'I was made in Coffee Bay. Right there on the beach, in the sand.' From the opening lines, we are drawn in and engrossed by this startling memoir of a singular childhood. Suzan is adopted as a newborn in the late 1960s into a seemingly loving and welcoming family living in Pietermaritzburg. But Suzan is set on a collision course with, most particularly, her adoptive mother, and society, from her very beginning. Suzan's relationship with her mother is fraught with drama, which veers over in...

Curl up with three festive short stories from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Christmas for BeginnersAll I Want for Christmas is YouChristmas is around the corner but Maria just can't get into the spirit - will she ever find Mr Right? But when a secret admirer starts leaving her poems and notes, it looks as though her luck is about to change . . .Cold TurkeyTara is in love with a man ...

A short ebook exclusive story from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Christmas for BeginnersBeth and Michael have worked hard all their married life to give their children everything they want. It hasn't been easy but it's been worth it. Now, as Beth enjoys quality time with her family on their beach holiday, she knows she has a lot to be thankful for. But it's not until she's faced with her biggest challenge yet that Beth really begins to understand how luck...

A dazzling collection of award-winning stories with the emotional punch, sharp wit, and disarming charm of Rebecca Lee, Karen Russell, Neil Smith, and Jessica Grant.Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Step right up and prepare to be dazzled by this delightful debut from Claire Battershill, winner of the CBC Literary Award, co-winner of the Canadian Authors Association’s Emerging Writer Award, and finalist for the inaugural PEN International/New Voices Award. As t...

**NATIONAL BESTSELLERA daughter’s unflinching exploration of the intimate and unconventional relationship she shared with her mother—a brilliant, charismatic woman haunted by a traumatic past.**When Leah is eight, her mother, Cessie, abruptly flees her role as a rural housewife in search of a glamorous career in the city. In the chaotic years that follow, Cessie lurches from one apartment, job, and toxic romance to the next. In a home without rules or emotional boundaries, ...

A heartwarming, festive ebook exclusive short story from the Sunday Times bestsellerLast year, Hannah's Christmas was full of love, happiness and romance. Things couldn't be more different this Christmas. Broken-hearted and lonely, Hannah wishes she could be happy and in love again but she is struggling to find even a glimmer of her old festive spirit. Luckily for her, there's some Christmas magic in the air . . .A short story will make you a firm believer in the power of C...

The best of the best …This essential book takes a decade of Best Australian Stories and selects the most outstanding short fiction by the country’s finest writers. These stories range widely in style and subject matter: there is drama and comedy, subtlety and extravagance, tales of suspense, love, fantasy, grief and revenge. Together they showcase the strength and diversity of Australian fiction at its very best.Contributors include: Murray Bail, D...

An enchanting, bittersweet novel for every woman who has ever longed for a fairy godmother.Louise Canova should be happy and in love. But her actor-husband seems to be growing distant and she doesn’t know why. Is it her fault? Riddled with uncertainty, the insecurity she thought she’d left behind in adolescence comes back to haunt her. But when she discovers a faded volume entitled ELEGANCE in a second-hand bookshop, she believes she’s found the answers. Written by the formidable F...

This "well-executed emotional drama” (Historical Novel Society) tracks a boy's growth through trauma and guilt into personal responsibility…but what price retribution?"The writing is superb…and the best aspect is the way the author understands and conveys emotion, even twisted, conflicting emotions." Goodreads reader.1937 London. "This is your cousin Kenneth!" And now young Billy's life immediately changes from peaceful to fearful. With threat of war preoccupying his parent...

'An intricately crafted novel, sharp-eared, current and full of heart' Guardian, Books of the YearA spirited fourteen-year-old, Fay, goes missing from a Lincoln council estate. Is she a runaway, or a victim – another face on a poster gradually fading with time? The story of her last few days before she vanishes is interwoven with the varied lives of six locals – all touched in life-changing ways.David is on a family holiday on the bleak Lincolnshir...

Shortly before I turned 13, my life changed forever when my family moved to the notorious Centrepoint Community on Auckland's North Shore, then at its peak. Centrepoint was founded by Bert Potter, its 'spiritual leader'. He called himself God. During my four years there I was pressured into inappropriate and often frightening situations by many of its adult members. Like so many others, I have lived with the trauma and shame of these memories, but I have survived. This is my story.

A collection of forty crime and thriller short stories, with all profits from the sale of this book to be donated to Hospice UK and Sophie's Appeal.Do you think you know darkness? Think again. Bloodhound Books presents Dark Minds—a collection of stories by authors who have come together to produce an anthology that will lure, tantalise and shock its readers. What took place "By the Water?" What goes on behind "A Stranger's Eyes?" And what is so special about "Slow R...