A Maiden’s Voyage Rosie Goodwin
Thursday’s child has far to go . . .
1912, London.
The latest book in the Days of the Week series from Rosie Goodwin – A Maiden’s Voyage – is sure to be a hit with her many fans. I have to say I think this a great idea for a series and the way Rosie Goodwin has come up with the stories and characters to express the sentiment of each day has been truly imaginative.
Thursday’s child is the story of Flora Butler who lives in London, working as a lady’s maid to Constance Ogilvie. It suits Flora perfectly; she enjoys her work and is able to provide for her parents and four younger siblings. But when tragedy strikes Flora faces a difficult decision – move to new York with her mistress, or lose her job and stay with her family.
Before long, Flora and Connie are heading to Southampton to board the RMS Titanic…
With strong settings and likeable characters, this is a page turner of a book to sail away with.
Secrets of Santorini by Patricia Wilson
How far would you go to save those we hold deep in our hearts? What would you sacrifice to save the ones you love from harm? Secrets of Santorini is a love story, it’s ancient history with a modern twist. But most of all, it’s a love letter to the gorgeous island of Santorini.
Sent away to a convent school in Dublin at the age of five, Irini McGuire has always had a strained and distant relationship with her mother, Bridget, a celebrated archaeologist who lives on the paradise island of Santorini. So, when Irini receives news that Bridget has been injured at a dig and is in a coma, she knows it is finally time to return to the island of her birth.
Reading through her mother’s notes at her bedside, Irini starts to realise how little she knows about Bridget’s life. Now, driven by rumours that her mother’s injury was no accident, Irini must uncover the dark secrets behind her family’s separation.
Will she discover the truth about her parents and her past before it is too late?
The story flips between the past and the present day as Irini pieces together her mothers past. One for the suitcase – whether real or imaginary. You’ll feel you’re in Greece as soon as you start reading.
The Woman in the Photograph by Stephanie Butland
It’s 1968 and Veronica Moon is a junior photographer on a local paper in an Essex. She never gets good assignments, and no one takes her seriously. And then she visits the picket line at Dagenham Ford Factory and her life is changed forever.
At the front line of the fight for equal pay for women workers she meets Leonie – a privileged, angry activist, ahead of her time and prepared to fight for equality with everything she has. Veronica has never met anyone quite like her. She breaks off her engagement and moves to London with Leonie to begin a game-changing career and an intoxicating friendship.
Fifty years later and Leonie is gone. Veronica is a recluse with a crippling degenerative disease. For a while she was heralded as a pioneer, leading the charge for women everywhere. But her career was shockingly and abruptly ended by one of the most famous photographs of the twentieth century. It is a photograph that she took.
Now, as that controversial picture hangs as the centrepiece of a new feminist exhibition curated by Leonie’s niece, long-repressed memories of Veronica’s extraordinary life and tumultuous, passionate and – at times toxic – friendship begin to stir. It’s time to break her silence and step back into the light.
And she will no longer hide from the truth about that dark time.
Beautifully written, it draws you into the period from the first page. Such evocative writing and careful attention to detail really brought the 1970s to life.
Wilde Women by Louise Pentland
Robin Wilde is crazy busy with her exciting job and her lovely new man. She’s parenting with flair, and she’s feeling better after the heartbreak of last year. But with so little time to herself, and best friend Lacey’s increasing struggle with post-natal depression, the cracks are beginning to show. Cue a team trip to New York. It might just be the tonic Robin, Lacey, Auntie Kath, Edward and even Piper need.
Will the city that never sleeps make them or break them …
The latest adventures of Robin Wilde is sure to be a hit with Louise Pentland’s many fans. Witty, fun, and full of warmth that will leave you with the feel good factor.
The Women of Primrose Square by Claudia Carroll
Claudia Carroll takes us back to Primrose Square with a new set of characters.
When Frank Woods at number seventy-nine Primrose Square comes home to a surprise birthday party thrown by his wife and adoring children, it is his guests who get the real surprise.
Finding himself alone, he befriends the cantankerous Miss Hardcastle, who hasn’t left her home for decades, and Emily Dunne – fresh out of rehab and desperate to make amends.
As gossip spreads through Primrose Square, every relationship is tested, and nothing in this close-knit community will ever be the same again.
Full of warmth, humour and compassion. A perfectly lovely summer read.
Available from www.amazon.co.uk and www.waterstones.com