Books like 'L'Art de perdre'
Readers who enjoyed L'Art de perdre by Alice Zeniter also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical action / adventure africa northern-africa algeria historical-fiction literary-fiction family colonization coming-of-age
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The Memory of an Elephant by Alex Lasker
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 16 ratings"The Memory of an Elephant" is an epic saga told by an aging African elephant as he makes a last, perilous journey to find the humans who rescued him as an orphan some fifty years ago...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction epic family fiction animals action-adventure anthropomorphism -
The Country Bride: The final book in the heartwarming, romance saga from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Village Scandal by Dilly Court
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe third book in the dramatic new Village Secrets trilogy from the Sunday Times bestselling author. The time had come to leave Creek Manor. Their relationship was doomed from the start, he was the master of the house and she the servant… Summer, Little Creek 1879For most of her life, Judy Begg has been a loyal servant at Creek Manor and to Jack Fox, its future lord... -
Always in my Heart by Ellie Dean
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAs the Japanese begin their assault on Singapore, Sarah Fuller is forced to leave her parents and fianc�, Philip, behind. The long journey to England is fraught with danger, and Sarah and her sister Jane don't even know if their great-aunt is alive, let alone waiting for them. They arrive in Cliffehaven, on the south coast of England, and here Sarah must find work to support them both...Categorized as:
epic family historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century action-adventure adult book -
Return to the Island by Kate Hewitt
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhat would her life look like without her beloved island in it? Where would she go? Ellen had come back here—to the place she felt she belonged—thinking she would stay here. But was it home… or just a place to hide?1918, Canada: The First World War is over and those who have been fighting in Europe are heading for home, forever changed... -
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Red Skies by Kay Bratt
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn the fourth book of the Tales of the Scavenger’s Daughters series, the fates of three people who’ve never met converge in profound and unexpected ways.Mari, the daughter of the town scavenger, grew up knowing hardship, but she never could have anticipated the struggles that now face her as an adult. Feeling alone and isolated, she dreams of a better life...Categorized as:
epic family historical-fiction literary-fiction action-adventure adult asia audiobook -
The Trader's Reward by Anna Jacobs
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratings1871. When Fergus Deagan's wife dies in childbirth, she makes him promise to take their family from Ireland to Western Australia to join his brother Bram, and also to marry again to make sure their children don't miss out on a mother's love. Disowned by her father for becoming pregnant, Cara Payton bears a stillborn baby... -
The One Impossible Labyrinth by Matthew Reilly
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsTHE END IS HEREJack West Jr has made it to the Supreme Labyrinth.Now he faces one last race-against multiple rivals, against time, against the collapse of the universe itself-a headlong race that will end at a throne inside the fabled labyrinth.AN IMPOSSIBLE MAZEBut the road will be hard.For this is a maze like no other: a maze of mazes. Uncompromising and complex. Demanding and deadly... -
Northern Borders: A Novel by Howard Frank Mosher
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA New York Times Notable A novel about growing up in a remote corner of Vermont, from the author Richard Russo calls “one of our very best writers... -
The Field of Reeds by Jerry Dubs
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSailing home from Ta Netjer, Pharaoh Hatshepsut falls ill from a wound suffered in the Forest of Myrrh. In the barren plains of Sinai, Pharaoh Thutmose’s reverence and bravery inspire the vaunted charioteers who form the maryannu to decide that Thutmose should rule the Two Lands alone... -
Telegrams and Teacakes by Amy Miller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTelegrams and Teacakes is a romantic wartime saga full of heartbreak and hope, perfect for fans of Diney Costeloe, Nadine Dorries and Sheila Newberry. ‘There was no denying it, being cheerful was a challenge. You just had to be grateful for small mercies: a sunny day, a night without an air raid, an extra rasher of bacon from the butcher... -
Blue Horizon by Wilbur Smith
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsFollowing on from Monsoon the next generation of Courtneys are out to stake their claim in South Africa. The journey they make takes them through the untouched wilderness of a beautiful land filled with warring tribes and dangerous animals... -
The War Girls of Goodwill House: The start of a brand new historical saga series by Fenella J. Miller for 2022 by Fenella J Miller
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAs war looms, can they keep the home fires burning?Lady Joanna Harcourt and her daughter Sarah discover their life of luxury at Goodwill House is over. Because with Lord Harcourt away fighting, the Harcourt girls are facing financial ruin. Lady Joanna is terrified of losing their home, but for Sarah, this means her dreams of becoming a doctor are over...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic family historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century action-adventure adult -
Walk About by Aaron Fletcher
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWrested from the primordial Australian wilderness, Tibooburra Station had taken the blood, sweat and tears of generations of Kerricks and given them a magnificent heritage in return. But now the golden legacy of the outback station was threatened by the disappearance of the young boy who would one day inherit it all... -
A Story Like the Wind by Laurens van der Post
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsVan der Post’s incomparable knowledge of Africa illuminates this epic novel, set near the Kalahari Desert, about a boy on the verge of manhood, his experiences with the wonder and mystery of a still-primitive land, and his secret friendship with the Bushman whose life he saves. The narrative of A Story like the Wind continues in A Far-Off Place...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic historical-fiction literary-fiction action-adventure animals bildungsroman book -
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An Artificial Light by Petra Durst-Benning, Edwin Miles
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA defiant woman in pre–World War I Germany carves out her own unconventional destiny as the enthralling Photographer’s Saga continues.Germany, 1911. Certain things are expected of a woman. Defiant Mimi Reventlow has chosen to be the woman she wants to be. For now, that’s the resident, if temporary, photographer in Laichingen... -
The Sorrow of Angels by Jón Kalman Stefánsson
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Sorrow of Angels is the second novel in an epic and elemental trilogy by the winner of the Icelandic Prize for Literature Jón Kalman Stefánsson, and the follow up to Heaven and Hell (publishing in paperback 3/11/15...Categorized as:
coming-of-age historical-fiction literary-fiction action-adventure book drama fiction historical -
Green City in the Sun by Barbara Wood
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA magnificent saga of two proud and powerful families—one British, one African—and their battle over Kenya’s destiny in the twentieth century.In 1917, Dr. Grace Treverton arrives in Kenya, determined to bring modern medicine to the African natives. Her brother, Sir Valentine Treverton, has his own dream for the British protectorate: to establish an agricultural empire to rival any in England...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction action-adventure adult book drama fiction -
Flight of a Maori Goddess by Sarah Lark, D.W. Lovett
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSarah Lark’s epic Sea of Freedom trilogy reaches its sweeping conclusion in a story of courage, strength, and sisterhood. The dawning twentieth century brings change to New Zealand—and new opportunities for any woman bold enough to grasp them. Atamarie Turei, whose mother fought for suffrage, has enrolled as the first female student at the Canterbury College of Engineering... -
Four Fires by Bryce Courtenay
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn a small town like any other small town around Australia live the Maloneys. They are a fifth-generation Australian family of Irish Catholic descent who are struggling to reach the first rung of the social ladder. The Maloneys are a family you won't forget: a strong mother, a father broken by war, three boys and two girls, one of whom has an illegitimate daughter...Categorized as:
epic family historical-fiction literary-fiction action-adventure adult audiobook book -
A World Apart by Gretta Curran Browne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Michael Dwyer story continues ... powerful in its drama and truth ... and his fame in the history of Ireland begins.Now a close friend of Robert Emmet, Michael does everything in his power to help the young aristocrat succeed in his revolutionary aims, but traitors abound everywhere, attempting to bring down both young men...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction literary-fiction action-adventure adult book female-mc fiction -
Her Own Legacy by Debra Borchert
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA Woman Fights for Her Legacy as the French Revolution Erupts Headstrong Countess Joliette de Verzat prefers secretly managing her family’s Loire Valley château and vineyards to the cut-throat politics of Versailles. For nearly three centuries, generations of families have toiled to produce Château de Verzat wines, and their homes and livelihoods depend upon Joliette...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction family historical fiction feminism action-adventure military -
Be Still the Water by Karen Emilson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFinalist 2019 Canadian Book Club AwardsShortlisted for the 2017 Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction2017 IPPY Silver Medal WinnerSet in 1906 along the unspoiled shores of Lake Manitoba, Be Still the Water brings us into the fold of the Gudmundsson Family—immigrants determined to begin life anew in the Icelandic farming and fishing community of Siglunes...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction family coming-of-age fiction historical outdoors survival -
America's Wife by Celeste De Blasis
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings1776. Addie’s world has changed beyond recognition. From her privileged position amongst Boston’s elite, she has embraced a dangerous new life with the American Revolutionary Army. While childhood sweetheart Silas risks all on the front lines, Addie waits anxiously for news. And when Silas does not return from the Battle of Monmouth, her worst fears come true... -
The Girl From the Workhouse: A heart-breaking, emotional family saga by Lynn Johnson
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEven in the darkest of times, she never gave up hope Staffordshire, 1911. Ginnie Jones’s childhood is spent in the shadow of the famous Potteries, living with her mother, father and older sister Mabel. But with Father’s eyesight failing, money is in short supply, and too often the family find their bellies aching with hunger. With no hope in sight, Ginnie is sent to Haddon Workhouse... -
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The Angel of Waterloo by Jackie French
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe powerful new novel from master storyteller Jackie FrenchThe soldiers she saved called her the Angel of Waterloo.The husband she loved and lost called her Hen.The patients she treated in secret called her Auntie Love.She was Henrietta Bartlett, a surgeon's daughter, a survivor of the Napoleonic Wars... -
Buried Pyramid, The by Jerry Dubs
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsReaders of “Imhotep” will find themselves transported once more to ancient Egypt with Imhotep, King Djoser, Meryt, Hetephernebti and other familiar characters in this second novel about the famous architect of the Step Pyramid... -
Plantation Trilogy: Deep Summer, The Handsome Road, and This Side of Glory by Gwen Bristow
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNew York Times–bestselling author Gwen Bristow’s spellbinding Plantation Trilogy compiled in a single volume The Plantation Trilogy is an epic series of historical novels that bring to life the history of Louisiana, from its settlement in the late eighteenth century to the post–World War I era, via the intertwined lives of the members of three families: the Sheramys, the Larnes, and the Upjohns... -
The Fields by Conrad Richter
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsConrad Richter's trilogy of novels The Trees (1940), The Fields (1946), and The Town (1950) trace the transformation of Ohio from wilderness to farmland to the site of modern industrial civilization, all in the lifetime of one character. The Fields continues the saga of the Luckett family that began in The Trees...Categorized as:
epic family historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century action-adventure book classics -
The Lords of the Wind by C.J. Adrien
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratings“For indeed the Frankish nation, which was crushed by the avenger Hasting, was full of filthy uncleanness. Treasonous and oath-breaking, they were deservedly condemned; unbelievers and faithless, they were justly punished.” Orphaned as a child by a blood-feud, and sold as a slave to an exiled chieftain in Ireland, the boy Hasting had little hope of surviving to adulthood...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic historical-fiction literary-fiction action-adventure audiobook book europe -
Tread Softly on My Dreams by Gretta Curran Browne
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Emmets are Protestants, belonging to the elite society of Ireland’s ruling class. Born in 1778, Robert Emmet, the youngest son of the State Physician of Ireland, has grown up in the heart of a prosperous and loving family, one of the most respected in Dublin city. From his parents he acquired a deep love of Ireland and a commitment to justice...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction literary-fiction action-adventure adult book conspiracies fiction -
The Only Way Home by Jeanette Minniti
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWinner of the 2022 Colorado Authors League 1st Place Award in Historical Fiction!Desperate times. Danger on the rails. A journey to save a family.It is 1933 inside a sweltering courtroom in Macon, Georgia. Fifteen-year-old Robert sits on a bench awaiting sentencing after being picked up for vagrancy and spending a night in jail...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family literary-fiction fiction historical audiobook mystery romantic-love -
Call of the Raven by Wilbur Smith
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe new novel by Wilbur Smith and the prequel to A Falcon Flies.'The right of the cat over the mouse, of the strong over the weak. The natural law of existence.' Augustus Mungo St John, A Falcon Flies The son of a wealthy plantation owner and a doting mother, Augustus Mungo St John is accustomed to the wealth and luxuries his privilege has afforded him... -
Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn a hidden Ireland where fishermen and tenant farmers find solace in their ancient faith, songs, stories, and communal celebrations, young Honora Keeley and Michael Kelly wed and start a family. Because they and their countrymen must sell both their catch and their crops to pay exorbitant rents, potatoes have become their only staple food...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic family historical-fiction literary-fiction 21st-century action-adventure adult -
What the Day Owes the Night by Yasmina Khadra
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratings'If a woman loves you, Younes, if she truly loves you, and if you have the wisdom to appreciate this great privilege, then there is no god to touch you.'As a young man Younes' life is irrevocably changed when he leaves his broken home for the vibrant, colourful and affluent European district of Río Salado... -
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The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIkey Solomon is very successful indeed, in the art of thieving. Ikey's partner in crime is his mistress, the forthright Mary Abacus, until misfortune befalls them. They are parted and each must make the harsh journey from 19th century London to Van Diemens Land. In the backstreets and dives of Hobart Town, Mary learns the art of brewing and builds The Potato Factory, where she plans a new future...Categorized as:
epic family historical-fiction literary-fiction action-adventure adult audiobook book -
Where Rainbows End by AnneMarie Brear
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom an author hailed for her “great characters”—a brave young woman finds love and adventure in the harsh frontier of nineteenth century Australia (Jo Lambert). After a scandal drove them from their native England, the Noble family have travelled to the other side of the world to start a new life in the Australian colonies... -
The Wayward Son by Gretta Curran Browne
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSet in the mid 19th century, on the beautiful Island of Mull, the largest of Scotland’s Western Isles, on the estate of Jarvisfield owned by Lachlan Macquarie Jnr – a young man deeply unhappy with his lot in life...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction literary-fiction action-adventure adult book female-mc fiction -
A Place to Call Home by June Francis
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA tale of loss and the healing power of love After suffering the loss of her family, the last thing Greta Peters needs is to discover a young man has broken into her home, and is rifling through her possessions. But there is more to Alexander Armstrong than meets the eye. When it becomes clear his intentions are pure, she is determined to help him on his quest... -
Swami and Friends, The Bachelor of Arts, The Dark Room, The English Teacher by R.K. Narayan, Alexander McCall Smith
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsR. K. Narayan (1906—2001) witnessed nearly a century of change in his native India and captured it in fiction of uncommon warmth and vibrancy. The four novels collected here, all written during British rule, bring colonial India into intimate focus through the narrative gifts of this master of literary realism...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic historical-fiction literary-fiction action-adventure adult anthologies classics -
Conflict of Empires by Sam Barone
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsConflict of Empires is a sweeping historical saga in the tradition of Conn Iggulden, Bernard Cornwell and Jean Auel.The beginning of civilization is fraught with war, invasion, plunder, and rapine... -
The Forest of Myrrh by Jerry Dubs
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs the third novel about the time-travelling ancient Egyptian begins, Imhotep’s beloved wife is dying, his most powerful patron has been murdered and the Third Dynasty is descending into chaos. Desperate, Imhotep recruits an unlikely ally to help him save Meryt and to discover the killer of the Voice of Re. However, his search is interrupted by a revolt that tears the Two Lands in half... -
Those In Peril: A dramatic, feel-good and moving WW2 saga, perfect for curling up with by Margaret Mayhew
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn 1940, as the shadows are lengthening over Europe, painter Louis Duval decides to leave his studio in Brittany and, in his small motor boat, make the short but perilous journey to England. His aim is not to flee from the enemy, but to join the Resistance to fight for his beloved France... -
An Instant in the Wind by André P. Brink
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe year is 1749, when the Boers ruled South Africa. And so it has come to his Baas's final command to his Hottentot slave Adam, to flog his mother, because she refuses to prune the master's vineyard in order to attend her own beloved mother's funeral. And when he refuses to do so, and his Baas smashes his face with a piece of wood, Adam turns on him, and beats him almost to death...Categorized as:
colonization historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century action-adventure adult book drama -
A Distant Hope by Ellin Carsta, Gerald Chapple
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn this breathtaking and emotional saga, a family must travel far from home to save what they hold dear. Hamburg 1888: After thirty prosperous years, coffee importer Peter Hansen & Sons faces hard times—and certain bankruptcy—unless three brothers can make savvy moves to save the faltering business after their father’s untimely death... -
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Four Sisters by Val Wood
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA powerful story about the bond of sisterhood and how it can triumph against any adversity, from the Sunday Times bestselling author Val Wood.Hull, 1852. Matty has had to care for her three younger sisters ever since their mother’s death ten years ago. She and the girls’ beloved father have worked hard to keep the family together and now it’s time to celebrate as Matty turns eighteen...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family literary-fiction epic coming-of-age historical tragedy drama -
The Autumn of the Ace by Louis de Bernières
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLouis de Bernières is the master of historical fiction which makes you both laugh and cry. This book follows an unforgettable family after the Second World War.Daniel Pitt was an RAF fighter in the First World War and an espionage agent for the SOE in the Second. Now the conflicts he faces are closer to home...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction family colonization epic coming-of-age fiction historical -
Dusk by F. Sionil José
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWith Dusk (originally published in the Philippines as Po-on), F. Sionil Jose begins his five-novel Rosales Saga, which the poet and critic Ricaredo Demetillo called "the first great Filipino novels written in English." Set in the 1880s, Dusk records the exile of a tenant family from its village and the new life it attempts to make in the small town of Rosales... -
Tanamera by Noel Barber
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe spell binding story of two lovers and two great dynasties; one British, the other Chinese, the society that separated them and the passion that bound them. TANAMERA sweeps from the steamy, British-ruled Malaya of the 1930s through the bloody days of the Japanese occupation, to the tumultuous birth of a nation...Categorized as:
coming-of-age epic family historical-fiction 20th-century action-adventure adult book -
The New Kingdom by Wilbur Smith, Mark Chadbourn
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn the heart of Egypt,Under the watchful eye of the Gods,A new power is rising . . .In the city of Lahun, Hui lives an enchanted life. The favoured son of a doting father, and ruler-in-waiting of the great city, his fate is set. But behind the beautiful façades a sinister evil is plotting...Categorized as:
africa epic family historical-fiction northern-africa action-adventure adult ancient-civilization -
Leaving Ireland by Ann Moore
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAfter crossing an ocean from her beloved Ireland and traversing thousands of miles of frontier and canyon, Gracelin O'Malley finds a new home for her family, halfway around the world from her old one. She's haunted by echoes of the past, even when a man she misjudged proves himself worthy and her children soon acclimate. All this-and a wish Grace thought would never come true...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction action-adventure adult book drama female-author
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