Author:Margaret Graham
The second novel in a compelling new series set in County Durham just before and during the First World War.
England is at war and Easterleigh Hall has been turned into a hospital for the duration of the hostilities.
With its army of volunteers and wounded servicemen, cook Evie Forbes is determined that everyone will be properly provided for, despite the threat of rationing and dwindling supplies.
All the while she waits for letters from her fiancé and beloved brother, fighting on the Western Front.
Then the worst happens – a telegram arrives with shattering news. And Evie wonders if she’ll have the strength to carry on…
Captivating ... prefect for lovers of Downton Abbey. Someone send Julian Fellowes a copy quick, it will be his next hit.
—— Frost MagazineGraham beautifully captures the period when young men were returning gravely injured from the trenches and the upstairs-downstairs society was beingforced to change at home.
—— Peterborough TelegraphUnrelenting pace, brilliant action and characters. A masterwork.
—— CONN IGGULDENA glorious, bloody, perfect Viking saga, rich with the poetry of the skald, ripe with blood and glory, vengeance and heartbreak. The characters stride from the page, alive, hungry, real . . . this is Viking writing at its very best
—— MANDA SCOTTThis is the best kind of storytelling – a saga full of blood and thunder that grabs you and doesn’t let go until long after the final page is turned
—— STEVEN PRESSFIELDA pulse-pounding tale of blood, betrayal and honour. Hereward and his spear-brothers would definitely feel at home here
—— JAMES WILDEA great success . . . His knowledge of the period, and imaginative immersion in it, mean that God of Vengeance conjures up Sigurd's bloody, violent world, with all its alien beliefs and strange customs, in vivid and compelling detail
—— Nick Rennison , BBC HISTORYEpic in character, atmosphere and deed . . . Kristian is a terrific storyteller . . . the writing and language are wonderfully rich, and you want to savour every bone-shattering, blood-curdling, sentence
—— TOBY CLEMENTSA revenger's tale writ large . . . Kristian's latest Viking-era saga won't disappoint
—— DAILY MAILA pulsating saga delivered with the sweep and power of a Norse war axe
—— TIM SEVERINI loved this. It’s for people who like their historical fiction high-octane . . .a superb, brutal story that pulls no punches
—— ROBERT FABBRIGlorious . . . one of the finest historical novels of the year
—— FOR WINTER NIGHTSBrilliant prose, vivid descriptions and compelling characters . . . a must read. If you are a fan of the series, The Vikings, then this book is for you
—— HISTORICAL NOVEL REVIEWCompelling, affecting, intelligent and surprising… Bold and striking… Worked out with precision and gracefulness… Ambitious and eloquent, and in forgoing exoticism captures genuine humanity
—— Stuart Kelly , Scotland on SundayThe Lives of Others is searing, savage and deeply moving: an unforgettably vivid picture of a time of turmoil.
—— Amitav Ghosh (www.amitavghosh.com/blog)The writing’s assured, considered and lucid, the author’s observations of character wry and acute. He has a real talent for revealing people’s true intentions and why they act the way they do
—— Jessica Croome , Curious Animal MagazineMukherjee creates a believable world where the jealousies and rivalries of one family are representative of the country
—— Good Book GuideMemorably vivid and moving
—— Christie Hickman , Sunday ExpressA powerful generational story of the chasm between the haves and have-nots
—— Independent