A Humble Companion

A Humble Companion

Laurie Graham

Laurie Graham

“A portrait of the riotous, tragicomic, dysfunctional, bonkers Royal family of poor George III. . . . Fascinating, very, very funny, ultimately humane.” —Marian Keyes, international bestselling author When Nellie Welche is appointed companion to Princess Sophia, her family is delighted. It’s more than her father, steward to the Prince of Wales, ever imagined for his daughter. But once Nellie begins spending her days in close quarters with the royal family, she discovers the world within the palace is not at all what she expected. Rather than attending royal balls and society events, Princess Sofy and her sisters live in isolation. There’s also affable King George III, whose struggles with madness only deepen the privacy in which the royals must live. Over the course of a lifetime, Sofy and Nellie become inseparable. But as Sofy’s dearest friend, Nellie is also the keeper of her secrets—until the scandal...
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The Grand Duchess of Nowhere

The Grand Duchess of Nowhere

Laurie Graham

Laurie Graham

There is one great love in everyone's life.For Ducky, Princess Victoria Melita, hers was a Romanov cousin, a member of the doomed Russian royal family. Her father is Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Victoria's second son. Her mother is Grand Duchess Marie, the daughter of Tsar Alexander III. Ducky seems doomed to be a pawn on her grandmother's dynastic chessboard.But Ducky is not so easily controlled. In an era when death is considered preferable to divorce she fights for the freedom to be with the true love of her life. From disgraced exile in Paris to the glitter of St Petersburg and the mud and carnage of the Eastern Front, she forges her own path.As Russia descends into the chaos of 1917 and the Romanov dynasty falters, Ducky is right at the heart of events.Exiled once more, she tells us her story.
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Mr Starlight

Mr Starlight

Laurie Graham

Laurie Graham

The novel from the bestselling author of The Future Homemakers of America and The Unfortunates. The Boff brothers live at home with their Mam. They have a lav down the yard and a jerry under the bed and they play bookings at the Birmingham Welsh and the Rover Sports and Social. Cled tinkles on the piano and Sel is the crooner. 'Sel's the one who can lift people out of themselves and send them home feeling grand and you can't argue against that' says Cled. When Sel decides he must try his chances with the brights lights of New York City, he packs up his sequinned suits and enlists his brother as travel companion and accompanist. Things begin to roll and what follows is a tale of high jinx; of mirrored ceilings and heart-shaped tubs; of screaming girls, romancing and No Business Like Show Business. As jealousy starts encroaching on the brothers' relationship, Cled finds that there are more secrets in his family than he had bargained for. With her characteristic wit and wisdom,...
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The Importance of Being Kennedy

The Importance of Being Kennedy

Laurie Graham

Laurie Graham

From the fictitious diary of the equally fictitious Kennedy nanny comes an inside look into the early years of the dynasty--with all the juicy bits intact. Newly arrived from Ireland, Nora Brennan finds a position as nursery maid to the Kennedys of Brookline, Massachusetts--and lands at the heart of American history. In charge of nine children practically from the minute they're born--including Joe Jr., Jack, Bobby, Teddy, vivacious "Kick," and tragic Rosemary--she sees the boys coached at their father's knee to believe everything they'll ever want in life can be bought. She sees the girls trained by mother Rose to be good Catholic wives. With her sharp eye and her quiet common sense, Nora is the perfect candidate to report on an empire in the making. Then World War II changes everything.
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The Unfortunates

The Unfortunates

Laurie Graham

Laurie Graham

The ebook edition of a classic novel from the bestselling author of 'The Future Homemakers of America'. What hope is there for Poppy Minkel? She has kinky hair, out-sticking ears, too yellow a neck and an appetite for fun, and her mother Dora despairs of ever finding her a husband, despite the Minkel's Mustard fortune that seasons these dubious attractions. When Daddy disappears, Poppy's tendency to the unusual is quietly allowed to flourish. World War I opens new horizons. With never a moment of self-doubt, she invents her own extraordinary life in step with the unfolding century.
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The Great Husband Hunt

The Great Husband Hunt

Laurie Graham

Laurie Graham

From the author of The Future Homemakers of America comes the hilarious and moving story of one unstoppable woman's unforgettable ride through an ever-changing century.... What hope is there for Poppy Minkel? She has kinky hair, big ears, skin that's too sallow, and an appetite for fun. Poppy's mother, Dora, despairs of ever finding her a husband, despite the lure of the family fortune offered by Minkel's Mighty Fine Mustard. Correctness, duty, and Dora Minkel Ear Correcting Bandages are the weapons in this husband hunt-and they serve as torture to a girl who has her own hazy ideas about beauty, love, and marriage. After the sudden death of her father, Poppy's rebelliousness bursts into full bloom. From one World War to the next, from New York to Paris, she'll invent her own extraordinary life with never a moment of self-doubt...as acclaimed author Laurie Graham treats us to a rollicking, exhilarating celebration of passion over prudence.
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Gone With the Windsors

Gone With the Windsors

Laurie Graham

Laurie Graham

The hilarious and touching novel from Laurie Graham – the fictional diary of the Queen's best friend in pre-war London. Laurie Graham's brilliant novel is the fictional diary of Maybell Brumby, a wealthy American widow who arrives in London in 1932 and discovers that an old school friend is in town: Bessie Wallis Warfield, now Mrs Ernest Simpson. Maybell and Wally are made for one another. One has money and a foothold in high society, courtesy of a sister who married well. The other has ruthless ambition and enough energy to power the National Grid. Before the year is out, Wally has begun her seduction of the Prince of Wales, and as she clambers towards the throne she makes sure Maybell and her cheque book are always close at hand. So Maybell becomes an eye-witness to the Abdication Crisis. From her perch in Carlton Gardens, home of her influential brother-in-law Lord Melhuish, she has the perfect vantage point for observing the anxious, changing allegiances for and against Queen...
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