Penguin Courage of the Railway Girls Thomas Maisie

Manchester, 1942 • A new year brings new hope for the railway girls • Alison's romance with the charming Dr Maitland is blossoming, but then she is posted away from Manchester. Working in a canteen isn't part of her plan, nor is meeting her beau's old girlfriend - one who just happens to want him back • Margaret is supportive of her friend's new relationship until she realises exactly who he is. Torn between keeping her secret and warning Alison, she turns to Joan for help • Working in Lost Property wouldn't be Joan's first choice of job, but with a baby on the way she knows she can't continue being a station porter. As she looks to the future, can she put the troubles of her past behind her?

Manchester, 1941 • Christmas is the season for family and friends, and this year the railway girls will need each other more than ever • Cordelia appears to have the perfect life. When her daughter Emily arrives home unexpectedly, she can't wait to introduce her to her friends. But when things don't go to plan, Cordelia must decide where her loyalty lies • Things aren't going too smoothly for Alison either. Her beloved boyfriend has yet to propose, but there's a charity fundraiser dance and she's dressed up specially. Surely, tonight must be the night • Colette's friends are envious of her devoted husband; he meets her after every shift on the railway, and accompanies her around town. But Colette has a secret, one that will change her life - if only she knew who to confide in

The second novel in the uplifting railway girls series. Perfect for fans of Nancy Revell and Margaret Dickinson • Manchester, November 1940 • As the war continues and secrets threaten the railway girls, they will discover the true meaning of friendship • For Dot, her job on the railways is everything. Transporting parcels around the country gives her pride that she is doing her bit for the war effort, but a growing friendship causes problems when home and work collide • Joan loves her boyfriend Bob dearly, but when tragedy strikes, her heart is torn apart, and she is forced to make a decision that could hurt those she loves most • Meanwhile Mabel has finally found a place to call home and her relationship seems to be going from strength to strength

The sixth heartwarming, feel-good instalment in the much-loved Railway Girls series! • Manchester, 1942. There are surprises in store for the railway girls this festive season • When Cordelia's daughter Emily falls for a young chap who doesn't meet the approval of her father, Cordelia is reminded of her own first love - a love that she has never forgotten • Mabel is determined to get to the bottom of a spate of local burglaries. Her heart is in the right place as she sets out on a quest to clear her friend's name, but there will be unforeseen consequences • It's nothing short of a miracle when Colette returns to Manchester. But it's not going to be easy for her to keep living the life she once knew, and an impossible situation lies ahead • There will be more than one storm for the railway girls to weather but with the friendship and support of one another, there's hope that all will be well by Christmas

The first novel in the wonderful new Railway Girls series, perfect for fans of Nancy Revell and Ellie Dean • In February, 1922, at the western-most entrance to Victoria Station in Manchester, a massive plaque was unveiled. Beneath a vast tiled map showing the lines of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway network, a series of seven bronze panels recorded the names of the men of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway who gave their lives for King and Country in the Great War - a total of 1,460 names • In March, 1940, a group of women of varying ages and backgrounds, stand in front of the memorial, ready to do their bit in this new World War • Mabel is determined to make a fresh start as a railway girl where no one will know the terrible thing she did and she can put her guilt behind her

Sunderland, 1942: Polly's heart and her future are hanging in the balance… • Polly’s sweetheart Tommy has been declared missing while serving overseas, and although there is no certainty that he is dead, there is no guarantee that he will return home. Now Polly needs her friends more than ever, and the other women welders are ready to rally around her while she waits for news • The only one not showing support is shipyard manager, Helen. But looks can be deceiving, and beneath her cold exterior, Helen is wrestling with demons of her own, including one life-changing decision that could lead to potential ruin • As the war continues, the shipyard girls must support one another as they bravely soldier on

This is the first anthology capacious enough to celebrate the full diversity and energy of its writers, subjects and tones. The most famous authors are here, and many others, including some magnificent stories never republished since their first appearance in magazines and periodicals. The Penguin Book of the British Short Story has a permanent authority, and will be reached for year in and year out. This volume takes the story from the 1920s to the present day

'The Boy-scouts mistook my signal, and have killed the postman. I've had very little practice in this sort of thing, you see' • The British short story tradition is probably the richest, most varied and historically extensive in the world. This new anthology celebrates the full diversity and energy of its writers, subjects and tones, from the story's origins with Defoe, Swift and Fielding, to the 'golden age' of the fin de siecle and Edwardian period, ending with the First World War. Including the most famous authors as well as some magnificent, little-known stories never republished since their first appearance in magazines and periodicals, these stories are by turns topical and playful, ghostly and theatrical, rumbustious and sublime • Edited with an introduction by Philip Hensher

*Carer/Companion wanted for elderly lady* • *Young female preferred * Competitive salary* • *Room and board included* • Una Richardson is devastated after the death of her mother. Hoping for a fresh start, she responds to an advertisement and steps into the rich, comforting world of elderly Mrs Elspeth McKenzie • But Elspeth's home is not as safe as it seems • Kathryn, her cold and bitter daughter, resents Una's presence. More disturbing is the evidence suggesting two girls lived here before • What happened to the girls? • Why will the McKenzies not talk about them? • As the walls close in around her, Una fears she'll end up just like the other girls

In times of trouble, can wishes come true? • A factory floor might not be their first choice of a place to spend Christmas but pulling together and making do is exactly where the Bomb Girls shine • Gladys, back from singing for the troops in Europe, quietly takes her place on the cordite line. Her old friends are determined to bring back her spark while they work hard to help their country • But what dark secret lies in Gladys's heart? • Will the girls see out another year in a country at war? • And, if everyone does their bit, despite the worry, pain and toil, will the Bomb Girls be able to enjoy a wonderful Christmas for all?

Любовь и преступление причудливо переплелись в судьбе юной Тэсс, нищей наследницы древнего рода, обреченной на роль содержанки - и готовой переломить эту судьбу ценой собственной жизни! Став жертвой богатого повесы-соблазнителя, она протестует против грубого посягательства на человеческое достоинство и вынуждена пойти на крайние меры • "Тэсс из рода д`Эрбервиллей" Томаса Гарди - классический роман о страсти, трагедии и об испытаниях, стоящих на пути к счастью • Книга на английском языке • The Penguin English Library Edition of Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy • "I would be content, ay, glad, to live with you as your servant, if I may not as your wife; so that I could only be near you, and get glimpses of you, and think of you as mine... I long for only one thing in heaven or earth or under the earth, to meet you, my own dear! Come to me - come to me, and save me from what threatens me!" • When Tess Durbeyfield is driven by family poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D'Urbervilles and seek a portion of their family fortune, meeting her 'cousin' Alec proves to be her downfall

'I can't take any more of your revolting merciful kindness!' • Who would have thought that the great military hero Captain Hofmiller - that living monument to his own courage - would have anything burdening his soul? But when he reveals his story, it is not one of bravery but tragedy: a simple blunder at a dance from which disaster grows, ruining lives with his weak, foolish pity • Impatience of the Heart is Stefan Zweig's greatest novel, fiercely capturing human emotions in all their subtleties and extremes - while Hofmiller, his unforgettable, naive creation, misunderstands everything, resulting in his downfall