The ​Light Behind the Window

Lucinda Riley - Der ​Lavendelgarten
Ein ​Herrenhaus in der Provence, eine adelige Familie und eine schicksalhafte Liebe in dunklen Zeiten. Jahrelang hat Emilie de la Martinières darum gekämpft, sich eine Existenz jenseits ihrer aristokratischen Herkunft aufzubauen. Doch als ihre glamouröse, unnahbare Mutter Valérie stirbt, lastet das Erbe der Familie allein auf Emilies Schultern. Sie kehrt zurück an den Ort ihrer Kindheit, ein herrschaftliches Château in der Provence. Der Zufall spielt ihr eine Gedichtsammlung in die Hände, verfasst von ihrer Tante Sophia, deren Leben von einem düsteren Geheimnis umschattet war – einer tragischen Liebesgeschichte, die das Schicksal der de la Martinières für immer bestimmen sollte. Doch schließlich erkennt Emilie, dass es noch nicht zu spät ist, die Tür zu einer anderen Zukunft aufzustoßen …

Mary Ann Shaffer - Annie Barrows - The ​Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
The ​letters comprising this small charming novel begin in 1946, when single, 30-something author Juliet Ashton (nom de plume Izzy Bickerstaff) writes to her publisher to say she is tired of covering the sunny side of war and its aftermath. When Guernsey farmer Dawsey Adams finds Juliet's name in a used book and invites articulate—and not-so-articulate—neighbors to write Juliet with their stories, the book's epistolary circle widens, putting Juliet back in the path of war stories. The occasionally contrived letters jump from incident to incident—including the formation of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society while Guernsey was under German occupation—and person to person in a manner that feels disjointed. But Juliet's quips are so clever, the Guernsey inhabitants so enchanting and the small acts of heroism so vivid and moving that one forgives the authors (Shaffer died earlier this year) for not being able to settle on a single person or plot. Juliet finds in the letters not just inspiration for her next work, but also for her life—as will readers.

Kimura Rei - Japán ​rózsa
Japán ​a második világháborúban. A festői kis faluban, Macumotóban élő két fiatal lány, Szajuri és Reiko elindul a háború sújtotta Tokióba, hogy megtalálják egyikük vőlegényét. Otthoni környezetükből kiszakadva munkát vállalnak egy kórházban, ahol szembesülnek a háború valódi arcával: Szajuri öccsét csapatszállító hajójával együtt elsüllyeszti egy amerikai tengeralattjáró, míg barátnője vőlegényét összeroncsolt testtel, haldokolva látja viszont a kórházban. Amikor barátnőjét is megöli egy amerikai bomba, Szajuri bosszút esküszik: férfinak álcázva magát kamikáze pilótának áll. A végső bevetésen azonban kudarcot vall s ellentétben kiképző tisztjével – aki egyben a szerelme is - túléli az akciót, sőt arra is fény derül, hogy tudatosan megtévesztette a császári hadsereget. A duplán szégyenteljes esemény eltusolása érdekében a katonai bürokrácia úgy határoz, hogy el kell tűnnie még a nyilvántartásokból is. Új nevet kap, száműzik vidékre… itt talál rá napjaink egy szemfüles újságírónője, akinek ha nehezen is, de lassanként megnyílik a „japán rózsa”. Kimura Rei regényében izgalmas csatáknak lehetünk tanúi, ám ezek az összeütközések egyben a japán társadalmi hagyományoknak és egy modern világnak az emberekben zajló konfliktusai, melyeket – úgy tűnik – az amerikai bombázók sem tudtak szétzúzni. A történet szerkezete is erre utal: ide-oda ugrál a múlt és a jelen között, miközben felsejlik előttünk egy mai ésszel felfoghatatlan kasztrendszer, ahol a nők a legteljesebb alárendeltségben éltek. Szajuri története amolyan japán „haza és szerelem” eposz, melyben a legősibb túlélési ösztönök, egyfajta szellemi emelkedettség és egy fájdalmas, lemondásokkal terhelt gyönyörű szerelem képét rajzolja elénk a szerző.

Sarah Jio - The ​Bungalow
In ​the summer of 1942, twenty-one-year-old Anne Calloway, newly engaged, sets off to serve in the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific island of Bora-Bora. More exhilarated by the adventure of a lifetime than she ever was by her predictable fiancé, she is drawn to a mysterious soldier named Westry, and their friendship soon blossoms into hues as deep as the hibiscus flowers native to the island. Under the thatched roof of an abandoned beach bungalow, the two share a private world-until they witness a gruesome crime, Westry is suddenly redeployed, and the idyll vanishes into the winds of war. A timeless story of enduring passion, The Bungalow chronicles Anne's determination to discover the truth about the twin losses-of life, and of love-that have haunted her for seventy years.

R. D. Blackmore - Lorna ​Doone
First ​published in 1869, Lorna Doone is the story of John Ridd, a farmer who finds love amid the religious and social turmoil of seventeenth-century England. He is just a boy when his father is slain by the Doones, a lawless clan inhabiting wild Exmoor on the border of Somerset and Devon. Seized by curiosity and a sense of adventure, he makes his way to the valley of the Doones, where he is discovered by the beautiful Lorna. In time their childish fantasies blossom into mature love a bond that will inspire John to rescue his beloved from the ravages of a stormy winter, rekindling a conflict with his archrival, Carver Doone, that climaxes in heartrending violence. Beloved for its portrait of star-crossed lovers and its surpassing descriptions of the English countryside, Lorna Doone is R. D. Blackmore's enduring masterpiece.

Kate Furnivall - Shadows ​on the Nile
'I'll ​find him. I will.' It's 1932 and 27-year-old Jessica is living London life to the full when her younger brother Tim, an ancient Egyptian archaeology expert, goes missing. Teaming up with Sir Montague Chamford - who can resist neither a damsel in distress nor the chance of adventure - Jessie vows to find her beloved brother. Following the clues Tim has left in his wake, Jessie and Monty head to Egypt. In the relentless heat of the desert, romance is kindled between them, but danger also lurks in every shadow. And then Jessie starts to wonder how much Monty really knows about her brother's disappearance . . . A dramatic story of adventure, excitement, love and romance can all be found in the SHADOWS ON THE NILE

Ava Stone - A ​Scandalous Pursuit
Even ​the most ruthless of rogues live by their own code of honor, and for Alexander Everett, the wicked Duke of Kelfield, his includes not seducing the ward of his oldest and dearest friend. However for a man who is accustomed to getting what he wants, the lure of the forbidden fruit is enough to drive him wild. When he finds himself under the same roof as the enchanting Olivia Danbury at a summer house party, he discovers the temptation of the lady is more than he can resist. Olivia, on the other hand, has the rest of her life all mapped out. When her fiancé returns from the Peninsular Wars, they'll get married, settle down in the country, start a family, and live happily ever after. The sinfully sexy Duke of Kelfield was not in her plans. But when she stumbles headlong into a compromising position with the passionate duke, her carefully constructed life quickly begins to unravel. In no time, Olivia must choose between the life she's always planned and everything she never knew she wanted.

Ava Stone - A ​Scandalous Wife
A ​Regency Historical Novel As the head of his family, Robert Beckford, the Earl of Masten, was accustomed to dealing with various problems his siblings had caused of one sort or another. However he wasn’t prepared when his cad of brother ruined and then abandoned a young lady. To right the wrong, Robert married the girl himself; but his chivalry only went so far. He didn’t want a wife, and most certainly not a scandalous one. So after repeating his vows, he sent her packing, off to a secluded estate and expected her to stay put. After years of mistreatment at the hands of her family, Lydia was prepared to be an accommodating wife; but her rigid and unforgiving husband asked too much of her. After languishing for years in her opulent prison, Lydia leaves her country estate for the glamour and excitement of London—and unfortunately her husband’s path.

Mary Jo Putney - The ​Bargain
First ​published as The Would-Be Widow in 1989, this intoxicating Regency has been rewritten by Mary Jo Putney to give the story and characters greater depth. Now titled The Bargain, it will charm readers old and new with its unlikely and outrageous romance... To keep her fortune, a beautiful heiress impulsively weds a penniless officer dying of wounds received at Waterloo. But when the blasted man hasn't the grace to die, she suddenly finds herself with a healthy, vibrant husband who wants to renegotiate the terms of their bargain--and ultimately possess the heart of his bewildered bride...

Mary Jo Putney - The ​Wild Child
Bribed ​by Kyle, his twin brother, Dominic Renbourne agrees to take his twin's place for a few weeks at Warfield Manor, where he is to pay court to Lady Meriel Grahame, the orphaned heiress Kyle intends to marry. The last thing Dominic expects is to be entranced by a silent sprite whose ethereal beauty is as intoxicating as the flowers and trees that surround her. For much of her life Meriel has lived outside normal society, finding joy and peace in her garden, safe from the nightmare that nearly destroyed her as a child. She is content with solitude until the handsome intruder begins to inspire dreams of life beyond her sanctuary. Despite his longing, Dominic's sense of duty keeps him away from his brother's future bride, but Meriel's untamed spirit proves more powerful than Dominic can resist . . .

Isabel Wolff - Ghostwritten
A ​childhood mistake. A lifetime of regrets. Jenni is a ‘ghost’: she writes the lives of other people. It’s a job that suits her well: still haunted by a childhood tragedy, she finds it easier to take refuge in the memories of others rather than dwell on her own. Jenni has an exciting new commission, and is delighted to start working on the memoirs of a Dutchwoman, Klara. As a child in the Second World War, Klara was interned in a camp on Java during the Japanese occupation – she has an extraordinary story of survival to tell. But as Jenni and Klara begin to get to know each other, Jenni begins to do much more than shed light on a neglected part of history. She is being forced to examine her own devastating memories, too. But with Klara’s help, perhaps this is finally the moment where she will be able to lay the ghosts of her own past to rest?

Margaret Mitchell - Elfújta ​a szél
Tizenhét ​inch, azaz negyvenhárom centi, úgy is mondhatnánk, szűk két arasz - ekkora Scarlett O'Hara dereka, és erre nagyon büszke. A gazdag, déli földbirtokos lánya minden ujjára kap udvarlót, de neki csak egy kell: Ashley Wilkes. A férfi azonban mást vesz feleségül. Scarlett bosszúból férjhez megy, éppen azon a napon, amikor kitör az amerikai polgárháború. Az elkényeztetett, magabiztos tizenhat évesből nagyon gyorsan felnőtt lesz a háború szörnyűségei között. Egyet akar csak: megtartani a családi birtokot, amiért akár az ördöggel is szövetkezne. Három férj, három gyerek, a beteljesületlen szerelem - a könyv végén, tizenkét évvel később, Scarlett felelősségteljes nő, aki kezdi érteni az életet. Margaret Mitchell egyetlen regénye 1936-ban jelent meg, és óriási sikert aratott. Azonnal megfilmesítették a kor szupersztárjaival, és Scarlettet a legtöbben azóta is a gyönyörű Vivien Leigh alakjában képzelik el. Pedig "nem volt szépség", de ezt a férfiak nem tudták megítélni, , "annyira elbűvölte őket". Érdemes tehát elolvasni a regényt akkor is, ha a filmet - talán többször is - láttuk már: az alakok összetettebbek és elevenebbek - nemcsak Scarlett, hanem Ashley Wilkes és az ördögi Rhett Butler is... Készült a regényből több musical is, sőt Magyarországon Dvořák zenéjére hatalmas sikerű balett. S mindeközben a könyvet minden új generáció felfedezi magának. Amerikában a Biblia után a legnépszerűbb mű, harmincmillió példányban kelt el. Magyarra már 1937-ben lefordították, azóta olvashatjuk - és olvassuk is.

Francine Prose - Lovers ​at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932
A ​richly imagined and stunningly inventive literary masterpiece of love, art, and betrayal, set in Paris from the late 1920s into the dark years of World War II, that explores the genesis of evil, the unforeseen consequences of love, and the ultimate unreliability of storytelling itself Emerging from the austerity and deprivation of the Great War, Paris in the 1920s shimmers with excitement, dissipation, and freedom. It is a place of intoxicating ambition, passion, art, and discontent, where louche jazz venues like the Chameleon Club draw expats, artists, libertines, and parvenus looking to indulge their true selves. It is at the Chameleon where the striking Lou Villars, an extraordinary athlete and scandalous cross-dressing lesbian, finds refuge among the club's loyal patrons, including rising Hungarian photographer Gabor Tsenyi, socialite and art patron Baroness Lily de Rossignol; and caustic American writer Lionel Maine. As the years pass, their fortunes-and the world itself-evolve. Lou falls desperately in love and finds success as a racecar driver. Gabor builds his reputation with startlingly vivid and imaginative photographs, including a haunting portrait of Lou and her lover, which will resonate through all their lives. As the exuberant 20s give way to the Depression of the 30s, Lou experiences another metamorphosis-sparked by tumultuous events-that will warp her earnest desire for love and approval into something far more sinister: collaboration with the Nazis. Told in a kaleidoscope of voices that circle around the dark star of Lou Villars, Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932 evokes this incandescent city with brio, humor, and intimacy. Exploring a turbulent time defined by terror, bravery, and difficult moral choices, it raises critical questions about truth and memory and the nature of storytelling itself. A brilliant work of fiction and a mesmerizing read, it is Francine Prose's finest novel yet

Jessica James - Above ​and Beyond
Another ​timeless Civil War novel by award-winning historical fiction author Jessica James. A romantic tale of two people thrown together by war, and torn apart by Destiny. Confederate spy Sarah Duvall risks all to help cavalry officer Douglas Benton escape from the Yankees. Will his love be enough to bring her back? Or will a promise he made keep them apart forever?

Sebastian Faulks - A ​Possible Life
Terrified, ​a young prisoner in the Second World War closes his eyes and pictures himself going out to bat on a sunlit cricket ground in Hampshire. Across the courtyard in a Victorian workhouse, a father is too ashamed to acknowledge his son. A skinny girl steps out of a Chevy with a guitar; her voice sends shivers through the skull. Soldiers and lovers, parents and children, scientists and musicians risk their bodies and hearts in search of connection - some key to understanding what makes us the people we become. Provocative and profound, Sebastian Faulks's dazzling novel journeys across continents and time to explore the chaos created by love, separation and missed opportunities. From the pain and drama of these highly particular lives emerges a mysterious consolation: the chance to feel your heart beat in someone else's life

R. L. Mathewson - Playing ​for Keeps
Done ​with being the world's biggest pushover, Haley decides that things are going to change starting with the aggravating neighbor who has too much charm and not enough restraint. What she didn't expect was to sucked into his world, but Haley has a game plan and she won't let herself forget just what the bad boy next door is capable of. The last thing Jason expected was for his little shy neighbor to go Rambo on him over some ruined flowers. After he decides to take her under his wing he can't help but notice that she fits very nicely in his life. Now the only left is to convince her that this is anything but a game.

Margaret Mitchell - Gone ​with the Wind
Margaret ​Mitchell's epic novel of love and war won the Pulitzer Prize and went on to give rise to two authorized sequels and one of the most popular and celebrated movies of all time. Many novels have been written about the Civil War and its aftermath. None take us into the burning fields and cities of the American South as "Gone With the Wind" does, creating haunting scenes and thrilling portraits of characters so vivid that we remember their words and feel their fear and hunger for the rest of our lives. In the two main characters, the white-shouldered, irresistible Scarlett and the flashy, contemptuous Rhett, Margaret Mitchell not only conveyed a timeless story of survival under the harshest of circumstances, she also created two of the most famous lovers in the English-speaking world since Romeo and Juliet.

Jacqueline Winspear - The ​Mapping of Love and Death
In ​the latest mystery in the New York Times bestselling series, Maisie Dobbs must unravel a case of wartime love and death an investigation that leads her to a long-hidden affair between a young cartographer and a mysterious nurse. August 1914. Michael Clifton is mapping the land he has just purchased in California's beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, certain that oil lies beneath its surface. But as the young cartographer prepares to return home to Boston, war is declared in Europe. Michael the youngest son of an expatriate Englishman puts duty first and sails for his father's native country to serve in the British army. Three years later, he is listed among those missing in action. April 1932. London psychologist and investigator Maisie Dobbs is retained by Michael's parents, who have recently learned that their son's remains have been unearthed in France. They want Maisie to find the unnamed nurse whose love letters were among Michael's belongings a quest that takes Maisie back to her own bittersweet wartime love. Her inquiries, and the stunning discovery that Michael Clifton was murdered in his trench, unleash a web of intrigue and violence that threatens to engulf the soldier's family and even Maisie herself. Over the course of her investigation, Maisie must cope with the approaching loss of her mentor, Maurice Blanche, and her growing awareness that she is once again falling in love. Following the critically acclaimed bestseller Among the Mad, The Mapping of Love and Death delivers the most gripping and satisfying chapter yet in the life of Maisie Dobbs.

Ayelet Waldman - Love ​and Treasure
A ​spellbinding new novel of contraband masterpieces, tragic love, and the unexpected legacies of forgotten crimes, Ayelet Waldman’s Love and Treasure weaves a tale around the fascinating, true history of the Hungarian Gold Train in the Second World War. In 1945 on the outskirts of Salzburg, victorious American soldiers capture a train filled with unspeakable riches: piles of fine gold watches; mountains of fur coats; crates filled with wedding rings, silver picture frames, family heirlooms, and Shabbat candlesticks passed down through generations. Jack Wiseman, a tough, smart New York Jew, is the lieutenant charged with guarding this treasure - a responsibility that grows more complicated when he meets Ilona, a fierce, beautiful Hungarian who has lost everything in the ravages of the Holocaust. Seventy years later, amid the shadowy world of art dealers who profit off the sins of previous generations, Jack gives a necklace to his granddaughter, Natalie Stein, and charges her with searching for an unknown woman - a woman whose portrait and fate come to haunt Natalie, a woman whose secret may help Natalie to understand the guilt her grandfather will take to his grave and to find a way out of the mess she has made of her own life. A story of brilliantly drawn characters - a suave and shady art historian, a delusive and infatuated Freudian, a family of singing circus dwarfs fallen into the clutches of Josef Mengele, and desperate lovers facing choices that will tear them apart - Love and Treasure is Ayelet Waldman’s finest novel to date: a sad, funny, richly detailed work that poses hard questions about the value of precious things in a time when life itself has no value, and about the slenderest of chains that can bind us to the griefs and passions of the past.

Jaime Lee Moyer - Delia's ​Shadow
A ​dark, romantic fantasy set against the backdrop of San Francisco devastated by the Great Quake It is the dawn of a new century in San Francisco and Delia Martin is a wealthy young woman whose life appears ideal. But a dark secret colors her life, for Delia’s most loyal companions are ghosts, as she has been gifted (or some would say cursed) with an ability to peer across to the other side. Since the great quake rocked her city in 1906, Delia has been haunted by an avalanche of the dead clamoring for her help. Delia flees to the other side of the continent, hoping to gain some peace. After several years in New York, Delia believes she is free…until one determined specter appears and she realizes that she must return to the City by the Bay in order to put this tortured soul to rest. It will not be easy, as the ghost is only one of the many victims of a serial killer who was never caught. A killer who after thirty years is killing again. And who is now aware of Delia’s existence.