The narrative explores the lives of four friends grappling with the complexities of marriage, parenthood, and careers. As they confront their chaotic realities, they reflect on their choices, questioning their relationships and personal fulfillment. With humor and candor, the story delves into their struggles, from the meaning of love and friendship to the small comforts they seek in daily life, all while pondering whether they will ever find a moment of peace amidst the chaos.
An epic story of love, tragedy and the loss of innocence, set against the background of the Russian Revolution after the murder of Rasputin.It is 1916 and Rasputin has finally been killed by those who have long feared his influence over Tsar Nicholas and Tsarina Alexandra. But for Princess Militza, famed as one of the 'Witches of St Petersburg', and her daughter Nadezhda, life is about to become extremely dangerous. Revolution is bubbling and with it will come the murder of the Romanov imperial family. Now the rest of the court is also on the run, fleeing from the mob.Against this violent and turbulent backdrop, Nadezhda, the witch's daughter, finds in exile and captivity, an extraordinary and unlikely love. They say nothing heals like the heart, but as the Red Army marches south and the remnants of the Russian court finds itself trapped in the Crimea, with their backs to the sea, Nadezhda and her beloved Prince Orlov must take the gamble of their lives.
Nel giugno del 1815, Bruxelles appare en fête, con le affollate bancarelle nei mercati e le carrozze aperte pitturate a colori vivaci. Nessuno immagina che l’imperatore Napoleone sia in marcia, pronto ad accamparsi sul limitare della città da un momento all’altro. La diciottenne Sophia Trenchard, tipica bellezza inglese bionda dagli occhi azzurri, non ha alcun interesse per le questioni belliche; i suoi pensieri sono rivolti a Lord Edmund Bellasis, erede di una delle famiglie più importanti della Gran Bretagna, che le ha appena procurato gli inviti per il ballo della duchessa di Richmond. La guerra ha alterato gli schemi, permettendo di tralasciare le solite regole, e l’ambiziosa Sophia è intenzionata a non lasciarsi sfuggire questa occasione, insperata per una ragazza con i suoi natali. Suo padre, James Trenchard, è «il Mago», un abile commerciante che fornisce pane e birra ai soldati. Partito da una bancarella a Covent Garden, grazie a un vero talento per gli affari, ha compiuto una vertiginosa scalata sociale, spinto dall’insopprimibile desiderio di appartenere al bel mondo. Anne, la moglie di James, sembra essere l’unica della famiglia Trenchard ad aver conservato un po’ di buon senso e a ostacolare l’unione tra la figlia e Edmund Bellasis, anche se questo significa scontrarsi con il marito, che vede in questa relazione un mezzo per entrare a fare parte dell’alta società. Durante il ballo un aiutante di campo irrompe nella sala recando con sé una missiva che attira all’istante l’attenzione dei presenti. Le truppe francesi hanno oltrepassato il confine e gli ufficiali inglesi, le uniformi da gala ancora indosso, vengono richiamati ai propri reggimenti. Le sale piene di fiori, tanto profumate ed eleganti a inizio serata, diventano teatro di strazianti scene di commiato, compreso quello tra Sophia e Lord Bellasis, ignari della piega che sta per prendere la loro vita. Venticinque anni dopo i Trenchard, tornati in Inghilterra, vivono a Belgravia, un quartiere di nuova costruzione edificato da James, che ha fatto fortuna nel campo dell’edilizia. Non lontano da loro sorge la dimora dei conti di Brockenhurst, i genitori di Edmund Bellasis. Le due famiglie appaiono tanto distanti per estrazione sociale quanto unite da un segreto diventato oggetto di un curioso interesse nei salotti londinesi, scatenando i pettegolezzi della servitù e mettendo in moto una catena di eventi non privi di colpi di scena e rivelazioni. Con uno stile impeccabile, tra personaggi irresistibili e descrizioni magistrali, Fellowes – già autore dell’acclamato Downton Abbey – ha scritto un romanzo che, con sagacia e ironia, affronta le tensioni tra le nuove famiglie benestanti e la vecchia aristocrazia nell’Inghilterra vittoriana.
What makes a restaurant hot? Why else do some chefs drive themselves crazy in
pursuit of elusive Michelin stars, when in reality all they're doing is
'making someone else's tea'? So please do sit down, pour yourself some heavily
marked-up wine and make yourself comfortable (although we'll need that table
back by 8.30 sharp).
Hospital Babylon is an in-depth, amusing and highly insightful expose of the
extraordinary world of modern medicine. Doctors who sleep with patients.
Doctors who suck fat, pump up breasts, plump lips and lengthen penises. As
well as the doctor who makes a fortune doing buttock enlargements in the
Caribbean.
Following a week in the life of a busy wedding planner, and based entirely on
true but anonymous stories, Wedding Babylon takes you to the heart of an
industry where emotions run high, money flows like champagne and GBP3,000
cakes are made of polystyrene.
How do you make it as a pop star?Tracking a year in the making of a brand-new
boy band, Pop Babylon is pure, unadulterated reading pleasure - stuffed with
stories about pop's most demanding divas, which jocks do shock and just how
long you can chop a line of cocaine.
How does it feel to live and work in the world's most beautiful and luxurious tropical island resort, surrounded by white sandy beaches and aquamarine seas? How does it feel to be in the lap of luxury when you're thousands of miles from anywhere else? And when the guests are some of the richest and most demanding people in the world, where do you find the energy every day to smile, smile and smile again? Beach Babylon takes you behind the scenes at a five-star tropical island resort. Do all the stories which take place behind the closed doors of the exclusive spa have happy endings? What do the world's richest people expect from room service during their fortnight in paradise? What does the windsurfing instructor do to keep sane after hours? In the bestselling tradition of her previous Babylon books, Imogen Edwards-Jones investigates the rivalries and alliances between the staff at a resort where pandering to the guests' most extravagant whims is de rigueur. With a cast of millionaires, celebrities, hangers-on and prostitutes, Beach Babylon takes you to a world where extreme luxury is the norm and where excess somehow isn't always enough...
With something for the simple follower of fashion as well as the hardcore
fashionista, Fashion Babylon will change the way you sashay into Top Shop,
flick through the pages of Vogue and enter the portals of Harvey Nichols
forever.
