The Willows

An early life of neglect and pain doesn’t deter Jack from being determined to be accepted and then later to realise his endeavours. The journey is fraught with failures, dangers and disappointments. His friendship with the children of an eccentric family who have rented ‘The Willows’, a large but run-down house in the beach resort where Tom is living, proves to be not only a turning point but also the scene of great tragedy. His experience is widened when he goes to university and becomes involved with many different groups of students. Although popular, Tom is unable to form any permanent relationship for some time. He comes to realise what this impediment is but cannot bring himself to tell anyone. Thirty-five years later, when he has retired from work, the tragedy that had happened at The Willows comes to haunt him and he realises he could be a suspect in a murder.

The Wind in the Grass

Life in the village of Hammerwell, situated in a remote part of Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, would appear, on the surface, to be a peaceful rural existence. Set in the period between the two world wars, the order of things is still very much as it has been for hundreds of years. But for Arthur Lever, life suddenly takes a dramatic turn. Set against a background of rural life, seed time, harvest, ploughing and lambing, The Wind in the Grass has lust, romance, cruelty, violence and sudden death. But worst is yet to come for the inhabitants of Hammerwell, insulated from the outside world by the grandeur of The Plain, they are unaware that their lives are about to be devastatingly changed forever.

The Wind That Blows

Parul Das is an Indian woman doctor that has had a failed affair in England. She is going back to India hoping to find herself. In doing so, she finds love, a family and peace of mind. Dennis Galvin, an Anglo-Indian, happily married to Susan, lives in Swindon, England, with his twins, Donald and Michael, and wife. However, his happy life is thrown upside down when his wife leaves him for another man. He then takes a ship back to India to meet the love of his life, Parul. Dennis takes his twins to see his parents in Goa. Then, he and his twins visit Parul at the tea plantation just outside Darjeeling, where he meets Sutra, Parul’s aunty. The twins are taught cooking by Sutra. Parul announces that she is emigrating to New Zealand. Sutra, Dennis and the twins go too. They board the cruise ship, Electra, in Calcutta, which is bound for Australia and New Zealand. Whilst onboard the Electra, there are two murders which the three detectives, Parul, Sutra and Dennis, try to solve. The twins meet three young girls on board; Tilly, Bella and Badger. Bella gets jealous and pushes Don into the swimming pool on board. After he is rescued, he reveals the murderers. Once the murderers are caught, everyone looks forward to their new lives in a new land. But still, there lurks hate and murder.

The Wolves of the Radfan

War is not a pleasant business. People die, cut to ribbons by bullets, limbs blown off by mines and roadside bombs. Not just the soldiers, but the non-combatants: young women, the elderly and children. 1963 to 1967 saw Britain fighting in a hostile and arid country, trying to stem the expansion of communism in the Middle East. On the ground, the ordinary soldiers, infantry, gunners, engineers and armoured regiments did what the British soldier always does – getting on with the job come hell or high water! Bomber’s story is written from real-life experience. Although Bomber, the main character, is fictitious, he is based on a combination of many soldiers. Many of the events took place as described but with the storyteller’s licence when melting them together. The Wolves of the Radfan, the largest tribe that straddled the then-border between North and South Yemen, started the war and the British soldiers put paid to the Wolves in 1964, but then came the push by the communists from North Yemen and it was then the contest started in all the brutality that war produces. Many acts of great courage have not been mentioned in the book, especially in the period from 1963 to the end of 1964, perhaps someone else will write about that. Fact and fiction, fiction or fact? This is a story of a normal British infantryman who faced combat and it was nothing like he had ever imagined.

The Woman from the Other Side

This collection of short stories focuses on the lives of ordinary working-class people from Northern Ireland. It is set against the backdrop of the ‘Troubles’ and the province’s more recent history. Strong female characters often carry the narrative, and the story which gives its title to the collection is that of a Catholic woman from the South who marries a staunch Northern Protestant, and they settle in Belfast. The strife which ensues reflects the divided communities which the rest of the book can testify to.

In their depiction of everyday violence and intimidation, the stories bring to light more latent themes of homosexuality, sexism, and prejudice. A strong focus on family bonds means that the collection provokes a profound resonance with a large number of us who have grown up in tight family circles. In many ways, the ‘Troubles’ serve to underline the tensions inherent in these bonds.

The World Behind Glass

The World Behind Glass is a collection of short stories that try to depict a world that every human being creates in their subconscious and lives in fear of. A world that is bigger than they imagined and beyond the world in which they live. Every moment they try to know themselves in the world of their imagination, but every moment they find themselves in a labyrinth that brings them back to the beginning of the road, creating eerie and frightening conditions for them. Frustration and fear pervade their whole being, and every moment, this person shows a different reaction from what is their character.

The World Through My Eyes

You might be wondering why this child is writing the story of her life down. There’s nothing interesting in a little “farm girl’s” life story or her view on how messed up the world is. You may be right. I’m not a big, wise person. However, I felt like I had a lot of things I needed to get off my chest, and also, when I was younger, I kind of wished I knew of someone similar to my age now, who was ready to speak about certain things with a freshly turned adult’s mind.

I do believe that sometimes young adults need young adults to share their perspectives because we speak a similar, if not the same language.

The Yellow Field

Love, lust, passion, and deceit culminate in the ultimate price being paid for revenge.

It is a hot, steamy summer and the Blonde is bored with her marriage to Phillip, a successful designer. When she meets the Hollywood actor, Black Lomax, they are instantly attracted to each other. In an old hotel at the edge of the yellow field, she embarks on an affair, unaware that Black’s past is lurking in the background, intent on exacting revenge. This leads to devastating consequences for everyone involved.

An unhinged heiress, a suicidal sister, and a relationship which has gone sour, all add to the havoc unleashed.

The Yellow House, Susceptible to Broken Windows

Where to begin… Take a moment to breathe. The door isn’t yellow, I know. “It’s infuriating.” We know it’s infuriating, Paul, but we’ve only just arrived. “I haven’t even been given any directions. How am I going to find her office?” It’s unlikely that you will. He hasn’t even crossed the threshold and the complaining has begun. What will he say to her yellow stripe, to the cannon on the roof and the politics found in the halls? It’s hard to imagine but it won’t be hard for long. Open the door and you’ll feel the love. Paul might cringe time and time again, but we hope you’ll feel differently. The mind boggles, the stomach reels and the knees quake, come and feel for yourself. Madam President welcomes you with open arms.

The Yoga School

Ellie is a quirky, successful girl enjoying life in Dublin with her boyfriend, Alex. Alex is a director in her office who is driven, good-looking and a real catch in her mother’s eyes. In her precious spare time, Ellie loves to do yoga and even teaches it in an old people’s home, where her nana was a resident before she passed away. The future seems rosy for Ellie until a series of events turns her life upside down. Grab a cuppa, pop your feet up and join Ellie on her journey to happiness.

The ‘Peanut’ Elephant Company

Páraig De Faoite is an Irish author and Seanachaí, a teller of stories. He has crafted many tales over the years to entertain children or help them to sleep and most of them were created on the spot and only some of them made it into print. This is a rare chance for you to enter this world of fantasy and mystery presented in a unique fashion. His style of writing is extremely unique, such that it has not been seen before. This is also due to his natural and incredible imagination. Each of his stories is beautifully captured by the great skill of the illustrator, who also has an amazing imagination and love for vibrant colours. Here be dragons and trolls and other fey folk to entertain the child within you all. Whether it’s talking flowers, space aliens or a caterpillar with a mind of its own, the common theme in this collection is that of transformation.

Theo’s Ocean Discovery

Theo, an explorer and treasure collector, discovers that his treasure is not quite what it seems. He learns a valuable lesson and understands how the disposal of plastic in the ocean can be devastating.