'A heart-warming tale about resilience, friendships and family, and the inestimable power of the written word' RUTH HOGAN 'A heart-warming depiction of strong female friendships tested by suffering - Annie Lyons really is the queen of the wartime saga' CLARE CHAMBERS Can two young women and one book change the course of war . . .? 1940. Whip-smart librarian Peggy Sparks is determined to make sure that her brother Joe returns from the frontline to their London home, which they share with their beloved mother and grandmother. So when she is offered a once-in-a-lifetime job at the heart of the war effort, Peggy jumps at the prospect of making a real contribution to her country. But when she finds herself working under the fanciful socialite Lady Marigold Cecily, Peggy discovers that those around her are more keen on dancing at the Café de Paris than on ending the war. Writing accounts of her daily life is the only thing keeping Peggy's hopes alive. But when she finds her inner-most thoughts accidentally published by the Ministry of Information, Peggy realises she needs Marigold's help to save her job, and to bring her brother home . . . From the author of The Air Raid Book Club comes a powerful tale of unexpected friendship, community and two remarkable women who change the course of the war. Full of heart, emotion and drama, it is the perfect uplifting story for fans of Kate Thompson and Natasha Lester. 'Annie Lyons writes with compassion and heart, leaving the reader feeling like there is always hope, even in the darkest times' KATE STOREY 'This book is a delight! A warm hug of a story with gorgeous characters who felt like friends... Loved it! KERRY BARRETT WHAT EARLY READERS ARE ALREADY SAYING ABOUT A GIRLS' GUIDE TO WINNING THE WAR: 'I loved every page of it... I found myself just wanting to get back to read it. I Iove, love, loved it' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review 'Annie Lyons writes amazing historical fiction... So many emotions, fabulous writing and a thoroughly enjoyable read!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review 'My favourite thing about her books is the way a tight community is formed throughout the story, and they always include strong female characters both young and old. Did I mention there are libraries?' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review

Explores how the Guides' work was crucial to Britain's victory. When the Blitz broke out, the Guides knew what to do. They kept up morale in bomb shelters, demonstrating 'blitz cooking' with emergency ovens. They grew food on their company allotments and knitted for the entire country. It's difficult to imagine the war effort without the Guides.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The dramatic, untold history of the heroic women recruited by Britain’s elite spy agency to help pave the way for Allied victory in World War II “Gripping. Spies, romance, Gestapo thugs, blown-up trains, courage, and treachery (lots of treachery)—and all of it true.”—Erik Larson, author of The Devil in the White City and Dead Wake In 1942, the Allies were losing, Germany seemed unstoppable, and every able man in England was on the front lines. To “set Europe ablaze,” in the words of Winston Churchill, the Special Operations Executive (SOE), whose spies were trained in everything from demolition to sharpshooting, was forced to do something unprecedented: recruit women. Thirty-nine answered the call, leaving their lives and families to become saboteurs in France. In D-Day Girls, Sarah Rose draws on recently de­classified files, diaries, and oral histories to tell the thrilling story of three of these remarkable women. There’s Andrée Borrel, a scrappy and streetwise Parisian who blew up power lines with the Gestapo hot on her heels; Odette Sansom, an unhappily married suburban mother who saw the SOE as her ticket out of domestic life and into a meaningful adventure; and Lise de Baissac, a fiercely independent member of French colonial high society and the SOE’s unflap­pable “queen.” Together, they destroyed train lines, ambushed Nazis, plotted prison breaks, and gathered crucial intelligence—laying the groundwork for the D-Day invasion that proved to be the turning point in the war. Rigorously researched and written with razor-sharp wit, D-Day Girls is an inspiring story for our own moment of resistance: a reminder of what courage—and the energy of politically animated women—can accomplish when the stakes seem incalculably high. Praise for D-Day Girls “Rigorously researched . . . [a] thriller in the form of a non-fiction book.”—Refinery29 “Equal parts espionage-romance thriller and historical narrative, D-Day Girls traces the lives and secret activities of the 39 women who answered the call to infiltrate France. . . . While chronicling the James Bond-worthy missions and love affairs of these women, Rose vividly captures the broken landscape of war.”—The Washington Post “Gripping history . . . thoroughly researched and written as smoothly as a good thriller, this is a mesmerizing story of creativity, perseverance, and astonishing heroism.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Looks at the contributions of the thousands of women who worked at a secret uranium-enriching facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee during World War II.

A poignant, surreal, and fearlessly honest look at growing up on one of the most secretive weapons installations on earth, by a young woman who came of age with missiles The China Lake missile range is located in a huge stretch of the Mojave Desert, about the size of the state of Delaware. It was created during the Second World War, and has always been shrouded in secrecy. But people who make missiles and other weapons are regular working people, with domestic routines and everyday dilemmas, and four of them were Karen Piper's parents, her sister, and--when she needed summer jobs--herself. Her dad designed the Sidewinder, which was ultimately used catastrophically in Vietnam. When her mom got tired of being a stay-at-home mom, she went to work on the Tomahawk. Once, when a missile nose needed to be taken offsite for final testing, her mother loaded it into the trunk of the family car, and set off down a Los Angeles freeway. Traffic was heavy, and so she stopped off at the mall, leaving the missile in the parking lot. Piper sketches in the belief systems--from Amway's get-rich schemes to propaganda in The Rocketeer to evangelism, along with fears of a Lemurian takeover and Charles Manson--that governed their lives. Her memoir is also a search for the truth of the past and what really brought her parents to China Lake with two young daughters, a story that reaches back to her father's World War II flights with contraband across Europe. Finally, A Girl's Guide to Missiles recounts the crossroads moment in a young woman's life when she finally found a way out of a culture of secrets and fear, and out of the desert.

By following the ancient Chinese teachings of The Art of War, you will discover how to use your natural abilities to find your path in life. Women and The Art of War helps women find the peaceful path to success through strategies made famous in the ancient Chinese text, The Art of War. Female wisdom, or common sense, is about avoiding needless confrontation, conserving energy for the things that matter, and seeking an outcome in which everyone wins. And for women, as for Sun Tzu, success doesn't come simply from knowing what to do, but from knowing who you are. Women and the Art of War will help you consider what you want to achieve and why you want to achieve it. Covering Sun Tzu's timeless principles point by point in a conversational and friendly tone, Women and the Art of War shows you how you can find your strengths, meet your weaknesses head-on, deal with obstacles and forge your own unique identity through your career and personal life. Whatever your path, this book will give you strategies, tactics, and practical examples you need to increase your probability of success--and enjoy the process.

A GIRL'S GUIDE TO TAKING OVER THE WORLD Writings from the Girl Zine Revolution

As featured on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour. 1914: war has broken out across Europe and beyond. Nothing will ever be the same again for those caught up in the conflict. This collection of short stories explores how the First World War changed and shaped the lives of women forever. A courageous nurse risks her life at the Front Line; a young woman discovers independence and intrigue in wartime London; and a grief-stricken widow defends her homeland amidst the destruction of war. Through these and other tales, War Girls presents a moving portrait of loss and grief, and of hope overcoming terrible odds.

In a new spin on an oft-studied classic, marketer and martial arts practitioner Becky Sheetz-Runkle reinterprets Sun Tzu's The Art of War for women in the workplace. The ancient Chinese warrior and military strategist penned the masterpiece about 2,500 years ago, but many business experts believe its precepts are as relevant in today's corporate environment as they were on ancient Chinese battlefields. Sheetz-Runkle extrapolates business lessons from Sun Tzu's maxims to help women build on their attributes, overcome obstacles and forward their careers. The book relies heavily on excerpts from the classic, along with the author's own pithy advice and stories of today's women who are the working world's modern generals. While much of the book's counsel is pretty well worn, getAbstract recommends women read this book to fortify themselves as they do battle in the corporate combat zone.

USA TODAY BESTSELLER! "One adorably British odd couple . . . Charming." — People “An exquisitely poignant tale of life, friendship and facing death . . . heart-breaking yet ultimately uplifting . . Everyone should read this book.” — Ruth Hogan, author of Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel Infused with the emotional power of Me Before You and the irresistible charm of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and Be Frank with Me, a moving and joyous novel about an elderly woman ready to embrace death and the little girl who reminds her what it means to live. It's never too late to start living. Eudora Honeysett is done with this noisy, moronic world—all of it. She has witnessed the indignities and suffering of old age and has lived a full life. At eighty-five, she isn’t going to leave things to chance. Her end will be on her terms. With one call to a clinic in Switzerland, a plan is set in motion. Then she meets ten-year-old Rose Trewidney, a whirling, pint-sized rainbow of sparkling cheer. All Eudora wants is to be left alone to set her affairs in order. Instead, she finds herself embarking on a series of adventures with the irrepressible Rose and their affable neighbor, the recently widowed Stanley—afternoon tea, shopping sprees, trips to the beach, birthday celebrations, pizza parties. While the trio of unlikely BFFs grow closer and anxiously await the arrival of Rose’s new baby sister, Eudora is reminded of her own childhood—of losing her father during World War II and the devastating impact it had on her entire family. In reflecting on her past, Eudora realizes she must come to terms with what lies ahead. But now that her joy for life has been rekindled, how can she possibly say goodbye?