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Sample

David Leavitt

January, 1913, Cambridge. G.H. Hardy – eccentric, charismatic and considered the greatest British mathematician of his age – receives a mysterious envelope covered with Indian stamps. Inside he finds a rambling letter from a self-professed mathematical genius who claims to be on the brink of solving the most important mathematical problem of his time. Hardy determines to learn more about this mysterious Indian clerk, Srinivasa Ramanujan, a decision that will profoundly affect not only his own life, and that of his friends, but the entire history of mathematics. Set against the backdrop of the First World War, and populated with such luminaries as D.H. Lawrence and Bertrand Russell, The Indian Clerk fashions from this fascinating period an utterly compelling story about our need to find order in the world.

Sample

Clare Clark

It is 1718 and, in a small parish near Newcastle, Eliza Tally, a headstrong girl of 15, embarks on a reckless love affair that will prove her undoing. When her lover casts her off, denying their union, she is forced to travel to London, a city that attracts and alarms her in equal measure. There she takes up a position in the house of an apothecary, Grayson Black, whom she trusts to salvage what remains of her reputation.From the highly-acclaimed author of The Great Stink comes a gloriously-written tale of consuming passions and obsessions. Set against the clamour and roar of eighteenth-century London, The Nature of Monsters brings vividly to life a world where the line separating science and madness is dangerously blurred, and where a single life counts for little in the relentless pursuit of progress.

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Jo Beverley

Now for the first time in a single volume: two long unavailable yet beloved romance classics from a New York Times bestselling favorite.In these two delectable novels, someone craves to be married and loses sight of the joys of true love-until their heart is opened unexpectedly...The Fortune Hunter-A stunning beauty rejects the charming suitor who isn't wealthy enough to save her impoverished family. But she can't so easily dismiss the memory of their sweet shared kiss.Deirdre and Don Juan-The dashing Earl of Everdon is most eager to marry someone-anyone-who will bear him an heir. But when he meets a quiet, well-bred lady who fits the bill, he must resort to an amorous dance of deception to gain her acceptance to his proposal.

Sample

Elizabeth Goudge

Christ Church, Oxford is the location of this tale of the Leigh family, set in the days of Queen Elizabeth I. Faithful Crocker, an impoverished young Londoner, heads for Oxford. He's bright, cheeky and good-looking, has a tremendous love of learning and hopes to be an Oxford scholar. When he is taken in by Canon Leigh and his eccentric family, Faithful obtained a home. As Faithful begins to fulfil his academic dream, the Leigh family navigate the tricky waters of first love, uncover shocking secrets and experience devastating loss. The poor young scholar finds the gold at the end of the rainbow... a faithful gatekeeper prevents a lovers' misunderstanding... a young man, with grief and remorse in his heart, finds a child at the inn and brings hint to his rightful home... and a lovely young Queen visits her adoring subjects. A charming tale of hope and love, set amid the dreaming spires of Elizabethan Oxford. Radiant with life and lighted by love's enchantment. The towers of Oxford shine through the mist, blessing an ancient city, as the magic of Midsummer Eve brings two lovers under its moonlit spell. In this coming-of-age tale, the excitement, squalor and beauty of the English Renaissance unfolds through the lives of two girls growing up, Oxford students approaching the threshold of distinguished careers, and their elders navigating the complicated waters of sixteenth-century England.