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Maggie Brookes Books In Order

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Publication Order of Standalone Novels

House of Dreams (2016)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Prisoner's Wife (2020)Description / Buy at Amazon
Acts of Love and War (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon

About Maggie Brookes
A British author, Maggie Brookes is well regarded for her historical fiction, as she brings the past to life upon the page. Previously working as a journalist, her work is known for its authenticity, being extremely well researched, right down to the last detail. Really bringing the reader in to the world, it allows them to feel as if they actually there experiencing it first-hand for themselves.

Her characters are also very well established too, as they really resonate, despite being from previous eras and time periods. This speaks to readers from across the world as well, as she manages to get her message and ideas across clearly and concisely. With a lot more to come in the future, she isn’t stopping any time soon either, as her literary career grows from strength-to-strength.

Early and Personal Life:
Growing up with a keen love of history and literature, this would come to inform much of her work in time. Writing on numerous different topics, she would quickly find that she had a passion for the craft, something she’d continue into her adult career. Basing a lot of her stories on real-life, she’d take much of her inspiration from the world around her, along with the things she’d learned.

A novelist and poet, she would also teach as associate professor, based as Middlesex University, whilst also working at the Royal Literary Fund as an advisory fellow. This has also provided her with a wealth of material, as well as an academic background from which she has been able to work from. Her work prior to becoming a writer would also benefit her greatly, especially her time spent working as a journalist.

Now an ex-journalist, she’s worked at the BBC as a TV documentary producer, as well as being a poet for some time too. This would also give her some of the tools that she would need telling true stories to a large audience, reaching a wide selection of people. Her research skills are also second to none, as she always dives into her work, which clearly shows in her novels. Continuing to write, she’ll carry on for a long time, as there’s plenty more titles and stories planned on the horizon.

Writing Career:
In 2016 Maggie Brookes would release her first novel, which would be titled ‘House of Dreams’, and would use some of her interest in history as its basis. Combining elements of fantasy, it would take a somewhat ambiguous pace to it narrative, as the reader was constantly left guessing as to what was real, and what wasn’t. Saying a lot with its story as well, Maggie Brookes would prove to be hugely successful with this book, making the most of its overall premise.
Later she would follow this up in 2020 with ‘The Prisoner’s Wife’, which would also be set during the Second World War. This time it would feature more realism, with its true to life plot featuring the story of a prisoner of war and his time spent during the war. The book would prove to be quite difficult, but all the more rewarding for its sense of poignancy and humanity at the end of it all.

Coming to write with a very real sense of the world and its history, Brookes had a clear eye for facts, making sure everything that happens in her books are authentic. This has helped bring readers in, as they feel themselves drawn into her words, much like the protagonist in her first novel. It’s also become a testament to her writing in that it’s been so successful with readers from all backgrounds from all over the world.

Winning awards for her books, she’s not without critical acclaim either, which in part is likely due to her extensive research. Visiting Czechoslovakia, Germany, and Poland for her second novel, she would ensure that nothing whatsoever was left out. Paying extremely close attention to detail, Brookes continues to write regularly, all from her home in the UK, with more to follow.

House of Dreams
Brought out through the Endeavour Press publishing label in 2016, this would be the first book to come from Maggie Brookes. Not a part of any series, it manages to capture a sense of history during World War Two, whilst also making it relevant to the present day. This would prove to be hugely successful for Brookes, in what is essentially a stand-alone title, with its completely self-contained narrative.

War has made the husband of Julia Cunningham little more than a stranger to her, as she secretly dreads his return. In 1945 following the end of the Second World War, he’s returning to the family, but he has a violent past, and now, fifty years later, Phil Walsh discovers the diary of Julia. Facing marriage troubles of his own, he moves into 31 Hawthorn Road, and her words begin to come alive off the page, as fantasy and fiction merge together. Is she really there with him in the present day? Can Phil make sense of it all, sort truth from fiction? What will become of his life in the house of dreams?

The Prisoner’s Wife
Released through on the 26th of May in 2020, this was the second book from Maggie Brookes, also centered around the Second World War. Published through the Berkley Books publishing imprint, it would also feature a historical setting, although this time more true to life. It would also have a self-contained narrative, with the story being based on real events and accounts from the POW camps.

Travelling through the occupied territories, the British soldier Bill and his newly married wife, the Czech farm girl Izabela, are on the run. Bill was a prisoner of war, and Izabela is dressed as a man after they secretly married, but soon they’re capture by Nazis, and taken to a POW camp. Here they must continue to evade detection, as Izabela’s identity is kept secret from the guards, with them thinking she’s a male soldier, along with the help of the other inmates. Can they remain undetected? Will they be able to keep themselves safe and escape? What will become of the prisoner’s wife?

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