The paper is stiff and brittle with age as Kate unfolds it with trembling hands. She gasps at the pencil sketch of a rippling waterway, lined by tall buildings, curving towards the dome of a cathedral. She feels a connection deep in her heart. Venice.
England, 1941. When Kate Arden discovers a secret stash of drawings hidden in the pages of an old volume of poetry given to her as a baby, her breath catches. All her life, she has felt like an outsider in her wealthy adoptive family, who refuse to answer any questions about her past. But the drawings spark a forgotten memory: a long journey by boat… warm arms that held her tight, and then let go.
Could these pictures unlock the secret of who she is? Why her mother left her? With war raging around the continent, she will brave everything to find out…
A gripping, emotional historical novel of love and art that will captivate fans of The Venice Sketchbook, The Woman on the Bridge and The Nightingale.
Readers adore Juliet Greenwood’s WW2 novels:
“This story was compelling, emotional, and left me thinking about what would come next every time I had to set it down.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“What a beautiful story, I absolutely loved it. With a heart-wrenching decision, lovely characters, awful characters, beautiful settings and lots of love it’s a book that you won’t want to put down. Also, remember the tissues!” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Emotional and heartbreaking… A very compelling story and one I highly recommend.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Not just a gripping historical narrative but also an exploration of the power of love, resilience, and the human spirit. That even in the darkest times, there is hope, compassion, and the potential for redemption.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This book is one that as soon as you start reading you cannot put down. I highly recommend reading it.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A gripping, emotional journey into the impact of war on ordinary families… Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys historical fiction.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“An inspirational story that will grip you… I truly loved reading it.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
For Iris, each visit to her mother in St Mabon’s Cove, Cornwall has been the same – a serene escape from the city. But today, as she breathes in the salt air on the doorstep of her beloved childhood home, a heavy weight of anticipation settles over her. Iris knows she’s adopted, but any questions about where she came from have always been shut down by her parents, who can’t bear to revisit the past.
Now, Iris can’t stop thinking about what she’s read on the official paperwork: BABY GIRL, FRANCE, 1939 – the year war was declared with Nazi Germany.
As Iris peels back each layer of history, a sensation of dread grows inside her. The past is calling, and its secrets are more intricate and tangled than Iris could ever have imagined.
The year is 1939, and in Paris, France a young woman is about to commit a terrible betrayal…
A beautifully written and addictively compelling historical novel about the terrible choices ordinary people were forced to make in the horrors of World War Two. If you loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Alice Network and The Nightingale, you will devour this book.
Four motherless sisters, raised by a distant father in a crumbling, ivy-choked country estate. A terrible war on the horizon that will tear an ancient family apart.
Stratford-upon-Avon, 1940. Rosalind Arden, born into one of the oldest families in England, has grown up running wild through the walled gardens and secret passages of historic Arden House, known to have once been frequented by Shakespeare himself. But centuries of squandered wealth have left the family destitute, and Papa Arden plans to replenish the coffers by securing hasty marriages to the highest bidder for Rosalind and her sisters. Passionate and headstrong, Rosalind is quickly running out of ways to avoid this fate….
Will they find the courage to follow their dreams?
St. Ives, 1916.
Jess Morgan always hoped to become a celebrated silversmith, but when the men return from war she’s forced to return to her job as a seamstress. All she can cling to is the memory of that delicate, unique silver clasp she created for a society bride.
Rachel Bellamy served as an ambulance driver on the front line during the Great War but now it’s up to her to save the family home and picturesque harbour from her wealthy brother-in-law, before it’s too late.
Giselle Harding fought her way up from poverty to become a Hollywood movie star. Yet even the most beautiful jewels she owns will never replace the man she lost.
As the lives of the three women collide, will they be able to overcome their differences and fight together for the dreams they once held so close?
Can determined Hester save her family and follow her dreams?
1908: Hester always loved her mother best, her father had always been a hard man to like, spending more time (and money) in the local than with his family. After her mother’s sudden death, followed by an injury forcing her father to give up his job as the ferryman, Hester is placed in the position of care-giver for her young brother and sister.
As the years pass Hester must row the ferry night and day to keep them all from starvation, while her hopes of working in a kitchen and one day becoming a cook, slip further and further away.
But just how far is Hester willing to go to make her dream a reality? And as the threat of war comes ever closer to the Cornish coast, will it bring opportunities or despair for Hester and her family?
‘Eden’s Garden’ follows the intertwined stories of the Meredith family of Plas Eden, a dilapidated mansion with a collection of mysterious statues in its overgrown garden, and the servants who once served there. If you love ‘Downton Abbey’ and the novels of Kate Morton, this is the book for you!
The White Camellia is a gripping story of love and loss, set in Edwardian Cornwall and London against the backdrop of women’s struggle for financial independence and the vote.
‘We That Are Left’ is set in Cornwall, Anglesey and France during the First World War. It is the story of Elin, a lonely and frustrated young wife, who in 1914 is living a privileged, conventional existence on the Cornish coast. Like many women of the time, Elin finds herself taking her husband’s place running the family estate during the war, gaining new skills and confidence and a sense of purpose as she uses her passion for baking to make the most of the fruit and vegetables in Hiram Hall’s kitchen garden to help local families and a nearby hospital for the wounded. But the horrors are never far away, and when a friend is in danger, Elin sets out on a desperate rescue mission through war-torn France, braving mortar fire and enemy soldiers along the way. When the war is finally over, Elin finds herself expected to return to being a dutiful, self-effacing wife. But her experiences have changed Elin forever, and her own battle for happiness and self-fulfilment have just begun…