution -- and so many problems?!

A coming of age romantic fantasy. A tragic parody of the Columbian oligarchy

On the eve of AIDS, Zimbabwe battles for Independence-- --An American expatriate remembers her home, garden and hope-filled Zambians in Zambia when, taking up Zimbabwes battle, bombs fall, murders happen, food shortages bring starvation. Her bipolar American anthropologist husband goes near berserk. Bombs kill the innocent, vicious murders go unexplained; starvation and death threaten when food, medical supplies--equipment and vital machinery are disallowed entry into Zambias land-locked land. Gifted and bipolar, the anthropologist, searching every specter of political innuendo, ends in his undoing. The writer, deeply interested in the land and its people, experiences Zambian kindness, warmth, procrastination, suspicion, and joy. This singular, independent, intrigue with Zambia as well as the dynamics of their love, provide memoirs landscape. The young American University librarian, responsible for the couples residency in Zambia, yields wrenching complications. The marriage suffers collapse. AIDS creeps into the landscape.