Islands

Islands

Diane Scott Lewis

Historical Fiction / Romance

On a torrid island, a mother and daughter confront one another over dark family secrets and long hidden animosity. The daughter suffers postpartum depression, the mother denial in the drug use of a son. Will these crises force them apart?Is the Rabbit really cleverer than the Monkey? What is the moral of the story? Like other parts of the world, Mozambique has a rich oral literature of animal fables. Grandmothers still tell them to children, and the children respond in a chorus with the magical word "Karingana!"It would be sad if this heritage disappeared entirely in the face of modernization, so teachers are being encouraged to record it, in English and Portuguese, and hopefully later in its original Bantu languages as well. There is no reason why school children should not use materials from their own culture as they learn to read, thus bridging the gap between home and school. I have seen how students come to life and participate when traditional stories are welcomed into the classroom, so this book ends with some suggestions for ways to do this.
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Her Vanquished Land

Her Vanquished Land

Diane Scott Lewis

Historical Fiction / Romance

In 1780, Loyalist Rowena Marsh insists on spying for the British during the American Revolution. As a girl, she must dress as a boy, plus endure devastation and murder as she decodes messages for a mysterious Welshman. The tide has turned in the rebels' favor. General George Washington appears to be winning. The loyalists are bombarded by threats and lost battles. Rowena stays determined to aid the British cause and preserve her family as they're chased from their Pennsylvania home.
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Without Refuge

Without Refuge

Diane Scott Lewis

Historical Fiction / Romance

The sequel to The False Light. In the wake of the French Revolution, a woman fights for success in New Orleans while searching for her lost lover.Ruined countess, Bettina Jonquiere, leaves England after the reported drowning of her lover. In New Orleans she struggles to establish a new life for her children. Soon a ruthless Frenchman demands the money stolen by her father at the start of the French Revolution. In this sequel to The False Light, Bettina is forced on a dangerous mission to France to recover the funds. She unravels dark family secrets, but will she find the man she lost as well?
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The Apothecary's Widow

The Apothecary's Widow

Diane Scott Lewis

Historical Fiction / Romance

Who murdered Lady Pentreath? The year is 1781, and the war with the American colonies rages across the sea. In Truro, England Branek Pentreath, a local squire, has suffered for years in a miserable marriage. Now his wife has been poisoned with arsenic. Is this unhappy husband responsible? Or was it out of revenge? Branek owns the apothecary shop where Jenna Rosedew, two years a widow, delights in serving her clients. Branek might sell her building to absolve his debts caused by the war—and put her out on the street. Jenna prepared the tinctures for Lady Pentreath, which were later found to contain arsenic. The town's corrupt constable has a grudge against Branek and Jenna. He threatens to send them both to the gallows.Can this feisty widow and brooding squire come together, believe in each other's innocence— fight the attraction that grows between them—as they struggle to solve the crime before it's too late?Five Star Review from Historical Novels ReviewsSet in 18th century...
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Elysium

Elysium

Diane Scott Lewis

Historical Fiction / Romance

In 1815, after the battle of Waterloo, Napoleon Bonaparte and a few loyal followers are exiled to St. Helena. On this remote, volcanic island, Amélie Perrault, the daughter of Napoleon's head chef, struggles with her low station in life and a fascination with the fallen French emperor. When her beautiful singing voice catches Napoleon's attention, she is drawn into his clash with their British jailers, court intrigues, and a burgeoning sexual attraction. Napoleon is soured on love, yet this young woman's selfless devotion tugs at his heart. After political maneuvers fail to release him from the island, he desires freedom no matter the risk—but will he desert the only woman who has loved him for himself? Elysium, in Greek mythology, is where the gods are sent to die. Amélie suspects someone in their entourage is poisoning the emperor. Will she uncover the culprit in time and join in Napoleon's last great battle plan, a dangerous escape?
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