Secondhand Literary & Contemporary Fiction Bargain Book Box SP2683

Secondhand Literary & Historical Fiction Bargain Book Box — 18 Books

Eighteen books, one extraordinary collection. This selection takes you from the bustling, vibrant streets of modern Antwerp to the quiet, haunted beauty of post-war suburban America. You'll find Amy Tan at her most adventurous, William Boyd exploring the quirks of modern longing, and Alice McDermott delivering a masterclass in domestic grace. Whether you're in the mood for a 17th-century London mystery, a sprawling Italian family epic, or a sharp inquiry into the nature of risk, this box is a treasure trove of stories that demand to be savoured.

1. The Lost Father — Marina Warner An Italian immigrant family in London tries to piece together the truth about their patriarch. A rich, beautifully textured exploration of how the past shapes our present and the myths we create to survive.

2. The Three Miss Margarets — Louise Shaffer In a small Georgia town, three elderly women have guarded a secret for decades. When a young woman returns home, those secrets begin to unspool. A warm, witty story of community and long-held loyalties.

3. The Rival Queens — Fidelis Morgan 17th-century London is brought to vivid, often muddy life in this sharp mystery. Artifice, gunpowder, and murder collide as two formidable women navigate the dangerous corridors of power.

4. After This — Alice McDermott A National Book Award finalist that follows an Irish-American family through the mid-20th century. McDermott’s prose is luminous, finding the profound meaning in the ordinary moments of domestic life.

5. The Crime of Olga Arbyelina — Andreï Makine A haunting story of a Russian aristocrat living in exile in post-war France. Makine writes with a distinctive, melancholic beauty about memory, loss, and an act that changes everything.

6. Half of the Human Race — Anthony Quinn Set in London on the eve of World War I, this is a vivid portrait of a society on the brink. Through the eyes of a suffragette and a cricketer, Quinn explores the search for authentic identity during a time of immense social change.

7. Rachael's Gift — Alexandra Cameron A moving narrative centered on the complexities of family expectations and the weight of secrets. It’s a quiet, observant study of how we communicate—and fail to—with the ones we love most.

8. The Registrar's Manual for Detecting Forced Marriages — Sophie Hardach A Kurdish woman seeking asylum in Germany becomes a translator, uncovering the hidden stories of those around her. A sharp, deeply human novel about borders, language, and the search for a new beginning.

9. Fire on the Mountain — Anita Desai An elderly woman living in isolation in the Indian mountains has her solitude disrupted by the arrival of her great-granddaughter. Desai captures the heat and the quiet tension of a world where the past is never truly gone.

10. Saving Fish from Drowning — Amy Tan Twelve American tourists set out for Burma on an expedition that goes spectacularly, and often hilariously, wrong. Tan is at her most witty and wise here, exploring the boundaries of culture and the reliability of our own perceptions.

11. Favourite Poems of England — Ed. Jane McMorland Hunter A beautifully selected anthology that captures the sensory textures of the English landscape and character. From the classics to modern voices, it’s a record of the poetic heart of the country.

12. Puccini's Ghosts — Morag Joss A young woman in 1960s Scotland becomes obsessed with her uncle’s staging of Turandot. It’s a dark, elegant mystery about the dangers of living in a world of artifice and the secrets that haunt a family home.

13. Trouble — Non Pratt A sharp, unblinking look at teenage life when an unexpected turn changes everything. Part social commentary, part compassionate character study, Pratt captures the resilient spirit of modern youth.

14. Big Snake Little Snake — DBC Pierre The Booker Prize-winning author of Vernon God Little delivers an eccentric and intellectually rich inquiry into the nature of risk. Part memoir, part philosophy, it’s a wild, unpredictable ride through a life lived on the edge.

15. On Black Sisters' Street — Chika Unigwe Four women from very different backgrounds find themselves working in Antwerp’s red-light district. A powerful, unsparing narrative about the search for a better life and the bonds formed in the face of shared trauma.

16. The Dreams of Bethany Mellmoth — William Boyd A collection of short stories from a master observer. Sharp, witty, and perfectly observed, these tales highlight the small humiliations and unexpected joys that define our modern lives.

17. Careless — Deborah Robertson Shortlisted for the Miles Franklin, this is an immersive novel about the aftermath of a tragic event. Robertson writes with extraordinary empathy about grief, community, and the slow process of survival.

18. The Different World of Fin Starling — Elizabeth Stead A whimsical and evocative story of a young man who sees the world differently. Stead captures the curiosity of a unique mind and the search for belonging in a world that values conformity.