Adult

We know the thrilling, terrible stories of the battles of the Napoleonic Wars --- but what of those left behind? The people on a Norfolk farm, in a Yorkshire mill, a Welsh iron foundry, an Irish village, a London bank, a Scottish mountain? The aristocrats and paupers, old and young, butchers and bakers and candlestick makers --- how did the war touch their lives? Jenny Uglow follows the gripping back-and-forth of the first global war but turns the news upside down, seeing how it reached the people.

On August 18, 1648, the royalist garrison holding Colchester Castle surrendered and Oliver Cromwell’s army firmly ended the rule of Charles I of England. The rebels executed four of the senior officers captured at the castle. Yet still, the king refused to accept he had lost the war. As France and other allies mobilized in support of Charles, a tribunal was hastily gathered and a death sentence was passed. On January 30, 1649, the King of England was executed. This is the account of the 59 regicides, the men who signed Charles I’s death warrant.

Combining big-picture World War II history with a little-known event in American history that has long been kept quiet, THE TRAIN TO CRYSTAL CITY reveals the war-time hysteria against the Japanese and Germans in America, the secrets of FDR’s tactics to rescue high-profile POWs in Germany and Japan, and how the definition of American citizenship changed under the pressure of war.

Growing up, goody-two-shoes Kirra Jacobs and troublemaker Reef McKenna were always at odds. Now, working together as search-and-rescue for Alaska's arduous Iditarod race, a growing attraction seems to be forcing aside old arguments. Then Reef catches Kirra sneaking from camp in the middle of the night. Kirra's uncle, a musher in the race, has disappeared. Kirra and Reef quickly track the man, but what they discover is harrowing: Frank's daughter has been kidnapped.

The more time Serena Miller spent in Holmes County, Ohio, doing research for her popular Amish novels, the more she began to notice something --- Amish children were the happiest children she’d ever seen. And yet, when she started asking questions about what these parents were doing differently, she was startled to learn that happiness is not a goal Amish strive for at all. MORE THAN HAPPY shows you how to apply the basic principles and parenting techniques the Amish use, so you can raise happy, well-adjusted kids.

Miriam Yoder's compassionate care for Amos Bland during his last days resulted in her receiving a large inheritance. When Ivan Mast indicates his intentions at romance, Miriam suspects he has discovered her hidden wealth and has plans that aren’t inspired by his love for her. Seeking a fresh start where no one knows her, Miriam accepts a teaching position in faraway Oklahoma where she meets Wayne Yutzy, whose interest in her seems genuine. Happiness surely awaits the newly engaged couple. Or does it?

Amanda Dunn set sail from England for Wilmington, North Carolina, hoping to somehow restore shipments of cotton for her family’s textile mills, which have been severely disrupted by the American Civil War. But when she meets Nathaniel Cooper, her desire to conduct business and quickly return to England changes. Amanda’s family deems the hardworking merchant unsuitable for the lovely and accomplished heiress. And when Nate himself begins to draw away, Amanda has her own battle for a happy future on her hands.

After an accident leaves her injured and unable to work, Heidi Hathaway leases her home and moves into a cozy little cottage in the charming garden complex where her friend Piper lives. There she finds so much more than a place to rest and recover. Piper Keyes knows Jared is not coming back from Afghanistan. After making it through the fifth anniversary of his death, she wonders if she’s at last ready to get on with life. She gingerly explores new avenues and learns to open her heart again.

Newlywed Matthew Zook is expanding his family’s tack and feed store when a surprising property dispute puts the remodel on hold. Decades earlier, the same building housed a clock shop run by a young Amish clockmaker named Clayton Raber, who was arrested for the murder of his beloved wife (although the charges eventually were dropped). The only way Matthew can solve the boundary issue and save his family’s business is to track down the clockmaker. But does this put him on the trail of a murderer?

Whiskey is everything his twin brother, Charlie, is not --- bold, daring, carefree --- and Charlie blames his brother for always stealing the limelight. When they were just boys, the secret language they whispered back and forth over their crackly walkie-talkies connected them. As the brothers grew up, they grew apart, and in their adulthood, they are barely even speaking to each other. When Charlie hears that Whiskey has been in a terrible accident, he can’t make sense of it. Who is he without Whiskey?