Books to have on your to-read list.

 Why are books about painful historical events so popular? It is because they are utterly enthralling and makes the reader think. With this in mind, today’s recommendation is:

Amid the Oncoming Storm 

(The Irish Fortune Series Book 3)

By Juliane Weber

Publication Date: 25th October 2024
Publisher: 
Page Length: 431 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

As the nation starves and resentment grows, can the people on their land be trusted?

It’s the spring of 1847 and there’s much for Quin and Alannah to look forward to. And yet, the previous years’ hardships have left their mark. The famine that’s had Ireland in its grasp for the past two seasons continues to rage unabated, with hunger and disease sweeping across the land. As thousands lie dying, dissension spreads among the Irish people, the British government’s carelessness and their landlords’ ruthlessness breeding hatred in the poor and the oppressed.

With suffering all around them Quin and Alannah hold onto what happiness they’re able to. But can they trust the people living on their estate?

Set amongst the anguish of Ireland’s most devastating time in history, Amid the Oncoming Storm is a story of hope and resilience in a land struggling to rise from the depths of despair.

This novel is available for pre-order on Amazon.

Juliane Weber

Juliane is actually a scientist. She holds degrees in physiology and zoology, including a PhD in physiology. During her studies she realised, however, that her passion lay not in conducting scientific research herself, but in writing about it. Thus began her career as a medical writer, where she took on all manner of writing and editing tasks, in the process honing her writing skills, until she finally plucked up the courage to write her first historical novel, Under the Emerald Sky. The book is the first in The Irish Fortune Series, which is set in 19th century Ireland around the time of the Great Famine.

Juliane lives with her husband and two sons in Hamelin, Germany, the town made famous by the story of the Pied Piper.

Audiobooks to have on your to-read list.

This book sounds like a fantastic read, so I have added it to my to-read, or maybe even, my to-listen list! 

Fortune’s Wheel, The First Meonbridge Chronicle

By Carolyn Hughes

Audiobook Narrator: Alex Lee

 Publication Date: 22/4/24 (Audiobook)

Publisher: Carolyn Hughes

Listening Length: 11 hours and 54 minutes

Genre: Historical Fiction

How do you recover from the havoc wrought by history's cruellest plague?

It's June 1349. In Meonbridge, a Hampshire manor, many have lost their lives to the Black Death, among them Alice atte Wode’s beloved husband and Eleanor Titherige’s widowed father. Even the family of the manor’s lord and his wife, Margaret de Bohun, has not entirely escaped.

But, now the plague has passed, the people of Meonbridge must work together to rebuild their lives. However, tensions mount between the de Bohuns and their tenants, as the workers realise their new scarceness means they can demand higher wages and dictate their own lives.

When the tensions deepen into violence and disorder, and the men – lord and villagers alike – seem unable to find any resolution, the women – Alice, Eleanor and Margaret – must step forward to find a way out of the conflict that is tearing Meonbridge apart.

This novel is available on Amazon in Kindle, paperback and audio formats.

Carolyn Hughes

Carolyn Hughes has lived much of her life in Hampshire. With a first degree in Classics and English, she started working life as a computer programmer, then a very new profession. But it was technical authoring that later proved her vocation, word-smithing for many different clients, including banks, an international hotel group and medical instruments manufacturers.

Although she wrote creatively on and off for most of her adult life, it was not until her children flew the nest that writing historical fiction took centre stage. But why historical fiction? Serendipity!

Seeking inspiration for what to write for her Creative Writing Masters, she discovered the handwritten draft, begun in her twenties, of a novel, set in 14th century rural England… Intrigued by the period and setting, she realised that, by writing a novel set in the period, she could learn more about the medieval past and interpret it, which seemed like a thrilling thing to do. A few days later, the first Meonbridge Chronicle, Fortune’s Wheel, was under way.

Six published books later (with more to come), Carolyn does now think of herself as an Historical Novelist. And she wouldn’t have it any other way…

Free to read on Kindle today!

 

Go on admit it, everyone loves a free book. This book has so many positive reviews, so I am really looking forward to reading it.

The Bookseller's Tale: A totally gripping historical crime thriller (Oxford Medieval Mysteries Book 1)

By Ann Swinfen

The death of a scholar, the birth of a detective...

Oxford, Spring 1353. When young bookseller Nicholas Elyot discovers the body of William Farringdon floating in the River Cherwell, all the signs point to suicide.

Soon, however, Nicholas discovers evidence of murder. Who could have wanted to kill this promising student? As Nicholas and his close friend Jordain try to unravel what lies behind William’s death, they learn that he was innocently caught up in a criminal plot.

When their investigations begin to involve town, university, and abbey, Nicholas takes a risky gamble – and puts his family in terrible danger in order to uncover the truth.

This book is currently Free on Kindle, you can find your copy on Amazon, it is also available in paperback and on audio.

★★★★★★★★