Description

‘What a magical five-star read this is’
‘Full of warmth, emotion and female relationships, I thoroughly enjoyed this’
‘What a stonker of a family saga, told with care and wit as well’

Take a step back in time with bestselling author Lucy Diamond to enjoy this heartwarming and deliciously witty tale of sisterhood that spans a century . . .

‘A book to lose yourself in’ Katie Fforde
‘Intricate plotting, sparkling prose and warm, nuanced characters’ Karen Swan
‘A glorious read – heartfelt, compelling and warmly witty’ Rosie Walsh

Could you tell a story packed with heartbreak and happiness? Meet four women who can.

There’s Nancy, kitchen maid at Westercombe Manor in 1929. She can’t resist adding a sentence to Master Blackwood’s novel while dusting his typewriter and soon finds herself drawn in as co-writer.

There’s Maud, who’s lived on the Westercombe estate since the 1940s. A proud grandmother to Pearl and Saffie, she loved telling them bedtime stories – but some tales she has vowed never to tell.

Pearl’s now living on the other side of the world, reeling from divorce and bereavement, until a crisis means Saffie summons her home. Once close, the cousins have hardly spoken since the summer it all went so horribly wrong.

A battered trunk might hold the key to the secrets that bind them together across the decades, but are they willing to read between the lines to find the truth at last?

Lucy Diamond’s glorious heroines burst from the page as they seek to make peace with one another – and the past.

Your favourite authors love Lucy!

‘Tender, bittersweet and funny’ Veronica Henry

Feel-good, uplifting’ Sheila O’Flanagan

‘No one creates funny, flawed and immediately relatable characters like Lucy’ Cathy Bramley

Publisher Review

A book to lose yourself in, with realistic characters and an intriguing plot, it’s one to be indulged in with joy — Katie Fforde Intricate plotting, sparkling prose and warm, nuanced characters combined to make this book an effortless read and a compelling one. I just couldn’t put it down! — Karen Swan A big-hearted story of female friendship and empowerment, and a love letter to storytelling and the joy of creative endeavour – all with Diamond’s trademark warmth and wit. I loved it! — Emylia Hall Storytelling is at the heart of this uplifting family saga – the different threads finely spun and deftly woven – populated by lovable characters who leap off the page. Captivating and deeply satisfying — Fiona Valpy Gorgeously written . . . with the most beautiful, complex and satisfying portrayal of female relationships at its heart — Emma Stonex I loved reading about the intertwined lives of Nancy, Maud, Saffie and Pearl. A gorgeous story of four women, living generations apart, yet needing and deserving to share their own stories. A delicious feast of a book — Phillipa Ashley