Helen Simonson Ordine dei libri (cronologico)

A timeless comedy of manners—refreshing as a summer breeze and bracing as the British seaside—about a generation of young women facing the seismic changes brought on by war and dreaming of the boundless possibilities of their future. In the summer of 1919, Constance Haverhill finds herself without prospects as men return from the front, leading to her dismissal from the estate she managed during the war. While searching for a new job, she becomes a lady’s companion to an old family friend at a seaside hotel. With only weeks to secure a permanent home, Constance gets drawn into the vibrant social scene of Hazelbourne-on-Sea after rescuing Poppy Wirrall, the local baronet’s daughter, from a social blunder. Poppy, who defies conventions by wearing trousers and running a taxi service to employ local women, welcomes Constance into her circle, alongside her handsome but troubled brother, Harris, a wounded fighter pilot. Yet, as the nation prepares to celebrate peace, Constance and her new friends must confront the reality that the freedoms they gained during the war are being threatened. This whip-smart narrative is an unforgettable coming-of-age story, a tender romance, and a portrait of a nation on the brink of change.

It is late summer in East Sussex, 1914. Amidst the season's splendour, fiercely independent Beatrice Nash arrives in the coastal town of Rye to fill a teaching position at the local grammar school. There she is taken under the wing of formidable matriarch Agatha Kent, who, along with her charming nephews, tries her best to welcome Beatrice to a place that remains stubbornly resistant to the idea of female teachers. But just as Beatrice comes alive to the beauty of the Sussex landscape, and the colourful characters that populate Rye, the perfect summer is about to end. For the unimaginable is coming - and soon the limits of progress, and the old ways, will be tested as this small town goes to war.

À Edgecombe St. Mary, le major Ernest Pettigrew, gentleman anglais raffiné et courtois, suit avec rigueur le rituel de sa tasse de thé. Veuf, il vit entouré de ses livres et de quelques amis du club de golf, loin des préoccupations de son fils Roger, un jeune londonien ambitieux. La routine du major est bouleversée par la mort de son frère Bertie et la rencontre avec Mme Ali, une commerçante pakistanaise également veuve. Leur passion commune pour la littérature et leur expérience du deuil les rapprochent, malgré les différences culturelles qui les séparent. Ils doivent faire face aux préjugés des villageois, où le racisme ordinaire se manifeste dans divers contextes sociaux. Les tensions s'intensifient avec l'arrivée de Roger et sa petite amie américaine, ainsi que le neveu de Mme Ali, qui revient du Pakistan avec un secret. Helen Simonson explore avec charme et intelligence le thème des traditions, révélant à la fois leur potentiel de réconfort et leur danger. L'atmosphère so british du roman enchante, tout en posant la question : votre tasse de thé, avec un nuage de lait ou une tranche de citron ?

Vyvolený - Sam Bourne / Tichý muž - Sandra Brown / Pravidlo první - Robert Crais / Major Pettigrew se nevzdává - Helen Simonson

Sam Bourne: Vyvolený Maggie Costellová, poradkyně nového prezidenta Spojených států Stephena Bakera, je hrdá na to, že může pracovat po boku tak výjimečného muže. Ovšem jen do chvíle, kdy se na scéně objeví jistý Vic Forbes a vyhrožuje, že zveřejní skandální informace o prezidentově minulosti. Sandra Brown: Tichý muž Amerikou hýbe hospodářská krize, osamělá matka Ella Barronová však žije den za dnem stejně. Stará se o nájemníky svého penzionu a o syna Sollyho a ani ve snu by ji nenapadlo, že by se její život mohl změnit. Všechno je náhle jinak, když se u ní ubytuje pan Rainwater. Robert Crais: Pravidlo první Joe Pike pátrá po vrazích dávného kamaráda. Stopa vede do srbského podsvětí v Los Angeles, přímo mezi jeho nelítostné bosse. Průvodce Joeovi dělá prostitutka a ve hře je i unesené dítě a obří zásilka pašovaných kalašnikovů. Pikeovi jde však o jediné: pomstít kamarádovu smrt. Helen Simonsonová: Major Pettigrew se nevzdává Ernest Pettigrew, major ve výslužbě, žije v poklidu anglického venkova. Stojaté vody jeho života nečekaně zčeří přátelství, které se rozhoří mezi ním a paní Aliovou původem z Pákistánu. Záhy se ukáže, jak i dnes lidem mohou komplikovat život předsudky.

Leaving Unknown: Maeve Connelly, along with Oliver her foulmouthed cockatiel, undertakes an epic road trip to Los Angeles. But when her car breaks down outside of Unknown, Arizona, she is in for a much longer rest stop than she expected.

Major Ernest Pettigrew is perfectly content to lead a quiet life in the sleepy village of Edgecombe St Mary, away from the meddling of the locals and his overbearing son. But when his brother dies, the Major finds himself seeking companionship with the village shopkeeper, Mrs Ali. Drawn together by a love of books and the loss of their partners, they are soon forced to contend with irate relatives and gossiping villagers. The perfect gentleman, but the most unlikely hero, the Major must ask himself what matters most: family obligation, tradition or love? Funny, comforting and heart-warming, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand proves that sometimes, against all odds, life does give you a second chance.