This incredible debut historical novel—in the tradition of Beatriz Williams and Jennifer Robson—tells the fascinating story of a young mother who flees her home on the rocky cliffs of Cornwall and the daughter who finds her way back, seeking answers.
Cornwall, 1940. Back in England after the harrowing evacuation at Dunkirk, WWII Red Cross nurse Anna Trenowyth is shocked to learn her adoptive parents Graham and Prue Handley have been killed in an air raid. She desperately needs their advice as she’s been assigned to the military hospital that has set up camp inside her biological mother’s childhood home—Nanreath Hall. Anna was just six-years-old when her mother, Lady Katherine Trenowyth, died. All she has left are vague memories that tease her with clues she can’t unravel. Anna’s assignment to Nanreath Hall could be the chance for her to finally become acquainted with the family she’s never known—and to unbury the truth and secrets surrounding her past.
Cornwall, 1913. In the luxury of pre-WWI England, Lady Katherine Trenowyth is expected to do nothing more than make a smart marriage and have a respectable life. When Simon Halliday, a bohemian painter, enters her world, Katherine begins to question the future that was so carefully laid out for her. Her choices begin to lead her away from the stability of her home and family toward a wild existence of life, art, and love. But as everything begins to fall apart, Katherine finds herself destitute and alone.
As Anna is drawn into her newfound family’s lives and their tangled loyalties, she discovers herself at the center of old heartbreaks and unbearable tragedies, leaving her to decide if the secrets of the past are too dangerous to unearth…and if the family she’s discovered is one she can keep.
Author Info
Award-winning historical fiction author Alix Rickloff’s family tree includes a knight who fought during the Wars of the Roses and a soldier who sided with Charles I during the English Civil War. With inspiration like that, what else could she do but write her own stories? She lives in Maryland in a house that’s seen its own share of history so when she’s not writing, she can usually be found trying to keep it from falling down. .
Reviews
“In this compelling and heartwarming novel, Alix Rickloff shares with us two women, mother and daughter, whose tragic and triumphant lives intertwine through two world wars. The story pulls us into the universal struggle of all women to find their places in their worlds. I was deeply moved.” — Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling author of The Royal Nanny
“Filled with secrets that kept me turning pages to get to the mysterious truth. At the heart, this is a novel about searching for one’s identity. The vivid writing combined with such an intriguing story make Alix Rickloff an exciting voice in historical fiction.” — Renée Rosen, bestselling author of White Collar Girl
“Alix Rickloff’s debut is a delight - beautifully written with fascinating characters, rich historical detail and an intriguing family mystery that keeps the pages turning.” — Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author
“Telling an elegant tale about a mother and daughter trying to find themselves in the midst of two very different world wars, Alix Rickloff establishes herself as an up and coming talent in the historical fiction genre.” — Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of America's First Daughter
“In this engaging and deftly plotted novel, Alix Rickloff introduces us to two heroines who are [...] so memorable and richly portrayed that they all but leap off the page. I loved Secrets of Nanreath Hall [...] and I eagerly await more from this sensitive and gifted novelist.” — Jennifer Robson, International Bestselling author of Moonlight Over Paris
“an emotional and fascinating journey into the hearts of many women. [...] Many will find the soap-opera plotline, likable characters, colorful backdrop and the quest for answers to decades-old questions as much fun as a Downtown Abbey episode.” — RT Book Reviews
