The Secret Life of Luke Livingstone


Book Description

Luke Livingstone is a lucky man. He has a loving wife, children who adore him and an idyllic home in the countryside. However, Luke is struggling with an unbearable secret. All his life, he has hidden the truth about himself; a truth that will shatter his family and leave him an outcast. He feels that he must either end his life or become the woman he knows himself to be. His family is tested to its limits, as each of them is forced to consider what makes a person essentially themselves.




The New Woman


Book Description

*A BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick 2015* 'A poignant tale of one person's transgender journey.' - Heat Luke Livingstone is a lucky man. He's a respected solicitor, a father and grandfather, a pillar of the community. He has a loving wife and an idyllic home in the Oxfordshire countryside. Yet Luke is struggling with an unbearable secret, and it's threatening to destroy him. All his life, Luke has hidden the truth about himself and his identity. It's a truth so fundamental that it will shatter his family, rock his community and leave him outcast. But Luke has nowhere left to run, and to continue living, he must become the person - the woman - he knows himself to be, whatever the cost. 'Move over Jodi Picoult. New Zealand-based author Charity Norman has the same clever knack of taking an issue and examining it from all angles, to see the effect it has on everyone involved.' New Zealand Herald




Freeing Grace


Book Description

Warm, insightful and poignant, Freeing Grace tells the story of David, curate of an inner-city parish, and Leila, his Nigerian-born wife. Unable to have children of their own, they're desperate for a family. When they finally hear they've been approved to adopt a baby, Grace, they can scarcely believe their good fortune. There's just one problem for which David and Leila cannot plan; Grace's birth family - the enigmatic, charismatic Harrisons. Enlisting their friend, the feckless, charming New Zealander, Jake Kelly - who's half in love with all of them, one way or another - the Harrisons send him on a quest that will force a confrontation. Ultimately, each has a terrible decision to make. Everyone only wants what's best for Grace - but who can say exactly what that is?




See You in September


Book Description

Cassy smiled, blew them a kiss. 'See you in September,' she said. It was a throwaway line. Just words uttered casually by a young woman in a hurry. And then she'd gone. It was supposed to be a short trip - a break in New Zealand before her best friend's wedding. But when Cassy waved goodbye to her parents, they never dreamed that it would be years before they'd see her again. Having broken up with her boyfriend, Cassy accepts an invitation to stay in an idyllic farming collective. Overcome by the peace and beauty of the valley and swept up in the charisma of Justin, the community's leader, Cassy becomes convinced that she has to stay. As Cassy becomes more and more entrenched in the group's rituals and beliefs, her frantic parents fight to bring her home - before Justin's prophesied Last Day can come to pass. A powerful story of family, faith and finding yourself, See You in September is an unputdownable new novel from this hugely compelling author.




Remember Me


Book Description

A heartfelt, page-turning suspense novel from the bestselling author of The Secrets of Strangers - ideal reading-group fiction, perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult and Liane Moriarty. Winner of the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel 'An atmospheric and emotional tale of family, mystery and love … an extraordinarily talented storyteller.' Kelly Rimmer, author of bestselling The Warsaw Orphan They never found Leah Parata. Not a boot, not a backpack, not a turquoise beanie. After she left me that day, she vanished off the face of the earth. A close-knit community is ripped apart by disturbing revelations that cast new light on a young woman's disappearance twenty-five years ago. After years of living overseas, Emily Kirkland returns to New Zealand to care for her father, Felix, who suffers from dementia. As his memory fades and his guard slips, she begins to understand him for the first time - and to glimpse shattering truths about his past. Truths she'd rather were kept buried. A heartfelt, page-turning suspense novel from the bestselling author of The Secrets of Strangers - ideal reading-group fiction, perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult and Liane Moriarty. Praise for The Secrets of Strangers: 'If you're looking for an engrossing, heart-stopping and heart-breaking read, you simply cannot go past this.' - Kelly Rimmer, bestselling author of Truths I Never Told You '... moving, raw and insightful ...' - Good Reading '... compelling and moving ...' - New Zealand Herald 'The narrative is as tense and well-written as any Jodi Picoult drama ... a terrific suspense novel.' - Sunday Star-Times




Home Truths


Book Description

How do you fight an invisible enemy? An unputdownable and timely new novel from the Ngaio Marsh-winning author of Remember Me. FROM THE WINNER OF THE BEST NOVEL IN THE NGAIO MARSH AWARDS FOR CRIME FICTION Livia Denby is on trial for attempted murder. The jury has reached a verdict. Two years earlier, Livia was a probation officer in Yorkshire, her husband Scott a teacher. Their children, Heidi and Noah, rounded out a happy family - until the day Scott's brother died. Grief and guilt leave Scott searching for answers, a search that takes him into the world of conspiracy theories. As his grip on reality slides, he makes a decision that will put the family on a collision course with tragedy. Livia's family has been torn apart, and now her son's life is hanging in the balance. Just how far will she go to save the ones she loves? Praise for Charity Norman: 'Count me as a huge fan of Kiwi author Charity Norman. Her books are gritty, gripping, suspenseful and heartfelt, and always total page-turners.' Nicky Pellegrino, New Zealand Woman's Weekly 'The last book that made me cry was Remember Me by Charity Norman. Go read it.' Craig Sisterson, New Zealand Listener 'Charity Norman is one of our best kept literary secrets.' Greg Fleming, Kete Books 'Charity Norman writes the sort of stories that are difficult to discuss without giving away their endings ... Norman gets it right.' North & South 'In Remember Me, Norman deftly weaves together two timelines to create an engrossing, slow-burn mystery that builds to a devastating and unexpected end.' The Weekend Australian 'Crisp, compelling writing that's not just enjoyable to read, but a lesson in how to write.' Maya Linnell on Remember Me 'Raw and insightful ... I found it harder and harder to put down.' Good Reading on The Secrets of Strangers 'An atmospheric and emotional tale of family, mystery and love … an extraordinarily talented storyteller.' Kelly Rimmer on Remember Me 'Striking ... a nuanced page-turner addressing the very human realities of ageing parents and family dynamics.' Books + Publishing on Remember Me 'Compelling and moving' The New Zealand Herald on The Secrets of Strangers




The Hidden Life of Prayer


Book Description




Revelation


Book Description

The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.




Revelation


Book Description

A well-respected New Testament scholar provides a substantive yet accessible commentary on this difficult and intriguing book of the Bible.




The Secret Life of Luke Livingstone


Book Description

Girl meets boy. They fall in love, and they marry. For thirty years they share one another's lives. That should have been the end of the story. Luke Livingstone is a lucky man. He's a father and grandfather, a respected solicitor, a pillar of the community. He has a loving wife in Eilish, children who adore him and an idyllic home in the Oxfordshire countryside. But Luke is struggling with an unbearable secret, one that is close to destroying him. All his life, Luke has hidden the truth about himself -- a truth so fundamental that it will shatter his family, rock his community and leave him an outcast. Luke has nowhere left to run. He must either end his life, or become the woman he knows himself to be -- whatever the cost. His family is tested to its limits, as each of them is forced to consider what makes a person essentially themselves. What do you do when you find that your husband -- your father, your son -- is not who you thought? Can you ever love him again? A beautiful and dramatic portrayal of a family in turmoil.