Books from United Kingdom

Sometimes, the family that saves us is the one we never expected to find. When Paulette arrives in England as a young girl, she leaves behind the grandmother who calls her Sweet Pea and teaches her that love and forgiveness should guide her life. Years later, at twenty-nine, Paulette seems close to everything she has dreamed of: a loving partner, a child, and a home of her own. But when tragedy shatters her plans, she is left to navigate grief and motherhood while trying to build a future for herself and her son, Bird. Then an unexpected encounter brings her face-to-face with Frank, the man responsible for the accident that killed the man she loved. Frank is struggling to raise his own young grandson, Nellie, alone. Despite the pain connecting their lives, Paulette finds herself drawn into the boy’s world, offering him the care and tenderness he desperately needs. As the children grow and the two families become intertwined, Paulette must confront the complicated boundaries between anger and compassion, justice and forgiveness. Set in 1970s England, Sweet Pea is a tender, emotionally rich story about motherhood, migration, grief, and the unexpected ways love can transform a life. It asks whether forgiveness means forgetting the past—or finding the strength to make room for something new.

England, 1987. As a great storm rages outside, Cora sets out to register the birth of her son. Her controlling husband expects her to name the baby after him, continuing a family tradition passed down through generations of domineering men. But Cora hesitates. Should her son inherit a name that represents everything she fears, or should she choose a different future for him? Her decision creates three possible lives for her son: Bear, a name chosen by his older sister in the hope that he will grow up brave and kind; Julian, the name Cora believes will allow him to become his own person; or Gordon, named after his father and raised in his cruel image. Through three interwoven timelines, Florence Knapp explores how a single decision can shape an entire family, revealing the lasting effects of domestic abuse alongside the possibilities of love, resilience, and redemption. The Names is a moving novel about the power of choice, the courage to break generational cycles, and the uncertain relationship between identity and fate.