Showing results by narrator "Stephanie Racine" in All Categories

From their graves in the field, the oldest part of Paulstadt’s cemetery, the town’s late inhabitants tell stories from their lives. Some recall just a moment, perhaps the one in which they left this world, perhaps the one that they now realise shaped their life for ever. Some remember all the people they’ve been with, or the only person they ever loved. These voices together build a picture of a community, as viewed from below ground instead of from above.

As the Second World War enters its final stages, millions in Germany are forced from their homes by bombing, compelled to seek shelter in the countryside where there are barely the resources to feed them. Twelve-year-old Luisa, her mother and her older sister, Billie, have escaped the devastation of the city for the relative safety of a dairy farm. But even here the power struggles of the war play out: the family depend on the goodwill of Luisa’s brother-in-law, an SS officer, who in expectation of payment turns his attention away from his wife and towards Billie.

Written in a hospital tent to the sound of gunfire and shells falling, Cicely Hamilton drew on her experiences working in France during WW1 to tell the story of William Tully and his new bride Griselda, who are wrenched away from their all-consuming interests – socialism and votes for women – and plunged into the almost dream-like horror of war. As brutal tragedy strikes, their attitude to both pacifism and patriotism is altered and their lives are changed forever.

Six months have passed since Jessica's encounter with the mysterious serial-killing coven of witches and the death of her mentor, Erne. Her nightmares about her mother and the witchcraft that undid her have only gotten worse, but she's doing what she can to stay focused. Her homicide squad, now under new leadership, has been given a murder case and a new series of disappearances to investigate. A young woman's corpse has washed up on an icy beach, and two famous Instagram influencers have gone missing at the same time.

When the married Isabella Robinson was introduced to the dashing Edward Lane at a party in 1850, she was utterly enchanted. He was ‘fascinating’, she told her diary, before chastising herself for being so susceptible to a man’s charms. But a wish had taken hold of her, and she was to find it hard to shake.... In one of the most notorious divorce cases of the 19th century, Isabella Robinson’s scandalous secrets were exposed to the world. Kate Summerscale brings vividly to life a frustrated Victorian wife’s longing for passion and learning, companionship and love.

With a particular interest in the rising levels of anxiety, Stella O'Malley demonstrates how our increasingly perfectionist and materialistic lifestyles have created a society which is shallow and toxic, high on expectation and low on satisfaction. With simple thinking tools, this audiobook aims to empower listeners to face any mental health challenges which come their way.

Gracie Dwyer has it all: the handsome husband, the adorable child, the beautiful home and the glittering career. The perfect life. Her new friend, Juliet, doesn't exactly fit in. She's a down-on-her-luck single parent with no money and not much hope. So just what is it that draws Gracie and Juliet together? And when the cracks start to appear in Gracie's perfect life, can both of them survive?

From their graves in the field, the oldest part of Paulstadt’s cemetery, the town’s late inhabitants tell stories from their lives. Some recall just a moment, perhaps the one in which they left this world, perhaps the one that they now realise shaped their life for ever. Some remember all the people they’ve been with, or the only person they ever loved. These voices together build a picture of a community, as viewed from below ground instead of from above.

The narrator of The Pages is not a human but a book: a first edition of Joseph Roth’s masterpiece Rebellion, rescued from a Nazi book-burning in 1933. In recounting its history, it tells a multitude of stories: of Andreas, the character who lives in its pages; of its current owner, a woman whose discovery of a hand-drawn map in the book begins a thrilling mystery; and of Roth himself, a writer on the run. Together, they form a compelling story about art, nationalism, the weight of history, and the strange connections between us.

My father was Mr Bones - the notorious serial killer of 25 years ago. As a child I witnessed his crimes. Everything is different now. I have a new identity. I’m a mother. I am finally free. Until that podcast. I should never have listened. They’re linking a recent kidnapping to the crimes of the past. They know who I am. They’re calling me Little Bones again. They say I’m a villain, but I’m not. I’m a victim. You believe me, don’t you?

In summer 1939, war was brewing. Eileen Alexander was a bright young graduate just leaving Cambridge and newly smitten with Gershon Ellenbogen, a fellow student who had inadvertently involved her in a car crash. Her first letter to him, written from the hospital, sparked a correspondence that would last the length of the war and define the love of their lifetimes. Love in the Blitz is a remarkable portrait of one woman’s coming-of-age. Her previously undiscovered letters are vivid, intimate and crackling with intelligence.

Screenwriter Caroline Byrne is desperate to know why her daughter, Jessica, died, murdered in Stratford when she was supposed to be at a friend’s in Somerset. When Caroline discovers the messages Jessica had been sending a boy named Michael, she realises it’s because of him. Because he failed to meet her that day. He’s the reason why her daughter is dead. And so she makes a choice. He’s the one who’s going to pay. That is her promise. Her price.

She thought she was free of the past. She was wrong. Six years ago Isla was the only victim to walk free from Carl Jeffery's vicious murder spree. Now, Isla vows to live her life to the fullest, and from the outside it appears perfect. Determined to finish her book, Isla plans her final trip to Sweden, but after returning from Canada and meeting a man she never thought she would, her life begins to derail. Suddenly Isla is plagued by memories of the man who tried to murder her....

We have been talking about ‘leadership at all levels’ for over a century – let’s make it a reality for today’s world. This completely updated second edition of the award-winning The Inner CEO provides the tried and tested blueprint to make distributed leadership a reality and tap into the potential of the many.

The mythical Greek king, Oedipus, is no stranger to tragedy. As a baby, he is left to die on the mountainside of Thebes by his royal parents after the Oracle of Delphi prophesies that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Pitied by the shepherd tasked with leaving him, Oedipus is given to another royal family and grows up ignorant of his past as a foreign prince. Returning to Thebes by chance many years later, he defeats the Sphinx terrorising the city by answering her riddle and becomes king. From here on a series of tragic events begin to unfurl.

From ‘The Manchester Marriage’, in which a husband, supposedly drowned at sea, returns to find his daughter, to the two sisters who are comically adrift after the death of their domineering father in ‘The Daughters of the Late Colonel’, and a young girl who enlists the help of a sorceress to win back her boyfriend in ‘The Goodness of Saint Rocque’, Standing Her Ground showcases nine groundbreaking women writers.

Charlotte is a people pleaser - she can't help but go the extra mile. So when she stumbles upon an unconscious man one night, it's only natural that she wants to help. Brought into the arms of the victim's loving family, she sees at once how much they need her. But while his parents happily welcome her into the fold, his sister is another story. It's not just that Rebecca doesn't like Charlotte, she clearly doesn't trust her either. But the more time Charlotte spends in Rebecca's company, the more she suspects she's the one with something to hide.

Three best friends are embarking on an all-expenses paid trip of their dreams. The only catch? Every moment will be documented on film. Lizzie's battle with cancer is coming to an end, and now she's ready to embrace adventure for the very first time. There are only three months, but it is Lizzie's time to finally start living! Jaddi is known for her stunning looks, flirtatious attitude and many conquests. But Jaddi has a secret, and on this last trip together she needs to decide whether her best friends will ever know the real her.

We've all had sleepless nights thinking about it. You're home alone. Someone breaks in. In defending yourself, you end up killing the intruder. Now you're the one the police want. That is the situation that criminal barrister Paul Reeve arrives home to find. His wife, Alice, stands in the bedroom, clutching a bloodied letter opener in her shaking hand. 'What have you done, Alice?' 'I didn't have a choice....' We would all believe the person we love most.

You can trust me. But can I trust you? Olivia is the domestic goddess who has won millions of followers by sharing her picture-perfect life online. And now she's releasing her tell-all autobiography. For professional ghostwriter Nicky it's the biggest job of her career. But as she delves deeper into Olivia's life, cracks begin to appear in the glamorous façade. From the strained relationship with her handsome husband, to murky details of a tragic family death in her childhood, the truth belies Olivia's perfect public image.