It's the start of another school year at St Ambrose. But while the children are in the classroom colouring in, their mothers are learning sharper lessons on the other side of the school gates. Lessons in friendship. Lessons in betrayal. Lessons in the laws of community, the transience of power... and how to get invited to lunch.
 Beatrice - undisputed queen bee. Ruler, by Divine Right, of all school fund-raising, this year, last year and, surely, for many years to come.
 Heather - desperate to volunteer, desperate to be noticed, desperate just to belong.
 Georgie - desperate for a fag.
 And Rachel - watching them all, keeping her distance. But soon to discover that the line between amused observer and miserable outcast is a thin one.
 Wickedly funny and brilliantly observed, The Hive is a fascinating and subtle story about group politics and female friendship. From the joys and perils (well, mainly perils) of the Lunch Ladder, to the military operation that is the Car Boot Sale, via the dos and don'ts of dressing your child as a Dalek, all human life is here.

The Hive

Gill Hornby

Biographies & Memoirs

ABACUS +

All Together Now

Literature & Fiction

Genre Fiction

Godmersham Park

Romance

Century

On 21 January 1804, Anne Sharpe arrives at Godmersham Park in Kent to take up the position of governess. At 31 years old, she has no previous experience of either teaching or fine country houses. Her mother has died, and she has nowhere else to go. Anne is left with no choice. For her new charge -- twelve-year-old Fanny Austen -- Anne's arrival is all novelty and excitement.\nThe governess role is a uniquely awkward one. Anne is neither one of the servants, nor one of the family, and to balance a position between the 'upstairs' and 'downstairs' members of the household is a diplomatic chess game. One wrong move may result in instant dismissal. Anne knows that she must never let down her guard.\nWhen Mr Edward Austen's family comes to stay, Anne forms an immediate attachment to Jane. They write plays together, and enjoy long discussions. However, in the process, Anne reveals herself as not merely pretty, charming and competent; she is clever too. Even her sleepy, complacent mistress can hardly fail to notice.\nMeanwhile Jane's brother, Henry, begins to take an unusually strong interest in the lovely young governess . . .\nAnd from now on, Anne's days at Godmersham Park are numbered.

[b]Bicentenary Edition" Celebrating 200 years of Jane Austen[/b] In a country parsonage in the late 18th century, there lived a large family of seven children. They were all bright and clever and noisy, so nobody really noticed when little Jane turned quietly into a genius... The modest, obedient youngest daughter of the Reverend Austen was to grow up to be one of the greatest writers in the English language. And the story of how she succeeded is every bit as romantic as one of her novels...

The Story of Jane Austen

Arts & Literature

Short Books Ltd

Colmeia (Em Portugues do Brasil)

Record

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Books by Gill Hornby