Historical Trees

A compelling portrait of colonial South Africa as well as the life of women near the turn of the century. South Africa, 1880 - a country torn apart by greed. Frances Irvine, destitute in the wake of her father's sudden death, is forced to abandon her life of wealth and privilege in London and emigrate to the Cape. In this remote and inhospitable land, she becomes entangled with two very different men: one driven by ambition, the other by his ideals.

Their lives were forever changed when a widow with seven children, married a widower with seven children. Three step sibling marriages are arranged to benefit from a dowry that was doubled by their filial unions. The way in which their lives intertwine is the grist for Twisted Trees. It is a story of one man's ambition to rise above the oppressive class system, where men were judged by their heritage and not their ability; where women often endured loveless marriages rather than face the stigma of divorce.

1699. The salons of Paris are bursting with the creative energy of fierce, independent-minded women. But outside those doors, the patriarchal forces of Louis XIV and the Catholic Church are moving to curb their freedoms. In this battle for equality, Baroness Marie Catherine D’Aulnoy invents a powerful weapon: ‘fairy tales’. When Marie Catherine’s daughter, Angelina, arrives in Paris she is swept up in the glamour and sensuality of the city, where a woman may live outside the confines of the church or marriage.

There came an elastic aftershock of creaks and groans and then, softly softly, a chinking shower of rubbled cement. Leaves calmed and trunks stood serene. Where, not a minute before, there had been a suburb, there was now only woodland standing amid ruins. There is no warning. No chance to prepare. They arrive in the night: thundering up through the ground, transforming streets and towns into shadowy forest. Buildings are destroyed.

During World War Two, in the concentration camp Terezin, a group of Jewish children and their devoted teacher planted and nurtured a smuggled-in sapling. Over time fewer and fewer children were left to care for the little tree, but those who remained kept lovingly sharing their water with it. When the war finally ended and the prisoners were freed, the sapling had grown into a strong five-foot-tall maple.

Anna thought her marriage to Max would last forever. Having raised two happy children together, she looked forward to growing old with the man she loved. But when a revelation from her husband just before their wedding anniversary shakes her entire world, she's left uncertain of what the future holds. Needing time to herself, Anna takes up an offer from her widowed father to spend the summer on the small Aegean island of his birth, unaware that a chance discovery of letters in her aunt's house will unleash a host of family secrets.

Immerse yourself in the rural charm and romance of Wessex as you listen to 'Under the Greenwood Tree', a delightful tale of love, music, and community. Thomas Hardy's vivid descriptions of country life and his tender portrayal of the budding romance between the young schoolmistress Fancy Day and the handsome church musician Dick Dewy will captivate your heart and transport you to another time and place. With its lively cast of characters, humorous anecdotes, and beautiful melodies, this audiobook is a true gem of English literature.

Strasbourg, 1518. In the midst of a blisteringly hot summer, a lone woman begins to dance in the city square. She dances for days without pause or rest, and as she is joined by hundreds of others, the authorities declare an emergency. Musicians will be brought in to play the Devil out of these women. Just beyond the city’s limits, Lisbet lives with her mother-in-law and husband, tending the bees that are their livelihood. And then, as the dancing plague gathers momentum, Lisbet’s sister-in-law returns from seven years’ penance in the mountains for a crime no one will name.

Hidden Women is a captivating collection of stories that shines a spotlight on the often-overlooked women who played significant roles in the lives of famous men from well-known narratives. This collection offers listeners a fresh perspective by delving into the untold stories of these remarkable women, showcasing their strength, resilience, and unique experiences.

Four girls. Four generations. One family. The third installment of the exquisite new series from Newbery Honor winner Ann M. Martin follows Francie, Dana's daughter, to Princeton, NJ, in the 1980s.

Lovely Margaret Stewart was a proud and spirited young lady - too proud to accept the unwilling hospitality of her only living relative. But in strait-laced New Orleans early in the 19th century, there were few means for a respectable young woman to make her own way in the world - and that was why Margaret came, as governess to the forbiding Villars mansion. In her charge was a child who seem possessed by satanic evil. Invading her dreams was the darlky handsome, fierce-tempered man who employed her.

For Generations to Come, Book 9, The Chunky Story Part 2, was the hardest to write because of the subject matter, life as a slave. The author downloaded the recording and text from the Library of Congress of interviews with X-Slaves before they died.

Catherine L. Knowles has written White Dove, an epic story of love, betrayal, hate, and survival set against the tumultuous background of the Civil War and General Sherman’s Scorch the Earth campaign. At the center of the tale is a former bordello business manager Mollie “Sissy” Greenleaf, a “spitfire” loud, outspoken woman. Sissy finds herself in the middle of a heated courtroom battle to defend the honor of her deceased best friend and confidant Mollie Teal and her estate.

Early 1800s. Thomasina Trelora is on her way to the colonies. Her fate: to be married to a clergyman she's never met. As the Australian coastline comes into view a storm wrecks the ship and leaves her lying on the rocks, near death. She's saved by an Aboriginal man who carries her to the door of a grand European house, Willowbrae.

An interview with Jason Goodwin, author of The Janissary Tree.

This is a tale of witches and wishes, tales and trees, stepmothers, spells and a girl who sleeps in the ashes by the fire.... But it's not the one you know.

Set in the present day, with flashes back to the 17th Century, Trace is a story of seemingly unrelated people from around the world who take part in DNA testing for a variety of reasons with unexpected results. Finding family where it isn’t expected and demonstrating just how small of a world we live in, this fictional tale demonstrates the power of genetic genealogy in bringing people together, while also guiding aspiring genealogists to make the most of their ethnicity testing results.

A story of slaves. Based on fact, embellished in empathy. Main character Nicholas. Born on a plantation in 1767. Taken from his mother aged seven, by his Masters’ worker Barn, who heads up the boys for the Moloch cult. Nicholas is initiated. Seeds are sown for Nicholas to become a deranged psychotic. He has a penchant for white females.

It’s 1975 in Lobito, Angola, where Rosa, Leo, and their children are trapped in their home as militants battle for power. After 13 years Portugal lost the War of Independence. Now civil war rages on. The Carvalho family has given up hope for peace in their beloved homeland.

This beautiful story shows us how to access feelings of peace and well-being, even after hardships and brokenness. A miracle of life lives on in seeds shared by a stranger, and when planted and nourished, the fruit of peace is caring, loving, and community building. This is a story of empowerment and a gentle reminder of the hope and resilience that lie within us all.