Showing results by narrator "Heather Long" in All Categories

Kate, Daniel and Luke met at university. Unlikely best friends, Daniel and Luke's bond has nevertheless stood the test of time, through marriages, children and tragedies. But midlife has crept up on them, and hidden truths are beginning to surface. Kate feels alone in her marriage and begins to seek answers elsewhere. Luke's recklessness and hedonism are spiralling out of control, putting pressure on the family life he hoped would save him. And Daniel has discovered a secret that threatens to overturn everything.

In Rise Like Lions, Booker Prize winning writer Ben Okri has compiled a collection of poems that celebrate the many voices of politics, from polemics and rallying cries to lyrics and meditations. Many of these poems have resonated with readers over lifetimes and through generations, from William Blake to Marvin Gaye. In exploring the impact political poems have on ideas, vision, protest, change and truth, Okri demonstrates how the need for this strand of poetry is as great as it has ever been, and its inspiration just as powerful.

The perfect gift book, featuring the writing of Meryl Streep, Bill Bailey, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, Caitlin Moran, Richard Ayoade, Emily Watson and others, to coincide with the upcoming movie Last Christmas, starring Emma Thompson, Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding. When you think back to Christmases past, what (if anything) made it magical? This is a beautiful, funny and soulful collection of personal essays about the meaning of Christmas, written by a unique plethora of voices from the boulevards of Hollywood to the soup kitchens of Covent Garden.

When Jessica, a young British woman, discovers a shocking secret about her birth, she travels to Switzerland in search of answers. She knows her mother spent time in the country writing an article on the Swiss women’s rights movement, but what she doesn’t know is what happened to her while she was there. Can Jess summon the courage to face the truth about her family, or will her search only hurt herself and those around her even more?

A missing girl returns unharmed, and a family torn apart by tragedy begins to heal. But strange things start to happen to the Wick family. The media are tipped off, throwing them into a spotlight they cannot hide from. DNA results go missing. Holes begin to appear in the girl’s story. Is the mysterious girl Abigail Wick? Who is the stranger on the boat who took Abigail? What happened 14 years ago? Only one person knows the truth.

This gorgeous collection of nature poems is an exciting celebration of the natural world and its wonders from Enid Blyton, the world's best-loved storyteller. From birds in May and August flowers to green trees in November and summer seaside walks, explore the enchanting worlds of animals, birds, trees and plants throughout the year in verse.

London E17, 2019, a yellow kitchen stands as a metaphor for the lifelong friendship between three women: Claude, the earnest baker, fragile and goal-orientated Sophie and stubborn and political Giulia. They have the best kind of friendship, chasing life and careers; dating, dreaming and consuming but always returning to be reunited in the yellow kitchen. That is, until a trip to Lisbon unravels unexplored desires and the friendship between Claude and Sophie becomes intimate. Having sex is one thing, waking up the day after is the beginning of something new.

Animals bond people and transcend class, financial and cultural barriers. Pets matter to people more than anything, but what happens to those people who can't afford pet insurance or vet's bills? Animal Matters is a diary of real-life cases written during a year of Charlotte's career working as a veterinary surgeon in a 24-hour inner-city London animal charity hospital. The audiobook provides listeners with a revealing, honest, emotional experience, with deeply sad moments followed by amusing and unimaginable ones.

Two couples. One reckless night. In the time they've known each other, Sally, Al and Mike have shared - well, almost everything. Sally and Al have been married for seven years, though now their relationship is hanging by a thread. Sally and Mike have been best friends since university. And on many occasions something more. Mike and Al have been friends and colleagues for many years. Yet with Al poised to become Mike's boss, their friendship comes under threat. And now there's Mike and Faye. They haven't been together long, but Mike's pretty sure that this time it's the real deal.

Immerse yourself in the enchanting prose which makes Mrs Dalloway a timeless classic, celebrated globally as one of Virginia Woolf's greatest novels. While Mrs Dalloway meticulously prepares for a grand evening soirée, she is interrupted by the arrival of an old admirer, who unknowingly ignites a cascade of memories and reflections that threaten to consume her. Weaving you in and out of her characters' minds, Mrs Dalloway will leave you convinced that Virginia Woolf possesses an unparalleled understanding of human nature.

1972. Ten years on from the events of The Miseducation of Evie Epworth and Evie is settled in London working for the BBC. She has everything she's ever dreamed of (a career, a leatherette briefcase, an Ossie Clark poncho) but, following an unfortunate incident involving Princess Anne and a Hornsea Pottery mug, she finds herself having to rethink her life and piece together work, love, grief and multiple pairs of cork-soled platform sandals.

1491, Eltham Palace. Anne Oxenbridge is still mourning the loss of her young child when she accepts the position of wet nurse to Prince Harry, the Queen's second son. Beyond the silver cradles and luxurious Turkish carpets of the royal nursery, she knows there is something special about this baby - but never expected to love him as her own. All too soon, singing and stories must be set aside in favour of books and learning. It appears that Anne's time with her golden prince is also over...until a twist of fate reunites her with the boy who must now become King Henry VIII of England.

A Wild & True Relation opens during the Great Storm of 1703, as smuggler Tom West confronts his lover Grace for betraying him to the Revenue. Leaving Grace's cottage in flames, he takes her orphaned daughter Molly on board ship disguised as a boy to join his crew. But Molly, or Orlando as she must call herself, will grow up to outshine all the men of Tom's company and seek revenge – and a legacy – all of her own.

Jaleesa, Kai, Ilya and Dani are online best friends, and superfans of the hit TV show City of Night. Fantasising about the show in their chatroom, they find an escape from their troubled small-town lives. Everything changes when Chloe, make-up artist to the show's star Alice Temple, enters the chat. When Chloe tells them Alice is in danger the four resolve to save her, and make their way to California. But fantasy is quickly overtaken by reality. Alice's troubles, they discover, will shine the spotlight on all of them. And not in a good way.

On an ordinary, grey day a little bit of magic is about to happen on a street corner near you... At twenty-seven, Ellie Newton’s life revolves around telling other people’s stories. As a go-getting journalist for the Millrise Echo, she’s always tuned into the latest goings-on. But covering school fundraisers and shopping trolley thefts has started to lose its shine. Ellie loves her hometown, but with the serious lack of romantic prospects and a career that has stalled, she’s beginning to wonder if she should try her luck in the big city after all.

Lucie Hart is a fledgling actress, her confidence having been shattered by her manipulative ex. Making ends meet by performing Shakespearean monologues full of romance she doesn’t believe in, she can see her dreams getting further out of reach. Theo Larkin has already taken Hollywood by storm and his next conquests are Shakespeare’s greatest works – and his incensed leading lady. Always short of money, Lucie can’t afford to waste the opportunity to bring crowds to her shows. And when a well-publicised bust-up leaves Theo’s reputation hanging by a thread, he is desperate to prove his worth.

We call it the Great Escape. The annual trip where my boss asks us expert travel guides to escort a group of privileged, uber-wealthy clientele on some far-flung expedition, a cut-throat contest for riches and glory. The stakes have never been higher, nor the challenge harder: I must summit Mount Kilimanjaro before my rival guide to win the ultimate prize. But this once-in-a-lifetime trip was never about winning to me. I'm here for answers, even if no one is ready to give them up. By the time we reach the top I will have the truth, if it kills me.

Rose Pedal is the proud owner of Pedals & Prosecco, a brand-new business serving ice-cold fizz from a vintage bicycle, and she’s excited to be attending her first wedding fayre. But, on the way to Weddington Hall she’s involved in a near miss crash involving dashingly handsome James from Blume’s Florist. Arriving at the beautiful stately home drenched and disheveled, Rose is horrified to find James is not only not sorry for nearly knocking her off her bike, but he’s gatecrashing her allocated spot on the lawn.

In this version of London, there is a small, private clinic. Behind its layers of security, procedures are taking place on poor, robust teenagers from northern estates in exchange for thousands of pounds - procedures that will bring the wealthy dead back to life in these young, supple bodies for 14 days. It's an opportunity for wrongs to be righted, for fathers to meet grandsons, for scientists to see their work completed. Old wine in new bottles. But at what cost?

1941. Whilst London is battered by air raids, Felicity 'Fliss' Carmichael has troubles of her own. Still reeling from catching her fiance cheating, she flees to her childhood home at St. Winifred's Rectory, reuniting with her sister Prue and Hester Katz, a Jewish doctor sheltering there. Though heartbroken, Fliss finds purpose again as a journalist. On assignment, she crosses paths with Detective Inspector Timothy Wallace, who shares her passion for truth and justice – though not her political beliefs. Despite their differences, an instant spark ignites between them.