20th Century

Blindsided by betrayal in pre-WWII England, a woman charts a daring new course in this captivating tale of resilience, friendship, and new love by the best-selling author of The Rose Arbor and The Venice Sketchbook.

Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist....

Tasmania, 1874. Growing up in the impoverished tenements along the Hobart Rivulet, Harriet Brown is used to doing whatever it takes to survive. Including, at just twelve years old, shearing off her hair and pretending to be a boy to secure a job.

Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He's a normal Italian teenager - obsessed with music, food, and girls....

An investigation into a girl’s disappearance uncovers a mystery dating back to World War II in a haunting novel of suspense by the best-selling author of The Venice Sketchbook and The Paris Assignment.

Erin O'Byrne returns to Ceann Mara, her family's remote property on the Darling River, seeking peace after a painful marital breakup. Camping by the tranquil billabong, she hopes the solitude of the Australian bush will help her heal.

Through years of war and devastation, Tatiana and Alexander suffered the worst the twentieth century had to offer. Miraculously reunited in America, they now have a beautiful son, Anthony, the gift of a love strong enough to survive the most terrible upheavals....

From New York Times best-selling author Rhys Bowen comes a haunting novel about a woman who braves her father's hidden past to discover his secrets....

In Sydney, siblings Donald and Sarah Macintosh battle for their father's approval, and control of his empire, while their cousin David fights the enemy across the continents....

When a wealthy industrialist offers him a large sum of money to devise secret hiding places for Jews, Lucien struggles with the choice of risking his life for a cause he doesn't really believe in....

1945, Auschwitz: I stumble out of the gates, tightly grasping the hands of two smaller children. Hunger swirls in my stomach and the barren landscape swims before my eyes. I can barely believe it. We’re free. We survived. But what happens now…

Elizabeth has always suspected her mother harbours a secret from her time as a young woman in Nazi Germany. But her mother, suffering from dementia, is lost to her now.

The Allies are desperate to stop neutral Turkey supplying vital materials to the Nazis - materials which could help them win the war. But then a British agent makes a fatal mistake and disappears in Istanbul....

Find the truth; risk everything. A gripping WWII spy novel full of intrigue and peril from a modern master....

Two sisters join the Paris Resistance in this pause-resisting new novel inspired by the real-life bravery of Catherine Dior, sister of the fashion designer and a heroine of World War II France - perfect for fans of Kate Quinn and Jennifer Chiaverini....

Bristol, 1939. School leaver Maisie Miles suspects her father, a small-time crook, has an ulterior motive for insisting she gets a job at the W. D. & H. O. Wills tobacco factory but keeps it to herself.

The war is over; Hitler is dead - and yet his evil legacy lives on. Saffron Courtney and her beloved husband, Gerhard, only just survived the brutal conflict, but Gerhard's Nazi-supporting brother, Konrad, is still free and determined to regain power....

Auschwitz, 1942: This unforgettable novel, based on a true story, brings to life history’s most powerful tale of forbidden love. Set within the barbed wire of Auschwitz, a man and a woman fall in love against unimaginable odds....

A heartbreaking story of friendship, loyalty and the true cost of love, from the bestselling author of The Secret Midwife and Wives of War.

From the author of the number one best seller Beneath a Scarlet Sky comes a new historical novel inspired by one family’s incredible story of daring, survival, and triumph....

In the wake of the war, Audrey Clarkson leaves her manor house in England for a fresh start in America with her young son. But she arrives to find that her longtime friend Eve Dawson has been impersonating her for the past four years....

Inspired by the unforgettable true story of the women of Bletchley Park, this utterly gripping novel of secrets, love, and courage shines a light on the incredible wartime work that changed the course of history....

As OSS agents Kathryn Hammond and Jenny Ryan navigate the dangerous world of espionage, they are faced with the ultimate test of love and loyalty.

1940. Aiyi Shao is a young heiress and the owner of a formerly popular and glamorous Shanghai nightclub. Ernest Reismann is a penniless Jewish refugee driven out of Germany, an outsider searching for shelter in a city wary of strangers....

In the second half of the 19th century, Melbourne is a veritable boom town, as hopefuls from every corner of the globe flock to the gold fields of Victoria. And where people crave gold, they also crave entertainment....

Surrey, England, 1938. After 30 devoted years of marriage, Ellie Endicott is blindsided by her husband’s appeal for divorce. It’s Ellie’s opportunity for change too. The unfaithful cad can have the house. She’s taking the Bentley. Ellie, her housekeeper Mavis, and her elderly friend Dora—each needing escape—impulsively head for parts unknown in the South of France.

New York, 1942: Avery is engaged to be married. Longing for adventure instead, she jumps at an unexpected offer to trade her library job for undercover intelligence-gathering in Portugal. But her new life in Lisbon, known as the Capital of Espionage, challenges everything she thought she knew about herself.

1942 wird Singapur von der japanischen Armee eingenommen. Während die Insel brennt, versuchen die australische Krankenschwester Nesta James und die englische Musikerin Norah Chambers mit vielen anderen an Bord der HMS Vyner Brooke zu fliehen. Doch das Schiff wird bombardiert und versenkt. Nesta und Norah können sich an die Strände von Indonesien retten, werden aber gefangen genommen und in einem der berüchtigten japanischen Kriegsgefangenenlager festgehalten. Tapfer kämpfen die beiden Seite an Seite ums Überleben: mit außergewöhnlichem Mut und der Magie der Musik.

Paris, 1940. Ever since the Nazi Party began burning books, German writers exiled for their opinions or heritage have been taking up residence in Paris. There they opened a library meant to celebrate the freedom of ideas and gathered every book on the banned list . . . and even incognito versions of the forbidden books that were smuggled back into Germany. For the last six years, Corinne Bastien has been reading those books and making that library a second home. But when the German army takes possession of Paris, she loses access to the library and all the secrets she’d hidden there.

Paris, 1952—Still haunted by the years she spent serving in the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during WWII, ex-pat Kat Fontaine, now living in Paris, finds a simple cookery class led by indomitable chef Julia Child unearths the tangle of gut-wrenching memories of war. Determined to find her brother who went missing during the war and is presumed dead, Kat questions everything, especially her high-ranking society husband whose past is as murky as her own.

September 1942. Esme Donaldson is still grieving the devastating loss of her husband, Anthony, when she’s forced out of her dream job by wartime budget cuts. Left with few options, Esme faces an uncertain future – until a chance encounter sends her to Redcliffe Manor, a grand estate deep in the Somerset countryside, and an unexpected role as the manor’s librarian. As Esme settles in, she discovers the house is no ordinary country estate. The grounds have been requisitioned by an American military hospital, while the house is sheltering a displaced girls’ boarding school.

Es gibt keinen Weg, der nicht irgendwann nach Hause führt Am Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs wird mitten in Deutschland ein kleiner Junge gefunden, der nichts über sich selbst und seine Herkunft weiß. Sein Alter wird geschätzt, er bekommt den Namen Hartmut und wächst in einem katholischen Kinderheim auf, in dem viel Ordnung und noch mehr Zucht herrscht. Dort lernt er die etwas ältere Kriegswaise Margret kennen, die ihn schon im Heim zu beschützen versucht. Die beiden werden zu einer unverzichtbaren Stütze füreinander und beschließen, sich nie wieder loszulassen.

Naomi is upset to find a nasty, anonymous letter land on her doorstep. Who could’ve sent something like this? Naomi, Bert and the Churchwood bookshop organising team are determined to figure out who it is sending her these poison pen letters. Because it must be someone they know… Ruby is preparing for her wedding to Kenny. But for some reason, she can’t figure out why she isn’t excited. Can she get to the root of her feelings and enjoy her special day?

Nancy Foster has harboured a devastating secret from the mid-1950s that shattered her professional and personal life. On meeting her, journalist Stef Lansdown realizes that she has the power to restore Nancy's reputation and to heal the wounds, if only Nancy will trust her. But someone else wants to get to the bottom of the story first, someone who doesn't want it to be told.

Bletchley Park, 1942. When teacher Hana Phillips is unexpectedly recruited to Bletchley Park she's determined to do her bit for the war effort. A talented linguist, she's soon put to work cracking Japanese naval codes and her newfound talents make her confidence soar, even as her work puts pressure on her already fracturing marriage. Then Hana is tasked with a secret mission. There is a mole in her team, sharing secrets with the enemy, and Hana must search them out.

Tasha Ancel, de dieciséis años, se gira para echar un último vistazo al lugar que le ha robado la libertad y la infancia. No sabe cómo ha sobrevivido; la mayoría ha muerto tras las puertas del campo de concentración. Por primera vez en meses, su corazón late con la esperanza de un futuro y de sacar adelante a los niños que ahora se aferran a ella. Las SS arrancaron a Tasha de los brazos de su madre unos días antes de que la deportaran. De ella, solo conserva un mechón de cabello pelirrojo.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapses when her fiancé, Fritz, vanishes after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1933, Hedda is stunned to see Fritz's name in a photograph of an American monument to German POWs in Asheville, North Carolina. Determined to reclaim his body and bring closure to his ailing mother, Hedda embarks on a journey from Germany to the US. However, her quest takes a dark turn when Fritz's casket contains the remains of a woman who died under mysterious circumstances.

London, 1941. The war has robbed eight-year-old orphan Elsie of everything except her older brother Jack. Evacuated together, they escaped a cruel farming family only to find their home destroyed, their mother gone. Elsie hasn’t spoken since. Wandering under the falling ash, their stomachs twist with hunger and Jack knows he cannot protect Elsie alone. But everything changes when they join a rag-tag band of orphans, runaway evacuees who’ve returned to the city just like them.

Die Pfarrerstochter Luise träumt davon, das Fliegen zu erlernen. Gegen alle Widerstände gelingt es ihr, ihren Traum zu verwirklichen und Pilotin zu werden. Als die Nazis an die Macht kommen, muss sie die Fliegerei aufgeben und kehrt nach Franken zurück. Hier ist plötzlich alles anders: Alle schweigen, ganz egal, was passiert.

Young widow Julia Nance has found happiness again running her beloved Guesthouse, Fairlight, but with the arrival of war, even her last bookings are being cancelled. Step-daughter Elowen immediately offers to find work with arch rival Alma Jennings, but Julia prefers to keep her close, and searches desperately for alternatives. Offering up her beloved home to be requisitioned, looking for any opportunity for work herself, she finds herself thwarted at every turn, and unwilling to accept the help of unscrupulous brother-in-law Pasco.

Emmy Clarke est une bibliothécaire, pas un soldat. Et pourtant, elle est envoyée en Allemagne pour aider les Monuments Men à répertorier la littérature pillée par les nazis. Ses recherches la conduisent à deux sœurs, à une horrible trahison et à une extraordinaire manifestation contre les nazis, qui s'est tenue à Berlin au plus fort de la guerre. Près d'une décennie plus tôt, des centaines de femmes se sont en effet rassemblées devant le centre de détention où leurs maris juifs avaient été enfermés par la Gestapo.

Berlin, 1933. Après le succès de son premier roman, l'écrivaine américaine Althea reçoit une invitation pour participer à un programme d'échange culturel en Allemagne. Paris, 1936. Elle a peut-être fui Berlin pour Paris, mais Hannah découvre que la Ville Lumière n'est pas le refuge contre l'antisémitisme qu'elle pensait trouver. New York, 1944. Depuis que son mari a été tué en combattant les nazis, Vivian mène sa propre guerre : empêcher les tentatives d'un puissant sénateur de censurer les Armed Service Editions, des livres de poche qui sont expédiés par millions aux soldats à l'étranger.

Living immerses us in the daily lives of a group of ordinary people working in a post-WWI iron factory. Through fragmented perspectives, Green captures the beauty and chaos of everyday existence—love, loss, and the fleeting moments of joy amidst routine. As the characters navigate their lives, the line between their inner worlds and external realities blurs, revealing the quiet yet profound battles that define the human experience.

When Olive receives a letter in the post from the father of her daughter - American soldier, Joe - she is shocked. Not only is he losing his sight and, after years of no contact, suddenly wanting to reconnect, but Olive has to decide whether or not to reveal that she has been lying all these years to the man she married - who believes himself to be Joanna's father. When her old friend, Josh, comes back into her life, they rekindle a spark Olive thought was long-dormant. But can she trust the man who kept so many secrets from her in the past?

Settembre 1919. L’eco della guerra ancora risuona in un’Europa ferita, mentre in una città assediata nasce un sogno rivoluzionario. Leo, diciassettenne inquieto e determinato, lascia la sua casa tra le montagne della Carnia per unirsi all’impresa di Fiume, guidata da Gabriele D’Annunzio. Spinto dall’irrequietezza e dal desiderio di far parte di qualcosa di grande, Leo si immerge in un mondo fatto di ideali rivoluzionari, discorsi infuocati e sogni di giustizia sociale.

After her father is murdered, fifteen-year-old Ingrid Lang flees her home in Austria only to become separated from her siblings and stranded in the Dutch city of Arnhem with a pair of broken legs. Her future would be bleak if not for the kindness of a local doctor and his daughter Anita van der Veen. But before Ingrid can finish her healing and continue her journey to find her brother and sister, the forces of Nazi Germany overrun the Netherlands, leaving her trapped in an enemy occupation.

Historians describe great wars as the clash of armies, the strategies of generals, the choices of leaders. But history is also shaped by the smallest moments—the flick of a wrist, the turn of a head, a slight hesitation. A single moment, barely noticed, that cascades into something far greater. And the world changes forever.

In the throes of WWII in Port Braythwaite, Cornwall, British radio operator Eleanor "Ellie" Hayes intercepts a mysterious distress signal from the USS Reliant, a U.S. Navy ship with no official record. Drawn into a web of espionage, loss, and secrets, Ellie finds an unlikely ally in Captain James "Jack" Calloway, a U.S. Navy officer also investigating the signal.

Prague, 1939. Les troupes du Reich entrent dans la ville. De sa fenêtre, Herbert Levin aimerait les faire disparaître comme, sur scène, un illusionniste escamote ses colombes. Lui-même magicien sous le nom du " Grand Nivelli ", l'homme espère trouver chez les SS, ces grands mystiques amateurs d'occulte, un public trop naïf pour percer son secret. Car Levin est juif, comme toute sa famille... Croire ou ne pas croire... C'est toute la tragédie de ces années barbares, où nul ne veut croire au mal absolu. Levin y sera bientôt confronté, là-bas, dans la boue de la Pologne, au cœur gris de l'enfer..

Es el verano de 1936, y la isla de Creta brilla bajo el sol y el mar Egeo. Allí, en sus playas, dos jóvenes descubrirán el amor. Eleni ha viajado a Creta toda su vida. Viene de Inglaterra a pasar los soleados veranos con su abuelo en su idílica villa junto al mar. Cuando llega en 1936, cree que las largas y calurosas semanas que se avecinan serán como muchas otras. Pero ese año también llega a la isla un joven alemán llamado Otto. Y así comienza un verano de romance: el mar, el sol, el tomillo fresco, la alegría y la música deberían durar para siempre.