Emma Hornby Popular Books
Emma Hornby Biography & Facts
One Day is a novel by David Nicholls, published in 2009. A couple spend the night together on 15 July 1988, knowing they must go their separate ways the next day. The novel then visits their lives on 15 July every year for the next 20 years. The novel attracted generally positive reviews and was named 2010 Galaxy Book of the Year. Nicholls adapted his book into a screenplay; the feature film, was released in August 2011, and a television series for Netflix, premiered on 8 February 2024. Plot Dexter and Emma spend the night together after their graduation from the University of Edinburgh, on 15 July 1988. They talk about how they will be once they are 40, but the next day, they must go their separate ways. Over the next 20 years, the novel provides a snapshot on 15th July each year, showing how their lives unfold, very differently to their expectations, including their on-again off-again relationship. Just out of university, Emma wants to improve the world. She writes and performs plays but they are unsuccessful. Dexter travels the world, drinking and hooking up with women. Eventually both move to London, where Emma becomes a waitress in Kentish Town, at a Tex-Mex restaurant, while Dexter becomes a successful television presenter. While both make various attempts to get together, something always prevents it. They remain friends but have relationships with other people, each secretly longing for the other. They are drawn closer through a holiday together and the death of Dexter's mother. Emma breaks up with her boyfriend, Ian, after realising she doesn't love him. During this time she finds a job as a teacher, after years of struggle, despite having a "double-first degree". Dexter, meanwhile, develops a drinking and drug problem, and watches his career collapse. Dexter's behaviour puts a strain on their friendship. Finally, after being treated rudely by Dexter at a restaurant, Emma breaks off the friendship. At the wedding of Emma's former roommate, they meet again. Emma admits she wants Dexter back. She has just ended an affair with the headmaster of her school. But Dexter is in a relationship with Sylvie, who is pregnant. Dexter invites Emma to his wedding. Emma tries to overcome her problems and begins to write, while Dexter is unemployed and overwhelmed by his role as a father after his divorce from Sylvie, who was having an affair. Emma goes to Paris in the hope of writing a sequel to her first successful children's novel. Visiting Emma in Paris, Dexter learns that she has met someone else, and for the first time admits his feelings to her. Emma chooses Dexter. Emma and Dexter get married, but Emma wants a child. They are frustrated by their failed attempts to have a baby. Dexter opens a deli-café and finds himself on his way back to being successful. Emma and Dexter have an appointment to see a house. On the way there, Emma is killed in a bike accident. Dexter finds himself in despair. He starts to drink again and provokes people in bars to get beaten. He is comforted by his ex-wife Sylvie, his father, and his daughter. Three years after Emma's death Dexter travels with his daughter to Edinburgh, where he and Emma met, and they climb Arthur's Seat together, as he and Emma climbed it 19 years earlier. The book ends with a vivid and lingering memory of what happened 20 years before: their goodbye kiss after the evening, promise to stay in touch, and goodbye. Major themes Nicholls recalls that as a student, he read a passage in Thomas Hardy's 1891 novel Tess of the D'Urbervilles in which Tess realises that as well as birthdays and anniversaries "there was yet another date, of greater importance to her than those; that of her own death...a day which lay sly and unseen and among all the other days of the year, giving no sign or sound." Twenty years later, Nicholls was adapting Hardy's novel for the BBC and was reminded of the passage; "There it was again; that ordinary day that turns out not to be ordinary at all."This gave the author the idea for a novel in which the date of a major character's death would form the basis for vignettes of the characters' lives, without the events of the other 364 days, thus avoiding the cliches of birthdays, Valentine's Day or New Year's Eve. St Swithun's Day (15 July) was chosen as it fitted with the graduation day at which the reader first encounters the characters and the "themes of unpredictability" of the proverb.Writing in The Times, John O'Connell writes, "For, in spite of its comic gloss, One Day is really about loneliness and the casual savagery of fate; the tragic gap between youthful aspiration and the compromises that we end up tolerating. Not for nothing has Nicholls said that it was inspired by Thomas Hardy." A critic in The London Paper observes that One Day "may be a love story, but it's no fairytale: Nicholls doesn’t shy from the harsh side of growing up, the disillusionment, regrets, and random cruelty of life.". According to Jonathan Coe, writing in "Guardian Books of the Year" (2009), "It's rare to find a novel which ranges over the recent past with such authority, and even rarer to find one in which the two leading characters are drawn with such solidity, such painful fidelity, to real life." Reception The novel attracted mainly positive reviews. Writing in The Guardian, Harry Ritchie called it "a very persuasive and endearing account of a close friendship – the delight Emma and Dexter take in one another, the flirting and the banter that sometimes hide resentment and sometimes yearning, the way the relationship shifts and evolves as the years pass." Ritchie comments, "Just as Nicholls has made full use of his central concept, so he has drawn on all his comic and literary gifts to produce a novel that is not only roaringly funny but also memorable, moving and, in its own unassuming, unpretentious way, rather profound." This story is reminiscent of Same Time, Next Year. Elizabeth Day of The Observer also praises the novel, although criticising "its structural flaws", since "some of the most important events in their life are never recounted." Despite this, she concludes by commenting "there is no doubt that One Day is a beguiling read. But although I really liked it, I wanted desperately to love it because Nicholls is, I think, a far better writer than this format allows him to be."The Times deflected comparisons to When Harry Met Sally..., "saccharine" assumptions, and expectations that the "more literary" will snobbishly gratify themselves that they never read "'commercial' romantic comedies with cartoons and squiggly writing on the cover. Well, be convinced: One Day is a wonderful, wonderful book: wise, funny, perceptive, compassionate and often unbearably sad. It's also, with its subtly political focus on changing habits and mores, the best British social novel since Jonathan Coe's What a Carve Up."Author Nick Hornby also praised the book on his blog, calling it "A big, absorbing, smart, fantast.... Discover the Emma Hornby popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Emma Hornby books.
Best Seller Emma Hornby Books of 2024
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Rich Girl, Poor Girl
Val WoodWinter, 1860. Rosalie has been granted a life of comfort and wealth but neither of these protects her when her mother suddenly dies. Polly has lead a life of grinding poverty; afte...
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Orphan Girl
Maggie HopeShe's no more than an unpaid servant...Lorinda is only a child when tragedy deprives her of her true family and, sent to live with her aunt in her boarding house, she grows up desp...
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Workhouse Angel
Holly GreenWill she ever be reunited with her real father?A gritty, heartwarming saga perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Rosie GoodwinAngelina was abandoned on the doorsteps of Brownlow Wor...
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Until You Come Home
Ellie DeanTHE TWELFTH CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEAN‘We’ll just have to carry on in the belief that the end of the war is finally in sight'It is 1944 and Ann...
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Far From Home
Ellie DeanTHE SECOND CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEANIt is 1940 and Staff Nurse Polly Brown has been granted a posting at Cliffehaven Memorial Hospital on the ...
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The Doorstep Girls
Val WoodRuby and Grace have grown up in the poorest slums of Hull. Friends since early childhood, they have supported each other in bad times and good. But their families are bound togethe...
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A Place to Call Home
Val WoodEllen thought she’d always live in the remote, pretty coastal village where she grew up. After all, her husband, Harry, works on a farm where he’s guaranteed a job and home for lif...
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Triumph of the Shipyard Girls
Nancy RevellTHE EIGHTH NOVEL IN THE BESTSELLING SHIPYARD GIRLS SERIES!'Emotional and gripping' Take a BreakSunderland, 1943: With the future of Britain uncertain, the shipyard girls fight to k...
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Nightingales on Call
Donna DouglasFrom the author of The Nightingale Girls, The Nightingale Sisters and The Nightingale Nurses – perfect for fans of Call the Midwife1937 sees new challenges for the trainee nursesDo...
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Homecoming
Ellie DeanTHE EIGHTEENTH CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEANPeace has finally been declared in the Far East, but for those living at Beach View Boarding House, th...
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Nest Of Sorrows
Ruth HamiltonThis emotional and uplifting saga full of twists and turns by the Sunday Times bestselling author Ruth Hamilton is a must read for fans of Catherine Cookson, Dilly Court and Josep...
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A Christmas Miracle for the Railway Girls
Maisie Thomas'Heartwarming historical fiction ... The perfect stocking filler for fans of Nancy Revell, Daisy Styles and Margaret Dickinson' Eastern Daily PressThe sixth heartwarming, feelgood ...
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Shelter from the Storm
Ellie DeanTHE ELEVENTH CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEANIt is 1943 and April Wilton is devastated when she is forced to leave Portsmouth and the WRENs where she...
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A Christmas Wish for the Shipyard Girls
Nancy RevellTHE NINTH NOVEL IN THE BESTSELLING SHIPYARD GIRLS SERIES'Emotional and gripping' Take a BreakSunderland, 1943: As Christmas approaches in the shipyards, everyone is hoping for a li...
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On a Turning Tide
Ellie DeanPREORDER NOW:THE SIXTEENTH CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEANCliffehaven, October 1944 As the Allied troops draw closer to victory, life at Beach View ...
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Sealed With a Loving Kiss
Ellie DeanTHE NINTH CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEANAfter the death of her parents in a bombing raid, Mary Jones discovers a secret in the pages of father’s di...
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Shipyard Girls at War
Nancy RevellTHE SECOND SHIPYARD GIRLS NOVEL FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR, NANCY REVELL.‘Nancy Revell knows how to stir the passions and soothe the heart!’ Northern Echo1941: it takes s...
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A Nightingale Christmas Wish
Donna DouglasAs Christmas 1938 approaches, the staff at the Nightingale Hospital have their own wishes for the festive season. Ward sister Frannie Wallace is hoping she won’t have to live throu...
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Some Lucky Day
Ellie DeanTHE SEVENTH CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEANMay 1942. War can bring hope as well s heart ache . . . Kitty Pargeter loves the life she’s leading as a ...
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Where the Heart Lies
Ellie DeanTHE FOURTH CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEANFebruary 1941. Can love survive in a time of war? Julie Harris is working in London’s East End as a midwif...
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Sweet Memories of You
Ellie DeanTHE TENTH CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEAN‘I’m not working on a factory floor or digging for victory, but in my own small way I do what I can for tho...
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Workhouse Orphans
Holly GreenA gritty, heartwarming family saga for fans of Dilly Court, Sheila Newberry and Maggie Hope.All they have left is each other...Life has always been tough for May and Gus Lavender. ...
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With Hope and Love
Ellie DeanTHE SEVENTEENTH CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEAN. Cliffehaven, 1945The war in Europe is over, but for Peggy Reilly and the residents of Beach View Bo...
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Workhouse Child
Maggie HopeAll she wants is a family of her own...Lottie is just three years old when her Mammy dies and she is sent to the workhouse. A childhood spent in poverty, skivvying for other people...
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The Waiting Hours
Ellie DeanTHE NEW CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEAN'The Waiting Hours is a gem of a book, which will touch readers' hearts. Ellie Dean effortlessly evokes a sen...
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The Gypsy Girl
Val WoodWould she ever find somewhere she truly belonged?When Polly Anna's mother died when she was just three years old, it seemed the workhouse was the only place for her to go. But with...
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As the Sun Breaks Through
Ellie DeanTHE FIFTEENTH CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEANCliffehaven, June 1944As the planes continue to circle over Cliffehaven, Peggy Reilly’s sister Doris mu...
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Keep Smiling Through
Ellie DeanTHE THIRD CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEANJune 1940. Rita Smith swore she would never lose heart . . .Despite losing her mother at a young age and he...
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Nightingales at War
Donna DouglasAs the war takes its toll, the Nightingale nurses must do their bit for king and country…Dora is the devoted mother of twin babies but, determined to help the war effort, she goes ...
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The Nightingale Sisters
Donna DouglasTo the student nurses at The Nightingale hospital, the ward sisters are heartless and frightening, with impossibly high standards. But the sisters have troubles of their own... Vi...
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The Nightingale Girls
Donna DouglasThree very different girls sign up as student nurses in 1936, while England is still mourning the death of George V. Dora is a tough East Ender, driven by ambition, but also desper...
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A Nightingale Christmas Promise
Donna DouglasFor the first time, a Nightingale nurses novel set during the First World War. Follow the senior staff as they overcome the trials of their training years. From Sunday Times top te...
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A Place to Call Home
Evie GraceTHE THIRD AND FINAL SAGA IN EVIE GRACE'S MAIDS OF KENT TRILOGY.'An intriguing tale of family relationships and of finding love a second time around . . . I’ll be sure to look out f...
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Always in my Heart
Ellie DeanTHE FIFTH CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEANUnited by love, separated by war . . .As the Japanese begin their assault on Singapore, Sarah Fuller is for...
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With a Kiss and a Prayer
Ellie DeanTHE FOURTEENTH CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEANCliffehaven, May 1944 The tension is rising for Peggy Reilly and the inhabitants of Cliffehaven as the...
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The Servant Girl
Maggie HopeShe is the downstairs maid; he is the Master’s son...Forced to become a kitchen maid at Fortune Hall, Hetty Pearson strikes up an unlikely friendship with the younger son of the ho...
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Daughters of Liverpool
Kate Eastham'A warm and satisfying story' My WeeklyFrom the author of The Liverpool Nightingales comes an uplifting and emotional tale, perfect for fans of Call the Midwife, Downton Abbey and ...
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Secrets of the Shipyard Girls
Nancy RevellTHE THIRD SHIPYARD GIRLS NOVEL FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR, NANCY REVELL. ‘Nancy Revell knows how to stir the passions and soothe the heart!’ Northern Echo Sunderland, 194...