Historical Family Saga

Eine Frau und ein jüdisches Mädchen. Die über 90-jährige Klara ist blind und kann ihr Reihenhaus schon lange nicht mehr allein verlassen. Ganz unerwartet wird die Tür aufgestoßen, hinter der sie ihre Vergangenheit fest verschlossen hat. Ergreift sie ihre letzte Chance, ihr bestgehütetes Geheimnis - die Geschichte ihres Lebens - zu offenbaren? Viele Jahrzehnte früher: Die junge Klara ist überglücklich; mitten in der Weltwirtschaftskrise 1929 bekommt sie eine der raren Stellen als Hauswirtschaftslehrerin in einem Kinderheim in Oranienbaum.

"I giorni dell'eternità" è la conclusione della trilogia "The century", dedicata al Novecento, nella quale Ken Follett segue il destino di cinque famiglie legate tra loro: una americana, una tedesca, una russa, una inglese e una gallese. Dai palazzi del potere alle case della gente comune, le storie dei protagonisti si snodano e si intrecciano nel periodo che va dai primi anni sessanta fino alla caduta del Muro di Berlino, passando attraverso eventi sociali, politici ed economici tra i più drammatici e significativi del cosiddetto "secolo breve".

Amburgo, 1889. Oscar Troplowitz è un giovane farmacista, deciso a sperimentare nuove formule per quello che secondo lui sarà l'affare del secolo: i prodotti di bellezza per le donne. Così, quando scopre che l'imprenditore Paul Beiersdorf vende il suo laboratorio farmaceutico per ragioni famigliari, non esita a farsi avanti. Tuttavia, all'entusiasmo iniziale fanno seguito le prime difficoltà: Oscar è ebreo, e inoltre ha idee “troppo” moderne sui benefici da riservare ai lavoratori.

Schoolboy Luke runs away to London, far from the abusive orphanage where he grew up. He’s desperate not to end up as a petty criminal and forced to beg for scraps on the street. Luke wanders the East End docks, struggling to find honest employment and morsels of food to fill his grumbling stomach. Longing to be a part of the close-knit community, Luke volunteers to work with the local doctor and his wife. Their kind words and welcoming home is everything he’s ever wished for. But not everyone wants the best for Luke and his new friends.

Elizabeth Foster has lived in Tillington all her life. She knows everything about the local community… Everything except why another family, the Reedbarrows, now live in her ancestral home, Foster's Mill. When Christopher, a man from 'down south', arrives and begins asking questions about the Mill that no one has dared to ask for generations, secrets begin to surface, and Liz may finally find the answers she's been looking for. And perhaps, at last, Liz and her father will be able to return to their family home.

Une nuit d'hiver 1946 à Londres, une infirmière sonne à la porte de la maison des Freud. Anna, la fille du célèbre psychanalyste, est entre la vie et la mort. Épuisée et fiévreuse, elle confie des bouts de son existence à cette inconnue : son adolescence difficile, toute de désirs contrariés et de fantasmes honteux, les années d'analyse avec son père, sa rencontre décisive avec la fantasque Lou Andreas-Salomé…

It is 2003 in New Zealand, and Louisa Greenwood and her daughter Ngaroma are on a quest to discover their ancestry. Louisa has a greenstone necklace left to her in her father’s will, and from the first time Ngaroma wears it, she has unusual experiences, both good and bad. It leads her to various locations in New Zealand and England until, through a series of meetings and coincidences, she discovers the final resting place of her five times great grandmother.

Lovisa Lindegren lever sit drømmeliv i London. Men da hun pludselig mister sit job og bliver forladt af sin forlovede, beslutter hun sig for at vende tilbage til den lille svenske kystby Halleholm. Hun har arvet sine bedsteforældres bageri – og hele den tilhørende ejendom ved torvet – hvor farfar John engang bagte sine berømte kanelboller, og farmor Amelia syede haute couture på førstesalen. Testamentet indeholder dog en særlig betingelse: Hvis Lovisa vil sælge ejendommen, før hun fylder 30, skal hun sælge til familiens arvefjender – Halleholm-slægten.

Nuneaton, 1935. Kathy has grown up at Treetops home for children, where Sunday and Tom Branning have always cared for her as one of their own. She enjoys her life at Treetops Manor, surrounded by her beloved horses, and with a future as a nurse ahead of her, she could wish for nothing more. Her foster sister Livvy is not as driven as Kathy. Sunday is keen to see both her girls married, but Livvy has no intentions of settling down and would much rather spend time with her friends. When Kathy falls for the wrong man, her ambitions are soon forgotten as she embarks on a secret affair.

Phillip Richards puts little value on his life. He avoids close relationships and blames himself for the sexual abuse his sister suffered at the hands of their grandfather. To drown his sorrows and evade his guilt, Phillip drinks too much and engages in dangerous activities. When his father dies, two more life-changing events take place. Phillip meets Edith, a free-spirited poet, with whom he feels an instant connection. He also comes across a manuscript, a stolen narrative that chronicles the Civil War relationship between his ancestor, Russell, and Fever, the slave who became his wife.

July, 1914: In their sunlit Hampshire workshop, Alice Dalton mixes paints for the stained-glass artwork she and Edmund are working on, pausing only to joyfully cradle the soft swell of her stomach. But the looming war threatens her hard-won happiness. A knock at the door announces the arrival of Victor, her estranged brother, returning after six long years in America. But her elation at being reunited is short-lived as she realizes he still hasn’t forgiven her for her part in the heartbreak that sent him abroad.

Louise and Ben Hunter's loving marriage is marred only by their unfulfilled longing for a child. Living and working with Ben's father, Ronnie, they are quietly contented. But when Ronnie dies, their whole world changes. Ben's lazy brother, Jacob, returns, convinced he stands to inherit Ronnie's small fortune. And he means to have his brother's wife; though just as she did years before, Louise warns him off. Jacob, however, is not so easily dismissed. When he realises Ben will inherit everything, Jacob is beside himself with rage, and commits a terrible deed.

1931, Cornwall. Lynette Nicholls lost her brother exactly a year ago in a tragic air training accident. When she visits the coastal town where it happened, she begins to doubt everything she's been told about the incident and becomes determined to uncover the truth. Her investigation takes her deep into the community, where she meets Geordie Sargent, the leader of the miner's dispute. When sparks fly between them, and Lynette is drawn into his fight, she risks losing everything.

This is a fact-based novel that is a testament to the love and loyalty of one extraordinary family. Following the highly acclaimed story of the Sokolovskis’ first 70 years in South Africa, From Saratov to San Francisco II begins in Johannesburg the day after the Nationalist Party came to power and ends in the second decade of the 21st century, when democratic South Africa has been devastated by decades of cronyism, corruption, and crime. It encompasses international intrigue, conspiracy, tragedy, and no small amount of personal and professional success.

Beautiful Eva Bereton has two close friends: Patsy, whom she looks upon as a sister, and Bill, her childhood sweetheart, now married and living far away. So when a tragic accident turns Eva’s world upside down, Patsy is the only one she can turn to. A hated figure from the past comes to reclaim the farm and business that Eva had always believed belonged to her parents. And not even Bill, still in love with Eva, can stop her being thrown out onto the streets. With no choice but to leave, Eva and Patsy decide to build a new life elsewhere.

1939. The threat of war is looming over Blackpool, but Martha and Trisha are determined not to let it dampen their spirits. With two young evacuees for Martha to take care of, and Trisha's market garden business growing as Britain digs for victory, the friends have their hands full. Both are proud to see their daughters making their own way in the world, even in wartime. Sally has become a ballerina and Bonnie is training to become a doctor. The girls' friendship brings them all happiness and hope. But Martha is troubled by her visions for their daughters' futures.

With the outbreak of War, the fishing fleet is confined to port, bringing hardship to the families and businesses of Fishers Wharf. Ruth Evans awaits the safe return of her father’s last trawler carrying her wayward brother Henry, the future of the family business. But unbeknown to their father, Henry sees war as a chance to break free from the constraints of his privileged background and follow his heart. Much is expected of Ruth. Her marriage to Arthur Marshall will help realise her father’s dream uniting two of the largest trawler companies in Grimsby.

When their father loses their family fortune, and their mother locks herself away, sisters Grace and Clementine are left to raise themselves in a grand London house that is slowly falling apart around them. Each of them is determined to one day restore their fortunes and their family name and make a promise to do just that. Clementine dreams of being a star on stage, a celebrated ballerina who will tour the world, earning fame and fortune. She is adamant she won't put her fate into a man's hands but take charge of it herself. Grace, in contrast, sees security in a good marriage.

Wales, 1943. Sara Lewis should be heartbroken when her husband doesn't return from war. But he was never the kind husband she hoped for. And now she's stuck with her cruel mother-in-law on the family farm. Sara must do what is best for her young son. So she leaves the farm for the safety of her sister's home. Despite herself, she begins to notice Carlo, an Italian prisoner of war. Longing looks soon turn into a connection neither of them can sever. But fraternization is forbidden. As their love grows, so does the danger all around them.

Blackpool, 1922. Martha and Trisha may have escaped poverty, but their fortunes have yet to turn. Happy on her wedding day, Trisha's new fairy-tale romance soon darkens as her husband, Walter, keeps her at arms length. Between his secrecy, and her mother-in-law's coldness, Trisha feels a stranger in her own home, and lonelier than ever. Meanwhile a spectre from Martha's past threatens the happiness she has found with Joshua and Bonnie. When she is called to help in her past love's hour of need, she must decide whether to risk exposing a secret that could cost her the trust of her daughter.