Recommendations based on Cashelmaraby Susan Howatch

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Evening Class

    by Maeve Binchy
    A group of strangers come together to learn Italian, forging relationships, finding love and understanding.

    Among the many evening classes starting all over Dublin is an 'Introduction to Italian'. On the surface it could be just one of hundreds in which some students will succeed and some will fall along ... (Goodreads)

  2. The Thorn Birds

    by Colleen McCullough
    A powerful tale of forbidden love, set in rural Australia in the early 20th century.

    The story begins in New Zealand on 8 December 1915, the fourth birthday of Meghann "Meggie" Cleary who is the only daughter of Padriac ("Paddy"), an Irish farm labourer, and Fiona ("Fee"), his wife. ... (Wikipedia)

  3. Circle of Friends

    by Maeve Binchy
    A story of friendship, love, heartache, and acceptance set in a small Irish town.

    Big, generous-hearted Benny and the elfin Eve Malone have been best friends growing up in sleepy Knockglen. Their one thought is to get to Dublin, to university and to freedom... On their first day ... (Goodreads)

  4. Firefly Summer

    by Maeve Binchy
    A small Irish town is turned upside down when an American millionaire arrives to buy the local estate. Secrets and passions are revealed.

    Set in the 1960s, the plot revolves around the people of a rural Irish town named Mountfern. Patrick O'Neill, an Irish-American businessman, settles with his children in "the land of his ancestors" ... (Wikipedia)

  5. The Shell Seekers

    by Rosamunde Pilcher
    A family explores their past, present, and future while examining the importance of treasured objects.

    Shifting in time, the novel tells the story of Penelope Keeling, the daughter of unconventional parents (an artist father and his much-younger French wife), examining her past and her relationships ... (Wikipedia)

  6. Through a Glass Darkly

    by Karleen Koen
    A young woman navigates the treacherous waters of love and politics in 18th century England.

    In 1715 England, fifteen-year-old Barbara Alderley lives with her widowed grandmother, the Duchess of Tamworth, and her younger siblings on their family's country Tamworth estate. Barbara's indebted ... (Wikipedia)

  7. Message from Nam

    by Danielle Steel
    A young journalist's journey to Vietnam during the war, where she falls in love and faces the harsh realities of war.

    The novel follows Paxton Andrews, who is stationed in Vietnam as a journalist during the Vietnam War , focusing on the men she encounters and how her life and the lives of the people she encounters ... (Wikipedia)

  8. The Prince of Tides

    by Pat Conroy
    A man's search for solace and understanding in his troubled family's past.

    Tom Wingo is a middle-aged man with a wife and three young daughters who has recently lost his job as a high school English teacher and football coach. He learns that his twin sister, Savannah, has ... (Wikipedia)

  9. A Woman of Substance

    by Barbara Taylor Bradford
    The rags-to-riches story of Emma Harte, who overcomes poverty and adversity to build a retail empire.

    One of the top-ten bestselling novels ever written. “An extravagant, absorbing novel of love, courage, ambition, war, death and passion.” —,The New York Times, Barbara Taylor Bradford’s The Emma ... (Barnes & Noble)

  10. Forever Amber

    by Kathleen Winsor
    Epic story of a young woman's journey from poverty to becoming a courtesan in 17th century England.

    Judith Marsh has been engaged since birth to her neighbor, John Mainwaring, heir to the Earl of Rosswood. In 1644, she has her engagement broken off when her family and the Mainwarings find ... (Wikipedia)

  11. Centennial

    by James A. Michener
    Epic journey through the history of the American West, painting a vivid picture of its people and culture.

    Written to commemorate the Bicentennial in 1976, James A. Michener’s magnificent saga of the West is an enthralling celebration of the frontier. Brimming with the glory of America’s past, the story ... (Goodreads)

  12. The Light Years

    by Elizabeth Jane Howard
    A family saga set in the 1930s, exploring the complexities of relationships and the changing social landscape of England.

    In 1937, the coming war is only a distant cloud on Britain's horizon. As the Cazalet households prepare for their summer pilgrimage to the family estate in Sussex, readers meet Edward, in love with ... (Goodreads)

  13. Kristin Lavransdatter

    by Sigrid Undset
    The epic saga of a woman's struggles and triumphs in medieval Norway.

    The cycle follows the life of Kristin Lavransdatter, a fictitious Norwegian woman living in the 14th century. Kristin grows up in Sel in the Gudbrand Valley , the daughter of a well-respected and ... (Wikipedia)

  14. Chesapeake

    by James A. Michener
    A sweeping saga of four generations of a family living in Maryland and their struggles to adapt to changing times.

    The story-line, like much of Michener's work, depicts a number of characters within family groups over a long time period, richly illustrating the history of the area through these families' ... (Wikipedia)

  15. Love and War

    by John Jakes
    Epic saga of a family divided by the American Civil War.

    The Hazards and the Mains – the first fatal shot fired at Fort Sumter divided them irrevocably with loyalties more powerful than family ties. The young would clash on the bloody battlefields of Bull ... (Goodreads)

  16. Wideacre

    by Philippa Gregory
    A historical novel set in 18th century England, following the life of a strong-willed woman who will stop at nothing to inherit her family's estate.

    Beatrice Lacey is the daughter of the Squire of Wideacre, an estate situated on the South Downs , centred around Wideacre Hall. Devoted to her father, at the age of five years she falls in love with ... (Wikipedia)

  17. Hawaii

    by James A. Michener
    Epic saga of the history, culture and people of the Hawaiian Islands.

    The novel tells the history of Hawaiian Islands from the creation of the isles to the time they became an American state, through the viewpoints of selected characters who represent their ethnic and ... (Wikipedia)

  18. State of Wonder

    by Ann Patchett
    A journey in the Amazon rainforest to find a missing colleague and unlock the secrets of a mysterious drug.

    In a narrative replete with poison arrows, devouring snakes, scientific miracles, and spiritual transformations, "State of Wonder" presents a world of stunning surprise and danger, rich in emotional ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Lover

    by Marguerite Duras
    A young French girl's exploration of passion, love, and relationships in French Indochina.

    Set against the backdrop of French Indochina , The Lover reveals the intimacies and intricacies of a clandestine romance between a pubescent girl from a financially strapped French family and an ... (Wikipedia)

  20. Eye of the Needle

    by Ken Follett
    A thrilling tale of espionage and wartime romance, set in the chaos of WWII.

    In 1940, Henry Faber, a German spy nicknamed 'die Nadel' ('The Needle') due to his trademark weapon being a stiletto , is working at a London railway depot, collecting information on troop movements. ... (Wikipedia)

  21. The Far Pavilions

    by M.M. Kaye
    Epic adventure story set in 19th century India, exploring the clash of East and West.

    Ashton Pelham-Martyn (Ash) is the son of a British botanist travelling through India; he is born on the road shortly before the Sepoy uprising of 1857 . His mother dies from childbed fever shortly ... (Wikipedia)

  22. Escape

    by Barbara Delinsky
    A woman escapes her abusive husband and starts a new life, but her past catches up with her.

    In her luminous new novel, Barbara Delinsky explores every woman’s desire to abandon the endless obligations of work and marriage—and the idea that the most passionate romance can be found with the ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Last of the Stanfields

    by Marc Levy
    A woman uncovers her family's secrets, leading her on a journey to discover the truth about her grandfather's past.

    A mystery, a love story, and a search through a shadowy past. Two strangers unite in this novel of family secrets by international bestselling author Marc Levy, the most read contemporary French ... (Barnes & Noble)

  24. The Olive Tree

    by Lucinda Riley
    A family saga spanning generations and continents, centered around a mysterious olive tree and the secrets it holds.

    It is said that anyone who comes to stay at 'Pandora' for the first time will fall in love . . ., It has been twenty-four years since a young Helena spent a magical holiday in Cyprus, where she fell ... (Goodreads)

  25. The Banker’s Wife

    by Cristina Alger
    A Swiss banker's wife investigates her husband's death and uncovers a web of corruption and deceit in the world of high finance.

    On an early morning in November, a couple boards a private plane bound for Geneva, flying into a storm. Soon after, it simply drops off the radar, and its wreckage is later uncovered in the Alps. ... (Goodreads)

  26. Before We Were Yours

    by Lisa Wingate
    Family torn apart is reunited across generations, revealing a powerful tale of resilience and hope.

    Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the ... (Goodreads)

  27. I Don't Know How She Does It

    by Allison Pearson
    A working mother juggles career, family, and social obligations while trying to maintain her sanity.

    Delightfully smart and heartbreakingly poignant, Allison Pearson's smash debut novel has exploded onto bestseller lists as "The national anthem for working mothers." Hedge-fund manager, wife, and ... (Goodreads)

  28. The Devil's Work

    by Mark Edwards
    A woman starts a new job, but soon realizes that her boss is not what he seems. A psychological thriller that will keep you on edge.

    A gripping psychological thriller from the bestselling author of, Follow You Home, and, The Magpies,., It was the job she had dreamed of since childhood. But on her very first day, when an unnerving ... (Goodreads)

  29. A Crime of Passion

    by Scott Pratt
    A small-town lawyer defends a woman accused of murdering her husband, uncovering dark secrets along the way.

    A beautiful, young, rising star in the country music world is found dead in a Nashville hotel room. The owner of her record company is charged with murder. In the seventh installment of Scott Pratt's ... (Goodreads)

  30. The Golden Cage

    by Camilla Läckberg
    A wealthy woman's perfect life is shattered when her husband is found dead, and she becomes the prime suspect.

    An exhilarating new novel from a global superstar–a sexy, over-the-top psychological thriller that tells the story of the scorned wife of a billionaire and her delicious plot to get her revenge and ... (Goodreads)