1938: Lady Vita Goldsborough lives in the menacing shadow of her controlling older brother, Aubrey. But when she meets local artist Dodie Blakeney, the two women form a close bond, and Vita finally glimpses a chance to be free. 1997: Following the death of her mother, Eve Blakeney returns to the coast where she spent childhood summers… Continue reading Vita and the Birds by Polly Crosby
Tag: #Historicalfiction
The Spoon Stealer by Lesley Crewe
Born into a basket of clean sheets—ruining a perfectly good load of laundry—Emmeline never quite fit in on her family’s rural Nova Scotian farm. After suffering multiple losses in the First World War, her family became so heavy with grief, toxicity, and mental illness that Emmeline felt their weight smothering her. And so, she fled… Continue reading The Spoon Stealer by Lesley Crewe
The Secret Shore by Liz Fenwick
As one of the Navy’s most skilled mapmakers, Merry knows the very lives of men far away depend on her work in the War Office. But when a family crisis draws her back to her beloved Cornwall, Merry finds herself working alongside an enigmatic American officer on secret operations spanning the rugged coasts of Cornwall… Continue reading The Secret Shore by Liz Fenwick
The Arrow Garden by Andrew J King
When lonely and socially isolated translator, Gareth, takes up traditional Japanese archery in 1990s Bristol, he learns that to study Kyudo is to reach out, to another culture, another time, other people… But when one of them reaches back, two lives that should never have touched become strangely entangled. In wartime Tokyo, Tanaka Mie finds… Continue reading The Arrow Garden by Andrew J King
The Hidden Letters by Lorna Cook
As the storm clouds of war gather, Cordelia seeks refuge in the grounds of her family estate. Handsome landscaper Isaac has recently arrived to tend to the gardens, and the connection between him and Cordelia is as immediate as it is forbidden. Isaac begins to secretly teach her how to cultivate the gardens, so when he and all the… Continue reading The Hidden Letters by Lorna Cook
The Lost Song of Paris by Sarah Steele
For a moment she closed her eyes and imagined she was perched on the diving board at the Piscine Molitor, the sun beating down on her bare shoulders and the sound of Parisians at play beneath her. All she had to do was jump.’ 1941. Darkness descends over London as the sirens begin to howl and… Continue reading The Lost Song of Paris by Sarah Steele
A Jewish Girl in Paris by Melanie Levensohn
Paris, 1940, a city under German occupation. A young Jewish girl, Judith, meets a young man, the son of a wealthy banker and Nazi sympathizer – his family will never approve of the girl he has fallen in love with. As the Germans impose more and more restrictions on Jewish Parisians, the couple secretly plan… Continue reading A Jewish Girl in Paris by Melanie Levensohn
Letters to a Stranger by Sarah Mitchell
England, 1940. Dearest Ruby, you must have heard the news by now. The very worst has happened. Our countries are at war. What can I do? How can I stop this nightmare from happening? One day soon we’ll be together again. I swear. I love you. E. x Present day. Ruby Summers has lived an extraordinary… Continue reading Letters to a Stranger by Sarah Mitchell
The Language of Food by Annabel Abbs
Eliza Acton is a poet who’s never boiled an egg.But she’s about to break the mould of traditional cookbooks And change the course of cookery writing forever. England 1835. Eliza Acton is a poet who dreams of seeing her words in print. But when she takes a new manuscript to a publisher, she’s told that ‘poetry is… Continue reading The Language of Food by Annabel Abbs
Love & Saffron by Kim Fay
Thank you to Two Roads Books for the opportunity to read and review this beautiful proof copy of the book. Love & Saffron is published in paperback by John Murray Press today so I’m sharing review again. Synopsis: When twenty-seven-year-old Joan Bergstrom sends a fan letter – as well as a gift of saffron –… Continue reading Love & Saffron by Kim Fay
Karen K is reading 