Kate Thompson

Maailman palaessa kirjallisuuden liekki roihuaa kirkkaimpanaKate Thompsonin Kirjasto sodan keskellä on toisen maailmansodan aikaiseen Lontooseen sijoittuva romaani kätketystä kirjastosta, joka toi lohtua ihmisilleLontoo vuonna 1944. Clara Button työskentelee Bethnal Greenin kirjastossa Lontoossa. Pommien tuhotessa kaupunkia rohkea Clara saa idean siirtää kirjaston kokoelmat maan alle keskeneräiselle metroasemalle. Aseman suojiin muodostuu maanalainen yhteisö, joka muun muassa teatteria ja kahvilaa ylläpitämällä tarjoaa turvaa ja rauhaa taivaalta putoavilta pommeilta. Ilta toisensa jälkeen Clara ja hänen uskollinen kollegansa Ruby Monroe avaavat sitkeästi maanalaisen kirjaston ovet, sillä paikasta on tullut elintärkeä alueen asukkaille. Sodan pitkittyessä naisten sinnikkyys joutuu kuitenkin koetukselle. He joutuvat päättämään, kuinka kalliin hinnan he ovat valmiit maksamaan kirjojen ja heille rakkaiden ihmisten vuoksi. Kate Thompsonin tositapahtumiin perustuva Kirjasto sodan keskellä on koskettava historiallinen romaani, joka saa lukijan sydämen sykkimään entistäkin enemmän kirjallisuuden voimalle.

An uplifting and inspiring novel based on the true story of a librarian who created an underground shelter during World War II, perfect for readers of The Paris Library or The Last Bookshop in London. London, 1944: Clara Button is no ordinary librarian. While war ravages the city above her, Clara has risked everything she holds dear to turn the Bethnal Green tube station into the country's only underground library. Down here, a secret community thrives with thousands of bunk beds, a nursery, a caf , and a theater--offering shelter, solace, and escape from the bombs that fall upon their city. Along with her glamorous best friend and assistant Ruby Munroe, Clara ensures the library is the beating heart of life underground. But as the war drags on, the women's determination to remain strong in the face of adversity is tested to the limits when it may come at the price of keeping those closest to them alive.

'I absolutely love this fun, brilliantly illustrated book' - Elizabeth Dale, children's book author'An important story for young readers, told in lively, dynamic rhyme, which matches the colourful and fun illustrations brilliantly' - Clare Helen Welsh, children's book author'An action-packed, fun-filled story to reassure even the littlest of Superheroes' - B B Taylor, author ofThe Vigilante Tooth FairySuperheroes Don't Get Scared... Or Do They? is an awesome rhyming tale about normalising fear and finding inner powers by realising there's a hero inside of us all. Scared Maisie Brown dreams of being a fearless superhero because they never get frightened, right? But when Dad explains that even the strongest, boldest and bravest hero can sometimes feel afraid, and that's perfectly fine, Maisie realises there's superhero in all of us. With fun characters, rhyming text and a wonderfully relatable take-away message about normalising feelings, this heart-warming book is an amazing addition to any little hero's bookshelf.

'I absolutely love this fun, brilliantly illustrated book' - Elizabeth Dale, children's book author'An important story for young readers, told in lively, dynamic rhyme, which matches the colourful and fun illustrations brilliantly' - Clare Helen Welsh, children's book author'An action-packed, fun-filled story to reassure even the littlest of Superheroes' - B B Taylor, author of The Vigilante Tooth FairySuperheroes Don't Get Scared... Or Do They? is an awesome rhyming tale about normalising fear and finding inner powers by realising there's a hero inside of us all. Scared Maisie Brown dreams of being a fearless superhero because they never get frightened, right? But when Dad explains that even the strongest, boldest and bravest hero can sometimes feel afraid, and that's perfectly fine, Maisie realises there's superhero in all of us. With fun characters, rhyming text and a wonderfully relatable take-away message about normalising feelings, this heart-warming book is an amazing addition to any little hero's bookshelf.

'A splendid warm-hearted novel' - Rachel HoreLondon, 1944. Clara Button is no ordinary librarian. While the world remains at war, in East London Clara has created the country's only underground library, built over the tracks in the disused Bethnal Green tube station. Down here a secret community thrives: with thousands of bunk beds, a nursery, a café and a theatre offering shelter, solace and escape from the bombs that fall above. Along with her glamorous best friend and library assistant Ruby Munroe, Clara ensures the library is the beating heart of life underground. But as the war drags on, the women's determination to remain strong in the face of adversity is tested to the limits when it seems it may come at the price of keeping those closest to them alive. Based on true events, The Little Wartime Library is a gripping and heart-wrenching page-turner that remembers one of the greatest resistance stories of the war.

'A splendid warm-hearted novel' - Rachel HoreLondon, 1944. Clara Button is no ordinary librarian. While the world remains at war, in East London Clara has created the country's only underground library, built over the tracks in the disused Bethnal Green tube station. Down here a secret community thrives: with thousands of bunk beds, a nursery, a café and a theatre offering shelter, solace and escape from the bombs that fall above. Along with her glamorous best friend and library assistant Ruby Munroe, Clara ensures the library is the beating heart of life underground. But as the war drags on, the women's determination to remain strong in the face of adversity is tested to the limits when it seems it may come at the price of keeping those closest to them alive. Based on true events, The Little Wartime Library is a gripping and heart-wrenching page-turner that remembers one of the greatest resistance stories of the war.

Superheroes Don't Get Scared... Or Do They? is an awesome rhyming tale about normalising fear and finding inner powers by realising there's a hero inside of us all. Scared Maisie Brown dreams of being a fearless superhero because they never get frightened, right? But when Dad explains that even the strongest, boldest and bravest hero can sometimes feel afraid, and that's perfectly fine, Maisie realises there's superhero in all of us. With fun characters, rhyming text and a wonderfully relatable take-away message about normalising feelings, this heart-warming book is an amazing addition to any little hero's bookshelf.

Superheroes Don't Get Scared... Or Do They? is an awesome rhyming tale about normalising fear and finding inner powers by realising there's a hero inside of us all. Scared Maisie Brown dreams of being a fearless superhero because they never get frightened, right? But when Dad explains that even the strongest, boldest and bravest hero can sometimes feel afraid, and that's perfectly fine, Maisie realises there's superhero in all of us. With fun characters, rhyming text and a wonderfully relatable take-away message about normalising feelings, this heart-warming book is an amazing addition to any little hero's bookshelf.

'A twisty plot, warm-hearted characters, laughter, secrets and heartbreak - and bursting with fascinating detail' - Annie MurrayStratford, 1943. World War Two is still raging across Europe. But for the Lavender Girls, the workers at the Yardley cosmetics factory in East London, there are even more challenges on the home front. Esther, newly married, is learning to juggle life as a working woman with her duties as a wife and homemaker. And she must find a way to help her adopted family on the Shoot, who are battling their own hidden demons . . . Headstrong Patsy, a new recruit at the Yardley factory, has a double life that takes her from the East End lipstick belt by day to the stage in the West End at night. But will she be able to keep her secrets hidden from her controlling mother, Queenie? For bubbly Lou, a forbidden love forces her to choose between family loyalty and a chance at true happiness. Can she be brave enough to forge her own path in the chaos of a war? One thing is certain: the Lavender Girls need one another more than ever if they are going to survive . . .

Letchworth Settlement, an independent adult education centre, is one of the treasures of the world’s first garden city. Starting life in 1920 as Letchworth Adult Education Settlement, it soon became part of the wider Educational Settlement Association, following the example of Toynbee Hall in London, and is now one of few such institutions still in existence in 2020. In its early days, the Settlement embodied the ideals of the young garden city with its ethos of self-help. There was a strong belief that everyone was entitled to an education and to fulfil their potential; the unemployed in the town were regularly helped with free classes and meals. In 1925 the Settlement moved to the former premises of the Skittles Inn in Nevells Road, which it still calls home. Despite a lack of funds, the number of classes grew steadily and associated societies were formed, including the Settlement Players and the camera club (both still in existence) as well as a choir and orchestra and rambling and camping clubs. The building was listed grade II in 1979; in 1995 the then Letchworth Corporation bought the building and leased it back to the Settlement, ensuring a more secure future for an institution seen as an integral part of life in Letchworth. In this lively history, former Hertfordshire County Archivist Kate Thompson looks at the wider context in which the organisation flourished, as well as notable members of staff and key events in its century of sharing knowledge.

First published in 1998, this seventh volume of Social Attitudes in Northern Ireland reports the main findings of the Northern Ireland Social Attitudes survey carried out in 1996. In this survey, views were obtained on community relations in Northern Ireland; the growth of home ownership; attitudes to the countryside; the role of government in Northern Ireland; attitudes to the National Health Service; attitudes to the environment and belief and trust in the political process. The various chapters provide a measure of the feelings, attitudes and beliefs of the people of Northern Ireland on a wide range of matters. Many of the chapters chart trends from the early 1990s and analyse changes in attitudes over the period.

When Martina Keane's horse returns home to the family farm without her, the entire neighbourhood goes into action to search the surrounding area. Plans are drawn up, maps are made, and the police are brought in to investigate the disappearance. But in Martina's shocked and disorientated family, each member is compelled to look inwards as well as outwards, and to question their assumptions about the world they live in and their place in it. Set in County Clare in the west of Ireland, Thin Air is a fascinating exploration of people, place, and the beliefs that form the foundations of everyday existence.

Down Among the Gods is an urban romance with a difference. A tale of immortals acted by mortals, it is an extraordinary, disquieting tale of human powerlessness in the face of the games played by the gods of classic mythology.

Sarah is taking a break from her eco-warrior activities, looking after her sister's wholefood shop in a small west of Ireland town. When a dying calf is found on the local dump, she begins to make some enquiries. Before long, the dark shadow cast by modern beef production begins to emerge in another, more sinister form, and Sarah finds that her path keeps crossing that of the town butcher, Malachy Glynn. Their outlooks on life are clearly polarised, yet they find themselves uneasy allies. Because something even more compelling than the grisly events of the parish is drawing them together. Sarah and Malachy have a lot more in common than they know. An Act of Worship is an exploration of the treatment of cattle in Ireland and the ethics surrounding their slaughter. At a time of increasing concern about animal rights and the discussion about diet on an overheating planet, An Act of Worship is more relevant now than ever.