Books like 'Painting the Light'

Readers who enjoyed Painting the Light by Sally Cabot Gunning also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

historical  medieval  new adult  20th century

  • The Dark of the Moon by Fiona Valpy

    The Dark of the Moon by Fiona Valpy

    Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    From the bestselling author of The Dressmaker’s Gift. She’s spent a lifetime searching for him. Is this her last chance to find the truth? Philly Delaney risked everything during the war...
  • The Emerald Horizon by Jean Grainger

    The Emerald Horizon by Jean Grainger

    Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars
    · 36 ratings
    Berlin, 1944. Ariella Bannon is being hunted. Someone is determined to betray her as a Jew, but she has survived against incredible odds, and the end is in sight. She will be reunited with her precious children, no matter what it takes. Meanwhile, Liesl and Erich have found a home in Ireland, away from the chaos of war-ravaged Europe...
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  • The Dark of the Moon by Fiona Valpy

    The Dark of the Moon by Fiona Valpy

    Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars
    · 26 ratings
    From the bestselling author of The Dressmaker’s Gift. She’s spent a lifetime searching for him. Is this her last chance to find the truth? Philly Delaney risked everything during the war...
  • The Secret Midwife by Soraya M. Lane

    The Secret Midwife by Soraya M. Lane

    Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars
    · 27 ratings
    London, 1995: When on the fiftieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz a news broadcast runs an appeal for information on the identity of a midwife who saved hundreds of lives, Emilia knows it is time to finally tell her story...
  • The Distant Daughter by Lorna Cook

    The Distant Daughter by Lorna Cook

    Rated: 5.00 of 5 stars
    · 2 ratings
    ‘Transporting and profoundly moving…this is a gripping, sweeping romance to break your heart. ’ ―Amanda Geard, author of The Midnight House. ‘A total treat…I was transported by this beautiful tale of sisterhood, family drama, war, and love. The Distant Daughter is an unforgettable read. ” ―Jenny Ashcroft, author of Beneath a Burning Sky...
  • The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante, Ann Goldstein

    The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante, Ann Goldstein

    Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars
    · 27 ratings
    In one volume, the New York Times–bestselling epic about hardship and female friendship in postwar Naples that has sold over five million copies. Beginning with My Brilliant Friend, the four Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante follow Elena and Lila, from their rough-edged upbringing in Naples, Italy, not long after WWII, through the many stages of their lives—and along paths that diverge wildly...
  • The Midnight Rose by Lucinda Riley

    The Midnight Rose by Lucinda Riley

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 42 ratings
    Spanning four generations, The Midnight Rose sweeps from the glittering palaces of the great maharajas of India to the majestic stately homes of England, following the extraordinary life of a remarkable girl, Anahita Chaval, from 1911 to the present day . .
  • Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

    Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

    Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars
    · 67 ratings
    With effortless grace, celebrated author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie illuminates a seminal moment in modern African history: Biafra's impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic in southeastern Nigeria during the late 1960s...
  • My Tender Matador by Pedro Lemebel

    My Tender Matador by Pedro Lemebel

    Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars
    · 34 ratings
    Centered around the 1986 attempt on the life of Augusto Pinochet, an event that changed Chile forever, My Tender Matador is one of the most explosive, controversial, and popular novels to have been published in that country in decades. It is spring 1986 in the city of Santiago, and Augusto Pinochet is losing his grip on power...
  • The Dance Teacher of Paris by Suzanne Fortin

    The Dance Teacher of Paris by Suzanne Fortin

    Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars
    · 26 ratings
    'But how will I look after them? Where can I hide them? ' She looked up at me and didn't try to stop the tears from falling. 'I'm begging you. Please, save our children. '. Paris, 1942. As the Germans occupy the city she calls home, Adele Basset is determined to keep her pupils' spirits up. Their dance class offers a moment of solace in the dark days of occupation...
  • The Paris Network by Siobhan Curham

    The Paris Network by Siobhan Curham

    Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    Paris, 1940: He pressed the tattered book into her hands. ‘You must go to the café and ask at the counter for Pierre Duras. Tell him that I sent you. Tell him you’re there to save the people of France. ’...
  • El Neruda Esencial: Poemas Seleccionados by Pablo Neruda

    El Neruda Esencial: Poemas Seleccionados by Pablo Neruda

    Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars
    · 33 ratings
    PNew translations of Neruda's most important poems, gathered to celebrate the centennial of his birth.
  • The Violinist of Auschwitz by Ellie Midwood

    The Violinist of Auschwitz by Ellie Midwood

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 30 ratings
    Based on the unforgettable true story of Alma Rosé, this novel brings to life one of history’s most fearless, inspiring, and courageous heroines. In Auschwitz, every day is a fight for survival.  Alma is inmate 50381, the number tattooed on her skin in pale blue ink. She is cooped up with thousands of others, torn from loved ones, trapped in a maze of barbed wire...
  • A View Across the Rooftops by Suzanne Kelman

    A View Across the Rooftops by Suzanne Kelman

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 36 ratings
    An unforgettable story of love, hope and betrayal, and a testament to the courage of humanity in history’s darkest days. As Nazis occupy his beloved city, Professor Josef Held feels helpless. So when he discovers his former pupil Michael Blum is trying to escape the Gestapo, he offers Michael a place to hide in his attic...
  • Two Dragons by Octavia Randolph

    Two Dragons by Octavia Randolph

    Rated: 4.78 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    Two Dragons. Dragons are said to guard treasure with their lives. .. Ceric, beset with madness from the trauma of the losses he has suffered, wanders the forests of Kilton. An urgent need to stave off the hunger of his folk calls his younger brother Edwin, Lord of Kilton, to the Kingdom of Mercia, and though he fulfils his mission, finds the greater prize he sought out of reach...
  • Ha'Penny Schemes by Gemma Jackson

    Ha'Penny Schemes by Gemma Jackson

    Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars
    · 25 ratings
    In 1920’s inner-city Dublin tenements, Ivy Rose Murphy struggles to survive and thrive in the harsh poverty-stricken environment she was born into. She is trying to adapt to her new role as a married woman. There are those jealous of the improvements she has managed to make in her life. To Ivy it seems everyone wants a piece of her. She is stretched to breaking point...
  • Harpers Heroes by Rosie Clarke

    Harpers Heroes by Rosie Clarke

    Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars
    · 22 ratings
    From the bestselling author of the Welcome to Harpers Emporium and The Mulberry Lane Series. The Harpers Girls come face to face with the harsh reality of the cruelty of war. Oxford Street, London 1915. Sally Harper quietly battles to keep Harpers afloat in the difficult days of the war, whilst husband Ben is working all hours for the War Office...
  • The Velvet Ribbon by Nadine Dorries

    The Velvet Ribbon by Nadine Dorries

    Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    In this wonderful third Tarabeg novel, Mary Kate Malone finds that a secret life in the shadows with her great love, Dr Nicholas, brings heartache and sorrows. When disaster strikes unexpectedly, she turns to the only people she can trust, in the only place she feels safe – her Irish family and friends in the west coast village of Tarabeg. But back in Ireland, everything has changed...
    Categorized as:
    20th century  historical  audiobook
  • A Ration Book Childhood by Jean Fullerton

    A Ration Book Childhood by Jean Fullerton

    Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    In the darkest days of the Blitz, family is more important than ever. With her family struggling amidst the nightly bombing raids in London's East End, Ida Brogan is doing her very best to keep their spirits up. The Blitz has hit the Brogans hard, and rationing is more challenging than ever, but they are doing all they can to help the war effort...
  • Water Borne by Octavia Randolph

    Water Borne by Octavia Randolph

    Rated: 4.77 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    Water Book Ten of The Circle of Ceridwen Saga. It is water Dwynwen lifted in her cup of silver. Water, too, the Lady Luned uses in her scrying bowl. And it is over water one must travel to resolve an old conflict. Set high upon its seaside cliff, the hall of Kilton is racked by inner turmoil. Ceric, on the margin of sanity, finds strength and even bliss returning to him...
  • Moonlight and Ashes by Rosie Goodwin

    Moonlight and Ashes by Rosie Goodwin

    Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars
    · 23 ratings
    Despite being trapped in an abusive marriage, Maggie still feels blessed with her eight-year-old twins, Danny and Lizzie, and baby girl, Lucy. But when the Second World War begins it seems that her blessings may have run out. Although the war lets her escape her husband when he's sent to the front, she must also lose the twins, as they're evacuated to North Wales...
    Categorized as:
    20th century  historical  length-long
  • Love and Duty at Blackberry Farm by Rosie Clarke

    Love and Duty at Blackberry Farm by Rosie Clarke

    Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars
    · 23 ratings
    Cambridgeshire – 1942 As a new year begins and the war continues, young Artie Talbot feels trapped. In his heart he longs to fight, like his two brothers, for his king and country but is duty tied to Blackberry Farm. As feelings grow between Artie and Jeanie Salmons, Artie wonders if marriage will help him to finally accept his lot and settle down...
  • A Family Fortune by Rosie Clarke

    A Family Fortune by Rosie Clarke

    Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    The grand finale to Bestselling Author Rosie Clarkes 'Family Feud' series. In the aftermath of the war, can a united Searles family finally thrive? 1950, Stretton Village, Cambridgeshire. Emily's troubles continue as she tries to manage the Vanbrough estate, which has been left in trust for her son...
  • The Sky Beneath Us by Fiona Valpy

    The Sky Beneath Us by Fiona Valpy

    Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars
    · 23 ratings
    An inspiring, uplifting story of love and loss, courage and adventure, from the bestselling author of The Skylark’s Secret. 1927. Violet Mackenzie-Grant is embarking on her dream of studying at the Edinburgh School of Gardening for Women...
  • The Leviathan: The Blackchurch Guild: A Medieval Romance by Kathryn Le Veque

    The Leviathan: The Blackchurch Guild: A Medieval Romance by Kathryn Le Veque

    Rated: 4.74 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    Welcome to Book One in the exciting and diverse new series, The Blackchurch Guild: The Shadow Knights. Medieval England’s most elite training guild. The Blackchurch Guild is an elite knight training school. Men, and even women, are accepted into the program if they prove themselves worthy. Different from most training arenas in England, candidates don’t have to be from wealthy families...
    Categorized as:
    medieval  historical  highlander  vikings  m-f  audiobook
  • The German Daughter by Marius Gabriel

    The German Daughter by Marius Gabriel

    Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars
    · 27 ratings
    The band new absolutely gripping and heartbreaking World War II historical novel from master storyteller Marius Gabriel. What readers are saying about Marius 'A must read for fans of WW2 books , it not only educates you. .. but also breaks your heart . .. . Five stars for this book. .. I loved it and cried at the end' Reader review, 5 stars'A wonderful, unputdownable book. .
  • Obliteration by Kathryn Le Veque

    Obliteration by Kathryn Le Veque

    Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    It’s another epic Guard of Six novel when one of the Six finds himself with an explosive inheritance that threatens to ruin his reputation as a noble knight. An inheritance that involves… wine, women, and song? ? ***If you love Age gap Romances, Forbidden Romances, and a heroine with a ton of secrets, then this story is for you! ***...
    Categorized as:
    medieval  historical  audiobook
  • My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie

    My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · 47 ratings
    From the New York Times bestselling authors of America’s First Daughter comes the epic story of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton—a revolutionary woman who, like her new nation, struggled to define herself in the wake of war, betrayal, and tragedy...
  • For Me Fate Wove This by Octavia Randolph

    For Me Fate Wove This by Octavia Randolph

    Rated: 4.72 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    In an Angle-land riven by contesting Danes…. Hrald of Four Stones has fallen in love with Dagmar, the daughter of dead King Guthrum, who once ruled all Anglia. Dagmar is beautiful and poised; very much a King's daughter. Yet she owns nothing but the jewels about her neck – and the secrets she carries with her...
  • A Family at War by Rosie Clarke

    A Family at War by Rosie Clarke

    Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars
    · 21 ratings
    All NEW to eBook - the start of 'The Family Feud' series from bestselling author Rosie Clarke Can they survive the war and all that it brings? 1940, Stretton Village, Cambridgeshire. The start of the war and the tragic loss of their beloved father marks the end of an era for the Searles family as their children embark on their adult lives...
  • A Wolfe Among Dragons by Kathryn Le Veque

    A Wolfe Among Dragons by Kathryn Le Veque

    Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    "James died in Papa's arms ~ ". Penelope de Wolfe from SERPENT. Get ready for perhaps the greatest de Wolfe adventure yet. .. . The sons of William de Wolfe (The Wolfe) are immortal, so they say. Men who are known as ShadowWolfe. .. DarkWolfe. .. Nighthawk. .. are as legendary as their father. The eldest four sons - Scott, Troy, Patrick, and James have always run in a pack...
  • The Keeper of Stars by Buck Turner

    The Keeper of Stars by Buck Turner

    Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars
    · 37 ratings
    Who says you can’t rewrite the stars? 1962—Twelve years removed from the summer when she first gave her heart away, Dr. Elizabeth (Ellie) Spencer, Professor of Astronomy at Indiana University, receives a mysterious package that has her asking that very question. Inside the unmarked box is a novel written by Ellie’s first love, Jack Bennett...
  • Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee

    Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee

    Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars
    · 26 ratings
    Forever within the memories of my heart. Always remember, you are perfectly loved. Bertie Jenkins has spent forty years serving as a midwife for her community in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Out of all the mothers she’s tended, none affects her more than the young teenager who shows up on her doorstep, injured, afraid, and expecting, one warm June day in 1943...
  • The Pianist's Wife by Soraya M. Lane

    The Pianist's Wife by Soraya M. Lane

    Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars
    · 17 ratings
    A heartbreaking story of friendship, loyalty and the true cost of love, from the bestselling author of The Secret Midwife and Wives of War. Berlin, 1944: Amira and Gisele have been best friends since they were children, and now Gisele is the only person who knows Amira’s secret. A secret that puts her and everyone she loves in unimaginable danger amid the daily horror and violence of Nazi Germany...
  • The Storyteller of Casablanca by Fiona Valpy

    The Storyteller of Casablanca by Fiona Valpy

    Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    In this evocative tale from the bestselling author of The Dressmaker’s Gift, a strange new city offers a young girl hope. Can it also offer a lost soul a second chance? Morocco, 1941. With France having fallen to Nazi occupation, twelve-year-old Josie has fled with her family to Casablanca, where they await safe passage to America...
  • Under a Greek Moon by Carol Kirkwood

    Under a Greek Moon by Carol Kirkwood

    Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    The escapist Sunday Times bestselling debut from the nation’s best loved TV presenter, Carol Kirkwood. ‘Loved it! It sizzles with secrets and passion. A real page turner! ’ Jo Thomas‘Utterly engaging, deliciously escapist, with a heart as warm as its author's’ Cathy Kelly, bestselling author of The Family GiftOne woman returns to the island that changed her life forever...
  • The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer

    The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer

    Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars
    · 25 ratings
    In the spring of 1942, young Elzbieta Rabinek is aware of the swiftly growing discord just beyond the courtyard of her comfortable Warsaw home. She has no fondness for the Germans who patrol her streets and impose their curfews, but has never given much thought to what goes on behind the walls that contain her Jewish neighbors...
  • Island in the East by Jenny Ashcroft

    Island in the East by Jenny Ashcroft

    Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars
    · 23 ratings
    Set in 1890s and 1940s Singapore, the stunning Island in the East is a story of love, sisterly rivalry and the true cost of betrayal. Vivid, authentic and utterly beautiful, it's the perfect read for fans of Victoria Hislop, Fiona McIntosh and Kate Morton. 1897: twenty-year-old identical twins, Harriet and Mae, born from a scandalous affair, have spent their lives slighted by gossips...
  • Leave it to Psmith by P.G. Wodehouse

    Leave it to Psmith by P.G. Wodehouse

    Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars
    · 38 ratings
    Ronald Psmith (“the ‘p’ is silent, as in pshrimp”) is always willing to help a damsel in distress. So when he sees Eve Halliday without an umbrella during a downpour, he nobly offers her an umbrella, even though it’s one he picks out of the Drone Club’s umbrella rack...
  • The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi

    The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi

    Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars
    · 27 ratings
    In New York Times bestselling author Alka Joshi’s intriguing new novel, henna artist Lakshmi arranges for her protégé, Malik, to intern at the Jaipur Palace in this tale rich in character, atmosphere, and lavish storytelling. It’s the spring of 1969, and Lakshmi, now married to Dr. Jay Kumar, directs the Healing Garden in Shimla. Malik has finished his private school education...
  • The Last Convertible by Anton Myrer

    The Last Convertible by Anton Myrer

    Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    The Last Convertible by Anton Myrer They called it the last convertible—the shining 1939 Packard that carried five Harvard friends through the bright promise of youth and into the heart of a changing America. From the carefree summer days before World War II to the uncertainty and loss that followed, The Last Convertible is a sweeping story of friendship, love, and the passage of time...
  • Last Train to Freedom by Deborah Swift

    Last Train to Freedom by Deborah Swift

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    To share the truth, she must survive the journey …1940. As Soviet forces storm Lithuania, Zofia and her brother Jacek must flee to survive. A lifeline appears when Japanese consul Sugihara offers them visas on one they must deliver a parcel to Tokyo. Inside lies intelligence on Nazi atrocities, evidence so explosive that Nazi and Soviet agents will stop at nothing to possess it...
  • The Lies We Leave Behind by Noelle Salazar

    The Lies We Leave Behind by Noelle Salazar

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    For readers of Kate Quinn and Beatriz Williams, this sweeping story follows a fearless nurse who must leave love behind when duty calls her back to the front. Somewhere in the Pacific, 1943. Kate Campbell is a nurse who bravely flies back and forth from the front to rescue wounded soldiers, amid long days, harsh conditions and often dangerous weather...
  • The Waiting Hours by Ellie Dean

    The Waiting Hours by Ellie Dean

    Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    THE NEW CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEAN. 'Ellie Dean’s loyal readers will be thrilled with this new novel. ' Helen Carey. *******. Slapton Sands, 1943. War has not been kind to Carol Porter. It took her husband and baby, and with them her heart. At last she’s found some peace, working as a land girl at Coombe Farm...
  • The Long Road Back To You by Buck Turner

    The Long Road Back To You by Buck Turner

    Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    They say it only takes a moment to fall in love with someone, but a lifetime to forget them! From the author of Evergreen comes a stirring story that proves it is never too late for love. Eighteen-year-old Charlie Ross, a shy, backward teen from Tennessee, does the one thing you should never do before going off to war - he falls in love...
  • The Winter Crown by Elizabeth Chadwick

    The Winter Crown by Elizabeth Chadwick

    Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars
    · 30 ratings
    It is the winter of 1154 and Eleanor, Queen of England, is biding her time. While her husband King Henry II battles for land across the channel, Eleanor fulfils her duty as acting ruler and bearer of royal children. But she wants to be more than this - if only Henry would let her. Instead, Henry belittles and excludes her, falling for a young mistress and leaving Eleanor side-lined and angry...
  • Worthy of Legend by Roseanna M. White

    Worthy of Legend by Roseanna M. White

    Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 1 of 5
    Glimpses and kisses [?] · 9 ratings
    After a summer of successful pirate-treasure hunting, Lady Emily Scofield and her friends must hide the unprecedented discoveries they've made, thanks to the betrayal of her own family. Horrified by her brother, who stops at nothing to prove himself to their greedy father, Emily is forced to take a stand against her family--even when it means being cut off entirely...
  • A Daughter's Sorrow by Cathy Sharp

    A Daughter's Sorrow by Cathy Sharp

    Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    Heartache and hardship in London’s East End, from the bestselling author of The Orphans of Halfpenny Street. Bridget has always been the one to take on the responsibility for looking after her family...
  • The War Pianist by Mandy Robotham

    The War Pianist by Mandy Robotham

    Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars
    · 23 ratings
    Pianist: NOUN. Informal. A person who operates or controls a radio transmitter – often in code. July, 1940. Blitz-ridden London: Marnie Fern’s life is torn apart when her grandfather is killed in an air raid. But once she discovers that he’d been working undercover as a radio operative – or Pianist – for the Dutch resistance, Marnie knows she must complete his mission – no matter the cost…...
  • The Berlin Apartment by Bryn Turnbull

    The Berlin Apartment by Bryn Turnbull

    Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars
    · 21 ratings
    “Wholly immersive and impeccably researched, Bryn Turnbull’s tale brings the time vividly to life. ” —Toronto Star on The Paris Deception. For fans of Kate Quinn and Kristin Hannah, this sweeping love story follows a young couple whose lives are irrevocably changed when they’re separated overnight by the construction of the Berlin Wall...
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