It is 1942 and the dark days of war seem never-ending. Scattered across the still-peaceful Sussex countryside and air-raid threatened London, the divided Cazalet family begin to find the battle for survival echoing the confusion in their own lives. Headstrong, independent Louise surprises the whole family when she abandons her dreams of being an actress and instead makes a society marriage. Polly and Clary, now in their late teens, finally fulfil their ambition of living together in London, but the reality of the city is not quite what they had imagined. Polly is struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother and manage her grieving father. Clary meanwhile is painfully aware that what she lacks in beauty she makes up for in intelligence, and is the only member of the family who believes that her father might not be dead. The third instalment in the bestselling The Cazalet Chronicles, charming, poignant and irresistible. 490pp, paperback.

Arthur has brought a fragile peace to Britain, but it cannot last. Uniting the restive British kingdoms behind him, he believes he can now hold back the Saxons threatening the country. Meanwhile, Merlin sets out on a quest to uncover the sacred Treasures of Britain, hoping they will prove decisive in the coming battle. But in a country where the cult of the Christians is spreading, Merlin's quest is divisive and the ambitions of the rival warlord Lancelot threaten the delicate peace. Could even those closest to Arthur be moved to betray him? The second book of the Warlord Chronicles, retelling the Arthurian legend. Wonderful and haunting. 473pp, Penguin paperback.

Arthur seeks peace with the aid of his sword Excalibur. After rebellions and betrayals by those he believed loved him, Arthur looks at his most weak. His Saxon enemies decide to strike before he regains his strength, plunging Britain into war. It will require all Arthur's leadership and military cunning to win this last battle. But in this final struggle of the warlord, the intrigues of Mordred, now the adult heir to the throne of Britain, and the dark magic of the priestess Nimue could conspire to bring about Arthur's downfall. Even his trusty blade Excalibur may not be sharp enough to save him. A powerful and dramatic retelling of the Arthurian legends, this novel concludes the trilogy. 480pp, Penguin paperback.

Hull 1852. Matty has had to care for her three younger sisters ever since their mother's death 10 years earlier. She and their beloved father have worked hard to keep the family together, and now it's time to celebrate Matty as she turns 18. But their joy is short-lived when tragedy suddenly strikes, and their father disappears on his way to London. The sisters have no way of knowing what has happened to him, only that he hasn't returned home. With little money left they are now forced to battle life's misfortunes alone. The wonderful story starts in Beverley and carries on to beautiful Italy and back again and each character is beautifully drawn and completely memorable. 340pp, Penguin paperback.

Set in Hull in 1874. Clara has always wondered about the beautiful, mysterious Jewel Newmarch, who was adopted as a baby and now turns heads wherever she goes. Her exotic looks point to her origins far away from the streets of Hull. Even at her twin sister Elizabeth's wedding, Clara knows that Jewel is the belle of the ball. And as Jewel looks on at the happy, newly-married couple, she feels a restlessness and intense longing to know her own roots. And so the two girls decide to return to Jewel's birthplace in America. In discovering the mysteries of Jewel's past, they realise that this is a life-changing voyage of discovery for both of them as they learn important lessons about family, friendship, love and home. But most importantly, love. 412pp, paperback.

Born into poverty and living under the roof of her violent and abusive brother-in-law, young Kitty Cox dreams of working in a women's dress shop in the West End - a million miles away from the reality of her life as a mud-lark, scavenging on the banks of the Thames and living in the slums. Fate soon intervenes and Kitty finds herself working as a skivvy for Sir Desmond and Lady Arabella Mableton in Mayfair. Bullied by the kitchen maids, Kitty is soon taken under Lady Arabella's wing, and for the first time in life she dares to hope. But Lady 'Bella' has a secret and, unable to live with her domineering husband, she decides to leave, fighting for custody of their daughter. Kitty will do anything for her mistress, but her loyalty is severely tested as all their lives are thrown into turmoil, and Kitty faces a life of poverty and hardship once more. 490pp, paperback with fairly large print.

When Ellen Jebeau's husband dies in 1926, he leaves behind a legacy of debt and empty dreams. Yet Ellen is determined that her son Joseph should have everything in life that she never did. They soon find themselves in a convenient arrangement with Ellen's brother-in-law Sir Arthur, living on the family estate, an arrangement which quickly comes to work in conniving Ellen's favour. Fatherless at the age of just five, Joseph grows up to defend his country against Hitler's mad ambitions, and to defend himself against his mother's ruthlessness and secrets from the past. Over the course of the next 20 years as destinies intertwine, can Joseph emerge from the shadows of his heritage as the man he truly wants to be? Catherine Cookson was the original saga author and you will not be disappointed with this story. 429pp, paperback.

Bringing the Keep Fit movement vividly to life in 1940s London, Pam Evans' family saga will inspire and enthral anyone who has ever dared to dream of a better life. In the middle of a party to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935, Mollie Fisher's good-for-nothing husband walks out on his wife and baby girl. Luckily Mollie has a loving family to turn to for help. Her mother Marge is delighted to look after baby Esme while Mollie goes out to work. Meanwhile her nan Nora encourages Mollie to join a local keep fit class which opens her eyes to a whole new world. Determined to better herself, Mollie qualifies as a fitness instructor and starts to run her own classes for the local community where she befriends a group of women she would never have known existed. But with the outbreak of the Second World War and the ever-present danger of losing her loved ones in the London bombings, it takes courage for Mollie to stand on her own two feet. Nostalgia, heartbreak, danger and war, this is an unforgettable tale of wartime life. 407pp, paperback.

Set in County Durham in the 1830s, 15 year old Cissie Brodie loses her parents to cholera and is forced out of the family cottage and left to raise her nine brothers and sisters by herself. Although desperately poor, strong-willed Cissie determines to build a new home for them all, their own little shelter to keep them from the workhouse. They have friends, but charity cannot always spare them the harsh reality of their struggle, and when Cissie attracts the unwanted attentions of a local landowner, her world seems close to collapse. Can love when it arrives teach her not to fear the world beyond the dwelling place? A novel of resilience by the queen of raw family romances. 415pp, paperback.

Scarborough 1880 and Jeannie spends her days watching the harbour girls mending nets and gutting herring and waiting for Ethan Wharton to come in on his father's fishing smack. Jeannie had always expected to marry the loyal and dependable Ethan, but then she meets Harry, a stranger who has come to visit from Hull for the day, and she falls for him. When Jeannie becomes pregnant and Harry breaks his promise to come back for her, she finds herself isolated. She and her child move to Hull where her life is touched by illness, tragedy and poverty. She longs for the simpler times of her past and wonders if she will ever find someone who will truly love her, and if Ethan will ever forgive her. A heartwarming story of triumph over adversity for fans of Dilly Court. A companion to Four Sisters (94554) and Homecoming Girls (94555). 445pp, paperback.