The Bright Blue Sky

One day in 1914, a young man took to the air, and a legend was born... Dicken Quinney never forgot that first flight in a fragile contraption of sealing-wax and string, the start of a lifelong obsession with flying. He was to spend the next four years in the deadly cut-and-thrust of aerial dogfights over France and Italy, collecting a chestful of medals, and a reputation as one of the Great War’s leading aces. He would hone his skills in an array of aircraft, and as the war reaches its climax, he must undergo one final test in order to emerge victorious. And with his life intact. A love letter to aviation, perfect for fans of W. E. Johns and Wilbur Smith.

Life for Maisie Jackson has been far from happy for a number of years - ever since her mother re-married after her beloved father's death, and her new stepfather and stepbrother moved into their small terraced house in Armley, Leeds. Suffering abuse at her cruel stepbrother's hand, and mercilessly tormented by her stepfather, Maisie dreams of escaping to a new life far away. And it seems her dreams are about to come true.It is 1939 and war is suddenly looming dark on the horizon. For many, with memories of the 'war to end all wars' still fresh in their minds, this is a horrific and frightening prospect. But for nine-year-old Maisie, it represents her longed-for chance of freedom - maybe she'll be evacuated to the countryside, to one of the places her father used to tell her about? As the the small market town of Middlebeck in the Yorkshire dales prepares for the arrival of the evacuees, many of the villagers ponder on how they will cope with this sudden influx of visitors. But they are all determined to pull together and welcome the strangers with open arms, eager to 'do their bit' for the war effort. In this time of trouble, when life suddenly seems so precious and vulnerable, true and lasting friendships are formed and love blossoms as the dark cloud of war eventually clears to the bright blue sky of a hopeful future.

The prize-winning, “exceptionally moving” memoir of a family boat trip, an IRA bombing, and a teenager’s loss of his twin brother (The Telegraph). Christopher Ewart-Biggs Literary Award Winner and PEN/JR Ackerley Prize Nominee On an August weekend in 1979, fourteen-year-old Timothy Knatchbull joined his family on a boat trip off the shore of Mullaghmore in County Sligo, Ireland. By noon, an Irish Republican Army bomb had destroyed the boat, leaving four dead. The author survived, but his grandparents, family friend, and twin brother did not. Lord Mountbatten, his grandfather, was the target, and became one of the IRA’s most high-profile assassinations. Knatchbull and his parents were too badly injured to attend the funerals of those killed, which only intensified their profound sense of loss. Telling this story decades later, Knatchbull not only revisits these terrible events but also writes an intensely personal account of human triumph over tragedy—a story of recovery not just from physical wounds but deep emotional trauma. From a Clear Blue Sky takes place in Ireland at the height of the Troubles and gives compelling insight into that period of Irish history. But more importantly, it brings home that while calamity can strike at any moment, the human spirit is able to forgive, to heal, and to move on. “A minute by minute story of what happened that day, and what happened afterwards.” —Daily Mail “This is an extremely moving book. Beyond providing a phenomenally detailed evocation of his own family’s trauma, Knatchbull has lots of wise things to say about how we survive horrors—of all kinds—in our lives.” — Zoë Heller, author of the Booker Prize finalist Notes on a Scandal “A very poignant, clearsighted, heartbreaking but ultimately positive account.” —Hugh Bonneville, The New York Times