Edith Wharton

Nina Bawden

First published in 1905, THE HOUSE OF MIRTH shocked the New York society it so deftly chronicles, portraying the moral, social and economic restraints on a woman who dared to claim the privileges of marriage without assuming the responsibilities. Lily Bart, beautiful, witty and sophisticated, is accepted by 'old money' and courted by the growing tribe of nouveaux riches. But as she nears thirty, her foothold becomes precarious; a poor girl with expensive tastes, she needs a husband to preserve her social standing and to maintain her in the luxury she has come to expect. Whilst many have sought her, something - fastidiousness or integrity- prevents her from making a 'suitable' match.

The House of Mirth

Evacuated from London to Wales during the Second World War, Carrie and her brother are sent to live with the very strict Mr Evans. But in trying to heal the breach between Mr Evans and his estranged sister, Carrie does the worst thing she ever did in her life. Age 10+. 144 pages.

Carrie's War

Dorothy Whipple

An outstanding novel about the fragility and tenacity of love.

Someone at a Distance

On the Scottish island of Skua, a friendship develops between lonely and mysterious Perdita and a blind girl and her brother as the threesome look for rare orchids, explore the island caves, and meet up with jewel thieves.

The Witch's Daughter

A headstrong nine-year-old girl is pursued by an old man who she believes is the Devil.

Devil by the Sea

Squib

The Peppermint Pig (Puffin Books)

The unexpected death of Daisy's husband causes the revelation of a romantic secret that illuminates and reinforces the ongoing struggle between Daisy and Ruth, her friend of thirty years

The Ice House

Peppermint Pig

A Puffin Book - stories that last a lifetime. Carrie's War by Nina Bawden is an unforgettable Second World War story. 'I did a dreadful thing...or I feel that I did, and nothing can change it...' It is the Second World War and Carrie and Nick are evacuated from London to a small town in Wales, where they are placed with strict Mr Evans and his timid mouse of a sister. Their friend Albert is luckier, living in Druid's Bottom with Hepzibah Green who tells wonderful stories, and the strange Mister Johnny, who speaks a language all of his own. Carrie and Nick are happy to visit Albert there, until one day when Carrie does a terrible thing - the worst thing she ever did in her life... Based on her own childhood, Nina Bawden's enchanting story Carrie's War has delighted a whole generation of readers. Nina Bawden is without question one of the very best writers for children' Daily Telegraph Perfect for fans of Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian. Now part of the A Puffin Book - stories that last a lifetime - series Nina Bawden is one of today's best writers for both adults and children. she has often used her own childhood experiences in her books - Carrie's War is set in the mining valley in Wales where she lived as an evacuee in wartime. She studied philosophy, politics and economics at Somerville College, Oxford and finished her first novel the year after she took her degree. She won the Guardian Award for Children's Fiction for The Peppermint Pig.

On the Scottish island of Skua, friendship develops between the lonely and mysterious Perdita and a blind girl, Janey. Both possess a kind of second sight _ Janey's is the ability to hear, feel and remember more than others, and Perdita's is the ominous legacy of her being a witch's daughter. When Janey's brother, Tom, starts investigating a cluster of mysterious events and suspicious characters, all three become entwined in an adventure of hidden jewels, desperate criminals and dangerous detection.Written in 1963, The Witch's Daughter showcases Nina Bawden's innate regard for the integrity of her young characters. As she has said: 'I like writing for children. It seems to me that most people underestimate their understanding and the strength of their feelings and in my books for them I try to put this right.' Hugely admired on publication by both reviewers and readers, it was described as 'thrilling' by the Times Literary Supplement.

Robert Staunton

This adaptation of Nina Bawden's classic children's novel tells the story of Carrie Willow, evacuated with her little brother Nick to rural Wales at the start of World War Two. Carrie and Nick are taken in by Councillor Evans and his timid younger sister, Lou - and encounter Evans' estrangedolder sister, Mrs Gotobed. At first Carrie just runs errands between the two households - but one day finds herself forced to choose between them. The activity section at the back of the book covers key themes of the play, and also includes detailed background information on the Second World War and the experience of evacuees.

At fifteen, Daisy, confident and cherished, is appalled to hear that Ruth's father locked her in the old garden ice house as a childhood punishment: no wonder her friend shelters in make believe. The revelation of that primitive cruelty cements a friendship in which protection plays no small part. Years later, middle aged, they remain close friends and live on the same street. So when Daisy's husband dies suddenly, Ruth's discovery that the marriage was unhappy is the first stage in the unravelling of the certainties she has wrapped around her adult life. Friendship, love, marriage and, above all, the scorching effects of adultery, come under the microscope in this dextrous novel. Journeying from a terrifying suburban household to its unexpected conclusion in the Egyptian Pharaoh's tombs, The Ice House is startling, tragic and humorous by turns.

Elizabeth and Richard have been married for 18 years and are on holiday in Morocco, travelling from its fertile coast to the barren uplands. The incidents of their journey begin to highlight the compromises and frustrations that now govern Elizabeth's life and she must come to a conclusion concerning the dilemmas of the human heart. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

A Woman of My Age

Kenny McKendry

Polly, the youngest, finds it difficult to adjust to a sudden change in the family's fortunes until she acquires a special pet pig.

The Peppermint Pig

Originally abandoned by her actor parents who later attempt to gain custody, Cat wages a spirited campaign to decide her own fate and remain with her grandmother.

Granny the Pag

Thirteen-year-old Jane, whose quiet life with her two aunts is interrupted by sporadic visits from her seafaring father, tries to learn more about her half brother and sister after discovering that her father remarried ten years ago.

The Outside Child

On the Scottish island of Skua, friendship develops between the lonely and mysterious Perdita and a blind girl, Janey. Both possess a kind of second sight - Janey's is the ability to hear, feel and remember more than others, and Perdita's is the ominous legacy of her being a witch's daughter. When Janey's brother, Tom, starts investigating a cluster of mysterious events and suspicious characters, all three become entwined in an adventure of hidden jewels, desperate criminals and dangerous detection. Written in 1963, The Witch's Daughter showcases Nina Bawden's innate regard for the integrity of her young characters. As she has said: 'I like writing for children. It seems to me that most people underestimate their understanding and the strength of their feelings and in my books for them I try to put this right.' Hugely admired on publication by both reviewers and readers, it was described as 'thrilling' by the Times Literary Supplement.

Who is Anna? Is she Anna-May Gates, the war-time evacuee who encounters neglect and unwitting abuse on a Welsh farm? The reticent, dutiful daughter of her foster-mother, Crystal? Giles's shy child-bride? Conscientious mother and housewife? Or Daniel's undemanding but sophisticated mistress? It takes catastrophe for Anna to emerge as an individual, claiming her own identity. Nina Bawden, as ever both acute and generous, delves skilfully into character and offers the richly textured story of a woman's life and stratagems, and of the flawed, kindly people who surround her.

Nina Bawden

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