Recommendations based on "Thorn Birds"

January 1936 and three very different girls sign up as student nurses. Dora is a tough East Ender. Helen is the quiet one. And the third is naughty, rebellious Millie, an aristocrat on the run from her life of convention.

Rare Book

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER   “The great Crusader king Richard the Lionheart comes alive in all his complex splendor in this masterpiece of medieval tapestry.”—Margaret George   A.D. 1189. After the death of his father, Henry II, and the early demise of two of his brothers, Richard is crowned King of England and immediately sets off for the Holy Land. This is the Third Crusade, marked by internecine warfare among the Christians and extraordinary campaigns against the Saracens. Richard’s surviving brother, the younger John, is left behind—and conspires with the French king to steal his brother’s throne. Only their mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, now freed from decades of captivity, remains to protect Richard’s interests and secure his destiny.   In this engrossing saga, Sharon Kay Penman delivers a novel of passion, intrigue, battle, and deceit. Lionheart is a sweeping tale of a heroic figure—feared by his enemies and beloved by those he commanded—who became a legend in his own lifetime.   “[Sharon Kay] Penman displays her usual grasp of sweeping historical events as well as an uncanny ability to get inside the hearts and minds of her real-life characters. Her reputation for character-driven, solidly detailed historicals is richly deserved.”—Booklist   “The beautifully described settings and the characters’ interactions are simply outstanding.”—The Historical Novels Review   “Penman takes historical writing to a whole new level.”—The Sacramento Bee   “[A] gritty, unsentimental, and richly detailed epic.”—Publishers WeeklyDon’t miss the exclusive conversation between Sharon Kay Penman and Margaret George at the back of the book.

Jordan Buchanan is thrilled that her brother and best friend are tying the knot. The wedding is a lavish affair–for the marriage of Dylan Buchanan and Kate MacKenna is no ordinary occasion. It represents the joining of two family dynasties. The ceremony and reception proceed without a hitch–until a crasher appears claiming to be a MacKenna guest. The disheveled and eccentric professor of medieval history warns that there’s “bad blood” between the couple’s clans, stemming from an ancient feud that originated in Scotland, and involving the Buchanan theft of a coveted MacKenna treasure. Jordan has always led a cautious life and has used her intelligence and reason to become a successful businesswoman. So she is intrigued but skeptical of the professor’s claims that the feud has been kept alive by the grave injustices the Buchanans have perpetrated over the centuries. But when Noah Clayborne, a close family friend and a man who has never let a good time or a pretty girl pass him by, accuses Jordan of being trapped in her comfort zone, she determines to prove him wrong and sets out on a spontaneous adventure to the small, dusty town of Serenity, Texas, to judge the professor’s research for herself. Maneuvering through a close-knit community in which everyone knows everyone else’s business, Jordan never anticipates the danger and intrigue that lie in her path, nor the threat that will shadow her back to Boston, where even in familiar surroundings, her life is at risk. A powerful thug who rules by fear, a man who harbors a simmering secret, and an unexpected romance that pierces all defenses–beloved author Julie Garwood weaves these dazzling elements into a brilliant novel of romantic suspense. Shadow Dance is a searing tango of passion and peril.

From the blockbuster bestselling author comes the dramatic conclusion to the saga that began with Emma Harte and A Woman of Substance Four women at a crossroads. A family in crisis. And an enemy planning for his long-awaited chance at revenge. Who will have their Just Rewards?Linnet O'Neill, great-granddaughter of Emma Harte, finds herself following in the footsteps of the original woman of substance as she battles to modernize the family business. Returning from her honeymoon full of fresh ideas for bringing the Harte empire into the new century, Linnet locks horns with her mother, Paula, in a battle about the future. But due to unexpected circumstances, Linnet finds herself alone at the helm, just as her great-grandmother once was. Tessa Fairley is ready to start a new life after an acrimonious divorce--which might include rivaling her sister Linnet for the top spot in the Harte business. India Standish, in the midst of planning her own glamorous summer wedding in Ireland, is thrown off balance when her fiance's daughter Atlanta comes to live with them--closely followed by his unstable ex-girlfriend, intent on trouble. And Evan Hughes, their American cousin, unwittingly brings an enemy into their midst. But Evan's sister Angharad, who tries to infiltrate the quartet of young women, meets Jonathan Ainsley, the deadly enemy of the Hartes. Together, they spin a web of vengeance whereby no Harte is safe. Just Rewards brings the story of Emma Harte and A Woman of Substance full circle.

He would defy the boundaries of time for one night in her arms . . . He was a mighty Scottish warrior who lived in a world bound by ancient laws and timeless magic. But no immortal powers could prepare the laird of Castle Brodie for the lovely accursed lass who stood before him. A terrible trick of fate had sent her 700 years back in time and into his private chamber to tempt him with her beauty—and seduce him with a desire he could never fulfill. For this woman he burned to possess was also the woman he had foresworn to destroy. When Lisa felt the earth move under her feet, the fiercely independent 21st-century woman never dreamed she was falling . . . into another century. But the powerful, naked warrior who stood glaring down at her was only too real . . . and too dangerously arousing. Irresistibly handsome he might be, but Lisa had no intention of remaining in this savage land torn by treachery and war. How could she know that her seductive captor had other plans for her . . . plans that would save her from a tragic fate? Or that this man who had long ago forsaken love would defy time itself to claim her for his own. . . .

As a widow, Rose Fitzgerald is forced to take work as a maid. But when madness and disease invade the manor house, Rose knows she must stay strong--or lose her baby daughter, Grace. As an adult, Grace flees her poisoned past, landing in the arms of World War II lieutenant Adam Callahan. But then a secret marriage and a shocking truth put her newfound happiness at risk. With a grown daughter, Grace fears Jane will suffer the destiny of all their kinswomen. But Jane vows to break the tragic cycle...with a man whose powerful love just might make that possible.

A young Highlander leaves his home and his bride-to-be to follow the standard of Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Set during the 1745 Jacobite uprising under Bonnie Prince Charlie, D. K. Broster’s The Gleam of the North is the second of the Jacobite Trilogy.It follows on from the first instalment, in which the intersecting fortunes of two men, who at first glance seem almost complete opposites, are at the centre of the story. Ewen Cameron, a young Highland laird in the service of the Prince, is dashing, sincere, and idealistic, while Major Keith Windham, a professional soldier in the opposing English army, is cynical, world-weary, and profoundly lonely. When a second-sighted Highlander tells Ewen that the flight of a heron will lead to five meetings with an Englishman who is fated both to do him a great service and to cause him great grief, Ewen refuses to believe it.But as Bonnie Prince Charlie’s ill-fated campaign winds to its bitter end, the prophecy is proven true—and through many dangers and trials, Ewen and Keith find that they have one thing indisputably in common: both of them are willing to sacrifice everything for honour’s sake…Adapted for BBC Radio in 1960, this is an unmissable read to complete your collection!

The stunning North American Woman series concludes with this sexy tale of a revolutionary hero and the alluring Tory colonist who is forced to marry him. Red-hot desire burns in the two lovers who trust each other only as far as the bedroom.