{"title":"Linda Macdonald","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"meeting-lydia-book-linda-macdonald-9781848767126","title":"Meeting Lydia","description":"Now 46, when Marianne finds her charming husband in the kitchen talking to the glamorous Charmaine, her childhood insecurities resurface and their once-happy marriage begins to slide. Teenage daughter Holly persuades her to join Friends Reunited, which results in both fearful and nostalgic memories of prep school as Marianne wonders what has become of the bullies and of Edward Harvey. Frantic to repair her marriage, yet rendered snappy and temperamental by her plummeting hormones, her attempts towards reconciliation fail. The answer to all her problems could lie in finding Edward again... But what would happen if she found what she seeks?    Meeting Lydia is a book about childhood bullying, midlife crises, obsession, jealousy and the ever-growing trend of internet relationships. It will appeal to fans of adult fiction and those interested in the dynamics and psychology of relationships. Author Linda is inspired by Margaret Atwood, Fay Weldon and David Lodge.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49512952955153,"sku":"GOR003510061","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1848767129.jpg?v=1751440202"},{"product_id":"man-in-the-needlecord-jacket-book-linda-macdonald-9781788037112","title":"The Man in the Needlecord Jacket","description":"The Man in the Needlecord Jacket follows the story of two women who are each struggling to let go of a long-term destructive partnership. Felicity is reluctant to detach from her estranged archaeologist husband and, after being banished from the family home, she sets out to test the stability of his relationship with his new love, Marianne. When Felicity meets Coll, a charismatic artist, she has high hopes of being distracted from her failed marriage. What she doesn’t know is that he has a partner, Sarah, with whom he has planned a future. Sarah is deeply in love with Coll, but his controlling behaviour and associations with other women have always made her life difficult. When he becomes obsessed with Felicity, Sarah’s world collapses and a series of events is set in motion that will challenge the integrity of all the characters involved. The Man in the Needlecord Jacket is a thought-provoking book, written from the perspectives of Sarah and Felicity. The reader is in the privileged position of knowing what’s going on for both of the women, while each of them is being kept in the dark about a very important issue. Inspired by the work of Margaret Atwood and Fay Weldon, Linda explores the issue of mental abuse in partnerships and the grey area of an infidelity that is emotional, not physical. The book will appeal to readers interested in the psychology of relationships, as well as fans of Linda’s ‘Lydia’ series.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49600427557137,"sku":"GOR009181113","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1788037111.jpg?v=1751420789"},{"product_id":"meeting-of-a-different-kind-book-linda-macdonald-9781780883250","title":"A Meeting of a Different Kind","description":"When archaeologist Edward Harvey’s wife Felicity inherits almost a million, she gives up her job, buys a restaurant and, as a devotee of Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall, starts turning their home into a small eco-farm. Edward is not happy, not least because she seems to be losing interest in him. Taryn is a borderline manic-depressive, a scheming minx, a seductress and user of men. Edward and Taryn don’t know each other but they both know Marianne. To Edward, Marianne is a former classmate who sends him crazy emails. She is Taryn’s best friend, and when Marianne meets Edward, she tells Taryn how wonderful he is and that he is not the philandering type. Taryn sees a challenge and concocts a devious plan to meet him during a series of lectures he is giving at the British Museum. When Edward and Taryn’s paths cross, questions of friendship, loyalty and betrayal are played out against a backdrop of mental fragility and the destabilising effects of a large inheritance... Set in Broadclyst and Beckenham, with a chapter on the Isles of Scilly, A Meeting of a Different Kind is the stand-alone sequel to Meeting Lydia, continuing the story from the perspectives of two very different characters. Like its prequel, it will appeal to fans of adult fiction, especially those interested in the psychology of relationships.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49600670630161,"sku":"GOR005919379","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50339641688337,"sku":"GOR004771418","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1780883250.jpg?v=1751422888"},{"product_id":"meeting-lydia-book-linda-macdonald-9781789013160","title":"Meeting Lydia","description":"“A must-read for anyone interested in psychology and relationships” - Norma Patrick       Marianne comes home from work one day to find her husband talking to a glamorous woman in their kitchen. Old childhood insecurities resurface, stemming from a time back at school when she was bullied. Jealousy rears its head and her happy marriage begins to crumble. Desperate for a solution - and introduced by her daughter to social networking - she tries to track down her first schoolgirl crush, the enigmatic Edward Harvey. But Marianne is unprepared for the power of email relationships ...        Meeting Lydia explores the very relevant topics of childhood bullying, midlife crises, the pros and cons of internet relationships, and how the psychological effects of these affect the main character and those around her. Readers will be gripped by the turbulent life of Marianne who navigates the onset of menopause, an empty nest, a suspected errant husband and a demanding new obsession that pulls her in deeper as the story unfolds. Those interested in the psychology of relationships will enjoy this novel, as well as those who delight in an enthralling story with relatable characters and the powerful question of what happens when the past catches up with the present. This second edition has reworked the early chapters of the first edition, making for a pacy and shorter version more in line with the audiobook.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49613333758225,"sku":"GOR011944023","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50339641884945,"sku":"GOR013933739","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/178901316X.jpg?v=1751433547"},{"product_id":"alone-alternative-book-linda-macdonald-9781783064335","title":"The Alone Alternative","description":"Former classmates Edward and Marianne, now fifty-five, have experienced a turbulent few years having lost contact with each other and suffered painful disruption to their home lives. Reunited again, this time through Twitter, they set about a search for personal fulfilment, but once again there are obstacles in the way – not least in the form of twice-widowed Jessica, Edward’s neighbour, who threatens to destroy their pursuit of happiness and whose behaviour has alarming consequences. The extraordinary weather conditions prompt Edward and a former colleague to resurrect an idea for a documentary series that sets to challenge consumerist lifestyles. The Isles of Scilly become a model for sustainability and a filming trip to the islands provides an idyllic backdrop to the unfolding romantic tensions. Set in 2012, the year of the London Olympics, the action alternates between Broadclyst and Beckenham and examines the difficult issues faced in committing to a new relationship in midlife. Could being alone be a preferable alternative? Continuing themes of psychology, relationships and environmental sustainability, The Alone Alternative is the sequel to A Meeting of a Different Kind and the third and final part of the ‘Lydia’ series. Written from both male and female perspectives, it also stands alone as a fascinating read for both men and women who enjoy thought-provoking fiction, keeping readers guessing until the very end.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49635420864785,"sku":"GOR006805375","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1783064331.jpg?v=1751279660"},{"product_id":"brief-guide-to-arguing-about-literature-book-john-schilb-9781319215934","title":"A Brief Guide to Arguing about Literature","description":"\u003cp\u003eMore and more, first-year writing courses foreground skills of critical analysis and argumentation. In response, \u003cem\u003eA Brief Guide to Arguing about Literature\u003c\/em\u003e first hones students' analytical skills through instruction in close critical reading of texts; then, it shows them how to turn their reading into well-supported and rhetorically effective argumentative writing. For instructors who prefer to aggregate their own anthology of readings and literary works for their literature-based composition courses, \u003cem\u003e A Brief Guide to Arguing about Literature\u003c\/em\u003e comprises only the writing-guide chapters of John Schilb and John Clifford's admired \u003cem\u003eArguing about Literature: Guide and Reader. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50129806262545,"sku":"CIN1319215939G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50913595752721,"sku":"CIN1319215939A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52602694795537,"sku":"CIN1319215939VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1319215939.jpg?v=1751271361"},{"product_id":"stay-gold-book-linda-macdonald-9780692435052","title":"Stay Gold","description":"\u003cp\u003eA grieving mother finds comfort in mysterious signs following the tragic death of her son in the inspirational true story, \u003ci\u003eStay Gold\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen Linda A. MacDonald and her husband received the news that no parent ever wants to hear, there seemed to be nothing but grief and darkness ahead.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut then unexplainable things began happening-things that convinced them that their son, Ryan, was reaching out to them in order to give them comfort and help them through.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom the night when Linda's cries of Oh, Ryan brought a realization that she was staring at the Orion constellation, to a picture of Ryan appearing on a cell phone without a sender, each new sign appeared to be another message of comfort from beyond this world.\u003c\/p\u003eWith each chapter spanning one day in the six weeks following Ryan's death, \u003ci\u003eStay Gold \u003c\/i\u003eis a powerful testament to the hope that can be found after a devastating loss. As inspirational as it is moving, Linda's story will resonate with anyone who has struggled with picking up the pieces-and will open readers' eyes to the often overlooked signs from loved ones who have passed.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51130590069009,"sku":"NIN9780692435052","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51416115052817,"sku":"CIN0692435050G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0692435050.jpg?v=1750743374"},{"product_id":"tango-chain-book-linda-macdonald-9781806344758","title":"The Tango Chain","description":"Two women: two dangerous obsessions; one tangled web of love, longing, and lies.   When newly retired teacher Taryn stumbles into the seductive world of the Argentine tango, the unexpected reappearance of her charismatic ex, Marc, threatens to unravel the stable life she’s built with steady, dependable Neil. As she spirals between exhilaration and self-destructive temptation, Taryn risks repeating the very mistakes she once swore she’d left behind.   Down the road, Rachel – clever, impulsive, and half Taryn’s age – is trapped in an affair with a married man she calls “Sam”. She knows he’s wrong for her. She knows the relationship is doomed, but Rachel can’t tear herself away. When Taryn, determined to save her from heartbreak, draws her into the tango scene, a truth erupts that leaves both of them reeling.   With their lives suddenly entwined, Taryn and Rachel must confront the illusions that have kept them captive: illusions about love, about themselves and about the people they’ve placed on pedestals.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53206144844049,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":53206145401105,"sku":"NGR9781806344758","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781806344758.jpg?v=1777629105"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-gb\/collections\/author-books-by-linda-macdonald.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}