Mainstream Publishing The Island Nurse MacLeod Mary J

In this compelling debut, an unknowable legacy passes through generations of one family living on the beautiful island of Barbados • There is Iapetus, a lonely soul haunted by the memory of his father; his son Atlas, dreaming of a life far removed from his reality; Atlas’s daughter Calypso, struggling to find her place in an unforgiving society; and her son Nautilus, grappling with various parts of a complex identity • Each of them longs to escape – to go beyond the borders and circumstances that have contained them for so long – but each finds that they are trapped by a history found only in whispers and half-remembered fragments; and that it is dictating a future over which they have little control • With every passing decade another generation must contend with the same doubts about their identity, about their place in the small world they have carved out for themselves and the same question: how can the things we don’t know define our futures? • Perfect for fans of Girl, Woman, Other and Homegoing, THE ISLAND OF FORGETTING is a powerful story of family and hope, and marks the arrival of a stunning new voice in literary fiction

Voices from the Back of the Bus provides a rare behind-the-scenes look at international rugby at the height of a golden period. Recounted with genuine warmth and much humour, over a hundred players recall the scrapes, the games, the laughs, the glory and the gritty reality of the pre-professional game • Packed with true rugby tales from the days when men played purely for the love of the game and of their nation, and multimillion-pound contracts and sponsorship deals were unheard of, this refreshing, revealing and often hilarious collection will inspire sports fans of all generations

Hugh McIlvanney is a living legend in sports journalism. A regular winner of the fiercely contested UK Sports Writer of the Year award, he also has the unique distinction of being the only sports writer to have been voted Journalist of the Year. He is respected for his incisive commentaries and perceptive analyses of football and racing, but this collection contains the best of his writing on his first great passion, boxing. The book features in-depth analysis of the build-up, climax and aftermath of over 25 showdowns including: Muhammad Ali vs. Henry Cooper (1966) Joe Frazier vs. Muhammad Ali (1971) George Foreman vs. Ken Norton (1974) Eusibio Pedvoza vs. Barry McGuigan (1985) Lloyd Honeyghan vs. Marlon Starling (1989) Mike Tyson vs. Frank Bruno (1989) An essential read for boxing lovers of all ages with writing so vivid that readers will feel like they have a ringside seat

‘A fool couldn’t ride the Vincent Black Shadow more than once, but a fool can ride a Ducati 900 many times, and it will always be a bloodcurdling kind of fun. That is the Curse of Speed which has plagued me all my life. I am a slave to it. On my tombstone they will carve, IT NEVER GOT FAST ENOUGH FOR ME.’ – Hunter S. Thompson • Sons of Thunder, Neil Bradford’s exhilaratingly high-octane collection of motorcycle writing, makes a persuasive case for the unique excitement and emotional experience offered by one of mankind’s greatest inventions • Featuring full-throttle tales by T.E. Lawrence, Roald Dahl, Melissa Holbrook Pierson, Robert Hughes and many others, and ranging from Hunter S. Thompson’s rip-roaring prose to lyrical contributions from Ted Hughes, Thom Gunn and Robert Pirsig, the groundbreaking Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance author, Sons of Thunder is a thrilling tribute to the pleasures and perils of riding this awesome machine

On hearing that Jackser, her childhood abuser, is seriously ill, Martha is elated, thinking that finally she will be able to watch him suffer. But in the hospital she sees a frightened, lonely old man and realises with a shock that he seems to regret his earlier actions • During her vigil, she is joined by Charlie, her beloved little brother, then the ma and some of her other siblings. All of them have suffered greatly and it is clear that no one connected to Jackser has escaped unscathed • But as she sits with him during his dying days, other memories of Jackser come back to Martha – fleeting moments of concern and kindness, and a sense of closeness as he recalled his own tormented past in one of Ireland’s industrial schools. It is a vicious cycle of cruelty and loss that has played out, from which only her own tenacity and wit has provided an escape

The Wronged Daughter by Mary Wood is an emotional and moving novel that reunites old friends and heals old wounds • Mags has never forgotten the friendship she forged with Flora and Ella, two fellow nurses she served with at the beginning of World War I. Haunted by what she experienced during that time, she fears a reunion with her friends would bring back the horror she's tried so desperately to suppress • Now, with her wedding on the horizon, this should be a joyful time for Mags. But the sudden loss of her mother and the constant doubt she harbours surrounding her fiance, Harold, are marring her happiness • Mags throws herself into running the family mill, but she's dealt another aching blow by a betrayal that leaves her reeling. Finding the strength the war had taken from her, she fights back, not realizing the consequences and devastating outcome awaiting her

The Orphanage Girls is a gritty and moving historical saga about an orphanage in London’s East End, from the bestselling author of The Jam Factory Girls, Mary Wood • Children deserve a family to call their own • Ruth dares to dream of another life – far away from the horrors within the walls of Bethnal Green’s infamous orphanage. Luckily she has her friends, Amy and Ellen – but she can’t keep them safe, and the suffering is only getting worse. Surely there must be a way out of here? • But when Ruth breaks free from the shackles of confinement and sets out into East London, hoping to make a new life for herself, she finds that, for a girl with nowhere to turn, life can be just as tough on the outside • Bett keeps order in this unruly part of the East End – and takes Ruth under her wing alongside orphanage escapee Robbie

Will Ella ever find what she's looking for? • Voluntary nurse Ella is haunted by the soldiers' cries she hears on the battlefields of Dieppe. But that's not the only thing that haunts her. When her dear friend Jim breaks her trust, Ella is left bruised and heartbroken. Over the years, her friendships have been pulled apart at the seams by the effects of war. Now, more than ever, she feels so alone • At a military hospital in France, Ella befriends Connie and Paddy. Slowly she begins to heal, and finds comfort in the arms of a French officer called Paulo - could he be her salvation? • With the end of the war on the horizon, surely things have to get better? Ella grew up not knowing her real family but a clue leads her in their direction. What did happen to Ella's parents, and why is she so desperate to find out? • The Abandoned Daughter by Mary Wood is the second book in The Girls Who Went To War series

A moving and emotional family drama set between France and Britain from bestselling author, Mary Wood • They would fight for their country, at all costs • When Sibbie and Marjie arrive at RAF Digby, they are about to take on roles of national importance. It's a cause of great excitement for everyone around them. Perhaps they will become code-breakers, spies even? Soon the pair embark on a rigorous training regime, but nothing can prepare them for what they're about to face • Amid the vineyards of rural France, Flora and Ella can't bear the thought of another war. But as the thunderclouds grow darker, hanging over Europe, a sense of deep foreboding sets in, not just for their safety but for the fate of their families . . . With danger looming, as the threat of war becomes real, Flora and Ella are forced to leave their idyllic home and flee