Synopses & Reviews
Inside the glass orb was a miniature garden and a house. If she stared long enough, she could almost see the people inside. But whether they were trapped there, or kept safe, in that miniscule snowbound world, she couldn't have said...
Christmas 1926 holds bright promise for nineteen-year-old Daisy Forbes, with celebrations under way at Eden Hall, her family's country estate in Surrey, England. But when Daisy, the youngest of three daughters, discovers that her adored father, Howard, has been leading a double life, her illusions of perfection are shattered. Worse, his current mistress, introduced as a family friend, is joining them for the holidays. As Daisy wrestles with the truth, she blossoms in her own right, receiving a marriage proposal from one man, a declaration of love from another, and her first kiss from a third. Meanwhile, her mother, Mabel, manages these social complications with outward calm, while privately reviewing her life and contemplating significant changes. And among those below stairs, Nancy, the housekeeper, and Mrs. Jessops, the cook, find that their long-held secrets are slowly beginning to surface...
As the seasons unfold in the new year, and Daisy moves to London, desires, fortunes, and loyalties will shift during this tumultuous time after the Great War. The Forbes family and those who serve them will follow their hearts down unexpected paths that always return to where they began...Eden Hall.
Review
“A capacity to shock, to astonish, and to engage . . . written throughout with economy and wit.” New York Times Book Review
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“Swift and startling power . . . moving . . . entertaining . . . can absorb you into its fictional landscape as easily as Alice passing through the looking glass.” Chicago Tribune Book World
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“Well-written, exciting . . . echoes of Hemingway, Graves, and ‘Upstairs, Downstairs, with characters who breathe and about whom one cares.” Library Journal
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“Spellbinding. This is really a start-reading-and-dont-stop-until-youre-finished-novel.” Publishers Weekly
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“Every twenty-five years or so, we are blessed with a war novel, outstanding in that it depicts not only the history of our time, but also its soul.” West Coast Review of Books
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“Fascinating . . . a timeless tale of the conflicts that emerge from a violent change. It is a delight to read.” Cleveland Press
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Praise for The Snow Globe
"Both a gripping tale of family secrets and a comedy of manners, Kinghorn's novel paints a vivid portrait of love and its perplexing complications. Set against the backdrop of Europe in the years following the Great War, The Snow Globe is a fascinating journey back in time. Historical fiction fans will not want to miss this gem!"—Renee Rosen, author of What the Lady Wants
"An absolutely delicious book...The period is beautifully observed, and we are expertly drawn into a suspenseful blend of tangled relationships and shocking discoveries. Daisy's coming of age in the 'brave new world' of post-war England had me holding my breath. Elegant and evocative to the last word."—Elizabeth Cooke, author of Rutherford Park and The Wild Flowers
Praise for The Memory of Lost Senses
"Lucinda Rileys readers will enjoy Kinghorns manipulation of the storys timeline, fans of Sarah Jio will adore the novels romantic backbone, and historical-fiction readers will appreciate Kinghorns eye for authentic period details.”—Booklist
"Beautifully written...the lyrical prose and hints of mystery, betrayal, blackmail, jealousy and regret make for a touching, thought-provoking and compelling read." —Romantic Times, 4 1/2 stars
“Kinghorns prose is lovely, lavishly describing both the characters and the setting, which leaves the reader with a strong sense of time and place."—Historical Novel Society
“Exquisite…a page-turning, atmospheric mystery story but with a powerful, all-consuming love affair burning deep at its core...”—Lancaster Evening Post (UK)
"A witty, clever and compelling tale, with a beautiful love story at its heart. I loved it."—Jane Harris, author of The Observations and Gillespie and I
Praise for The Last Summer
“An enchanting story of love and war, and the years beyond.” —Penny Vincenzi, bestselling author of Wicked Pleasures
“A sumptuous, absorbing tale of love in time of war. Judith Kinghorn's novel brilliantly illuminates the experiences of a generation of blighted youth.”—Rachel Hore, bestselling author of A Place of Secrets
Synopsis
Before Downton Abbey, there was Abingdon Pryory, the elegant country home of the Grevilles—a titled English family who, along with their servants, see their world turned upside down when England goes to war. Once their well-kept lawns and whirling social seasons give way to the horrors of World War I, no one, upstairs or downstairs, is left untouched. For fans of sweeping historical fiction, the reissue of Phillip Rock's New York Times bestseller The Passing Bells is a breathtaking family saga not to be missed.
Synopsis
The guns of August are rumbling throughout Europe in the summer of 1914, but war has not yet touched Abingdon Pryory. Here, at the grand home of the Greville family, the parties, dances, and romances play on. Alexandra Greville embarks on her debutante season while brother Charles remains hopelessly in love with the beautiful, untitled Lydia Foxe, knowing that his father, the Earl of Stanmore, will never approve of the match. Downstairs the new servant, Ivy, struggles to adjust to the routines of the well-oiled household staff, as the arrival of American cousin Martin Rilke, a Chicago newspaperman, causes a stir.
But, ultimately, the Great War will not be denied, as what begins for the high-bred Grevilles as a glorious adventure soon takes its toll—shattering the household's tranquillity, crumbling class barriers, and bringing its myriad horrors home.
About the Author
Born in Hollywood, California, Phillip Rock lived in England with his family until the blitz of 1940. He spent his adult years in Los Angeles and published three novels before the Passing Bells series: Flickers, The Dead in Guanajuato, and The Extraordinary Seaman. He died in 2004.