The Children's Hour - Hardcover

Marcia Willett

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 059305119X ISBN 13: 9780593051191

Publisher: Bantam Press, 2003

Synopsis

A glorious novel about half- forgotten memories and childhood secrets in the tradition of Rosamunde Pilcher Nest and Mina still live at Ottercombe, their beautiful old rambling childhood home in the depths of Devon. They came to the house before the war, when as small children they played with their sisters and brothers in the gardens and the woods and the nearby beach while their mother read them stories and their father visited at weekends. It was, in retrospect, an idyllic time, when tragedy seemed far distant. Now they welcome their children and grandchildren, and especially young Lyddie, their niece, who lives in Cornwall with her handsome husband Liam. But when their sister Georgie, now somewhat frail and forgetful, comes to stay with them, aspects of their past start to revisit them. For Georgie knows all their secrets, secrets which she wants to share...

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

Praise for Marcia Willett

The Children's Hour
--"Astute and deeply moving." -- The Bookseller (UK)
--"A novel which reminded me of L P Hartley's Eustace and Hilda trilogy. . . . a warm novel with echoes of the past and an endearing simplicity." -- Tim Manderson, Publishing News (UK) (special selection)

A Summer in the Country
--"Willett's first book published in the U.S., A Week in Winter (2001) was very popular with contemporary women's fiction consumers, and comparisons to Rosamunde Pilcher and Maeve Binchy abounded. Her second book will not disappoint her newly won fans. . . . a complex tale featuring many fully drawn characters, an engaging plot....vibrant characters, and [an] excellent depiction of the English countryside." --Booklist (starred review)
--"An intriguing relationship drama. . . . an insightful character study." --Midwest Book Review

A Week in Winter
--"Fans of Rosamunde Pilcher and Maeve Binchy will definitely applaud the introduction of such an enjoyable writer." --Booklist
--"A charming story...highly recommended for public libraries everywhere." --Library Journal
--"A Week in Winter has all the elements of a perfect summer book. . . it's thoroughly engrossing, with richly drawn characters, a mysterious locale, and a beautifully crafted plot . . . the perfect addition to your summer beach tote." --The Sun-Sentinel, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
--"Captivating. . . . Set in a wild Cornish landscape that will evoke for readers Rosamund Pilcher's The Shell Seekers, Willett is a true discovery." --Michelle Slung, Victoria Magazine
--"Like Rosamund Pilcher and Maeve Binchy, Willett creates such fully dimensional characters that readers feel as if they should phone or e-mail them to keep in touch." --Rocky Mountain News
--"A wonderful moving story of family and values set in the English countryside. It is very reminiscent of the novels of Pilcher and Binchy. I am so glad Ms. Willett is following in their footsteps!" --Marilyn Sieb, Books & Company

From the Back Cover:

"A GRIPPING NOVEL THAT WILL KEEP YOU BUSY ON THE BEACH,
UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING BUT KEEP TURNING THE PAGES."
-Devon Life (UK)

I have a story to tell you...
In their comfortable old family home overlooking the sea, two sisters, Nest and Mina, live in solitude with memories of a once-idyllic childhood, and of the enchanted "children's hour" when their mother would regale them with tales of fantasy and delight. But the make-believe world of the story spinner didn't protect them from the reality of a shocking family tragedy best forgotten.

And a secret to share...
But when their estranged sister Georgie comes to stay, she brings unwelcome memories of her own, and long-buried secrets yet to be revealed. Now three sisters will engage in the most intimate children's hour of all-the story of their own lives, of a first love never-forgotten, of a passion that tore them apart, of a death that still casts its shadow of guilt and recrimination. And the truth of a fateful night that shattered their past, and still holds the power to define their future...

"A beguiling story of family relationships."
-Yorkshire Evening Post

About this edition

• Publisher: Bantam Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 059305119X
• ISBN 13: 9780593051191
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368