Torpedoed

Torpedoed
Author: Deborah Heiligman
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company (BYR)
Total Pages: 203
Release: 2019-10-08
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1250187559

From award-winning author Deborah Heiligman comes Torpedoed, a true account of the attack and sinking of the passenger ship SS City of Benares, which was evacuating children from England during WWII. Amid the constant rain of German bombs and the escalating violence of World War II, British parents by the thousands chose to send their children out of the country: the wealthy, independently; the poor, through a government relocation program called CORB. In September 1940, passenger liner SS City of Benares set sail for Canada with one hundred children on board. When the war ships escorting the Benares departed, a German submarine torpedoed what became known as the Children's Ship. Out of tragedy, ordinary people became heroes. This is their story. This title has Common Core connections.

Courage, My Love

Courage, My Love
Author: Kristin Beck
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 385
Release: 2021-04-13
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0593101561

When the Nazi occupation of Rome begins, two courageous young women are plunged deep into the Italian Resistance to fight for their freedom in this captivating debut novel. Rome, 1943 Lucia Colombo has had her doubts about fascism for years, but as a single mother in an increasingly unstable country, politics are for other people--she needs to focus on keeping herself and her son alive. Then the Italian government falls and the German occupation begins, and suddenly, Lucia finds that complacency is no longer an option. Francesca Gallo has always been aware of injustice and suffering. A polio survivor who lost her father when he was arrested for his anti-fascist politics, she came to Rome with her fiancé to start a new life. But when the Germans invade and her fiancé is taken by the Nazis, Francesca decides she has only one option: to fight back. As Lucia and Francesca are pulled deeper into the struggle against the Nazi occupation, both women learn to resist alongside the partisans to drive the Germans from Rome. But as winter sets in, the occupation tightens its grip on the city, and the resistance is in constant danger. In the darkest days, Francesca and Lucia face their pasts, find the courage to love, and maintain hope for a future that is finally free.

The Wartime Bookshop

The Wartime Bookshop
Author: Lesley Eames
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2022-10-20
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1529194008

The first in a brand-new nostalgic and heart-warming WWII series, perfect for fans of Donna Douglas and Elaine Everest. Alice is nursing an injured hand and a broken heart when she moves to the village of Churchwood at the start of WWII. She is desperate to be independent but worries that her injuries will make that impossible. Kate lives with her family on Brimbles Farm, where her father and brothers treat her no better than a servant. With no mother or sisters, and shunned by the locals, Kate longs for a friend of her own. Naomi is looked up to for owning the best house in the village. But privately, she carries the hurts of childlessness, a husband who has little time for her and some deep-rooted insecurities. With war raging overseas, and difficulties to overcome at home, friendship is needed now more than ever. Can the war effort and a shared love of books bring these women - and the community of Churchwood - together? **The fourth novel, Evacuees at the Wartime Bookshop, is available to pre-order now!** ------------------------------- **Real readers are LOVING The Wartime Bookshop** 'BRILLIANT' 'Oh I loved this book... please carry on the good writing' 'Wow what a brilliant start to a new series' 'Outstandingly fabulous, warm and inviting... so glad there is going to be a follow-on' 'I was only two pages in when I knew this would be a 5 star read... I honestly can't put my excitement into words at the thought of reading the next one'

The Light Over London

The Light Over London
Author: Julia Kelly
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2019-01-08
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1501172921

Reminiscent of Martha Hall Kelly’s Lilac Girls and Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, this entrancing story “is a poignant reminder that there is no limit to what women can do. A nostalgic, engrossing read” (Julia London, New York Times bestselling author). It’s easier for Cara Hargraves to bury herself in the past than to deal with the present, which is why working for a gruff but brilliant antiques dealer is perfect. While clearing out an estate, she pries open an old tin that holds the relics of a lost relationship: an unfinished diary from World War II and a photo of a young woman in uniform. Captivated by the hauntingly beautiful diary, Cara begins her search for the author, never guessing that it might reveal her own family’s wartime secrets. In 1941, nineteen-year-old Louise Keene feels trapped in her Cornish village, waiting for a wealthy suitor her mother has chosen for her to return from the war. But when Louise meets Flight Lieutenant Paul Bolton, a dashing RAF pilot stationed at a local base, everything changes. And changes again when Paul’s unit is deployed without warning. Desperate for a larger life, Louise joins the women’s auxiliary branch of the British Army in the anti-aircraft gun unit as a gunner girl. As bombs fall on London, she and the other gunner girls show their bravery and resilience while performing their duties during deadly air raids. The only thing that gets Louise through those dark, bullet-filled nights is knowing that she and Paul will be together when the war is over. But when a bundle of her letters to him is returned unopened, she learns that wartime romance can have a much darker side. “Sweeping, stirring, and heartrending in all the best ways, this tale of one of WWII’s courageous, colorful, and enigmatic gunner girls will take your breath away” (Kristin Harmel, bestselling author of The Room on Rue Amelie).

One Silver Summer

One Silver Summer
Author: Rachel Hickman
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 248
Release: 2016-04-26
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0545808936

A modern fairy tale that explores the ache of loss as beautifully as it captures the breathless excitement of first love. After losing her mom in an accident, Sass is sent to live with her uncle in England. Far from her native Brooklyn, the rocky shores and crumbling castles of Cornwall seem like the perfect place to hide her grief. And when she stumbles across a silver horse in a sunlit meadow, Sass feels a surprising sense of peace . . . only to have it broken by a boy. Arrogant and distrustful, the horse's trainer, Alex, doesn't approve of the trespassing American. Yet after a few chance meetings, he begins to feel a connection to the curious girl with the sad eyes, and offers to teach her to ride. Sass never expected to feel anything again--least of all love--but the lessons reveal a far different Alex, and soon their friendship turns into something more.But Alex has a secret--a bombshell about his family that could shatter Sass's trust . . . and force him to abandon the one girl who made him believe in himself.

Wartime for the Shop Girls (The Shop Girls, Book 2)

Wartime for the Shop Girls (The Shop Girls, Book 2)
Author: Joanna Toye
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2019-10-03
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 000829870X

War brings changes three friends could never foresee... ‘Highly recommended’ Anna Jacobs ‘A warm domestic drama’ People’s Friend

While We're Apart

While We're Apart
Author: Ellie Dean
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 418
Release: 2015-01-15
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 144816527X

THE EIGHTH CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEAN When war reveals a family secret, it can only bring trouble . . . It is 1942 and England is at war. Mary Jones has just celebrated her eighteenth birthday and said goodbye to her childhood sweetheart Jack, when she learns that her house has taken a direct hit during a tip and run raid. With both her parents dead and her home destroyed, a distraught Mary moves in with Jack’s parents. But her father's trunk is still intact amid the ruins, and Mary discovers a shocking secret amongst his diaries. Mary travels to Cliffehaven on the south coast in search of answers. Here she is billeted with Peggy Reilly’s fearsome sister, Doris. When warm-hearted Peggy befriends Mary, she discovers the young woman’s secret. But she begins to regret getting involved, for there can only be trouble ahead . . . A fabulous, heart-warming Second World War novel in Ellie Dean's bestselling Cliffehaven series (previously called the Beach View Boarding House series).