National Network for Equitable Library Service

A novel of the Venetian girl who became the most powerful woman in the Ottoman Empire-perfect for fans of Netflix's Magnificent Century. The Ottoman Empire was at the height of its power during the sixteenth century when Cecilia Baffo Veniero was kidnapped from her Venetian homeland and chosen to be the wife of Selim II, successor to Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. She would be known as Nurbanu.

A barrister becomes a detective when his friend disappears at an English manor in this classic Victorian novel. Beautiful Lucy Graham charms every man she meets, including wealthy widower Sir Michael Audley. After they marry, he refurbishes his mansion to create a little palace for his new wife, where her future seems bright. Her past, however, is shrouded in darkness, and she'll do whatever it takes to keep it hidden. Then Sir Michael's nephew, Robert, a London barrister, comes for a visit with his good friend George Talboys for a week of fishing.

A tale of love, class, and murder during the era of the trade-union movement in nineteenth-century England, from the author of North and South. In Manchester, long-suffering John Barton and his daughter, Mary, both want a better future for each other. John toils away with the trades' union for better wages for his fellow workers in the textile mill, while Mary must consider whom she will marry. She decides to leave the working-class Jem Wilson, hoping instead to wed Harry Carson, the wealthy mill owner's son.

The women of an English country village star in this Victorian classic that inspired a BBC series, from the author of North and South. Welcome to Cranford, where everyone knows one another and a cow wears pajamas. It's a community built on friendship and kindness, where women hold court and most of the houses'and men'are rarely seen.

A tragic affair blooms between a working-class orphan and a wealthy rake in this classic novel of Victorian England. Although Ruth Hilton is kind, life does not treat her kindly in return. An orphaned young seamstress, she works long hours at a sweatshop in a small English town. When she is sent to a fancy ball to repair the ladies' dresses, she catches the eye of a gentleman, Henry Bellingham. Falling for Henry leads to the loss of her job and her home, and Ruth quickly finds herself raising a child alone.

New York Times Bestseller: This "shocking" murder mystery addresses homophobia in the military during World War II (Richard Wright, author of Native Son). The men in the barracks, wrenched from the normal pursuits of life, are being molded into warriors in a battle against the "others." Isolated and fearful, they sometimes relieve their frustrations on the most disenfranchised civilians, namely homosexuals. But one weekend, one of them loses control and commits murder.

Little Bighorn is the beautifully written, uniquely American story of the coming-of-age of eighteen-year-old Allen Winslow during the Battle of the Little Bighorn and the fraught weeks immediately preceding it. The novel abounds with memorable characters, including Allen himself, his beautiful sixteen-year-old traveling companion, Addie, and the brave but monomaniacal Gen. George Armstrong Custer. Hough brings to life the American West and heartbreaking history, brilliantly portraying the flawed and tormented Custer.

A tragic story of infidelity, murder, and a mother's love in turn-of-the-century France. When Jacqueline Floriot's husband, Louis, finds her in the arms of another man, she and her lover flee the house. Two years later, Jacqueline returns, hoping to reunite with her young son, Raymond. But Louis, overcome with jealous rage, sends her out into the cold of winter without so much as a glimpse of her child. His merciless act sets off a tragic chain of events as Jacqueline sinks into a life of depravity, drugs, and prostitution.

A gothic masterpiece set in Victorian England: "One of the best horror stories ever written. Perhaps the best in the English language" (Stephen King). When Mr. Clarke agrees to visit his friend Dr. Raymond, he is dubious about the proceedings he is to witness. In pursuit of what Raymond calls "transcendental science," the doctor intends to make a small incision in a woman's brain, allowing her to see past the world of the senses to a reality beyond imagining-a realm where, Raymond says, one can see the great god Pan.

A young British bride is caught up in her new family's complicated history in this atmospheric novel set in the American South after the Civil War. When nineteen-year-old Stella marries Theron Renier, she has no idea what kind of clan she's joined. Soon after their arrival at Illyria, the Reniers' rambling beachside home, Theron is sent on a diplomatic mission, leaving Stella alone with his family. As she tries to settle into her new life, Stella quickly discovers that the Reniers are not what they seem.